Skiing With Sven

Cold Morning

2012-01-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-27T04:50:00.000-08:00

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.

Now That's Better

2011-12-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

Got out on the hill for some lift service skiing today over at Shawnee Peak, and it felt great! I was impressed with how good the skiing was considering what we've been dealing with in regards to lack of snow and lack of cold. I connected with my parents for a couple runs and was reminded that skiing must be in my DNA. Watching my Dad ski always amazes me. Smooth is the word that always comes to mind and just so sure on his feet. It always reminds me that if I just breath and relax a bit my skiing always improves. Likely good advice in lots of areas of life!

Waiting For Snow

2011-12-19T16:45:00.000-08:00

I know it's coming, and I've had a few great days out on the hill already, but that doesn't stop me from getting cranky about the lack of snow. It is a sad day when we skied powder the day before Halloween and then the day (and day's after) Thanksgiving- but have nothing on the ground now. Of course that being said they are cranking in terms of snowmaking right now so that is good.

As I write this I can see the lights at Shawnee Peak and that means they are going full bore which has me stoked.

Here is the footage from Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day 2011 from Sven Cole on Vimeo.

A good day for sure!

There seems to be a good appetite out there right now for the ski season to get cranking and the vibe in general is pretty good. I am defiantly hearing from a lot of folks who are interested in getting out into the backcountry, which is a good sign. I always look at that as a barometer of the passion for the sport, as it isn't easy to head off-piste when you know you've gotta hike and work to earn your turns. I'm getting excited to do some exploring on skis. One trip I'd love to do is to ski from my house in North Bridgton over to the Moat Mountain Smokehouse in North Conway. It's about marathon distance (around 50km), maybe a touch short- and much would be on snowmobile trails with a few bushwhacks thrown in for good measure, meaning it won't be easy.

I'm also anxious to do this trip again:

Pleasant Mountain Traverse from Sven Cole on Vimeo.

This time I want to skip the lift ride up. It was a super fun trip and one that I'm looking forward to taking a few other people on.

All we need now is the snow.

On a separate note, I want to send out a shout out to Miah, who is undergoing a marrow transplant today. He is one of my all-time favorite people and a major league ski hero. I'm raising a glass to speedy recovery. Now I need to book a ticket out so I can take advantage of his weakened state and be able to keep up with him for once on skis later this winter- it'll be the only way I'll ever do it!

Now go find some snow and enjoy.

Attitash & Wildcat Mountain Among First Google Street View Map Ski Areas In The East

2011-11-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

(Press Release from Thomas Prindle @ Attitash and Wildcat)

Unique Online Map Enables Users An Interactive Experience To Virtually Explore Ski Trails

Bartlett & Pinkham Notch, NH – Wildcat Mountain and Attitash Mountain Resort were recently included among hundreds of new imagery maps released in Google’s Street View collections. The New Hampshire resorts had allowed and coordinated with Google their visit to the mountains and assisted with their collecting 360-degree imagery of the ski slopes, trails and facilities at each resort.

“We were excited to have been asked and to work with the Google Street View team in late March and early April of 2011 and to have them capture this unique imagery of Wildcat Mountain and Attitash Mountain Resort,” said Thomas Prindle, Director of Marketing for both Attitash & Wildcat Mountain. “This new virtual experience has the potential to allow millions of people to view it wherever they are in the world. With imagery of our resort available in Street View, ski and snowboard enthusiasts who may not have visited our mountains or the Mount Washington Valley can now explore the slopes from afar. Ultimately, this helps us showcase the resorts more easily and hopefully, encourage more people to want to visit and see the real thing.”

Street View is a feature available in Google Maps, Google Earth and Google Maps for Mobile that allows users to explore the world virtually at street level. The Google Street View imagery captured at Wildcat Mountain and Attitash Mountain Resort was possible utilizing Google’s specially designed camera systems that they mounted on a snowmobile that enabled a resort employee to navigate ski trails while capturing 360-degree imagery. To see and experience the Google Street View ski area map for Wildcat Mountain, visit: http://bit.ly/WildcatMountain_GoogleStreetView. For Attitash Mountain Resort Street, visit: http://bit.ly/AttitashMountain_GoogleStreetView.

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The Season Is Here!

2011-11-28T05:44:00.001-08:00

Well it was here, and now it's melting rapidly. But it certainly was nice to see so much quality snow. I was able to get out for a few days over the Thanksgiving holiday and had quite the enjoyable time. Here are couple of videos we shot during our adventures.

Enjoy.

Pre-Thanksgiving Powder Day at Shawnee Peak from Sven Cole on Vimeo.

Thanksgiving Day 2011 from Sven Cole on Vimeo.

Trips with Rog

2011-03-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

Roger Lowell is a good friend of my folks and the father to one of my closest childhood friends. He had a big impact on my cross-country skiing as a kid, and even encouraged me to race BKL as a young child as his daughter, Erica, was racing and really enjoying it. I didn't take him up on the racing at that point, but did enjoy many adventures with him on XC gear as a kid.

Rog isn't about the latest gear, the greatest groom, the perfect form, or who's leading the World Cup. Instead Rog is about the pure joy of exploring and gliding on skis. This past week I went on two very different adventures, one was a circumvention of the Pleasant Mountain ridge, and the other was supposed to be another mountain climb under the full moon, but we couldn't find the trail head so it turned into an exploration of a oil pipeline.

Both were fun. Both were memorable. Both were trips I never would have done without someone like Rog saying, "hey let's do this".

I have a write up on the Pleasant Mountain trip that I am working on, but it's not quite done yet. The pipeline trip went like this, Rog called and said he had an idea and gave me a run down on who was going. I talked K into going and then I packed. When I say I packed, I mean I packed. A trip with Rog can often mean an adventure that runs WAY over the allotted time. So food and water are always key, as well as clothing that you REALLY hop you won't need.

When Rog showed up, he was alone, the thought of a night time trip with Rog on trails we had to drive to, that he hadn't been on in years, was just too much for most. So Rog jumped in our van and we were off. Keep in mind the temps had been in the upper 40's during the day and the temps were dropping, so we hoped the snow would set up nicely. K and I chose BC skis with metal edges. Rog chose his pair of XC skis. A vintage pair of waxless Rossi's (no edge and likely 210's). Add to that and his "pack" a 4oz water bottle.

We headed towards Bethel and began the search for the trail head, which was supposed to be near a "green post just past where the Crooked River crosses the road". We looked. We drove back and forth. Rog got out and stepped into a brook looking. We looked a bit more and then gave up. So we headed to Albany to find the pipeline, which was plan B.

We found a spot to park and headed out. The snow was firming up fast, but the snowmobile trail hadn't been used for awhile so there was a mix of rotten snow that you could punch through to very hard crust that I was glad to have and edge for. We headed up the trail, literally up- herringbone for the first few minutes. The moon was super bright and the night time views were very impressive. The climb mellowed and we were enjoying the tour, but in the back of my mind I was worried about the ski back down. With funky snow, bare spots, open streams, and a pretty good hill I was envisioning several near death experiences on the trip back- but I kept putting that out of my head.

The trail rolled along, giving us a chance to enjoy a few short descents, and our concern about the snow conditions was justified. We came to a spot that looked like we had come to a stream we couldn't cross, but we finally found a suitable snow bridge and gave it a go. We came to another stream, and with no snow bridge we jumped it (small gap). We came to yet another stream and decided to call it a day and begin to head back.

K and Rog were ahead of me and made it look easy. I got cocky and nearly did my famous star-fish-fired-from-a-cannon routine. The snow was fast, but I didn't feel like I could put much pressure on a single ski for fear of punching through and getting tossed, meaning edging was done in a very gentle way and in those situations where we had to stop quick we took the risk and punched down through and stopped quick.

However we became more comfortable and soon we enjoyed the ride, taking in the moon soaked landscape and enjoying the crisp air. We got back to the car and were chatting about the adventure with smiles on our faces. The snow conditions weren't great, the trail was just ok, but the joy of being out on skis under a beautiful moon with great people- well that just trumps it all.

I can't wait for my next trip with Rog.

100,000 Vertical Challenge Raises Record Funds For Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire

2011-03-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

8th Annual Marathon Skiing & Riding Event Participants Raise Over $64,000

Pinkham Notch, NH – A total of 32 skiers and riders registered and accepted the challenge to conquer over 100,000 vertical feet in a single day on Monday, March 14th to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire. Weather for the event couldn’t have been much more perfect for the field of male & female, young & old, and ski & snowboard participants to push themselves to complete the marathon alpine event. This year’s participants were able to collectively raise over $64,000 in pledge donations to set an event record high donation amount for their efforts. With this additional amount, The Wildcat Mountain Vertical Challenge has now contributed over $200,000 in funds to directly benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire.

Loading the Wildcat Express high-speed summit quad chairlift at 7:30am to begin the 100,000 vertical foot challenge (skiing or snowboarding 48 runs down the Lynx trail), 22 of the 32 participants were able to complete the challenge with Chris Scannell of Marblehead, MA, Al Toutant of Bryant Pond, ME, and Chris Leuci of Lynnfield, MA finishing 1, 2, and 3 respectively in an event touted not as a race, but as a personal challenge and fundraiser. More impressive, top fundraisers for this year’s 100K Day were lead for a second year in a row by Kevin Elwood of Rowley, MA having raised over $44,000. Chris Scannell of Marblehead, MA was second top fundraiser for a third year in a row with over $4,000 in donations collected and Jessica Quinn of Hudson, NH was the third highest having contributed over $2,000 in collected donations for the event.

Including this year’s new record high donation amount, since the first 100,000 vertical foot challenge took place in 2004, the annual event’s cumulative donation amount has exceeded $200,000. Wildcat Mountain was most recently recognized by Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire as a “Wish Benefactor” noting that the event’s annual giving surpassed $25,000. The annual 100K event is unique to Wildcat Mountain coupling the accessibility and speed of the Wildcat Express high-speed, summit lift and the ski area’s greater than 2,100 vertical foot drop.

Wildcat Mountain would like to thank all participants, donation supporters, volunteers, and recognize the generosity of those that helped to make the event possible providing in-kind support, participant gift bag donations, and top fundraising prizes including: Rossignol Skis, Fischer Skis, Dakine, Bern Helmets, Green Wax, Liftopia.com, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery Co., The Local Grocer, & Poor People’s Pub.

The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire (www.newhampshire.wish.org) is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. It strives to provide children with the hope for better times, the strength for the tough times and the joy to experience the present. The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire is part of the nation's largest and most recognized wish-granting organization, with chapters and volunteers throughout the United States and the world.

Wildcat Mountain is 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 skiwildcat.com or call 1-888- SKI WILD.

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Thomas Prindle - Director of Marketing
Wildcat Mountain - Rt 16, Pinkham Notch
PO Box 817, Jackson, NH 03846
Office: 603 466-3326 x216 Fax: 603 466-5813
Email: tprindle@ Web: skiwildcat.com

Know the Code!

2011-03-14T17:23:00.001-07:00

Do you "Know the Code?" Ok I'll give you a it of a hint, I'm talking about the "Your Responisbility 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 second item is one that irritates me to know avail, as I'm pretty sure there have been skiers who have read that to ready "as long as you can get in front of someone then you will be the downhill skier and then you will have right away, but since you will eventually have right of way you mind as well take it now and just about run over the person in front of you." 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. Just look at the difficulty people have at the round about near Hanafords- 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 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- there 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, up 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- February 2009.

Rain

2011-03-11T11:08:00.001-08:00

It's pouring out right now. I'm not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand it may be dumping up in the mountains and at the same times the roads are getting cleaned off and that means the road riding is getting better. At the same time it means my local XC skiing is starting to come apart at the seams.

This is always a tough time of year when I struggle with the daily bounce between skiing and cycling. Boy life is tough.

22nd Annual Chocolate Festival

2011-02-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

(MWVSkiTouring Press Release)-- One of winter's most popular events, the 22nd Annual Chocolate Festival will be held on Sunday, February 27th. Bring your friends, bring your family to cross country ski, snowshoe, or drive between trailside chocolate stops from 11 am to 4 pm and then visit other area businesses for more chocolate. This annual event presented by
the members of the Mt. Washington Valley Ski Touring Foundation along with area businesses is a fundraiser for this intown Nordic and Snowshoe Center providing groomed trails connecting North Conway Village and Intervale.

The last Sunday in February, also known as the "Sweetest Day on the Trails", is the one day of the year when chocolate indulgence is guilt free! Every year hundreds of chocoholics travel between 12 and 15 kilometers of gently rolling network trails stopping along the way to enjoy chocolate prepared in a variety of ways. Participants
have enjoyed everything from chocolate fondue, handmade chocolates, cookies of all kinds, chocolate-dipped strawberries, chocolate fountains, brownie sundaes, and cupcakes to the classic hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. Visit every trailside stop and enter a drawing to win a $200 Gift Certificate to use at any of
these trailside businesses before the 23rd Annual Chocolate Festival on February 26, 2012. If the full distance of the tour is too much for you to travel on skis or snowshoes, there will be a shuttle circulating continuously from 1 - 5pm stopping at select locations to give you a lift just when you need it the most.

The Special Event Festival Pass includes a daily trail pass and admission to Ten Trailside Chocolate Stops, including the Whitaker Woods Meeting House and Three Additional Area Chocolate Stops. Chocolate Festival passes are $20 for adults and children if purchased in advance, and $25 if purchased the day of the event. Get an early start on your chocolate tour, avoid the crowds, and SAVE by purchasing your ticket in advance online, or at the Touring Center. The Chocolate Festival Brochure and Trail Map with all details will be available the day of the event at any trailside stop.

The Ten Trailside Chocolate Stops, listed by location beginning at the Northern end of the trails, include:

Riverside Inn Bed & Breakfast, Old Field House Country Inn Suites and Townhouses, Touring Center located at Ragged Mountain Equipment, 1785 Inn, Mountain View Estates, Adventure Suites, Stonehurst Manor, Local Grocer at Red Carriage Commons, Eastern Inns, and Whitaker Woods Meeting House. This southern most stop of the tour in North Conway Village offers parking at the John Fuller School, tickets, and a great way to begin your day. After your visit to the trailside stops plan to visit these additional Three Area Chocolate Stops. While you are in the northern area of the network, stop at the Sugar Shack at 100 Acre Woods located across Route 16-302 from Town Hall Road in Intervale between 11 am and 5 pm. Then take Hurricane Mountain Road to the Buttonwood Inn on Mt. Surprise offering some delectable homemade chocolate treat between 1 pm - 5 pm. After leaving the Buttonwood Inn, cross Hurricane Mountain Road on to Kearsarge and continue on to the Vintage Baking Company for a rich, homemade hot chocolate on the porch topped with one of their homemade marshmallows - a nice way to end the 'Sweetest Day on the Trails'.

There will be three trailside restaurants open for lunch and refreshments for those interested in something to eat or drink when chocolate is not enough! Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewing Company opens at 11:30 am, 1785 Inn will offer soup, salads, flatbread pizza and drinks from 11 am - 4 pm, and the bar in the Library Lounge at Stonehurst Manor will be open. Their chocolate martinis are a certain hit!

Limited parking is available at each of the stops along with the John Fuller School, and NH Electric Cooperative located next to Ragged Mountain Equipment. Many participants take the chocolate tour with friends and leave a second car at the end of the trail. If you need a ride back to your car, there will be a complimentary shuttle running continuously from 1 pm - 5 pm with stops at the Whitaker Woods Meeting House, Stonehurst Manor, Riverside Inn Bed & Breakfast, Touring Center, 1785 Inn, and Adventure Suites.

For online ordering, complete and up-to-the-minute Festival details, visit www.MWVSkiTouring.org or for tickets, rentals and information visit the Touring Center located at Ragged Mountain Equipment, 279 NH Route 16-302 in Intervale or call 603-356-9920.

Tracks

2011-02-14T17:26:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite toys as a kid was a slot car racetrack. I remember it was made by Matchbox and came with two cars- a Corvette and a Porsche. I could spent hours racing those cars around and around, trying to see how fast I could get the cars to go through the corner without the back end sliding out, with the only control being with the speed controller.

I bring this up as while skiing the other day I felt like I was the slot car in a well-designed track and I realized that one of the things I was enjoying was trying to stay locked into the track as a whizzed around corners and down rolling hills. It was a battle not only with physics but also with my mind, as there would be times where I wasn’t quite sure I’d make the turn, or felt that the drop in the trail would generate too much speed- so I would have to talk myself into holding on for the ride.

As I was having my fun I watched other skiers step out of the tracks on some of the hills so they could snowplow, or would take one foot out to scrub speed as they went into a corner. While I understood the desire for control I wondered if they realized how much fun it would be to go full bore and let the tracks guide their destiny.

With that in mind, here are a few tricks to staying in the tracks on fast corners and on descents. The first key is to make sure you have a good solid stance. Obviously your feet are going to be spread apart a set amount (due to the tracks) but where are you standing fore and aft on your skis? You want to be standing fairly neutral so that you can easily shift your weight front or back without having to fight back to the neutral position first. The next thing is to make sure you have your knees nice and supple with a bit of a bend. Keep in mind we are talking about bending at the knees- not at the waist!

If you watch people ski downhill you will see a number of people who will hinge at the waist and have their legs straight, they feel like they are bending their knees as their upper body is closer to the ground, but the result is a very unbalanced position.

Now with our weight even front and back, knees are bent and supple, let’s focus on our hands- up in front like we are carrying a tray, and then finally our head- chin up and looking down the trail. It is amazing how the body follows the head- if you look down your weight will go forward- so look out on the trail and you will find your balance much easier to find.

With the body position set the next thing we need to do is work with our mind. If we are looking at a descent (one that we know- it is important to know there is a run out), we need to be sure that we will only enjoy a short burst of speed and then friction and a leveling of the terrain will take care of all of our Jimmy Johnson speed. Also make sure there aren’t any obstacles in the track, tree limbs, ice chunks, or most likely other skiers. If all is clear give it a go. As you speed up keep thinking about supple knees, hands in front, and looking down the trail. The speed will increase rapidly, but just hang on as it will scrub off once the trail levels out (hence the importance of knowing the trail). Once you’ve slowed down feel free to smile (if you aren’t already) and give a hoot- that’s what this is all about!

I do want to reiterate- only do this on shorter hills where you know the run out. If you’ve just skied some trail for the first time and have been climbing for an hour it may not be the best form to try and straight run the descent unless you are very comfortable with speed AND getting out of the tracks at speed. That only comes with practice, and that practice will come with a few wrecks that will turn into stories for back at the touring center. Be safe and have fun with the descents.

When it comes to corners everything we just talked about holds true, but again, use your eyes to look around the corner. As you look through the turn you will find your hands and body try to follow, you should find your weight shift to your outside ski and again just hang on. Practice on tighter and tighter turns with more and more speed. Before you know it you will be racing around just like a slot car.

Video from the Marquette BC Ski Test

2011-02-14T07:45:00.000-08:00

Karen and I snuck out for a tour down the backside of Pleasant Mountain. This was the day before we got a bit of rain, so the snow was still super soft and deep! The skis worked great (except for when I got off the lift and forgot I was on a waxless ski!)

A great day and I look forward to my next adventure on these skis!

To learn more about the Marquette BC ski click here.

The Perfect Winter Hits a Speed Bump

2011-02-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

I don't want to sound like I'm whining, but this last "snow storm" bummed me out. We had been enjoying unreal snow conditions, and then to have a bit of rain mix in and crust things up- not good!

That being said the base we have now is pretty bomb proof so we'll be skiing on a good base for a long time now!

Ok, enough complaining. Time to go skiing.

Skiing Paintball?

2011-01-31T19:09:00.000-08:00

At lunch the other day all my co-workers could talk about was how exciting skiercross was to watch in the Olympics. The speed, the crashes, the mayhem. I brought up how exciting the cross country biathlon was, pointing out it was the only winter sport in the Olympics where you get to ski with a gun.

That of course caught their attention, but only for a moment. Soon they were saying how they should ski with paintball guns and get points for shooting each other. Oh my.

Then again maybe these guys are onto something. I mean what we are really talking about is creating a sport that can capture a television audience, and if alpine skiing needed a boost, than how could Nordic ever hope to survive. But if you built upon our love of all things fast and our seeming fascination with shooting people we might have something on our hands.

Now I’m not sure I know how this might work, I need to set up a meeting with our Valley biathlon experts- Nat Lucy and Eli Walker, to brainstorm on this. But here is how it might work, think of it as a team event, the first wave head out in a mass start- skiing like mad to a wood line- at which time they hunker down and get ready to pick off the next group that comes through. It would create a whole new way to look at a hole shot, no longer would that be such a great spot! So it would sort of work like a relay, once the second wave makes it to the woods they ski on and set up so that the back line can move forward- we now have a whole new level of strategy and tactics.

It would be very fun to watch skiers max out their heart rate out of the starting gate and then, when they hit the woods try to hide despite breathing like Fat Albert at the top of a flight of stairs. It would also provide a new rub on the racing suits, I mean a really bright suit would not really be all that helpful- but then again everyone can’t be racing in camouflage, obviously there might be some logistics to figure out.

I am of course saying this in jest as I think biathlon is plenty exciting as it is, and so does most of Europe where biathlon is followed like NASCAR is here in the United States. For some reason, it just doesn’t resonate with many American fans, which is too bad as it is a really cool sport.

Originally printed in the Mountain Ear 2-26-2010

X-Games

2011-01-31T05:34:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say- Wow! Watching X-Games and realizing how much the sports of skiing and snowboarding have progressed in the last decade.

How long until they put terrain park elements into bump runs? That could be entertaining!

A Race That I Likely Won't Do But Would Likely Enjoy

2011-01-25T05:33:00.000-08:00

This looks like fun. A randonee race is something I've never done, and now I must add it to my "must do list", along with this race- the North Routt Coureur des Bois.

Both look like the type of challenge that offers up enough intimidation that training for them becomes easy. It reminds me of the Jay Challenge, an event that gives you great reason to go out and ride or ski a lot, and in so doing leads you on adventures that you might otherwise not have had time for.

Who knows- maybe someday we'll have a hybrid race in the Mount Washington Valley- part Great Glen to Bretton Woods Nordic Adventure and part Wildcat Valley Inferno- hmmmmm.

2011-01-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

(Older piece, ran in February of 2009 in the Mountain Ear, but I found it and realized I was thinking these same thoughts the other day when I was watching a rail jam over at Shawnee the other day.)

I hate to admit this, but I didn't ski on Sunday. It was a beautiful day, but I had a few projects that took precedent and by the time I was done I decided to kick back on the couch and watch some television. A buddy had come over and we were chatting about skiing and low and behold Winter X-Games was on. We watched skier-x, skier slopestyle, snowboard super pipe and some crazy snowmobile freestyle contest.

The things these athletes were doing were unreal. It was impressive to see how far these sports have progressed, it was cool to see athletes like Shawn White who have grown up before our eyes. It was all good, well not all good. There was a darkness growing as we watched the events. Neither of us said anything at first, but it was there, then it came out- Dan said it first- "where were these events when we were kids?"

The door had been opened. Two late thirty somethings sitting on a couch watching television feeling like the gods of fate had cruelly either put them on the earth too early or had let the evils of a litigious society shape too much of their skiing youth in the 80's and early 90's. Ok you might be wondering where this is all going, but if you skied a great deal in the era of neon then you will remember the great ski movies that showed crazy jumps followed by the reality of ski patrol taking your ticket away because you caught a little bit of air- the era of the "NO JUMPING" sign.

I hated those signs. As an adolescent skier jumping was as much a part of skiing as being wet was a part of swimming. Being on skis allowed you to escape gravity for short periods of time. Sometimes you went way up in the air, other times you travelled great distances, sometimes you did both. But no matter what jumping was one of the coolest feelings around, yet doing so was equated with crime- and we're not talking white collar crime where you just get a little slap on the wrist, we're talking gritty crime where the patrol served as judge, jury, and executioner and would take you golden ticket away and leave you grounded at the base of the mountain without another ride up.

To alleviate this we used to bring several jackets and hats (this was well before helmets) and we'd go session a jump and when the patrol would come to nab us we would boogie down to the base at warp speed, blast out of our bindings, run into the lodge and change our jacket and then come back out and do it again. It was a great game and most of the time you could keep your ticket, but sometimes you'd get caught and either lose a corner of the ticket (again before scanning so they would actually cut part of your ticket off), or if you had already lost a corner they would take the ticket away.

I recently took a run with a long time patroller over at Shawnee Peak who had taken my pass when I was a young one and told me I could get it back if I brought him a pizza. No big deal, except he was in the patrol hut at the top of the mountain and I didn't have a ticket to ride the lift. I walked that pizza up to him and got my ticket back. I did get even though, we had the same size foot- so while he was scarfing down the pizza I took his skis and skied back down.

I bring all of this up as I have realized I have become one of those who now say, "when I was young…..," and Winter X-Games brings that out in me. So while I watch these amazing athletes twist, grab and slide through the terrain park, or as they bump shoulders as they race down a banked course full of jumps, I think back to those who went before them and paved the way by sacrificing their tickets so that jumping and skiing fast could live on, and someday make it to the big time. Ok that's corny, but funny.

A Beluga Replacement?

2011-01-17T06:23:00.001-08:00

I was perusing the blog of a long time friend and full time ski hero of mine- Hansi Johnson, and found (maybe) the answer to what ski could ever replace my precious Garmont Belugas.

I've been a fan of the Beluga since Hansi first put a pair in my hands and said, "go ski these and don't come back until you understand why they rock." It didn't take long. At first blush they don't look like much. A fat, double camber, waxless XC ski with no metal edge. So you look and say- slow, won't turn for crap, and they'll break in a week. Then you go ski on them and say- oh these just made winter that much better. They are the perfect out the door and go have fun ski. I've spent more time exploring everything from the woods behind my house to the backside of Wildcat on these (even racing them in the first and only running of the Wildcat Valley Inferno)- and I love them.

The only issue- they do break. I've broken a few pair, but having run a shop I always had extra's at my disposal. In fact when Garmont discontinued the ski I got a call from their Marketing Director who said we've got like 40 pair left- do you want them, we'll sell them cheap- I said yes and the entire inventory made their way from Williston, VT to Pinkham Notch. I sold quite a few pair, and bought quite a few pair myself. I also, selfishly, felt good that there would always be a stock of them hidden safe up in the Notch for my future plundering.

Well I left GGTOC and a year later the lodge and shop burned to the ground, with the stock of Belugas sharing the same fate as all the other inventory. No one was injured in the fire, but a great many fantastic skis spent their last minutes melting in a major snowstorm. In fact the storm was so bad they couldn't get fire trucks to the scene for quite awhile- by the time they did the building was just a metal roof sitting on the ground.

Anyway- this loss meant that my secret stash of strange skis was lost and I needed to find another one. I called shops all over North America to no avail. Some were curious as they had seen the ski in the catalog but had never known anyone that had any interest. I think my search for the skis did more to promote the skis than had been done when the ski was actually in the line!

At this point I had two pair left. That was nearly a decade ago. One pair met a cruel end when I miss judged my ability to jump over a stone wall, not quite clearing the wall and snapping a tail. Leaving me with my lone pair. I've taken quite good care of them bouncing back and forth between a pair of Karhu Catamounts and the Belugas just to try and keep the mileage down a bit. Still searching from time to time for another pair of Belugas.

Then just yesterday I came across a recently cut section of woods. It was stumpy and had trees down and looked rather sketchy. Exactly the type of terrain the fat Beluga does well on, however I couldn't bring myself to just letting the skis run, fearful of dropping into a hole a snapping the skis. Likely this kept me from hurting myself, but it also got me to thinking that I need to ramp up my search for a Beluga replacement.

This morning I see a post from Hansi talking about skiing with his kid, and how it ranks with some of his all time favorite days skiing. I certainly can relate to that. I realized I hadn't been on his blog in some time, then there it was- a post talking about the Beluga and the fact that he had possibly found a replacement! I couldn't believe the timing- and I am now genuinely excited!

So he just got his and I'm waiting to hear what he has to say. Assuming a thumbs up, it'll be time to pull out the CC and place an order!

Nansen Ski Club Race on Jan. 23

2011-01-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

Nansen Ski Club is hosting the Nansen Milan Winter Festival on January 23rd, and as a part of that they are hosting a 14km Classic Race.

Nansen is the oldest ski club in the country and they built the famed Nansen Ski Jump. This was the first ski jump I'd ever seen and it is something that should be saved and brought back into use. The history of skiing in that area is very rich and I've met some amazing skiers from the Berlin area, including a couple of brothers who taught me a great deal about skiing and a love for the outdoor- Phil and Leo Jensen. They told me stories about the jump in its heyday and showed me what lifelong fitness can do for you when these gentleman who were in their 70's and 80's would clean my clock during Nordic ski races.

Check out some of these stories from the Nansen site, and if you are looking for a race on the 23rd give this one a try.

A Big "Thank You" To Mother Nature

2011-01-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

We've been wondering when "winter" would arrive. Well it's here. Thank you!

Author Jeff Foltz To Discuss His New Book

2011-01-11T07:33:00.001-08:00

The North Conway Public Library is pleased to announce that Jeff Foltz will be discussing his newly released book, Birkebeiner, A Story of Motherhood and War, at the Mt. Washington Weather Discovery Center on Main Street North Conway on Thursday, January 20th at 7:00. The book is a fictional account of an historical event that took place in 1203 when King Hakon's wife and son escape their enemies on an 8 day ski chase across Norway. This presentation and book signing is in conjunction with the 30K ski race being held in Jackson on Saturday, January 22nd. This event is free to the public with donations gladly accepted. There will be coffee and snacks provided.

Snow in the Forecast

2011-01-11T04:56:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to not get too excited, but there is snow in the forecast. The lift serviced skiing has been pretty good, but the XC skiing has been lacking and the base for a good BC adventure is completely missing- so this impending storm gives me hope.

Now please- just don't miss us again!

2011-01-06T05:19:00.000-08:00

Originally printed in the Mountain Ear 12/16/2010)

I have a pet peeve and it revolves around the term “ice” as it relates to skiing. Being a 30+ year vet of East Coast skiing and having grown up when snowmaking was still a relatively new technology, I have a certain view of “ice” as it relates to skiing. I should mention this came from a conversation I had the other day, when someone in our group complained about the “sheet of ice” that they had just skied across. I looked back as I had followed this individual down the trail and had found nothing even remotely close to ice out on the trail. In fact I would have had a hard time saying the section of trail they had just skied was “boilerplate”, I might have given him hard pack but that is about as far as I was willing to go.

Some may think this has to do with my time spent as a PR director at a local resort, but it actually goes back much further than that. I remember getting into arguments with a friend during college who was from Vail and used to complain about ‘icy” conditions the day after a foot of powder and I would just about loose my mind.

I was trying to figure out why this is such a big deal to me. I no longer have to worry about doing snow reports, so that isn’t the issue, so what is it? I thought about it and came up with this. As a kid my Dad would have me follow him down the hill and he’d look for ice, shiny, blue, rock hard, uneven ice, and he’d make a turn on it and I’d try to hold his line and more often than not I’d fall down. However over the years I got better, and eventually I was able to actually make that turn and hold it on that ice. It was like a badge of honor and it was a skill that I had worked hard to develop.

To be honest it’s been a long time since I’ve seen much real “ice” on the hill, but I do still look for it after those awful rain “events” we sometimes see midwinter that are followed by bitter cold. I look for that blue ice and I try to make my turn. I can tell I’m spoiled by good conditions as now I often have a hard time with holding my turn, but I still take pride in trying and using it as a way to find out if I’m standing on my skis in the right spot.

So I think I’ve figured it out, when someone calls hard pack conditions “ice” I feel the old curmudgeon in me want to leap out and say, “you ain’t seen no ice sonny, why back when I was knee high to a ski patroller....”. Regardless, the good news- we very rarely see ice out on the trails anymore, and for that I certainly won’t complain.

Ready for Snow.

2011-01-03T06:06:00.000-08:00

I'm ready for a good storm to roll into the region and drop snow. Just snow. No rain. No freezing rain. No hail, just snow.

That is all.

Re-post of the Greg Stump Interview

2010-12-31T05:04:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to the interview with Greg Stump regarding his upcoming film, Legend of Aahhhs, which hits the State Theater in Portland tomorrow!

Enjoy, and get out and ski!

A Great Way to Start The Day

2010-12-28T05:12:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite things to do is wake up early and climb my local ski hill and enjoy the sunrise before sneaking first tracks. I've made the trip a few times this year, but this morning was the first time I actually got a sunrise.

It is always a bit of a race to the top, as I don't really want to hang out too long at the summit after a climb that leaves me a bit sweaty- so I try to time it just right. I've gotten pretty good at it, and today I hit it just right.

As I was taking my skins off just moments after getting to the summit, I looked up and could see the top of the orb as it began to break the horizon. I grabbed my phone and snapped this shot.

It put a smile on my face and the ripping wind seemed to loose a bit of its chilly bite once I saw the sun.

Then it was time to head down and get home to start the day. What a great start indeed.

We Needed That

2010-12-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

The storm wasn't quite as epic as we had been lead to believe, however it was still enough to put smiles on everyone's faces!

As I write this I am looking over at Shawnee Peak, the sun is setting and there is a pink glow that runs along the ridge. The snow has stopped falling, but it is still moving around out there as the wind continues to reminds us that we have just had a storm.

Tomorrow will be another good day.

Could This Be The One

2010-12-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

It's dark outside, the wind is cranking and the snow is falling. The talking heads on the boob tube are talking about how the world is ending because of this storm, lots of superlatives to describe it, and all of them negative. Meanwhile I'm sitting here cheering and hoping we get slammed, we could use it!

So the ski box is loaded with the fat skis. My 120mm skin are on the table, the alarm is set. The game plan is to get first tracks, early, then come back and load up the family for a day of powder skiing. I hope it lives up to the billing. All I can say, thank you Santa.

Interview with Greg Stump

2010-12-23T09:38:00.000-08:00

As many of you know Legend of Aahhhs is being shown at the State Theater in Portland, ME on New Years Day. This will be one of very few opportunities to see this film before its official launch later in the year, and it's something you won't want to miss.

I had a chance to talk with Greg about the movie, it's impact, and why he chose to show it in Maine.

Enjoy.

Buy your tickets here.

Snow Snakes

2010-12-20T14:11:00.001-08:00

Have you ever seen a snow snake? I’ve never seen one, however I’ve been attacked by them several times a year for well over 30 years- so I know they exist. The reason they are so tough to see is that they are white as snow and they actually travel under the top layer of snow and only come up at the opportune time to cause you to fall. Of course once you are falling it becomes difficult to focus on the snow snake to get visual identification as you are more concerned with not landing awkwardly.

I’m sure many people have tried, as I have, to see the elusive snow snake. The closest I have come was skiing behind a friend and thinking I saw something near his feet just before he launched himself head over heels down the hill in spectacular yard sale form. However I was never sure if it was in fact a snow snake or he just caught an edge.

I’m optimistic that an image of the mysterious snow snake may soon be captured, as there seems to be a large number of people skiing around with video cameras attached to their helmets. Although I have yet to see one of those cameras aimed down at the feet, which I assume would be the best angle for capturing video of said snow snake.

How does one know if they have been a victim of a snow snake? Ask yourself if you’ve ever been skiing and fallen, completely unexpectedly and without warning. These aren’t the typical blown turn, or launched off a bump type of falls, a snow snake induced fall is one that catches you completely off guard. When you stop falling you will find yourself looking around for something to blame the fall on, something that either stopped you skis abruptly or just simply took your feet out.

If you are riding the lift you can identify these victims by the way the look back up the hill after they are done sliding, or they look down at their boots- fearful the snow snake may still be at their feet. They survey the area shaking their head, convinced that something took them down.

It should be noted that not all skiers believe in snow snakes, some feel it is just a ploy to pass off wrecks caused by skier error. These are the same people that question the validity of the Snow Gods and think that you should wash your lucky ski socks during the ski season. I for one know they exist, and am sure that we will see a documentary on the Discovery Channel one day with video proof of their existence. In the mean time, ski with your eyes scanning the terrain, hands in front and knees bent- as I hear this is the best known defense against the elusive snow snake.

January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month

2010-12-14T11:44:00.001-08:00

Ski Maine Association
Media Contact
Greg Sweetser
(207) 773-7669 ext 100
gsweetser@skimaine.com

January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month

Maine kicks off with a Free Learn to Ski and Snowboard Week January 3 - 9, 2011
Portland ME: December 14, 2010 - January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month across the United States and Maine is among thirty four states participating in this celebration of winter.

The health benefits of being active in the outdoors are well documented and according to Greg Sweetser, Executive Director of the Ski Maine Association, "Mainers have close access to outdoor winter sports but many have not taken the first step to try skiing or snowboarding. Highlighting January as a Learn to Ski Month has motivated people to think about getting outside. The Free Learn to Ski and Snowboard Week is hosted by eight Maine ski areas. Interested participants can register for available packages through the Ski Maine website."

The participating ski areas are, Bigrock, Camden Snow Bowl, Lost Valley, Mt. Abram, Saddleback, Shawnee Peak, Sugarloaf, and Sunday River. The Ski Maine Association will process all requests for these packages on the Ski Maine website.(www.skimaine.com)

This annual event acknowledges Maine's longest season and highlights the importance Maine ski and snowboard areas have on the State's economy.
Complete details, including all learn to ski / snowboarding programs, snow conditions, maps, and driving directions are available on the Ski Maine web site.

Ski Maine Association, located in Portland, is the non-profit trade association representing the Alpine and Nordic ski industry in Maine.

-end-

Tickets to Legend

2010-12-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

For those looking for tickets to the Legend of Ahhhs show in Portland on New Years Day, here is the link.

The Snow Was Falling

2010-12-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

I'm not trying to complain, but watching the Weather Channel recently has been a bit tough. It seems it is snowing everywhere but here in Maine and New Hampshire. Wait let me correct that as Eastern Maine got crushed a week ago, but that didn't help the mountains of Western Maine.

I know it'll come soon, but I sometimes get a little anxious.

That being said I did enjoy two good days over at Shawnee with the girls. Add to that news of Stumpy's long awaited "Legend of Aahhhs" is slated for a showing at the State Theater in Portland on New Years Day along with additional showings at the Magic Lantern, I'm getting pretty stoked.

For a taste of the movie, check this out.

Urban Terrain Parks

2010-12-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

I love ideas that bring skiing and riding closer to the people!

PRESS RELEASE
December 7, 2010

Ski Maine Association
Media Contact
Greg Sweetser
(207) 773-7669 ext 100
gsweetser@skimaine.com

Portland Recreation Department and Ski Maine Association jointly announce the expansion of Payson Hill Terrain Park.

Portland ME:(December 7, 2010) Portland's Payson Park is one of three urban winter terrain parks in the United States. The popular sliding hill will see the addition of several new ski and snowboard "elements" that have been donated to Portland Recreation by Maine ski areas.

City Arborist, Jeff Tarling, has been a tireless advocate for active recreation for kids, and the Payson Hill Terrain Park is a huge attraction for kids afterschool. Jeff has also played a key role in the installation of a snowmaking system on the hill. Jeff will provide a brief history of the project and introduce key supporters of this important winter facility.

The Ski Maine Association has been a partner is creating the new afternoon program called "Wednesdays in the Park." Every Wednesday from 1:00 - 3:30 pm for seven weeks, January 5 through February 12, the Ski Maine Association and participating Maine ski areas will have skiers & riders at the Park demonstrating Park Safety and riding along with the kids.

Greg Sweetser, Executive Director of the Ski Maine Association will introduce the partnering ski areas, and the three local businesses sponsors the snowmaking costs this winter.

Press Conference:

Wednesday, December 8th at 9:30 am at Payson Hill Terrain Park, Portland ME

Ski Maine Association, located in Portland, is the non-profit trade association representing the Alpine and Nordic ski industry in Maine.

##

It's Coming

2010-11-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

It snowed the other day. I got pretty jazzed by the sight of snow and my youngest and I headed out the door for some fast grass skiing on the soccer field behind our house. It felt good to go out and stride. It felt good to get some speed on one of the hills. I felt momentarily scared when I realized I was ripping downhill, in the dark, on not very much snow and that I couldn't see where the rocks were. I made it down in one piece and all I could think was, "let's do that again!".

And so starts the ski season.

The lifts are spinning. The Nordic trails are slowly getting covered. The back country is still a ways off, but it's here, and I'm smiling.

Pair of Olympic Skiers lead 2010 Class to be inducted into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame

2010-09-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

Portland, ME: (September 29, 2010) When the Maine ski community gathers Friday October 22 at Lost Valley for the 8th annual Maine Ski Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, the class will include Olympic Skiers Kirsten Clark-Rickenbach (US Ski Team) and Marcus Nash (US Nordic Ski Team). Joining this pair will be Morten Lund (ski writer) Joan McWilliams Dolan (US Freestyle Ski Champion), Bernard Paradis (Fort Kent ski coach), Bob Harkins (US Ski Team coach), and John Atwood (10th Mt Division).

The banquet, always a sellout starts with a social hour at 5 PM, dinner at 6:30 followed by the awards. Since its inception in 2003 the Maine Ski Hall of Fame has honored 73 Maine skiers who have brought distinction to the sport in the state, nationally and internationally. The members inducted to date include competitors, coaches, ski area founders, instructors, ski patrollers, competition officials, volunteers and even inventors. This year's class, listed below is typical, with competitors, coaches and a writer whose work has been read around the world.

The Hall of Fame is a division of the Ski Museum of Maine which is located above the Sugarloaf Ski Shop in Kingfield. Attendees will all receive a full color program book with biography of each of the inductees. Programs from previous induction banquets can be found on the museum web site.

Reservation information can also be found at the site. Cost of the dinner is $35 per person. The Ski Maine Association handles the reservations and can be reached at 207-773-7669 extension 105.
Class of 2010

Kirsten Clark is a Hall of Fame skier with a brilliant career. Her US National Titles include five Downhill titles, one Super G, and one Combined. In addition, in 13 years on the US Team the Raymond native stood on World cup podiums 8 times, including one DH victory, in 28 top ten finishes. In 2003 she won a Silver Medal in the World Alpine Championships and skied in three Olympics. It's the best Alpine record of any Maine skier.

Fryeburg's Marcus Nash skied on the US Cross Country team in two Olympics in nearly a decade on the team. His best international result was a Gold Medal along with teammate Justin Wadsworth in the Goodwill Games at Lake Placid in 2000. Nash was a nine time US Champion at various distances.

Most Maine skiers have heard of Mort Lund, whose ski writing career started in 1954 with Sports Illustrated, but how many know he grew up in Augusta and graduated from Bowdoin College? He went on to write for Ski Magazine on every aspect of the sport, covering Olympics, short ski teaching, GLM and working with PSIA. His books include, "The Skier's World", "The Skier's Bible", "The Ski Book" and more. For more than three decades he was SKI's leading writer. He is one of the most prolific ski journalists in the World and continues as editor of "Skiing Heritage" the first US nationwide history journal published under the auspices of the International Skiing History Association.

Bernard "Ben" Paradis has been described as the "Glue" that held the ski community together in the St. John Valley. As a coach for Fort Kent High School for 26 years his teams won 5 state titles in classes A & C. He developed numerous state champion skiers and won over 20 Aroostook championships, all while serving on the board of Lonesome Pine Ski Trails.

John Atwood's career in skiing spanned a lifetime, skiing on the University of New Hampshire ski team, 1941-1943 and as a Second Lieutenant with the 10th Mt. Division in Italy 1943-1945. Following the war he skied on the US Army ski team in Europe before returning to UNH 1947-1949. In 1962 he founded the Fryeburg Junior Ski Program, developing a feeder program for Fryeburg Academy, one of the state's top ski teams which he coached over the next 20 years winning the state Class A girl's title in 1976. He also found time to serve on the Ski Patrol at Pleasant Mountain through the sixties.

If Freestyle Skiing had been part of the Olympics a couple of decades before it was recognized, Maine might have had a Gold Medalist a lot earlier. Joan McWilliams, (Now Dolan) skied out of Sugarloaf and dominated the sport winning five National Championships in seven years on the US Team. She started in the Sugarloaf Masters Program in the early seventies and went on to win her first National Title in 1976 as a freshman in high school. In 1979 Joan represented the US in the first ever FIS sanctioned freestyle competition and won the combined title. Had it not been for a horrific crash in the 1983 National Freestyle championships she might have gone on to win many more titles. Instead she turned to coaching and has produced a bunch of our countries top freestyle competitors at CVA.

While at Edward Little High School in Auburn, Bob Harkins worked as a weekend volunteer ski patrolman at Sunday River and continued volunteering while at the University of Maine. After graduation he turned to coaching in the alpine racing program at Sunday River beginning a teaching and coaching career that led to serving as athletic director and head ski coach at Gould Academy before becoming director of the racing program at Alpental Ski Area in Washington State. Next came a stint with the US ski team heading up the Development Program and working as alpine operations manager during the Calgary Olympics. From the US Team, he returned to Sunday River where he was the key figure in creating the Perfect Turn Program an innovative way to develop skiers, which is still used at Sunday River and Sugarloaf and has been franchised to other ski resorts.

Snow

2010-09-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

My phone rang at 6am one morning last week. I didn't answer as my phone was downstairs, but I heard it beep to let me know there was a message. I checked- it was Josh, the PC version of the message, "it snowed last night on Mount Washington and I am so excited."

Again that is the PC version, but I have to tell you it sent chills down my spine, as it is approaching. The last day of summer is near and soon we'll be sipping hot apple cider and anxious to get out for the first "glaze glides" on the XC skis (skiing on frost on a well manicured lawn) and then keeping tabs on Sunday River's snowmaking plans.

It's coming.

Ready for winter?

2010-09-03T06:42:00.001-07:00

Temps in the 90's and humidity that leaves me in a puddle has me thinking a great deal about the cold air and white slopes that are only a couple of months away.

I'm not sure what it means but the ski dreams started early this year, like Fourth of July early. Part of it may be the projects going on at the local hills such as the new lift at Shawnee Peak or the base rebuild at Cranmore, or the announcement of Sugarloaf 2020. Or may it is the fact that Legend of Ahhhs is slated to premier this fall.

All I know is that I'm looking forward to winter and getting out on the hill with my girls and those days when your turns are silent and deep.

It's coming my friends.

Bode

2010-03-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

This column originally ran in the Mountain Ear on February 25, 2010.

He now has every color of Olympic medals, along with World Championship medals, and a couple of those crystal globes they give to the skier who wins the overall World Cup. Bode Miller has gone from punch line to “redeemed” and while I’m happy for him I still feel like the mainstream media is missing it when it comes to Bode. Bode loves skiing at the limit more than he loves winning, and I don’t think that he’s kidding when he says that.

When I talk to friends or co-workers who think ski racing only takes place every four years they have a hard time understanding why “Bode doesn’t care about winning.” I find that perplexing considering the number of wins he has racked up in his decade and a half or racing at the highest level of the sport. But then, I have to remember that most casual ski racing fans don’t pay attention to the World Cup and the only time they get to hear Brian Williams mention a ski racers name it is during an Olympic year.

This got me thinking, Shaun White is lauded for “going for it” and for “progressing” the sport. He could have easily been in a situation where his second run mattered in the Olympics and been in a situation where he needed to throw down the double McTwist 1260 to win- and he’d have been celebrated regardless of if he blew up or stuck the landing- because he was pushing the sport. Yet Bode isn’t celebrated when he pushes so hard that he blows up.

I understand that there is a difference between a judged sport and a timed sport, Apollo Ohno won’t get any style points if he nails a triple axel in the 1500m short track race. I know that it is hard to compare progression in ski racing since we don’t have World Records for the athletes to beat, in terms of year over year comparisons on the exact same course. At that same time, the skiers are getting faster, technique is always being refined and even revamped, equipment is always evolving, and that takes athletes who are daring enough to push the envelope.

Bode pushes the limits to see how fast he can go, and when it all comes together, he is fast and he often wins. I also think he truly enjoys that sensation of putting down a run where he let it all hang out and that is more important to him than the time on the podium.

Personally, I’m glad Bode has gotten his gold, if for no other reason, that the casual fans can now say that he is a great ski racer. For myself, I will always enjoy watching a man from Franconia do whatever he thought needed to be done to go fast on a pair of skis, even when it meant that he might blow up. In my mind, Bode has progressed the sport- and for that I say thank you.

Is the end near?

2010-03-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting at my dining room table looking over at Shawnee Peak trying to figure out if I can muster the strength to head over for a few runs. I feel like I should as they will wrap up their season next weekend and I'll be up at Sugarloaf, so today is my only real chance to say "until next year" to my home hill.

The issue of course is that in the last five days I've become spoiled. Temps in the 60's, bluebird skies, wet spring corn, and a great group to ski with every day. Today it's cloudy, it has been spitting snow (I haven't had snow in my yard for well over a month), and it's not warm. Wow when did I become such a whiner?

With that being said the past week has provided some fantastic ski days. Skiing with friends and family every day, even getting a day for just K and I- it has been great. I'm starting to get the hang of this alpine thing again and have stopped trying to drop a knee on my first turn every run.

So now I'm starting to get stoked to get out there. Just need another cup of coffee first.

Back on Track

2010-03-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

My ski season hit a bit of a speed bump a few weeks ago when all the snow in my yard melted. I'm not sure what the story was as I knew there was great snow up in the mountains, but since my yard was bare I figured cycling season had started.

Last week I got back on track by heading up to enjoy a day up at Wildcat with a buddy from work. We lucked out and got a bluebird day and perfect snow for gripping and ripping. I took out the alpine skis and had a good time trying to see how deep of a trench I could rip into the side of the mountain. There weren't too many people there so we were making full use of the trails making big, fast turns that left tracks that ran fully edge to edge. It was fun making turns like that as I can't quite do that on my tele boards.

We took a short break to give me a chance to try and fix a hot spot in my boot and while I was doing that I saw the coolest ski pants I've ever seen.

Enough said.

We made about a dozen runs and then pulled the plug as we both had to get back to pick up our kids from school, and we wanted to make sure we had time to stop by the Moat for a bit of late lunch.

That day on the hill got me fully juiced to ski again and knowing that we had a stretch of wet weather heading our way for the weekend I took advantage of the kids having Friday off from school and we headed over to Shawnee Peak. Elizabeth, my oldest, invited a friend of hers to come with us. He was talking big game in the car about how we were going to need to wait for him, I sort of chuckled to myself as he didn't seem to be able to comprehend that my girls can rip on skis and that he was going to find himself trying to keep up. That proved true very quickly and he settled his ego a bit, instead focusing on keeping up with the girls. It made me realize I need to find out if Team Betty is still around so I can get some new "Ski Like a Girl" stickers. Emma was taking special pride in schooling Liz's friend. What can I say it made me smile.

The weekend came and went with wet weather reminding us that spring is right around the corner. It took me most of the weekend to figure out how to set all of our clocks ahead, still have a few to go.

Then this morning I found motivation to head up the mountain for an AM skin and ski with a brief pause to watch the sun rise. I never tire of watching the sky change color and watching the snow slowly go from blue to white. The snow was a bit stiff in places this morning, but I'd bet by the time first chair spun it was in good shape.

Now I have a couple more days of AM skin and ski trips and then on Friday K and I are heading over to Bretton Woods for a good day out on the hill over there. In all it will complete a very good weeks worth of skiing.

Spring

2010-03-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

I'm in my office looking at a very blue sky. The ground outside my office is void of snow, in fact most everywhere I look is void of snow at the moment- except the mountains.

When I worked in the ski industry we struggled with the NIMBY issue of no snow in Boston meant people were less likely to want to go out and ski. I knew it was a real issue but felt certain that it was something I would never face, being all dedicated to sliding on snow and such.

My how the mighty have fallen.

No snow in my yard and I'm in the garage ready to put the summer wax on all the snow sliding toys and go into full on bike mode. It doesn't seem to matter that just a few hundred vertical higher than I am at my house (I live on top of a big hill) there is snow, and not just a little snow, but a lot of snow- enough to have a really, really good time. Alas I still find myself unmotivated to hit the hill- what is my problem?

Is it the fact that I hurt my back a couple weeks ago, and haven't skinned since? Hmmm, that could be it- maybe an early morning skin and ski is just what I need to get out the door. If I go early enough it will be dark and I won't see these that popped up on Sunday.

Hmmmm, flowers in early March- strange.

The moral of the story- the skiing is still good so get out and get some, now I just need to take my own advice!

NENSA J2 Race at Jackson

2010-03-08T06:16:00.002-08:00

Top NH racers include:

Women:

3rd, Hannah Benson, Jackson, NH

5th, Tess Hamilton, Hopkinton, NH

6th, Shannon Nadeau, Hopkinton, NH

15th, Mikaela Paluszek, Farmington, NH

Men:

1st, Sean Doherty, Center Conway, NH

7th, Jack Schrupp, Gilford, NH

9th, Spencer Hardy, Ford Sayre Ski Club/Lebanon, NH – lives in Norwich, VT

20th, Calvin Swomley, Hanover, NH

Ellen Chandler

603-867-8707

JSTFLocal Man Wins TD Bank Eastern J2 Championships Freestyle 5K

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., March 5, 2010 – Local racer Sean Doherty (Conway, N.H.) topped an international field of racers in the TD Bank Eastern J2 (age 14, 15) Championships and National Invitational 5K Freestyle race today in Jackson, N.H. Beating more than 100 other racers en route to victory, Doherty was nearly 20 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, a stunning margin in a championship event. Winning the women’s race was Frederic Vezina who races for the Mt. Ste. Anne ski club in Quebec. The first American woman was Mackenzie Hitchcock from the Mt. Greylock ski club in Lanesboro, Mass. She was followed by Doherty’s Kennett High School team-mate Hannah Benson in third.

“These young people raced up a storm today,” said Jackson XC Executive Director Thom Perkins. “In both races the winning margin was decisive, but we had more than 100 racers in both the men’s and women’s fields, and both cases no more than eight minutes elapsed between the first and last skiers to cross the finish line.

The TD Bank Eastern J2 Championships and National Invitational continue on Saturday and Sunday in Jackson. This event represents the culmination of the competition season for young skiers in the East along with invited guest racers from the western U.S. (Washington and Idaho) and Quebec. All racing is taking place on the Wave Competition trail network located near the Eagle Mountain House. Spectators may walk to the race arena from the Eagle Mountain House, or they may access it by skiing in from Jackson Village on the Yodel Trail; there is also ski-in access via the Woodchuck Trail from the parking area on Carter Notch Road.

In addition to having groomed trails for the races, Jackson has recreational trails open and groomed for all abilities. Information on the races and trail conditions is available at www.jacksonxc.org; information about youth ski racing and clubs that are available to racers of all ages is available at the website of the New England Nordic Ski Association, www.nensa.net.

Ski to the Clouds

2010-03-08T06:16:00.001-08:00

For Immediate Release: March 7, 2010

Contact: Ryan Triffitt
Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center
Office: 603.466.2333 x 177 / Cell: 207.837.5045
ryan@mt-washington.com

Freeman and Gill Win Ski to the Clouds

Pinkham Notch, NH—On a spectacularly clear day on Mt. Washington, 2006 Olympian Justin Freeman of New Hampton, NH and the Factory Team won his third consecutive Ski to the Clouds. Kirsten Gill from Lewiston, ME and Bates College was the top woman.

Ski to the Clouds presented by Maxiglide offers $1400 in cash prizes and features a 6-kilometer climb up Mt. Washington making it North America’s Toughest 10k.

Freeman let eventual second place finisher, 1992 and 1994 Olympic Biathlete, Duncan Douglas of Honeoye Falls, NY and the National Guard Biathlon Team take the early lead, and they were together at the start of the climb up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. Freeman pulled away steadily on the climb to finish in 43:39. Douglas was nearly a minute back in 44:29. Jesse Downs of Jericho Center, VT and the National Guard Biathlon Team swapped places with Douglas this year after losing to Freeman by a single second in 2009. His final time was 47:29.

On the women’s side, Gill won a close race over Maggie Ryan of Northampton, MA and Berkshire Trails. Gill’s time of 1:01:38 was just over 30 seconds ahead of Ryan who finished in 1:02:16. Amanda Moreland of Bloomfield, NY was third in 1:04:12.

Along with his second place overall finish, Douglas was also the top male 40+. For the women, Meredith Piotrow of Jackson, NH took the top 40+ spot with a time of 1:07:17.

The Ski to the Clouds course includes 4k of racing on the trail system at Great Glen Trails before the climb up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The 6 kilometer climb up the mountain covers 2200 vertical feet making the race North America’s Toughest 10k. The race finishes just below the site of the historic Halfway House on the Mt. Washington Auto Road, at approximately 3800 feet above sea level. Ski to the Clouds is a true freestyle event: skiers can use either skating or classic technique in this mass start race. There are no separate categories for each discipline.

Thanks to the support of Maxiglide, Ski to the Clouds features $1400 in prize money. Cash prizes were awarded to the top three men and women: $250 for first place, $150 for second and $100 for third. The top male and female age 40 or older collected a $200 prize.

Complete results and photos available at www.SkiToTheClouds.com.

A ski challenge of another type is on tap next weekend at Great Glen Trails in the Carl Johnson Memorial Ski-A-Thon. Carl Johnson, a great friend to Great Glen Trails and a lover of all things skiing, passed away in 2006 of ALS. This event is held in his honor and is a fund raiser for the ALS Association. Please visit www.GreatGlenTrails.com to learn more how to support this cause.

Glen Plake

2010-02-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

Ski to the Clouds release

2010-02-16T12:29:00.001-08:00

For Immediate Release: February 16, 2010

Contact: Ryan Triffitt
Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center
Office: 603.466.2333 x 177 / Cell: 207.837.5045
ryan@mt-washington.com

Ski to the Clouds: $1400 Up for Grabs for Skiing Up Mt. Washington

Pinkham Notch, NH—On Sunday, March 7, 2010, Great Glen Trails will host Ski to the Clouds presented by Maxiglide with $1400 in cash prizes up for grabs. Ski to the Clouds features a 6-kilometer climb up Mt. Washington making it North America’s Toughest 10k.

On both the men’s and women’s sides in 2009, Ski to the Clouds was won by Olympic athletes, and Great Glen Trails expects more top notch racing in 2010. Two-time defending champion and member of the 2006 Olympic team, Justin Freeman of New Hampton, NH is scheduled to defend his title. No word yet on the women’s defending champion, Nina Badamshina, a 9-time Olympic and World Championship gold medalist.

The Ski to the Clouds course includes 4k of racing on the trail system at Great Glen Trails before the climb up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The 6 kilometer climb up the mountain covers 2200 vertical feet making the race North America’s Toughest 10k. The race will finish just below the site of the historic Halfway House on the Mt. Washington Auto Road, at approximately 3800 feet above sea level. Ski to the Clouds is a true freestyle event: skiers can use either skating or classic technique in this mass start race. There will not be separate categories for each discipline.

Thanks to the support of Maxiglide, Ski to the Clouds features $1400 in prize money. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three men and women: $250 for first place, $150 for second and $100 for third. The top male and female age 40 or older will also each receive a $200 prize.

Maxiglide will also double any prize money won if that racer uses Maxiglide’s Sensor Speed Powder during the race. (Racer must also provide a testimonial for Maxiglide’s website.) Free samples are also available to all race entrants for testing prior to the race by visiting www.SkiToTheClouds.com.

Race begins at 10:00 am at Great Glen Trails at the base of Mt. Washington. Field is limited to 150 competitors. Competitors are allowed to preview the course. Please purchase a trail pass at Great Glen Trails during regular operating hours. For more information and to register, go to www.SkiToTheClouds.com.

About Maxiglide
Beginning in 1975, Maxiglide was the first American company to address the issue of snow and ice on the bases of the first waxless cross country skis. Maxiglide created a Teflon-based coating that not only sealed the bases from accumulating snow and ice but also enhanced the glide. Maxiglide now offers user-friendly fluorocarbon rub-in waxes effective in a wide range of conditions for all types of skis and snowboards. Maxiglide was the first to develop liquid coatings for skis, then paste waxes, and eventually similar technology for canoes and kayaks. More information is available at www.Maxiglide.com.

Great Glen Trails is open daily for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and snow tubing. A complete events calendar and detailed snow conditions are available at 603.466.2333 or www.GreatGlenTrails.com.

###

Snow Storm

2010-02-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

I had a great early morning climb followed by a nice sun rise run at my local hill. As I was skinning up I was thinking about this storm that the Mid Atlantic was getting nailed with, and how weather that we dream of can be so crippling to another part of the country. I found myself just shaking my head at times as I picked my way up part of a trail that was in desperate need of some snow.

Despite the lack of snow it was still very nice to get out in the morning and enjoy the fresh air. In fact I had a chance to get a little bit of a later start, meaning I got to enjoy my first sun rise where I got to see the sun actually break the horizon. Up to this point it has been more of enjoying a really orange and pink horizon line.

Having a bit more light meant I could play with the video feature on my point and shoot camera. Of course I didn't check the battery before I headed out, so the video didn't last very long! However I did get enough battery to shoot the sun rise and a skin removal. The good news for me- the camera quit just as I went to do the other ski and promptly fell down.

The ski down was excellent. Having first tracks is something I'll never get sick of. Once in the car I tuned into NPR and heard Dulles International Airport got 32 inches out of the storm. Wow! That is a big storm no matter where you are.

Maybe the next storm will track north to an area that will actually appreciate it!

Fashion Curmudgeon

2010-02-02T08:46:00.001-08:00

Am I becoming a skiing curmudgeon when I shake my head in apparent disgust at certain ski fashions? The one that has been irritating me like an ill fitting ski boot is the fully unzipped ski parka look that seems popular with many of the younger crowd hanging out in the terrain park.

I’m not sure why it is bugging me so much, but it is. I mean the pants that look like they should fit Fat Albert but are being worn by Pee-Wee Herman don’t bug me, although I do find myself wondering what they’d look like if they ever tried to do a spread eagle or a daffy.

The studio sized headphones that some wear over their acrylic pom-pom hats don’t bug me, although I am curious if it is that they like the sound performance, or they wanted to have headphones big enough that they could put stickers on them.

I’m even ok with the skiing around with your hands down by your boot tops, I mean I used to have a poster on my wall of Rob Boyd catching air with his hands down by his boot tops. Of course that was a poster of Boyd shot during a downhill where he was going about 80 miles per hour and he was trying to keep his chest from catching air and causing him to wreck.

Heck I’m even ok with the kids who complain the park isn’t groomed out on a powder day, well that’s just me being selfish as it means that they are all over in the park trying to pack down the in-runs while I get a better shot at my favorite powder line in the woods.

But the fully unzipped parka just irks me. Maybe it’s because it brings out the Dad in me and I want to yell at them to zip up their coat so they don’t get cold. Maybe it’s because I’m not a NJ Nets or LA Clippers fan and the unzipped jacked shows off their NBA team of choice, and it seems to rarely be the Celtics. Maybe it’s because if they aren’t wearing an NBA jersey it’s because then I have to look at a cotton t-shirt that has more X’s in the size then the Roman numeral for thirty. Maybe it’s because I often see those who sport this fashion skiing straight down the mountain to the park and I would rather see them make turns to control their speed than use their unzipped coats as some sort of primitive parachute. Or maybe it’s because I hear them complain about being cold while they are in line for the lift, and I’m sitting their thinking- “you’re wearing a $600 down parka- zip it up and you won’t be cold.”

The reality is that it irks me because I don’t get it. I’ve gotten to the point where I no longer “get” the fashion of the day. It irks me because now I understand why my Dad thought it was so stupid that I’d buy flannel shirts a size too big so that I could pile on enough clothing so that I could ski in a flannel shirt and fleece vest, even though it was -10 degrees outside.

At the end of the day, however, they are out their skiing and having fun. So despite being a curmudgeon I can look at them and shake my head in exasperation, but I do it with a smile.

X-Games

2010-01-18T10:35:00.001-08:00

I was going through some older columns, found this one that ran last year, it ran in February of 2009. It made me laugh as I still feel this way- enjoy.

I hate to admit this, but I didn't ski on Sunday. It was a beautiful day, but I had a few projects that took precedent and by the time I was done I decided to kick back on the couch and watch some television. A buddy had come over and we were chatting about skiing and low and behold Winter X-Games was on. We watched skier-x, skier slopestyle, snowboard super pipe and some crazy snowmobile freestyle contest.

The things these athletes were doing were unreal. It was impressive to see how far these sports have progressed, it was cool to see athletes like Shawn White who have grown up before our eyes. It was all good, well not all good. There was a darkness growing as we watched the events. Neither of us said anything at first, but it was there, then it came out- Dan said it first- "where were these events when we were kids?"

The door had been opened. Two late thirty somethings sitting on a couch watching television feeling like the gods of fate had cruelly either put them on the earth too early or had let the evils of a litigious society shape too much of their skiing youth in the 80's and early 90's. Ok you might be wondering where this is all going, but if you skied a great deal in the era of neon then you will remember the great ski movies that showed crazy jumps followed by the reality of ski patrol taking your ticket away because you caught a little bit of air- the era of the "NO JUMPING" sign.

I hated those signs. As an adolescent skier jumping was as much a part of skiing as being wet was a part of swimming. Being on skis allowed you to escape gravity for short periods of time. Sometimes you went way up in the air, other times you travelled great distances, sometimes you did both. But no matter what jumping was one of the coolest feelings around, yet doing so was equated with crime- and we're not talking white collar crime where you just get a little slap on the wrist, we're talking gritty crime where the patrol served as judge, jury, and executioner and would take you golden ticket away and leave you grounded at the base of the mountain without another ride up.

To alleviate this we used to bring several jackets and hats (this was well before helmets) and we'd go session a jump and when the patrol would come to nab us we would boogie down to the base at warp speed, blast out of our bindings, run into the lodge and change our jacket and then come back out and do it again. It was a great game and most of the time you could keep your ticket, but sometimes you'd get caught and either lose a corner of the ticket (again before scanning so they would actually cut part of your ticket off), or if you had already lost a corner they would take the ticket away.

I recently took a run with a long time patroller over at Shawnee Peak who had taken my pass when I was a young one and told me I could get it back if I brought him a pizza. No big deal, except he was in the patrol hut at the top of the mountain and I didn't have a ticket to ride the lift. I walked that pizza up to him and got my ticket back. I did get even though, we had the same size foot- so while he was scarfing down the pizza I took his skis and skied back down.

I bring all of this up as I have realized I have become one of those who now say, "when I was young…..," and Winter X-Games brings that out in me. So while I watch these amazing athletes twist, grab and slide through the terrain park, or as they bump shoulders as they race down a banked course full of jumps, I think back to those who went before them and paved the way by sacrificing their tickets so that jumping and skiing fast could live on, and someday make it to the big time. Ok that's corny, but funny.

As a side note, watching the Winter X-Games we also were treated to local skier and Ability Plus director at Attitash, Erik Corbett, making it to the semi-finals and placing top 5 in the mono-cross event in the Winter X-Games. Congratulations to Erik- great job.

My morning ski

2010-01-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to get up early in the morning before work to skin up Shawnee Peak and get in my one run a day. It works out well as it is about a 40 minute ski up the mountain, followed by a few minutes back down. Basically it's an hour to an hour fifteen round trip- so I can get it done before the girls need help getting ready for school.

The tough part is that the sun really isn't up until almost 7am (although it is getting a few minutes earlier every day) so the ski down is done in very pale morning light. In fact earlier this week it was done more under moonlight- which I have to say was very cool.

I love having the mountain to myself early in the AM. I love being outside and getting in an ok work out that will have a better than OK payoff when it comes time to point the skis down the hill and head back down to the car.

The part my ego enjoys is how people react to it- which I find interesting, if you go to the gym at 5am people see that as normal, but skin up a mountain at 5am and suddenly your hardcore. The reality is it isn't that big of a deal, and in my humble opinion it is a lot harder to be motivated to run on a treadmill inside than it is to skin up a mountain under the stars and to enjoy a great sunrise when you get to the top. Add to that the turns you get on the way back down.

As a side note I want to wish my Dad a happy birthday today!

That's it from me. Now get out and ski.

sven

Out of Practice

2010-01-05T05:35:00.000-08:00

Last night I helped out a friend who had gotten a new pair of backcountry XC skis by mounting up his bindings. This is something I used to do many times a day, sometimes up to 50 pair in a day if we were getting a new rental fleet ready or getting ready for a demo day. Of course when I was doing that I had a shop that was set up as a ski shop. It had good lighting. It had heat. It had the proper tools. It had good work space. And- it had jigs.

Last night I had my dimly lit garage with a small space heater creating a very small area that felt less cold. I had a Swix waxing table that was cluttered with bike tools, I had a drill with a bit that had a duct tape stop on it and the wrong size driver bit. And the best part- a paper jig.

I know there are many of you who have mounted with a paper jig, and so have I- but usually it was on a pair of my skis or at worst skis for my kids- so half the time I would eyeball the whole process, but these weren't my or any blood relatives skis. So I felt like the pressure was on and I really needed to get it perfect.

Long story short we got the skis mounted, with only one stripped screw, a mad hunt for a black bumper in the poor lighting (which we did find), and only a small amount of blood being lost on my part.

The part that cracked me up is that I got a good case of ski envy. The skis are the new Karhu 10th Mountains- a full metal edge waxless ski. Their wood core and pretty light. Very sweet. I really don't need a new pair of skis, but I also know that need has never been a part of the equation. Anyway- the skis are mounted and now it's time to get out and give them a run. With any luck I'll talk my buddy into heading up to ski Wildcat Valley Trail this weekend. Looks like I need to call Thom and get the update.

Until next time, get out and ski.

Sven

Saying Goodbye to 2009 and Hello to 2010

2009-12-31T06:53:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-12-26T07:04:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the Holidays!

Don't forget to make time to ski.

cheers,

sven

Tipping for a ski tune

2009-12-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-16T06:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-04T05:48:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-12-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

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

hmmmmm,

sven

Frozen Ground

2009-12-01T05:46:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-30T07:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-24T06:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

"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

2009-11-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-13T07:29:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

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....

2009-11-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-10-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

I want to see them do a 50k marathon!

enjoy.

sven

Just Missed Us

2009-10-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

(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

2009-09-16T09:52:00.001-07:00

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.

2009-09-15T10:13:00.001-07:00

Do I smell snow?

2009-09-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-23T13:02:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-14T04:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-05T17:16:00.001-08:00

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

2009-03-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

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

2009-03-05T05:10:00.001-08:00

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

2009-03-03T06:08:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-26T05:49:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-24T05:19:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

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

When I was a kid.......

2009-02-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

I hate to admit this, but I didn't ski on Sunday. It was a beautiful day, but I had a few projects that took precedent and by the time I was done I decided to kick back on the couch and watch some television. A buddy had come over and we were chatting about skiing and low and behold Winter X-Games was on. We watched skier-x, skier slopestyle, snowboard super pipe and some crazy snowmobile freestyle contest.

The things these athletes were doing were unreal. It was impressive to see how far these sports have progressed, it was cool to see athletes like Shawn White who have grown up before our eyes. It was all good, well not all good. There was a darkness growing as we watched the events. Neither of us said anything at first, but it was there, then it came out- Dan said it first- "where were these events when we were kids?"

The door had been opened. Two late thirty somethings sitting on a couch watching television feeling like the gods of fate had cruelly either put them on the earth too early or had let the evils of a litigious society shape too much of their skiing youth in the 80's and early 90's. Ok you might be wondering where this is all going, but if you skied a great deal in the era of neon then you will remember the great ski movies that showed crazy jumps followed by the reality of ski patrol taking your ticket away because you caught a little bit of air- the era of the "NO JUMPING" sign.

I hated those signs. As an adolescent skier jumping was as much a part of skiing as being wet was a part of swimming. Being on skis allowed you to escape gravity for short periods of time. Sometimes you went way up in the air, other times you travelled great distances, sometimes you did both. But no matter what jumping was one of the coolest feelings around, yet doing so was equated with crime- and we're not talking white collar crime where you just get a little slap on the wrist, we're talking gritty crime where the patrol served as judge, jury, and executioner and would take you golden ticket away and leave you grounded at the base of the mountain without another ride up.

To alleviate this we used to bring several jackets and hats (this was well before helmets) and we'd go session a jump and when the patrol would come to nab us we would boogie down to the base at warp speed, blast out of our bindings, run into the lodge and change our jacket and then come back out and do it again. It was a great game and most of the time you could keep your ticket, but sometimes you'd get caught and either lose a corner of the ticket (again before scanning so they would actually cut part of your ticket off), or if you had already lost a corner they would take the ticket away.

I recently took a run with a long time patroller over at Shawnee Peak who had taken my pass when I was a young one and told me I could get it back if I brought him a pizza. No big deal, except he was in the patrol hut at the top of the mountain and I didn't have a ticket to ride the lift. I walked that pizza up to him and got my ticket back. I did get even though, we had the same size foot- so while he was scarfing down the pizza I took his skis and skied back down.

I bring all of this up as I have realized I have become one of those who now say, "when I was young…..," and Winter X-Games brings that out in me. So while I watch these amazing athletes twist, grab and slide through the terrain park, or as they bump shoulders as they race down a banked course full of jumps, I think back to those who went before them and paved the way by sacrificing their tickets so that jumping and skiing fast could live on, and someday make it to the big time. Ok that's corny, but funny.

As a side note, watching the Winter X-Games we also were treated to local skier and Ability Plus director at Attitash, Erik Corbett, making it to the semi-finals and placing top 5 in the mono-cross event in the Winter X-Games. Congratulations to Erik- great job.

First published in the Mountain Ear- 1/22/2009

Home Spun Trails

2009-02-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

My wife and I got a chance to sneak out and do a bit of skiing with just the two of us, a luxury that I am sure many parents out there can appreciate. We chose to hit up some local trails that are maintained by a long time family friend and former ski coach. They are his passion, or as his wife says, “his obsession.” Either way they made for a great day out skiing.
It was like a throwback in time, as the woods we were skiing in were the woods I grew up playing in. A large soft wood grove that had trails winding around interesting trees and finding fun ways to use the terrain. The trails reminded me of the first groomed trails I had ever skied, as they were narrow and gave you a sense of being a part of the woods, not just in the woods.
We skied for a couple of hours and in that time saw a great horned owl, which we later learned had taken care of the squirrel population at the trail builders home. We say hundreds (or at least I’m saying hundreds) of spots where wild turkeys had bedded down. Deer tracks, rabbit tracks, and a whole mess of tracks that I had no idea what they were.
We glided through the woods enjoying the trails all to ourselves, feeling like we were in the middle of nowhere, but never more than 15 minutes from the truck. We found old stone walls, and barbed wire, we found a tree that looked to be several hundred years old. It was a day of skiing that I won’t soon forget as my mind just shut off and all that I was aware of was what was around me, very therapeutic.
We crossed a road and headed out on another section of trail. It wasn’t long before I could hear the sound of a snow machine and guessed it would be Roger (the trail builder) out doing some dragging. He had his home built groomer behind his snow machine, with other tools of the trail building trade: shovel, chainsaw, ax, etc, each attached in very deliberate ways. I asked him if he had had a chance to get out and ski, he said not yet but he figured he would in a few days after he groomed out the next big storm. It takes him about a full day to groom his entire system. It was at that moment that I realized how there is perfect harmony in the world when you have people who so enjoy building trails so that others (like myself) can get out and enjoy skiing on the trails.
Karen and I thanked him for his efforts and continued on our way. At times feeling lost, at other times seeing a house or other landmark that told us exactly where we were. It was a great day of skiing and one that I look forward to doing again very soon, this time with a field guide to animal tracks.
First published in the Mountain Ear 1/22/2009

Cool video that my Dad is in

2009-02-04T05:15:00.000-08:00

A couple good clips of my Pops skiing- on the timeline from 17 seconds to 31 seconds and again from 54 seconds to 1:05. Not bad for a man collecting social security.

A Cause Worth a Few Minutes of Your Time and a Few of Your $'s

2009-02-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

Give this a read and if you can try to support, either by spreading the word or sending in some cash. I know that we all check the avi conditions via the web before we head up, but the boards are certainly a nice final check before you start the trip up!

Thanks!

sven

super cool event

2009-02-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

February 2nd, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Thomas Prindle
Director of Marketing & Sales
Wildcat Mountain
(603) 466-3326 X216
tprindle@skiwildcat.com

6th Annual 100K Vertical Challenge To Benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire

Marathon Skiing & Riding Event at Wildcat Mountain Scheduled For Monday, March 2nd

Pinkham Notch, NH – Are you capable of skiing or riding over 100,000 vertical feet in one day? If you are, the bar has been set again for a potential 40 participating skiers and riders who are up for the challenge that includes also raising associated pledge donations to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire.

Held the first Monday in March, last year’s 100K day saw 25 of the 28 participants completing at least 48 runs via the famed Lynx Trail’s 2,100 plus vertical descent from summit to base. It is hoped that even more participants in this year’s Monday, March 2nd event will help to raise donation amounts equal to or possibly exceeding last year’s total pledges of just under $30,000. Since the first 100K challenge took place in 2004, the annual event has seen total donations exceeding $81,000 directly benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire in their endeavors. The annual 100K event is unique to Wildcat Mountain coupling the accessibility and speed of the Wildcat Express high-speed, summit lift and the ski area’s greater than 2,100 vertical foot drop.

Registration for the event is only $65 ($35 for Wildcat Mountain season passholders) and includes lift access for the day, a ticket voucher valid for another day this season, exclusive lift-line privileges while completing the 48 runs (maximum 50 runs), light breakfast/lunch items, snacks, and refreshments during the event, and prizes awarded for the top fundraisers and participants during an awards pasta dinner held following the event. All ages and disciplines are welcome to participate, but a limit of 40 participants and a minimum $250 in pledge donations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire must be acquired and provided the morning of the event, Monday, March 2nd. For more information and to register, visit skiwildcat.com/100Kday.html.

The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire (www.newhampshire.wish.org) is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. It strives to provide children with the hope for better times, the strength for the tough times and the joy to experience the present. The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Hampshire is part of the nation's largest and most recognized wish-granting organization, with chapters and volunteers throughout the United States and the world.

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.

###

Thomas Prindle, Director of Marketing & Sales
Wildcat Mountain
Route 16, Pinkham Notch
PO Box R Jackson, NH 03846
Tel. (603) 466-3326 X216
Fax (603) 466-5813
tprindle@skiwildcat.com
skiwildcat.com/media.html
See the most up-to-date photos, videos, audio, and special offers at skiwildcat.blogspot.com.

A good article for the Ladies

2009-02-02T07:03:00.000-08:00

For all the ladies out there who are looking to tune up their technique, here is a good piece by Heather Burke. Enjoy!

New Poll

2009-01-31T07:31:00.001-08:00

Just put up a new poll- this time snow type. It looks like so far we have a classic skiing, mitten wearing readership. Now we need to know if it's a Powder or Perfect Corduroy crew.

Ok time to shut off the computer and go skiing!

I love skiing

2009-01-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

Had a chance to sneak out of the office today for a meeting over at the mountain. Met up with Dan Egan (who is a Bridgton Academy alum and produced a great video for us) to talk shop. Along the way Melissa asked if we could do a quick photo shoot for Ski Maine, so Dan and I along with Greg Sweetser skied pretty for the camera- well at least those two did- I just hung on for dear life.

While I was hanging on I was reminded of just how great skiing is. Ripping around at speeds we can't otherwise produce without wheels of some sort, on a surface that many around the world look at with disdane. It's just a great feeling. Chasing around a world class skier is also eye opening as you watch how they use the terrain- finding lines that you've just never seen- pretty cool.

Anyway I had a couple good wrecks while trying to smile pretty- so maybe we'll see if we can get a couple posted after the photographer sends them out.

Another good day!