Upside Down Spring

Spring has sprung around the north but for many of us it has been completely upside down. Here in the Rockies, we're used to the sunny, warm days and cold nights that produce the epic crust/corn season that many refer to as the best skiing of the year. However, the sun has barely shown here while powder hounds can get no rest. Highlands Bowl has been freshly stocked nearly every night and the conga line up the ridge has been re-set every day around 10am. The rainy/snowy valleys remind me more of the roads of Northern Europe and the spring classics than those of the Western Slope.

Meanwhile Belgium, France and Holland have experienced un-seasonably warm conditions this spring. Typically fought over roads covered in manure due to the excessive rain, the spring classics have been run under bright sun with temps in the 70s and old gits from Flanders had to go scrambling for sunscreen not used since August. The crowds in Flanders and at Roubaix looked to be near record as the mild weather encouraged the ladies in sundresses to visit Wallers Arenberg for the first time or to venture to the top of the Mur. Even though the spring classics "should" be run in adverse weather to add to the challenge, I always enjoy watching the classics under the sun. The crowds are massive and the country is breathtaking. I can only imagine how awesome it is to be in top shape and crushing the pedals in front of thousands on a warm, almost summer like day.

Tomorrow is Easter and real spring is just around the corner but I can handle just a little more of this upside down season, one more day of sick pow for us in the Rockies and one more day of brilliant sun in Wallonia will be much appreciated. My picks for Liege tomorrow: 1. Gilbert, 2. Vinokourov, 3. F. Schleck. My predictions for Highlands closing? A foot+ in the Bowl, perhaps two, Slightly White will crush the MGR, and the PBR tall boys will flow like the spring melt-off through Slaughterhouse Falls.

HAPPY EASTER, HAPPY HIGHLANDS CLOSING, HAPPY LA DOYENNE AND HAPPY SPRING EVERYBODY!!