A bunch of old guys still enjoying the mountains, and the training they need to do to get off the couch
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
Brainstorming Future Trips
Larry and I spent a couple hours last night at the fossil cabin yakking about possible future mountain trips. He seemed keen on a hut-to-hut ski mountaineering excursion ... Ortler, Stubai, or a dolomite high level route. Probably not next year as I imagine Lucy will qualify for the Junior Nationals, which will be in Vermont, so the entire family will be there!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Mountain Running
While I continue to get out on snow each day, my mind has started wandering toward some short term and long term mountain running goals. This year running up Squaw and Whiteface, the year after maybe the Gstaad 3000, and after that a circumnavigation of some big peak ... Who knows ...
Hans Gmoser archival project
The Whyte Museum in Banff is doing an archival video about Hans Gmoser.CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Still logging some vertical
This afternoon our ski hill was open and we had 15 students out riding the rope tow. I left work early and spent an hour skinning laps on a warm and sunny afternoon. (On a different note, with the warming trend the sap is sure to start running.)
Monday, March 25, 2013
Andrew McLean's ski mountaineering gear lists
CLICK HERE TO READ STRAIGHT CHUTER.
Andrew McLean is an explorer, extreme skier, and ski mountain guide. Getting ready to head off to Alaska he gives tips on expedition and day tour gear ... Well worth a look.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Wolfjaws Slide
While we were in Europe, some of my staff took advantage of new snow to ski this post-Irene classic Adirondack slide.
Great spring conditions
We have some of the best late season nordic conditions that we have had in many a year. I skied for an hour this morning at Mount Van Hoevenberg and it was terrific ... mid-season conditions.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Thoughts on mountain safety
Mr. Wild Snow - Lou Dawson - summarizes a talk given by Peter Lev and John Evans. On mountain safety. Their talk was an attempt to distill a few kernels of wisdom out of a lifetime of mountain adventure. For those do not know (because they are too young) or can not remember (because they are too old) John Evans was a one time CEO of Outward Bound and among other things did the first ascent of the Hummingbird Ridge, while Peter Lev is an Exum guide, avalanche forecaster, and among other things has done the second ascent of Robson North Face.CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Kilian Jornet Profile
As I have mentioned before this guy is the real deal, an endurance phenom, and a mountain man of epic proportions.CLICK HERE TO READ THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE PROFILE.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Grenzeck Kopf
Heading to the Jamatal Hut through the Kronenjoch, we got to tag a couple of three-thousand meter peaks.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Fresh snow in Gstaad
Today's tour put us over the 20k mark for climbing. A great lunch of pasta and beer, followed by some fresh - although heavy - powder. An excellent last day.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Final Nordic World Cup Races
The final mini-tour of races in Sweden this week will determine the outcome of this three way battle. I believe a mere 15 points separate Cologna, Northug, and Legkov.
Easy skiing in Gstaad
Rented some Nordic gear and went out for some classical laps. The visibility was poor with a strong warm foehn wind blowing. Guillaume's niece (Isabella) and nephew (Oliver) were game.
Travel to the Bernese Oberland
As my other buddies headed to Zurich for flights after their last ski runs at St Anton, Guillaume and I drove to Gstaad. A few easy tours, a couple of good nights sleep in his sister's chalet, and a sampling of the local specialties ... Fondue, raclette, and fondant.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
The Austrian Alps In Oils
A nice painting in our hotel which literally could have been any corner of Austria. Tomorrow we are riding lifts in St. Anton ... Some would say the birthplace of European skiing.
Serious avalanche protection
Having experienced many significant avalanches in Galtur, including the one in 1999 with serious loss of life ... these folks take pretty big steps to protect themselves ... This stone wall is twenty feet high and probably ten feet thick.