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5°, calm, snowy. A perfect winter's evening. Near full moon casting light everywhere. A night hawks ski race where I felt pretty good on the classic skis and did well enough. But now, I can barely keep my eyes open. Time for sleep.
Backcountry above timberline skiing this June and July is going to be unbelievable.
Got giddy thinking about it.
21°, blustery. Arctic cold moving in. Dick Proenneke of One Man's Wilderness fame theorized that the coldest days of the month corresponded with the full moon. We'll get to test this theory soon - Friday is the day.
A very active past three days, with a lot of time spent at 10,200 foot Leadville, the highest incorporated city in the United States. An alpine race at Ski Cooper Friday, nordic race near Colorado Mountain College Saturday. Nice to spend some time at a blue collar place, ski hills full of history, from Father Dyer who used to do mail runs over Mosquito Pass to the 10th Mountain Division training grounds. Kids did well enough, and I got to do lots of skinning up and about 15 kms on Saturday pre-skiing the course and cheering 'em on. Good stuff. While in Leadville, I dropped off my application for the Leadville Silver Rush 50 and the Leadville Trail 100. Time to give that latter race another stab.
Today, a nordic ski with the girl - always a pleasure - and a backcountry excursion with Meriwether. Always nice when two patrollers ski up putting the mind somewhat at ease. Hella fine turns too. Enjoy.
25°, clear and calm. Gone for some nice nordic skis the past few days. Starting to focus on skating a bit more since the 42 km Alley Loop is right around the corner. When temps are milder like they have been the past few days, skating can be a trance-like experience.
Did Night Hawks last night. Good, painful times. Got a pretty good start, somewhere in the top-10 (nowhere near Ara and Mike West though), and was doing well until the S-turn where I took a digger and got passed by about five dudes, Big Daddy among them. What are you going to do? The ruts are big and the visibility...well...dark. Got back up and skied hard and caught a few dudes. It's hard to make up too much time in such a short race, but I did have an interesting sprint finish with Lennard Zinn. Zinn is a hard guy to get around...he's super tall and has a large wingspan. Hung behind him until the last short climb, then went for it and had to literally ski in a ditch to get around. Totally fair play though...I went for the inside pass and there is no reason he should have just given it to me. Got by, went all out on the downhill, and then...oh no...a sweeping right hand turn that was ice covered. I went way wide, and I thought he was going to come around but I just managed to squeek through the finish a bit ahead. That doesn't matter...it's the dicing it out that I love. Getting pushed and having to use a little strategy...it's fun, if not ridiculously competitive for a little Wednesday night race series. Such is life in uber-athlete land Boulder County.
Off to Leadville for the next few days. Alpine race tomorrow at Ski Cooper, and then nordic in Leadville's rarified air...skate, classic combi race. Should be fun, plus shakes at Wild Bills!
27°, clear and calm. Dead tired today. A lack of sleep, induced by end of semester grading and planning. Lot's of C-Monster to stay healthy. Still, went for a ski. Felt sluggish, but didn't stop. Skated all the trails there...it hurt but it felt good too. 4 hours of sleep slowly felt like 6 as I moved along.
Why do we do it? I think sanity is part of the reason. I won't lie. If you took away my biking, if you took away my skiing, I'd probably sink into some sort of depression. I see people around me - indoor people - who never seem to smile, never seem to be really happy, to be free. I do feel these emotions, but most of the time this feeling comes from sport (with music being the other, and contact with some special people). I rage outside to run from that mundane sadness. I think we live in a world that encourages pills, dependancy on medication, depression. I refuse, I pray not to go down that route.
I think of this because a guy building a bike for me is going down that road right now. I've been teased by friends at how long it's taken, and there have been times when I have been perplexed at the process. But then I get emails like the one I got today - how depression for this individual is real, how they plan to get it back on track, how counseling is their salvation - and I feel stupid for being so greedy about nine pieces of metal welded together. When that bike gets built, I'll ride it with pride, because it'll have a history and hopefully be part of a great comeback story for this individual
6°, clear and calm. This photo I think captures today pretty well. A peaceful snow, great forest and two skiers dwarfed and humbled by it all, gliding along. The perfect winter keeps getting better.
We found the tunnel, traversed the pass, forded the creek and nobody died of dyptheria!
First video ever on Off Camber. Shot this morning on a jaunt with the pups up 4th of July Road west of Eldora.
14°, windy! First Night Hawks race tonight...but they should probably have named the event wind-hawks. It was a straight-up Antarctic expedition out there...skis on the rack flying across the area in front of the nordic center, small adults and children getting tossed (I got knocked down once), and a new sensation...millions of bullet-like snowflakes driving into the eye-balls...sort of like vodka eye drops mixed with sand paper. It was the kind of wind that when it hits you you actually lose your breathe, and have to take about 15 seconds to recover from the forced air drowned into your lungs. At one point I was skiing, looked up at the two skiers struggling along ahead of me, the breeze was just whipping, snow was flying up, down, east, west, north and south, and you basically couldn't see jack. I started laughing at the absurdity of the whole thing. I raced classic today, and I think I actually won that category...a result of there being two other people doing it. It was a freestyle race and skating probably was the better choice, but whatever...I wanted to classic. It's fun passing skate skiers too. It's definitely slower on the flats, but on the uphills I don't really think there is all that much difference. A lot of the Boulder racing crew was up there...Zinn, Ara, Mackey, Mike West...all the hammer heads. Good to see Big Daddy up there too. Never an easy race in the 80-whatever zip code district. A really nice little series - won a sweet pair of ski socks and got a nice calendar in the race raffle - chock another unique notch into the category of nordic bliss that is the winter of 2006-07.
I felt like elaborating on today's post, because when it was done, I was saying to myself it was simply a magical ski. Perhaps it's something about the dark woods. From the outside, they look forboding. Moose live there. So do coyotes, fox, and I wouldn't be shocked if a certain large feline were in the neighborhood too. But I feel no fear of the woods skiing at night. You see, when you classic ski well, you belong...it's smooth and effective. The right tool for the job. The sound becomes enhanced when it gets dark. Ssssss....Sssssss....Sssssss. Not the harsh abrasiveness of metal edge on ice. Not slap (at least when done right. A little crunch, because the snow is cold right now, squeaky almost. Look to the side as you ski classic. You'll be amazed at how fast you move. Like you are flying, low. The cold is really not an issue. Sure, your cheeks are cold, and maybe one finger has a little sting, but this just accentuates the winter mood. Smells too. I forgot a cork today, and had to use the palm of my glove to do the trick. Not a problem. But that smell of blue wax, subtle, yet defined. Almost like a pine tree, mixed with a candle.
Everybody in this world has problems. Myself included. Problem class, time management issues, money. But when you ski, even after a day that by all accounts sucks, the woods transport you too another place. A place of joy and peace. If everyone could experience this sensation...well, I think we'd live in a humbler, more empathetic world. If heaven is real, and it's a narrow classic track in 18° F conditions with a perfect sunset (but why not give me a VO2 max of 94 and stamina to go forever...ohhh....and endless swiss chocolate) heaven sounds like a good place to be.
7°, clear. This afternoon it warmed up to the 20's, and it felt like t-shirt weather. After the sub-zero weather of this weekend, it was downright balmy. A very nice classic ski tonight. Skied with a few of the kids until 5 pm, and then went off on my own until a little past dark. About an hour-fifteen. Felt good, but that had a lot to do with the fact that conditions are absolutely perfect...crisp, deep snow but hard conditions and amazing late night light over the divide. At the end, the stars started to pop out, Orion in full splendor, sparkling. Darned near perfect, and one of those moments of complete, fullfilled joy.
I've always been entranced with the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Found a site today that presents the flip side of the coin.
7°, clear, breezy. It was another cold day today. My outdoor options were freeze my butt off at Eldora, go for a classic nordic ski or do the 6th Street shuffle. Since I have new skis sitting in corner...calling...and avalanche conditions have stabilized some since mid-week, I opted for the latter. The 6th Street Shuffle is basically the mountain behind my house...skin up, ski down. It's not the back bowls of Vail, but there are plenty of powder stashes to be had on this 800 foot drop. There is also a lot of very tight tree skiing...or one might call it manuevering.
It was great! Skinned up three times and took different routes each go. The snow was variable - wind crust in places, and quite deep in others. Some of my route choosing decision yielded good results...others involved crashing through shrapnel. The skin up is always fun work, I was never cold and the crowds were non-existant. Not bad. The new skis - 156 cm Icelantic Nomads - are simply phenomenal. They are very fat, but because they are so short they are also super manueverable. Need a kick turn...no problem. Want to slice through a two-foot wide swath of pines? Go for it. Slide down between a 175 cm nook allowing passage between mine shaft and a rock face? These are the tool for you. More than any other ski I've had, they offer a sence that you can go just about anywhere, and, more importantly, get out. They are a lot like a snowboard, in that they rage in the woods and float over stuff, but still give the freedom of skis. I like 'em, and I think they make for a super solid tool for this neck of the woods. 
Overnight: Mostly clear, with a low around -16. Wind chill values between -27 and -36. West wind between 7 and 11 mph.
M.L.King Day: Partly cloudy and cold, with a high near 8. Wind chill values between -25 and -35. West wind between 11 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around -19. Wind chill values between -32 and -42. West wind between 6 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
-8° fahrenheit, dead calm, starry. Coldest night of the year thus far. It requires bundling up to keep the sting away, and core warm. My ancient Sorels seem to be shot, as they don't keep my feet warm for squat anymore. Got home at 11 pm last night, did very little today...a total chill day after a busy few days in Aspen.
Ended up not making it down to Ashcroft, as the race lasted a long, long time. Many delays for who-knows-what reason. Oh well. Got some excellent skins in up the mountains, and the snow was stellar - three inches of fresh on top of already soft stuff. Lousy for racing, great for skiing. The next day, a nordic skate race in oodles of soft stuff - a painful affair for the kids. I've done a few skate races in deep snow and it's not really fun...especially when it climbing up steep hills. The kids did well though, and we got a couple into states who have never been there before. That's always cool.
A long trip home. I-70 had a 20-car pile-up so we ended up hitting the Hot Springs for 3 hours waiting. Hence the long trip home. One lazy day is enough. New skis, mounted, leaning against the book shelf call.
34°, breezy. Last day of mildness before storm #4 hits tomorrow. Off to Aspen for an alpine and nordic ski race...hopefully the drive will be safe and the skiing stellar. I'm stoked - managed to convince the kids doing both alpine and nordic to head over to Ashcroft Ski Area for a little post alpine race nordic ski. Ashcroft is such a sweet place...I had this entry from March 8, 2004:
Today skied at the most amazing nordic area I've ever been to, thanks to an accidental conversation yesterday where a guy in the nordic shop in Aspen told me to check out the Ashcroft Nordic Center. 30 kilometers of hilly trails at 9,500 feet above sea level ringed by 14ers a stones throw away make for a truly phenomenal gem. Sort of like a nordic area placed smack dab in the Devils Thumb basin, right under the highest peaks in the country. The past three days have probably been the most varied, enjoyable three days of nordic skiing ever for me.
Stoked to get back down there for a little sunset ski. Good session today - intervals on Woodcutter, followed by a trip to the fun zone. Lungs burn after that...I'll never be one of those coaches who sits on the sideline telling folks what to do. It's a great opportunity to get a good workout in, earn the respect of the kids by being willing to work hard, and get paid a few bucks to boot. Starting to feel better with the skate technique...I think all that classic set down a nice base to build off of. Alley Loop is coming up, and I'm psyched for the suffering.
There is a cool nordic video of the latest and greatest new Norwegian nordic skier Petter Northug on my friend Java Sport's site. Scroll down a few days and check it out. Northug is 20 years old, and by most accounts is in line to be the next great nordic skier. Speaking of Java Sport...what a cool ride we went on years ago, on a sweet trail (I forget the name) near Mount Raineer. Felt so dwarfed by those massive trees, and the stellar climbs and descents. The dudes a hammer...good times for sure.
33°, brilliant stars, slight breeze. All this wind must have cleaned the air out because it's absolutely radiant out. A nice walk with the pups, checking out the hike conditions (crappy) and the neighborhood (empty). The North Star, raging.
Good training session today, alpine and nordic. Near the end of the nordic day, saw some deep tracks in the snow. Up over the climb, shooting some video, and low-and-behold there it was...MOOSE! And for once, I had a camera, even if the light was low and the image a little grainy.
30°, windy. Another day off from school today. I think everyone got a little psyched out from Hurricane Nederland yesterday, because today was definitely a gimme day off. Hell, Winddora even managed to open a front side lift - downright balmy if you ask me (and since you are reading this drivel, you did!). Went for a mellow nordic ski today - 15 km down on the Antelope Creek/Zarlengo loop. Least people I've ever seen there. As in zero. Nada. 45 km of nordic trails, all to myself. Freshly groomed no less. Mondays and wind apparently have the desired effect. I'm a little scared to ski the 5th street shuffle, as avalanche conditions are sketch right now and I like living. They were bombing on the back side - first one sent my heart through my skull - to prevent a big slide and mass lawsuits when Bob from Broomfield triggers a massive to-the-surface slide.
Went down to Boulder to run some errands and get a haircut. Never go down there anymore. Felt like the glassy eyed mountain man in the big city. Heard two women whining about the successive snowstorms, how their social life has gone to pot as a result. La Dee fricking Da. Move to Malibu ladies. Meanwhile my dilemna is how to divert the 70 mph winds so there isn't a four foot drift blocking the front door tomorrow morning. Round 4 coming up (it's like the Rocky movies...this one should be the big Russian dude Drago)...wax the fat boards and start shoveling.
Imagine a nordic ski race. From Gold Hill to Nederland. It seems like a pipe dream, and maybe it is. But anyone who has done the Cortina-Dobiacco or the Birkebeiner knows that long distance town-to-town ski races are possible. Of note...the distance is exactly 42 km, or a ski marathon. 
13°, windy as all hell and blowing snow.
Fargo, North Dakota meets Nederland. Even by our standards, this is fairly breezy. Combined with the new snow, and it's downright "gnarly" out there. Even so, rallied for a backcountry ski in the "basin that shall not be named" (the first rule of the "basin that shall not be named"...there is no "basin that shall not be named"). A good choice for the day, as anything above timberline made the summit of Mt. Everest in the movie Into Thin Air when all those people died look like Guam in July. Gazing south towards Mt. Evans - fourteen some-odd thousand feet high - it was basically a sea of white.
A stellar crew - Meriweather, the Intergalactic Pilot, Dubba and Red. A bit of a bummer off the start - Meriweather forgot his skins (it happens) and had to rally home to get 'em. We met him after a couple runs, and we all managed to ski around 8,000 vertical (up and down). Pretty good conditions in the trees. The basin itself seemed pretty crusted and hostile, so we avoided that in favor of shelter. The skiing here requires a Taoist type of patience. Ease through the tight stuff and it's only a matter of time before it opens up into powder nirvana.
Perhaps the biggest adventures of the day were the drives to and from. Gusty, white-out conditions. At the end of the day, the walk to the coffee shop required tilting the body in a 45° angle to prevent from being blown into Barker Dam. Rowdy indeed. A few photos can be found in the most recent photos in the Snow album, including a funky image of a place where a snow grouse took off from.
11°, blowing and falling snow, blustery.
Today was a full on go-go-gadget day at Eldora. Windy as all hell, and pure chaos. Shelf Road took 45 minutes (usually 10) thanks to accidents, zero visibility and people turning around - they closed the big lifts. They were hosting a FIS ski race up there, and apparently the competitors had to hike the course. Nevertheless, stayed the course and actually had a fairly decent nordic and alpine training sesson. We did intervals on Woodcutter - hard today 'cause the snow was so soft - and got some good technique work in. Alpine was brutal, with the sub-zero wind chill and gusts that made the whole place look like something out of March of the Penguins.
Time to rest. Back into the backcountry tomorrow in avalanche safer terrain with few folks to compete for first tracks. All this snow has turned the whole neighborhood into a local ski mountain. Resort? We don't need no stinking resort! Turns to be had, out the back door, out the front door, everywhere! It's requiring a mindshift - no need to go to the traditional places to get that perma-grin. First tracks on Big Springs! Peewink! Blue Dot! Bowel Movement! Aspen Hillside! Chatauqua? Why the hell not (there used to be a ski area there)? Top to bottom descent down Green Mountain? Even Jesus had Switchbacks? The world has opened to turns and touring. Long live the winter of 2006-07! Get a pair of BCA Trackers, some cheapo skins and enjoy nature (then go out and defend it). Skiing meets democracy. And tomorrow, tracks are gone, because the wind is whistling like a runaway freight train!
28°, snowy. Just got back from a whirlwind trip to Steamboat Springs. Kind of crazed with classes, and then off to a race, with little time to come up for air. A sense of escapism, heading to a ski resort for a race. They are great fun, and I'm pretty good at the coaching aspect of it, so there are rarely regrets with these things. Managed to get a little skin up the hill in to get the muscles warm. Nice being on tele skis - really exaggerated it to get that leg burn.
Steamboat has very little snow. I was surprised by this. Definitely the least I've ever seen there. A couple in the gondola was discussing, or rather lamenting, this fact. I kept quiet about how Eldora and the local hood probably has better snow than anywhere in the state, save the few who are lucky enough to live adjacent to Silverton Mountain. This bliss, this perfect day that Billy Kidd promotes and folks from Syracuse, New York spend thousands to experience can't be found on a regular basis at a resort (unless you are King Nimby or other similar locals who know the secret haunts), but it can be found somewhere. Earn your turns. When convenience is put aside, good things can start to happen.
An inconvenient truth about puppies. They like to chew nordic ski waxing corks like no tomorrow! Two down, one to go! Ah well, they're not hard to get.
29°, breezy, a few high clouds. Back to work tomorrow, and back to coaching today. A great nordic ski - up and over to the Antelope Loop and poked around with the crew looking for an ancient railroad tunnel. Didn't find it, as there was a massive ravine blocking us from it and time was running out. Cool rock faces and some ancient railroad ruins. The kids absolutely dug the adventure element of today...too often we ruin sports by not having enough adventure, exploration, something new to find. It was one of the best skis of the year. A nice easy day too, as I sort of destroyed myself yesterday with some intervals up Woodcutter. Ouch, but a good sense of satisfaction too. Alley Loop is just a month away!
Off to Steamboat tomorrow for an alpine race - time to pack and prep lessons. Bringing the tele boards, as I'm into the turn more...it feels a lot more free to me, and I can still skin up between race runs. Icelantics came via UPS today - they are fat, short and very cool looking. Mounting 'em up with some Dynafits - too bad there is no combo AT/tele binding and boots system out yet - for now.
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