Skier Jeremy Bloom Photo Credit: John Schwirtlich

When I get to Heaven I want to be in a Warren Miller movie. Until then, I'll have to join the thousands of other adventure buffs on the planet and live vicariously through professional skiers, snowboarders, jumpers, and fly-like-a-bird mountaineers by watching the likes of reigning World Cup mogul champion and NCAA football player turned Olympic Gold Medal favorite turning NFL hopeful Jeremy Bloom, Ski-BASE jumping innovator Shane McConkey, the sport's hot-dogging icon, Glen Plake, and the man who defines "Higher Ground", mountaineer, Dave Barlia, on the big screen. That's what my extended family did before the close of 2005, just off a blizzard cold day on Mt. Bachelor at Sunriver Resort near Bend, Oregon.

Bloom, McConkey, Plake and Barlia are just a few of the wild stars in this year's Warren Miller Entertainment high definition, independent film called Higher Ground. Jeremy Bloom is also a co-narrator of this year's film.

During the last week of December 2005, nine of us headed over to the Sunriver Resort Lodge High Camp theater.

Having attended the University of Colorado from 1978 - 1981 (well before Jeremy Bloom's time), I became a fan of Warren Miller films when I was in college. So, when I heard that the Sunriver Lodge was showing Miller's latest movie (#56), I was determined to turn it into a highlight of our three-day-adventure in the Great Northwest.

For parents with young children and a passion for skiing, you can't get a better G-rated film to get you and your kids pumped up about hitting the slopes.

Warren Miller Entertainment once again had the packed theater oohing, aahing, laughing, and "wowing!".

On Saturday, November 26th, 2005 I laid eyes on one of the most beautiful airplanes I've ever seen: a CIRRUS SR22-G2. Timothy Charles and our ten year-old daughter, Jessica had the privilege of riding in N45OAP from San Carlos down to Monterey for lunch and back. Our friend Randy Dilena, the pilot and owner of the plane, gave me "a tour" of his plane, while Randy's daughter gave Jessica a tour of San Carlos' "SQL" Airport. (The airport is located off the same parkway as Oracle Corporation.)

Cirrus is the world's second largest manufacturer of single-engine, piston-powered aircraft.

The SR22 uses a Teledyne Continental Motors' 310-horsepower IO-550.

The interior is BMW-inspired.

Tim thought the body of the Cirrus is reminiscent of one of the most beautiful cars in the world, Ralph Lauren's 1938 Bugatti 57SC Atlantic. This summer, we got to see Lauren's Bugatti Atlantic at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts Museum. The exhibit, which has now left the MFA, was called Speed, Style, and Beauty Exhibit: Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection.

The book alone was worth the price of admission.

Aside from the interior and exterior beauty of the Cirrus SR22, the most unique feature is that it comes with a rocket-propelled parachute system that can support the entire plane. Randy calls it "The Spousal Support Feature".

Cirrus calls it the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System or "CAPS".