Winter?

Hello? Jack Frost? I just wanted to call and let you know that I missed you this winter. I hope that you are ok and that your absence these past few months is something you can correct starting next November. Let me know where to send the "get well soon" card.

Cheers,

you fan- sven

Ski Stories

I bought a new pair of skis last weekend and as I was waiting for them to get mounted a friend of mine asked me what I'd bought. I started to explain, but found that I was explaining about other skis first- as this new pair of skis was a quiver ski. By the time my story was done my friend looked at me and asked, "so how many pairs of skis do you have?"

I thought about it and while I didn't (and still don't) know the actual count I know it's over 20 pairs of skis. As I write that I can feel myself getting defensive since I feel very justified in each pair of skis, and in fact still feel there are several holes in the quiver. Please keep in mind this quiver includes: alpine, Nordic, back country, and telemark skis.  Within each of these categories I have several sub categories- in other words all the skis have a purpose.

But that isn't the point of this post. Instead, I got to thinking about all of these skis, and of skis I no longer have- I realized there are some fun stories tied to those various boards. I want to try and recall and share some of those stories. So here we go.

The first pair of skis I'm going to talk about were literally my first pair of skis.

I don't know who made them, but I know that they were the first skis I stood on and slid on snow.  I don't have any memories of skiing on them, but I did find a photo of my Mom and I skiing at Pleasant Mountain, I'm guessing it's '75 or '76.

I still have these skis. They've stayed with me for 40 years. I don't reflect about them often, but from time to time they catch my eye and I think back to other childhood skiing memories. Some of which will come out in this series! But it was the other day that these skis caused me to think about something I'm not sure I ever thought about. See, I've been a skier for most of my life, and most of the time when people ask me about my skiing when I was a kid they assume that it was my Dad that taught me how to ski, after all he's the one in the Maine Skiing Hall of Fame, but it was my Mom that taught me to ski.

In fact, I don't have any real early memories of skiing with my Dad, but I have a lot memories of skiing with my Mom. I can remember skiing up at Sugarloaf and doing a race but going the wrong way around each gate. I can remember my Mom making me learn how to sidestep and herringbone up the hill in our back yard after I skied straight down the hill. I wanted her to just carry me up. I remember her helping me onto the Pine lift at Pleasant Mountain. It was my Mom that taught me how to ski.

So while many say I ski like my Dad (which is a huge compliment), it is my Mom that I owe for helping me first find my love of gliding on snow. Thank you Mom.

Virtual Skiing?

I’ve been searching for a cross-country ski video game, and I’ve had no luck.  Why is that?  I can find numerous games for downhill skiing, snowboarding, BMX, race cars, and all sorts of shoot’em’ups- but nothing for Nordic.

Part of the reason I find this so fascinating is one of the most famous and successful pieces of exercise equipment is a cross-country ski simulator- the Nordic Track.  For millions of people cross-country skiing is done in shorts and tennis @shoes while watching CNN.  I’ll bet they've never had a binding ice up or missed the wax.

So when will it jump to the video game world, especially now that we have the Wii or XBox Kinetic?  While this thought started out with a sarcastic tone, I’m now thinking I might be on to something.  When I look through the bicycling catalogs or check out my favorite cycling websites I find several bike trainers that hook into the video game system so that you can race or tour various places around the world while getting a workout.  You can ride the famed climbs of the Tour de France with your trainer providing ample resistance as pixels flash across the screen in an animated accent up Mont Ventoux.  We could accomplish that same thing with a simple hook up to a Nordic Track! 

Just think, instead of having to go outside, which in itself requires getting dressed in what some might call ridiculous clothing, we could go down to our living room and jump on the machine and plug in the White Mountain Classic 30KM or the course for the Great Glen 300.  If we wanted to feel more worldly we could plug in a tour of Norway or race around the trails near St. Anton.  This could be the best new way to explore the world, and you could even program in your chosen weather.

No more waxing skis, no more drying wet boots, no more looking for that lost glove.  It would cut down tremendously on the amount of laundry that would need to be done.  Just like the spinning bikes and their events and classes that have cropped up in health centers, we could even have mass start events where everyone skis like crazy- but nobody goes anywhere!

Ok, now I’m getting really excited- I could sell all my skis, poles, boots, wax, wax table, iron, car rack and box, a ton of lycra, and this would put cash in my pocket and free up a good amount of space in my basement.  But wait- before I go hog wild with my new indoor cross-country ski career maybe I should reflect on what I love about this sport.

The sensation of cold clean air being ingested deep into my lungs.  The sound of a ski gliding over fresh snow, the view of snow capped mountains, the look of fresh snow on evergreen bows, the smile on my daughters faces after they make it down a big downhill, the snow on my dogs noses as they sniff yet another tree well.  I just love the experience on moving across the Earth on skis, that and I think the outside world looks better in real life than it does in HD on a TV.

Ok time to go outside and go skiing.

Snowmaking

I know that our resorts here in the east are now only three months or so away from testing snowmaking. I know there is a 50/50 chance that I'll ski before the end of October- and that is exciting. But I know there is a 100% chance I'll be skiing by December.

But running the Winter Olympics in a place that only has 2" of snowfall per winter? That's stretching what we should expect from snowmaking.

A Different Way To Spend Time in the Mountains

This August the 20th and final edition of the 24 Hours of Great Glen will take place. This is an endurance mountain bike race were competitors race around the clock, on teams or as solo riders. All of this happening in shadow of Mount Washington.

I've been doing this race for awhile, in fact the only one I missed was year one. I love this event and I had the opportunity to talk with Ben Welnak of Mountain Bike Radio about the race. Here is a link to the interview. I hope you enjoy.

Mountain Bike Radio interview.

See you in the mountains.

Conway Road Gap

I've always wanted to do a road gap, ever since seeing a skier jump a train in some 1980's Warren Miller movie. I've never done it, never even been to a road gap jump before.  Now I use the excuse that I'm too old.

Then I saw this, doesn't change that I may be too old, but certainly puts a smile on my face as it's local and pretty cool.

Enjoy.

Conway Road Gap.

Frozen

I just got back from watching Frozen with the family. It’s a cute movie and one that has shown me the ultimate super power- the ability to make snow- lots of it! And we’re not talking the styrofoam type of man-made snow (no offense as we’d be screwed without that stuff)- but legit powder day type of snow.

The funny part was that the winter conditions she was creating were an issue in the movie, and I get why, but I couldn’t help but think that there was another whole storyline that was being missed. That and when the characters RAN down these perfectly filled couloirs I was losing my mind- SKI THEM! The worst part there was a reindeer in the movie- and his name, Sven.

Still it was a cute movie, and as we drove home I could see the lights on at Shawnee Peak as they are cranking up the snowmaking over their way to get open in a couple of weeks.  And it’s been all manmade snow out there thus far this season (well except the Jay Cloud storm from a couple weeks ago that I missed, grumble, grumble)- and those guys that are out doing the work of hauling hoses and checking lines and moisture content are doing it all without magic- so hats off to them! I’ve snuck up to Sunday River a few times to get in a pre-dawn climb and ski, and I’m itching to get out for a full bore day on the hill. I’ve even snuck out on the athletic fields for a bit of fast grass Nordic skiing just to try and get the legs moving. Soon, soon- I keep telling myself.

Anyway- the ski season is here. It’s starting with a bit of a whimper- but that’s ok, it’s starting. But soon we’ll be enjoying snow just like I saw in Frozen- and I can’t wait.

Staying Stoked

It can be tough to stay stoked during the ski season when it looks like you might need to go out and mow your lawn in early February, but the reality is the resort skiing is still really good.

When I look out my window I don't see snow, so it's easy to think of other things than skiing. Yet I can look out another window and see the mountain and that brings me back. At times it can feel like a tug of war of emotions. I then jump on Facebook and see photos of friends over in Europe or out west and see pics of epic powder days and I'm quickly reminded that we are still in the middle of ski season. What I know will happen is we will get our shot here in the east. It will come. We may have to wait until March, but it will arrive- so keep the stoke going. Get out and enjoy the resort skiing (it's really good the snowmaking and grooming crews have been doing their magic). Keep your skills and your legs ready for when the big storms hit. We may only end up with a couple weeks of backcountry skiing this year, but it will arrive and you just need to be ready.

Ok- so that was my pep talk for myself and now it's time to go take a few runs.

Congrats Dad!

I just wanted to publicly congratulate my Dad for being named to the Maine Ski Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2013. He's been a ski hero of mine for my entire life, but he's also my father so I'm sure some of my views on him are skewed a bit due to my vantage point. To see others recognize him for what he's given to the sport is pretty cool.

Now let's see if we can get some snow to fall!

Knickers and Other Fun

I recently caught up with a former teammate from my high school ski team and during our conversation we began to wax poetic about many of our experiences out on the tracks and trails.

Before long we began talking about the equipment of the day, and even about the equipment that we remembered from our youth. The stories became much grander than the reality ever was, but that was ok. But it got me thinking about the evolution in Nordic ski gear that I’ve seen in my several decades of trying to glide across the snow.

As what often happens, I began to think back lovingly on much of the gear that I’ve used over the years. It’s like I was remembering them in Norman Rockwell type paintings, very upbeat, quasi romantic, and not really remembering how awful some of that gear was. I then tried to think if I’d want to use that gear again, the answer- NO!

Starting with my boots. I had some boots that looked awesome. They looked like a really cool pair of soccer cleats. The reason they looked that way was that they were a pair of hand-me down soccer cleats that had had the soles ripped off and replaced with a three-pin sole. The sole didn’t really line up quite right so my left heal didn’t aline properly on the ski- but that was fine, they looked cool. Then there were the laces. Flat, white laces made of cotton, the snow would ball up and the laces would freeze. Meaning you’d better tighten them right when you headed out because they couldn’t be untied until you came inside and sat by the fire for some time. Oh, and in case you were wondering- converted soccer cleats were not very warm, nor water resistant.

The next piece of gear that I saw as my mind basked in a golden light, a pair of wooden cross country skis that I had when I was about 10 years old. They certainly were beautiful, although I’m not sure I felt that way at that age. Being wood, they needed to be pine tarred each season. Now I know I’ve written about the romance of applying pine tar to skis, but it really isn’t that much fun. It smells funny and is messy, and you’re skis are never really fast. Back to the skis, the camber was awful and not evenly matched, so you got great kick on one ski- but terrible glide, and the other glided great but I never could get any kick. I think they were straight cut, so they didn’t exactly turn real well. They really were terrible skis.

I’ll never forget a pair of gorgeous bamboo poles that I got when I was about 12. They had the big round baskets with the leather spokes reaching out to the large steel ring. The poles weighed about as much as a pair of today’s back country skis. We didn’t think about things like “swing weight”. The round baskets loved to get stuck under the crust when we’d be out skiing in the woods (this was long before I started skiing anyplace that was groomed). These poles couldn’t be broken, in fact I believe they are still down in my parents basement, likely being used to hold up the house. Great poles- but certainly nothing I feel a need to bring back into my quiver.

Next up- knickers. Ahhhh, knickers, the most useless ski clothing I’ve ever owned. Now I feel bad as maybe it was just the knickers I had weren’t very good. I know this will come back to haunt me, but my Mom made my knickers and the performance material of choice- corduroy. Now while they looked pretty cool, the offered zero warmth and even less water resistance. Keep in mind I was around 8 or so, meaning I spent a lot of time IN the snow, not just on the snow. I also don’t think my Mom built them to handle the abuse I put them through, as she often had to re-sew blown out seams. Add to that socks that never stayed up and a cranky 8 year old I was. I did like the look, but wouldn’t go back to the lack of performance!

I write this not only to give me a moment to smile back on my youth, but also to remind some of us that maybe it’s time to upgrade our gear. Some of the things I mentioned above are still seen out on the trails on a regular basis, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s also a lot right with the current gear out there today. Ski shops are in the mood to sell there gear at steep discounts right now, and this might be your chance to upgrade you equipment and clothing. Now I’m going to go and search for a pair of large knickers.

Fog

January Thaw? That must be what is going on. I'm watching the snow slowly sink into the Earth as water, and I can feel my attitude starting to sink as well. This always happens and I'm not sure why it catches me off guard, but it always does.

Yesterday I woke up and it was foggy, I mean really foggy. My skiing partner and I had planned to climb that morning and I figured what the heck. So we headed out into the pea soup thick fog and made our way to the mountain. I was joking that I could just sit in the car and enjoy my coffee and then take a nap, but Chris wouldn't let me off the hook and we kitted up to head up the hill.

Chris kept telling me it would be clear when we got up higher, I wasn't so sure. The climb is only 1300 feet, so it only takes about 35-40 minutes, but after 15 minutes we were still in the dank fog. Then we began to see a bit of pink in the air as the fog thinned and the sun began to approach the early morning horizon. We then broke through and were treated to a spectacular sunrise with fantastic undercast.

As we climbed above the clouds I could feel my spirits begin to rise. The snow was a bit crusty, but it was snow and it wasn't melting. By the time we got to the summit I was full on giddy to get my skins off and to enjoy the trip down. The snow was better than it had looked and soon I was full on smiles. Of course what lay beneath my feet as we descended was more fog, but it no longer mattered as I had seen the sun.

Now I've gotta go watch the Weather Channel and see when we can get back into a storm cycle again!

Get out and ski.

Great Day

There are times I wish that I lived out west. Big mountains, consistent snow, epic trails, but then there are those days when I'm pretty stoked right where I am.

This morning my wife joined me and our friend Chris for a pre-dawn skin and ski up Shawnee Peak. We got to enjoy fresh snow, first tracks, and that sense of satisfaction that goes along with a fun adventure before most of the world has even woken up.

I then spent some time in my shop working on skis and getting them ready for their next adventure, which it turned out was just this afternoon. I took a tour of Rog's trails and enjoyed a hour of XC skiing through snow laden pine trees and along babbling brooks (literally babbling). As I finished up the sun was setting behind Shawnee Peak and I realized how full circle the day had been, and how lucky I had been to have been right where I was to enjoy it.

I can't wait for tomorrow. 

New Snow = New Attitude

It's always amazing to me how much my attitude can change with just a little bit of fresh snow, especially when it feels like an unexpected Christmas present.

Yesterday morning I woke up to my excited children pleading with my wife and I to get out of bed at 5 a.m. We managed to hold them off for a bit, but relented around 5:30 a.m. Downstairs we went, and while I did make them wait for the coffee to brew, we let them get to the opening of stockings and presents well before the sun rose.

When the sun did rise I could see the remnants of our last storm still clinging to the field behind our house. The remaining snow had fought a valiant battle against the massive amount of rain we had seen the previous week and it just didn't look very Christmas like outside. But then as I began my second cup of coffee I began to notice a few flakes falling from the sky. It made me smile to think that it was starting to snow a bit. Then it started to snow harder, my smile grew even a bit wider.

As we progressed through our Christmas morning routine the snow continued to fall and the pace of the storm increased. Soon it was looking like a real storm, and within a couple of hours we had a couple of inches of fresh snow on the ground. I could feel that familiar itch creep over me, I needed to get over to the mountain and get in some skiing!

By noon time we had three inches of snow and I knew I had to head out into the fun. My wife and girls knew that for me getting out for a skin and ski would be the perfect Christmas gift so they pushed me out of the house. As I drove over the snow continued to fall. I got my skis skinned up and began to climb. By mid mountain we had about four inches of snow and it was sitting on top of the massive amount of snow the snowmaking crew had laid down over the past few days. Since the top of the mountain hadn't opened yet I knew I was going to get a bit of powder on top of manmade velvet that had yet to be pushed around. One of my favorite conditions- manmade whales with a bit of fluff on top. When I got to the top I met up with one of the snowmakers, I thanked him for the efforts they had been putting in, especially on Christmas Day, and then pushed off for my highly anticipated run. The snow was excellent and the best part- it was all mine.

I got to the bottom and thought of packing up and heading home, but descided I'd hike up for just a few more turns, maybe to the top of the first pitch. As I began climbing I became aware of the fact I was doing time calculations in my head about how long it would take to get all the way to the top again and if I had enough time to make it happen. I was feeling good so I just kept saying, "well I'll go up one more pitch and then call it good." That internal conversation went on until I was at the top again. I once again ran into the same snowmaker and this time I gave him a hand as he was moving some guns around. He thought I was nuts to climb up the mountain twice when the lifts would be spinning the next day, but I told him it was worth it- plus I knew what food lay ahead of my at the parents house later in the afternoon so I figured I needed to put in some work!

My second run was just as good as the first and as I loaded my gear into the car I could feel that my attitude had made a significant shift to the good. Just that little bit of snow made everything look wintery and the fact that the mountain was in such good shape put a smile on my face.

Here's to winter, and its snowy goodness!

Snow?

I'm watching the weather channel and they are talking about massive downpours tomorrow. What is going on? At least to the north they got slammed, I have heard Saddleback and Sugarloaf got crushed with a couple feet of snow. That makes me smile, but then I realize that I'm not heading up that way anytime soon. Hmmmm, I might have to fix that!

Cold Air Please!

I'm looking outside at very green grass and I'm thinking of going for a run. I'll likely be able to wear shorts and just a light long sleeve top, and it's December.

We need some cold air. I've gotten to the point where I can accept the fact that we won't get much snow until mid winter, but we need the temps to be "seasonable" for this ski season to get cranking. While I appreciate the fact that these mild temps help with peoples heating bills, they are hurting other peoples paychecks. I also appreciate that my rant will have little opportunity to impact the temperatures, but it maybe makes me feel a bit better!

With that said, I'm going to go for a run- at least that way my lets will be a bit more ready for that powder day that has got be just around the corner!

The Season

The early season hero's of an eastern ski season are the members of the snowmaking team at your local ski hill. This year is no different, as we've seen little, if any, natural snow. However a number of areas are open and offering up fantastic skiing.

I was thinking of that the other day as I was skinning up Sunday River to get a run in to work off the massive Thanksgiving meal from the previous day. If it wasn't for the snowmakers doing their thing I'd have been doing my normal hike up AND hike down, instead of the glorious ski down under the early light of a rising sun.

Consider how many more days a year we can ski, than skiers could enjoy 40 years ago. Ski areas would hope to have skiing available by Christmas, and would often have to reduce terrain during the January thaw. These days we can ski from November to April with little difficulty, no wonder the sport has progressed so much in the last few decades.

So on this morning I raise my coffee mug to the snowmakers of the world- keep doing what you do, and know we collectively say THANK YOU!

First Skin and Ski Of The Season With Chris Webb Up At Sunday River from Sven Cole on Vimeo.

The season is underway.

Winter

I'm ready for winter. How about you? It's been a strange winter and with February now underway I'm struggling with the fact that we are halfway through the ski season. While we haven't had great natural snow to get us into the woods, we've had some great skiing at the resorts where they've been taking advantage of the few cold nights we've had thus far.

Now what will likely happen is we'll get through February and start thinking about mountain biking, kayaking, and all sort of spring like activities and then get buried with March snow. It seems to happen that way each year and it requires that we stay focused on those future powder days so that when they get here we're not bummed!

Ok time for bed so I can get up and climb in the morning. If I can't get first tracks in powder then first tracks on fresh corduroy is the next best thing!

Cold Morning

I can't think of many better ways to start the day than to skin up a mountain, watch the sunrise, and then ski down. Today was no exception, except for the fact that it was COLD. That being said, it's winter and it's supposed to be cold!

As a skier I get really annoyed when I watch the news and the weatherman tries to sensationalize the weather and encourages people to "stay inside for their own safety" as it will be "dangerously cold". I understand people need to take precautions to make sure they don't get frostbite, but this is winter in New England, if we hideout inside every time it's close to or below zero we are going to get a widespread rash of cabin fever!

The key to cold weather is to use common sense. Cover up exposed skin. Wear layers so you can regulate your temperature. WEAR A HAT! Have good gloves and boots, and keep yourself moving but also understand where you are and what your "bail out" options are. If you are going to go skiing at a ski area, you have the base lodge as a "bail out" option when you get cold. When you're out in the backcountry you have to pack in your bail out option. Mine is a my hooded down parka, packs small, but does a great job at keeping me warm when I transition from the climbing park of the tour to the skiing part! I also always pack an extra hat and gloves as those tend to get wet with sweat when touring.

I guess my point is that while it gets cold, and if unprepared it can become a pretty serious issue, if you do plan and wear the right gear you can have a great time out in the snow no matter what the temp.

Time to Test Skis

Getting out on a pair of demo skis this morning, and I'm kinda stoked. I used to test skis all the time, and I still do a day or two of testing each year- but those days are a lot of skis in a short period of time. This is an all day affair, or at least as long as the girls legs hold out! I bring it up as I get asked all the time about what someone should get for a pair of skis, and I am sometimes embarrassed to say, "I have no idea". The reality is that skis have gotten REALLY good in the last decade, but while they've gotten really good they've also gotten very different. Where do you like to ski? How fast? Do you like to go everywhere (powder, woods, bumps, cruisers, park?) Do you like making big turns? Little turns? A bit of everything? There are skis that excel in all of those categories, as well as skis that do a darn good job crossing over.

So hit up your local shop and try out a pair of skis. Then try out another pair, and maybe another. I guarantee you'll find something you love!

Now get out and ski.

If you're looking for a shop, check out these guys- Sporthaus, they're the guys helping me pick out some new sticks.