Russian doping and the journal ...

Hard to imagine not tossing them out of the upcoming Olympics.  Also hard to imagine that Putin did not know. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/sports/olympics/russia-doping.html?hpw&rref=sports&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

Making it on to the strava leaderboard ...

Taking advantage of terrific snow conditions, I did an all double pole workout which was wicked fast. Of course, lest my vanity get the better of me, there were high schoolers zipping past me, who clearly were not on strava!

The double edged sword of climate change in the Cordillera Blanca

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/26/world/americas/peru-climate-change.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

Dawn Patrol And A Hearty Breakfast

Gary and his son James, chowing down after skinning up Whiteface.

The Peter Pan Syndrome ... can you catch it in old age and retirement?

http://mountainjournal.org/when-peter-pan-reaches-middle-age

Nordic World Cup Season Has Started

Team USA put four women into the heats, and Sadie is on the podium; a great start. The Ruka Triple continues tomorrow.

Watch the replays on Skiing Vinnie ...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUhJQ7-VDmE

Mount Van Hoevenberg officially open

There are 5k of scratchy trails (rock skis) that have been rolled, and the mini loop that has a deep layer of man-made snow that you can use race skis on. (Two-time Olympian Duncan Douglas warming up.)

Morning classic ski loop

Even though the Olympic trails are closed, and they have spread snow on the mini loop but have not groomed it yet, I was still able to cobble together 4 good laps on this 1.5k loop. Tomorrow the nordic center will open, and they will have a 1k loop, groomed and tracked with a 15+ inch base of man-made snow.

Skiing in Quebec

Lucy doing an easy classic ski and then later in the day, getting after it on skating intervals at Foret Montmorency.

Spreading the snow piles ...

Two bucket loaders working on the mini-loop and then I imagine they will do the stadium. Opening tomorrow or Friday, with real classic tracks.

I had a great early morning skin up Whiteface.

Short jog at the end of the day

When extreme skiing was introduced to mainstream America ...

In 1981 Sports Illustrated did an extended piece on Chris Landry and his descents of Pyramid Peak, Liberty Ridge, and the Mendel Couloir. They also gave a nod to the historical trends that started it all in the Alps. The enclosed link will take you into the archival vaults of Sports Illustrated. 

https://www.si.com/vault/issue/70931/64/2

Dawn Patrol

Brrrr; toll road was quite windy!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... from Peter Kray's novel

It was Klaus Obermeyer, Aspen's original innovator of down parkas, sunscreen, alpine joie de vivre and beautiful women in snow-set scenes who said,

"Every day that you don't ski, you never get back again."

A short engaging first novel, one part ski history, one part travelogue, and one part stream of consciousness. I am re-reading it to get in the winter mindset ... dawn patrol, skinning up Whiteface tomorrow.

Dreaming of the Cordillera Blanca again

However, I think about climbing them not skiing ...

https://vimeo.com/240447481

Patrick Edlinger and the Opera Vertical

He died five years ago, but what I remember was watching his magical performance at the Snowbird World Cup Climbing Competition in 1988 on TV. (Many thought he was over the hill, but to watch him pull over the roof, it was clear to everyone, that all the other competitors were sitting at the feet of the master.)

The video is in French, however the dialogue is scarce, and the moves staggering. The last five minutes are especially good ... climbing barefoot and solo, stopping to chalk his feet, all set to an opera aria ... it's mesmerizing.

Next generation ice climbers ...

Larry's two children (Pete is in 4th grade and Ella is in 6th) cruising Pitchoff Right a couple of days ago.

The shape of things to come?

The daily dosage. As fossil mountaineers we probably consume more Vitamin I than any other age group, however some have already added statins, anticoagulants, beta blockers, anti-seizure medications ... who knows what's next!

Well nobody said getting old was going to be easy.

The winter season is going to take a big leap forward ...

Just guessing, but I imagine that Mount Van Hoevenberg will spread the pile and open over Thanksgiving. Also, Whiteface will open this weekend and so I anticipate skinning up in the dawn hours.

Shoulder mobility warmup before climbing ...

Thinking that maybe this is a good idea to do before I head out ice climbing.  Uphill Athlete is a great website to peruse.

https://www.uphillathlete.com/shoulder-mobility/

Even for us old farts, strength training is essential

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171101102846.htm

Ski and ice climbing season is almost here ...

This past weekend was for beginning the process of getting ready for winter: pulling out gear,  checking bindings, sharpening ice tools, locating my balaclava and thermos.  (The weekend was also for what has now become a weekly tradition; the Sunday sauna.)  After Thanksgiving I might send ice screws for sharpening and base wax my fleet of skis.

Before I headed out to see if the Whiteface toll road was skiable (yahoo ... it was), I perused the Ski Heritage archive.  Given that the college racing season is almost upon us, I suggest a quick read of this article about the Dartmouth Winter Carnival. This year on Feb 9-10 Lucy and SLU skiers take on the Big Green. 

https://books.google.com/books?id=_mNUg7EOorUC&pg=PA22&dq=Dartmouth+winter+carnival&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiUxbidxbbXAhXC4yYKHZUzAQkQ6AEILTAB#v=onepage&q=Dartmouth%20winter%20carnival&f=false

Skied again today but the ice looks climbable ...

Pitchoff Left looked even better!

A must read ... MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

This is just a sample of the type of great essays on the art, politics, history, and culture of the West that this journal dishes up continually.

http://mountainjournal.org/painter-george-carlson-is--top-nature-artist

 

Pitchoff and Cascade from the farm

First ski tour of the season ...

Spectacular day and just enough snow to ski the toll road on Whiteface.

SAD ... will we really kill the Endanger Species Act?

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2017/11/politicians-introduce-bills-will-invalidate-endangered-species-act/

World Cup Bobsledding at Mount Van Hoevenberg

Great little video recapping yesterday's event ...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8kVtPskBxr4

Maybe on the bucket list for next year ... Canyon de Chelly Ultra

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/08/sports/navajo-ultramarathon-canyon-de-chelly.amp.html

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... the winter of 2001

During the tail-end of winter that year we had two enormous dumps of snow. After clearing a roof of snow, the biggest problem was to keep students from climbing up the snow banks and getting on the roof. Little did I know that I would have to worry about staff doing tele-turns!

Looks like winter is on the way

If you tear a ligament arthritis is in your future

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/06/health/arthritis-risk-acl.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=Moth-Visible&moduleDetail=inside-nyt-region-5&module=inside-nyt-region&region=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region&_r=0

Stockpiling snow continues ...

I assume I will be skiing this weekend.

Just got this St. Regis Mountain photograph

Fossil gathering in Tahoe

Lucy in the SLU record books ...

For the past 15 years the nordic team has compiled stats on a St. Regis Mountain run, getting the idea from Dartmouth which has had the Mount Moosilsuke time trial for well over 50 years. Lucy crushed the St. Lawrence record and is looking forward to a great season.

Early snow in Bellingham ...

Pretty unusual for snow in the city this time of year, and the Cascades got pounded. Nice little hike to a great view of the San Juan Islands. On the other side of the city I got a great view of Boundary Bay and the Coastal Range.

Making skis the old-fashioned way ...

A terrific little video, well worth your three minutes.

https://vimeo.com/122003289

Incredibly well written mountaineering novel

Almost finished re-reading this novel; what a treat.

There are a couple of actual climbing falls that the book is centered around. However, as with most great novels, the story is in the relationships, and there we find "metaphoric falls" a plenty ... chiefly falls from innocence and falls from grace.

First ski descent of the Caroline Face on Mount Cook

2000 meters .... pretty amazing