Friday, November 29, 2013

Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt

The Christmas Market season is in full swing here in Germany, full of festive cheer, gluhwein, and flaming bowls of alcohol, along with people standing around in the cold and snow pretending that they are not cold :) Good times...







Nuremberg Christmas Market

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Man's Best Friend turns 70 (in human years)

My old hiking pal, Apollo, turned 10. He still loves to play in the snow like a puppy. Looking forward to many more years with him in our lives.



Saturday, November 16, 2013

Mountain Biking in the Snow

Reached the snowline at around 1050 meters on my Saturday afternoon bike ride up to Rohnberg.

 Snow makes everything more fun, even Mt. Biking!
 The snow-covered trails were treacherous in places.
Rhonberg at 1257 meters.
Distance: 20.25km
Duration: 2:04
Total Elevation Gain: 482 meters

Friday, November 15, 2013

Adventure Sports

My love of the great outdoors started at a very young age, and certainly growing up in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia had a lot to do with this. My childhood home was on a farm in the very rural rolling hills of North Central WV, where we couldn't see our nearest neighbors, and me and my 3 brothers had plenty of room to grow up and just be boys. While I enjoyed playing the usual sports that most kids play in school when growing up in America, such as football, basketball, and baseball, I was never In Love with these structured, team based activities, and watching sports on TV was never my thing. My thoughts were always on the adventure of exploring new places, of skiing, horseback riding, biking, hunting, and fishing. Much of this spirit of adventure can be contributed to my dad. I will never forget the first time he took me hunting at a very young age, and all of the other outdoor adventures that he always found the time to take us boys on over the years. My mom and dad both love to camp and travel, so we had some very memorable family vacations over the years.

I lost this passion for awhile after getting out of the Army; life took over and going to school and working part time jobs seemed to take all of my time. But then my wife and I discovered backpacking, and the excitement of exploring the Monongahela National Forest with nothing but a topo map, compass, and everything you need to survive for several days on your back. This also made us realize how out of shape we had become, so we became much more health conscious, watching what we eat, strength training, and cardio workouts so that we could get out there and do the things that we love. We even purchased kayaks and floated some of the numerous mountain streams in the area.

Since moving to Schliersee, Germany, this passion has become even greater. Schliersee is located in the Bavarian Alps, about 50km south of Munich, very close to the Austrian border. We are literally surrounded by mountains, and we have a beautiful lake out our front door to enjoy. Depending on the season, we can be hiking, mountain biking, skiing, or swimming in a matter of minutes. Now I constantly dream of doing these things. When at work, I am thinking about them, planning what I will do next. It is always in the back of my mind.

One of my birthday gifts from my wife for my 40th was a voucher for paragliding, which I have talked about trying for awhile now. Soon, I will be jumping off the Wallberg Mountain (tandem with a guide, of course). I can't wait! Wish me luck :)

Link to a picture of someone paragliding off of Wallberg with Lake Tergernsee in the background.






Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Birthday cake and beer at the winklstueberl cafe!

 

Celebrating my 40th Birthday

So, I am now officially old, but I still love to get out and enjoy mothernature every chance I get. To celebrate my 40th, my wife and I went skiing on the Hintertux Glacier in Austria. It was a blue-bird day, making the views spectacular. Looking forward to doing it again sometime soon!

 The old man
 3250 Meters

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Mountain Bike Ride to Gindelalm

A quick Sunday morning Mt. Bike ride to the Gindelalm via Huberspitz

View from the Gindelalm



Riding off the mountain from the Gindelalm.
18.87 km Bike Ride
Duration: 1:20:06
Climb: 480 Meters 

Sunday, November 03, 2013