Mt Sneffels

Started training in my Scarpa trail runners for the Imogene Pass race coming up on Septmber 7th.
http://imogenerun.com

 

Kids and Red Bull....

The Iron Horse Classic

Helping out Big Bro after he completes a;

50 mile tour from Durango to Silverton. Take off with the train, traveling over two 10,000ft mountain passes enroute to the historical mining town of Silverton. There are four aid stations with food and water along the route. There is no technical support on course. 27 miles of the route to Silverton is a closed road. 

 

Quinn 3 hours 16 minutes, Mom 3 hours 42 minutes

Gallery: 3 miles before Molas 10:35 to 10:55 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fyUC0WCZZ7o

Taking SkiMo to the Classroom

 

Cool Camera Mr Scott

2013 Ski to Sea Race

I'm off to Washington next week. I've been invited to do the 2nd leg of the Ski to Sea race. I'm taking the place of fellow SkiMo racer Chris Kroger who opted out this year. My leg of the race takes place on Mt Baker.
A team consists of 8 racers (2 in the canoe leg) for the seven race legs (Cross Country Ski; Downhill Ski/Snowboard; Running; Road Bike; Canoe; Mountain Bike; Kayak).

Mt Baker

 

After Mount Rainier, Mount Baker is the most heavily glaciated of the Cascade Range volcanoes; the volume of snow and ice on Mount Baker, 0.43 cu mi (1.79 km³) is greater than that of all the other Cascades volcanoes (except Rainier) combined. It is also one of the snowiest places in the world; in 1999, Mount Baker Ski Area, located 14 km (8.7 mi) to the northeast, set the world record for recorded snowfall in a single season—1,140 in (2,900 cm).^[12]
At 10,781 ft (3,286 m), it is the third-highest mountain in Washington State and the fifth-highest in the Cascade Range.

After racing, fellow SkiMo racer Max Taam and I aim to ski off the summit of Mt Rainier. 

Mt Rainier

Mount Rainier^[7] is a massive stratovolcano located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of 14,411 ft (4,392 m).^[1][2] Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.  Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning six major rivers.

 The glaciers of Mt Rainier

Family SkiMo Tour

"Mini-Me"

Colby on the tow-rope.

 "This is awkward dad."

 

 

 

Postholing

 

 

Kids Rockin' Race Gear

Colby, 9 tries out his mom's Scarpa Aliens at our closed local mountain.  Quinn, 11 teaches proper skin application and how to step into race bindings.  "You need to learn how to get into these bindings fast Colby."

Colby was impressed with the performance of the lightweight boots. He's only skinned on a tele set-up in the past.  I asked him how it was skinning up;
"It wasn't hard, it was easy!"
"It didn't tire me out at all!"
"It was really fun!"
"It's way easier then tele skis, I could really tell the difference!"
"I went 10 mph!"
"Once you're done it doesn't feel like your really tired, especially on the bootpack."

"We did a bootpack daddy."
The entire family has now skied the Scarpa Alien 1.0's, 4 for 4. 

Searching for "Dust Free" Snow

Dust storms have ruined our snowpack in the Laplata's so local Nordic coach, Gary Colliander and I decided to head north in search of "clean" snow.  Sven Brunso suggested 13,661' Lookout Mt just north of Silverton.  We drove for an hour, breaking my self-imposed rule of not traveling long distanes to backcountry ski (flying to France and Canada may have broken that rule....)  The snow started looking good just out of Silverton and by Chattangoa Curve it looked skiable.  We started bootpacking from the car followed by a fast, one hour skin to Columbine Lake.  This put us to the East of Lookout Mt.  Great powder skiing followed by marginal powder skiing took us down to the lake.  A high altitude skate across the lake, a skin up a ridge, a 3,000' descent passing through a coulior, some smooth corn and we were back at the car.  Still time to mountain bike with the boys in the afternoon.  Gotta love Spring!

 

 

 

Passing the Torch

The resort is closed, time for a backcountry adventure.  The Drift; an essential tool to document a first ascent.

 

 Heading to Parrot Peak.

Scarpa Aliens..... not just for adults.

Being towed out after a tiring tour.

The GT

Team Kloser/Simmons perform a midnight beacon check.

RedBull @ Midnight

Dialing in the Scarpa Aliens

Skinning up the SkiTrabs

Racin'

 

Super exciting (some have said "insane"...) lining up with 168 teams of 2 @ the base of Mt Crested Butte with the base of Aspen Mt as your goal.  It was a balmy 34 degrees.  The first climb started out fast and I was overdressed and overheating.  Not how I wanted to feel at the start of an 8 hour race.  The first downhill led to what was supposed to be a fast, flat skate through the valley.  Didn't turn out that way as we found ourselves on "trap-door", breakable crust.  Trapdoor refers to the fact that you never know when you're going to break through and find yourself on the ground.  Whoever was in the front would always end up sprawled out on the ground.  Once we reached Brush Creek the snow became supportable and the race really began.  A team of nordic skiers took the lead up Star Pass.  Team Goth/Thomson took back the lead about half way up the pass.  At the top of Star the wind kicked up and I was no longer overheating!  I started struggling with traction and then my headlamp went out (just before the toughest part of the race).  Team Smith/Wickenhauser and Team Dorais/Dorais passed Team Simmons/Kloser at this point.  We caught up with Smith/Wick @ the mandatory (10 minute) Barnard Hut rest stop.  After taking the fastest 10 minute rest stop in race history we were off to Richmond Ridge in fifth place with a 5 minute lead over the team of nordic skiers.  They caught us at the top of Aspen Mt.  Max Taam was at the top spectating and he joined the four of us as we became the race for the sundeck @ the base of Aspen.  Following Max down his home mountain was insane.  In the end we were unable to catch the nordic team and they finished 2 seconds ahead of us putting us in 6th place.  As my 9 year old said, thumbs down to 6th place.  Mabye next year....  Time to get the mountain bike out!

Place	Bib #	Racer nameTeam name	Category	Finish time	Difference% Back	Racer report
1	5	Team DynafitThomson - Goth	M26-35	7:40:54.8	--
2	31	The GarageLaRochell - Holmes	M36-45	7:45:20.0	+4:25.2+1.0%
3	2	Outdoor ResearchDorais - Dorais	M26-35	7:55:13.0	+14:18.2+3.1%
4	1	Team SmithWickWickenhauser - Smith	M36-45	8:01:10.2	+20:15.4+4.4%
5	89	-Koons - Mallory	M26-35	8:07:19.2	+26:24.4+5.7%
6	6	OutThereUSAKloser - Simmons	M46-55	8:07:21.6	+26:26.8+5.7%
7	8	Team GreenLaird - Brown	M36-45	8:21:47.1	+40:52.3+8.9%
8	4	Team AlpineerO'Neill - Rikert	M36-45	8:27:59.7	+47:04.9+10.2%
9	141	Imminent Bivouac/StrafePletcher - Barlow	M26-35	8:37:41.4	+56:46.6+12.3%
10	3	Snow PigsJohnson - Iverson	M26-35	8:54:16.5	+1:13:21.7+15.9%
11	77	Wille/JohnsonJohnson - Wille	M36-45	9:00:25.8	+1:19:31.0+17.3%
12	70	Pine Needle MountianeeringHellinger - Venzara	M36-45	9:10:14.7	+1:29:19.9

Big congrats to fellow Durango racer Miles Venzara for finishing in 12 place!  Miles and I raced together in 2009 on nordic skis (thats a story for another day).  We were both out for redemption!