Athleticism

One very large part of my goal is simply athelticism, get out and get some vertical. Today was simply about getting my vertical done and getting home to work on home improvements, and spend a little bit of family time.

So I went directly to the Macpherson Fingers and broke trail from 2200 feet to 4800 feet. At that point I was breaking trail through 30-40 cm of snow, deep and tiring all I wanted was some vertical. So I began lapping from 3750-4800, decent snow but not as exceptional as what was high above me.

Regardless I put my head down and pushed myself upwards and lapped it 8 times. I am trying to work on several techniques to make touring easier. I spent most of the day focused on taking smaller steps, generally I like to stretch my legs out and take huge steps. This technique is great in the short term but requires more power and eventually tires me out more quickly. So smaller steps and quicker breaths. While working on that I also continually focused on relaxing myself. Tense bodies tire quickly, so I relaxed and let my legs go. Keeping up with my mantra of ” Breathe and believe.”

Every day that I tour 10 000 feet, I am aiming to log them on my watch. Its great to have a log book of all my days but also in the case that anyone doubts me then I can show them each and every day graphed on my computer.5 hours 12min, 10070 feet
88 to go.

Mcgill Shoulder

When the avalanche danger rises I tend to go to several safe zones, where I know the runs and can avoid all start zones. Winds combined with new snow and rising temperatures have created warm windslabs with a tendancy to move. Since terrain is always the answer we went to Mcgill shoulder where I know the runs inherantly and can avoid all danger while still getting great skiing.

Ian, Frank and I toured up from 3300 feet to 7000 feet and had several runs down the treed slope. I have been working on this front roll/front flip combo that seems to be working. Fall forward off whatever and keep rolling. Hopefully you will get around enough to land on your butt/skis and pop up out of the powder cloud to resume skiing. All the while acting as if you had meant to do it. Great move, something to work towards.

The love of my life, Tracey is now 4 days away from her due date so I find myself touring with baited breathed, and not because of the extra laps I am trying to get in. I will have to stay closer to revelstoke till the birth day, I would hate to miss the birth simply because I was out skiing. Some things are more important than skiing!

10280 feet of uphill hiking and 10280 feet of great backcountry skiing.

Ten down 90 to go

All day I use my watch to follow my vertical quest, checking my vertical gain, watching the little number grow all day. And finally when I have reached my 10000 foot mark I can go home. It seems really silly to obsess about a number, a number which in the end means nothing. But in the present it means everything. It means I have maximised my day, that I have enjoyed a lot of powder skiing and that most likely I am quite tired and ready to go home to my family. With a goal like this I realize how ridiculous it is. But if it forces me out and into the mountains, forces me to dig deep and get that extra run in. If it makes me get up at 5.30 and gets me up into the mountains to watch sunrises and sunsets than the goal is worth it.

Scott Dowling and I toured up Macpherson to the summit and skied a similar run to yesterday and then we skinned back up to the summit where conditions had worsened. Through the white out and down the north face we skied a different run into the womb and home. Great day where I managed to spend most of the day with Scott, with just a few extra runs to make my goal. I am being constantly blown away by the strength of the ski tourers in revelstoke, 8000 foot days happen regularly, progress is happening in the backcountry.