Learning how to ski has been my goal for several years now (I’m normally a snowboarder). I gave it a shot over the weekend down in Austria in the Brixen in Thale area. Wasn’t too pretty to watch, but I managed to get down a red run (American blue) by the middle of my second day. Only had one crash where I lost both skis. There’s a couple small hills in the area here where one can ski, so hopefully I’ll get out a few more times before the winter ends.

Only took a couple photos as my skiing wasn’t too safe for the camera.

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Panoramic photo: Brixen in Thale in winter, Tyrol, Austria

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While the Germans like to build one big ass fire, the Austrians seem to prefer hundreds of small fires, which they take up into the mountains. I’m not quite sure how they coordinate it, and if every fire is a person, or one person has several fires which they maintain, but it is truly a marvelous sight. At about ten o’clock someone shot off a flair from one of the mountain peaks, and then moments later the hundreds of little fires lit up on all the surrounding mountains.

2008 Midsummer mountain fires at Maria Alm, Austria. © Cody Duncan Photography

2008 Midsummer mountain fires at Maria Alm, Austria. © Cody Duncan Photography

Our cabin was one of the buildings near the cow’s butt. Up at about 5,000 feet with a pretty good view.

Cow in meadow in Austrian Alps. © Cody Duncan Photography

Female hiker crossing mountain meadow with Austrian alps in background, Maria Alm, Austria. © Cody Duncan photography