Trump renames mountain but climbers continue to call it Denali

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/trump-renames-denali/

Explore this spectacular skiing website

All things related to skiing: people, places, gear, trends, and industry assessments.  Really quite interesting, for a quick sample …

https://www.stellarequipment.com/interstellar/spotlight/earn-your-turns/

Great picture of Amanda, Micah, and big brother Dave



Skimo transition work

My morning ski at Mount Van Hoevenberg yesterday, was with my Skimo race gear, to get ready for a race or two this coming month.

So, I start with a boot pack to the stadium with skis on my back. Then, skinning three laps up the most direct line to the high point of the World Cup trails, ripping skins, and carving GS turns to the bottom, and putting skins back on. After completing three laps, I put skis on my back, and boot pack out to the car.

The morning workout lasted an hour, and covered just about 5k with 1000'. My guess was that each transition took roughly two minutes. Of course, guys on the World Cup circuit are doing those changes in about 30 seconds.

The photo is of some nice figure eights carved on the bottom hill to get back to "change over zone." (As a side note, I only do this type of workout when the place is virtually empty, as getting a direct line, I am doing a combination of skiing up some downhill paths, and skiing down some of the uphill paths.)

Ski conditions continue to improve

Congratulations to Amanda and Jon on the birth of Micah

Yesterday our third grandchild was born at 5:03 am, we are tremendously excited, and happy to report that all is well, and everyone will be going home this morning. 

Another good week.

Continually flurries, overnight lows perfect for snowmaking, and day time highs from mid- teens to the mid-twenties. Sunday had the warmest temperatures but 40-50mph winds, so everyone retreated to the forested shelter of the 1980 trails.

As for my training, I logged: 15 hours, on 139k (93k bike, 40k ski, 6k run), with 3650' vertical. I also managed one strength session, one morning riding lifts, and two Skimo sessions.

Skiing in Lillehammer … six weeks out



ZERMATT … five weeks out

Easy jog with Stash

College buddies meeting for some cross country skiing

Lat week we had a great outing at Middlebury's Rikert Nordic Center.

However, at 72 a "day of skiing" is more like 2+ hours. Moreover, it includes: frequent stops to chat (letting heart rate get below 150 bpm); multiple trips back to the car to add or shed layers; additionally lunch stops are quite a bit longer to accommodate PT stretches, changing into skating boots, and scoping out flatter terrain for the "afternoon" (final 45 minutes).

The day was fun, and I wouldn't miss a moment of it … one can only speculate what the outing looks like when we are 80-85-90!

Brrr … it was cold yesterday but even colder this morning

I took this picture yesterday, coming home after an hour's ski.  It's -13 degrees now, so I'll wait until this afternoon - when it's a balmy ten degrees - to go skiing. 

Last podium spot for my best ski tour ever

My third all-time favorite, and the one that truly exemplifies TYPE 1 FUN, was the Traverse of the Silvretta Range in Austria.  A decade ago with a bunch of college buddies, and my former student Guillaume, we skied hut to hut for five days; the days were not too demanding, weather was excellent, the food and drink were superb, and huts were topnotch … some with showers and one even had a bouldering wall.  My buddies enjoyed the powder, while I was more interested in the summits we tagged. This is truly an Austrian gem, easier than most other haute routes, and comes into condition earlier.

Eastern Cup Freestyle Sprints

Yesterday, several hours with Klink and Sue watching the open division freestyle heats. (I also watched about a third of the field skiing their qualifiers.)  It was a perfect day, with some hotly contested races. The 1.3k course is a tough one, with the top U23 women coming in around 2:50, and the top men around 2:25. I imagine that for the Super Tour finals, and the World Cup finals next year, they will use the full 1.5k course.

Yesterday was Day 50 on Snow

We got a small amount of new snow, although the bulk of the storm dumped a bunch of snow on the mountains of southern Vermont. I had another good week logging: 16 hours, on 164k (113k bike, 44k ski, 7k run), with 3150' vertical. I also spent a morning alpine skiing, but unfortunately no strength or stretching sessions.

Training camp for American skimo Olympic hopefuls



https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P5aKA41wiKw

DENALI … runner up for my best ski tour ever

Well, all of my three trips to Alaska involved ski touring, but you really can't classify those skiing experiences as sublime or TYPE 1 fun. Often, you were carrying too much weight; on my first trip, you were often tied on to someone using snowshoes; of course, snow conditions were occasionally (mostly) crappy. However at some point, on a rest day, acclimatization foray, or killing time waiting for another partner to fly in, you just might have an orgasmic experience on skis … in one of the most enchanting mountain ranges on earth.

But, the ski experience that rises to the top, was when Mark and I climbed Denali in 1982, in fast and light style. All the approach skiing was done on nordic racing gear (boots that looked like sneakers and skis with a 43mm waist).  We left rope and technical gear at our 14,000 camp, down jackets and double boots were left in Squaw Valley, we were either moving fast and staying warm or in our sleeping bags trying to stay warm.  We carried a stuff sack around our neck tucked into our anoraks with breakfast and lunch, munching all day while on the move. Mark was round trip, to and from San Francisco, in eight days. Sometime, with a whiskey in hand, ask Mark about my ski descent!

My best ski tours have been in the Valais, around Zermatt

Of course, it's awfully hard to pin it down to just three great ski tours.  It leaves out among other things: ski and climbing trips to Kathadin, leading long multi-week outings for the Colorado Outward School in the Collegiate range; as well as wonderful days skiing gullies in Tuckermans Ravine, or multiple 160k Canadian Ski Marathons. But, the three gems I will share certainly stick out in my mind, for sure! 

As previously mentioned my best ski tours were in Zermatt in the early 1990s, using the unheated winter room in the old hut on Theodul Pass as our base. The gear has changed quite a bit since then, as I was skiing with leather boots, (and the enclosed setup) cable bindings, on Karhu XCD skis. Nevertheless, I tagged the summit of Breithorn and Pollux (4000m) with Gary, Susie, and Ben, then skied the Schwarztor to the Monte Rosa hut; the next day Gary and I ascended the Dufourspitze, and skied the 10,000' vertical back to Zermatt.  

It really doesn't get any better than that, however since I am in my 70s, I have to say for sheer TYPE 1 FUN, skinning up toward Findeln for 90 minutes, and then locking your AT gear in downhill mode, and stopping at the trail side Champagne Bar for sunset … is a sublime experience.  Nor, does a late afternoon skin up to Furi, and making a stop at the Hennu stall on your way back to Zermatt; the atmosphere is a full on mega-party …you'll wish you were 40 years younger!

So, what are your three best ski tours?

Mine were on: Monte Rosa; Denali, Silvretta Traverse. Of course, that cuts out all the marvelous - more local tours - on Marcy, the Jackrabbit Trail, Avalanche Lake, or the Whiteface Toll Road. For the next several days, I'll offer up a few memories of each of my top three.

Full moon last night but …

Unfortunately, it was totally overcast, so we could not see the occultation of Mars. 

US stargazers see Mars disappear behind the Wolf Moon, 13 January skyatnightmagazine.com

A good training week

With an almost full moon, for my sunset ski yesterday, I sat down with a glass of wine and reviewed the log. Last week, I managed 16 hours of exercise, on 160k (108k bike, 44k ski, 8k run), with 3600' vertical. I also managed to squeeze in a strength workout and a morning alpine skiing.

End to a good week of skiing

With the holidays over and lift lines gone, I got back to doing some alpine skiing at Whiteface. With almost constant flurries this week, skiing was wonderful and more terrain was opened at Mount Van Hoevenberg.

My nordic skiing this week focused on finding a pair of touring skis that meet three criteria: I feel safe on the often icy World Cup trails; sporty enough to use in a Worldloppet marathon race; skis priced to not break the bank.

Norway in March

During the second week in March, Lucy and I will have an adventure, beginning with a 24+ hour training ride from Switzerland to Lillehammer. This is our journey to the Mecca of Nordic Skiing. Our week of skiing in and around Sjusjoen, will culminate in skiing the Birkebeiner rennet. 

Yesterday’s ski tour

Yesterday I was out skiing at Scott's Cobble and the Jackrabbit Trail, this morning I was taking some runs at Whiteface, and this afternoon logging kilometers at Mount Van Hoevenberg.

The First Two Weeks In March

Heading to Zermatt with Lenny for some easy hiking and skiing, and then to Norway with Lucy for the Norwegian Birkie.

Today was my 40th day on snow …

AND IT WAS A CHILLY, WINDY ONE!

2025 is the International Year Of Glacier Conservation

https://planetski.eu/2024/12/31/2025-is-year-of-glacier-preservation/

Another good holiday week

I logged just a bit over 14 hours, on 166k (126k bike, 31k ski, 9k run), with 2600' vertical. I also managed to do two stretching sessions, and a strength workout, but no alpine skiing

Weekend with extended family

On Friday afternoon, I hooped in the Hockmobile to drive to a dinner in Manchester, New Hampshire with 14 siblings, cousins, spouses, neice and nephews. Great dinner, and an even better dessert.

After a wonderful two hours catching up with folks, I parked the Hockmobile at a 24 hour McDonalds, spent awhile reading my Christmas books, and then "sacked out" in the van.

I used quotes because from midnight until about 2 pm - I kid you not - the local teens were racing their muscle cars on a stretch of near bye highway. It seemed like all the winners came to the McDonalds drive through windows afterwards … needless to say, none of their cars had mufflers. No sleep was had, but I did listen to "Deadman's Curve" by Jan and Dean from the sixties.

On Saturday, I was sipping tea at McDonalds at 5am. By 6am I was at a local Walmart looking for a replacement cable as my iPhone was at 3%. Between 7-8am I was picking up some post Christmas specials on ornament storage boxes that Selden had ordered. Back to McDonalds for some egg McMuffins.

The long drive home was broken up by a stop at a New Hampshire State Liquor Store, Sandy's Bookstore and Cafe, Rikert Outdoor Center, and numerous stretching stops. When I got home at 3 pm, I kissed Selden, took Stash for a 30 minute warmup hike, and jumped on the exercise bike.

Snow, wind, and Lucy heading back to Maine

No doubt when I ski today, tracks will be drifted over. Lucy did leave me a pair of touring skis with fishscales though. (She has quite a large quiver.)

Anxious these days jumping into very hilly races - like Norwegian Birkie - with race skis, so I am trying a bunch of different light touring skis, which fit into groomed tracks but offer me greater stability. THE KNEES AND THE BALANCE ARE NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE!

Waxable? Metal edges (full or partial)? Fishscale or skin tec? Waist of ski between 50-55cm.

WINTER IS BACK

Happy New Year … by Friday 5-10 inches of new snow!