Christy climbing Gold Hill. The 2013 Elk Mountains Grand Traverse was this past weekend. As our last race of the season, we were thrilled to finish well– Christy was the first female to cross the line and we nabbed the top spot in the Coed Division. And after twelve finishes here (six as a team), our time of 9:55 was the fastest we’ve done together, and PR for Christy. (more…)
The route was modified a bit due to the weather, but the basic layout is here on the map. The climbs are in light green and the ski descents red, and the new section up and down Peak 6 isn’t even on the map (off to the right). Click to enlarge. Against our better judgement, Christy and I headed to Breckenridge to compete in the Five Peaks race. Earlier in...
Chris approaches the top of the Burnt Mountain climb on Snowmass. The 3rd Annual Aspen Snowmass Power of Four Ski Mountaineering Race was this past weekend. It’s great to see this race so popular and run so smooth. Very often new events can be disorganized and struggle to find support. Fifty-eight teams of two took on the full course (14 more did the “Power of Two” half course) in perfect...
The start of the loop course. Photo courtesy of the Aspen Daily News Thanks to everyone involved for getting last nights ski mountaineering (skimo) race off successfully. Donning headlamps and the lightest touring gear they could find, about 30 people, a majority of whom were women, lined up for the 5:30pm start. It was the first of a series of four races to take place at Aspen Highlands this season,...
Good morning Grand Traversers! Put another Grand Traverse in the books. Having had a few days to think about the whole experience, the short answer is that it was a really good race. The weather was mild, there was no wind, and the sunrise was amazing. We got ourselves on the podium as the 3rd place in the co-ed category, Christy was the 3rd female overall to cross the finish...
Our race ended here, when Christy finished her 10th lap. She lost no time beginning the rehydrating process.. Saturday was the Sunlight Endurance Challenge, a.k.a. the 12 Hours of Sunlight. Last year, Christy and I managed to win the co-ed relay division of this unique uphill/downhill race. Despite a pretty thin field with only a few teams competing, it was still a really close finish against our friends from town,...
Anda, Christy, and Tanja(Anda’s sister visiting from Slovenia), all happy to be done. Our big local races are just around the corner and we needed to log some miles. And since you never go out as hard on training days as you do when it’s a real race, we figured it was the right thing to do. Sure, we could have spared ourselves some suffering by opting for the recreational...
Lo Semple, rocking the fanny pack, on the second climb up to Burnt Mtn. after skiing the Hanging Valley Wall in the background. Click any image to enlarge. That was fun. At least in a sort of “now-that-it’s-done” kind of way. Seriously though, despite the sore feet and added challenge of having to finish on a broken ski, Christy and I both felt that it was one of the coolest...
Christy cuts through the powder on the Congo Trail section on her skinny little race skis. (Christy here) The new Power of Four Ski Mountaineering Race is right around the corner, so in an attempt to scout out the complex course and get some time in our new Dynafit ski mountaineering race setups, Anda Smalls and I went out this weekend for a little familiarization. (more…)
The 12 Hours of Sunlight was yesterday and I’m sure everyone who was there would agree– it’s nice to have that done. The 12 hour race requires skiers or boarders to ascend, on foot or skins, 1,500+ vertical feet up Sunlight Ski Area and then ski down and repeat, for half a day. It can be done as a solo, duo relay, or a four person “firedrill” team. Christy and...
We met in Aspen in 2000 and have been happily stuck in the rockies ever since, getting out in the mountains every day we can, in every season and by all means possible. Read More
