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Soelden - alpine skiing World Cup races
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Driving through Italy offered wonderful views of the fall-colored slopes.
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A tower and sheep.
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Early Saturday morning we took the skibus up to the Rettenbach glacier, and we could already see the race track.
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The first few runs were splendid, although I stopped every two minutes to take photos. :)
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The panoramic view from the top cable car station.
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At the top.
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Even the clouds cooperated. :)
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Clouds, cable car and a skier.
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People were gathering along the WC race track to see women compete in GS.
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Spectators lined the track.
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This is the steepest part of the slope.
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Looking up from the finish arena.
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Weird sky. :)
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At the finish line.
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Another view from the top a bit later when the clouds had already gone.
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I didn't really take many photos of the racers as the fence was in the way.
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A road.
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The steep slope proved to be a challenge for many skiers as it was full of bumps and ruts quite soon.
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From the top of the slope you could see the last part of the track.
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Balloons.
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Bird's eye view.
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One of the Slovenian skiers.
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One of the many skilift rides I took that day.
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Backlit.
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This is the view to the other side - you can see a green lake in the middle of the opposite mountain.
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In the afternoon, the valley was full of fog.
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There is a tunnel to the other side of the mountain with another glacier and more ski slopes.
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Vast slopes.
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Vast slopes and blue skies.
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There wasn't much natural snow outside the ski slopes.
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From that other side you can ski around the mountain all the way back to the race track.
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The arena at the bottom.
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The connecting ski track.
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Anja Paersson.
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Anja Paersson.
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Andrea Fischbacher.
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The winners at the press conference: Andrea Fischbacher, Katrin Zettel and Tanja Poutiainen.
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Tanja Poutiainen.
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Katrin Zettel, the winner.
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Later that afternoon, upon returning from the glacier, I took a few photos from our apartment.
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Then we went for a quick ride around town to capture some more pictures.
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The slopes still radiated fall colors.
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Along the town road.
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Pastures.
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Along the river.
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The view of Soelden after sunset.
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On Sunday, I took some more photos at the other glacier where there is a viewing bridge suspended from a mountain.
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View from the bridge.
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One of the many smaller glaciers.
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Skiers were waiting to ski down the slope.
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There are yellow snowmaking guns in the middle of ski slopes. And do you see cable cars against the mountain face on the right-hand side? :)
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Another snowmaking gun, a parking lot and a reservoir.
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No snow under the chairlift.
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Last sun rays from behind the mountain.
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Looking down the valley.
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I returned to the race just in time for the best skiers of the second run.
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Ligety started the second run.
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Ted Ligety making a turn.
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Ligety in the finish arena.
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The winners: Didier Cuche (2nd), Daniel Albrecht (1st) and Ted Ligety (3rd).
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Ted Ligety was the only one of the top three racers who appeared at the press conference.
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