Lawrence Cutler had a few days free and thought he'd zip over from NY to see what this Alps skiing stuff was about. Stormy weather and poor visibility plagued us somewhat, but we had a fun three-day weekend ice climbing and off-pisted skiing.

The first and second days (ice climbing in Cogne and off-piste on the Grands Montets) are not represented, Kathy having suffered from camera palsy. But our third and last day, on the Vallee Blanche, we managed to get a few shots in with Mark's cell phone camera. Not too bad! Here Lawrence approaches the Refuge du Requin, where we were the only guests for lunch. Mark joined us on this last day of the trip.

Great powder, and plenty of it! Here Lawrence dives into a steep gully above the Mer de Glace.

The mists and murk of this weekend brought the nice snow, but also visibility challenges up high. Mark and Lawrence pause to take in a fleeting glimpse of the surrounding high peaks.

Having skiied to town, and Lawrence still hungry for more, we caught the last lift back up to the Plan de l'Aiguille and had another long powdery run down through steep glades and trees from the Pré du Rocher.

Kathy and Lawrence pose for the shot near the Requin hut.

A cool weather apres-ski to send him home again! Here's hoping he'll be back.