Knee flexion is up to 108 degrees, enough to do some range of motion cycling (not aerobic) on my exercise bike. A few days ago at my two week visit, I was cleared for easy walking on flat, and obviously, non-technical terrain. So, my movement world has enlarged. Until I can drive - probably another three weeks - my go to place will be laps on our gravel drive way. (Supplemented by some hiking on the roller ski track at MVH, when I can get Selden to do drop-offs.)
As I am spending time icing during my rehab, I am going to watch them all … the summit, the eight mountains, the wall, and the last mountain.
Yesterday, I had my two week followup with Dr. Bryne. Staples are out, swelling going down, and a thumbs up from doc for easy walking laps and easy stationary bike … YAHOO. He did say, I was ahead of the curve in all departments!
Full coverage of the two important fall rollerski races in Lake Placid this past weekend, as well as an article about training advice for the over 65 year old athletes. The rollerski race coverage was particularly interesting, as it came at the end of a week long women’s camp for both nordic and biathlon team members. Google the website and check it out!
I have included a book review to give you a better sense of it scope, tone, and tenor!
She has been doing quite a bit of trail running, including: finishing the Broken Arrow Triple Crown in fourth, a respectable finish in the incredibly competitive Sierre-Zinal, and yesterday winning the Superior 100 miler, finishing fifth overall. Obviously, she is still one incredibly fit gal. https://www.trailrunnermag.com/people/profiles-people/jessie-diggins-is-running-into-retirement/
Selden dropped me off at the handicap parking at Mount Van Hoevenberg, and I watched the Keys To The Castle Roller Ski race. A beautiful day, with a handful of women Olympians in the field. I logged about 2k over 45 minutes moving time … interspersed with sunning myself in a deck chair. A great mental health boost!
Anna Gibson skimo Olympian, Brooks trail runner, winner of the 2026 Broken Arrow Ascent, and multi-sport athlete, recently set the standard on this iconic trail loop.
Spectacular sunset, good PT workouts, swelling continues to slowly decrease, able to help a bit with doing some dish cleanup … so feeling good!
As of yesterday, I pretty much ditched the walker except for excursions outside the house … so it’s hands off!
https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/yosemite-weed-plane-crash-documentary/
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.)
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
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.
Mark let the 5.10; it’s such a Teton classic! We did it sometime in the late 1970s - early 1980s.
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.
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.
https://cms.fasterskier.com/2026/09/inside-threshold-diggins-documentary/
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.
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.
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.
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)
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!
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.)
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
The UTMB trail goes through the cafe at La Floria, just three kilometers from the finish of this 106 mile race.
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 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.
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/27/jackson-hole-federal-reserve
That said, I am mostly on the exercise bike, as I have to abstain from ibuprofen, it’s too painful to do much running.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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