Author Archives: Al

The Driest Place on Earth

“Three years … Poof. It hasn’t rained here – really rained – in ten.” Alain had a bit of a smirk when he said this. He was always making jokes, like noting that a Frenchman wouldn’t need to shower for … Continue reading

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“This guy is like that cartoon character, what’s it called, in Looney Toons, the Tasmanian Devil?” I was standing next to a madly boiling geyser in the Tatio basin, up at 4300 meters (over 14,000 feet) elevation. To the east, … Continue reading

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Not Nobody

Early 2011. Leigh calls, as usual from the beach, and asks, “Are there any triathlons in Chile?” “Why?” “Well, Craig has this customer down there, Alain, who has a B & B in the high desert. We sold him his … Continue reading

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MvB Wars: Not Seeing the View For the Trees

The MvB wars, being a collection of disconnected battles, feature good guys and bad guys on each side. The billionaires are fewer in number, but higher in visibility, so they have the upper hand in poor optics, at least. “When … Continue reading

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Atrial Fibrillation and The Endurance Athlete

My wife, who, bless her, seems to care about my long-term health, sent me some articles this morning about athletes and atrial fibrillation. Now, most of us know that runners and other endurance athletes are at higher risk as they … Continue reading

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MvB Wars: Downvalley Arena

Victoria’s Secret – that all-American bastion of late night fun and frivolity – is run by Columbus based, low-key Leslie (“Les”) Wexner. He’s worth $7-8,000,000,000 according to official scorekeeper Forbes Magazine. He also controls The Limited, Pink, and Express. And … Continue reading

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MvB Wars: Penthouse Division

Ever wonder why billionaires act like they do: secretive, disdainful, building barriers between themselves and the other 99.9999% of the population? Here are a couple of stories which might shed some light on the development process. Neither involves a billionaire, … Continue reading

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MvB Wars: The Polo Grounds

For the average millionaire, a hot tub, a swimming pool, a tennis court – all of these are fairly common. But if you want to stand out in the Aspen crowd, maybe what you need is a polo field for … Continue reading

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MvB Wars: Castle Creek Wedding

Castle Creek Road, since it was re-surfaced a in 2013, has become my number one favorite ride in the valley. Rising from the hospital, at about 8000-foot elevation, it winds 2500’ in nine miles to the crest at Koch’s Elk … Continue reading

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MvsB Wars: Castle Creek Conflicts

Just before entering Aspen town proper, Highway 82 crosses Castle Creek on a rickety old bridge. For decades, Aspenites have fought over the “Entrance to Aspen”. On the south side of the road, land has been preserved as the Marolt … Continue reading

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