New documentary about Yosemite plane crash in 1977

 https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/yosemite-weed-plane-crash-documentary/

Day #8 post-surgery and our anniversary

It was a busy day, as I started PT, Selden was getting the vet to write an antibiotic prescription for Stash, and our anniversary celebration was limited to popping the cork and raising a glass of prosecco. (However, I was pleased to see that my initial measurement was 74 degrees of flexion, and after a few exercises I measured 87 degrees.)

News from the Arctic

I have always been interested in polar exploration and mountaineering in the Arctic. The Denali Range, the Wrangells, or the Brooks Range, have long fascinated me. From Baffin Island, Greenland, onto Svalbard, Lyngen Alps, and Lofoten. This is an interesting article about how melting ice is opening a trade route through the Arctic. China has begun the first regular service, part of its polar ambitions. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/world/europe/china-arctic-shipping-trade-route.html?unlocked_article_code=1._lA.llJf.UxC22VwjBmMJ&smid=em-share

Day #7 post-surgery

Monday is typically my normal rest and recovery day. A night of poor sleep, led me to think that I needed to reduce my rehab “mileage” today, to assure myself, that I was not over doing things. So, it was a day with more icing, and time on the continuous passive movement machine. Another highlight was venturing out on the deck and having a small whiskey with Gary.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: storm point

Mark let the 5.10; it’s such a Teton classic! We did it sometime in the late 1970s - early 1980s.

Day #6 post-surgery

The bulk of my days are focused around: icing my knee, taking and organizing my meds, strapping into the machine for continuous passive movement, taking a zillion laps around the house with my walker, doing the exercises suggested at discharge, napping, and keeping buddies apprised of how I am doing. Given, that my pain management has gone well, I have often also been able to read or listen to audio books. Currently I am finishing the last 20 pages of Regime Change, knee deep into two novels (Summerland and Separation of Power), as well as reading Matterhorn Vision. When I finish that I will start to dip into a favorite collection of climbing fiction.

What this winter might bring

David Hochschartner (Hock)

Day #4 post-surgery

Pain management continues to go well, and I continue to log many laps with my walker, inside the house. Things seem to be going well, and I am more able to concentrate on reading and listening to audible books for a bit. I also daydream about getting better, and going to Chamonix and climbing on the Gaillands, as well as maybe doing Pointe Lachenal, and the Cosmique Arete again.

Wide distribution for Threshold … Jessie Diggins and the U.S. Ski Team



https://cms.fasterskier.com/2026/09/inside-threshold-diggins-documentary/

Day #3 post- surgery

Yesterday the pain level rose, however our pain management did reasonably well. I logged many laps in the house with the walker, spent two hours on the continuous passive movement machine, iced my knee, and did my PT exercises. I am pretty beat. Oh, and Selden changed the dressing covering my incision yesterday morning. In addition to dwelling on my recovery, I started to think of skiing a late season nordic race next year, and running the Broken Arrow again, as well as going to the Alps next summer.

Day #2 Post Surgery

I actually had a fairly decent sleep last night! Have scheduled morning meds for 8am, but Selden has wisely suggested I move that back to 6am. I am always awake by then, and it will increase the chances of me not falling behind the pain curve. I have filled my greatly enlarged pill box for the week. Moreover, I have also been strapped into the continuous passive movement machine for an hour, while I deal with daily emails.

Post surgery: day #1

Or, the first day of training for the 2027 Broken Arrow Skyrace and other adventures. It was also the day I got the catheter removed, cleared by Occupational and Physical Therapists, as well as two thumbs up on my blood work, and of course had numerous medications added to my daily regimen. Huge shoutout to Selden who was the maestro who coordinated everything, and made the magic happen.

Out of Recovery

The surgery went quite well. As a matter of orthopedic policy, they keep full knee replacements overnight. So, it’s just passed 11 PM and I’ve gotten up, - won’t let me walk around - not enough nurses on duty, but I stood up, marched in place for awhile, and then sat down in a comfy chair, and I’m listening to a book on tape. Tomorrow I expect to be released, and I’ll post a picture of the awesome view from my hospital room of Lake Colby just across the street. (A lake, which I paddled on quite often - back in the day - when I was prepping for canoe or kayak races.)

David Hochschartner (Hock)

A good but painful week

No ibuprofen, due to today’s surgery. Despite that, last week I logged just over 15 hours, on 205k (192k bike and 13k run), with just 1050’ vertical gain, and one stretching session. Knee replacement in a couple of hours!

BLAST FROM THE PAST: the cathedral group

A sketch from my journal, of all the routes I have done on the cathedral group, plus the route I tried twice - East Ridge - which I was stormed off in summer and winter. (Several of these routes I have done multiple times.)

An exciting UTMB race

Both the men’s and women’s course records were broken. In the men’s race the top ten runners all completed the big loop in under 20 hours. Blandine won the race, and was the first women to go under 22 hours for the big loop

Third place Caleb Olson

The UTMB trail goes through the cafe at La Floria, just three kilometers from the finish of this 106 mile race.

Chatting with Larry Robjent

Yesterday, over a bit of whiskey, we shot the breeze for 90 minutes. Talking about a possible Chamonix trip next year. (I think he could drag me up a route on the Gaillands, as and the Cosmique Arete again, as well doing something more ambitious with his daughter.) We finished our chat, talking about his blossoming career as a metal sculptor, with commissions from the VIC (picture below) as well as alumni. Kudos to him, as he donates 10% to school and camp. Finally, we dragged out the sculpture he made for my retirement gift for a photo shoot. (He is probably the best teacher I ever hired!)

The Big lap around Mont Blanc has just started

The women’s 61k OCC race amazingly went down to the wire, separated by 3 seconds, with third place just a minute back! The 105k CCC is still in process, with the top men having finished and the women still in a real dogfight … about one hour out. UTMB men’s winner will be sub-20 hours, with the top women in sub-23 hours.

A few weeks ago we were having beers here after a long bike ride

https://www.axios.com/2026/08/27/jackson-hole-federal-reserve

Four training days left before surgery

That said, I am mostly on the exercise bike, as I have to abstain from ibuprofen, it’s too painful to do much running.

Fredrick Church and American Landscape

https://youtu.be/D19rFHdAq5c Hoping to see the exhibition in Olana before it leaves in mid-October. A key painter in the Hudson River School, and he painted some large canvases with mountains from the Andes, as well as the Rockies.

Finished most of my pre-Op stuff

A hectic schedule of doctors, informational meetings, and NCS/CTT reunion obligations kept me off my game a bit. In two hours I have my last pre-op appointment, which is a phone meeting with the anesthesia team … then all that will be left, is to arrange the living room-kitchen-bath room for my convalescence. That said, I logged 13 hours, on 130k (113k bike, 13k run, and 4k row), with just over 1150’ vertical gain, a strength workout, as well as two stretching sessions.

An excellent Friends Weekend

Great to see some former students, campers, and staff. Fabulous weather, and another time capsule opened for students from the NCS Class of 2016, who came back for their tenth reunion.

An AI summary of my 3 month rehab

Belaying alumni at the NCS crag

Thinking of knee surgery and next year

I spent the afternoon - with Selden - at “Joint Replacement School” and at the CT scan. As per next summer - my 75th birthday - I have been thinking of the half or full traverse of all five Breithorn summits. These superb climbs are made more palatable by virtue of proximity to a ski lift.

Good start to the week yesterday

A bunch of time on the exercise bike, an hour easy hike on the 1980 biathlon trails - using mountain boots make sure they still fit - and a 20 minute dose of Level 3 uphilling. Stash had fun too.

UTMB WEEK starts in six days!

Excellent video about American Mountain Guides

https://youtu.be/nw2BrMAFj9k

Post Teton totals

The exercise totals for the week are low, given the sightseeing we did and the full travel days on our return from the Tetons. Still, seeing Old Faithful and a little bit of the immense Yellowstone park was wonderful. So too, was the visit to the Wildlife Art Museum, as well as spectating the weekly summer bouldering contest! That said, I logged just under 9.5 hours, on 68k (50k bike, and 18k run ), with 1460’ vertical, as well as two stretching and a single gym workout.

It’s good to be home!

Sitting on the deck, sipping prosecco with Selden, with our dogs dozing at our feet. As per usual, needing a nap, and still dragging a bit afterwards with post travel chores.

Back Home and a 1979 BLAST FROM THE PAST

A great trip with my college buddy - Klink - which stirred up so many memories of all my past Teton routes. One of the best, was climbing the classic North Ridge of the Grand, with Richard Wilmot, a South African that I climbed with the year before in Chamonix.

Heading Home

So far all is well. My flight to Dallas was on time, and if all goes well, I will be in the air in two hours, heading for Albany. WE HAD AN EXCELLENT TRIP.

Yesterday evening in the Tetons

Who knew? Every Tuesday in Jackson, during the summer, they have a low key bouldering competition. The $10 entry fee also includes pizza and soda. People - including middle schoolers - were nailing difficult problems.

Day #9 in the Tetons

Excellent but different sort of day. We spent a couple of hours at the national wildlife arts museum. Then a bit of walking around Jackson, and finally some time bouldering at the town park. (The park was tastefully done: one part great workout space, one part a history of Teton mountaineering, and one part a salute to those who have died in the mountains.

Day #8 in the Tetons

Yesterday was a rest day, we spent it reading, eating, and sightseeing in Yellowstone. We stopped along many pull-outs to take pictures, Lewis Lake Falls being a prime example. The highlight was Old Faithful and hiking along the boardwalk trail looking at the hot spring pools.

Day #7 a good week in the Tetons

Today we biked just under 25k (out and back), as well as hiking 3k as we checked out the Jenny Lake boulders and Boulder City in between String Lake and the Cathedral group turnout. As per the stats for the week, I logged 14 hours, on 133k (110k bike and 23k), and 5550’ vertical gain.

Day #6 in the Tetons

Yesterday, we biked 35k - on clunkers - down to Mormon Row, a collection of buildings that remain from the 1890 farming community. The visibility continues to be compromised by western wildfires.

Day #5 in the Tetons

Yesterday we hiked up Signal Mountain, a nice modest outing with a wonderful trail and wonderful views. However, the fires further west continue and visibility was incredibly poor. Given the pictures below, it seems that we made the right decision not to go to Zermatt this summer.