This is my all time favorite...
Liked this version too...
Had a great bike ride around Whistler today. I did a 40k loop around the valley - with a few side trips ...up, up, up... for a good workout. After I got back - while I was watching the Stars/Sharks (last game of this series), I re-created my route in Google Earth. You can check it out here: TinyUrl. Download the .kmz and load it up in Google Earth. You can even hit the Play button and GE will lead you around my path... it's kinda slow - perhaps a bit boring... but the scenery displayed is amazing.
I should try this out on some of the weekly Loonie Race routes.
Here's a photo I took at the top of Kadenwood on my Palm Treo. Here's another GE .kmz to locate the top of Kadenwood on my route... TinyUrl.
This is a great way to learn how to program stuff into Google Earth.
Last weekend I finally got around to experimenting with an application I came across that enhances the simulation experience for MS Flight Simulator by linking up with a mapping system like Google Earth for more realistic ground textures. The program is called Tile Proxy and can be found at the Tile Proxy Project. It takes a bit of fiddling around to get it to work, but once you have it running the fun begins, and the results are stunning.
I spent a lot of time exploring around Whistler - visiting some already quite familiar locations... and a few I haven't seen. While all of this is pretty much already available to view in Google earth, it's so much fun to jump in an ultralight or helicopter and grab onto the joystick and advance the trottle... up, up and away.
Here are a couple of comparison shots... The photos on the left were taken in the summer of 2006 from a helicopter flight I did with a friend... we flew from Whistler down to just north of Squamish... back up to Pemberton (these shots were taken on the northbound leg towards Pemberton) then back to the helipad in Whistler. (Click on the photos a couple of times to see a larger version.)
The following photos are a little further to the south as we were approaching Wedge Mountain. In 1978 myself and 2 friends skied down the expansive south facing slope of Wedge (June 18th, 1978 - a date I'll never forget)... in a snowstorm (freak storm blew in just after we arrived at the summit. - Walked up by the way!)
Anyone interested in trying it out... I recommend a visit to The Tile Proxy Quick Guide - Tutorial by Ed Truthan where you'll find a terrific tutorial on how to set it up. You'll be up and at it in no time. Another great resource can be found in the Message forums for AVSIM (Tile Proxy)
One more bit before I go... here's a video clip from a few years back just before I started learning to fly the real thing... Michael Globensky - Pilot, and Sylvia Dolson - Passenger.
"Tail Winds..."
This is pretty cool - you can control the direction you wish to view while the video is running. There are several other examples on the Immmersivision website. Go here: http://demos.immersivemedia.com/viewerplay.php?scene=WV
This weekend Ann and I drove up to the cottage in the Cariboo to pick up some stuff we need for an upcoming holiday to the Carribean. We're headed to Barbados for a couple of weeks with Beth.
On the way home this evening we drove up onto the property we're developing at the north end of Whistler and I snapped the following panoramic. If you click on the photo a couple of steps... you can view a larger version of the pic. We were about halfway up the hillside at a section of the property not too far from where we may select a lot to build on.
The views from the property are nothing short of spectacular with Whistler in the middle to the south and Blackcomb to it's left. Contractors are just beginning to clear the roads of the snow so they can begin servicing the property. I'll follow construction activity here with updates and photos from time to time.
Ann and I are currently in Salzburg, Austria attending a LuxuryRealEstate.com - European Conference. We arrived on Tuesday of this week to be met at the airport by Oliver Stumpf - a real estate contact of Ann's. Oliver has been an incredible host during our stay - being originally from Salzburg - he has been quite excited to show us around. We've dined at a few of the finest restaurants, toured the sites etc.
The photo above is a beautiful lake just to the south of Salzburg called Wolfgangsee. We visited there yesterday morning - then had lunch at the Ikarus Restaurant at Hangar 7 - the home of "Flying Bulls" and a large collection of new and restored aircraft, racing cars, and motorcyles belonging to the Red Bull collection. Quite a collection of toys.
Tomorrow we head to the mountains and Bad Gastein for a few days of skiing... (hope there's snow! I'm sure there will be....)
