Selden is recovering from knee surgery and I had a pretty good week of training

Well, recovery and rehab are never linear, and Selden has had a couple of tough post-op days. But, she is hanging in there and working hard at her PT.

Despite the care-giving and extra chores, I managed a week with just over 15 hours and almost 4300' vertical.

After the rain and floods …

We have had some spectacularly great skiing.

When to replace your skimo boot liners

https://skimo.co/ski-touring-liners

Mountaineering Cartoons



Running the Haute Route …

And bookending the three-day trip by tagging the summit of the Breithorn and Mont Blanc.

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

The Origin Of Skiing and hunting on skis

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=810

Ski touring speed record Dhaulagiri 7

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PUqt64kXoWs&feature=youtu.be

Estimating how long your ski tour will take … the Munter Method

https://blackbirdguides.com/blogs/a-birds-eye-view/trip-planning-how-to-estimate-the-time-a-ski-tour-will-take-based-on-distance-and-elevation-gain

The Jackrabbit Rally

Help support the building and maintenance of mountain bike and ski touring trails in the Adirondacks.

https://www.betatrails.org/jackrabbit-rally.html

The 2000 avalanche on Angel Slide

https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/outtakes/interview-with-avalanche-survivors

If you are planning a Skimo glacier tour …

As I am this spring, it's time to check your gear, refresh your skills, as well as your knowledge base.

https://www.wildsnow.com/30772/techniques-and-considerations-for-ski-mountaineering-on-glaciers/#more-30772

Good to be back home

Selden and I are glad to be back in the Adirondacks. Her surgery went well but the post-op and first two nights have been tough ones.

The rain, sleet, ice and snow we will get in the next 18 hours is also keeping spirits low.

Large Avalanche on Angel Slide



Using skimo race gear on cutting edge Alaskan climbing routes

A decade ago, I was on the Argentiere glacier, with my double ice climbing boots clipped in to a pair of silvretta bindings. Functional - in a clunky and heavy sort of way - but then I bumped into some Chamonix guides jumping on the North Face of Les Droites with their TLT5 Dynafit boots and lightweight skimo race setup. I never looked back, after I flew home. 

However, the gear is pricey.  I have cut costs by the repeated process, of selling off old and still quite serviceable gear, and then upgrading to slightly used or end-of-season lighter gear. This season's upgrade is a three year old Dynafit PDG setup. My Madshus nordic race skis, bindings, and Salomon skate skis weigh in at 1400 grams, my skimo race gear comes in at just 1700 grams.  

Of course, about to turn 70 the notion of "cutting edge" is not in the cards, but there are plenty of "walk-ups" that are still worth skiing down. As the article hits home many times, skiing down has a much higher fun quotient than hoofing out from the base of your climb.

https://www.wildsnow.com/30740/making-the-most-out-of-the-alaska-range/#more-30740

A good week … with a few recovery days

However, I still logged a bit over 14 hours, 144k (80k ski, 60k bike, 4K run), and 6100' vertical.  Starting to cut back on skimo and add more nordic to get ready for a late season 50k.

75th day on snow since November

Today was 80 minutes of Skimo laps. My guess is that 70% of the time I am on nordic skis, 25% on skimo gear, and 5% riding a lift.

Olympic nordic races

There have been some great races to watch, and some great story lines.  For Americans the highlights so far: Diggin's sprint bronze medal, four American males in the heats and Ben Ogden making it to the semis, and Rosie's fourth in the sprints. 

Well over a billion people depend on glaciers for fresh drinking water

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/climate/glaciers-water-global-warming.html

A good Skimo workout …

The Saranac Lake town ski area - Mount Pisgah - has a very liberal uphill policy. No fee, no need to register, and any time of day, as long as you stay out of the way of paying customers.

Tuesday was a marvelous day, mild temperatures (35 degrees), and partly sunny. I showed up at 2:30 and they had just finished grooming, however they do not open until 3:30 … so I had the place to myself.

I was pretty tired from the past couple of high volume weeks, so I kept it to just four laps, 55 minutes, and 1250' vertical.

VANISHING LINES … ski resort expansion v. protection of alpine climate zones

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eofG6Z-YBxA&feature=youtu.be

A good day on Whale’s Tail

An enjoyable tour into Marcy Dam, and then a skin up the 575' vertical of Whale's Tail. Gary is putting skins back on for third, and last wonderful lap.

Finishing of a good week with a sunset jog with Stash

I logged 17 hours, 6200' vertical, and 157 kilometers. This was all covered by a bit over 90k on the exercise bike, 55k skiing, and almost 12k jogging.

Great skiing conditions with the recent storm

However, if you ever wonder, just check out the Barkeater Trails Alliance.

https://www.betatrails.org/conditions

A pretty good Olympic nordic start for Team USA

In the cross country skiathlon we had two women in the top 15, and half of our single mixed biathlon relay team (pictured below) had a best ever seventh place.

Olympics About To Start … how to watch biathlon

My daughter is just back stateside, from the European Championships.  This link will let you know all the key elements of a biathlon race.

https://www.biathlonworld.com/news/beijing-2022-biathlon-glossary/gkaOygHGmjBLbh9AObqrx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=article&utm_term=&utm_content=weekly_08&utm_campaign=GG

Risk … how much can you accept or tolerate?

Obviously a very interesting guy, and raising a family, wrestling with this question personally and professionally. 

It made me think quitea bit, about how that question has changed for me over time. Turning 70 in a few months, I know I want to be in, and around, big mountains, but I also know my appetite for risk has changed considerably, and is now quite low. 

If I hike or skin up to an alpine hut, and the vibe isn't right, I have no problem staying put, eating strudel and drinking tea, and heading back down in the valley.

https://www.patagonia.com/stories/the-relentless-push-and-pull-of-a-mountain-guide/story-94071.html?utm_source=em&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=020222_new_arrivals_cold

Soloing Everest … in winter, no oxygen, and via the West Ridge

Now this is truly extreme!

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/01/sports/the-loneliest-mountaineer-on-everest.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Sports

Another good week of training but continued frigid temperatures

I logged 15 hours and just a bit over 6600' vertical.  I managed 149k split between exercise biking (81k), running (12k+), and nordic as well as ski mountaineering (55k+). In anticipation of a virtual 50k and the Lake Placid Loppet in the next month, I will start to increase the length of a couple of sessions per week. 

 

Important article on dry tooling from NEice

https://www.neice.com/2018/02/ethics-of-climbing-rock-with-ice-tools-dry-tooling/

David Hochschartner (Hock)

Super Tour comes to Lake Placid

A very large and deep field, with some terrific sprint racing. Katharine Ogden and Zalk Ketterson won their final heats.

https://fasterskier.com/2022/01/lake-placid-supertour-classic-sprint-rundown/

As Olympics approach … covid outbreak on Norwegian nordic team

https://fasterskier.com/2022/01/news-brief-covid-outbreak-in-the-norway-olympic-delegation-and-updated-plans-to-get-klaebo-johaug-and-teammates-to-beijing/

BLAST FROM THE PAST … Bill Koch

Takes you right back to the late 1970s and early 1980s. Koch wearing his lucky hat from the day he won his silver medal, and a bib as well as ski uniform from the Seefeld Olympics.

https://vimeo.com/374213250

Three laps on the Middlebury Snowbowl

What more can you ask for … the ski area is closed Tuesday, that's when they groom for the week's opening day on Wednesday, no fee, temperature in the 20s, partly sunny, and nobody around.

Lucy skis in the European Biathlon Championships tomorrow

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=jyhjkw7kMtY&feature=emb_title

David Hochschartner (Hock)

LARGEST SKI MARATHONS … still on my bucket list

I have skied many ski marathons: Lake Placid Loppet, California Gold Rush, Yellowstone Rendezvous, Rivière Rouge, Bretton Woods, Craftsbury, Blueberry Hill, Tughill, and several National championship 50k races.  Also include a couple of larger event, as I have also skied the Canadian Ski Marathon many times, and quite some time ago I even skied the American Birkie.  But the largest, the Norwegian Birkie, the Vasaloppet, the Marcialonga, and the Engadine are all still on the list.

https://journal.alpsandmeters.com/journal/2020/9/10/in-our-fathers-tracks-for-future-victories

Another good week

Once again, more skimo than Nordic skiing. I also did a bit of ice climbing, a strength workout, and a bit of riding the Mt. Pisgah T-bar lift.  My Dynafit PDG setup is quite light, as you can see. In fact, when I put my nordic race setup on the kitchen scale it weighed in at 1400grams. 

Totals for the week: 15 hours, over 4500' vertical, and 145k (85k bike, 57k ski, and 3.5k run). 

Alpine Art Of The American West … interesting essay

https://journal.alpsandmeters.com/journal/2021/9/8/alpine-art-of-the-american-west

Chilly but a nice sunset classic ski workout

All of Mount Van Hoevenberg's 50+ kilometers are in good shape. Beautiful views, but by the end of the day the temperatures had - again - fallen below zero.

Avalanche assessment and risk analysis

https://www.wildsnow.com/30538/the-exposure-knob/#more-30538

World Cup video of skimo transitions

Well, I am not aiming for a spot at the 2026 Olympics, quite frankly, nor am I doing much skimo racing.  However, good technique, is a good thing for even the occasional backcountry tourer. Take a look, especially at the very end of these three videos, when they do a slo motion review.

http://www.skintrack.com/category/skimo-racing/racing-101/

Voluminous Ski Mountaineering History

http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/

While the focus is the Northwest, there is so much more here.  Just a browse through the bibliography is mind blowing.  After digging into this public resource I realized I needed to purchase Lowell Skoog's new book WRITTEN IN THE SNOWS. 

BLAST FROM THE PAST …

My first Denali trip, about 12, 000' on the West Rib, with Mark coming up the ridge. It just popped up this morning in my iPhoto file.

Skimo equipment rules …

For more detailed information, as well as how this racing gear might positively impact a recreational backcountry skier, take a look at this Wild Snow link enclosed below.

https://www.wildsnow.com/30513/light-and-fast-but-make-it-fun/

Lucy is on a plane to Munich for the European Biathlon Championships

The United States Biathlon Team had a complex an exhausting series of trials to make the Olympic team. 

There was a series of three Vermont rollerski biathlon races in August, then another three rollerski races in Utah this past October, those were followed up by three on snow races in Vermont this December. And then for the finalists, there were three races in Germany right after New Year. 

The top five Americans will go to Beijing, and the next five will participate in the European Championships as well as some other IBU CUP races. 

More skimo this week than nordic …

A good week with turns, lots of vertical, as well as a wonderful ski yesterday with the sun setting, and an almost full moon over the mountains.  Of course, it was -10 degrees Fahrenheit so I did not stop too long for photography! 

Totals for the week: 52nd day on snow, 12.5 hours, 7300' vertical, and 118k (62k exercise bike, 52k ski, and 4K run). 

Waiting for frigid temperatures to rise

I worked out on my exercise bike while watching America's first ski movie, Sun Valley Serenade.  The movie included three time Olympic gold medalist Sonja Henie, skiing by Otto Lang and future gold medalist Gretchen Fraser, and of course, the music of Glenn Miller and his Orchestra. Well, it's warmed up to -3 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's time to get my skis out!

An old time Adirondack cold snap

Going to wait until mid-afternoon to go skiing … when the temperature climbs to -3 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Skimo World Cup continues tomorrow

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Mpq9xUU64

Boot Spur

This beautiful print reminded me, that I need to hop in the Hockmobile and head over to New Hampshire.  Maybe spend the night in the Harvard Cabin and solo some snow gullies in Boot Spur or Huntington and then ski down the Sherburne.