Good afternoon doing Skimo laps at Pisgah



BLAST FROM THE PAST … brenva face of mont blanc

One of my Christmas presents from Selden this year, was a detailed large photograph with all the routes on this stupendous 5000' alpine wall. Of the many challenging routes - a triptych - which included the Sentinelle Rouge, Route Major, and the Pear Buttress are true classics. Graham Brown climbed all three routes between 1927 and 1933.

On my first Alpine climbing trip in 1978, starting from the Col de La Fourche, I simul-soloed the Sentinelle Rouge with Richard Wilmot a South African whom I had met in Chamonix, after I had backed off a solo attempt on a Les Courtes north face route.

Weekly totals

Well the Arctic Blast has passed; University Games are behind us; World Cup Ski Jumping is almost upon us, as is the Mountaineer's Mountainfest weekend; and we are a few weeks out from the SLU college carnival races.

I logged the following this week:
- 140k (87k on exercise bike and 53 on skis)
- 4050' vertical
- 8 hours skiing
- 5 hours riding exercise bike
- 3 hours riding ski lifts
- 1 hour (strength and yoga)

Some good Skimo practice

The Arctic Blast

Well, by the afternoon temperature may raise to zero and winds slacken a bit, so I should be able to ski forested trails out of the wind.

Bill Briggs Biography

https://www.wildsnow.com/33644/beyond-the-grand-bill-briggs-biography/

How strong are your QuickDraws?

A great video, passed along by Gary.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yoHDQNw9OfA

60th day on snow

Most of my skiing is on nordic gear, or skiing backcountry on Skimo gear. Given the $70 season pass for 70 year olds, today will be my tenth day riding lifts (two hours per visit).

Jackrabbit Trail Ski Tour

An early morning ski for 90 minutes on the Olympic biathlon trails with Stash; followed by an hour sunset tour on the north side of Pitchoff. The picture is of the Central Pillar of Pitchoff (NEI 3+\4).

Another good week of training

This week's summary:
- 10+ hours skiing
- 4.5 hours exercise biking
- 2 hours lift skiing
- 1+ hours yoga
- 26 minute strength session
- total 146k
- total 5400' vertical

Last season World Cup skimo highlights

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YTjfyOnOpYg&embeds_euri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ismf-ski.org%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title

The story of Nanda Devi Unsoeld

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/nanda-devi-unsoeld/?utm_campaign=OOL%20-%20NL%20-%20Long%20Reads&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=243496832&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--cUrslcJL5bIf1_qF0RDC5DMrNDerzfcntjZ05UPpmBOu1l1CFBDmrw9J8zqayIw878sqiv7aH7sHHH1-XCdqhh9J3sQ&utm_content=243496832&utm_source=hs_email

Falling in the no fall zone

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GyVrfJ_C33Q&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adventure-journal.com%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt

BLAST FROM THE PAST … climbing and skiing in Zermatt

My first trip to Zermatt was in December 1972, on a term off from college. A college buddy (Dick) and I traveled around Britain, Norway, Denmark, Morocco, and Central Europe. In Zermatt I was captivated by the ambiance of this small mountain town.  Our short stay included a lucky break for Dick, who took an uncontrolled fall, and stopped just short of the "big ride" off a huge cliff during one of our hikes. 

My first climbing trip was to Zermatt was in July 1978, after I had spent June climbing in the Lake District, Wales, and the Tre Cime area outside Cortina. I spent the month bivying in a hay field just below the Edelweiss Alterhaupt. I met an older British climber - in his late 30s - who had done a great deal of climbing in the Valais, and so he had a well developed tick list.  In pretty short order we climbed one of the North Face routes on the Breithorn (4164m), the Neruda route on the North Face of Lyskamm (4,533m), and the Northeast Face of the Dent d'Herens (4174m).  Snow and ice conditions were quite good, and with the exception of glacier travel, we dispensed with the rope, and soloed all the technical terrain. After my partner left to get back to work in London, Lenny arrived unexpectedly and nursed me back to good health with some hot meals. 

Fast forward to winter 1991, and my next trip to Zermatt during the NCS spring break. I went across the big pond with Gary, Ben, and Susie.  We spent 10 days camping in the unheated winter room, in a hut just below the Theodulpass, with the thought of trying to climb the North Face of the Matterhorn.  It snowed, and snowed, and snowed so plans changed. We climbed the standard route on the Breithorn, and skied down it from the summit. We climbed Pollux (4092m), and skied the Schwarztor tour, just east of the Breithorn to the Monta Rosa Hut. Finally, we climbed one of the summits of Monte Rosa - the Dufourspitze (4634m) - and skied 10,000' vertical all the way back to Zermatt.  All this skiing was done on vintage 1980 three pin Karhu backcountry skis and leather boots. 

(In the photo below, the red lines are my ski routes, while the green ones are climbing routes.)

   

Good day uphilling on Middlebury Snowbowl

Some excellent powder snow on the runs back down.

Video overview of skimo racing

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l-54xSma7M4

A good week of training, but perhaps too much intensity

Lots of cloudy weather, and no grand views on ski workouts this past week. I logged just under 15.5 hours, and just under 4500' vertical, over a total of 175k (113+ bike and 61+ ski).  This morning we did get a short view of the Sentinel Range from Scotts Cobble.

Strength Training

https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/future-of-strength-training-research-2023/

Re-gluing your skins



https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fYa9pI43cbA

The Sierras are getting pummeled with snow

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2023/01/californias-snowpack-has-reached-absurd-levels/

Yesterday was my 50th day on snow this season



A beautiful morning ski tour yesterday

In the shadow of the High Peaks at Scott's Cobble before the rain, sleet, and a bit of wet snow move in.

BLAST FROM THE PAST … pinnacle gully

Forty-five years ago I spent the winter as the Harvard Cabin caretaker in Huntington Ravine. It was a memorable winter, made possible by a chance meeting with the Harvard Mountaineering Club President in Chamonix.

A couple of my fondest memories involved this classic climb: dragging my buddy Len up the route; soloing the gully on a beautiful, warm, and windless day; as well as doing a winter ascent of the 5.6 rock climb on the buttress with Dean, the Tuckermans Ravine caretaker.

A good week

I spent the morning watching the World University Games skate sprint with Stegs, a buddy from my Union College days.

Recovery from surgery is on track, so I have taken it relatively easy since Thursday. That said, I logged just over 13.5 hours, and a little more than 3300' vertical. My 146k mileage, was comprised of 108k on an exercise bike, 27k on skis, and 11k on foot, as well as a couple of hours alpine skiing.

Aspen and the lost gonzo spirit

https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/essays/gonzo-aspen-overrun-by-billionaires/?utm_campaign=OOL%20-%20NL%20-%20Long%20Reads&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=241521012&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9dHDLUjhf-fOYpfpHEPlzVYA6745oKtCkmpgA1vVDRWrWI0P5Q_5IFx_bWFODVKKSL_CeUtVWlF7iZLVOkGisXx-ef6g&utm_content=241519534&utm_source=hs_email

Not much snow, but enough to have a two hour Scott’s Cobble tour

The Charpoua Way

I would love to visit on my next trip to Chamonix, it's in a section of the range I have never been to.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=136&v=5d8hdhVxecA&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patagonia.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title

First nordic events World University Games off to exciting start

A waxing nightmare for a classic race with rain, sleet, and heat wet snow. An unexpected finish with the Japanese team grabbing a commanding lead after the midpoint of mixed sprint relay. Team USA nipped the Norwegians entering the final downhill for second place. Sweet and Andersen skied a smart and tactically sound race.

Unfortunately the other very strong American team did not qualify for the finals, as all times for the second semi-final were slow given the onset of a deluge of heavy wet snow. The race was well organized and it was great having the ESPN feed on the Jumbotron. The one glitch, was the professional sports announcer, was not up to speed on all things nordic, as he called the race winner a little early (after the second lap), he did apologize after seeing the tag for the third lap!

Surgery went well … clear margins on excision

Other good news, is a bit of snow in our future … which should increase local options significantly.

Another good ski on the toll road

Today I did 1.2k interval laps (roughly 3x12 minutes) in my Skimo race gear. Looking at my heart rate data, it seems these were hard level 3 or 4 intervals.

A great morning on snow

I grabbed first chair at Whiteface and skied for two hours, then I drove around to the back side, and toured up the toll road.

A recovery week from a nasty cold …

Compliments of the holiday season. Both Selden and I have had a really bad bout of snotty noses, headaches, and crappy sleep.

With the massive thaw, and restrictions at Mount Van Hoevenberg due to the impending World University Games, skiing options have been drastically reduced. Thankfully the combination of having purchased an inexpensive senior pass at Whiteface, plus commuting to the VIC, and skiing at MVH after hours, has meant that I did manage to ski a total of six days last week.

So, I logged just under 13 hours of exercise, accumulating 138k (112k bike, 24k ski, 2k on foot), and 2000' vertical. I also alpine skied on four days, riding lifts for about 7 hours, and also managed one easy strength workout.

Nice ski tour at the VIC

The upper sections of the Loggers Loop were definitely sketchy, but there is some good skiing to be had, and even some groomed tracks. Well worth the drive and somewhat closer to home than Hayes Brook. 

I think Hays Brook Truck Trail Is Still Skiable

Will check it out today. 

David Hochschartner (Hock)

Day 40 on snow

Big day for the American nordic men

In the 10k classic leg of the Tour de Ski, we had three young guns in the top 15.  Ben Ogden (recent UVM grad) spent quite a bit of time in the "leader's chair" until Klaebo bumped him out. Ben eventually finished 6th, Hunter Wonders in 11th, and Gus Schumacher in 15th. 

Kilian Jornet reviews his training year

Still skiing but a big thaw!

Three kilometers of World Cup trails with man-made snow are still good to go.

A burly Adirondack Day

Out and back on the complete Jackrabbit Johannsen Trail. (He is a stud, recently graduated from Williams and skied D-1 college circuit all four years.)

BLAST FROM THE PAST … winter climbing in scotland

In the winter of 1979, I got someone to act as an interim caretaker at the Harvard Cabin, and I flew across the big pond with Jon Waterman, Jim Balog, and John Thackeray to climb in Scotland. After a long travel day, we third classed the Aonach Eagach, and had a memorable night in the Clachaig Inn.  A massive storm, allowed us forego our desire to pick off Glen Coe plums, and move up to Fort Williams. In the next few days we proceeded to talk a good game in the pubs, while we got drunk under the table by locals. By this time Thackeray had headed to the Alps to climb with Roy Kligfield, a gunks regular working abroad.

Eventually a decent day arrived, we hoofed it up to the Ben, watching a guy get avalanched out of a gully, which caused us to turn our attention to - "classic" - rather than "hardman" routes. Tower Ridge was climbed in the winter in the 1890s, but we found it spicy enough, and given that we were Americans and not sassenachs, we were allowed the rare privilege of a bivy in the CIC Hut.

It continued to rain, and so Jon and I headed to Chamonix, but that's another story. 

World University Games are rapidly approaching

Back on my skis

I had a good 90 minute tour at Scott's Cobble before Jon, Amanda, and our two grandkids joined us.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a happy new year

As always, books are a key element; 2034 a great geo-political thriller, a guide to Sierra Trail Runs, and a book about bouldering in Scotland. (Selden and I are planning a trip to Scotland for 2024, which is our 40th anniversary. 

Of course there were a variety of non-flouro waxes and ski tools which Lucy picked out, and Selden got frames and pictures of some of my biggest climbs: Brenva Face, Gornergrat Glacier peaks and ski mountain routes, as well as a picture of Pinnacle Gully in Huntington Ravine. (All climbs which I soloed back in my youth.)

Iconic Canadian Rockies Ski Traverse

Unfortunately, another item that will have to wait for my next reincarnation.  However, maybe a small section might be manageable. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=84W50M2wFTs&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adventure-journal.com%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Lucy on the cover photo!

She is leading the first leg of the national biathlon club relay, which her Crosscut team was able to hold on to, and win. Last March the National Championships were held at Mount Van Hoevenberg. Lucy had a fourth place in the 7.5k sprint, and a fifth in the 12.5k individual race. 

Ski conditions continue to be superb

Beautiful Day

Terrific tracks as they groomed this morning, so it looks and feels like winter. However, it is supposed to rain the day before Christmas, and then the temperatures plummet.

Yesterday was my 25th day on snow

Yesterday, I skied up the Whiteface toll road for a hour, and thankfully there had been lots of traffic, so a firm ski track was in place.

As for the rest of the week, it was chaotic, and more about recovery, given several mandatory long travel days. Despite this, I logged just under 13 hours, 115k (88k bike and 27k ski), 2150' vertical, 2 strength sessions, and another late afternoon riding lifts at Whiteface. 

Green Mountain Skimo Series

These are on my "to do" list this year … maybe every other week.

https://catamounttrail.org/cta-events/green-mountain-skimo-series/

ski tour on the Whiteface toll road

A nice firm track was skied in.