April Banter 2026

[nw baltimore wx]

5 hours ago, CAPE said:

Long season, but the Orioles completely suck right now.

I expect the O’s will have a terrific summer.

And watching the Caps tonight, they seem ready for the golf course. Horrendous effort this evening.

[mappy]

Thank you @Scarlet Pimpernel 

[Kay]

A fox just walked past my house with a fish in his/her mouth. Then headed down the street and into some woods. I wonder if there are kits. Idk if the fish was a catch or a find...but I want it to be a catch because that's much cooler. Looked fresh to me and intact. 

 

[nj2va]

Masters week….my favorite sports week/weekend.

[MacChump]

On 4/4/2026 at 7:20 AM, MN Transplant said:

Special for you, the mountains of Switzerland.  Amazing up here.

lol I was there last week as well, what an amazing place 

[RDM]

On 4/4/2026 at 7:20 AM, MN Transplant said:

Special for you, the mountains of Switzerland.  Amazing up here.

Great shot MN.  Zermatt is my old stomping grounds.  My family had an exchange student from down in the Rhone Valley near Brig who worked in the Wega souvenir shop near the train station in Zermatt.  She's like another sister to me and we've kept in touch for 45+ years.  Through her family and friends in Switzerland I was very fortunate to get indoctrinated into the Swiss culture.  Her dad used to drove the cog train from Brig/Visp up to Zermatt (part of the famous Glacier Express train route).  

First skied the glacier near the Klein Matterhorn in 81 during my first trip to Europe with my parents.  Then a few years later lived in Germany for the first of 2 stints there.  Skied Zermatt about 20 times, plus Sass Fe, Verbier, Crans Montana, and many other resorts in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France.  Did a fair bit of back-country in the Alps too - I used to only telemark ski but doubt my knees could take it now.  

If you had enough snow to ski from the top of the Klein Matterhorn all the way into town, that's about 8500 vertical feet in one run.  About the only other place on earth that will match that much vertical in one run is in Chamonix.      

Did you have a chance to take the run down the other side into Italy?  The run from Plateau Rosa down to Cervina is an awesome run.  

 

[GramaxRefugee]

1 hour ago, RDM said:

...If you had enough snow to ski from the top of the Klein Matterhorn all the way into town, that's about 8500 vertical feet in one run.  About the only other place on earth that will match that much vertical in one run is in Chamonix.    .........

 

Whoa! 

[RDM]

2 hours ago, GramaxRefugee said:

Whoa! 

 

2 hours ago, GramaxRefugee said:

Whoa! 

Yup - it's amazing.  From the top of the Klein Matterhorn you walk through a long tunnel bored through the top of the mountain at 13,300' - Ski out the back into Italy for a few hundred meters, then curve around onto the glacier at the foot of the Matterhorn and wind your way down the mountain. If there is sufficient snow, you eventually ski into Zermat at about 5000' asl.  If you do that twice in one day, you know you've done something.  Of course, along the way you can you may want to stop at a chalet for some strawberry waffles, fondue or a sip of cognac.  

The cable car/tram that goes from the Trockner Steg station to the Klein Matterhorn holds 120 people and was at one time the longest unsupport tram span in Europe (possibly the world - not sure).  Near the upper end the tram rises nearly vertical up the face of the mountain.      

[MN Transplant]

6 hours ago, RDM said:

Great shot MN.  Zermatt is my old stomping grounds.  My family had an exchange student from down in the Rhone Valley near Brig who worked in the Wega souvenir shop near the train station in Zermatt.  She's like another sister to me and we've kept in touch for 45+ years.  Through her family and friends in Switzerland I was very fortunate to get indoctrinated into the Swiss culture.  Her dad used to drove the cog train from Brig/Visp up to Zermatt (part of the famous Glacier Express train route).  

First skied the glacier near the Klein Matterhorn in 81 during my first trip to Europe with my parents.  Then a few years later lived in Germany for the first of 2 stints there.  Skied Zermatt about 20 times, plus Sass Fe, Verbier, Crans Montana, and many other resorts in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France.  Did a fair bit of back-country in the Alps too - I used to only telemark ski but doubt my knees could take it now.  

If you had enough snow to ski from the top of the Klein Matterhorn all the way into town, that's about 8500 vertical feet in one run.  About the only other place on earth that will match that much vertical in one run is in Chamonix.      

Did you have a chance to take the run down the other side into Italy?  The run from Plateau Rosa down to Cervina is an awesome run.  

 

We had originally intended to do Zermatt and do the Italy trip that you note, but we were hitting multiple countries and had limited time in Switzerland.  We ended up choosing Lauterbrunnen as a base and went up to Jungfraujoch for my high-altitude fix.  The Eiger Express aerial tram is a smooth piece of engineering.  Still hope to do northern Italy and the Matterhorn at some point in my life. 

[MacChump]

1 hour ago, MN Transplant said:

We had originally intended to do Zermatt and do the Italy trip that you note, but we were hitting multiple countries and had limited time in Switzerland.  We ended up choosing Lauterbrunnen as a base and went up to Jungfraujoch for my high-altitude fix.  The Eiger Express aerial tram is a smooth piece of engineering.  Still hope to do northern Italy and the Matterhorn at some point in my life. 

We stayed in Lauterbrunnen for two nights as well lol. Apparently was Tolkien's inspiration for Rivendell. Just a beautiful place.