Well, my goal last week was to do more mileage than the previous week. This should have been easy considering the fact that I only did 10 miles that week. I guess running just hasn't been a priority because I barely got another 10 in for the week. Sure, I could have run on the weekend, but Tango lessons, climbing gym, and ice climbing were planned. After yoga class Friday night, I was too relaxed to get out of bed Saturday morning for a run. No worries though. I've managed to get 2 runs in on the treadmill so far this week, and have a grand total of 11.25 miles to report so far. Woohoo! I might be able to break 20 miles this week!
So, what have I been doing? What could possibly be more fun than running for 8 hours on a Sunday? Well, let me tell you...ice climbing at Buttermilk Falls in the Catskill Mountains. You don't believe me? Pull up a chair and read on...
I've heard stories about Buttermilk Falls for years. It's the kind of place people talk about with excitement in their voices. They say with dismay, "You've never been to Buttermilk Falls? Oh man, it's awesome! You HAVE to go there!" I would catch a glimpse of it on the internet from time to time and it definitely looked like there was a lot of ice. It looked like an ice climbers paradise!
This year would be the year! I had looked for a partner for awhile, and then Bob asked if I wanted to go while we were eating pizza last week. I jumped at the chance (after clearing it with Dawn, of course ;-)
We met around 7AM for the drive up to Tannersville, NY. Tannersville is near Hunter Mountain, NY which is where I did a lot of skiing as a kid. I has distant cousins in Tannersville back then, so going the trip brought back a lot of fond memories for me. We took the back roads through Northwest CT. It was a very pleasant 2.5 hour drive, and then we were ready for the hike in. We could see the ice from the road and it looked like a long way up into the ravine. Temps were expected to be low with a high of 18 for the day. The climb would be in the shade on the Northface, but there was no wind which was a blessing.
We dropped into the valley, crossed a stream, and started hiking up into the ravine. It was a bit of a slog and I worked up a good sweat. Bob, known for his slow hiking, kept up just fine, and we pondered the quality of the ice.
The climb is known to be 7 pitches in length. Basically, it is the equivalent to 7 individual climbs with a 60 meter rope to get to the top of the flow. The good thing about this climb is that it is 7 tiers, so there is a flat area in between each pitch. So, it really does feel like 7 short climbs. This cuts down on the risk factor because it is easier to belay and gives more options for retreat if the weather gets bad, etc.
Bob, a very experienced rock and ice climber, had done this climb at least 6-7 times prior to this trip, so I was very comfortable climbing with him. Bob is a better ice climber than me, so he took the first pitch. The pitch had a nice vertical pillar on one side, and Bob did a great job placing 5 screws on the way up. In ice climbing, the leader places 4-6" long hollow ice screws into the ice and clips the rope to the screw for protection in case of a fall. Now, it was my job to follow and take the screws out. We were climbing with our packs on our backs since this was a long, remote climb. This allowed us to have extra clothing, food, and water, but made the climbing more difficult due to the weight and restriction of movement. My pack was riding too high, so I could barely lift my head to look upward. The ice was brittle which made it hard to get a good stick with the axes and crampons. I managed to get up the pitch without incident, but I was happy that I did not attempt to lead it. Unfortunately, I was mentally a little challenged to get my lead head on for my turn on the sharp end of the rope.
Bob took the next pitch because it was short and easy, and then it was my turn to lead. I looked up at the pitch and picked the easiest line. It had a short vertical section, but seemed manageable. I placed a screw and moved up, pulled through the hard section and got another screw in. Cool! The pitch was sweet. I looked at the next pitch with awe! It was a beautiful long pitch of blue ice. Wow! A few minutes later, Bob asks me if I want to lead it.
Hmm, I looked at it again. This would definitely be the hardest lead I have done on ice to date. I could see a line that looked doable. I accepted the challenge, and got my self prepared. I went up a few feet, and got my first screw in. Bob suggested I move a little left and stem across to the left wall. I moved up and left and tried placing a second screw. The screw went in fine, but I had a heck of a time clipping it. My left calf was cramping and I was getting tired. I adjusted my stance and tried to relax. Then, I clipped into the screw and got moving again. Whew! I climbed up the vertical ice knowing I should place another screw, but too tired to hang out to do it. I got to a decent stance before the exit, and jammed in another screw. After clipping without problems, I let out a big sigh of relief. Woohoo! After making the exit move and clearing a few more minor tiers, I was at the belay tree. Yes! My best ice lead so far!
Bob followed the pitch and led 1 more tough pitch, then I led pitch #6 without trouble. Pitch #7 is known as the crux pitch and it rated as Grade 4 ice. I haven't led Grade 4 yet, so Bob took the pitch. After getting psyched for it, we both quickly realized that this was one of the easier pitches. The top tier opens up into a beautiful amphitheatre of ice, and there are many options for the leader. The easiest line was the most traveled path, but it still looked tough. Although it looked intimidating, it really was quite pleasant. Bob said, "Steve, the pitch you led seemed harder than this one". This was music to my ears.
In reality, Bob's first pitch was the crux pitch for the day. We considered doing another pitch on one side of the flow, but it was getting late. We decided to call it a successful day and head for home.
A day of climbing ice in the Catskills. We saw about 6 other climbers all day, and the trip cost us nothing other than food and gas. The weather was great, and the sights were amazing. We challenged ourselves and had a great time doing it. Bob and I shared some stories and a few laughs, and life was good all over again! Peace.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Winter fun
This was a crazy week. After logging more than 30 miles last week, I thought I would be able to buid on it this week. Unfortunately, it was not the week I expected . Work was very busy, but I managed to get 4.5 miles in on the treadmill on Tuesday and also did some strength training. Great start. Wednesday and Thursday did not allow me to run at lunchtime, and I climbed with Dawn and the gym on both nights. No mileage. Friday was a busy day at work as well, but I managed to get 5.5 miles on the treadmill after work. Great!
Dawn and I decided to go skiing on Saturday. We went to Mohawk Mtn. and saw our good friend, Miriam, who is a ski instructor there. When we woke up that morning, it was -14 deg F. Yikes! I was hoping it would warm up quickly. It was Dawn's 2nd time skiing in 2 years and 3rd time in her life, so I was not expecting much. I did know that she is a fast learner and is very driven. After 2 runs on the bunny slope, Dawn was ready for something more challenging. We skied some easy runs and worked on her technique. Despite the cold, we were having a great time. By 11:30, Dawn's quads were toast, so I skied a few runs by myself and then met her for lunch. We went back out and Dawn gave the intermediate slopes a try. She struggled at first, but by the 3rd run, she looked like a pro. We decided to call it a successful day and head home knowing that we have another sport we can both share.
Today, the Goat and I did some ice climbing. Tara was throwing a Baby Shower for Jamie, and I wanted to evacuate the premises. I didn't expect to see so much snow in the morning since the forecast only predicted 1-2 inches. There must have been at least 3" on the driveway when I looked outside and it was still coming down hard. Damn! I quickly started the snowblower to clear the driveway before the Goat arrived. The Goat rolled in just as I was finishing the driveway and I threw all my stuff in the car. Before I knew it, we were cruising out to Racebrook Falls like two college guys heading to Florida for Springbreak. We were excited to see some blue ice. When we arrived at the parking lot, it was almost 10:30 and no one else was there. Wow! We have the place to ourselves? Yes! Then, the Goat panicked, "PB, I forgot my harness!" No climbing partner ever wants to here those words...especially after a 1.5 hour drive to escape a baby shower. Hmm, I thought, "Let's get creative." We used a spare sling and tied the rope around Goat's waist to make a pseudo harness. Cool. We're back in the game.
Another guy arrived while we were getting ready, and headed in ahead of us. Let's get going before more arrive. We hiked in and saw that the lower falls were climbable, but not nearly as full as we had expected. The pillar loolked decent, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to try leading it. Goat wanted to try the first lead as he hadn't led a pitch on ice in 2 years. I put him on belay and off he went. As you might expect, the Goat was a bit rusty on lead and the quality of the ice didn't help. It took awhile, but I was just happy to be outside. Unfortunately, I was starting to get cold though. Goat finished the pitch and we soloed up the easy sections to get to the upper falls. Now, it was my turn to lead. The climbing looked easy enough and I debated soloing it. I needed practice putting screws in though, so off I went with Goat belaying on a munter hitch. The pitch was quite enjoyable, and Goat followed with no issues.
The forest was so beautiful with fresh snow. It was a very peaceful scene. I wanted to get in more climbing, but it was getting late. Well, perhaps another day.
So, only 10 miles for the week. A small fraction of the mileage I was doing 1 year ago, but I have no regrets. In addition to the 10 miles, I went to the climbing gym twice, went skiing, and then a day of ice climbing. It was a good week with lots of fun activities. Maybe I'll get back to some serious miles this week :-)
Dawn and I decided to go skiing on Saturday. We went to Mohawk Mtn. and saw our good friend, Miriam, who is a ski instructor there. When we woke up that morning, it was -14 deg F. Yikes! I was hoping it would warm up quickly. It was Dawn's 2nd time skiing in 2 years and 3rd time in her life, so I was not expecting much. I did know that she is a fast learner and is very driven. After 2 runs on the bunny slope, Dawn was ready for something more challenging. We skied some easy runs and worked on her technique. Despite the cold, we were having a great time. By 11:30, Dawn's quads were toast, so I skied a few runs by myself and then met her for lunch. We went back out and Dawn gave the intermediate slopes a try. She struggled at first, but by the 3rd run, she looked like a pro. We decided to call it a successful day and head home knowing that we have another sport we can both share.
Today, the Goat and I did some ice climbing. Tara was throwing a Baby Shower for Jamie, and I wanted to evacuate the premises. I didn't expect to see so much snow in the morning since the forecast only predicted 1-2 inches. There must have been at least 3" on the driveway when I looked outside and it was still coming down hard. Damn! I quickly started the snowblower to clear the driveway before the Goat arrived. The Goat rolled in just as I was finishing the driveway and I threw all my stuff in the car. Before I knew it, we were cruising out to Racebrook Falls like two college guys heading to Florida for Springbreak. We were excited to see some blue ice. When we arrived at the parking lot, it was almost 10:30 and no one else was there. Wow! We have the place to ourselves? Yes! Then, the Goat panicked, "PB, I forgot my harness!" No climbing partner ever wants to here those words...especially after a 1.5 hour drive to escape a baby shower. Hmm, I thought, "Let's get creative." We used a spare sling and tied the rope around Goat's waist to make a pseudo harness. Cool. We're back in the game.
Another guy arrived while we were getting ready, and headed in ahead of us. Let's get going before more arrive. We hiked in and saw that the lower falls were climbable, but not nearly as full as we had expected. The pillar loolked decent, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to try leading it. Goat wanted to try the first lead as he hadn't led a pitch on ice in 2 years. I put him on belay and off he went. As you might expect, the Goat was a bit rusty on lead and the quality of the ice didn't help. It took awhile, but I was just happy to be outside. Unfortunately, I was starting to get cold though. Goat finished the pitch and we soloed up the easy sections to get to the upper falls. Now, it was my turn to lead. The climbing looked easy enough and I debated soloing it. I needed practice putting screws in though, so off I went with Goat belaying on a munter hitch. The pitch was quite enjoyable, and Goat followed with no issues.
The forest was so beautiful with fresh snow. It was a very peaceful scene. I wanted to get in more climbing, but it was getting late. Well, perhaps another day.
So, only 10 miles for the week. A small fraction of the mileage I was doing 1 year ago, but I have no regrets. In addition to the 10 miles, I went to the climbing gym twice, went skiing, and then a day of ice climbing. It was a good week with lots of fun activities. Maybe I'll get back to some serious miles this week :-)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
New Year's Resolutions
Whew! 2009 is here and I finally have some mileage to report. Yes, I joined the masses in the gyms this week as we all tried to get back into it. I've been a runner for over 30 years, but felt some serious ties to the New Year's resolution crowd this year. I affectionately call them the "30 day crowd". On the one hand, I am their biggest fan. I hope everyone takes their health seriously and enjoys exercise as much as I do. On the other hand, it's nice to get some extra space in the locker room at the end of January when many of the "resolution" crowd have disappeared. Well, this year I felt more kinship with these folks. I was suffering as much as they were while trying to grind out a few miles.
On Monday, I jumped on the treadmill for a tough 45 minute grind. It felt great to be running again. My mileage in December was about the lowest it had been in the past 10 years or more. My layoff was a combination of recovery from tendonitis, work issues, and just lack of motivation. Running wasn't fun, and it should be (at least on most days).
This week, I churned out around 15 miles on the "hampster wheel" over a 3 days and then managed two runs totaling 16 miles on the weekend. Woohoo! I broke the 30 mile mark for the first time in 6 weeks! More importantly, I was enjoying running again. I was happy to be out there enjoying the feel of the road/trail under my feet, the weather, and the company. I've gained some much needed weight since VT100 and feel my strength returning. I'm climbing well, and working on core strength and flexibility. It feels good!
I don't have a long list of races planned for 2009. In fact, I don't have any set plans except for my annual commitment to the Reach the Beach Relay Team (Go Red Eye!). It feels good to just be running without any major race plans. Last year wore me down. I'm going to be a Grandpa in 2 months, and life will change dramatically. I'm thinking of getting a baby jogger!
If I can get into a routine, I'd like to do some races in 2009. I also want to do some serious climbing this year, so I don't think a 100 miler is in the cards. A few ideas are:
1. Possible Boston Marathon - Dawn qualified, and it would be nice for us to experience it together. If not this year, then definitely in 2010.
2. Northern Nipmuck Trail Race - If Boston doesn't happen, then I'll likely do this race. My buddy, Jim C. is the RD, and I love this course.
3. Pineland Farms 50 miler - I really enjoyed this race. The RD's did an awesome job, and I definitely want to run this race again at some point.
4. sub 2:59 marathon - I'm intentionally not calling it a 3 hour marathon. My PR is 3:00:59, and I really want to crack this nut. Perhaps this will be the year...
There's always a lot on our plates, so who knows what 2009 will bring. We all have lofty dreams...My real goal is to stay healthy and have fun. The races are secondary.
Wishing you all the best in your New Year's resolutions or whatever your fitness plans may be for 2009! Enjoy!
On Monday, I jumped on the treadmill for a tough 45 minute grind. It felt great to be running again. My mileage in December was about the lowest it had been in the past 10 years or more. My layoff was a combination of recovery from tendonitis, work issues, and just lack of motivation. Running wasn't fun, and it should be (at least on most days).
This week, I churned out around 15 miles on the "hampster wheel" over a 3 days and then managed two runs totaling 16 miles on the weekend. Woohoo! I broke the 30 mile mark for the first time in 6 weeks! More importantly, I was enjoying running again. I was happy to be out there enjoying the feel of the road/trail under my feet, the weather, and the company. I've gained some much needed weight since VT100 and feel my strength returning. I'm climbing well, and working on core strength and flexibility. It feels good!
I don't have a long list of races planned for 2009. In fact, I don't have any set plans except for my annual commitment to the Reach the Beach Relay Team (Go Red Eye!). It feels good to just be running without any major race plans. Last year wore me down. I'm going to be a Grandpa in 2 months, and life will change dramatically. I'm thinking of getting a baby jogger!
If I can get into a routine, I'd like to do some races in 2009. I also want to do some serious climbing this year, so I don't think a 100 miler is in the cards. A few ideas are:
1. Possible Boston Marathon - Dawn qualified, and it would be nice for us to experience it together. If not this year, then definitely in 2010.
2. Northern Nipmuck Trail Race - If Boston doesn't happen, then I'll likely do this race. My buddy, Jim C. is the RD, and I love this course.
3. Pineland Farms 50 miler - I really enjoyed this race. The RD's did an awesome job, and I definitely want to run this race again at some point.
4. sub 2:59 marathon - I'm intentionally not calling it a 3 hour marathon. My PR is 3:00:59, and I really want to crack this nut. Perhaps this will be the year...
There's always a lot on our plates, so who knows what 2009 will bring. We all have lofty dreams...My real goal is to stay healthy and have fun. The races are secondary.
Wishing you all the best in your New Year's resolutions or whatever your fitness plans may be for 2009! Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Catching Up
The past 10 days or so have been spent catching up with family, catching up on chores, and catching up on fun activities that have been put off for too long.
After fumbling through the Christmas rush, it was great to get out for a run with my brother, Robert (a.k.a. Bubba, Flood, ....). The Bubster and I have both missed out on a lot of December mileage, so it was good to get out. Robert completed the Marine Corp marathon this year, but had not pulled on his running shoes since the race. We did an easy 5, and spent the rest of the day with our family.
On Friday, Dawn and I ran the Pinnacle Loop plus an added loop to get the mileage to about 6.5. Whew, 2 days in a row...I doubled my mileage for the month! It was a nice run and great to get up the hill again!
On Saturday, we hit the climbing gym and then the Goat and I headed up north to the Adirondack Mountains for some ice climbing. The DAKS are one of my favorite spots year-round, and has some of the best waterfall ice in the country. While the weather was not perfect for climbing, we had some fun. We climbed a waterfall route called Tendonitis on Sunday. It was fun, but the weather was way too warm and the ice was melting quickly. By the afternoon, climbing the fall was like taking a shower. The ice quality was OK, but was quickly deteriorating. We called it an early day and hung out our gear to dry.
On Monday, we climbed a couple short routes in Chapel Pond Canyon, and then headed home. One of our climbing partners was sick, and wanted to get home. There were very few climbable routes anyway based on the thaw, so we were fine with it. It was just fun to get back on the ice after missing ice climbing all of last year. This is a shot of Kevin rappelling off the right side of "Lions on the Beach".
This is a shot of Ged (right) and me (left) leading Tendonitis, a Grade 3+ waterfall on the north face of Pitchoff Mountain.
Here's a shot (left to right) of me, JDW, Ged, and Goat at the beaver pond below the north face of Pitchoff Mtn.
On Tuesday, the Goat and I scouted out some new running trails and got ourselves lost. We ended up at a quarry. While we knew the it existed, I had never understood the magnitude of the site. It's the 3rd quarry along the Metacomet Trail and it's really sad to see the land butchered. I think people would think twice about all the waste of our natural resources if they could see the quarry. I brought along my new camera, so you can check out the pics below.
The wind was so strong that it was hard to make forward progress at times. I have never seen wind that bad. In fact, a large tree fell down behind my house while we were out for the run. Luckily, it missed the house.
Today, I took my daughter, Tara, and her boyfriend, Devon, skiing at Ski Sundown. It started snowing shortly before we arrived there at 8:30, and we had a covering of 1-2" of fresh powder when we got to the top of the mountain. It snowed the entire time we were there, so the conditions just kept getting better. By the time we left, there were at least 6" of powder, and I was loving it. Ski Sundown is a small hill, but it's the best in CT. The conditions we excellent considering the weather we get here in southern New England. This is Tara (right) and me (left) carving some turns.
This is Tara and her boyfriend, Devon, shredding it in the pow!
What a great week and what a great year! When I think back on all the great activities that I have experienced this past year, I am so happy. It's been an amazing year, and I'm looking forward to a great 2009 as well.
I hope you all look back on 2008 with some great memories, and wish you all the best in 2009! I also hope to get out and have some fun with many of you readers over the course of 2009. Running, climbing, skiing, or just sharing some stories and laughs. It's all good!
All the best for 2009!
Steve
After fumbling through the Christmas rush, it was great to get out for a run with my brother, Robert (a.k.a. Bubba, Flood, ....). The Bubster and I have both missed out on a lot of December mileage, so it was good to get out. Robert completed the Marine Corp marathon this year, but had not pulled on his running shoes since the race. We did an easy 5, and spent the rest of the day with our family.
On Friday, Dawn and I ran the Pinnacle Loop plus an added loop to get the mileage to about 6.5. Whew, 2 days in a row...I doubled my mileage for the month! It was a nice run and great to get up the hill again!
On Saturday, we hit the climbing gym and then the Goat and I headed up north to the Adirondack Mountains for some ice climbing. The DAKS are one of my favorite spots year-round, and has some of the best waterfall ice in the country. While the weather was not perfect for climbing, we had some fun. We climbed a waterfall route called Tendonitis on Sunday. It was fun, but the weather was way too warm and the ice was melting quickly. By the afternoon, climbing the fall was like taking a shower. The ice quality was OK, but was quickly deteriorating. We called it an early day and hung out our gear to dry.
On Monday, we climbed a couple short routes in Chapel Pond Canyon, and then headed home. One of our climbing partners was sick, and wanted to get home. There were very few climbable routes anyway based on the thaw, so we were fine with it. It was just fun to get back on the ice after missing ice climbing all of last year. This is a shot of Kevin rappelling off the right side of "Lions on the Beach".
This is a shot of Ged (right) and me (left) leading Tendonitis, a Grade 3+ waterfall on the north face of Pitchoff Mountain.
Here's a shot (left to right) of me, JDW, Ged, and Goat at the beaver pond below the north face of Pitchoff Mtn.
On Tuesday, the Goat and I scouted out some new running trails and got ourselves lost. We ended up at a quarry. While we knew the it existed, I had never understood the magnitude of the site. It's the 3rd quarry along the Metacomet Trail and it's really sad to see the land butchered. I think people would think twice about all the waste of our natural resources if they could see the quarry. I brought along my new camera, so you can check out the pics below.
The wind was so strong that it was hard to make forward progress at times. I have never seen wind that bad. In fact, a large tree fell down behind my house while we were out for the run. Luckily, it missed the house.Today, I took my daughter, Tara, and her boyfriend, Devon, skiing at Ski Sundown. It started snowing shortly before we arrived there at 8:30, and we had a covering of 1-2" of fresh powder when we got to the top of the mountain. It snowed the entire time we were there, so the conditions just kept getting better. By the time we left, there were at least 6" of powder, and I was loving it. Ski Sundown is a small hill, but it's the best in CT. The conditions we excellent considering the weather we get here in southern New England. This is Tara (right) and me (left) carving some turns.
This is Tara and her boyfriend, Devon, shredding it in the pow!
What a great week and what a great year! When I think back on all the great activities that I have experienced this past year, I am so happy. It's been an amazing year, and I'm looking forward to a great 2009 as well.
I hope you all look back on 2008 with some great memories, and wish you all the best in 2009! I also hope to get out and have some fun with many of you readers over the course of 2009. Running, climbing, skiing, or just sharing some stories and laughs. It's all good!
All the best for 2009!
Steve
Monday, December 15, 2008
Joan's Weekend in Vermont
The CT Climbers & Mountaineers started an annual trip to Vermont about 5-6 years ago. Joan, the widow of a past member, Dennis, invited us to her vacation/rental house near Killington, and it has become an annual tradition. I've been on almost all of the trips, and hope we have the opportunity for many more. It's such a great time!
The old farmhouse sleeps about 20 people comfortably, and we usually get about 15 or so in attendance.
The weekend goes something like this....Drive up Friday night and arrive in time for drinks and nachos. It's a chance to get reacquainted with folks I haven't seen in awhile. Saturday - After a quick breakfast, we head out for various outdoor activities. I usually ski with my old climbing partner/mentor, Paul (a.k.a. EuroMan) and others. We don't ride the lifts...we use backcountry ski gear (Randonee or Telemark) to "skin" up the mountain and then ski down. 
Talk about a great cardio workout without the pounding...more on that later. Saturday night is filled with tales of great adventure and an ethnic theme dinner (this year was Ethiopian) followed by a Euroman slide show of past adventures and more drinking. Sunday calls for a more leasurely breakfast followed by clean up/pack up and heading out. Some folks go for more skiing or adventure while others head home.
I talked Dawn into joining the crew this year, so we drove up together Friday night. We arrived around 9:30 to find that the power was out due to the ice storm and we were on generator power. While the beer tasted great, we could not escape talk of the economy, etc. It wasn't a great start, but it was good to be away. Dawn planned to try cross-country skiing with Goat and Dagmar while I headed out to poach some runs at Killington or Pico with EuroMan and others. Generally, the ski resorts don't mind us skinning up the slopes as long as we stay out of the way. It's tough to find non-resort skiing this early in the season as there is usually not enough snow in the woods, etc.
Six of us started up the slopes at a section of Killington that was not open to lift service yet.
The snow making equipment was running, but no lifts. Basically, we had the place to ourselves. Four of us stayed together for the 2,000 vertical feet to the summit while Jody and Rick poked along behind us. The conditions were a bit icy, but the skiing down the top half of the mountain was reasonably good. It felt great to be back on the slopes! 
Unfortunately, our fun was about to come to a screeching halt. One of the resort employees on a snowmobile decided to give me a hard time and asked us to leave. This side of the mountain was not open and we were not paying customers, so we understood the rationale. We complied with his request even though some of the other employees told us it's not usually an issue. I guess this guy was in a bad mood that day. Anyway, we waited in the parking lot for Rick and Jody for awhile to make sure they were safe. Since we had nothing better to do, we started happy hour early.
After Rick and Jody arrived, they decided to head back to the house, and Matt, Jerimy, Paul, and I decided to try to get in a little more vertical at Pico. The resort was not open for paying customers, so we figured we could get a nice run in. On the way up, we saw a skier coming down, so we figured there was no issue with us being there. The skinning was relatively easy because the slope was not very steep for the first 80% of the way up the mountain.
Matt decided to take it easy, so it was EuroMan, Jerimy, and me heading to the summit. Jerimy was moving well until we got to the steeper terrain. He did not have ski crampons for biting into the ice, and he was losing the battle with friction. He started sliding down and we couldn't do much to help him. He decided to take off his skis and try boot-packing it to the top. EuroMan and I were within 200 vertical feet of the summit when one of his crampons came loose. Yikes! He worked on re-attaching while I continued to cautiously work my way up the ice covered, steep slope. There were moments of concern to say the least. One false move on this stuff, and you were going for a long ride! Paul had enough at one point and suggested we turn around and ski down. The section I was on was so steep that there was no way I could convert from skinning to skiing. This involves removing the skis, tearing off the skins, re-setting the binding, buckling the boots, and stepping back into the bindings. "No Way!", I yelled. We have to get to the summit! At least it would be level at the summit, we could changeover, and decide on our next course of action. Paul agreed and we pressed on to the top. I managed fine with the ski crampons while Paul and Jerimy cautiously booted it to the summit.
After summiting, we elected to ski down a more gentle slope, but the conditions were not much better. It was "survival skiing" at it's best. We just wanted to get down the mountain before dark. Here's a shot of EuroMan and Jerimy after we managed to get through the steep, nasty stuff. Yes, that is EuroMan's trusty companion, Grover, riding shotgun on the back of his pack. Grover accompanies EuroMan on most adventures.
He has earned his wings sky diving recently and has managed to solo rappel. He's quite the ladies man as well.
Anyway, back to our story! After fumbling our way back to the cars, we headed back to the house for the real happy hour, a hot shower, and an incredible Ethiopian feast prepared by Al, Marlene, Dawn, Dagmar, and yours truly. The meal was amazing and Matt provided an amazing selection of dessert goodies. I found out that Dawn, Dagmar, and Kevin tried snowshoeing because conditions were too icy for cross-country skiing. Their day was a bit shorter, but it sounded like they enjoyed themselves. The EuroMan slideshow included his recent adventures to Nicaragua and other far off places, and I truly enjoyed it. What a day!
We awoke to a wonderful breakfast on Sunday morning prepared by Rick and Jody, and then the adventure started to wrap up. We cleaned and packed the cars, and said our "goodbyes". Another Joan's weekend was complete.
I had to wonder if this was the last weekend of it's kind. EuroMan is moving west in a week, and he usually coordinates this trip. I hope we continue this event. I love this retreat weekend. It marks the transition from climbing to winter sports season, and is a great opportunity to hang out with friends I don't see very often. I also wonder if I will see EuroMan again. He is a one-man band and goes with the wind these days. I truly miss our days as climbing partners. He taught me a lot and it was a pleasure to watch him climb. We still hold the record for most pitches in a day at the Gunks (at least until someone proves us wrong). We had many great trips together and I hope we get the chance to share more adventures in the future. All the best EuroMan. May you find great adventure and the other things you are seeking!
The old farmhouse sleeps about 20 people comfortably, and we usually get about 15 or so in attendance.
The weekend goes something like this....Drive up Friday night and arrive in time for drinks and nachos. It's a chance to get reacquainted with folks I haven't seen in awhile. Saturday - After a quick breakfast, we head out for various outdoor activities. I usually ski with my old climbing partner/mentor, Paul (a.k.a. EuroMan) and others. We don't ride the lifts...we use backcountry ski gear (Randonee or Telemark) to "skin" up the mountain and then ski down. 
Talk about a great cardio workout without the pounding...more on that later. Saturday night is filled with tales of great adventure and an ethnic theme dinner (this year was Ethiopian) followed by a Euroman slide show of past adventures and more drinking. Sunday calls for a more leasurely breakfast followed by clean up/pack up and heading out. Some folks go for more skiing or adventure while others head home.I talked Dawn into joining the crew this year, so we drove up together Friday night. We arrived around 9:30 to find that the power was out due to the ice storm and we were on generator power. While the beer tasted great, we could not escape talk of the economy, etc. It wasn't a great start, but it was good to be away. Dawn planned to try cross-country skiing with Goat and Dagmar while I headed out to poach some runs at Killington or Pico with EuroMan and others. Generally, the ski resorts don't mind us skinning up the slopes as long as we stay out of the way. It's tough to find non-resort skiing this early in the season as there is usually not enough snow in the woods, etc.
Six of us started up the slopes at a section of Killington that was not open to lift service yet.
The snow making equipment was running, but no lifts. Basically, we had the place to ourselves. Four of us stayed together for the 2,000 vertical feet to the summit while Jody and Rick poked along behind us. The conditions were a bit icy, but the skiing down the top half of the mountain was reasonably good. It felt great to be back on the slopes! 
Unfortunately, our fun was about to come to a screeching halt. One of the resort employees on a snowmobile decided to give me a hard time and asked us to leave. This side of the mountain was not open and we were not paying customers, so we understood the rationale. We complied with his request even though some of the other employees told us it's not usually an issue. I guess this guy was in a bad mood that day. Anyway, we waited in the parking lot for Rick and Jody for awhile to make sure they were safe. Since we had nothing better to do, we started happy hour early.
After Rick and Jody arrived, they decided to head back to the house, and Matt, Jerimy, Paul, and I decided to try to get in a little more vertical at Pico. The resort was not open for paying customers, so we figured we could get a nice run in. On the way up, we saw a skier coming down, so we figured there was no issue with us being there. The skinning was relatively easy because the slope was not very steep for the first 80% of the way up the mountain.
Matt decided to take it easy, so it was EuroMan, Jerimy, and me heading to the summit. Jerimy was moving well until we got to the steeper terrain. He did not have ski crampons for biting into the ice, and he was losing the battle with friction. He started sliding down and we couldn't do much to help him. He decided to take off his skis and try boot-packing it to the top. EuroMan and I were within 200 vertical feet of the summit when one of his crampons came loose. Yikes! He worked on re-attaching while I continued to cautiously work my way up the ice covered, steep slope. There were moments of concern to say the least. One false move on this stuff, and you were going for a long ride! Paul had enough at one point and suggested we turn around and ski down. The section I was on was so steep that there was no way I could convert from skinning to skiing. This involves removing the skis, tearing off the skins, re-setting the binding, buckling the boots, and stepping back into the bindings. "No Way!", I yelled. We have to get to the summit! At least it would be level at the summit, we could changeover, and decide on our next course of action. Paul agreed and we pressed on to the top. I managed fine with the ski crampons while Paul and Jerimy cautiously booted it to the summit.After summiting, we elected to ski down a more gentle slope, but the conditions were not much better. It was "survival skiing" at it's best. We just wanted to get down the mountain before dark. Here's a shot of EuroMan and Jerimy after we managed to get through the steep, nasty stuff. Yes, that is EuroMan's trusty companion, Grover, riding shotgun on the back of his pack. Grover accompanies EuroMan on most adventures.
He has earned his wings sky diving recently and has managed to solo rappel. He's quite the ladies man as well.Anyway, back to our story! After fumbling our way back to the cars, we headed back to the house for the real happy hour, a hot shower, and an incredible Ethiopian feast prepared by Al, Marlene, Dawn, Dagmar, and yours truly. The meal was amazing and Matt provided an amazing selection of dessert goodies. I found out that Dawn, Dagmar, and Kevin tried snowshoeing because conditions were too icy for cross-country skiing. Their day was a bit shorter, but it sounded like they enjoyed themselves. The EuroMan slideshow included his recent adventures to Nicaragua and other far off places, and I truly enjoyed it. What a day!
We awoke to a wonderful breakfast on Sunday morning prepared by Rick and Jody, and then the adventure started to wrap up. We cleaned and packed the cars, and said our "goodbyes". Another Joan's weekend was complete.
I had to wonder if this was the last weekend of it's kind. EuroMan is moving west in a week, and he usually coordinates this trip. I hope we continue this event. I love this retreat weekend. It marks the transition from climbing to winter sports season, and is a great opportunity to hang out with friends I don't see very often. I also wonder if I will see EuroMan again. He is a one-man band and goes with the wind these days. I truly miss our days as climbing partners. He taught me a lot and it was a pleasure to watch him climb. We still hold the record for most pitches in a day at the Gunks (at least until someone proves us wrong). We had many great trips together and I hope we get the chance to share more adventures in the future. All the best EuroMan. May you find great adventure and the other things you are seeking!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Thanksgiving in Mexico
Howdy and Buenos Dias! It's good to be back on U.S. soil. This is just a quick post to summarize the trip. A more detailed report will follow. Hope you all had a wonderful Turkey Day and restful weekend.
Our plan was to climb the 3rd highest peak in North America, Pico de Orizaba, at 18,400 feet in elevation. It is not considered a very technical climb although there is some fairly steep snow/ice (50 degrees?) leading up to the glacier and then some areas of near 40 degree glacier near the summit. About half the climb is on the glacier, so it calls for crampons and ice axe.
We did Ixta (7th highest peak in N. America at 17,200 feet) as a warm up, and frankly it seemed harder due to the constant up and down nature of that climb. We probably had more vertical gain on Ixta than Orizaba.
There's so much to cover that I can't possibly do it all now. Let's just say that it was a successful trip, everyone summited and a good time was had by all. I'm still recovering from a nasty cold, so I gotta keep this short.
Here's a few pics to whet your appetite!
Popocatepetl (17,887 feet) is closed to climbing. It looked like she was going to blow at any moment!
Paulina and Victor climbing up to the Knee on Ixta.
You can faintly make out the trail traversing below the first peak and the traversing the ridgeline beyond.
Alex sets out across the glacier towards the summit ridge on Ixta.
One of 3 summits on Ixta (17, 187 feet).
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Solos and brotherhood
I've only had 2 runs in the past week. Things are crazy at work, and I've been getting ready for the Mexico trip. The good news is they were both great runs...not great in terms of distance or effort, but just great runs. You know, the type of run where you have an adventure or catch up with friends....
Last Saturday, I decided to run some single track on the Metacomet trail. I ran out to a local crag to check on some of the recent climbing activity there. It had just rained, so there were no climbers out. I was inspecting some new routes that were developed. It was cool. The running was very slippery with all the wet leaves. I tried out a new pair of shoes, and explored some new trails. It was cool to explore... and not be training for a specific event. I wasn't concerned about pace or time or effort. Just out to enjoy the scenery. I love running single track!
Today, I met Tim and Bill at the club. There was a time when I was a regular at the club, but then my work location changed. I miss running with the guys. We did an easy 5 and talked the whole way. The group fluctuates in size from day to day and year to year. Members come and go, but the core group remains the same for the most part. We are getting older though. There's still a group of older/retired guys that run at the club, and we can take solace in knowing that they are still the "old guys". God help us when we become the "old guys". It was good to see some of the old crew. Paulie gave me some meds for my trip to Mexico. His wife is expecting any day now, so I'm guessing he won't be climbing mountains for awhile. It was great to see some of the guys and it's always so much fun to run with others. The miles go by so much faster, and it feels good to laugh with my buds. I hope I can find an excuse to join up with them again soon.
So, two runs...one solo and one with friends....two great results...no races, no pressure...just running because it is such a cool thing to do...'nuff said!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have some turkey and stuffing for me...I'll be climbing Pico de Orizaba on Thanksgiving Day if all goes according to plan. I'll be at 19,000 feet and will likely be higher (in terms of elevation) than anyone else in North America on that day. How cool is that? I was the first to see the sun rise in the U.S. on New Years Day (St. Croix) and now this. What a year it has been! I picked up a new camera, so will be posting lots of great pics when I return! Eat some pumpkin pie for me too :-)
Cheers,
Steve
Last Saturday, I decided to run some single track on the Metacomet trail. I ran out to a local crag to check on some of the recent climbing activity there. It had just rained, so there were no climbers out. I was inspecting some new routes that were developed. It was cool. The running was very slippery with all the wet leaves. I tried out a new pair of shoes, and explored some new trails. It was cool to explore... and not be training for a specific event. I wasn't concerned about pace or time or effort. Just out to enjoy the scenery. I love running single track!
Today, I met Tim and Bill at the club. There was a time when I was a regular at the club, but then my work location changed. I miss running with the guys. We did an easy 5 and talked the whole way. The group fluctuates in size from day to day and year to year. Members come and go, but the core group remains the same for the most part. We are getting older though. There's still a group of older/retired guys that run at the club, and we can take solace in knowing that they are still the "old guys". God help us when we become the "old guys". It was good to see some of the old crew. Paulie gave me some meds for my trip to Mexico. His wife is expecting any day now, so I'm guessing he won't be climbing mountains for awhile. It was great to see some of the guys and it's always so much fun to run with others. The miles go by so much faster, and it feels good to laugh with my buds. I hope I can find an excuse to join up with them again soon.
So, two runs...one solo and one with friends....two great results...no races, no pressure...just running because it is such a cool thing to do...'nuff said!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have some turkey and stuffing for me...I'll be climbing Pico de Orizaba on Thanksgiving Day if all goes according to plan. I'll be at 19,000 feet and will likely be higher (in terms of elevation) than anyone else in North America on that day. How cool is that? I was the first to see the sun rise in the U.S. on New Years Day (St. Croix) and now this. What a year it has been! I picked up a new camera, so will be posting lots of great pics when I return! Eat some pumpkin pie for me too :-)
Cheers,
Steve
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