Mont Blanc Trail Marathon ... amazing footage

Watch these two guys fly down this downhill; kilian jornet eventually overtakes Stian and wins by two minutes. Hard to believe that just a month ago he was on Mount Everest. 

http://runningmagazine.ca/kilian-jornet-2017-marathon-du-mont-blanc/

Pitchoff and Cascade ...

A nice easy run on Old Mountain Road.

Looks like Peru is out ...

But thru-hiking the TRT is not a bad way to celebrate your 65th birthday. Gary had $$$$ problems and Mark has mangled his hand badly ... the Cordillera Blanca will have to wait.

Wonderful hike with Newlyweds

In the mid-1980s Josh, a former camper of mine, climbed with me in the Wind Rivers and the Andes of Ecuador. This past week he married Victoria. A portion of of their two week honeymoon was spent  in the Adirondacks.  Yesterday we had a delightful short hike up Mount Van Hoevenberg. Given the rain that morning, as well as the rain the previous two weeks, the trail was quite muddy.  Of course, our spirits were high, and the rain stopped before we hit the summit ... the views were spectacular and I count it as a terrific day it was an honor to join them as they launch a life together. May every day be a honeymoon.

Over 65 ... keep doing intervals!

At the cellular level, intervals are best. 

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/well/move/the-best-exercise-for-aging-muscles.html?mc=aud_dev&mcid=tw-nytimes&mccr=MayTwitter&mcdt=2017-05&subid=MayTwitter&ad-keywords=AudDevGate&referer=https://t.co/8ru1Vutbub

Biathlon invitational talent camp

Lucy got a lot of positive feedback from US team coaches: excellent fitness, coachable, and terrific attitude. They want to keep working with her through college and have invited her to do Wednesday over-distance workouts with the biathlon team.

She had some great experiences: warming up and chatting up Susan Dunklee this year's World Championship silver medalist, being coached by Andrea Henkel (in black) who has won 2 gold medals as well as a silver and bronze at the last three Olympics, rooming with Deedra Irwin winner of the 2016 Birkie, and going head-to-head with some of the big dogs in the time trials.

A good start to my training for Peru ...

No doubt I am anal; possibly even an obsessive-compulsive streak, but I do like spreadsheets!

Nice run on the Olympic nordic trails

A Must Watch Video ...

Three sad sacks are drinking in a bar.  The conversation goes like this: "it's out of condition," and "I am out of shape"  ... you know the type. Then the question gets raised, "where are all the women?"

Well they are out in the backcountry, getting after it, and ripping!  A must watch ... four minutes long!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?ebc=ANyPxKr5LJ9Dms8roir4ZeLmFa4ND7ksTr8wHJaWOqovOGi2P0NZukaiorTh6XyDBkT5qtkYAXDdgr108NxIl1trCRLPm2VjAA&v=gojOJwYwFfM

An interview with Krystle Wright the gal who made the film ...

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/article/video-and-behind-the-scenes-where-the-wild-things-play

Slowly moving ...

Our new home across the street at Fairhope Farm, is not quite done. However, we expect to move in over July 4th, and so we have begun shuttling things across the street. This load is my last box of mountain books and all my skis. (We may need a truck to transport Lucy's skis.)

Nice easy 90 minute trail run ...

It is still unseasonably hot and humid - almost unheard of since usually we have killing frosts in June - however a cold front is starting to move in.

Perfect Adirondack Day ...

Nice run on the Old Mountain Road, back in the day thus was all part of the Underground Railway for fleeing slaves.

Single malt at the Fossil Cabin

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... spreading ashes

Heading up to the summit of Mount Conness to scatter Michael Franklin to the wind. Top row left to right: Brian, Hock, Danny, Daryl. Bottom row left to right: Byron, Lewy, and Mark.

Yuck!

I took a casual hike yesterday with a stop for 20 minutes of bouldering. The shoe felt a little weird while I was climbing ... took off shoe with a Gu stuck in it which my toe burst open. Everything was covered with yuck!

Shutting down America's wilderness ...

An important New York Times op-ed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/opinion/trump-national-monuments-katahdin-woods.html?ref=opinion

Amazing news

Amanda and Jon are having a baby due December!

More Honnold ... how can you not want to read more!

http://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2017/6/10/the-greatest-sports-achievement

http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/alex-honnolds-perfect-climb

Guatemalan Friends

Former NCS students: Alex Delgado, sister Margarita, and Alejandro Castillo. We are at the tap room for Alejandro's brewery ... awesome artisanal lager, IPA, Stout, and a Wheat beer. Unfortunately, you can not get it outside of Guatemala City.

No luck with Acatenango ...

Looked good at the start but rain and ash gave us pause. But we all had a good day including these three who will be with us this Fall.

Guatemalan Volcanoes

Acatenango ...

Hoping to climb this 13,000' strato-volcano on Sunday.

How to take a crap on a big wall or a backcountry ski tour

https://www.outsideonline.com/2187426/essential-guide-pooping-anywhere?utm_content=bufferda9ae&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=tweet

Free soloing El Cap ... Tommy Caldwell puts Honnold's climb in proper perspective

https://www.outsideonline.com/2190306/why-alex-honnolds-free-solo-scared-me

Peak Performance in sports and work

https://www.trailrunproject.com/blog/4436/how-to-fight-burnout

PEAK PERFORMANCE: elevate your game, avoid burnout, and thrive with the new science of success; just published yesterday (print, digital, and audio) and I am going to read the first two chapters today, which I downloaded on kindle. 

Grand Gulch

http://www.mountainphotographer.com/grand-gulch/

Almost forty years ago I did a week-long backpacking trip in this part of the Utah desert. It was where I first exposed myself to Ed Abbey's writing, my first exposure to the magic of the Four  Corners, and the awe of the Great Kiva.

Running single track at Mount Van Hoevenberg

Eight weeks until Peru, so its time to get serious about training.

OMG ... Honnold free solos El Cap

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/features/athletes/alex-honnold/most-dangerous-free-solo-climb-yosemite-national-park-el-capitan/

Interesting article about the various meanings of the phrase, "I am off the couch."

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2017/06/coming-off-couch/