A new Skimo season



https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=76&v=b-V6D1DS-LE&feature=emb_logo

Selden is having knee surgery

I am just hanging out in the hospital, hoping things go smoothly.

10th Day On Snow

It was a good week of training. I logged 14.5 hours, 147k (97.5k exercise bike, 44k ski, 5.5k run), managed 3625' vertical, and did a couple of strength sessions.

Beyond The Summit … kit deslauriers

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2KToPCh77ZM&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Yesterday the weather was a bit grim … grey, too warm, and drizzly

However, the man-made loop is in good shape, and legacy trails that have been rolled are sketchy, but still skiable. I have been timing my ski session to coincide with the end of D-1 college training sessions. So, 11-12:15 and 3:30-4:45 seem to be the best times.

Steve House … how to make an A thread for a rappel

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5RKwAyscHFM

How to watch cross country and biathlon World Cups this season

https://fasterskier.com/2022/11/viewing-cross-country-and-biathlon-in-the-united-states/

Cross Country Skiing World Cup Races Are About To Begin!

It starts with a classic sprint in Ruka On November 25th. Watch the short video below to get your motors running! 

https://www.fis-ski.com/en/cross-country/cross-country-news-multimedia/videos/2022/11/cross-country-the-42nd-season-we-could-not-be-more-excited-fis-cross-country-0LLsT2_M8Sg

DAWN PATROL … a great short video

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MCQR3ABTV4A&feature=emb_imp_woyt

A good week of training …

Blisters have healed, I am shaking off a cold, but I still have elevated morning heart rates. So, while I might not be completely recovered from my ultra, an appetite for training is definitely back.

My volume is on the uptick, and I will do my best to keep the ramp up gradual. Last week I logged 13.5 hours, almost 6000' vertical, and 115k (70k exercise bike, 30 skiing, 15k running).

The Whiteface Toll Road

This classic Adirondack ski tour has been in fine condition all week. Yesterday was my third day skiing, with my skimo race skis. Time to pull out my nordic gear.

Tips on collecting books about skiing …

https://skiinghistory.org/online-magazine/dusty-passion-collecting-books

Jack Kuenzle … king of the FKT landscape

https://www.outsideonline.com/health/running/culture-running/people/jack-kuenzle-fkt/?utm_campaign=OOL%20-%20NL%20-%20Long%20Reads&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=234364598&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--iavRObawwMaPrSHYOwqbYTSgVguZd-jGeNjisGBLy-C4azQaQ_h5_BXNe1x3XL4IAIEYbbmh2cEI6pb-N5J0YjMWLjA&utm_content=234363434&utm_source=hs_email

Boot Camp On Mt. Rainier

https://skiinghistory.org/online-magazine/boot-camp-mount-rainier

Whiteface Toll Road: the first ski of the season

The 46ers … watch the trailer

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/the46ersfilm/300621434?autoplay=1

Some good news for eastern skiers

There is snow coming tomorrow, and with the colder - more seasonal - weather, all the Olympic venues in our area were making snow yesterday.  So, Whiteface, the jumps, and Mount Van Hoevenberg will be usable in the very near future. 

Great day at the Giants game

I had a terrific day with my college buddy; the Giants won and are now 7-2. Len and I got to the stadium at 9am, in time for some serious tailgating.

BLAST FROM THE PAST … east ridge of the grand teton

In 1977, Murph (a college buddy) and I are setting up our bivy on this classic route.  It rained off, and on, through the night and we headed down the next morning. Several years later, I tried this route with Michael Franklin in winter, and that time we bailed because of avalanche conditions.  Still, on my bucket list, but my guess is that it may have to wait until my next reincarnation. 

Colorado Avalanche Information Center

I will be watching this in the coming months as I get closer to my February backcountry ski trip.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=114&v=zpK9Pa3oJys&feature=emb_logo

Never imagined an article like this in the New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/22/well/move/fitness-bouldering-rock-climbing.html

Another unusually warm November day, but quite wonderful

A nice recovery hike in Rochester, Vermont with Ted and Dick. My knees are starting to feel better, and I am able to increase the volume a little bit each day. Next week I will be able to resume full training hours, which will hopefully include some time on snow.

Where the 10th Mountain Trained

During WW II, the 10th Mountain Division was quartered at Camp Hale, and nearby was the Cooper Ski Area, where many learned how to ski. It is also where I taught beginners for Colorado Outward Bound School, before we took them out in the mountains for 20 days.

Thumbing through the guidebook, I am starting to get excited about a backcountry ski trip to Colorado in February.

A bit of good news …

The National Weather Snow Forecast out to November 16th,  suggests that maybe higher elevations (Whiteface Toll Road), could have 12 inches of snow in that time period. Also, it looks like Foret in Quebec (six hour drive) might have a similar amount, and maybe they will groom their five kilometer loop.

HamsterWheel … 53k in 9:24

Plopped in a chair, and ready to break open the bottle of whiskey with Matt, who did the last 12.5k with me.

30 hour wave is off

My Hamsterwheel wave leaves at 9:30.

And to add to the grim picture …

Maybe it will be even too warm to make snow during this time period!

Now this is grim …

This is the National Weather Service snowfall forecast out to November 13th. As you can see for New York and New England … nada! Of course, maybe low temperatures will mean alpine areas and nordic centers like Mount Van Hoevenberg, Craftsbury, and Middlebury might make snow. However, up above Gaspe, into Labrador City it shows over a foot of snow. I just might need to hop in the Hockmobile and get up to the Menihek Nordic Ski Club.

However, this weekend I am running an ultra-marathon, so I will worry about it next week.

VALLÉE BLANCHE … the badass version

Just two minutes long, and we'll worth it!

https://vimeo.com/335879257 

Escape To Lucania: an epic story of survival

As a followup to the New York Times article about the expedition that found the 1937 cache of gear from Washburn and Bates, enclosed below is the first paragraph from Escape From Lucania. I am already halfway through the book … it's gripping!

85 years ago Washburn and Bates climbed Lucania …

Poor snow conditions meant the he ski plane could not pick them, so they had to hike out 100 miles. They cached much of their gear, to make packs as light as possible, and this summer an expedition recovered their equipment … including Washburn's cameras.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/30/world/canada/yukon-mountains-cameras.html

Beautiful Sunset But …

Morning temps have been in the 20s, however daytime highs are in the 50s. I don't know when it's going to snow! Starting to panic; I am spending mornings looking at NOAA snow depth maps and MeteoBlue weather reports for the Chic-Chocs and Labrador City.

Gear, tips, and tricks for the TMB

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kks8NuulC1E

18 four-thousand meter peaks in a day

This seven minute video - set in and around Zermatt - has fantastic scenery and makes you want to do it as a 4-5 day climb.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aFgs5-okjy0&feature=emb_title

Starting to get anxious about snow

Roughly one-in-three years I get to ski the Whiteface toll road at least once or twice in October. Clearly, that will not happen this year. In fact I suspect, we may not have snow until after the elections. Lucy is out in Bozeman, running a congressional campaign,  ut even she has skied two or three times already. 

Starting to think about Frozen Thunder in Canmore, or other Canadian early snow spots (Labrador City). Of course, because of snow making, I am still confident that Mount Van Hoevenberg and Whiteface will be ready to go by Thanksgiving.

Sketching the Alps

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=azgvOyBB7fA&feature=youtu.be

The Cassin Ridge … the fish that got away

In the late 1970s and early 80s this was the route that was always on my mind, but the stars never aligned, and it will have to wait until my next reincarnation. HOWEVER, this is a great little video about two gals who climb the route recently. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SH8_xb826R8&feature=emb_title

50th High School Reunion

Twice postponed because of covid, it was finally nice to see many of my old buddies. A wonderful two days, however the 6.5 hours driving each way, put a cramp in my knees, and a crimp in in my training. (I only managed 13+ hours, with 45k running, and 93k riding the exercise bike this week.)

Aside from swapping stories of big games, teachers, hijinks, and friends who couldn't attend or had passed away; one of my buddies shared some photographs of a trip we took prior to our senior year.

The year is 1969, and I am 17. My buddy proposes a trip to Vermont (inspired by Easy Rider perhaps?); so I borrow some rudimentary camping gear and we hitchhike from Manhasset to southern Vermont. We hike a chunk of the Long Trail for a week and hitchike back home.

I spend my senior year in high school classes dreaming about mountains. Toward the end of the next summer, I hitched to Colorado by myself, scrambled up multiple 14ers, saw several rock climbers on the Diamond from Chasm View (I had scrambled up the 5.2 route on Longs Peak), and vowed to myself, that when I went to college that fall, I would figure out how to become a mountaineer. The rest, as they say ... is history.

10th Mountain Division’s Camp Hale designated as a National Monument

This is adjacent to the area I taught ski mountaineering courses for the Colorado Outward Bound School in the late 1970s.

https://fasterskier.com/2022/10/president-biden-designates-national-monument-at-camp-hale-preserving-american-ski-history/

BLAST FROM THE PAST … silvretta traverse

My college buddy - with little or no body fat - was always cold. I am just in a shirt and baseball cap, while he has all his layers on!  Love to do another hut traverse … maybe the PDG in 2023?

This news article reads like a sci-fi thriller

https://apple.news/A0KjDXOeVSAu8rt4v5oxVvA

A longer, more extended look at Tour du Mont Blanc

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vYi0LrT5bWU

Getting excited about going back next fall.

Fears for Iranian Climber

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/18/fears-for-iranian-climber-elnaz-rekabi-after-she-competed-in-seoul-without-a-hijab

Long day trip to New Hampshire

I traveled to Manchester NH and back yesterday. The two main objectives were to visit my Aunt Elaine in the hospital, and to review the four mile loop for the Hamsterwheel ultra.

The flat, very runnable surface of the rail trail is quite nice, and runs along the Piscataquog River with beautiful views. (I will make a final decision based on local weather, and availability of Lake Placid skiing options, on November 2nd.)

BLAST FROM THE PAST … a day of ice climbing with Gary and Brian

The destination was the north side of Pitchoff, which we could ski (look at Brian's tiny snowshoes) to right from the North Country School campus. I imagine this picture was from 2009-10. 

Yikes … what a hard decision

Earlier this week - Monday morning - I tried to prioritize, what were the most important bucket list items, I wanted to tick off in the next 12 months. By Wednesday morning, after a bit of research, I realized I had three winter goals that all took place within the span of a week! 

Well geographically, the closest was The Last Skier Standing event at Black Mountain  in Maine.  Registration opened on Tuesday, October 11th, and by Wednesday it was already sold out. I decided not to put my name on the waitlist, as realistically I figured I would not last more than 6-8 hours (laps). The next two events - 160k Canadian Ski Marathon and the Gothic Mountain Tour - were on successive weekends. Theoretically manageable, but wear and tear, distance, need to acclimatize, and cost made the duo a non-starter for this 70 year old. Having done the Canadian Ski Marathon multiple times, I am about to pull out the credit card and sign up for the Gothic Mountain Tour. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=espl-7X_YpI&feature=emb_title

Solving the housing crisis in ski towns

https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/essays-culture/how-to-save-a-ski-town-west-tourism-economy/

Time to do a pre-season check of your skimo gear

https://www.wildsnow.com/32708/pre-season-checklist-ski-touring-gear-upkeep/

Queen of the North Faces

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2022/10/meet-the-boundary-smashing-climber-they-called-the-queen-of-the-north-faces/

Back In The Groove … after a recovery week

Last week I logged 17.5 hours, with 55k running and 102k riding my exercise bike. I also eased back in, with three relatively short strength sessions. I only logged 3500' vertical, which was a nod to my indecision about jumping into a flat ultra sufferfest in November. With snow on the ground Saturday, and registration opening tomorrow for Last Skier Standing … I feel like I should be getting ready for snow!