GavinB

Sorry to read about the loss of your dog .... I don't have a dog anymore .. but have a pretty big Dog Walking Company in the Los Angeles area ... www.thedogwalker.org (but hoping to move to Hood River in September this year and hopefully keep the business going in LA) We take a lot of dogs hiking in the mountains every day. Have been doing that for almost nine years now .. so many of the dogs that started with me back then ... are getting really old now and dying from old age or tumors etc. Rather sad.... and hard to see their moms and dads so upset. BUT ... the best thing seems to be to get a new puppy ! SO .... if you are looking at new doggie ... take a moment and look at a FRENCH BULL DOG !!! That is my favorite recommendation right now .. Which does change from time to time..... From Dobermans, to Rottweilers, to Australian Shepards etc and now FRENCH BULL DOGS !!! I had to leave my Doberman in South African when I came here .... I was DEVASTATED !!! Hang in there ..... Gavin www.thedogwalker.org

Hi Hans Thanks for the info links .. but they don't seem to go anywhere... all that comes up is: "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms." Can you please check and repost correct links... or is it something weird with my computer ???? Thanks again Gavin

Need some advice as this is my first season being in the snow. My gloves are getting soaking wet and making my hands freezing cold! Saw some great (looking / feeling) Black Leather Gloves at Bob Olsen's place ... but they have a big warning on them ... "NOT FOR SNOWBOARDING" and he suggested that if you drag your hands ... you should not buy those. He also said that they would not keep my hands dry ... but said there was some stuff you could rub on them to help make them waterproof! So ...do any of you have any good recommendation for good gloves that will keep my hands dry and warm ? Thanks Gavin

Timberline was totally awesome today .... Only the lower lift (Pucci ?) was open though. But .... There was virtually NOBODY there.. probably less than 100 people... so you practically never saw anybody else on the lift and the snow was great (for me)! Snowed all day long. Will be back there tomorrow of course. But some other days have not been good at all... for a few varied reasons.... mainly being on the weekend when lots more people were there .... they only had one or two lifts open and the lines were longer and disorganized at first .... and when the ski patrol were giving their advanced training ... they were not very considerate ... and kept standing across the width of the slope blocking it, as they discussed their next exercise. Seemed like some days the only reason not to open Magic Mile or Palmer was to save $$$ / some other days it seemed totally justified weather wise. And then there were the US and the Paraplegic Race Teams (who are totally amazing) taking up most of the slope and slowing down the lifts for them to get on! But they are all gone now ... and today was a total blast ...basically it was like my own PRIVATE SKI SLOPE ! Gavin

BTW... Don't get confused ... I'm the other Gavin ...originally from South Africa... so also have an accent .. but I'm still crap at Carving !!! Gavin

If anybody wants to carpool from Hood River side up to Timberline .... I'll be driving up every day. (before, during and after) Gavin (310) 383-3000

Awesome preview.... I'll order one for sure. Keep us posted... Gavin

Hi Kimo .... Well I got to meet your insides .. before I got to meet your outsides ... I'm finally up in Hood River for the month of June .. and trying to improve my Basic Snow Boarding Skills and of course my Carving.... I'll be at Timberline MOST days this month, then hopefully permanently back in Hood River from September onwards. Feel free to come and visit (belated Honeymoon?) anytime after that and stay a night or three or more. (but don't feel too special... as that invite will be open to other carvers as well, once I get back to HR). Looking forward to meeting you in person and to get to ride with you next season. Hope all is back to normal with your brain soon. Gavin

Thanks for the "Carving Camp" info ... I was supposed to be in LA on the 16th, 17th & 18th of May ... But ...will do my best to get out of that .... There was a death in the family and people are flying in from South Africa to take care of "The Estate" ... but I would rather be learning to carve. No promises yet... but will do my best to get out of it, as tough as that might be! (I will not be inheriting any Snow Boards from the Estate, but they are expecting me to be here in Los Angeles)

Hey Bryan Thanks for the welcome phone call, posting and for letting me know about the mistake in my website spelling. (I have just corrected it) Unfortunately I cannot go to Mnt Hood now .... I did spend some time there a few weeks ago on a $119 summer pass which was great and just got back from LOVELAND (Colorado). So June on Mnt Hood it is for me .... but not a bad thing as I am planning on moving to Hood River around September or October this year...so will have ALL the time in the world to work on my Carving Skills from then on. Once I move up there in September or October ... I will have a GUEST ROOM for visiting Carvers. I'll give you a call later this evening and we can chat more on the phone then. Thanks again for the welcome etc . Much appreciated. Gavin

Just spent my first 8 days in Hard Boots ! Most of those were in ABSOLUTE UNBEARABLE AGONY.. but after 6 nights of Punch Outs and Heel Grindings ... They finally started feeling good. So am now ready to spend 30 days in June on Mount Hood! Will be renting a place either in Hood River or closer to Mnt Hood. Am just a beginner ... so am considering doing two Race Camps to help speed up the learning curve in my Carving (so that I can catch up to my friends skill levels sooner... I hope)... I have no interest in Racing ... Just want to learn to CARVE. Was wondering if any of you will be out there (Mnt Hood) in June. Does anybody know any Carvers who live in the Hood River / Mnt Hood area ?????? I also hope to learn to Kite Board while I am there ... and plan to move to Hood River from Los Angeles later this year. Will also be taking my Paraglider, Dirt Bike and Mountain Bike with.