Knees are still creaky from long day in the Whites

USATF uphill championship

Given a hectic last five weeks - drive east, new job, new apartment - Lucy's training has not been the central focus. She pushed hard, reconnected with some old nordic racing pals, and so it was well worthwhile, even if she wasn't really in race shape. 

Great day in the White Mountains

Hiked and skinned up to the floor of Huntington Ravine. (From left to right in the picture is South and Odell's Gullies, then Pinnacle Buttress and Central Gully.)

After lunch we skied and hiked out, and then skinned up to Hermit Lake. We then skied down the Shelburne Ski Trail, and finally hiked out the last two miles. A superbly beautiful.

Level 4 uphill intervals

Earlier in the week I did my first interval session of Old Mountain laps, to start out the new running season.

BLAST FROM THE PAST … thinking about one last trip to the Cordillera Blanca

Huaraz, the Chamonix of South America.  I have had four wonderful trips to Peru, and am hoping for one more before I hang up the spikes!

Nice Adirondack spring day with some snow flurries

BLAST FROM THE PAST … the right reverend bardini

An extended obituary and a salute to Alan Bard.

https://earnyourturns.com/17796/profile-the-right-reverend-bardini/

How much endurance do you have to lose when you age?

https://www.trailrunnermag.com/training/most-people-get-slower-with-age-but-is-that-inevitable/?_hsmi=255642873&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--6KtgOZltwQB7Vy4uoEVJ8a7CINBOAwYr6PF7POoACEVyrEiMucbwfyoiHaWXy6ImZhAUIBWqQ75NDWgyN8gCFopqQJw

Getting excited about trail running again

Of course, I am looking forward to ski touring out west in May, but now my mind is about a return to trail running and hiking. I will certainly run some uphill races again; I will also want to do a few long trail runs (20-30k range) in scenic mountain terrain; but I think I am going to retire from the yearly ultra-running race. 

Last week finished a 2-3 week transition back to the summer mode, of running, hiking, and biking. I managed to log 15+ hours, just over 4500' vertical, and 128k (93k exercise bike and 35k on foot). This week I will pull out the mountain bike.

The link is to a ten minute video, about trail runner Dylan Bowman, his company Freetrail, and the Gorge Waterfalls race. Gets you ready to lace up your shoes.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RfmL3KQefvY

Mezzalama: the last skimo Grande Course race of the season

The Mezzalama race just finished and ended the 2023 skimo race season.  The race alternates every other year, with the PDG (Patrouille des Glaciers) as the unofficial world championship of team, long form, skimo racing. Enclosed is a link to the history of this race, as well as a short video.

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

First spring trip up Owls Head

As always balance seems off on this first rocky trail of the season. And as always, a beautiful view for such a short hike.

Next week LUCY will be running in the Sunapee Scramble

Dipping her toe in the trail running water, she is not likely to jeopardize anyone's spot on the team to travel to the World Championships in Austria. But this will be a good shakeout to clear the cobwebs out after her frenetic move east. 

https://trailrunner.com/trail-news/scramble-at-the-inaugural-sunapee-scramble-for-team-usa-opportunities/

Hiking laps up Mt Pisgah

Its mud season in the Adirondacks. During this time my quest for vertical workouts finds me on steep dirt roads like Jay Mountain or Old Mountain Roads, or Baxter and Roundtop Lanes, or yesterday, on the cat track, service road at Pisgah.

BLAST FROM THE PAST … 2013 silvretta traverse

A multi-day ski mountaineering trip in Austria, from Ischgl to Galtur.

Highlights of the last 2023 skimo World Cup in Tromso

https://youtu.be/Dd1QgvK4G0Q

Check out the summary of my 2022-23 ski season

The video is available for your viewing pleasure at https://vimeo.com/818522467

Exploring some new places to do hill intervals

On my way back from visiting friends in Burlington, I stopped to do a run on Baxter and Roundtop lanes. Steep and well graded dirt roads, with some nice views.

A pretty decent transitional week: just under 14 hours, 113k (76k exercise bike, 23k run, 14k ski), and 4850' vertical. I also managed to alpine ski on two mornings, and do two yoga sessions.

Transitioning off skiing

Well, with the exception of a late spring ski trip to the sierras, it's back to hiking, running, and mountain biking.

Ski season isn’t over but remember these chores when it ends

Holmenkollen: the modern vikings valhalla

I am re-reading a thin, self-published skiing autobiography of Henry Ives Baldwin. The Skiing Life is an often fascinating recount of the sport from pre-WW I days in Saranac Lake, to his Scandinavian travels, as well as early days skiing in New Hampshire during the 1920-30s. This small excerpt captures the thrill of spectating the 1924 Holmenkollen.

Mount Washington Avalanche Center

The link, is a short video describing the elements of their daily forecast; well worth watching. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UJTynkEwllY&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Marcy, Colden, Wright, and Algonquin

On my rest day yesterday, I had a sauna at the cabin, and then after lunch a short nap, followed up by a trip to see if the Marcy fire road was still snow covered. (A bit sketchy but still skiable, as you can see, plenty of snow up high.)

Continuing the seasonal transition

A good week, however one with totals lower than usual. Two mornings of alpine skiing, three yoga sessions, and an easy strength session replaced the heavy cardio sessions of past weeks. Still, 13 hours, almost 4000' vertical ascent, and 110k (73k bike, 29k+ ski, and 7.5k on foot), was nothing to sneer at.

SellaRonda Skimarathon … yikes, too many things on my bucket list

Not sure I can get to them all … https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=210JjZnyApU&embeds_euri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sellaronda.it%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Spring is coming, but …

The Mount Van Hoevenberg competition trails are in prime condition. So, while pretty soon we will be carrying our skis from trailhead to the snow line, for a bit longer it's just park your car and go.

Recent U20 Skimo World Cup in Crevacol

It's likely that a bunch of these kids will be setting the pace in the 2026 Olympic skimo events in Cortina.



https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1Me4Ot_ZcPc

Skiing the Presidential Traverse.

Some pretty amazing footage. A beast of a day, not to mention, that by the time he drops over the Lip in Tuckermans Ravine, it all looks pretty casual.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?mc_cid=d0deee74cc&mc_eid=6c1c37a800&v=P0ZSpzQMu0M&feature=youtu.be

April: with rain and warmer temps … it’s almost that time of year!

Yesterday was my 110th day on snow!



A good week of training

I logged just over 14 hours, almost 5500' vertical ascent, and 132k (72k bike and 60k bike). Great to see my buddies, and a bit tired with late nights watching March Madness.

Skinning laps at Killington

Logging some good vertical and hanging out with college buddies.

Stunning winter Yosemite picture

Taken last month when the park was closed, by a Park Ranger (I think).