I am over in Italy for a few weeks training on Stelvio Pass.  This place is really nice, but I am going to have to tell about it later, I only have a few minutes on the internet right now.  Not to many places with wireless internet over here.  For now a few pictures below.

From my hotel window.

The Hotel Thoni 3000, at the foot of the glacier, a 30 meter walk to the tram and running trails going everywhich way out the font door.

Last week I got a chance to catch up with a legend of the game, Carl Swenson.  While I was in Bethel we met for a bike ride over Hurricane Mt.   Leaving Bethel we biked up and down Evans Notch to Fryburg, huffed and puffed over Hurricane Mt., up and over Pinkham Notch, and then back to Bethel on the north side of the Androscoggin.  Over a hundred mile ride in total.  It was hands down the most humid day of the summer, one of those days where the water drops hang in the air.  It was so humid in fact that we had to stop in Gorham for a slice of pie at the Mt. Washington coffee shop.  These days Carl is getting ready to start work as a public defender in southern NH. 

Carl lubing his chain before our ride.  The Chapman Inn is in the background, I stayed there all last week with BethAnn.  The owner makes a mean breakfast, and it is haunted.  Read about the ghosts at their website:

http://www.chapmaninn.com/spirits.htm

After 100 miles a guy needs a hamburger.

And a nap while catching up on NCIS.

I am staying in Bethel for a few days hanging out with BethAnn who is here for a biathlon national team camp.  The training is good, today we hiked part of the Appalachian Trail.  Goose Eye Mt has always been one of my favorite hikes, and if one knows the way, it is possible to do a bushwack to include the Mahoosuc Notch in the Goose Eye loop.  The wikipedia entry on the Mahoosuc Notch:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahoosuc_Notch

The most rugged mile of the AT

The group

The Goose Eye lawn

The top of the notch

I am staying at my folks house in western Maine for a few days and visiting some of my old favorite training spots.  One of them is Grafton Notch, outside of Bethel.  I used to live in Bethel and dare say that I have spent more time rollerskiing in Grafton Notch than anyone on the planet.  Below are some pictures that I took after a rollerski this afternoon.  It was a a nice day.

The base of the notch.

Part of Old Speck is in the background.

Sunday River Whitecap

My secret swimming hole.