Grand Targhee Ski Mountaineering Classic 2010

The 2010 Grand Targhee Ski Mountaineering Classic was a good one.  The course climbed a total of 5350 vertical feet.  There were three major climbs, three major descents, and a boot pack.  The first climb was a drag race up steep groomers, from the bottom of the resort to the very top.  The second climb began with some rollers, then up a single skin track to the top of Mary's Nipple, followed by a bootpack up to the top of Peaked. The third climb went back to the top of Peaked with clear views of the Tetons for the majority of the climb.  The descents were more or less a big painful blur, and they really don't matter anyway, since it's all about the up!

There was a great turnout.  I think that the men's race field had about 30 racers.  Top 15 were as follows:

Pete Swenson (CO), 1:37.32

Brandon French (MT), 1:40.03

Cary Smith (WY), 1:40.40

Ben Parsons (MT), 1:42.22

Max Taam (CO), 1:43.38

Chris Kroger (WY), 1:45.10

Jared Inouye (UT), 1:49.57

Jason McGowan (CO), 1:52.52

Travis Scheefer (CO), 1:54.07

Zahan Billamoria (WY), 1:55.45

Brian Harder (WY), 1:57.17

Wray Landon (WY), 1:58.32

Erich Wilbrecht (WY), 2:00.26

Jon Yarington (MT), 2:06.26

Erich Peitzsch, 2:08.35

Brandon, Cary, and Max qualified for the national team.  Ben missed a checkpoint, allowing fifth place finisher Max Taam to get the 3rd available slot.  So, as of now, the national team members include veterans Pete Swenson, Brandon French, and Cary Smith, joined by Travis Scheefer and Max Taam.  These guys are fast!

I don't have very many complaints about my race.  I think I have improved over last year.  I figure I spent about 1:35 climbing and about 15 min descending and in transitions.  That's a climbing rate of about 56 feet per minute for 1:35.  I was hoping to sustain 60.  My avg heart race for the whole race was 176 bpm -- which is an indication to me that I couldn't have gone much harder.  And ~5300 ascent and descent in 1:49.57 is probably a personal best for me.  To put it in perspective, the 2008 Powderkeg was less vertical and it took me 2:04.  I had some eating and drinking issues -- my gel and my water froze.  Trying to get stuff into my mouth cost me a bit of time.  And because I wasn't able to eat and drink right, I ran out of gas on the last climb.  Even without these minor mishaps, I don't think I would have caught Max who finished 6 minutes ahead of me.  

So will I qualify?  It's going to be tough.  There are three more spots and there are lots of guys who are fast enough to fill those spots. I'll try again next week at Glenwood Springs, CO.