With rumors of Aspen-esque cougars, rampant fur coats and Royal Family sightings, how could we miss a chance to visit this European utopia known to mortals as Lech am Arlberg. Originally one of the poorest villages in Austria, Lech was an isolated cattle and dairy farming town with very little connection to nearby valleys.

They say the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. But what I wanted to know was why there was any grass at all? Grass skiing has it's moments, don't get me wrong, but a whole winter of it leaves a bit to be desired. Watching the reports of big winter storms bashing Austria and North East Switzerland was tough to cope with. Then as the stories and photos of deeeeep pow came rolling in, it was time to get over there and see for ourselves.

June 5, 2005 is a day to mark on your calendar. Hell, it's worth buying a calendar for. The umpteenth annual GAPER DAY will be going off once again on the last day of Whistler's ski season. It's only 2 weeks away, so we thought everyone might need a little inspiration. While in Europe in March/April, we went on a Gaper Patrol mission throughout Austria and Switzerland, here's just a select handful of photos from the birthplace and eternal homeland of flourescent one-piece suits. The rest are viewable on Flickr.