50 Classic Ski Descents of NA

This book looks amazing, exactly like they say, ” a visual and inspirational” book. I don’t imagine it is anything like a guide book but more a coffee table book to stare and and dream through. I know that the few lines I helped them with are mouth watering; I can only imagine what the whole book is like.  Definitely a book worth having. I can’t wait to get my copy.

The book is a large-format compilation of iconic and aesthetic ski descents from Alaska to Mount Washington. Created by ski mountaineers Chris Davenport, Art Burrows and Penn Newhard, Fifty Classic Ski Descents taps into the local knowledge of contributors such as Andrew McLean, Glen Plake, Lowell Skoog, Chic Scott and Ptor Spricenieks with first person descriptions
of their favorite ski descents and insightful perspectives on ski mountaineering past, present and future. The book features 208 pages of gorgeous action and mountain images from many of North America’s top photographers. Whether you are planning an expedition to Baffin Island’s Polar Star Couloir or heading out for dawn patrol on Mount Superior, Fifty Classic Ski Descents is a visual and inspirational feast of ski mountaineering in North America.

Books will be distributed by Wolverine Publishing beginning November 10, 2010. http://wolverinepublishing.com/ and available to pre-order at a 10% discount until November 1, 2010: http://bit.ly/buXM2W

A special limited edition of 200 books will be available directly from the publisher. Each Limited Edition book will be hand numbered and signed by the authors, and come in a hard bound case for collectors. If you wish to order a Limited Edition contact Chris Davenport: chris@steepskiing.com

The book brings in many local/accomplished skiers including Hilaree O’Neill, Lou Dawson, Jimmy Chin, Chic Scott, Pete Patterson, Kristoffer Erickson, Lowell Skoog, Mark Synnott, Greg Hill, Kevin Quinn, Eric Pehota and others. Photographers include Christian Pondella, Will Wissman, Brad Washburn, Chris Figenshau, Keoki Flagg, Ruedi Homberger, Whit Richardson and Jonathan Selkowitz to name a few.

If this book looks interesting to you I would encourage you to order soon. I know that the 14ers book sold out quickly and I bet this one will gather even more interest.

Thanks to Michael Davies for his donation and words of advice. Conveniently Youtube has videos on IT band stretches..

Yahhhhhh 1.5 ooohhh yahhhhh

Obviously a little psyched to be 75% done. Still a tonne to go but so much accomplished already. I was dreaming today of what it would be like to be able to look down the 1.5 million feet. How far away would the bottom be? Super frickin’ far away that’s for sure.

I also looked into how many laps I have done and I have done 780, so just averaging less than 2 grand a run.

Its such a small number on my watch, but it represents so much. I remember thinking how great it would feel to be at 1.5 and it does feel great! It’s all downhill from here… ok not really but psychologically easier.  I would only have to do 45 more days like today(11000ft).  But honestly how good will each big day feel? Amazing. Keep focused and I should be able to pull this off.

I realized last night that it was my IT band acting up and I found myself rolling around on an empty bottle of wine. Massaging the outside of my thigh felt great. So lots of stretching and rolling on my bottle and I should be fine.

All for now.

Athletics not adventure.

I am back in Las Trancas to finish up my last three weeks in SA. I had dreams of going to Ushuaia but financially it made no sense, and I also thought I would continue south hitting the volcanoes that I have missed. But I was offered an opportunity to dog sit and  live for free in the Cabanas Los Andes. Considering my bank account there was no way I would pass this up.

But what it also means is that there is not a lot of exploration left for me around here, I have pretty much climbed and skied what interests me. So for the next three weeks it will be a little on the boring side for me,  but I will make it athletic and try and catch back up and get a few days ahead of par. It would be really nice to head back to NA with 1.6 in the bank and more than two months to go.

But time will tell I guess.The other day my mom mentioned how it seemed like I had it in the bag, maybe those were not her exact words but something along those lines. I laughed because this game won’t be in the bag till I have finished it. An injury could end it so easily. The other day I climbed and skied of Nevado de Chillan and on the way home the snow was very catchy and then fast so it was  a lurching descent. Go,stop, go stop, super annoying. Anyhow I did not realize it at the time but I must have tweaked my knee because today as I took my shoe off I felt pain in my knee, something I had not noticed.

This pain though is a recurring one for me, and usually goes away. Its on my Lateral cruciate ligament, outside of the knee. But imagine if somehow I hurt it enough to end my goal, to be 75% of the way there and then whamoo!  I better be gentle. Massage, tensor bandage and hope.