Saying Goodbye to 2009 and Hello to 2010

Can I just say I hope 2010 is similar to 2009 in terms of snowpack? I was looking back through my notes from last year and I see a number of quality powder days last season. Looking at the radar I am hoping we'll see our first big powder day of 2010 in just a couple of days. Time will tell.

It amazes me that the first decade of the new millennium is now over. With that said can we still call it the "new" millennium? Whatever we call it it has been a good time to be a skier. Equipment has progressed in amazing ways in the last ten years. Ski areas have opened up their terrain and even helped to cut new glade runs in the last decade. Terrain parks have become the norm and kids are catching the kid of air that only the top freestyle skiers were getting a decade ago. Snowmaking and grooming have improved and we have gotten spoiled with the conditions we enjoy. When was the last time you saw REAL ice? You know the kind- the blue ice. It's rare and usually the result of a blown snowmaking line.

Today we update our Facebook pages between runs. Shoot high def video with cameras attached to our helmets. Helmets are on just about everyone. We ski with more music in our pockets than most DJ's carried around in their cars 10 years ago. We take calls while on the lift and check email while we are in the base lodge. For some they've been able to make the ski area their "home" office and can be just as productive as their office bound workmates who spend more time watching Hulu at work than actually getting anything done.

It's been a good ten years, and the next ten- well let's just hope that they kick off with a good storm.

Now get out and ski.


Sven

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone is enjoying the Holidays!

Don't forget to make time to ski.

cheers,

sven

Tipping for a ski tune

I miss my days working in the back shop of a ski or bike shop. Working on gear, making it work better or in some cases just trying to make it work. Fixing skis that the owner thought might be in need of burial. It's a good feeling to get somebodies gear in working condition again.

I always enjoyed the look of pure joy when someone came back to get the diagnosis, fearful that it was time to buy a new pair of skis to replace that favorite pair, only to learn that their sticks were ready for another day out on the hill or on the trail. They would gladly settle the bill and be on their way, ready for adventure. In those cases it was not uncommon for the customer to return with a gift, usually in the form of a six pack of micro brew that would then be shared by the crew working the repair shop.

It always amazed me how much I appreciated this gesture, and how it would often translate into me doing freebies for that customer, who was now a friend of the shop. It wasn't that they went out and spent money on us, it was the fact that they appreciated what we did and went out of their way to pick a little something up for us to show that appreciation.

Gone are my days in the back shop, at least for now, but now I'm on the other end dropping off my gear for a little love from the guys running the grinder. With that I am now the one picking up the beer to say thank you, and I do it with a smile knowing what it means to those guys and gals.

With that, I need to pick up a 6 pack of Pigs Ear and swing by to pick up my skis, as tomorrow is a ski day.

Sven

My ski season is about to begin

I'm ready to go make my first turns of the season. Well almost. I've got to get my skis over to the shop for some grinder love. With the last turn I made being the one that ended with a broken back last spring in Colorado I'm obviously anxious to get things going in the right direction. Ugh, just thinking of that gives me the shivers. But this season is going to be an exciting one as the girls have really progressed and are both pumped to get out on the hill.

I'm most excited to get out and ski with K this winter as she has been my best skiing partner, but for the last 11 years we've been slowed down a bit- with just a couple of trips out west to get a chance to really open it up for complete days. Now we'll be able to ski pretty full on with the girls and not be limited to just the easiest terrain.

It's interesting, as this season approaches I'm starting to think more and more about locking my heel down again. For the past few seasons I've been dedicated to skiing tele 98% of the time. Getting on alpine skis for a couple of photo shoots and a day of testing- but all my free skiing has been on pins (funny term considering I've NEVER skied with a pinned tele binding). What I'm considering is a pair of AT boots and mounting up something like a Line Prophet 100 with a Marker Duke. I think I would enjoy that- but time will tell.

In fact to make matters more interesting I had a snowboarding dream last night- hmmm. I haven't ridden a snowboard in a few years- but this year might be the year to go out and do some riding.

Ahhhh, I love ski season- and it is here.

Smile when you turn as turns make you smile.

Sven

Holcombe/Milliken Family Contribute Key Land Parcel to Jackson Ski Touring Foundation

Jackson Ski Touring Foundation

153 Main St., PO Box 216, Jackson, NH 03846 (603) 383-9355

Contacts: Ellen Chandler (603) 867-8707; Thom Perkins (603) 383-9355


Jackson, N.H., December 7, 2009 – The second and third generations of a family that has been skiing the trails of Carter Notch for nearly a century have donated a large and significant parcel of land to the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation. The descendants of the late Waldo and Ruth Holcombe honored the couple by deeding 68 acres at the trailhead to the Wildcat Valley Trail to the Foundation to preserve it for trails and trail access by skiers and snowshoers.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Waldo and Ruth’s son Arthur Holcombe said, “Our family is pleased to turn over the ownership of this land in Carter Notch to the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation because we believe the Foundation is in the best position to maintain the interests of x-c skiers and other recreation and preservation enthusiasts for years to come.”

His nephew Peter Milliken reiterated the point adding, “We think that our own family’s future recreation prospects are best served by having Jackson Ski Touring own the property, because it ensures that it stays intact and open for recreation, the way it was when my grandparents first acquired it.”

The Holcombe/Milliken property is “doubly safe,” for future generations because in addition to the transfer of its ownership to the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, there is also a previously-established easement with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) that requires it to remain essentially undeveloped.

New recreational opportunities made possible by the Holcombe/Milliken donation will be popular with local skiers and those who visit Jackson from across New England, the U.S., and internationally.

“The donation by the Holcombe and Milliken families of this tract of land in Carter Notch gives us the confidence to invest resources in an entirely new section of our trail network,” explains Jackson XC Executive Director Thom Perkins. “We are hoping to work with the family to provide an historic warming cabin along with the new trails and vistas, making this high elevation old New England farm setting one more reason for x-c skiers to visit and return to Jackson.”

In the future, this 68-acre parcel will be the site for distinctive (and separate) snowshoe and x-c trails that will offer outstanding views and access to early and late season snow.

The Holcombe/Milliken gift is one of several significant contributions received by Jackson Ski Touring Foundation recently. Last year the Foundation received a donation of a parcel of land from Rick Copeland for a trailhead on the Woodchuck Fields Trail and several deeded trail easements, which in combination with the addition of the Holcombe/Milliken parcel at the end of Carter Notch Road guarantee continued access to a huge variety of distinct experiences within the JSTF trail network.

A complete map of the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation’s 150 kilometer trail network is available at www.JacksonXC.org or by calling (603) 383-9355.

Picked up our passes

Last night we made the trip over the Shawnee Peak to pick up our passes for the year. It is always an exciting time to get your picture taken knowing that that little piece of plastic is your ticket to a winter of fun. Of course the odd part was it was 55 degrees outside, at night, on December 3rd. Hmmm we might have to work on that.

But back to the passes. I started thinking about all the places I've had a seasons pass, I'll try to do this in order:

Pleasant Mountain
Sunday River
Chamonix (gotta love connections)
Stowe
Sugarbush
Trapp Family Lodge
Catamount
Great Glen Trails
Mount Washington Valley Ski Touring
Cranmore
Attitash
ASC (Attitash/Sunday River/Sugarloaf/Killington/Steamboat/Canyons)
Shawnee Peak

I think that's it for season passes. But each of those places has a very special place in my heart as any time you have a seasons pass you feel a connection to the area. It feels like it's "yours" for the winter. You can come and go and not worry about did you ski enough that day to "pay" for the pass. At the same time you can ski all day and by the end the lifties all know your name.

Now that I have my pass in hand I am getting very excited for the season. I'm very tempted to head over to Sunday River or Bretton Woods and get in a few turns as they have been lucky with the weather and in Sunday River's case- busted their butt to offer up some early season skiing despite the cold temps. The River has been open since October!

On the Nordic side, I'll need to look out my window and see white before the bug bites me, although I can only hold my criss-cross gear at arms length for so long before I will jump in the car and go find snow.

So here is to hoping for cooler temps and a fantastic season!

Sven

Cold Temps Where Art Thou?

Looking at the temps over the next few days- warm. It is December correct?

hmmmmm,

sven

Frozen Ground

I don't have an official overnight low to report, but on my walk to the office this morning the ground had the tell tale bumpiness of a good frost last night- that is good news!

Want to get really excited for the season? Check out this trailer from Greg Stumps upcoming movie The Legend of Aahhhs- hopefully out next fall.

cheers,

sven


P.S.- I saw this when I was researching gift ideas for a ski column, thought it was a cool way to give somebody a few days out on the hill. Also a good way to buy some skiing for yourself later in the season!

It's coming

I can see snow on the White Mountains, looks like a fair amount. A buddy of mine just texted me and said he did some skinning and skiing over at Stowe this past weekend. Sunday River and Bretton Woods are both open and conditions are reported to be good.

I got the girls squared away with their seasonal rentals (Thanks Scottie and Brian)

I watched Groove twice this past weekend and Stumpy has this trailer posted.

I bought a copy of Powder magazine for the first time in years.

I'm getting excited.

Sven

Ski Column Rehash

Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day. That verse always runs through my head every time it rains during the winter, and a feeling of gloom comes over me. Yet as I say that I also realize that rainy day skiing is often some great skiing, and rain early in the season (as long as it is falling on a bit of snow pack) can be a good thing.

Let's start with why it can be a good thing. If we start the season with a lot of light fluffy snow then the base layer that the rest of the season is built upon is weak, and will melt out easily during those first warm days of late winter. In addition, that weak base layer doesn't bode well for those who enjoy back country skiing, as it doesn't "lock" in all the small rocks, roots, branched and other miscreant pieces of Mother Nature that were lying on the forest floor last fall.

A weak base layer also means that small water crossings and the like will likely be open during the winter. When we get some snow followed by rain in the early part of the season that snow compacts down and refreezes as a very dense and durable base. We sometimes call that base ice, but it really isn't ice- as much as it is very dense snow.

This durable base layer can mean the difference between excellent spring skiing and one of those years when the snow goes from great to gone in about a week. Of course the tough part is dealing with those early season rain storms. Despite knowing it's good for later in the season there is a definite bummer feeling that comes over you when it rains during the winter, especially after some really great snow.

So what can you do to keep your chin up when it rains? Well first of all take advantage of the "hero snow" that a winter rain brings. We all know that soft snow is easier to get an edge into, easier to make turns and feel confident on our skis. Well if it is raining then you can be sure that the snow is fairly soft, meaning the skiing should be fairly good. Add to that that most people will likely pass on skiing on a rainy day and you have good snow, no lines, open slopes, and best of all- warm temperatures.

Ok, yes you are going to get wet, and if you don't bring the right gear AND the right attitude a day of skiing in the rain can be a bit of a bummer. With that in mind here is how you start your day: begin with a positive attitude. Know that you will likely have the mountain to yourself and that the snow will likely be great. Eat a good breakfast and take some time to gather a few extra things for your ski bag.

Find that ski jacket and pants that you pined for three years ago but have now been relegated to the back of the closet as you have a new jacket and pants that take center stage. Put those in your bag, along with an extra pair of gloves, socks, goggles (ideally with a bright lense, such as yellow) and depending on if you ski in a hat or helmet, an extra hat.

When you get to the mountain and have parked your car, make sure you take care in walking over to the base area. I bring this up as I'm one of those skiers who boots up at the car, and on more than one occasion I have booted up and then while walking to the lift stepped in a huge puddle, soaking my boot and socks. Now for me no amount of positive attitude will help me get past that- not only do I dislike wet feet in ski boots but I hate feeling so stupid! Let the lesson be to pick your line carefully in the parking lot.

Once you are out skiing try and get in as many runs as you can before your desire to go in forces you indoors. The reason being is we become surprisingly used to being wet, but once we are inside we quickly loose our desire to go back out- and since you've only brought one set of dry clothes you sort of only have one shot at going inside. Of course I say that and know that I've seen skiers roll up on a rainy day with a gear bag that made me wonder just how big their kitchen sink is, maybe they were bringing dry clothes for every run!

If you can stay relatively dry, and have a good attitude going into it you will find that skiing on a rainy day is a worthwhile experience. Add to that your knowledge that that rain will make for better skiing later in the season and you have a reason to not dread those days of unfrozen precipitation.

Now, I've got to go check the weather channel- I want to see when the next SNOW storm is coming.

This first ran in the Mountain Ear 12/30/08.

Nordic Column Rehash Part II

"Want to go skiing?" I ask that question a lot in my house. Usually there is some interest, but often that initial interest is followed by "let me just do this first." But there are times when I don't want to wait, I just want to get out the door and start skiing. When that is the case I find that my two best ski partners are our dogs.

They never ask where their boots are. They never wonder where their other mitten is. I've never heard Molly or Jake ask me to find them their ski socks. I've never had to wax their skis or dry their ski pants. The dogs never say, "just a second." They always seem ready to go and usually are waiting for me at the door to go.

Once we are out on the trail they don't stop to fix their boot or ask me to wait up or yell at me for going the wrong way. If I choose to go explore and break trail they never ask me where we are going and if we are lost, they just follow and we have a good time.

The down side is they don't offer much in the way of conversation, granted they'll listen to me talk about my week or about where I think this line through the woods will end up, but they never have much in the way of response. From time to time they might stop and bark at a hole in the snow, in hopes that whatever critter that made the hole will come out and "play".

While the dogs don't require much from me when it comes to getting out and skiing there are a few things that do make it a better trip for them. Their paws appreciate a bit of attention during the winter. We use balm for the dogs paws that mushers suggest called Musher's Secret (you can find it at Four Your Paws Only), this helps keep their paws healthy and soft. Our little dog isn't the hairiest of dogs, so he needs a bit of help to stay warm. A fleece coat with a nylon shell keeps him warm and able to stay out on the trail for a good amount of time. The other thing I always make sure to bring- a leash of some sort, my dogs have an uncanny ability to meet and get to know porcupines, so I like to be able to hook up the dogs if I see any pointy critters. I also make sure my pockets have a few dog cookies in them, and while out on the trail I try not to confuse the dog cookies with my own energy bars!

They do make little boots for dogs as well, if your dog seems to need a bit more protection for the feet. They also make small packs that your dog can wear that would enable them to carry some food and water if you really want your dog to carry her own weight! Of course then you might find that you dog is looking for you to find their boots and pack when you are getting ready to go out and ski!

There is a bit of etiquette to keep in mind when it comes to skiing with your dogs. If you are breaking your own trail then it's your call if you want your dogs walking in your track or walking beside you. For some who have just laid in a nice track it can be a bit upsetting to see Fido running full speed post holing as he goes. The other obvious issue, where your pooch does his business, make sure it isn't right in the trail. I've skied through doggie doo before- and it's not that pleasant to clean off! Some ski areas allow you to bring your dog, such as Bear Notch Ski Touring. They ask that your bog be well behaved and to make sure that you clean up after him.

Get out and take your dog for a ski, she'll appreciate it. Just make sure to take it easy the first few times to make sure that their paws can handle being in the snow for a period of time, and also pay attention to if your dog seems warm enough, if not- just go shopping for one of those cool jackets.

Originally printed in the Mountain Ear on December 18, 2008

Ski Column Rehash Part II

When was the last time you treated yourself to a new pair of skis? It had been a couple of years for me, but the other day I couldn't take it any more and pulled the trigger on a new pair of boards for my gravity induced enjoyment. I did this without doing a demo, which I shouldn't have- but I have no patience and tend to have a very impulsive personality, so when I decided it was time for new skis that meant that I needed them right away.

I was brought up in a skiing family that stressed that it wasn't the equipment but the operator that makes all the difference, and I still believe this. But if you are in a car race and you have a choice between a Porsche 911 and a Chevy Citation, I think I know what any one of us would take.

Now the first run on a pair of skis is always interesting. There is a part of you that expects amazing things to just happen, and when they don't you wonder what all the fuss is about. Then you realize that you actually have to be moving to feel the skis do their things, so you actually push off and begin to ski.

The first few turns can be interesting, the skis do one of three things- either turn quicker, turn slower, or do nothing as you set them on edge- and in any one of these three situations you may find yourself surprised and having to re-adjust things. Especially if they did nothing and you found yourself flying into the woods at speed. Hopefully that last scenario hasn't happened to others- but it has happened to me on occasion, although I have come to grips with the fact that it has nothing to do with the skis and much more to do with the operator.

Usually within a run or two you begin to feel out the skis and understand what they want to do based on your input and how to get them to do what you want them to. Now this is when you will decide if the ski is right for you, and if you are not sure there is a simple test- ski up to the lift attendant and ask them to describe the look on your face- if they say you have this crazy smile that looks part crazed and part euphoric then you know you have a pair of skis that make you happy. If they say you're only half smiling, then go down to the shop and try another pair, and keep going until you either have frostbite or the liftie tells you that you've got the crazed look going.

The beautiful thing is that there is a perfect pair of skis for you out there somewhere, sitting in a ski shop waiting for you to take them home. You may need to try many skis to find that perfect pair, but the effort will be well worth it. The bottom line is our economy needs us to find bliss in new ski gear, and I can't think of a better way to not only feel good, but to do good- so head to your local shop and try some new skis.

This first ran in The Mountain Ear on January 22, 2009

Nordic Column Rehash

I missed the Atomic Sprints up at Great Glen that took place at the beginning of December, instead I spent the day riding my bike. But while I was riding I began to realize that my mind was ready to switch gears (no pun intended) and begin to glide on snow.

As I was thinking of all of this I realized that my hands and feet were pretty much numb and for that matter my face had begun to hurt from the cold. I chalked it up to being such a tough guy and for riding when the temperatures were –0 degrees Fahrenheit. The only issue was that when I got home I looked at the temperature and it was 26 degrees! If I had been out skiing that would have seemed like a fairly warm day, I might have even been skiing without a hat and defiantly with my lightweight gloves. Instead I had been out with a heavy wind block hat, mittens and so many layers that I could hardly move. So what is the reason for being able to ski and stay so warm but riding a bike is so darn cold.

My first guess was that I was just cruising at such a high rate of speed on my bike. That thought was quickly set aside when I realized that I was riding at a very slow speed, a speed that was not that much faster then when I was skiing. So what was it? This had me baffled. So I threw on some beater cross country skis and left on my cycling gear and went for a quick cruise of the soccer field behind my house, as it had about an inch of snow- plenty for my little test. Within 20 strides I was hot, by 30 I was sweating, and by the time I hit the end of the field to begin skiing home I was unzipping layers. Interesting.

I thought it must be the fact that you use your upper body so much more in cross country skiing and the fact that both your lower and upper body are working just ramps up the engine that much more. So I tried to ski without moving my arms. I wish someone had seen this as it must have looked pretty funny- I’m guessing what a penguin would look like if it tried to cross-country ski. Aside from the fact that I had a hard time staying upright when I didn’t move my arms the experiment didn’t yield much new information. What I did realize is that my entire body was active in stabilizing me as I slid down the trail. Muscles all over were helping me keep my balance and set me up for my next stride. Unlike on my bike where I don’t need much help other then the wheels spinning to keep me balanced, on skis it is a constant and impressive effort.

Why do I point this out? Well it is good to know that cross-country skiing can keep you warm in the winter (of course oil prices have finally dropped so we may be able to actually turn the heat on this winter after all), but it is also good to know that while it is keeping you warm it is burning calories and potentially fat. Knowing that this is the time of year when most of us maybe eat a bit more then we should, and that we then make promises to ourselves based on the turning of the calendar- it is good to have a secret weapon in you back pocket. So this holiday season when you step on the scale and realize that you see a number that you’ve never been asked to count up to tell yourself that you now need to go get in a good ski (as if you needed any more reasons to want to get out on the trails!)

Now that you are all fired up to ski and can see even greater benefits to skiing, here are a couple of events that are coming up in the region. Be sure to also check in with your favorite touring center website to find out any new events that are coming up in the near future.


Originally printed in The Mountain Ear 12/18/2008

Ski Column Rehash

With ski season fast approaching I thought I'd re-run last winters ski columns. Enjoy.



“Boots, skis, poles- everyone got their pass?” that is the conversation as we load up the truck for our first day of skiing as a family. It is always a mad scramble, do we have everything? Do the kids boots fit? Ooops, forgot to put on a summer coat of storage wax, that’s ok we’ll ski off the rust. Where are the poles? Helmets, check- what the heck happened to that pair of goggles? There is one ski sock- that doesn’t really help. Looking at my wife- remember when we just had to keep track of our own gear?

That first trip is hectic, and that is just trying to get the truck loaded so that we can get to the mountain. Once we get to the mountain the first real test begins. Can the kids remember how to walk in ski boots? Can the youngest now carry her own gear? Do we all walk from the parking spot, or do I do the nice Dad thing and drop them off over near the lift. We chance it and get a fairly close parking spot and let the kids walk. Of course I can figure out how to get all the gear carried, but then I forget my gloves in the truck- two steps forward, three back.

It’s all worth it when we finally get to the lift and start heading up the hill. As we get off all the challenges of getting to the hill are soon forgotten as we let gravity take over and we begin sliding down the hill. All of us try to find our balance and remember how to stand on our skis. Slowly we get the rhythm and we being to pick up the pace. For the girls another year of growth gives them greater strength and improved balance, for my wife and I another year means we feel even more uncoordinated and wishing we had done some pre-season conditioning. But we are all together and enjoying a great morning out in the cold December air. It is amazing to make a series of turns, being in your own world then pulling up to the side of the trail and watching your kids come down following your tracks or setting their own, and you realize that it doesn’t get much better than this.

The day comes to an end as there are Christmas cookies to be made and pre-holiday cleaning to be done, so we head down from one last run. At the bottom we all look at each other with knowing grins as we realize another ski season has arrived. Now where did I put the car keys?

Now that the season is underway and the holidays are fast approaching here are a couple quick ideas for the skier in your family.

For under $50 you can find a number of great gifts. High quality ski socks would have to be one of my top choices. I’m personally partial to a merino wool sock, but there are several synthetics out there that are equally durable and comfortable. Most good ski socks have a light padding on the bottom, with a bit more on the shin and top of the foot to help with the fit of the boot. They come up to just below the knee to make sure the sock reaches above the top of the boot. You can also pick up a good pair of goggles for under $50, and everyone can use a second pair of goggles. They can either serve as the person’s primary goggles, or as a specialty lens or a back up pair that they can leave in their gear bag. A third option, a gift certificate to their favorite shop, maybe they’ll use it for gear or to finally get their skis or board tuned!

If you are looking at over $50 the list is pretty large. Good quality ski gloves are always a welcome gift. Or maybe new pair of long underwear, or as we call them now, “base layer”. New materials that are form fitting yet unrestrictive and offer excellent wicking and insulating properties are great for anyone. A few brands to look at, Craft, Patagonia, Under Armor, to name just a few.

Looking for special deals or fun events this winter for yourself? Then make sure you spend some of that valuable office time surfing the websites of your favorite ski area and check out their deals section as well as their events page. Most ski areas offer web only deals as well as a number of packages that can save you a significant amount of money over buying your ticket at the window.

Originally printed in The Mountain Ear 12/28/08

I've seen snow....

It is coming. The ski shops are all in sale mode. The mountains are all in last minute preparations mode. The season is coming, it brings a smile to my face.

Snow?

I got an update from my sister who lives out in Colorado, 15+ inches of snow and it's still coming down. The update left me feeling a bit funny as I'm not sure how I would react to 15+ inches of snow right now. See it would be exciting, but it would likely cause me to do stupid things- like want to go ski powder in the woods. That decision would likely result in badly damaged skis, and more to the point- a badly damaged Sven, kinda like what happened to me in CO last spring- giving rise to my daughters favorite saying- "How's your buttocks today Daddy"- said with a very strange British accent.

But more to the point it would be such a tease. I'd want to put the bikes away, forget about the Porky Gulch Classic, and focus solely on skiing. The danger there is that if you start thinking about skiing too early it can lead to November frustration and even worse- April burnout! I like to have the season build into itself so that my skiing jones can get filled right as it reaches its peak.

Of course I say all of this knowing full well that in about three weeks I'll have a major itch to ski. Especially when we go ski shopping for the kids in a couple weeks.

In the mean time I'll stick with riding and racing my bike.

As a side note- I'm looking for topics for this winters columns and blog posts- so if you've got an idea send it my way!

Sven

A Good Laugh

I want to see them do a 50k marathon!

enjoy.

sven

Just Missed Us

Snow. I heard the word on the news, they said, "a chance of snow." That's all I needed to hear. I envisioned waking up to a couple inches of snow blanketing the athletic fields of Bridgton Academy (the nations only all male, PG (postgraduate) school- a little plug since it is also the place I call home, literally)and being able to grab my XC skis and sneaking out for a tour of the soccer and football fields. Alas the snow didn't fly- instead we woke up to cold October rain. Oh well, it just means the snowmaking ponds are all being topped off and ready for the season!

I would be remiss to not mention that a screaming season pass deal expires at midnight tonight. I won't say who- just click to find out.

In other news I got an email from Cranmore that they have installed 80 new fan guns. That's a lot of snowmaking power. Which will require a great deal of water, so I assume they were pleased with the fact it was raining this morning.

I'm getting into the ski mood, although I'm still in a cycling mindset, and will remain that way until at least Porky Gulch Classic has come and gone. Again you'll have to click to figure it out.

Then we'll go into the scramble mode of getting all of our gear and clothing figured out. Both daughters are in need of new skis and boots, and as luck would have it there don't seem to be good hand-me-down options in our house this year- hopefully next year. Add to that that my oldest has gotten into tele skiing and skate skiing as well- and soon she'll have as many pair of skis as K or I. I wonder how many kilos of wax I'll go through on a ski prep night. It's starting to feel like I'm prepping a rental fleet each wax night. Maybe this is the year I install a TV in the garage- hmmm, maybe onto something with that.

It's not just the hardgoods (sorry for the industry lingo, I can't get away from my ski shop roots) but also the softgoods (there I go again)- the gloves and pants, hats and goggles, the socks and baselayers- argh. I'm pretty sure I'm due for a whole new "outfit" (someone shoot me know for using that word in conjunction with myself). When I fell out in Colorado skiing while visiting with my sister at Eldora and broke my ass I also tore a hole in my favorite ski pants. Favorite because they fit and had been free (a pair of Mammut sample pants- thanks Ian!)- and now Ian doesn't work for Mammut anymore (I guess he could get me a shotgun at his new gig- hmmm) and I don't know anyone in the softgoods world that I have any good blackmail on- so I may have to go to a store, and pause while I gulp, buy them at retail. Of course if I do that I can then make sure I get a jacket and pant that somewhat go together, maybe I can even get a helmet and goggles to match! If Shawn White can have his own "clothing collection" I can get excited about gear that somewhat looks like it all came from the same decade (if I could only find that Club-A jacket and those sweet purple SOS pants I had).

Enough out of me, all my hot air is likely contributing to global warming, or climate change or whatever we are calling it these days.

Think snow.

Sven

Great Season Pass Deal

If you are like me and have this pesky thing called work chewing up the vast majority of your daylight hours, yet find that skiing just on the weekends isn't quite satisfying your skiing needs- then check this season pass deal out from Shawnee Peak.

Shawnee Peak has most of their mountain lit up, so you're not skiing on only a couple of trails. They do a nice job grooming in the later afternoon so the mountain is in good shape for night skiing. Plus they are only about an hour from Portland or 25 minutes from North Conway.

It's the mountain I grew up skiing at so I have a soft spot for it, but even it that weren't the case I'd still say it's a hill you don't want to miss.

I do think this pass deal does run out in about a week, so if you're interested don't delay!

Time to go prep skis.

Sven

Wildcat Mountain Hosts Premiere of Meathead Films Latest Ski Film Project Wild Stallions

(thought I'd pass this along- enjoy, Sven)

Reaffirm Your Love of Skiing the East during the Columbus Day Weekend, Saturday October 10th

Pinkham Notch, NH – Filmed exclusively in the Eastern U.S. and Canada while following the finest regional freeskiing athletes to spectacular terrain, Meathead Films Wild Stallions features many familiar New England resorts, Tuckerman Ravine, and more. Fresh backcountry footage is coupled with innovative park and urban skiing. What the East lacks in vertical drop, Meathead Films makes up for in finding tight tree skiing, deep powder, unique jump sites, creative urban terrain, and of course, die hard locals.

Boasting one of the larger movie tours in the industry, Wild Stallions will premiere at Wildcat Mountain on the Saturday evening of Columbus Day weekend, October 10th. Prior to the film beginning at 7pm, Wildcat Mountain is offering everyone a one-time/one-night-only opportunity to purchase their Black Cat midweek, non-holiday pass at the early price of $249 before the film. Currently priced at $299, the Black Cat and all other available season passes will increase from the mid-price level to regular rates on the deadline of October 16th.

Filmed in High Definition, 16mm, and Super 8mm film formats, Wild Stallions is truly a unique mix of visual mediums. Last year’s offering from Meathead Films, Head For The Hills, was another forward move for the Burlington, Vermont based crew, and Wild Stallions is sure to stir up similar excitement in the industry and get you excited for the winter season. To be shown on a 100” big screen provided by Cinemaesque Home Theatre Company located in North Conway, The Meathead Films crew will premiere the film in the Wildcat Mountain Pub (open for the premiere and sponsored by Tuckerman Brewing Company) with plenty of great gear and goods to give-away and a raffle. The Wildcat Express scenic gondola and ZipRider will be operating, weather permitting, as normally scheduled for the long weekend offering incredible and unique views of the fall foliage and staff will be available prior to the scheduled 7pm film screening for the $249 one-time/one-night-only Black Cat midweek, non-holiday season pass offer or other pass purchase needs.

There will be no admission charged for this event and more information is available at skiwildcat.com. A complete list of all tour stop locations, dates, and the movie trailer can be viewed on meatheadfilms.com, as well as the skitheeast.net community website.

Good news for skiers

Many resorts are cutting prices to drive local business.

No mention of Maine or NH, but I'm sure we'll see benefits as well.

Oh my.

Do I smell snow?

No I don't but I'm starting to dream about snow! At work I've been giving a few of the kids from the land of perpetual warmth a hard time about snow and how cold it gets. Some of them get really nervous when you mention temperatures in the "below zero" category. They'll be fine, and hopefully we'll get them out on the hill making turns this winter.

Speaking of that I wonder when the drag race to "open" will begin. Now that we have some new ownership going on here in the east I wonder if we will resume the good battles that used to exist between the likes of Sunday River and Killington. Now we have Bretton Woods enjoying early opening and closing dates- time will tell.

Not much to report at the moment other than the fact that there isn't much to report, but winter will approach rapidly, and with it stories of skiing. Until then, think snow.

sven

Summer Time

I can't say that summer has been all that wonderful. Well unless you like mold and mildew and all things dank, wet and smelly.

I keep reminding myself that it's just a weather pattern that has come when our temps are not in their proper place at the bottom end of the thermometer. If this were happening at 22 degrees, we'd be stylin'!

Not much new to report at the moment. The ski dreams are happening about once a week at this point. I can handle that. After I rode Newton's Revenge a couple weeks ago I was having them a bit more- but that had to do with looking at ski lines off of Mount Clay and the fact that Mount Jefferson still had a skiable snow patch on it. All that is out of sight out of mind!

Until next time, enjoy summer (if it arrives) and dream of perfect powder days.

sven

Wishing everyone a great summer!

Winter is long gone, well except for some good skiing still up on Mount Washington, and summer is fast approaching. So do a few things before you push skiing completely out of your head:
1) wax your skis and don't scrape them- give them their summer "coat"
2) wash your ski gear (gloves included) and put them away
3) put your goggles in a case to protect the lenses
4) make sure your boots are unbuckled and it a dry cool place
5) take off the ski rack and put on your bike rack

now go hit the beach!

Sven

A Legend Leaves Us

Shane McConkey passed away. RIP Shane and thoughts to his family and friends. The ski world has lost a great presence.

A Day on Rog's Trails

Eating a fresh cheeseburger with some crazy homemade relish while still standing on my skis, in the track surrounded by a couple dozen good friends- what a great way to spend a March day!

We had gotten a call in the morning inviting us up to a bit of a ski and BBQ and it sounded like a good idea. I had bailed on plans to head up onto Mount Washington with a friend as we weren’t convinced it would soften up early enough in the day, so we had very little planned for the day. We loaded up the car, grabbed our sunglasses and headed up to Lowell Field in Bridgton. We had gotten sunglasses and headed up to Lowell Field in Bridgton.

When we got there about a dozen or so friends were out playing in the snow, some were skiing, some were building a snow fort, and everyone was enjoying the sun and very warm temperatures. The maestro of the event, Roger Lowell, was jumping between the grill and giving the kids rides on a special sled that he would tow behind the snowmobile that serves as the groomer. The kids were having a blast and in between trips on the sled the kids would jump onto their skis and do a loop around the field having a blast.


The adults were enjoying themselves as well, the snow had corned up nicely but still had good glide. Loops around the field or a short loop through the woods enabled people to get out for a quick ski and then come back to socialize or see how the food was doing on the grill. The smell of hamburgers and hotdogs wafting across the trails certainly made it easy to pick up the pace on the way back!

In general it was a great time for everyone to just play in the snow. Some skied, some enjoyed a good snowball fight, everyone got a good laugh when someone would take off their skis and then proceed to posthole up to their hip in the snow.

I took a tour by myself as the corn skiing in the woods was perfect and you could go wherever you wanted. I looked to openings through the trees and stopped for a while near a brook just to listen and enjoy the beauty of nature. The snow banks set against the brook banks just looked perfect, and it was hard to accept that we only get a few days like this each year, and it’s always on the tail end of the season.


When I got back a couple of friends were talking about hoping the tennis courts and golf courses melt out soon so they can get to the court and fairways. I understand that urge to get out and moving with the next season, but the end of ski season is such a special time and should not be rushed. As skiers we can deal with some pretty unruly weather, and we find ways to enjoy it- but when Mother Nature gives us days where the sun is bright, the sky is blue, the air is warm, and the snow is perfect corn- well get out there and enjoy. Before you know it, it will be gone and come next October we’ll be starting to “itch” to ski once again.

A Ski Trip

Living in the Mount Washington Valley means that we are always in ski country, and that all we need to be on a ski vacation is a day off and a lift ticket. It is easy to begin to take for granted what the ski areas and the Valley do to make sure that guests have a good time when they come to the mountains.

I had a chance to sneak over to Smugglers Notch in Vermont recently to enjoy a weekend ski trip with my family and some friends. Despite having lived in Vermont for several years I had never skied at Smuggs and I have to say I had a number of misconceptions that were quickly dispelled.

Unlike what the Mount Washington Valley has to offer, with several ski areas and all that the Valley has to offer, Smuggs is pretty much self contained and is a place where you can park the car and only need to go back to the car for that missing ski sock that you can’t find in the morning.

The mountain itself is impressive, with Madonna Mountain sitting at 3,640’, flanked by Sterling Mountain and Morse Mountain. It is set up with most of the village at the base of Morse Mountain, which is a great beginner hill with wide-open gentle slopes. To access the more advanced terrain you can drive up to Madonna and Sterling, or ski over from Morse. The difference between Morse and Madonna is stark. Madonna offers up steep, aggressive terrain with plenty of glades and steep runs that don’t see the groomers very often. I had long believed that Smugglers only had intermediate type terrain, but one ride up the Madonna lift showed me that Smuggs has plenty of terrain to challenge any skier or rider.

In skiing with my kids I quickly found that a blue square at Smuggs on Madonna or Sterling Mountain is a bit different from many of the blue squares I’m used to skiing in the Valley. The girls quickly adapted to the steeper terrain and enjoyed riding the fixed grip doubles that cruised over rock faces and steep terrain that they hadn’t really seen before.

I found that I did two things I hadn’t done in some time, grabbed a trail map and also a grooming map. These became very critical in making sure we didn’t take the girls into terrain that could be over their head. While we were trying to steer the little ones onto the blues my wife and I found ourselves looking longingly at the steeper pitches and woods- as it looked amazing (although in need of some snow- but that was two storms ago).

While the mountain was great the kids enjoyed the pools and Kids Zone the most. These are the amenities that I often forget about as our après ski entertainment is usually found at home. Having good dining, pools, and an indoor play land all on property the ski day just flowed into après fun, into dinner and soon to bed.

I began to have a better understanding of the recent water parks that have been built within hotels in the Valley, along with the popularity of events like Cranapolooza. It is so easy to get focused solely on the skiing when the skiing is right out your back door, but when you are on vacation it is great to have a menu of other activities to keep everyone entertained. I take my hat off to Smugglers Notch, they offer up a top-notch vacation destination and we will return. That being said- I take my hat off and bow to the mountains and businesses of the Mount Washington Valley- a large number of individual businesses working together to create a truly world class experience.

Powder Day Rules

Powder days are something that skiers spend a lot more time talking about than actually enjoying, at least here in the east. We dream of them, we buy gear that is designed for just those days; we have what we call "powder day rules." We do a lot to prepare.

However, most of us also have jobs and/or other responsibilities that can make it difficult on a powder day to get out and enjoy the fruits of a great storm. I ran into such a dilemma just the other day when Mother Nature decided to drop 25 plus inches of snow on our region here in the mountains. I had planned to get up early and do a bit of skinning followed by skiing, but a late night power outage curtailed my alarm from waking me at the appropriate hour. Upon waking up I looked outside and couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. We had gotten slammed and I knew that shoveling was the first order of business for the day.

At this point I had resigned myself to the fact that getting out and skiing wasn't going to happen unless I snuck out in the evening for some runs under the lights over at Shawnee Peak. But that was before I had stepped off the steps into snow well over my knees. As I waded to the driveway I began to realize that this was a big storm, maybe one of the biggest in a long time. I spent the next thirty minutes shoveling, and felt myself begin to salivate. The issue was there wasn't any school and I had to work- so I had issues on two fronts. Then my wife called and told me a friend of ours could watch the kids for the day. Hmmmm, I thought. But work, I had a good amount to get done and I had meetings in the afternoon.

I chose responsibility and went in and got dressed for work. Sitting in my office I got myself dialed in for the day, checking email, working on my week plan, prepping for meetings. Then snow hit my window. There was a snow blower outside clearing the walkway around the building, a big tractor type snow blower- it was bogging down due to so much snow. Focus I told myself.

Then the emails started coming in with conditions updates, worlds like "epic", "storm of the century", "don't miss this powder day" filled my inbox. I tried to get my mind back on work. But I was losing the battle. I made a decision, it was 9:30 a.m., I could get to the mountain in 10 minutes, ski for an hour, hour and a half, and be back in the office by 11 or 11:30 a.m. and just buckle down for the rest of the day. It seemed like a reasonable plan- so out the door I went. I was out of the shirt and tie and into my ski gear in minutes, and was on the road only moments later. I realized the truck had an empty tank- no problem I'll get gas on the way- it will only take a minute. But when I pulled into the gas station they were closed as they had no power! I had to make the call- could I make it to the mountain AND back with what I had. Well, I knew I could make it there- that was enough- so off I went.

I got to the mountain, it was buried. People had crazy grins and you could hear the hooting and hollering. I ran from the truck to the lift and jumped into my skis. Riding up the lift I could feel my heart pounding and my mind trying to come up with a plan of attack. As soon as I got off I was poling for the pitch, the snow up over my waist. Three turns in and I was feeling like I was in another world. Amazing snow, amazing turns, amazing to be able to enjoy. I was finding myself choking on snow at times as it billowed up into my chest and into my face.

I hurried into the lift-line and the attendant said- "you look like you're on a mission." I laughed, the only line I could come back with was from The Blues Brothers, "yes, a mission from God." Up the mountain I went.

I connected with a few people and we spun some spectacular runs, laughing and hollering the entire time. But I knew I had to call it a day, I had to get back to work. So I did, it was hard but it was the right thing. My only hope was the truck wouldn't start as it would be out of gas, no luck (I even made it to the gas station). When I got back my boss asked me how it was, when I told him he looked at me and said- "so why did you leave- a day like this, don't you know the powder day rules?" Next time I won't, as I think I've found a new rule for the book.

tix deals at the cat

Wildcat Mountain Offers $9 Lift Tickets, Fridays, March 13th & 20th

March Will Be a Month of Affordable Skiing, Riding, & Events

Pinkham Notch, NH – Wildcat Mountain’s annual $9 lift ticket day held this past January marking 51 years of lift-serviced skiing and riding and 75 years from when the Wildcat Trail was first developed was popular enough to bring it back for two more Fridays in March. It was only $9 for 10 gondola rides back in 1958 and for that same original price on Fridays March 13th and 20th, it will offer a full-day’s access to over 2,100 vertical feet of skiing and riding aboard New Hampshire’s most powerful and arguably fastest summit quad chairlift. With guaranteed après weekend events and the option to always upgrade your ticket before 3:30pm for the next day for only $39, Wildcat offers vertical value and the opportunity to create a 3-day ski/ride weekend beginning Friday, March 13th and 20th for less than $30 a day.


A highlight of après events and other special ticket discount days happening at Wildcat Mountain during the month of March include:

* Sat, Mar 7th – WXGR 101.5fm Cabin Fever Ski Getaway sponsored by Cabin Fever Maple Liquor, Simply Green Biofuels, and Bud Lime, prizes and good times follow up a great day of skiing and riding. Visit wxgrfm.org to hear their mix of dub, downtempo, world-hop, electronica, beats & bass, acid-jazz and plan to join us as they spin beats slopeside and then in the Wildcat Pub.
* Every Sunday in March – $25 afternoon lift tickets that go on sale at noon and the Sunday Après Chill Music Series in the Wildcat Pub featuring artists Cheryl B. Engelhardt (cbemusic.com) or local favorite Bill Cameron. Visit skiwildcat.com for dates.
* Every Wednesday in March – Join Tuckerman Brewing Company on our traditional 2 for 1 lift ticket Wednesdays (or just $32.50 for you soulful sliders rocking the mp3 player and ear buds) in the Wildcat Pub. Find out about their local brewery tours and receive t-shirts and pint glasses when you enjoy one of their tasty brews.
* Sat, Mar 14th – Ride & Ski New England (rideandskine.com) along with the Pat Foley Band and Miller Lite are back again to host an après party in the Wildcat Pub with well over a grand in give-aways and prizes.
* Tue, Mar 17th – The Luck of Lift O’pia. Save some green and find a pot o’ gold in savings when you pre-purchase your ticket online at www.liftopia.com. Limited discount lift tickets available for St. Patrick’s Day and every day this season at Liftopia.
* Sat, Mar 21st – Wildcat Mountain Spring Party. Season Passholders, family, friends, and fans of Wildcat Mountain will want to join in on an afternoon and night of fun, food, raffle prizes, and music featuring après DJ Brian Sparhawk and “beachgrass” rock from Cape Cod’s The Old Silver Band (theoldsilverband.com). Visit skiwildcat.com for more info.

Wildcat Mountain is a year-round, family-owned business, located 100% within the White Mountain National Forest in Pinkham Notch, NH. It is home to the 75-year-old Wildcat Trail first cut by the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1933 and is renowned for its proximity to Mt. Washington and Tuckerman Ravine. For further information, please visit www.skiwildcat.com or call 1-888- SKI WILD.

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Excited

As a kid I used to go to every ski film premier that Greg Stump put on in Portland- from Time Waits for Snowman right through to Dr. Strangeglove- then I was the promoter in Burlington, VT for Groove- man those movies got me stoked to ski.

Well he's at it again, fall 2009- check out the trailer for Legends of Ahhhhhs.

I spent two weeks in Chamonix with my Dad, Stump, Hattrup, Plake, and Frank Howell in 1988 as they finished up filming Blizzard- damn that was a fun trip and had a profound impact on my life. That film had a profound impact on an entire industry- I can't wait to see this new film.

XC Skiing with Young Ones

Keeping a young child motivated and happy while you are out on a cross-country ski adventure is one part magic, one part bribery, one part distraction, and a whole lot of patience and encouragement. Young ones often bring great enthusiasm to a ski trip, usually very fired up to hit the trails and usually the first ones to race to some obvious landmark out on the trails. This enthusiasm often comes at a bit of a price as that burst of energy is often followed by, dare I say- whining about being tired or cold or hungry or some other reason to be not in the best of spirits.

It is easy at this point to get frustrated, and maybe even become discouraged and think the child doesn't really enjoy skiing. However, I would guess that it is just the natural order of events and the child just needs any one of a few tricks to keep them interested and motivated. I usually start with an attempt at distraction, "did you see that animal track?" or "did you hear that, I think I hear something just up the trail!" This will usually engage their curiosity and keep them going for a bit.

At the next whining point I will try distraction again, if that fails I usually move to a bribe of some sort. The bribes usually work like this, "at the NEXT stop we can have a snack, and at the stop after that we can have hot chocolate." Sometimes this works without much effort, other times I find I have to sell the value of the snack, which leads me to my tip of the day- don't skimp on the snack. I usually roll with some sort of fruit snack (the colored, gummy kind) and maybe a few cookies of a black and white variety.
I've tried to pass off healthier snacks, but I find I get more bang for the buck with the refined sugar snacks- I'm willing to trade the calories for a bit longer on the trails with the kids.

I'm also careful to bring along extra hats and gloves as well as socks just in case. It's amazing how easy it is to cure a case of cold feet by simply saying, "ok, I've got warm socks right here, let's swap them out." I can't tell you how often that simple phase seems to warm the young ones feet without me even pulling the socks form the bag.

Now the issue I find is that these techniques work for a bit, but the trick is to use them to get them out to the halfway point of a ski trek. At that time you can use the "almost there" technique to try to get them home with gusto. There are typically a few gripes on the way home, "are we there yet" being the most common. I do my best Ronald Regan and feign not hearing their gripes.

What I always find amazing is that despite the grumbles that I hear out on the trails their recollections of the trips are always positive and stories told with great pride. In fact you usually hear about how they can't wait until the next trip and how they want a friend to come along. Those stories always put a smile on my face, and I make sure that on my next grocery list that I have a few special snacks to make sure the trips go as planned.

A free heel world championship

Bill Demong won the large hill world championship- way to go Bill! The US has been slowly making waves in the nordic world in the last decade or two (it is a slow process) and Nordic Combined has been one area where the USST has had some solid success. Kudos to the team!

Great Morning

The alarm went off at 4:32am, and I was tempted to just keep sleeping. My back had a tinge and I could have used the sleep. But I knew if I didn't get up I'd kick myself later. I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake K, the kids, or the dogs. Downstairs I turned on the stove for the coffee and got my oatmeal rolling. Into my gear I went.

By a short bit past 5am I was done eating and was working on my first cup of coffee. The rest went into the thermos and my feet went into my boots (you can drive in tele boots making life much easier). Out the door I went. When I got outside I couldn't see the stars and that left me concerned that we weren't going to get a good sunrise, but at that point I was awake and dressed- may as well ski!

The drive over saw me spill much of my first cup as the frost heaves tossed me around- oh well, that's why I bring a full thermos. Soon I was at the mountain and finished kitting up and started the trek.

We had gotten a crazy amount of snow this week (25" in the last storm) so the conditions are excellent. The skin up was good, I only had to traverse once on the steepest pitch of Headwall, and I was running the kicker skins, so I was pleased with that. By the time I got to mid station the sky was beginning to show a bit of light. I knew I had time to get to the top before the great colors started to show, but there was still that tinge of doubt that I wouldn't make it so I picked up the pace.

I hit the summit at 6:05am and did my quick swap out of hats and put on my down vest to make sure I didn't chill. Then I watched. The colors began to intensify and then I could see the very top of the sun as it made its proud advancement into the sky. The clouds actually made for interesting colors as it was just the horizon that seemed to be clear of clouds. I watched taking pictures and wishing K had made the trip with me. Soon the mountain was bathed in a wonderful alpenglow and it was time to head down.


The ski down is always nice, and I always find I appreciate every turn a bit more when I've skinned up to earn it. But this morning I kept stopping and looking to the east as the sun continued its march into the sky- just stunning.


Once back at the car, and with cup number two of coffee poured and ready to get me home, I realized that few people get to enjoy that type of a sunrise. While it made me feel good that I did get to see it, it also bummed me out that I didn't get to share it with others.

As I drove over the causeway I could see that the sun had moved into the clouds and the magic was over. People getting up at 6:30 am weren't going to be treated to the colors I had just enjoyed.

I got home and K and the girls were up and having breakfast, when I showed Liz the pictures she said when was that? I told her it had been just a half hour ago, she looked out the window, then back at me and shrugged. Back to her cereal.

But for me it was a great morning, and reminded me how lucky we are to live where we do and to have the ability to play in the great outdoors.

A Moose

There is a moose standing on the finish line. I'm guessing it's still standing there, right now as you read this- a moose. It's not a live moose, but a moose made out of wood but adorned with real antlers. It's in a field, Roger Lowell's field to be exact, and it's standing on the finish line. Not a finish line for any race right now, but for a race that I remember like it was yesterday from 1991. Every time I drive by and see that moose I laugh, and think about how I got into ski racing.

The moose and where the moose stands has more to do with where I was once I got into racing, my entrance into Nordic racing had much more to do with a giant Paul Bunyan statue. If you've ever been up to Black Mountain in Rumford, you'll know what I'm talking about. But that moose got me to thinking about my start in racing.

I had always been someone who cross country skied. I had enjoyed many adventures on my skis that included boot laces so frozen and knotted that it took until the second mug full of hot chocolate before my mom or I could untie the laces. I remember many times using the old three pin bindings, that I would just lean has hard as I could on the bail to pin down the front of my boot, as the soles were no longer three pin, but about 12 pin with so many other holes having been pressed in. I remember crossing brooks, and skiing down hills that we termed "Death Hill", I remember home made knickers and itchy wool socks that the snow balled up on and made me look like the abominable snowman after a couple hours out skiing.

But ski racing wasn't something I had done, in fact I fancied myself much more an alpine racer with heroes like Pirmin Zurbriggen, Billy Johnson, and Alberto Tomba. Or if it wasn't ski racing heroes it was those fancy mogul skiers and "extreme skiers" that people like Greg Stump made cool movies about. Unfortunately many of the kids my age at that time felt the same way, at least in our areas, and that left our high school cross-country ski team a bit short of skiers. By the time I got to high school, if you were a freshman and you wanted to race alpine you had to do at least one cross-country race. In retrospect, this was a good idea on a number of levels, but for me in particular it had a profound impact on my life.

I'll never forget that first race. I had tried this new fangled skate skiing the day before at ski practice. I was awful. The coach, Peter Anderson, had asked me to go to the race at Black Mountain in Rumford, just to watch. I had agreed.

We go to the race, the Rumford Invitational, and there were a lot of racers as this was very big high school meet in Maine. I was glad to not be one of them, as I was not ready to race and didn't want to embarrass myself. I was hanging out near the back of the bus talking with some of the kids on the team while they waxed skis and I could hear Coach talking to someone.

"So Peter, who's this ringer you've got this year?", said the unidentified voice.

"Who are you talking about? I don't have any ringers," Coach answered.

"This Sven kid- is he Scandinavian? I bet he's fast," the unidentified voice continued.

I stood there wondering what they were talking about, then the realization that they were talking about me hit. It sank in even further when Coach tossed me a bib and told me he needed me to race.

For some reason I'll never forget this next series of events. One of the kids on the team lent me a pair of tights- blue and black tiger stripped. They looked like they had been stolen from some 80's hair bands lead singer. I coupled these stylish tights with a white cotton long sleeve t-shirt, a blue and grey fleece hat, and a pair of heavy alpine ski gloves- the padded cool kid race gloves with the zipper on the cuff that you always left unzipped (those gloves were always cold, but they looked cool so we all used them). Before I knew it I was in the starting gate being instructed by some guy wearing a blue and yellow parka with Lake Placid Olympic logos all over it and a pair of matching moon boots (not like the ones you can buy at Spruce Hurricane today), a headset and big pair of deer skin mittens. It would be years later but I would come to learn that it was likely that the starter was none other than Chummy Broomhall.

So there I am in the starting block, all decked out looking like a rejected rocker wannabe, and the starter says "GO!". This is where it gets interesting or from my point of view- horrifying. I slide through the wand, trying to double pole my way out onto the course, which immediately goes uphill and has spectators on either side cheering you on. I make it about 20 meters and someone; a female (I can still hear her voice) yells "NICE TIGHTS!" Being the polite adolescent male that I was, and excited that some girls was cheering me on, I yelled back, "Thank You!" and promptly planted my ski pole between my legs and fell flat on my face in front of a large group of people. In my mind now this riotous crowd of ski racing fans numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but the truth be told it was probably: four coaches, a bus driver, five mom's, a sister (who didn't want to be there- so she yelled to some kid wearing funny tights), and two dads- but I like my memory of it better.

That fall got a reaction from the crowd, one of laughter followed by encouragement. My face turned red and I picked myself up and flailed my way out of sight and around the course (SLOWLY), finishing 108 out of 120 starters. I could leave it at that but I think a more accurate representation of my placement is I finished 108 out of 109 finishers.

Believe it or not this race was what got me fired up to get into racing and figure this crazy sport out. Some of my fondest memories from high schools stem from ski practice and races, culminating with our team winning the overall State championship my senior year of high school.

This brings me back to the moose. The other day I was skiing with my wife and our girls, along with one of my best friends and her kids. Her father was with us, it was his field, his grooming, his moose. I reflected back on his encouragement, never pushing racing but always trying to get us out there skiing. And there we were, now three generations out cruising the trails and having a ball. The moose was on the finish line in my mind, and soon the kids were looking to race each other back to the moose. Maybe that finish line was still there after all.

Holy Storm Batman!

This most recent snow storm was one of the biggest I can remember in recent memory. It snowed OVER 24 inches (25 at our house) of real deal snow. I snuck over to Shawnee Peak yesterday and enjoyed skiing that left me giddy. I can't remember the last time I was taking snow up the nose as I was skiing as it was rolling up my chest and into my face- super good.

Snuck out this AM for a skin up and ski down at sunrise, such a great way to start the day. This weekend should offer up fantastic conditions, and the next storm we get will just be the icing on the cake. If you've been wanting to get out and do some back country- now is the time!

Enjoy.

Cheers,

sven

The WVT Story- finally!

Here is a link to the photos from the trip.

There are certain ski routes that I think about on a fairly regular basis, wondering what the conditions are like and always planning when I can make the trip. One of those routs is the Wildcat Valley Trail that extends from the summit of Wildcat ski area all the way down to Jackson.

This is a classic back country trail, no grooming, no fancy bridge work, no guarantees, and sometimes no tracks- but always full of fun and adventure. It is a trail that many people know about, and many people want to do (and certainly have the skills to do) but for one reason or another never make it up to the top of Wildcat to do the trip.

The trail is part of the Jackson Ski Touring trail system, and here is how they describe the trail, "Wildcat Valley Trail - 17.8 km, Most Difficult; connects the summit of Wildcat Mountain to Jackson Village. Skiers should be in top physical condition and thoroughly prepared before attempting upper most section of trail. Skiers must walk 1/2 mi. from Carter Notch Road to Black Mountain Cabin Trail before trail picks up again 150 meters along Melloon Road. Upper trail closes at 2 PM. Elev. Differential 3,240 Ft."

Read that last part again- Elevation Differential 3,240 feet. Let's put that into perspective. Wildcat has a lot of vertical for a downhill area in the east- just over 2,000'. The most lift serviced vertical in the East at an alpine area is 3,166' over at Whiteface in New York. This trail has almost 100' more vertical in total descent. Just to keep the comparisons going, Snowbird in Utah has the same vertical drop- 3,240.

The beautiful part is that you can buy a one ride ticket at Wildcat and start at the top so the bulk of your journey is downhill. This is how I would suggest you do the trip, because who would want to start out by skiing uphill, I mean really.

So we began our journey by skiing up Wildcat (hey, nobody, and I mean nobody has ever said I was very smart). When I say "we" I am talking about my wife Karen, and a friend of mine who is known to the world as Matt, and of course myself. We began with a nice leisurely ski up Wildcat, which again is not the best way to do this- take the lift it is much easier. I'll fast forward past the climb (namely because my wife beat me to the top and wasn't even breathing hard) and get to where you (the smart person) would be getting off the lift, nice a fresh and ready for your adventure. This is where you can freak out the skiers at Wildcat as you ski straight off the lift and duck the boundary rope and climb up to the entrance to the trail. It is amazing how quickly the air becomes quite when you do this (not that it is ever windy up on top of Wildcat) and you find yourself standing in a cave of pine trees with a trail marker in front of you. Every time I do this I feel a sense of excitement as to what is ahead, and this trip was no different.

Karen was the first to push off as she was getting cold and wanted to start moving. Matt and I were still getting our gear all sorted out. I was the next off the start line and began to enjoy the glide. I should point out at this point what we were using for gear as I get asked this question all the time. I was using my trusty Garmont Beluga with a set of skins for the climb up. Karen was on a pair of Salomon Blades (a metal edged, waxless ski) with skins, Matt chose full telemark equipment with skins for the climb. My personal feeling is the perfect set up is either a beefy cross-country set up or a light back country set up. Telemark gear is great for the few steep pitches, but a lot of weight for the climbs and not that much fun for the traverse sections. If you do run full tele gear bring either kick wax or a set of skins to make sure you can do the traverses.

Back to the trip, the descent is mellow in regards to pitch, but it makes up for it in being narrow and twisty. You can never see too far down the trail, and it seems like if there is going to be a blow down then you will find it just after some hairy corner. One thing that works well in soft snow is to just use the untracked snow as a natural brake when the speeds gets to be a bit much, jump out of the track and you'll slow down pretty fast.

After a bit of descending and traversing you get to a beautiful birch glade that just opens up beneath your feet. It's worthwhile to stop and enjoy the view before you drop in and make a great set of turns. It is not uncommon to do a few laps in the birch glade when the snow is good as it just such a fun section of trail. Karen and Matt both hooted and hollered as they made very nice looking turns with the birch trees serving as a perfect backdrop. After the glade we headed back into the tight and twisty fun that is the Wildcat Valley Trail.

On this trip we had staged a car at the Dana Place Inn, and with that in mind had our eyes peeled for the Dana Place Trail. When we got there we noticed we were the first to ski this particular section, and with the amount of snow that we've had we found that there was some work to be done with the trail breaking. Fortunately there were three of us so we shared the work, although we found that when we put Karen at the front it seemed like she barely broke the surface, I was finding the easiest skiing was when Matt was at the lead. There were a few open water crossings that got entertaining and we had our own "gap jumps" that would have made any terrain park aficionado proud.

We eventually got to a section of the Dana Place trail that had been groomed earlier in the season and had snowshoe tracks making the skiing much faster. The terrain was beautiful and the sun had come out giving us a blue bird day. We didn't see any other skiers out on the trail (although no to far way close to 300 were giving it their all in the White Mountain Classic that was held at Jackson Ski Touring on Saturday, January 24).

When we got to the last section of the Dana Place Trail we found that skiers weren't the only ones using the trail as it looked like we were skiing along a moose run. It was entertaining seeing their tracks and trying to avoid their droppings as we made our way down the mountain. We eventually made it out to Route 16 and did the short walk back to the car, looking up Pinkham Notch and feeling an immense feeling of accomplishment at the trip.

It was such a great way to spend the morning and a great way to explore the mountains and wilderness in which we live. I would encourage you to take the trip, and if you are little concerned about your ability take a lesson at your favorite touring center and let them know you want to work on back country skills. You can purchase a Wildcat Valley Trail ticket at either AMC, Jackson or at Wildcat (where you can also purchase your one trip lift ticket as well). I would encourage you to check in with Jackson Ski Touring in advance to get a trail conditions report as it is an un-groomed trail and conditions can vary greatly. In addition after you make the trip report back to let them know what you thought as it is a great way for them to compile trail condition information.

This originally ran in the Mountain Ear on January 28, 2009.

Makes It Look So Easy

A cool video of a guy who has the removal and mounting of climbing skins down to a science. Enjoy (I would fall on my ass doing this).

Know the Code

Do you "Know the Code?" Ok I'll give you a hint, I'm talking about the "Your Responsibility Code" that is promoted by the National Ski Area Association and is posted on the back of trail maps, on lift towers, in ski shops, and all sorts of other areas around ski areas. In fact the National Safety Awareness Week just wrapped up as part of a nation wide effort to promote safety on the slopes.

So back to the code- do you know it? There are seven items on the list, and here they are verbatim from the NSAA website:

* Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.
* People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
* You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.
* Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.
* Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
* Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
* Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

KNOW THE CODE. IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

This seems like a pretty straight forward list, but if we stop and think about it I'm guessing we could ride any lift that rides over a busy trail and see many of these rules broken on a regular basis.

The first item may be a bit subjective. There are plenty of times I'm pretty glad I'm on the lift when I see a skier or rider come careening down the hill in what I would argue is a situation of little control. That particular skier may argue that fact, but my guess is that some skiers rely a bit too much on luck.

The lack of compliance of the second rule on the list irritates me to know avail. I'm pretty sure there are skiers who understand that rule to read, "as long as you can eventually get in front of the downhill skier, regardless of risk, at which point you will become the downhill skier with the right of way. Since you will eventually be the downhill skier and have the right of way then why not just skip the semantics and assume you have right of way regardless of your position on the slope." Ok maybe they don't put that much thought into it, but the skier or rider who is in front of you has right of way- so let them have some space and make a safe pass.

You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above. I think NSAA should have said, "Stop where people can see you from a safe distance, and do so on the side of the trail". Again in peoples haste they miss the nuance of "must not" and they assume that stopping in the middle of the trail beneath a knoll is the safest spot, the old "if I can't see them they can't see me." Just think about it- that skier who is questionable in their adherence to the first rule may be the one coming around the corner or over the knoll.

The merging and yielding- oh my. These seems like it should be fairly easy, we do study merging and yielding in drivers education. Of course if we just look at the difficulty people have at the round about near Hannaford and then apply that to snow- enough said!

Always use a device to avoid run away skis. This one, I think, has good compliance. Most alpine skiers have brakes and most telemarkers and snowboarders run their leashes. The bigger issue is when the skiers loose their skis on a powder day- can be a bummer looking for a ski as everyone snakes by and steals you fresh tracks!

Signs. Ok this one is tough, the number of signs we have to try and pay attention to is a bit much. I'm pretty sure I didn't have on my sunscreen the other day, and I think I saw a sign saying I needed some. I'm also sure that the Parking Lot Full sign doesn't apply to me when I drive our Honda Fit- I can park that anywhere. That being said trails are closed for a reason, usually involving hazards that you're inner Glen Plake may not be ready to deal with. Nothing is more embarrassing than hurting yourself on a closed trail, where the added insult is losing your ticket in addition to a toboggan ride that isn't nearly as much fun as it looks when you watch someone else get carted off the mountain. It's not just the closed signs, but also the SLOW and the Trail Merge signs- they are there for a reason, and just because you can cut your way through a crowd like Zurbriggen used to cut up a slalom course doesn't mean you should- my kid might be in that crowd and I get a little edgy when people ski by her at speed in a slow zone.

The final rule on this admittedly abbreviated list is to know how to use the lift before you load. This one reads more like a self preservation rule, but I'm always amazed at the group of teens out at the mountain for the first time that think a quad is made for five or six- or think that the unloading area will have an usher that will walk them down the ramp. I don't know about you but the idea of any contraption that is going to take me up into the air, to 40 feet up, I want to have an idea of how it works. When it comes to surface lifts it's a good idea to know how they work as well- but I have to be honest watching people try to figure out a self loading poma lift of t-bar can be very entertaining.

So those are the rules. Give them a read. Share them with your friends. Quiz each other, and understand there is a reason for the Code- it is to keep all of us safe out there while we are having fun. The one major addition I would like to add- be courteous. We are all trying to have fun, no need to be rude out on the hill, in lift line, in the lodge, in the parking lot, in the food line, anywhere. Take a deep breath, heck take three since they are free and just relax. Skiing is the best sport in the world, so take an extra moment to enjoy it right.

Originally printed in the Mountain Ear- 2/5/2009

I love mornings like this

Watching the sun's light creep into the sky before that blazing ball even breaks the horizon is one of the wonders of the world. I sometimes think that the powers that be made it so spectacular just so those who get up early to see it get to enjoy something special.

I busted out of the house this morning at 5:15am for a quick up down over at Shawnee. I tried to get Karen or Matt(or both) to go but neither were up for the adventure so I was on my own.

It was colder then I had expected, -6, but no wind so it wasn't too bad.

I used my BD 80mm kicker skins instead of my full skins, and had no issue, even going straight up a couple of steeper pitches. That made my morning as they are smaller, lighter and easier to take on and off.

It was a great climb, tried to stay fairly even. I used my Garmin 705 that K got me for Christmas, here is the trip according to Garmin. You can play with the map view- I like the Satellite version.

I got to midstation just as the first light started hitting the sky, and I wanted to try and make the summit before the sun broke the horizon.I juiced it up and enjoyed the view, trying to snap some photos that showed the color- they just don't do justice.


I swapped hats, donning my Eldora hat in honor of my sister, who I'm sure was still sound asleep (at least I hope since it was around 4am in CO). Threw on a down vest, took off my skis, shortened my poles and headed down the hill.

The snow was excellent (as always) and it was nice to have the hill to myself. I enjoyed the view and took my time making nice easy turns. Once at the bottom I stripped out of gear and headed home, even stopping to snap a shot of the alpenglow on Mt. Washington.
I got home in time to help get the girls ready and then on the bus and now it's off to work. A great way to start the day, and as a bonus- it's Friday!

Enjoy the day.


sven