US Skimo National Championships

This weekend, a bunch of ski athletes will gather in Jackson, Wyoming to race each other up and down the mountain.  The winner will be crowned the 2013 National Champion.  That title will be well-deserved because the field at Jackson is usually the deepest and the course is one of the most challenging.  It involves climbing and skiing about 8,000 vertical, climbing up Corbetts Couloir on an aluminum ladder, and a couple leg searing long long descents.

It's somewhat odd for the National Championships race to be the first race of the season, but this has evolved as somewhat of a necessity given the US Ski Mountaineering Association's procedure for selecting a team to represent the United States and the World Ski Mountaineering Championships (yes, this really does exist).

This year, the World Ski Mountaineering Championships will be held in the French Alps.  There, athletes from around the world, mostly Europe, will compete for the World Title.  There is a push to make ski mountaineering an Olympic sport.  With the growth in backcountry skiing, an increasing interest in mountain running and fitness in general, I think there is a chance.

From the Wasatch, there are three guys that have a good chance at making the US Team--the Dorais brothers and Tom Goth.  World, watch out! These guys have been training hard.  Andy has upped the training ante and has logged at least 30,000 vertical every week for the the last two months.  Jason and Tom have done similarly, maybe more.  In addition to their tough training regimen, every night (or morning as the case may be) before they sleep, they watch videos of Kilian for inspiration and just because they worship him (don't we all?).  Good luck guys.  (After a tough work schedule throughout the fall, I tried to jump in and train with these guys and promptly injured myself, so I 'm out of the mix this year.)

Perhaps more significantly, this year the Wasatch will be sending a large contingent of racers to Nationals, including, Layne Caldwell,Tom Diegel, Tim White, Ian Housman, Mike Hales, Allison Stuart, Ryan Lauck, Michael Finger, Chris White, Courtney Phillips, Chad Brackelsberg, and Noah Howell.  The Wasatch will be well-represented at Jackson.  Go fast, carry an extra skin or five!

Back to Nationals.  Having perused the list of entrants for the National Championship race, here are the guys that will likely be at the front, dishing out some pain.  The top 3 at Jackson will automatically qualify for the US Team.

Cary Smith
Tom Diegel
Max Taam
Jason Dorais
Jon Brown
Marshall Thomson
Jon Gaston
Scott Simmons
Andy Dorais
Michael Hagen
Bryan Wickenhauser
Greg Ruckman
Luke Nelson
Tom Goth
Teague Holmes
Nate Brown

This is how I picture the racing going down.  There will be a drag race, as usual, at the start.  Ruckman will probably put the hammer down.  He goes up incredibly fast.  Unless he's been practicing, you can probably count on him not going down all that fast.  Gaston, Marshall, Simmons, Luke, and Jason have the engines to keep him in check, and they will.  I wouldn't be surprised if an elite peloton forms after the first climb when the charger gets caught midway up the first climb when it flattens out, or when the charger realizes he's just wasting energy.   Behind, the elite peloton, there will be a line of also-fast guys fighting and scrapping.  I wouldn't be surprised if Cary, Jon Brown, Wick, Goth, Max, and Andy maintain striking distance for the first half of the race.

There will be a race to get the hole shot up Corbetts.  Luke will be salivating at the booter and will probably unleash there.  If I'm Jason or Marshall, I would hook a short rope on him, or maybe trip him as he surges by.  Once you get on the ladder, you're on the ladder.

Among the elite racers, there will be some disappointment and mourning when someone breaks their gear, usually a pole or a boot.  I'm usually there to make sure that gear gets broken, but since I won't be, it's bound to happen to someone.  Don't worry, you can still finish a race with broken stuff.

Luke and Jason will need to put some distance on guys like Marshall, Wick, Simmons, and Max before the loooooong descent that comes towards the end of the race.  I know the latter four have some DH skillz.  What will be exciting about this race is that I think that it will be tight to the finish.  Every second will count.  This is great because it means the US field is becoming more competitive, and above all, faster.  So, if you blow a skin, you will probably lose a place.  If you crash on the DH, you will probably lose a place.  If you flub up a transition, you will probably lose a place.  If your gel or water freezes, you will probably lose a place.

TIP:  take a wall-to-wall pair of skins for use on the final climb.  I'm usually too weight-stingy to do this, but I pay for it and wish for a wall-to-wall pair every year on the final climb.

If you're running about 4th to 10th place, don't be surprised if Hagen comes steaming up behind you in the final straight.  That guy gets stronger as the race gets longer.

Wouldn't it be cool if it comes down to a final drag race up the final, bushy, technical, steep, slippery, hellish climb?  If Luke, Jason, and Marshall are still together with Wick, Simmons and Gaston breathing down their necks?  I'm half-inclined just to go watch.  How would you even attempt to pass?  If you're ahead and someone yells, "Track!" what would you do?  I'd turn around, smile, and say, "no."  And then wipe the slobber off my face and hope not to get whacked with a pole.  If I were the guy yelling "Track!" I'd be half tempted to cut a switchback or even blaze my own path.  But in doing that I would probably get stuck or lose time or get passed by the guy behind.  What a conundrum.  In the end, the safest play would be to hang together and then open up on the DH.  Can you imagine the sheer glee you would feel if, all of the sudden, the guy in front of you blows a skin, or throws up?  Or the obliterating feeling of doom you would feel if you were in front and your skin fell off?  Yeah, I'd save my fresh pair of skins for that final climb.

It's going to be a good race.

On the women's side, Sari isn't racing.  Janelle is the shoe in.  Kim and Meredith, looks like you have a chance to go to France!

Hiro on his Bike, Age 3

I put some footage together of my little guy riding his bike.

Serenity Now!

Life has gotten busy.  It's not unusual for me to think that I no longer have time to continue my antics in the mountains.  But this thought is always rebuffed by the fear of what my life would be without my antics in the mountains.  So, I will need to figure out a way to cope with the chaotic lifestyle of a working man who wants to travel efficiently through the mountains, and be a good dad and husband.

You should see the inside of my Subaru.  I change clothes in my Subaru more than I do in my own house.  In my Subaru, one will find soap, shampoo, a hair dryer, contact solution, a towel or two, clothing for when it's hot, clothing for when it's wet, clothing for looking professional, ski boots, skis, ski poles, road running shoes, trail running shoes, Gu gel, Gu drink powder, sunglasses, goggles, backpacks, visors, hats, a headlamp or two, helmet, avalanche beacon, shovel, probe, heart monitor straps for Suunto and Garmin, and sometimes a baby safety seat.  And these are just the staple items.  On top of the staple items are all the weird stray items, some of which get cleaned up, but some of which just stray.  Stray items include, a titanium piton (yeah Harder, it's yours), ski leashes, cable TV bill from April 2012, a half-eaten Gogurt, shoelaces, Ritz crackers that fell out of the package and got stomped on in the back seat, canister of stove fuel, 8-10 water bottles of various type and size, my in-the-car glove hanging dryer, a power inverter, iPhone charger, Blackberry charger, weird USB charger/cord thingy, and charged and uncharged batteries.  And the tangible is more than what is visible.  Earlier this week, I dug into some smoked salmon while I was driving down Big Cottonwood Canyon.  Apparently, not all of it made it into my mouth because the interior of my Subaru smells like rotting fish.  Of course, because of the crumbs and splotches on my center console, instrument console, and dashboard, I wouldn't be able to tell what is rotting fish or what is the Coke/sandwich/gummy bear of yester-year.

If my Subaru is an emblem of my life, I am in trouble.  It is the antithesis of serenity.

Last week I worked about 125 hours and didn't even set foot in a ski boot, a running shoe, or the mountains.  This week I skied a solid 15 hours (maybe more) and climbed over 30,000 vertical feet.  Yesterday, I watched my four-year old scrunch into a tuck, attempt to ski through bushes like his dad, older brother and sister, eject and bury himself in a snowbank.  He cried because his hands and face were freezing.  I took him to the car, which I started and left running while I went to round up older sister and brother.  I found sister crying in the snow because the rope tow rope had smacked her in the face and gave her a nice rope burn on and under her nose.

This morning, I met Chad and Eric at the Big Cottonwood mouth at 6:30 sharp.  I drank a Coke, but was dozing a little bit as I pulled into the Brighton parking lot.  In 2 hrs and 30 minutes, in a full-on blizzard, and with some good company and conversation, I banged out 5,000 vertical feet.  Then I rushed home to be at my kids' Christmas cello concert at the university by 11:00.

Sometimes I wonder if serenity is found in chaos.  Because sometimes chaos is strangely satisfying.

Hi Moose

2012 Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop

Check out this seminar. November 3, 2012. Cost is only $26. Seems like it would be really interesting and entertaining. Register here.

 

Transitioning into Skimo Training

Mostly recovered from the St. George Marathon, I transitioned into skimo training this week.  There isn't any snow, so I started out by trying to classic roller ski.  I can't classic roller ski in a straight line, so I skated on classic skis, kind of.  When I got home, I went on to YouTube to see if it really is possible to classic ski on roller skis.  Apparently it is.  Apparently I need a lesson and lots of practice.

I think the best dryland training for skimo at this time of the year is hill walking.  One of the best hills around is Grandeur Peak.  It's a big bang for your buck in that it gives you 3400 vertical.  I went up Grandeur 3 times this week:

Mon:  52 minutes to the top; 1:16 car to car at a subthreshold pace, edging into threshold the last 10-15 minutes on the uphill.  Controlled running down until last 1/2 mile, and then crazy arms and crazy legs.

Wed: 54? minutes to the top with JD and Tom D; 1:20 car to car at an endurance to subthreshold pace.  Controlled running on the DH.

Fri: 48:50 to the top: 1:12 car to car at threshold pace.  Controlled running until the last mile.  Ran into JD and Andy on the way up, but only stopped for a few seconds to tell them that I wasn't going to stop.

In addition to the above, I worked in a 6 mile flat run on Tues. I barely made it home due to calf tightness from the marathon.  On Friday, with the kids out of school, my family went to Snowbird, rode the Tram up, and spontaneously decided to walk down.  3000 vert. and 3 hrs later, we made it back to our car.  It turns out that Ergo Baby carries 7 yr old girls, 3 yr old boys, and 1 yr old boys in a pinch (separately of course).

On Saturday, I had a fun outing with my brothers Aaron and Sam, Uncle Roman, and the Dorais bros.  We climbed the West Slabs, traversed to the North Summit of Olympus, and exited at the Wasatch TH.  Other than the celebration that included popping and sharing a single Rockstar (diet) followed by a topless flex-off on Olympus' Summit, the highlight was the charge down the mountain.  We went controlled for the first mile and a half.  Then, competition overcame us and before we knew it we were charging down Olympus.  Let's just say that there was lots of free riding and straight-lining going on.  

In sum, I got in about 15k vert (18k down if you count the Snowbird hike) and about 11 hrs of training in.

This photo will keep me smiling for awhile.
Jason ( who obviously practices that pose), Andrew John, me, Aaron, Sam, and Uncle Roman on the top of Olympus.  Photo by Jason's camera.

Autumn Run in the Wasatch

First off, thanks to Chad for his Local Heroes write up, featuring . . . me.  

With the marathon over, I was anxious to get up a route I'd been thinking about for awhile -- the "Granite Halfpipe" (don't know if it really has a name; that's just what I call it).  I met Jason at 6:30 AM at the 7-11, but we weren't that psyched.  It was lightly sprinkling.  Rain was in the forecast.  Thinking we would just go until it sucked, we left a car at the BCC park n ride and drove up LCC to the Granite Halfpipe.  Of course, once we scrambled a ways up, we realized that we were somewhat committed.  Going down, dry or wet, would be somewhat of a challenge.  So, we went up.  And eventually ended up on top of the west summit of Twin Peaks.  From there, went to the east summit, descended Broads Fork, and got to the BCC road just as it started raining in earnest.  Some days you win, others you lose.  In addition to getting a weather break, we caught a ride down BCC on our first try and made it to where we needed to be by 11:30.  Today, we definitely won.

I took some pictures with my S90 that is on the fritz.  I dropped it into a lake in Colorado this summer, but after I dried it, it's still going, kind of.  Pictures below are heavily doctored, but still depict an autumn Wasatch.

The "Granite Halfpipe"

View of Alta and the Bird

View of Hogum, the Pfeif, the Y, and Coalpit.  (This one is for you JON S.)

Jason in LCC

The clouds are getting lower!  It snowed lightly (very lightly) on us for a bit.  Looking into Deaf Smith canyon and beyond from west summit of the Twin Peaks.