Marble Mountain and Whiteface Ski Area History

Winter Approaching

A new book by an old climbing buddy ...

It's on my Christmas list; see the link below to read a nice review from Wild Snow.

https://www.wildsnow.com/25388/chasing-denali-jon-waterman-review/#more-25388

A Fall weather report to delight skiers

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... the brenva face

On my first trip to the Alps, along with some great North face ice routes in Zermatt (Lyskamm, Breithorn, d'Herens), the Sentinelle Rouge on Mont Blanc was probably the boldest route that I did. 

I teamed up with a South African - Richard Wilmot - who I had met just a few days before we headed up the the bivy hut at the Col de Fourche.  We started at 2am, and were on the summit at dawn, in time to see the sunrise. I was moving faster, and so when we got to the face, Richard untied and we third classed the route at our own pace, and I arrived on top 10-15 minutes before him.

Little did I know of the controversy between the two first ascentionists of the three classic routes on the Brenva face: red sentinel, major, and the pear.  The story of their breakup in the late 1920s unfolds in the link below.

http://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-brenva-fued-question-of-attribution.html

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... canyonlands late 1970

On a leave of absence from teaching, I was living in Crested Butte, working Outward Bound ski mountaineering courses, and nordic racing all over the U.S.  A buddy from the AMC Pinkham Notch - John Michael - came out west and we did some long trail runs in the desert. 

Celebrating Lucy’s 21st birthday a little early ...

We think she will not be back until mid-December, so we took the occasion of mid-semester break to celebrate. As always in our family, she got lots of books, but also some biathlon ammo, guitar strings, and a couple of T-shirts. Lucy also loved the signed Jessie Diggins and Sophie Caldwell posters ... thanks Gary!

Mountaineer is sold

https://www.mountaineer.com/the-mountaineer-announces-transfer-of-ownership/

Mountainfest

Come ice climb January 18-21, 2019. 

https://vimeo.com/253824600

First day on snow ...

A Facebook post mentioned that RonKon had skied the Whiteface Toll Road today. (No surprise, as he always gets first tracks in the Adirondacks.)

Lucy, home for mid-semester break, texted me and we headed over and were jogging up the road at 4pm. After about a mile I put skis on, conditions were scratchy but I skied 3k+ ... laps on a nice stretch. Lucy who met up with a nordic SLU racing buddy, continued running up the road for better conditions.

Great to be back on skis again.

First snow of the season

I was scrapping ice off my car windows in September, last week the summits had a dusting of snow, but last night we had measurable snow in our yard.

Caffeine and performance

https://www.irunfar.com/2018/10/caffeine-and-performance-whats-the-buzz-all-about.html/amp

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... 1972 Chouinard equipment catalogue

I was browsing through my copy last night, of the aesthetically superb booklet, with gear that revolutionized how we climb. Re-reading the keynote essay, and absorbing the philosophy that pervades the catalogue it is clear this was a seminal moment. 

Red Sky At Night ...

Sailors delight,
Red sky at morning,
Sailors take warning.

The Keene Valley Mountaineer Has Been Sold

Hunting season

I had a wonderful twilight run on the Olympic trails. The shadow makes it hard to see, but both Stash and I are totally dressed in red, to make sure we are not mistaken for white-tailed deer.

Impressive piles of snow being made for Nordic skiing starting the second week in November ... yahoo!

L3-4 intervals on Main Street

Typically, when I head out for some exercise on the Olympic trails, I am not this structured. But rather than contend with mud, slop, and hidden rocks under the leaves, I did interval laps on the nice grass of this 1/2 kilometer uphill. Of course, I am decked out in all red, as it is hunting season.

Hopefully back to the Andes next summer

Pulling out the books on Peruvian history from my library. Getting ready for the Round Lake Campus trip to the Andes ... July 15-August 1st. Take a look!

https://www.roundlakecampus.com/upcoming

Easy hike to end a long day ...

Mount Van Hoevenberg and Cascade

Two things that got me heading to Chamonix in the 1970s ...

I started as a novice climbing enthusiast in the very early 1970s, by late 1973 I was becoming quite keen, and by 1975 I was starting to border on fanaticism.  The gunks, the Adirondacks, and the White Mountains held my early climbing attention, but where else to put that growing fanaticism?  

First, to grab my attention were the Tetons, and I remember sitting in the Library of Congress all day long, waiting for my girlfriend who was an aide to a senator, to finish work.  In those pre-internet days, I furiously read and took notes for hours on end from the original Bonney and Ortenburger climbing guides. After two seasons at the Climbers Ranch, I had some good Teton routes under my belt and lots of stories from fellow climbing addicts.  After those Teton summers there were only three things on my mind ... Chamonix (Snell's Field), Yosemite (Camp Four), and Denali (Talkeetna). There will be more to come in future posts. 

It was because of the two items below that I turned my attention to Chamonix. Having left college for a term (my draft lottery number was 262 ... yahoo), and hitch-hiked all over Scotland in 1972, I purchased an issue in Fort William and impulsively subscribed to MOUNTAIN magazine. Ian McNaught Davis wrote regular hysterical essays in the magazine including such classics as "Drop, plop, or fly."  But it was his hilarious and truthful 1975 account of Chamonix, "Deux Grandes Bieres," which sealed the deal.  Of course, the publication in the same year of "The Hundred Finest Routes," was the catalyst which brought me to New York City to purchase a Freddie Laker Airways ticket.

I am heading back to Cham for the fifth time next summer with a head full of memories ...  

First snow of the season

If not Saturday, then later next week ... yahoo!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... Elizabeth Coxhead

As I consider whether this is the right time, for my annual re-reading of the brilliant 1950s climbing novel, ONE GREEN BOTTLE, I came across two interesting tidbits.  First, the novel has been reprinted in an inexpensive kindle edition. Second, I dug up this neat quote on the FOOTLESS CROW website. 

"A sport is advanced by the handful of people who do it brilliantly, but it is kept sweet and sane by the great numbers of the mediocre, who do it for fun."

CBD ... chronic pain relief for mountaineering injuries?

So, CBD supplies seem to be gaining an audience in the ultra-endurance crowd. Of course, it's a smaller-sized grouping, but I am thinking of all the aging mountaineers who have cranked on too many crimpers, or hoofed too many loads into expedition basecamp on arthritic knees ... I wonder, are they using these supplements?

https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a23506689/cbd-oil/

Lhotse Couloir ... gnarliest ski descent ever?

https://www.rei.com/blog/climb/hilaree-nelson-jim-morrison-ski-first-descent-of-lhotse-couloir

The leaves are peaking

A great view of the High Peaks region from the summit of Mount Van Hoevenberg.

A different look at Ed Abbey

Having just finished listening to The Monkey Wrench gang on an audible book, I have to say the book starts out promising in redibly engaging and captivating for the beginning two-thirds, and then goes downhill from there. I think his early writings - especially Desert Solitaire - will do a better job facing the test of time. That said, this introduction of Ed Abbey on FOOTLESS CROW, for Brits, is well worth reading ...

http://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/2010/02/users-guide-to-edward-abbey.html

Leaf peeping on an easy trail run

Blister prevention in the mountains

Maybe El Presidente should take a look at this article!

They do grow up ...

My son Jon with his daughter Ami, the picture below is him at three or four trying on my double Galibier ice climbing boots.

Climbing in the 2020 Olympics

Not sure how I feel about this ... obviously we will see some hard, inspiring climbing and talented climbers in the Olympics. But does it mean that to be competitive you have to turn into a gym rat, and forego real climbing? 

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