New Year’s eve, 1974...

Just fifty years ago, I happened to spend New Year’s eve with friends at “Neige et Roc” a popular and perfectly situated restaurant next to the bottom station of the old Avoriaz cable car. The food there wasn't particularly fine, but I had eaten there frequently because of its convenient location. 

My table buddies were Avoriaz ski instructors with their wives and girlfriends and as I was at the end of my first 4 months away from the ski school and into my new Racing Director job with Look bindings I was happy to see my former colleagues again and reminiscing about the olden days with them. 

Present at this dinner in the quality of a buddy of mine’s sister-in-law, was Evelyne, a young lady that would become my wife the following year, and today, we’re on the path of our fiftieth year together. 

That’s right, nearing our "Golden Anniversary," a truly remarkable achievement in this day and age, the testimony of a deep and enduring bond built on love, respect, resilience and commitment. 

A timeline that shows our ability to have navigated life's ups and downs together, to have forgiven, compromised, and continued to nurture the relationship through thick and thin. It will also be a lifetime of shared experiences, memories, and growth. 

It represents a rich tapestry of joys, sorrows, triumphs, and challenges that have shaped our lives together from France to New York and then to Park City. 

The legacy of our 50-year marriage will extend beyond just our couple as we hope that it inspires our children, grandson, and future generations with the hope and possibility of enduring love...

What causes stinginess?

As we recently explored the depths and nuances of generosity, it seemed only right that we also turned to its opposite, namely stinginess, greed, avarice or cupidity to name just a few. We could ask ourselves where these traits come from and perhaps discover ways to minimize them and even wipe them out of our lives? 

Always curious, I did some research and this is what I found. To begin with, it seems that the root of these negative traits are found in our drive for survival and material gains. These instincts, while essential for survival in the past, can sometimes manifest as greed and a desire to hoard resources. It’s also undeniable that consumerism, materialism, and the emphasis on wealth and status in our modern societies will inevitably encourage a culture of greed and competition.

From a more personal experience as I was raised in tough conditions, scarcity, deprivation, or insecurity in childhood can also lead to a fear of scarcity and a strong desire to accumulate resources to push back on them. Then come the usual psychological factors, like low self-esteem, anxiety, or a need for control that may also exacerbate these traits. 

As you can see, there are quite a bunch of reasons that can make some of us act like a miser. In a next blog we’ll see how we can fight this and turn these frown-upon behaviors into desirable qualities, so please stay tuned!

Park City Mountain’s ski patrol on strike

During the pandemic, our main local ski resort, Park City Mountain, owned by Vail Resorts, couldn’t find workers to staff their lifts, restaurant and the rest, and, as a result, couldn’t open all of their lifts and facilities. The following season they increased their base rate hourly pay from $15 to $20 per hour. 

When that happened, many skilled workers (like Ski Patrol members) or middle management positions got nothing or no significant raise if they were already above the $20 threshold. Today, the unionized Ski Patrol workers, in an effort to keep up with the high cost of living in Park City and the rate of inflation from two years ago, are now asking for a base rate increase from $21 to $23 an hour." 

In November the union held demonstrations threatening a full strike if their demands weren't met and a few days ago they put their threats to execution by going on strike. On the second day of the strike, Park City Mountain’s Lift and Terrain Status page reported that 17% of the mountain was open to guests, with 60 out of 350 trails and 25 out of 41 lifts operational.

Meanwhile, neighboring Deer Valley Resort, owned by Alterra, reported 50% of its terrain open, with 61 out of 123 runs and 19 out of 24 lifts available. Park City Mountain has received a little over one foot of snow in the last 48 hours, as Utah experienced a low snow cover this season, with Park City’s snow-pack reaching a 30-year record low a week or so ago. 

So here we are, we’ve paid for our seasons passe in September and are being penalized by a mega-resort that doesn’t recognize that a Ski Patrol should get significantly more per hour than an entry-level “lifty” and that they owe us the service and amenities we paid in advance for. 

At time of writing, Vail Resorts has only offered a 3% increase or about $0.65! This said, they had to fly and lodge replacement Ski Patrol staff from their other resorts, which cost them a bundle in reality! 

Another great management failure from Vail Resorts that disrespect its key employees as well as its customers who should be given the value they paid for, and does all the wrong moves that might lead it to fail down the road...

Defining generosity?

Someone who read my blog from yesterday before it was posted, asked me: “But what’s the meaning of generosity?” and I thought to myself, “What a great question!” So I went back to the definition of generosity and found that “Generosity is the voluntary and selfless act of giving to others, whether it be time, resources, compassion, or kindness.” 

Quite a program as you can see, that encompasses actions like material giving, namely things like money, food, clothes, or other resources to those in need. Then there’s the time we can offer by volunteering at an association, mentoring a child, or helping a neighbor. Sharing knowledge, expertise and skills also counts. 

Included also is all kinds of emotional support, like lending a listening ear, providing comfort, and showing empathy to someone who needs it. Part of generosity are those small gestures of kindness, like holding a door open, offering a helping hand, or simply being welcoming or friendly. 

These days we could also include environmental actions like protecting the planet for future generations, social justice by advocating for equity, inclusion and fairness for all. Ultimately, generosity is about putting the needs of others before our own and contributing to the well-being of our communities and the world around us.

At the end of that long list that same person asked me, “That’s a lot of stuff, but you know what’s missing?” I replied, “No, tell me?”. I heard: “To succeed with that definition, we need to quit being so stingy!” I responded: “You’ve got a point!”

The path to generosity

During this holiday season we can ask ourselves why is it so hard to be generous enough and feel good about it? Perhaps, the way that question is phrase could sound strange as it should feel good to be generous, right? 

Here's why it can sometimes be difficult. 

First we’re constantly navigating through societal pressures and expectations, as our culture often emphasizes visible displays of generosity (impressive donations, charity galas, etc.) while overlooking genuine acts of kindness. 

This can create pressure to appear generous rather than truly being so. In addition, we can sometimes feel pressured to donate or give to certain causes to maintain social status or avoid judgment. This can taint the genuine intention behind the act. 

 The most obvious barrier to giving is simply fear and insecurity as some of us are sometimes reluctant to give because they fear they may need those resources themselves in the future, especially if money was scarce when we were young. 

There are even cases when self-doubt gets in the way as we feel our contributions are insignificant and won’t make much difference. We may also worry that our efforts won't be appreciated or that we'll be criticized for our measured generosity. 

This said, it’s fair to ask how we can get better at giving and finding ways to cultivate genuine generosity by focusing on the act of giving itself, rather than the value, shifting the importance from the size of the donation to the intention behind it. 

Giving freely and without expectation is another good way to learn how to let go of the need for recognition or praise. Likewise, starting small, like doing small acts of kindness and gradually increasing our giving will train us to develop a charitable response. 

Volunteering our time is another way of giving and can be just as valuable as giving money. Finally, practicing gratitude is a good way to increase empathy and compassion, opening the door to giving. 

As we can see, plenty of actions are available to us and there’s so much opportunities to give that starting small often is the perfect way to get our feet wet...

A good book about avalanches

Randomly I recently chose to read “Throwing Stones in a Glass House” an autobiographical book by Liam FitzGerald, who at 23, in 1968, started a career as a ski patrol and snow avalanche worker at Squaw Valley (now Palisades Tahoe). 

In 1971 he moved to Snowbird at its opening and became Snow Safety Director until 1998 when he moved on to the Utah Department of Transportation, where he managed the highway avalanche program in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta and Snowbird’s access road, one of the most prone roadways in North America. 

If you love the mountain industry and skiing as much as I do, and of course if you have skied Alta, Snowbird and driven countless times on highway SR-210 to get there, I encourage you to pick up this book that you’ll find to be a page-turner. 

In it, you’ll discover that Liam’s life is a perfect illustration of “Passion, Courage and Imagination” and will conclude that avalanches are before anything, unpredictable, and when you dare venturing outbound into suspicious or even harmless-looking snow condition, you’ll never know what might happen to you. 

That’s the big takeaway of that book encapsulated by Switzerland’s André Roch best known for having planned and surveyed Aspen in Colorado, an expert himself on avalanche management whose expertise was sought throughout the world. He liked to say: “Be careful, because the avalanche doesn’t know you’re an expert!”

The “old US President syndrome”

Around Christmas, we went to a party organized by a nice neighbor, now well into his eighties, and who insisted on hosting a gathering where about 60 people attended. I let you imagine the level of stress that must have possessed that very generous neighbor, who catered all the food and organized the whole event the very best he could. 

That made me think, when is it time to unload stress onto others or avoid it altogether? What is the “right age” to do so? Sure, I realize that there’s no single "right" age to subcontract the task. Also, age is a taboo subject in America and no one dare to place limits whatever they might be around it. It's a highly personal decision that depends on individual circumstances, health, and personal preferences. 

Perhaps a better way to assess the situation is to ask what is one’s energy level? Are we feeling increasingly fatigued or experiencing burnout? Or finding it harder to concentrate, make decisions, or remember details? Is work causing us significant stress and impacting our overall well-being? Sure there are other considerations (I assume we’re only talking about retirees for this exercise): 

Can we financially afford to delegate tasks or hire help? Are we such persons thriving on busy endeavors to the point of loving to fight chaos? Again, talking about age is a “hot potato”, especially when we’re faced with Biden and Trump who are both denying that they’re too old to run a country.

I would leave the closing word to Hergé, the creator of “Tintin” the famous Belgian comic strip for targeting “the youth between 7 and 77 years of age”. Beyond that, I’m convinced, we need to seriously think twice before we leap into unsafe or inappropriate behaviors for an age over double-seven, assess where we stand, be gracious about it and make the necessary adjustments!!

Utah’s bad snow seasons

This current snow season isn’t looking good. Even though snow began falling last October, it was in very small increments that didn’t have time to stick for very long, and if it were not for snow-making and cold enough temperature to make the artificial stuff, it would be downright catastrophic. 

What’s true is that I don’t like man-made snow, the limited area it corrals skiers into and of course the heightened collision danger. But without more natural falls, this is the only way we can slide down the hill.

There have been bad season in Utah before, like in 1948/1949 I am told, 1976/1977 when serious snow finally showed up on February 22 and when Chuck English, the former operation manager at Deer Valley remembers that he was working in Alta and had to go to the Deseret Industries Mormon thrift store to purchase “disposable” skis to slide over rocks. 

I also remember the 1979/1980 season when we had our Look national sales meeting at Park City early January. This was my very first time in what would become my real hometown. We stayed at the brand new Racquet Club Condos and couldn’t ski because there was no snow. All this reminds me that we might see a repeat of all this for 2024/2025. 

This and milder temperatures brought by climate change are not boding well at all for our ski future. Another good set of reasons for keeping my expectation very, very low and welcome a miracle if there’s one!

An annual big production…

In late 2009, I produced my first Christmas-video instead of the typical holiday postcard I used to create and have printed, then mailed to family and friends. Before that, I had gradually transitioned from a physical card to an electronic version that I can send to 100 European friends without breaking the bank! 

I thought a short two-minute film would tell a better story than a piece of cardboard with a collage of shots related to the big events that had marked our year. At that time, it was purely experimental as I had no idea how long I would stick to that format instead of the traditional card. 

It’s true that these days people don’t write anything anymore on paper and all type communication is done via social and electronic media. Sending stuff electronically is much easier, cheaper, faster and a no-brainer. 

So, I’ve been bucking that trend for 16 consecutive years now by creating and producing our own family video that as years have past has become more about what we now think or believe than what we have done or accomplished during the course of the year. 

This said, this is a huge piece of work that entails long hours (I easily spend between 20 and 30 hours doing it, including sending it that isn’t always fast because I like to personalize my cover-message. 

How long can it last? It will depend on my physical ability to create, produce and deliver and I can only hope that it’s not the last holiday video I’ve sent out...

Passion, Courage and Imagination

Two weeks ago, I was watching a piece on TV about Paul Watson a prominent figure in the animal rights and environmental movement, known the world over for his passionate advocacy, particularly against whaling. 

Just five days ago, as he was facing extradition to Japan, he was released from prison in Greenland, after Denmark, five months into his detention, decided to reject the Japanese request. In that TV interview he was emphasizing his "Passion, Courage, and Imagination" claim in the context of activism and social change. 

These three qualities are essential, as Passion fuels the drive and perseverance needed to sustain long-term activism. It provides the emotional energy to overcome obstacles, face criticism, and remain committed to the cause. 

Courage is about taking a stand for what one’s believe in, that often demands to stand for what one’s believe. It takes courage to challenge the status quo, confront powerful interests, and face potential risks or opposition. 

 Finally, Imagination is the fuel that develops innovative and effective solutions to complex problems. It allows activists to think outside the box, explore new strategies, and find creative ways to achieve their goals. 

While these qualities are essential, it's important to remember that they need to be associated with ethical considerations, respect for diverse perspectives, and a commitment to non-violence. They aren’t not just essential for environmental activism but for any kind of positive social change.

Another winter solstice

In our Northern Hemisphere, winter solstice’s day is my favorite time of the year as it signals light bottoming out before rebounding into the promise that tomorrow, everything will turn around towards a brighter future, for at least the next six months. That transition is filled with hope as the days grow longer, even if the drop into darkness is often less noticed because it’s not really appreciated. 

This is probably why that time of the year is filled with spiritual meaning and used by religions the world over to mark the transition between darkness and light, not to mention into a brand new year! That signals a symbolic rebirth as we’re marking the shortest day of the year and its darkest time that symbolizes death, dormancy, and the end of a cycle. 

Without smartphones, our ancestors were deeply connected to the natural world and its rhythms. The solstice was a crucial time for survival, marking the onset of winter and the need to prepare for the harsher months ahead. Celebrating that moment helped folks connect with the natural cycles and find hope and resilience during a challenging time. 

That’s why many cultures have developed unique rituals and celebrations around the winter solstice, starting with the pagan tradition of celebrating Yule, the festival honoring the return of the sun. Same thing with Christmas that, while having Christian roots, incorporates many pre-Christian winter solstice traditions. Many other cultures have their own unique celebrations and rituals associated with the winter solstice.

I was about to forget the scientific and astronomical meaning, starting with Planet Earth reaching that famous 23.5 degrees tilt relative to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. Sure, it’s the opposite if you live in Sydney or Buenos Aires as you enter a long, warm summer! In essence, the solstices mark the points of maximum and minimum solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. 

All these considerations comfort my belief that its powerful symbolism of darkness and light, death and rebirth, make the winter solstice the most remarkable day of the year. At least for me. Now, enjoy the day!

The world’s oldest fake news?

Trump is really the man that popularized the words “Fake News” and the more I think about it, the more I realize that we’ve been living surrounded by a universe of fake news from the days we were born. For those of us who don’t believe in organized religion and in life after death, aren’t those concepts perfect examples of altered reality, to use another euphemism, for that form of lies? 

It’s absolutely true that "Fake News" is everywhere and we've always been surrounded by information that may not be entirely accurate or truthful. As far as religion or spiritual beliefs are concerned when they don't align with scientific evidence or personal experience (like life after death), it’s reasonable to say that they could be considered a form of "altered reality" or a type of "fake news." Of course, the concept of "truth" itself is subjective and isn’t easy to define. 

What one person considers "Fake News," another might consider a valid perspective. Religious beliefs often operate on faith and personal experience, rather than scientific evidence. They address questions about existence, purpose, and morality that science may not be able to fully answer simply because it lacks proof and this is precisely what makes it more credible and easier to follow and embrace. 

It’s true that for many, religious beliefs provide a sense of meaning, purpose, and community, while not scientifically provable, these beliefs can have a profound impact on individuals' lives because in the majority of instances they’ve been inculcated since childhood when they were the most impressionable. 

Some will say that the term "fake news" is often used to describe deliberate misinformation that is spread with the intent to deceive or manipulate, while religious beliefs are given the benefit of the doubt and are considered to be held sincerely and with a sense of conviction, except for a few instances of forced conversion, like the Inquisition or ISIS among key examples. 

As far as similarities go between certain religious beliefs and the spread of "fake news" (both involving accepting information that may not be entirely verifiable), we shouldn’t oversimplify and since religious belief seems to be the domain of the “majority”, the non-believers and their positions remain the voice of a negligible “minority” that really doesn’t count. 

I’m not saying that we should disrespect the beliefs of others when they differ from our own, but I believe that critical thinking skills remain essential to evaluate information, identify biases, and distinguish between certainty and conviction.

The shifting appearance of meditation

We don’t see as much written on meditation as we do on trail running, iron man races or even hot air ballooning. The practice behind meditation is much more elusive, diversified, secretive and so subjective that few come forward to translate it into words.

It’s probably why I feel compelled to intervene as I’m closing in on 5 years of daily practice. In a few words, I just find meditation to be just like a moving target. One reaches a certain level or target, and everything suddenly changes and forces the user to switch gears. 

What used to work reliably no longer does and, if anything, this forces the practitioner into being more focused on what is going on. Expecting the unexpected seems to be the rule when one meditates. 

Is there any reader-practitioner around who can confirm this?

Thank God for snow-making! (Part 2)

While I believe that its overall efficiency has increased by 50 to 75% over the last half-century (exact numbers are hard to come by), tt’s pretty obvious that snow-making requires large amounts of water, which can put a strain on local water resources, especially in arid regions. 

This get the attention of environmentalists, yet, much of the water isn’t wasted as it eventually returns to the watershed during the spring melt. Water needed to carpet a ski hill in snow remains relatively fixed from year to year, so there are only so many efficiency gains to be had. 

Compressing air is what really costs a lot and if the power is generated by non-renewable sources, contributes directly to global warming, not to mention the cost of infrastructure and its renewal to simply maintain it and keep up with technological advances in terms of efficiency. This is where in fact all the efforts have been placed by snow-gun equipment manufacturers. 

Environmentalists will also point at chemicals additives used to improve snow quality, that can have potential environmental impacts. As suggested, technology keeps on improving with more efficient snow guns using less water and energy to produce snow. A typical snow-making machine can produce anywhere from 1 to 10 tons of snow per hour. High-efficiency machines can produce even more under optimal conditions that is, when temperatures are below 28°F (-2°C) and humidity levels are low.

Under these conditions, machines can create denser, higher-quality snow. As for water usage, machines typically require about 1,000 gallons of water to produce one ton of snow. This can vary based on the machine's efficiency and the desired snow quality. It takes approximately 3.5 to 4.3 kWh of energy to produce one cubic meter of snow; however, this number can be as high as 14 kWh, or as low as 1 kWh per cubic meter of snow. 

Snow-making accounts for approximately 50% of the average American ski resort's energy costs, which amounts to about $500,000. Given the gradual raising of temperature and of the snow limit, worldwide, snow-making demand might in fact double by 2050 if not stopped earlier by environmental regulations. 

Still today, it seems that future gains in energy efficiency with the prevailing technologies will be incremental, and perhaps not cost effective for systems that have been recently updated. However, areas that have not yet adopted this technology could realize impressive gains in performance and energy efficiency. Ski area operators can choose from a wide selection of snow-making equipment to fit their unique terrain, regional weather patterns, and business plans. 

While snow-making has a significant environmental impact, technological advancements and a focus on sustainability are trying to mitigate these concerns. Continued research and development are crucial to further improve the efficiency and environmental friendliness of snow-making technologies and preventing ecologists to keep on threatening their use. 

In the meantime, skiers like me who can only ski groomed runs don’t have to ruin their brand new skis very early in the season!

Thank God for snow-making!

This snow season is off to a slow start with many snowfalls, but to date, all without much accumulation. If there was no artificial snow-making, this would be a challenging start for skiing as Christmas is just one week away. 

In the forty winters I have lived in Park City, I’ve even seen worse seasons than this one, and must admit that we’ve been extremely lucky to have cold enough weather since November to complement the lack of natural snow with man-made alternative! 

Still, making snow like this is not new, as the first documented attempts at artificial snow-making goes back to 1934 when Warner Bros. invents the first snow-making machine in Hollywood to create a blizzard for a film. The machine used three blades to shave ice from a block and a fan to blow the ice particles into the air. 

But the real breakthrough came in the 1940s when Ray Ringer, a Canadian researcher, accidentally discovers snow-making principles while studying ice formation on jet engines. 

Yet it’s in the 1950s when Art Hunt, Dave Richey, and Wayne Pierce invent the first commercial snow cannon and in 1952, the Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel not too far from New York City, became the first to use artificial snow.

By the end of that decade, in 1958, the "Eastern Ski Directory" notes that 18 of the 104 ski resorts in New York and New England are using man-made snow to complement mother nature’s work. From that point forward, Alden Hanson, the chief scientist for Dow Chemical, and a prolific inventor, patented the initial fan-type snow gun in 1961 (he also invented Lange ski boots’ Flo padding material, Hanson’s silly-putty and of course the first rear entry boot known under that name). 

This led the way to more significant advancements into the 1970s and the development of more efficient snow-making machines that we’ll talk about in the next blog… (to be continued)

Should we help Syria?

It seems to me that the entire “free world” is waiting, sitting on its hands, to see how Syria gets organized after the shocking and surprising ouster of Bashar al-Assad. Shouldn’t the developed world actively help instead of doing nothing, speculating and waiting for something bad to happen? By helping it could negotiate that a more democratic, inclusive state takes root, that all the chemical and other mass-destruction weapons are eradicated and the Russian bases on the Mediterranean are closed for good? 

I certainly realize that the situation in Syria is incredibly complex but it also reminds me of Russia in the context of the USSR implosion, when the international community should have intervened to help and just sat on the sidelines. It’s undeniable that the Syrian civil war has caused immense human suffering. 

A pacific and active intervention could help alleviate this suffering by providing humanitarian aid, protecting civilians, and supporting the delivery of essential services. Further, that conflict had destabilizing effects on the region, fueling the rise of extremism and contributing to the refugee crisis. 

By facilitating negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition groups, an active international engagement could help prevent further instability and mitigate regional security threats. It could also promote democracy and human rights by helping facilitate a political transition towards a more democratic and inclusive 

This would also prevent rogue politicians like Netanyhu from taking advantage of the situation, as he’s already done, conducting his own version of allegedly cleaning up certain weapons in that country and encroaching further on its territory. Sure, there are risks involved with such and intervention, but if we do nothing by not wanting to take some risks, the consequences might be worse. 

Some may fear that intervention might violate the country’s sovereignty or could escalate the conflict and lead to further violence and casualties. They’re also afraid that it could be politically divisive within the international community, but in term, doing nothing might lead to a new tyrannical government like we’ve seen everywhere after the largely aborted Arab spring. 

Helping Syria would be a cheap insurance premium to avoid another Middle-East problem that we’ll up paying at a very high cost. Perhaps our developed world has simply become too anti-Arab to see appreciate this...

The “Belief Business”

It’s pretty easy to see who dominates the car business, but much harder to see which religion (or lack thereof ) dominates the “Belief Business” as I like to call it. It’s hard to get reliable numbers and among those. 

I assume there are a huge percentage of so-called faithfuls who are as “good Catholics” as I am, having never set foot in a church, on my own, for of my lifetime, and the same probably holds true for millions of other “religious folks” counted in the world statistics. So we need to take that religious “world market share” with a huge grain of salt. 

Early this week my wife was asking me how many Muslims were in the world. Having no idea, I asked our smart-speaker who gave me a number and then we reviewed all the religions we could think of. In checking with other sources, I came up with a curated hit-parade of sorts of religions the world over, because the numbers claim vary a lot from sources to sources. 

Just remember that Christianity is still number one at the moment with about 2.2 billion, followed by 1.6 billion of Muslims, 1.6 of atheist or non affiliated, 1.2 Hindus. Buddhists only account for near 500 millions and the 1.1 billion balance is a catch-all category that includes folks and native religions as well as faiths like Baha’i, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Tenrikyo, Wicca, and Zoroastrianism, among a multitude of others beliefs. 

I’m not even mentioning astrology or conspiracy theories... While Christianity is the most widespread religion at the moment, projections indicate that Islam might rival Christianity in terms of followers by 2050. It could also be both challenging and surprising if social media, as we know it, is not going to supplant all these beliefs, at least in that same 2050 horizon! 

Surprisingly, my Mormons friends that have made huge en-roads in poorly educated countries like in South America claim 17 million members, but do they eventually all stick to that dogma? Finally Jews only account for 15 million, but remain an extremely loud minority worldwide, so talk about the tail wagging the dog!

To win, be competitive!

When I reflect upon the past presidential election, I’m convinced that to win (in any context), one must be competitive, so what are the traits of competitiveness? Of course, in Politics like anywhere else, competitiveness encompasses a range of traits that drive individuals to strive for success and outperform others. 

Some of them, like drive and ambition often coupled with a willingness to work hard and put in the necessary effort. Hard to produce when a person is clearly on a steep mental decline like Biden was. There’s also determination and resilience, something Biden exhibited by trying to run for a second term and refusing to leave when the rest of the world thought he was toast. 

Perhaps Biden’s sole quality was his stubbornness in seeking a second term and refusing to yield after melting down at his first debate with Trump. In that category, both were at par, perhaps with vastly different motivations. Ability to focus and concentrate was yet another ingredient that still existed with Trump but was quickly fading away with Biden.

Both had an equal dose of self-confidence or ego so that didn’t make much difference. Risk-taking ability was another area where Trump overpowered Biden who was just content to repeat the political routine that was his for more than half-a-century while Trump always was an iconoclast. 

As for strategic thinking, Trump’s team did their homework while Biden thought that a continuum of what he’d always said and done would suffice. Finally, the desire to win advantaged a Trump who didn’t want to go to jail, while Biden was just going after the frosting on the cake. 

Sure, some might argue that Trump was an unhealthy competitor (driven by ego, a need for dominance, and a lack of respect for others) while Biden was delivering some healthier competitiveness, but in the end, Joe Biden who was unprepared was woefully not competitive against Trump!

What to do when we feel down?

If you believe I never fell down, you’re totally wrong! Being demoralized, depressed, not in top mental form happens to all, and of course, to the best of us. We’re all passengers on the same rollercoaster, just the shape, the frequency and the amplitude of the course vary with individuals. So, it's totally normal to feel down sometimes. 

Here are some things I try to do when it happens to me. Instead of ignoring or denying what seems to get to me, I do my best not to fight the feeling, and allow myself to feel those crummy emotions. I also give myself a break and I remember to treat myself with kindness and compassion.

Most importantly, I don’t let these bad feelings seep into and distract me from my routine. I continue my same daily walks, keep my diet, my meditation and bedtime exactly the same. What I don’t do, and need to improve upon, is talk to my spouse about it as I tend to want to deal with it myself. 

I should also compensate by engaging in fun stuff instead of getting into doing harder tasks and should be more self-compassionate and give myself a pat on the back! Right, I should go skiing, but believe it or not, I’d feel guilty to use it as a form of therapy… 

This said, what I always remind myself though, is that feeling down is a normal part of the human experience. I just need to take better care of these situations when they happen!

Here goes Biden’s legacy!

I would have voted for President Biden to prevent Trump from winning this year, even though I never was a fan of the former. If there’s a pattern with him, it’s that he knows how to go from bad to worse. 

Before winning the election in 2020 he was asked “Will you take a woman as VP?” He stupidly painted himself into a corner by responding “Yes” right on the spot. The smart answer would have been: “I pick the very best woman or man to fill that position”. Period. 

Next, he picked Kamala Harris who wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed for that role. Leadership 101 says that one should always pick a wing-man that is at least as sharp, or ideally sharper than oneself. Because Trump was so bruised by his bad Covid job and chaotic four years, Biden won the 2020 contest. 

All along his mandate, the media didn’t like him at all. I guess he wasn’t the sexiest boy in town and already looked like he had one foot in the grave... Then, by not checking with his constituents, Biden came with the bright idea of canceling student loans which ended up in a big fiasco and by disenfranchising many of his supporters. 

That’s when the “killer idea”, I should say the kiss of death, came to him, running again without any serious primary opponent that got him an effortless nomination in spite of having passed his political “expiration date”. 

This sad event was both amplified and justified by his implosion as he faced Trump in the first debate and then by his repeated gaffes “president Putin” instead of Zelinsky and “vice president Trump” instead of Harris. But that was not enough to make him abandon the race, he had to be violently dragged out of it after almost a month of refusing to do so. 

To make that move more painful, he designated Harris as his heir so she would have less chance to win than a number of other potential candidates that would make him look bad. He could have been gracious and resign upon the November election and let Harris be the 47th and first female president of color for a few weeks as a consolation prize, and stick it to Trump, but he forgot, I guess. 

Yet, that wasn’t all, after affirming on multiple occasions that he would never pardon his son Hunter, he just did that after Thanksgiving. What a principled guy who might want to think twice before opening his mouth!

An attention-getting book about growth

A few weeks ago, I finished reading “Growth, a history and a reckoning” by Daniel Susskind. Let me admit that I’m very much interested in the subjects of growth and sustainability, and the cover of the book caught my eye! 

The first part of the book was well constructed and quite informative. I liked the history of growth, that is the thousands of years of stagnation that preceded the industrial age (even though, the advent of fossil fuels and turning points like the Renaissance period, weren't even mentioned) all the way to the “hockey stick” shaped growth that followed. 

It explained the creation of GDP as a measure of growth and the single-minded quest for ever higher numbers of that magic unit. The author undermined the mantra that “We can’t have infinite growth on a finite planet”, or the need for “degrowth” that would lead to recession, or preserving the planet for coming generations, countering that the world of ideas is infinitely vast and would be magic band-aid. 

Clearly Susskind can’t imagine a world without traditional growth as we know it. Instead, it seems to me that addressing overpopulation, repairing the damages done to the planet, repaying countries’ staggering debt and substituting quality for quantity in a reasonably spread timeline could begin to move the needle in the right direction. 

Well, I’m not an economist, I’m just a retired, old skier...

Another coup from Macron

The embattled French President Emmanuel Macron was as creative as he was opportunistic in inviting Donald Trump, the yet to be US president, to Paris this past Saturday with a full dose of pomp. 

The two seize the occasion to hold a hastily arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy before celebrating the grand reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. 

The day mixed pageantry with attention to pressing global problems that were meant to distract the attention from his constituency away from the royal mess he plunged them into, when he decided to dissolve the National Assembly, early June.

Why in the world wasn’t Biden sitting in the place of Trump between Macron and his wife? This surreal scene was an excellent illustration of Macron cynicism and of our State Department stupidity. 

It’s also true that Macron did a much better job with Notre Dame’s restoration than he did with his country’s politics. 

Like the rest of us, I still wonder what Zelenskyy got out of this impromptu meeting...

Hirscher second-coming?

Following a decent show at last October’s Sölden’s season opening, Hirscher couldn’t replicate his GS performance in the two following slaloms he competed in, and decided to train much harder. 

In doing so, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. On December 3, the eight-time overall World Cup champion sustained the injury while training at Reiteralm, Austria. The injury, described as a “harmless slip” caused by an inside ski error, also included minor damage to the outer capsule of his knee but did not involve a fall.

The good news is that Marcel was successfully operated at a local private clinic in Graz. His season’s “second-coming” under the Dutch flag is probably settled for good. Going back to something we leave early is never simple. 

I remember returning to teach skiing at the Avoriaz ski school for Christmas of 1976, two year after I quit the place and it wasn’t a pleasant experience at all. I instantly rediscovered all the good reasons why I had left in 1974. While not a nice feeling, it comforted me at least in my early decision. 

I’m pretty sure Marcel must have partially felt that way. At least, he pushed his idea as far as he could…

Enough garbage cans?

The 2022 Global Waste Index, ranked the biggest waste-producing nations in the world. South Korea, Denmark, Germany were the top 3 among the best, that is, the least dirty. France was ranked 14th while the US stood at the 25th spot in a field of 38 ranked nations. Canada was the worst as 31st and Turkey dead last.

The above picture shows how some households in Park City contribute to America’s dirty label. The five gray trash cans pictured here contain 16 gallons (60 liters) and the two large brown ones are used for recycling. In our household (2 people) we only use one of each and although we empty it weekly, it would take 3 to 4 month to fill it with household waste! 

Eight months out of the year, we also compost our green waste. Needless to say that we wonder how a single family house like that one can use so many waste containers… Our landfill for Park City and Summit County is located in Three Mile Canyon, and as I write this, it’s almost at capacity. 

The landfill processes about 42,000 to 52,000 tons of waste each year. It only has about 80,000 tons of capacity remaining. Where will the refuse go when it’s filled up?

In praise of good judgment

We hear a lot about good judgment these days, and the political scene seems overflowing with bad examples in that category. One just needs to take a look at some of the proposed Trump’s Cabinet members, Biden’s pardon of his son or Macron dissolving the French Parliament. 

So, let’s revisit what good judgment really is. It seems to me that it refers to the ability to make sound decisions and form valuable opinions. This, of course, involves quite a bit of time, experience, preparation, research and just hard work. 

First, I firmly believe there’s a lot of good old commonsense in that trait. Without it there can’t be any good judgment. Before we jump to it though, we should first consider various factors and evidence, doing some critical thinking by analyzing information objectively and identifying potential biases. We must also trust our own instincts and gut feelings, especially in complex situations. 

I would add that we must make choices that align with our personal values as well as goals, and also our societal norms, never let our judgment be just emotional, and always take the long view in considering the potential consequences of our decisions over time.

Then, we must make sure we’ve got the time and resources available to make our judgment come to fruition. The big component that I’ve left for last is experience or our ability to draw on past experiences to inform future decisions. It is said that good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment, something that’s also probably true! 

Good judgment has a lot of moving parts to it. In closing, we must always remember that good judgment is our ability to make informed, rational, and responsible choices that lead to positive outcomes.

Skiing day two

This past Wednesday was my second day skiing this season and, unlike the first, it was a very good one. I would even say quite enjoyable.

My time on the snow was short but all the runs I did were good and this time I like the lot of man-made snow the Canyons side of the mountain had to offer. 

My daily cost went from $980 to $490, might go down to less than $10 daily if I ski at least 100 days, and I said to myself, “If we get enough snow, this might be a season to remember!” 

Sure my "Expectometer” is set at zero, so it's all upside from there...

Thierry Convert, 1950-2024

Thierry is from Oyonnax, 25 miles west of Geneva, a region dubbed “Plastics Vallée”. His family’s business goes back to 1830, when it began manufacturing craft items, initially combs, then snuff boxes, pipes, etc. In 1951, the company "Établissements G. Convert" produced a variety plastic materials and until 1983, dolls and related toys.

Thierry Convert joined Look in Nevers, France, in 1977 to take over a product manager’s position left vacant when I joined the company's subsidiary in New York. 

As Look moved to Vermont in 1982, I decided to remain in New York, changed jobs, and was once more replaced by Thierry, who came to America with his wife Audrey. For a second time, he sat in my former office and picked up where I left off. 

In 1986, I left Lange ski boots (an entity owned by Rossignol’s founder) to create my own distribution business. Then, Thierry Convert took a related job with Rossignol-Lange’s new ski boot division, landing this time at the firm's headquarters near Grenoble. 

Quite a notable succession of events, even under such sad circumstances as my former colleague passed away last Friday after a long and hard battle against cancer. Audrey and Thierry came to visit us in Park City in 2012 and we both were able to reminisce our linked careers. 

Our most sincere condolences to Audrey, her four children and extended family.

Testing adaptive cruise control…

The Thanksgiving Holiday gave me another chance to drive my Tesla some long distance and get even more confident with its driving potential and the brand’s recharging system. Recharging was fast and never a problem and the increased number of charging stalls on our itinerary were never more than 90% full! I now feel confident that I can drive my Tesla anywhere in Canada or the United States and totally enjoy the experience.

This year’s Thanksgiving was a record breaking travel day in the air and of course, on the roads. No exception for us, the traffic was intense and was what’s called, “accordion-style”, alternatively accelerating and slowing down, making it extremely difficult for drivers to maintain a safe distance in such a busy traffic. 

Without sufficient distance, there’s a constant need for braking instead of coasting. Same thing for the cars behind you, all along the chain, except that for each car the effect is magnified. So when you tap the brakes to slow down a bit, 200 cars behind you, the cars come to a dead stop! This is where Tesla's Autopilot, and specifically, its Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC), shines for its advanced features and smooth operation compared to other manufacturers' adaptive cruise control systems. 

Here are some key differences that contribute to its superiority: Tesla’s system is more integrated than many other systems. It uses a combination of cameras, radar, and ultrasonic sensors to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the driving environment. This results in a smoother driving experience, with more gradual acceleration and braking. 

When the driver chooses to stay and keep the same lane, Tesla's Autopilot can automatically keep the car perfectly centered, reducing driver fatigue on long journeys like the one. The result of that experience going and returning was a relaxing, stress-less driving experience without any fatigue upon reaching the final destination! 

Sure, while Tesla's Autopilot is advanced, it's not fully autonomous and requires constant driver attention, but it’s also why it’s considered one of the most advanced systems on the market. That’s another great reason to love that car, not Elon Musk, of course!

A few days in the desert…

For Thanksgiving our small family, six of us, reunited in St. George a small town of southern Utah, to spend the entire weekend together, into something that has become a yearly tradition. 

Our daughter flew from from Washington while our son, his family plus my wife and I drove from the north in separate car an on very busy roads. 

We all made it okay and were blessed with a beautiful blue skies for the entire time, with the caveat that the temperatures were very low for that southern location ranging from 30 in the morning to 55 in the afternoon. 

Much better than Park City, but still colder than what we would have expected! 

This desert location is always beautiful, framed by red rocks all over and even some fresh snow on the higher elevations! 

We’ve stayed in St. George a few time and on these occasion we explored some areas known for their Anasazi petroglyphs, including some in a spectacular slot canyon and only accessible through some scrambling in a tortuous and very rugged terrain!

Michel Lascar, 1938-2024

The first time I met Michel was in October 1969 when I showed up at the Avoriaz ski school in the hope of getting a job there.

Since I wasn’t certified teaching skiing I was told to attend a week long clinic alongside him, in Chamrousse, near Grenoble, prior to the ski season. Michel wasn't certified either, as he had been hired initially to just be a ski-bike instructor. We then taught skiing together in Avoriaz through 1974 when I left. 

In fact, Michel Lascar was an important figure in French mountaineering in the 1960s. He distinguished himself with his daring and technical climbs, helping to push the boundaries of the discipline. He opened many routes in the Alps, particularly on north faces. 

He also took part in several expeditions outside of the Alps. One of his most famous climbs was the north face of the Eiger in 1966, with Patrice Bodin. 

This route, premiered a few years earlier, remained a mountaineering myth and the duo added their names to the list of mountaineers who have achieved this technical and physical feat. 

Michel Lascar was always calm, nice and easy. A mountain lover, his quiet demeanor embodied Lao-Tzu’s words: “He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know.” 

Heartfelt condolences to Michel’s entire family.

Is Biden a war criminal too ?

On 21 November 2024, the International Criminal Court unanimously issued two decisions rejecting challenges by the State of Israel. 

At the same time it also issued warrants of arrest for Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the applications for warrants of arrest were filed. 

After the Gaza and Lebanon carnage, it seems that it’s hard to argue with that decision. It’s also terrible for us, Americans, to see our tax money diverted to be used for committing these crimes. Now, the question I’m asking is what role did Joe Biden played in keeping on arming Israel for conducting these massacres?

Weren’t the Democrats Israel’s partners in that genocide? By offsetting support for Israel with hollow humanitarian gestures and empathy for Palestinians, Biden has diluted pressure to end the war. 

It now seems pretty clear to me that the Biden administration supported and perpetuated the same genocide under a veneer of legitimacy, by diffusing pressure with platitudes about peace while deepening America’s complicity…