Unlikely, but keeping fingers crossed that I win something in the drawing ...

With the cancellation of the main event, Red Bull ran a virtual event. Instead of 30 hours to complete 220k you had 30 days.

Simple strength exercise for trail runners, alpinists, and skimo racers

Also, great for aging and creaky knees, like mine!  However, I am not quite ready for some of his advanced versions of the exercise. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T4-TC9Z2nVE&feature=emb_title



Spring isn’t quite here yet!

Yesterday it snowed before our morning shakeout jog, and we have more snow coming on Thursday afternoon. However, today will be another warmish, red klister day.

Book review: norway the northern playground



Having put a return to Norway on my bucket list - my only visit was 1972 - I have started to read, dream, and scheme. Of course, the big problem is it a winter ski trip, or a summer peak bagging trip? Anyway, I am reading this Slingsby 1904 classic, a freebie complements of Google books. The link is a great review, from Foot Less Crow.

http://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/2021/01/remembering-slingsby.html

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... from chasing the Olympic dream

"We did not dream at night. We dreamt during the day, and we chased those dreams with such intensity that at night we slipped into a coma-like slumber."

"Being an elite cross-country ski racer in America can be compared to going through medical school while being homeless."

Longest Ski Race In The World ... Nordenskiöldsloppet

A 220k course dating back to 1884. You get 30 hours, and it is classic only. This years race - except for a small elite division - has been cancelled because of covid. 

However, Red Bull has sponsored a month long virtual race to ski at least 220k. (I have a few more days, and 30k to go ... to be eligible for the drawing of five pair of race skis.)

https://www.nordenskioldsloppet.se/en/history/

One of the secrets to spring Nordic skiing ...

Gotta have some handy when it's klister time.

An introduction to the Chamonix based Blue Ice ...

When they first became available in America I bought their leashes for ice tools. I have been on their mailing list for a few years, and I just put myself on their waitlist for when their superlight, ski mountaineering crampons (Harfang) become available.  Here is a nice short introductory essay on winter alpinism and their core values. 

 

Another good day of spring skiing but the rains are coming

Yesterday morning I did a nice classic ski on the new trails at Mount Van Hoevenberg and in the afternoon, I skinned laps on Mount Pisgah.

Book Review: Celebrate Winter by John Morton

This is a delightful collection of short essays and brief radio talks in Vermont media over a span of several decades. For those who have read his two previous books - A Medal Of Honor and Don't Look Back - much of this is ground he has plowed before. That said, these short vignettes are perfect before bed, and guaranteed to give a pleasant sleep to any nordic enthusiast. 

Another good day of spring skiing

In the morning, once things softened up I skied biathlon loops for over an hour. In the afternoon I did laps on Mt. Pisgah which is closed, but still has great snow.

A beautiful spring day and a beautiful ski tour



March 22nd marks 100 days on snow

Hopefully another 20-30 before I put the skis away for the season.

A great week considering ...

My knee is still recovering from the horrendous ski wipeout last week. The totals for the week were just under 4000' of vertical ascent and:

92k exercise bike
69k skiing
12k ergometer
6k hike

Article on the traditions of alpine pastures in Europe

Apparently, for several thousand years, farmers in the alps have moved livestock to alpine pastures as summer approaches. In three months the tradition of celebrating the move up, and then in fall, different traditions about the move back to town. Of course, in Zermatt there is also the daily movement of the goat herd, up and down the mountain.

https://journal.alpsandmeters.com/journal/2019/9/17/the-history-of-the-almabtrieb

Book talk ... the winter army

The link below is to a book talk and slideshow about the 10th Mountain Division, by Maurice Isserman, a Hamilton College history professor. He has also authored Fallen Giants a history of Himalayan climbing,  as well as Continental Divide, a narrative about American mountaineering. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Zchm8UDo8&list=UUOpVs1mnFPRG_0vB2XCAWzQ

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... and the climb that ended the partnership

https://www.outsideonline.com/2237456/single-narrow-gasping-lung

The legendary unplanned bivy ...

Here are some famous ones; thankfully I have not had too many!

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2021/03/the-aj-list-9-legendary-bivouacs/

Knee continues to make incremental progress

The skiing on the toll road was not so great - wind scoured and icy - but I managed an hour and some vertical without pain. I also managed the crappy downhill without too much trepidation.

Incremental improvements in the knee

Yesterday I skied around the 1980 Olympic trails on my AT gear; I even tackled some small hills, and managed a stem turn or two. This afternoon I think I might be ready for the Whiteface toll road.

Coyote hunting mice in our backyard

He was not having any success, as when he pounced, he could not break through the surface crust. He was just 50 yards from the house, and the dogs were barking furiously ... but he didn't seem to mind.

Great to be back on ski, but ...

Felt a little pathetic, putting on mountaineering skis (heavy leather boots, and cable bindings) to ski groomed flat stadium loops! Needless to my knee has not improved too much. Indoors, the exer-cycle and ergometer work pretty well.

Excellent read ... Snow In The Kingdom: my storm years on everest

A more personal and introspective look at climbing on Everest than usual.  Ed Webster's three trips span the gamut from big expedition style to small, balls to the wall style. Also, this book is a freebie if you have Kindle Unlimited.

Spectacular day, wonderful spring skiing, miserable crash, and knee damage.

Took the picture shuffling home across our pasture. Not sure how badly, how long, and what I will be able to do with my knee.

Good trip to the White Mountains

Logged some excellent - fast paced kilometers - skiing at Dartmouth on my way home. Another spectacular sunny day, and my Garipay and Oak Hill laps were much more fun, when I borrowed some red klister.

Note to self ... having forgotten my klister - 'dacks were still blue kick wax - I compounded the problem by having none of the secret Swix hand cream. Sticky, sticky, sticky.)

Ski tour on the cog railway track up to “Jacobs Ladder”

Heading to the White Mountains

Hoping to ski the Cog Railway route up to "Jacobs Ladder" and Mount Cardigan.

Another great twilight ski

David Hochschartner (Hock)

First day riding lifts this season

Beautiful day, perfect conditions, and hardly any people. I ought to have done this earlier in the season. 

Twilight Ski Tour in the Jackrabbit Trail

Stash and I had a peaceful 65 minute ski to end the day; however it was clear two parties on two different lines were still leading final pitches. No doubt they will be making multiple rappers and the hike out in the dark.

New snow but brutally cold ...

I did a 75 minute tour breaking trail all the way on the north side of Pitchoff. Brrrr ... -2 degrees Fahrenheit with 35 mph gusts.

85 days on snow before March ... yahoo!

It was another decent week of activity: a bit over 13 hours of exercise, a touch more than 96K (ski, ergometer, run), and just under 6000' of vertical ascent. 

Birkie Week

  Covid has impacted this famous race, with some picking dispersed starting times spread over the week, and others putting their bibs on, and doing the race virtually. I found a picture online, from my 1982 Birkie, and it's memorable special guest Jackrabbit Johansson. 

There were a touch under 7000 skiers and I finished somewhere in the top 200.

Dramatic sunset, ending a stunningly beautiful day

My dog Stash got first tracks yesterday ...

Up and over the Jackrabbit pass to Keene. We had a terrific early morning ski tour on two inches of new snow, and I finished off the day with a 10k classic ski on the Olympic trails.

Nordic World Championships start today ...

A disappointing day for the Americans. 

Porter Mountain Loop ...

I don't know why I waited so long before my first trip around this loop. Superb tracks, spectacular weather, and one of my best outings of the winter.

Another good week of training ...

Which ended with a superb out and back tour, on the snowmobile packed Brooks Road, near the Middlebury Snowbowl.  This 16k out and back (to the Goshen-Ripton road) looked better than the loop which wasn't quite skied in yet.

For my totals I had over 96k (ski, ergometer, run), just under 4600' vertical ascent, in a week with over 13 hours of exercise. 

IBU Cup Biathlon in Slovakia

David Hochschartner (Hock)

From Training For The Uphill Athlete

A good refresher ...

A backgrounder on Alpine Touring

https://journal.alpsandmeters.com/journal/2018/2/16/spring

Amazing solo ascent in Patagonia!



http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web21w/newswire-sean-villanueva-odriscroll-moonwalk-traverse-fitz-roy

A good week of training ...

A week with just shy of 15.5 hours of training, with 90k+ (ski, ergometer, run), and just over 7000' vertical gain. 

David Hochschartner (Hock)

Mount Moosilauke Tour

Didn't quite make it to the South Summit on the Carriage Road, but a good outing nevertheless. Blisters compounded first tour of the season issues for Matt. Still, 12.5k and just under 2100' vertical ascent, with superb weather, made for an enjoyable day.

Obviously, the training run of choice for quite a few ski mo types ... with their Ferrari gear. 

The vasa ... on every nordic skier’s bucket list



Alps and Meters is a clothing company, inspired by vintage ski sweaters. The clothing doesn't do much for me, and is certainly way out of my price range, but their journal has a bunch of delightful essays. 

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

A new skiathlon event for the 2026 Olympics in Cortina?

Inspired by yesterday's workout starting from our front door ...

You start by plowing a half kilometer trench to the Olympic race trails. This back and forth, back and forth, yields a total of 2 kilometers, of gut busting, trail breaking in deep powder. A quick change into your classic race gear, shuffle the half kilometer trench, and then fly on the pristine race tracks for 7k, and then shuffle back through the trench. A memorable 10k "race."

Nice hilly classical ski

The tracks were filling in, as it snowed the entire 75 minutes I was skiing, but it was a good 11k and just under 1000' vertical gain. 

One year from the start of the 2022 Winter Olympics ...

And there is only one sport in which Americans have never gotten a medal. We have the talent as American biathletes have been on the podium at World Cups and World Championships. Hopefully, this will be  the Olympics when someone puts it all together for that first medal.

Two good training weeks ...

With slightly reduced volumes; which is probably a good thing, every now and then as I approach 70. Still 13+ hours of exercise, 4300' vertical gained, and 85k (ski, row, run) is not too shabby.

Another photo from one of this week's many sunset tours.

Central Pillar of Pitchoff

Doing a ski tour with my dog Stash yesterday and saw a party on the crux first pitch. Superb climb, and I have fond memories of my handful of ascents.