Tahoe Rim Trail ...

We spent the day at the beach with Brian's family, paddle boarding, grilling, drinking, and of course telling Fossil stories. Late in the afternoon I got a lift to a nearby trailhead and had a nice hilly run.

Rainbow over our farm ...

A harbinger that sunnier days are ahead. Certainly, metaphorically we need this after the news that Brian passed away at only 63 years old.

Rest In Peace Brian

You were a loving husband, a great dad, compassionate doctor, amazing climbing partner, stout friend, and a founding fossil club member. We will miss you; remember you always, and wonder why you got this call so young!

Full Moon Rising

I was a chouinard guy; a piolet and ice hammer all the way!

A BLAST FROM THE PAST on the Wild Snow website ...  in the 1970s climbing with Jonathan Waterman, bumping shoulders with this Colorado gang while working winter COBS courses, as well as climbing ice in Scotland, exposed me to these different tools. 

https://www.wildsnow.com/24935/rooster-head-ice-climbing-tool-history/

Getting used to the altitude

An excellent article written by Corrine Malcolm a successful ultra-runner, however I knew her as a biathlete and coach in Lake Placid for a couple of years.

https://www.irunfar.com/2018/07/into-thin-air-the-science-of-altitude-acclimation.html/amp

Rory Bosio and the GR 20

A great video, with a no holds barred look at her supported run of this spectacular trail in Corsica. She is signed up for the 100k TDS in Chamonix next month. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TgyOQK9gX8E

More beta about the ski descent of K2

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2018/07/pole-claims-first-full-descent-k2/

Accidents In North American Climbing ... a summary

Take five minutes and read this important article:

https://www.rei.com/blog/climb/top-5-takeaways-from-accidents-in-north-american-climbing-2017

Skiing K2

I picked these photos off the ADVENTURE JOURNAL website, no summit shots yet, but I assume with his Go-Pro we will see some shortly. 

No details yet BUT skiing down K2 seems incomprehensible!

Book excerpt from the REI website

https://www.rei.com/blog/climb/book-excerpt-sixty-meters-to-anywhere__trashed

Lucy and U.S. Biathlon Team

Lucy got to train three days this week with the big dogs ... Tuesday was a time trial, Wednesday was a four hour hike up Dix, today was a run-shoot combination, and the women are re-loading their clips after zeroing their rifles.

Reading this blew my mind ... North Ridge of Latok is still unclimbed

http://www.dailycamera.com/recreation/ci_31996881/chris-weidner-greatest-failure-mountaineering-history-donini-lowe-kennedy

A red-eye and back in the ‘Dacks

A long travel day from Guatemala City to Lake Placid, but despite jet-lag and lack of sleep I had a nice easy run with Stash.

Alex Honnold's Brain

I think we all suspected he was different!

http://nautil.us/issue/61/coordinates/the-strange-brain-of-the-worlds-greatest-solo-climber-rp

Lily Barstow a pioneering women climber

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2018/07/historical-badass-climber-lily-bristow/

A small but active volcano in Guatemala

We hiked up Pacaya last evening to see the lava erupting down the mountain. In general, Pacaya eruptions are Strombolian and not very violent. The peak is 8,374 feet high, much smaller than many others in Guatemala that are almost 4000m high.

Alpine oil paintings

When William and I were climbing on the Riffelhorn, we ran into a plein air painter named Mark F. Lodge.  This Brit spends his summers painting in Zermatt and other Swiss mountains.  His large oils are well out of my price range, however the smaller canvases, watercolors, and prints would make handsome additions to the Fossil Cabin. 

Take a look at his website ... http://www.markflodge.co.uk/home/4572418091

Fascinating spreadsheet ... going fast in the mountains

Check it out on one of my favorite websites:

https://ultrarunnerpodcast.com/ultramarathon-daily-news-friday-the-thirteenth/

Turning 66 ...

Another wonderful year behind me: Selden and I moved into our house, I became a grandpa, decided to retire on June 30, 2019, hired a great person to run the school program, got to watch many of Lucy's ski races, and despite sore knees continue to be able to run and ski.

As always, presents on my birthday gravitate toward books:

- The Maverick Mountaineer: George Ingle Finch, the wild colonial boy who took on the British Alpine establishment
- North: finding my way while running the Appalachian Trail
- Deena Kastor's Let Your Mind Run
- Art of Freedom: the life and climbs of Voytek Kurtyka
- as well as an audio copy of The Monkey Wrench Gang for my next long plane ride.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: from Anatoli Boukreev

 I am starting to read Bernadette McDonald's the Art Of Freedom: the life and climbs of Voytek Kurtyka and this Boukreev quote was from the introduction:

"Mountains are not stadiums were I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are cathedrals where I practice my religion."

Back in the Adirondacks

A busy week before I head to Guatemala for an NCS admissions trip. It is great to be back on familiar stomping grounds, and to have quiet dinners with Lucy and Selden.

I have managed short and easy jogs on the Olympic trails with my dog Stash.

Lucy working on her biathlon

Yesterday, and today, Lucy was working out with some of the Olympians. Head Coach Armin Auchentaller is at the scope. Susan Dunklee a silver medalist in the 2017 world championships is in yellow; Clare Egan who is ranked in the top 30 in the world is in grey; Maddie Phanuef at 23 years old was the youngest biathlete on the US team last year is in red.

Riccardo Cassin ... a hard man if there ever was one

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2018/06/historical-badass-alpinist-riccardo-cassin/

Medals for the Zermatt marathon

To say that I have outgrown athletic medals is an understatement. Having been a successful three sport athlete in high school, captain of a highly successful lacrosse team in college, and decades as a competitive runner, Nordic racer, and for a time, a competitive karate practitioner; I have massive amounts of hardware ... and of course, T-shirts and other memorabilia.

I have ceased to collect or care about those baubles.

However, this race has such a cool take on this tradition. There are 38 individual 4000m peaks that can be climbed from Zermatt. In order of height, each year this race strikes a commemorative medal of a different peak ... this year ... the Dent Blanche.

Epic travel day

An airport bivy, followed by a full day of travel (two planes, a bus, a train, and 2.5 hours driving) did not do much for my tight legs.

Six hours of sleep and I am back at my desk. It was a great trip though.

Spectacular morning flying home ...

The Swiss alps are impressive. I hope to be back next summer for the Tour du Mont Blanc which passes through France, Switzerland, and Italy.  This was even more welcome after the unpleasant bivy in the Zurich airport last night.

Zermatt Half Marathon

A beautiful day, a well run race, and a challenging course.

The 21k had just under 5000 vertical gain as well as some technical downhills. My goals were to not go out fast, work the uphills, and finish under four hours. I finished in 3:59:40, I did not go out too fast, and up until 16k I was working the hills pretty well and felt on course for a 3:30 or 3:40. My calves started cramping and I feel like I fell totally apart in the last 2k, although the splits had me maintaining my position.

This race put me over 20,000+ total vertical for this trip. Definitely the 12 biggest days since the Tahoe Rim at the end of last summer.

Sub alpine flowers of Zermatt

Sam did a great job collecting photos of the plants in the 7500' - 9000' elevations on our treks.

Zermatt is flooding with trail runners

Less than 24 hours to go, and lots of excitement equally mixed with trepidation ... pretty steep running!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... in Zermatt it’s wise to remember

Edward Whymper said it succinctly and spot on, and one stroll through the Zermatt cemetery confirms this passage.

  "Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end."

Zermatt: what was I thinking?

Finished 11 days of hiking and climbing and all that is left is 21k of trail running with 2000 feet of climbing.

Just picked up bibs and other race miscellany.  My legs are not exactly feeling fresh, hopefully another 36 hours of rest will set me straight.

Running laps on the Riffelhorn

William finishing his fifth lap on a 5.2-5.6 slab. Just an easy day with the trail race Saturday. Today and tomorrow will be all about stretching, catching up on work emails, reading, maybe drinking some wine, and relaxing.

Then the flurry of 21k uphill, trains, planes, driving, furious work, and then an admissions trip to Guatemala.

Blatten

A tiny hamlet above Zermatt, originally a Summer residence for a family and their herd. Now, mostly delightful traditional buildings serving fantastic local food. However, the hay storage structures remain, built on stilts, which are capped by flat stones to keep mice out.

The alps are rich in Christian imagery ...

Every tiny town, even just a summer herding community has their dedicated chapel. Crosses adorn most mountains even smaller peaks like the Platthorn, and it is the rare hiking trail without a memorial cross or three.

Probably would make for a good coffee table book, as they are often in spectacular places.