Running the Huayhuash … not sure if this is an FKT

Beautiful mountain vistas, and this 15 minute video, brought back such great memories.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3hfaWejpsSI&feature=youtu.be

Heading West on May 3rd

Still plenty of skiing to be had in the East, but I am looking forward to my trip to the east side of the sierras … ski touring, bouldering, trail running, and shooting the breeze with my buddies.

Who would have known, that the New York Times would publish an essay about American hot springs, with Travertine mentioned in the lead paragraph. For us, that has always been an obligatory stop on a trip to Yosemite or Bishop. 

 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/30/travel/hot-springs.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Travel

Continental Divide Ultimate Linkup

REEL ROCK 16

Thanks to my buddy, I was able to watch "Cuddle," the video about Caldwell and Honnold's Continental Divide Ultimate Linkup.  I have not seen the other videos in this year's Reel Rock, but this 39 minute film, is definitely worth the price of admission. 

It brought back so many memories of my 4-5 trips to RMNP over the past 50 years!

Avalanche Airbag Data

https://www.wildsnow.com/31127/an-avalanche-airbag-data-set-all-about-weight/

The most important of all strength exercises

More strength training will be key, in my next season training goals. I hate being inside working out, or cutting down aerobic sessions for disciplined strength workouts.  But, for my overall health, I just have to do it!

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/well/how-to-do-squats.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Well

The new speed record on the Matterhorn from Zermatt

Kilian Jornet has the much publicized speed record from Cervinia, this record is a bit tougher from Zermatt, and has gotten less publicity.  Nevertheless it blows my mind!

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=80&v=AQnt2kKMsGw&feature=emb_title

Biathlon Nationals

This was the largest domestic biathlon event ever in America, with almost 200 athletes, in all age categories from U14 to 70+ years of age.

Lucy finished fourth in the open women's category, shooting 80%. There were a couple of the top women missing because of covid. However, it was a very solid race, given that she has only raced 30k and 50k races this past month.

Ski touring repair kit

https://skimo.co/backcountry-ski-repair-kit

Glop on your skins is inevitable in spring … here is what to do!

https://skimo.co/stop-skin-glop

Another Arctic or far north thriller

In the past 5-6 months I have read many Arctic thrillers, and even several non-fictional travelogues.  The titles include: Arctic Meltdown, Arctic Drift, Point Deception, Black Ice, Smilla's Sense of Snow, and I am now waiting anxiously for Where Blood Runs Cold to be available on kindle for those of us in America. 

My latest novel of this genre is a post WW II classic, The Blue Ice by Hammond Innes.

Yearly skiing milestone

Yesterday, was my 100th day on skis, since the beginning of November. It was also a good week of training … 16 hours, 4750' vertical gain, and 179k (109k exercise bike, 56k ski, and 14k run).

Plenty of skiing left …

But clearly mud season is upon us!

An extended version of the making of Honnold’s VR film

Makes me want to go out and get one of those virtual realty headsets.

https://www.redbull.com/int-en/making-of-the-soloist-vr

Rikert Grand Prix

Well, Lucy got home Thursday evening, traveling all days from Bozeman. On Friday we jumped in the Hockmobile for her to race the first leg of this end of season mini-tour.

Temperatures were in the low 60s; puddles were out and about; as were volunteers shoveling to keep parts of the 3.3k prologue course covered.

Ben Ogden, pictured above - fresh from 2 NCAA Championship wins and a 12th place in the Olympic sprint - cruised to the win. Anna Bizyukova - fresh from an NCAA Chamoionship podium - easily captured the women's win. Lucy, travel worn and without time for structuring skis, finished tenth. Not a great finish, but given her two races this past month were a 30k and a 50k, a good reintroduction to the short and fast racing she will need next week at the biathlon nationals.

Given much better conditions at Mount Van Hoevenberg; the rain predicted for Rikert; Lucy decided to opt out of the remaining two races, and train at MVH.

Selden’s knee surgery and rehab is finally progressing nicely, so …

In the not too distant future it will be time for a trip to Mount Washington. This picture Wednesday picture from the top of Wildcat, indicate that climbing and skiing conditions are looking good.

Exceeding expectations except …

Well, my goal for Selden's knee surgery was to handsomely exceed all expectations around care-giving and taking over family chores. Selden believes I have done just that, except in taking care of these tulips! Clearly it was not on my "to do list."

Behind the scenes of Alex Honnold’s new film

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7V_l4HD2x2k&feature=youtu.be

An avalanche death



https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/snow-sports/silverton-avalanche-school-pete-marshall-death-snow-safety/

A Brief Skimo Manual … summit endurance academy

https://www.summitenduranceacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/This-is-Skimo.pdf

A great Adirondack Ski Tour

Skiing the Fire Road into Marcy Dam and then to Avalanche Lake (and back) is one of best tours in the northeast. Dan Marchetti was great company this morning.

The storm is moving out

Great to get another 8 inches of snow!

Resurrecting an old Skimo Co. essay

As I sip tea and gaze out the back window, at what looks to be a significant spring snowstorm, "Words For Snow," seemed appropriate. 

https://skimo.co/words-for-snow

Support athletes getting ready for the 2026 Olympic Skimo events

Shop online …

https://usaskimo.myspreadshop.com/skimo+race+course?idea=61fd78acbfd60475a739729e

Skimo skin tips and tricks

A nice blog entry from Summit Endurance Academy …

https://www.summitenduranceacademy.com/2021/12/15/skin-hygiene/

90th day on snow since November

Beautiful views, but a pretty lackluster Skimo workout as I was with Selden in the ER all night long.

Thankfully, after controlling pain and a zillion tests, all of which indicated she was fine, no infection, no issues with new knee, no tendon rupture … they got around to finally controlling swelling and draining fluid from the knee. The pain relief was immediate!

World University Games come to Lake Placid in just 10 months

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qAdLsosWY1w&feature=emb_title

Be safe out there

A couple of days ago, a skier in Tuckermans Ravine triggered this slab, and thankfully, was carried on top of the debris to the bottom.

Holmenkollen 50k … possibly the most famous Nordic event starts tomorrow at 6 am EST

Make no mistake, this is not Woodstock, rather it's tens of thousands of fans camping out to watch the Holmenkollen ski jumping, as well as the 30k and 50k races. This is on my bucket list for the next few years … camp out, and then the following week ski the Birkebeiner. 

The enclosed link is a two minute video giving an overview of this iconic Nordic event. Where else will a king put the medals around the victors neck!  Today, Johaug put on a master class for the field in the 30K. A brilliant performance and an emotional end to an amazing career. Tomorrow morning, at 6 am EST the 50k will start. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFWx2Jio-Y

The 50th anniversary of the iconic 1972 Chouinard equipment catalog

This is one of the most treasured items in my mountaineering library.  The introductory essay by Yvon Chouinard and Tom Frost (A Word … ) is as important today, as it was back then. Follow the link, to read this short, but pivotal essay, reprinted on the Patagonia website. 

https://www.patagonia.com/stories/a-word/story-116598.html

All you need to know about climbing skins

https://www.wildsnow.com/30878/climbing-skins-101/

Status of Nordic World cups given the Ukrainian invasion

https://fasterskier.com/2022/03/with-eroding-control-fis-bans-russia-and-belarus-in-belated-reaction-to-threatened-protest-cancellation-of-world-cup-events-in-norway-and-sweden/

Reality … I think La Grande Course events (Pierre Menta, PDG, and Mezzalama) will have to wait until my next reincarnation!

However, I certainly can do day trips, ski touring up to some of the huts used as aid stations in those races.  Maybe even tag an easy Mezzalama peak on a ski tour via lifts. Great article about the history.

https://www.dynafit.com/en-us/trofeo-mezzalama-history