Jay, VT – Back in 1947, James Thurber’s story about a chap named Walter Mitty was brought to life on the movie screen by the zany and talented Danny Kaye. Mitty was an ordinary man who got himself into trouble with some extraordinary daydreaming. Charles Schulz’ Snoopy was loosely based on Mitty, especially the “World … Continue reading Extremely Jay
Mavrovo, Macedonia – "How much is the bus to Mavrovo?" I asked the lady behind the counter. She looked at me confused, and answered dismissively, "The bus will come." "OK. I want to buy a ticket." "The bus will come," she repeated, then slid closed the window for talking and looked away. She would not … Continue reading Mavrovo: A Return to What Was
Story by Matt Duffy Photos by Marc Guido (February 2001) – It took a lot to get here, which says nothing about the easy access to Taos. Planning for a full season of features at First Tracks!! Online began while I was laid up and recovering from ACL surgery. I was in severe snow-withdrawal, and … Continue reading Taos: Tell It To the Mountain
Hancock, MA – The charm of a “low speed” lift has always been decidedly lost on me. Lets get to the top … now! That was the only concern. Intolerable twelve- to fifteen-minute lift rides always seemed to be cruel and unusual punishment, especially those first few chairs of the day. If I wanted to … Continue reading Jiminy Peak: A Big Comfy Couch
Lawrenceburg, IN – Tucked amongst the rolling hills and farms of Indiana lies Perfect North Slopes, a small, quiet mountain for skiers only. Located outside of Lawrenceburg near the tri-state corner of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, it is conveniently located an hour and a half from Indianapolis and 45 minutes from Cincinnati. Its unique location … Continue reading Just Perfect
Photos by Scott Murphy Snowshoe Mt., WV (January, 2001) – We drove for hours in the pitch dark. Past gas stations and mobile homes and shuttered barbecue joints. Up corkscrew mountain curves and through national forests, Orion burning brighter on the horizon with each mile into the middle of nowhere we pushed. Was this going … Continue reading Snowshoe: No Comparison
Steamboat Springs, CO – High-speed GS turns arced down the Vagabond trail as I chased Cathy Wiedemer, Steamboat’s charming Public Relations Manager, as she sped downhill on her telemark gear. Wind whistled past my ears as I swept from one trail edge to the other at the edge of my personal speed envelope. The feeling … Continue reading Steamboat: Authentic Western Flavor