John Roskelley and the Piolet d'or

John Roskelley - Piolet d'or Carriere 2014 from Planetmountain.com on Vimeo.

SPRING SNOWSTORM

I took advantage of great spring conditions, and took out my ski mountaineering gear for a 90 minute tour around campus. The workout included about 7 km of skiing with just under 1000 vertical feet of climbing.

Watch it! »

NCS Randonee Tour

LYCRA ... when and where is it alright to wear?

Take the Adventure Journal poll, unfortunately they left out two key
questions: Is there an age limit? Never on a mountaineering trip?


CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE POLL.

One more climbing trip to Alaska before we hang up the spikes?

Alaska Primer from Mark Westman on Vimeo.

First run of the season

We still have great snow ... wonderful track skiing over on the
Olympic trails, the rope tow up and running, as well as great
backcountry skiing. However as it is almost April, I felt it necessary
to do a transition run every third or fourth day - Spring will
eventually come!

Skiing with four Olympians

Just back from the Olympics and the last World Cup events in Holmenkollen Norway, the town of Saranac Lake has been celebrating the three biathletes (Annelies Cook, Tim Burke, and Lowell Bailey), as well as Bill Demong a nordic combined athlete. As kids they had all started Nordic skiing at Dewey Mountain, so today they came out and skied with 30-40 local kids.

Steve House ... TRAINING FOR THE NEW ALPINISM

I am almost done and its been a great read. Also it will be one if those books that will not just sit in the shelf, my sense is that I will dip into it frequently in the coming months and years. 

CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT ON AMAZON.

Extra blue ... fabulous mid-winter conditions

Ueli and the Tre Cime in Winter

CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY.

First day of spring term ... March 24

Brrr ... Pretty chilly! Maybe by the end of the week the sugaring season will start.

Check out the video "NCS ski hill over vacation"

Hock NCS/CTT just shared NCS ski hill over vacation with you. Watch Video  » SocialStudio, Inc. © 2012. To manage your JumpCam email subscriptions click here

Superb skiing on the 1980 Olympic Trails

Just before my daughter headed back to St. Paul's we went for a short ski. She was on waxless, rock skis, and I was huffing and puffing on some race skis. It is hard to keep up with her, even when she is skiing easily.

Chapel Pond Canyon

After spending the morning on the NCS rope tow, I joined Gary and John on Ice Shot (NEI 4). Gary made an excellent lead as the final column was very thin. As you can tell by the photo, Gary also took a dinner plate to the face.

Selden's lambing season

It's that time of year on her farm. Cider - the lamb wearing a red jacket - was a runt and barely alive. However, Selden has had her in our kitchen for ten days of TLC and bottle feeding. Looks like Cider will make it.

The calendar says spring, the buckets are all hung, but winter lingers ...

Spring term starts tomorrow when our NCS students arrive from the far flung corners of the globe. I will spend this Saturday morning making turns on our ski hill, and the afternoon ice climbing with Gary. Not a drop of sap has flowed in the trees yet!

A short history of ski randonee boots

CLICK HERE TO READ A PERSONAL ACCOUNT ON SLC SAMURAI.

A great day skiing the lifts

I used a free voucher to take a day off from the office. No lift lines, not too cold, not too icy, and not too sore today ... Just the way I like it. Great views of the MacIntyre Range, Colden, and Marcy just off the edge of the picture.

The Bane Of Spring Ski Touring

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE SOLUTION FROM STRAIGHTCHUTER.

Fantastic ski touring on campus

It is almost the first day of spring and I can not remember the skiing being better than the 7k tour I took today ... Shortly after John Culpepper rolled our trails.

The Origin of the Western States 100

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO ABOUT GORDON AINSLEIGH.

Three days until Spring!

Chamonix Topo

CLICK HERE TO TAKE A LOOK.

Ice climbing at the Sochi Olympics

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

Stuck in DC Snowstorm Without My Skis

I was in town over the weekend to see alumni, and got caught in a freakish spring storm that dumped a couple of inches of wet snow, which of course is enough to shut down the place.

Quote of the Week

I continue to be totally engaged by this new book. It includes some wonderful, and at least to me, never seen quotes.

"A few hours mountain climbing turns a rogue and a saint into two roughly equal creatures. Weariness is the shortest path to equality and fraternity - and liberty is finally added by sleep."

Friedrich Nietzsche

Reinhold Messner interview

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ROCK AND ICE INTERVIEW

History of an Ice Axe

CLICK HERE TO READ A GREAT ESSAY ON THE COLD THISTLE BLOG.

Latest research on marathon training and health

CLICK HERE TO READ THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE.

Fantastic snowstorm ... 20 fluffy inches!

I spent two hours doing laps on the campus randonee trail. Shuffling along through the woods, propagating fractures were shooting out from the skis, and lots of "whumps." The backcountry slides are going to require lots of settling before they are safe to ski.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ...edward abbey

Where there is no joy there can be no courage; and without courage all other virtues are useless.


CLICK HERE TO READ THE BEST EDWARD ABBEY QUOTES ON THE ADVENTURE JOURNAL WEBSITE.

Check out the video "Lucy's JN 2014 10k Skate Race"

Hock NCS/CTT just shared Lucy's JN 2014 10k Skate Race with you. Watch Video  » SocialStudio, Inc. © 2012. To manage your JumpCam email subscriptions click here

Fantastic Read Thus Far ... TRAINING FOR THE NEW ALPINISM

Training for the Cordillera Blanca

I have this on my calendar for the last big training day before I fly to Peru.

Check out the video "Junior Nationals ... Sprints"

Hock NCS/CTT just shared Junior Nationals ... Sprints with you. Watch Video  » SocialStudio, Inc. © 2012. To manage your JumpCam email subscriptions click here

Final pictures of Lucy at the Junior Nationals

She had a great time, she is pretty tired, but she is excited about the Eastern High School Championships next weekend ... then it is on to track season!

2014 Lake Placid Loppet ... a good time was had by all

I finished the 25k classic a bit less than two minutes off the podium. Given that I had relatively slow skis I was pretty happy. Dave Steckler was third overall in the 50k classic, his 3:09 was a PR by more than 12 minutes. Dick bettered his 3:45 time goal in the 50k skate by 40 seconds. Former NCS student Kyle Curry won the 25k skate in 1:10. Current student Patrick Q did a 1:55 for the 25k classic, which puts him #2 on the all-time students list. And Lucy's NYSEF buddy Gaby, won her age-group with a 1:45.