video#31

video#33

This video was photographed over three days in December of 2011 in the midwest state of Minnesota, United States of America. The location is the Lutsen Mountains ski resort. The video starts with the cameraman sitting in a ski lift chair as the chair is being moved to the top of the chair lift. The chair lift is located on Eagle Mountain, and it's known as the Bridge Chair. As the chair progresses up the mountain, brown dwellings from the Eagle Ridge Resort are seen on the right. As the steel cable above the chair encounters each support tower and pulley, the chair makes a squeaky sound as it bounces up and down. The chair passes atop the main access road to the ski resort, then goes above the snowy wooded area between various ski runs. The chair also passes above the Lodge Run (a green run) and Upper HariKari (a black diamond run), although the snow making has not gotten that far this season. Bare shrubs poke above the sparse snow as a snow making machine dutifully sprays out its quota of snow on the adjacent Split Rock run (a double-black diamond run). Now the camera is stationary, looking down toward Lake Superior as another snow gun sprays fluffy snowflakes on the upper part of the Bridge Run (a blue run).

Next, the camera is again taking a point-of-view look up the same Bridge Chair chairlift, but this time, the camera is pointed toward Lake Superior, the Eagle Ridge Resort, the main access road, leafless birch trees, and lush evergreens. Again we see more snowmaking on the upper Bridge Run.

Now the camera is looking from the point of view of a skier being transported up the ski hill by the Ullr Chair (located on Ullr Mountain). Two young male skiers chat in the chair ahead. The camera tilts up and looks at the steel support beam for the chair as the cable it's attached to rolls over a series of pulleys (sheave train) on the stationary support tower. The chair vibrates heavily due to the jostling of the hefty cable atop the pulleys.

Briefly, we see the point-of-view of a skier as he skis down the Ullr Run (a 'green' run). His skis make whooshing sounds as they carve into the icy snow. Later, the camera captures video of the ascent up the Caribou Chair on Moose Mountain. Lake Superior is now visible on the left side behind many trees that have lost their winter foliage. Another snow gun loudly lays a carpet of snow on the adjacent Meadows Run (a green run). We see two snowboarders on the chair in front, their snowboards dangling from their feet.

Next the camera is positioned on a chair that's going up the Bull Chair lift on Moose Mountain. The two ski runs called Moose Drop (black diamond run) and Upper Bull Run (blue run) are seen on either side of the chair lift. Snowboarders and skiers travel quickly down the runs with efficient S-curves and the sounds of skis digging gently into snow. As the camera travels between the woods and goes into open areas, the mountain wind blows into the microphone making muffled sounds. The Mountaintop Deli building and the chalet are seen briefly. The next view is of the cameraman's shadow as he goes up the Bull Chair lift. His shadow passes over the snow tracks, powder, and brown leafless branches.

Finally, we see from the inside of the only gondola at Lutsen Mountains Resort as it travels between the top of Moose Mountain and the base of Ullr Mountain. Now, the sound is less muffled because of being in the enclosed car. However, the winds still make it through the open windows. The calm sound of the gondola entirely differs from that of the squeaky chair lift cable. Trees pass by rapidly. On the left side of the car, we see another cable car going up toward Moose Mountain in the opposite direction. The red gondola car has three people inside it. The video fades out.

(end of video description)