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.

Day #4 in the Tetons

Another warm sunny day, and we headed north on clunkers, riding the bike trail to Jenny Lake and then on to String Lake. A bit of a rest day, but we did manage 24k on the clunkers, and a couple of kilometers in, and around the shore of Jenny Lake.

Day #3 in the Tetons

Yesterday went well despite a night of crappy sleep, as I had shorts and a t-shirt on when I crawled into my bivy bag. (All was good until midnight when it had cooled off, but I was too lazy to dig out my warm clothes.) Still a bit hazy from the fires, but we had a nice 6.6k hike (2700’ vertical) up to the Rendezvous Lodge, and took the gondola down to Teton Village.

The first 24 hours in Wyoming …

That Included arriving 90 minutes late, picking up the rental car and unpacking at the Climbers Ranch. Highlights in the first 24 hours included beers and dinner at Dornan’s, a 75 minute hike on the Taggart Lake trail, and a 2.5 hour/2700’ ascent to the Rendezvous Lodge. YAHOO!

On my way west … brought sketching and watercolor stuff

Who knows; maybe I will dabble a bit on this trip! Getting inspired browsing through this book. As per my training, it was a good week. I logged just under 13.5 hours, on 140k (112k bike and 28k run), with just under 3500’ vertical, as well as some stretching and strength in the gym.

First quarter of my training year is in the books!

Most things are on track to reach my athletic goals for 2026-27, some just a bit ahead of schedule, while some are just off the mark. For instance, I am a bit behind on my yearly goal of 750 hours; but I am spot on for a total 200,000’ vertical gain; well ahead of my biking goal of 85 rides; and ahead of last year’s benchmark for strength, but I am still well off the goal of 75 workouts in 2027.