Hafjelltoppen

This was the view from the top of the mountain, heading down to the only mogul run available during our time there. It was, as it looks, cold (about 10 F or -10 C) and windy and too cloudy to enjoy the reportedly spectacular views.

Your correspondent, in his travels thus far, has mostly tried to limit the number of small-minded "it's better back home" observations. It would be contrary to his day job as a diplomat. However, while we had a fantastic time and found the amenities nice, the Norwegian people helpful, and the teenage snowboarders no more obnoxious than our own, there's just not much you can do as a ski area if your mountain isn't all that tall. Even the highest runs on the mountain had intersections with cross-country ski trails, although that might say more about how tough the cross-country skiers are there rather than how small the mountain was. In any case, neither the terrain or the snow were quite up to Colorado standards. The Lovely Katherine, in fact, felt at home there because the occasional long stretches of ice and gently undulating slopes reminded her of her childhood home base at Mt. Abrams, Maine. Which is great for her, but also a comparison not universally understood as a compliment. For the next ski trip, we will perhaps see how the Alps compare with the Rockies.