Banff Mountain Film Festival

Last night Linda and I met our daughter, Stephanie, and her fiance, Matt, at the Allen Theater in Playhouse Square for the Cleveland stop of the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Before the films, there was a wonderful array of light food and sponsor exhibits in the rotunda. I have missed this touring event in the past but this experience has me hooked. I will try to make it an annual event. The films are all outdoor settings with focus on adventure sports, often less than ten minutes long, but the best was a feature about a former mountain runner turned wildlife biologist who set out to encounter coastal wolves in British Columbia. The visuals were stunning. The only downside is that the Allen does not have a big screen. On the other hand, the theater is beautiful, comfortable and huge. The place was pretty packed which surprised me in that this was the second night. The crowd was enthusiastic and raucous at times which is fitting. Outdoor culture is alive and well in NE Ohio.

Snug at Smuggs

Seems silly in a way that I fled the beginning of Ohio spring to return to winter here at Smugglers' Notch in Vermont for two and a half days of skiiing. (The picture of purple crocuses was taken in the front yard and edited in on Monday after my return). The map is the Smuggs Trail Map. The mountain has great conditions considering it's early April. There is a little sleet here at the base but a few hundred feet up it will be all snow. Yesterday I had some great runs and am about ready to head out for some fun right now. Last evening the local news we listened to was a Montreal station. Made me want to plan a trip there some time soon. These trips have me missing my wife and dog! I have a WiFi hookup connection here and heard from the guy with a ruler in the grad office that my thesis only needed one tiny formatting change. That was good news. Upload the electronic copy next week and then on to the defense. Now for some fun.