11.11.08. SSCXWC 2008...Summer put up pics of the SSCXWC worlds. Also a few pics in that set of SB ripping it up in his second cx race ever and Dougie rolling with the elites...

11.10.08. Best race ever...I had high hopes for SSCXWC--they were exceeded by a multiplier I couldn't even imagine---I'll have to spend a little more time to get a race report, but windmills, foam machine, drum corps, smoke screens and a start grid that had us 1-deep and 130 across (more or less) as we accelerated across a field towards a barrier and the foam tunnel.... Summer & Stephen took a ton of pics, so those will be coming later. If you can't wait check out jason sager or PJBentson The video gives you some flavor of the event (smoke,windmills, foam clinging to bikes)

ja/schneider taking it one corner at a time (photo p_bentson)

SSCXWC - 2008, Portland's Singlespeed World Championships from cyclocross magazine on Vimeo.

11.7.08. Another Mudder... Portland Forecast doesn't look promising. Wish me luck at the qualifer, or the dodge ball qualifier. We're leaving early saturday and coming back late sunday.

11.4.08. VOTE!...

11.03.08. CX #4...Getting closer to worlds in PDX--coming up this weekend. Noticed that VeloNews is on top of the story. I'm getting excited---should be utterly unpredictable--and fun.

Total mudder of a cx race this weekend. Raining hard, slippery grass and copious amounts of mud. I think I've finally got most of it off my bike and shoes (2 days later). Had a good start--then hit the first run up and realized my legs were terrible. Shouldn't have run stairs on saturday. But cx is about perserverance, especially on a muddy gross day where the speeds were slow. So figured I'd just keep riding, my legs wouldn't get worse.

Even though I didn't feel good, I was holding steady in about 5th. Dougie and Jon kept giving me updates on 2nd and 3rd (which was good because I couldn't really tell who was who in the mud). Managed to claw my way into 4th by keeping after it and not making any big mistakes. Brought third back to about 3 seconds with a 1/2 lap to go and then passed him in the final straight (didn't really have to sprint because his tire was going flat)

charging hard (photo from the internet)

Muddy (photo from the internet)

10.27.08. CX #3...Race #3 of my comback to cyclcross mediocrity. I finally got down to the venue with enough time to pre-ride a lap of the course and get a semi-decent warm up. Good start had me coming off the road about 6 back--with a few passes on the first hill and a off-camber section before a run-up I was up to about third. My high point of the day. Then the hot start and my lack of intensity began to exact a price. I slipped back to about 5th for a few laps... then 6th.

Did have a nice encounter with a rider I was passing (we start behind the cat III's) I moved left to pass, he moved left to block me so I swung back to the right---as did he. Some good elbow to elbow contact til' he gave up and let me past (but not until I took some serious blackberry scratches) I don't think I would have fought so hard for his postion at the back of the III's but I did admire his aggro style.

Made a good charge with 1 1/2 laps to go and brought 5th back to about 3 or 4 seconds at one point on the last lap, but couldn't quite close. I would gain in the corners with my smaller gear, while he would pull away a bit on the straights. Oh well, so far a 10th, 9th, 6th--so my trajectory is good, but I'm not sure where the ceiling is. A few pics I stole from the net are below....

charging up the stairs on an early lap 10.26.2008 (photo joemartin)

it's starting to hurt (photo joemartin)

10.25.08. Fall...The signs are unmistakeable... first issue of off-piste arrived in the mail the other day, putting the images of skiing in my head.

Signed up for SSCXWC in Stumptown--only two weeks away. Got another cx race tomorrow down at Steilacoom, so the comeback will be on its third race. Hopefully some good legs and a good drivetrain (new surly singelator to replace the convert) will lead to a good day.

10.16.08. Hour of power...Only had an hour to ride tonight (this week actually) so hit all the hills above lake wa blvd multiple times, trying to get some cx intensity in.

Off to stumptown this weekend for some R & R.

10.15.08. CX & Spokane...Time flies on this blog, too little too late should maybe replace the "like a five day old cup-o-coffee"

2nd CX race of the year, got called up to the start which was nice after starting 35 back in the first race... Hit the first run up comfortably in 4th place, then broke the convert singlespeed tensioner... from 4th to DFL. Finally got the chain tensioned and started to chase--hard. Passed a lot of stragglers and then busted the convert again on a steep climb. Stopped and fixed it again, let more people by. But realized that if I ran the steep climbs it would keep tension. Charged hard and made it back up to 9th by the end. Racing is all about dealing with adversity-- Although still painfully slow compared to the geared riders...need some more pop.

Oh yeah, I ran into SB last week while riding home and forgot to give him a shout!

Was in Spokane for a conference the last three days-presenting on compact development for 100+ people at a session on Monday...then conference going. Good times and great run on trails down by the Spokane river. Nice to be able to run from downtown and spend an hour on trails. Popped back out of the Spokane river gorge to a humungous moonrise over downtown.

riding the sandpit--Photo credit fastcadence

10.07.08.Methow Valley MTB Festival...A fun weekend, some rain, some snow, some sun, some beer, some friends, some dogs,some babies, some singletrack....you get the picture.

Summer running across Maple Pass-North Cascades

Christine rolling down lightning creek 10.04.08

10.02.08.Methow Valley MTB Festival...I first went out in 1992 and have been pretty much every year (one year we were out a weekend early due to a conflict) So tomorrow, for the sixteenth or seventeenth time I'll be in the Methow for the first weekend of October, pedaling trails, drinking beer, looking for larches and aspens.

I can't wait....

09.28.08.SSCX...After about a 6-year hiatus from racing cx, I took the fenders off the commuter, which happens to be a kelly knobby-x set up as a single, dug some old ritchey speedmax tires out of the storage closet and made my way out to Evergreen to race the season opener of the seattle cyclocross series.

TJ, Summer and I arrived a bit late, so only rode about 1/2 the course due to other races, then failing to realize there would be nearly 40 singlespeed riders, I lined up in the back. Even though it had been 6 years, and I was never that great of a cx rider, it came back. It was, like riding a bike.... Lots of fun, no crashes and slowly worked my way up to about 10th at the end. Not great, but 6 guys ahead of me were all within about a minute, so at least I could conceive of putting together a better result.

If I can do a few more in the ensuing six weeks, I plan on being here in early November. Geestik overcame a few back problems and rode a stylish race in the A's for a top 6 finish. A few pics of today and Geestik's race are up on flickr.

rolling off the main descent-soon to be replaced moustache bars weren't too bad 09.28.08

Dougie, in third, off to fast start on the first run-up in the elites

09.17.08.September turns...joined a co-worker and a few friends on a "dusk patrol" ski last night. A late start meant it was more like night skiing, but it was skiing. Drove up to Windy Pass and then hiked about an hour up through the rocks and brush to a little patch.

Got there well after sunset, but turns were had, headlamps were put on and we hiked back out, getting home about 11:00 last night. Good times, got me excited to ski again.

me getting ready for September turns with Skip in the background (in the dark) photo credit-cc

09.14.08.Ouch... It was beautiful, my legs are throbbing, it's hard to run on rough, abandoned trails, I get tired at about 13 miles, Snow Lake is crowded on busy weekends

I made it though, hit the trail a few minutes after 8, ran most of the way up to red mountain pass and down the abandoned cct to goldmeyer. Middle Fork is good running (and mtb'ing) then up Rock Creek towards Snow Lake I started to fade, trail is steep, but mostly rocky and slippery so I opted for a powerwalk. Ran into huge crowds at Snow Lake (after seeing no one for hours...then down the freshly paved alpental road to the car. Whewww-20 miles 5.5 hours or so, 6k+ climbing. I'll sleep well tonight. Pictures are here

Mt. Thompson as I start down the old Cascade Crest Trail towards Goldmeyer 09.14.2008

Simple map of the route...highly recommended

09.13.08.Big loop...Gonna go for a long trail run/hike tomorrow morning. Hoping to piece together a loop that goes up commonwealth basin to red mountain pass--picks up the abandoned Cascade Crest Trail (precursor to the PCT) down to the Middle Fork then take a left down Middle Fork Trail, catch the Rock creek trail and climb back to Snow Lake, over Snow Lake Divide and back to alpental. Then a couple of miles of road work back to the car. Supposed to be 18 or 20 miles and 6 or 7k of vertical. Weather forecast is perfect and hopefully the abandoned trail section is easy to navigate. Should be fun (I hope)

09.08.08.Teton Photos... Finally got around to sorting through the stack....collection is still a bit too big, but that's your problem not mine.

09.07.08.Gordito...Geestik and I went big yesterday on what feels like home terrain. 7 hours in the saddle, pedaling one of the best loops in the state. Up from the cabin to Maverick saddle, Mad Lake, Chikamin Tie, Minnow and Chiwawa. Big miles, big climbs and one of the top descents anywhere. Then pedal the 10 miles on the road back to the cabin where we bbq up a delicious meal. Breakfast on the porch today and then I rallied back over the pass to Seattle. I think my kidneys are still a bit shaken up from that ride--I was tired. No pics as the camera was with Summer--backpacking High Divide in Olympic National Park.

09.05.08...Italy...Put $$ down on a ski touring trip to the Ortler range in Italy next April--a euro hut trip has been on my list for a long, long time and it looks like its going to happen!

09.02.08...SSWC 2008...Nice to see the Single speed worlds getting coverage in the NYT--(a great slideshow as well) Check it out here Slideshow is here

09.02.08...Cutthroat Classic and the Tetons...Back to reality after 10 days of mountain living in Mazama and Jackson. Raced in the Cutthroat Classic with Summer on Saturday the 23rd--didn't feel the love for the first 4 miles up to cutthroat pass--but shunted the bad thoughts and the urge to puke and soldiered on. Started to feel better about a mile from the pass and left the group I was with and headed over the pass. A pretty good run down the other side (minus a couple of ankle rolls) and then a hard push the final flat 2 miles to the finish. Came in with a time I was pleased with--couldn't have gone any faster on that day....

Then over the Grand Coulee Dam, across Hwy 2 to Spokane and a eastbound trajectory for Jackson Hole. We headed out on the Teton Crest Trail on Monday morning (legs still damn sore from the trail race)

Day 1 Started at Granite Canyon Trailhead and headed west up the Canyon. Camped at about 8k and were treated to a moose viewing and incredbile flowers.

Day 2 was up past Marion Lake and onto the Crest proper--huge views of the Grand the whole way.Over Death Canyon Shelf and into Alaska Basin.

Second night was on beautiful, benchy granite slabs in Alaskan basin hiding from the wind. Views over to Buck mountain were stellar.

Day 3 was up past basin lakes and a stiff climb to Hurricaine Pass at 10,400--Summer's highest point ever (for a day). The wind was blustery all day, but the skies were clear and the views were crazy good. After descending back into Cascade Canyon, I took a sidetrip up 1800 feet to Avalanche Pass on the Shoulder of the South Teton--the wind was nuking--could barely stand up at times.

Day 4 was up North Fork Cascade Canyon to Lake Solitude and and Paintbrush Divide (10,700 so Summer beat her day old record) Killer flower displays, great lakes and a fun, spicy descent off paintbrush in the scree made for a great day. The day got better with "moose TV"--an hour of watching a huge bull moose tear through willows snacking his evening away. We were even treated to watching him finally saunter off to a rock and lay down for the night.

Day 5--More Moose TV (including the return of his ladyfriend) before hoofing the last 6 miles back to civilization at Jenny Lake. Showers, snacks and dinner out capped off a great backpack.

We took the scenic route home,over Teton Pass, Swan Valley, Craters of the Moon, Boise, McCall and then up the Payette and Salmon rivers to Lewiston, Idaho. Pics should be coming soon.

Sunrise walk in the Gros Ventre river bottom 08.25.2008

Summer and I (and the gusty wind) at Hurricaine Pass--Middle and Grand Tetons in the background 08.27.08

08.22.08...Cutthroat Classic and the Tetons...Off to the mountains tonight for 10 days. Up bright and early tomorrow to race the cutthroat classic trail run through the north cascades. Then a trip to the swimming hole, some lunch and a long drive towards Jackson, WY. Hopefully they will have some race results up from the run here so you can see if we pound or flail tomorrow. Either way its a beautiful run.

If all goes well we'll head out on the teton crest trail monday for four or five days of backpacking. Home around labor day. Can't wait to race tomorrow and slum for the next ten days. Pics from Big Snagtooth (last weekend) are here

Circumnavigation & Climb of Big Snagtooth 08.17.2008 (tall point on the left)

008.18.08...Big snagtooth circumnavigation...Joined TJ in his quest for the top 100 peaks in washington for a spicy scramble up Big Snagtooth in the north cascades. A hot climb up towards burgundy col (silver start summer route) and then a long, long traverse over and up scree gully after scree gully under snagtooth ridge. Finally crested the ridge but it didn't go. Around the backside we went until finding the class 3 and Class 4 gully. We were able to get all the way up to the summit block without belay, but I was getting pretty sketched out. I spotted TJ on the final, unprotectable move onto the summit block and he belayed me up. After about 5500 feet of off trail climbing and scrambling (and routefinding) we were on top.

Got a quick lesson in belaying and down we went under the chockstone and through the gully. Some extra spicy scrambling into the willow creek basin (since we guessed a bit off on the easiest path) and then a long cross country schwack' through larches, forest and alder to the car. 9 hours on the go on one of the hottest days of the year. I did get to see lots of good ski routes off snagtooth and kangaroo ridge, so the time was well spent. And even on a hot day, being in the NC is always great. Pics to come...

008.10.08...Wolves, Methow, MTB, Tetons etc...Spent a lazy couple of days in the Methow last weekend. Got some nice, fun, fast mtb'ing in on saturday and then a long trail run on Sunday. Plenty of campfire time as well. As if I needed more to like, the first wolf pack confirmed in WA state in the last 70 years is in the valley. Last weeks Methow valley news had a story and conservation NW has a story and photos here

Got out today and rode Crystal--one of my longtime favorite trails and probably the best descent within 90 minutes of Seattle (on a good day) It felt more like October in the mountains than August, with a cool fog and low temps. Telemtry said 41 degrees at the top when I was up there--could have used my long finger gloves The moisture made for great trail conditions and the wildflowers were still fabulous.

A few more photos are over on flickr

Wildflowers and Fog--northway 08.10.2008

07.31.08 Return to racing...After not having raced on the road in the last few years, I decided to go out and see what it was like. Chose a totally shitty, cold, rainy wet night to make my debut, but oh well.

Race was fun, small field meant no hiding. Managed to put years of experience following wheels and being patient to work and hung tough in the main group. Certainly it was not racing with style, but that was ok for tonight. Accomplished the big goals of not crashing in the slippery 180 degree top corner and not getting dropped.

07.28.08 Stale...Kind of forgot about the blog over the last couple of weeks...some long trail runs, getting out on the bike, a few busy weeks of work and the end of July is almost here.

Planning a Teton vacation in a few weeks, trying to pull together a ski tour in Italy next spring, and hopefully tick a few other projects off the summer list as soon as the high country mtb routes come into shape in the next few weeks. More later

07.13.08 Methow...Just back from a few glorious days in the North Cascades-a place I never get tired of. No bikes this trip, a long hike to a subalpine lake yesterday with a scramble to the top of Abernathy ridge. Then a trail run to cutthroat pass on Sunday. Plenty of time for eating cherries, hitting the twisp farmers market and enjoying a great methow weekend.

Summer approaching the summit of cutthroat pass-North Cascades 07.13.08

Looking down at Scatter Lake-North Cascades 07.12.08

07.02.08 Rider down...Freak thunderstorm/tropical deluge as we finished up a ride tonight. A few minutes after it started we came into a downhill round-a-bout---even with some caution, TJ hit the deck hard, I managed to avoid his body, his bike and a large Toyota SUV, but crashed/fell over as I tried to avoid tacoing my wheel on the curb. I emerged unscathed, but TJ has some good road rash. (and we have a new story)

06.30.08 Master of none...Last three days included a trail/stair run, bc skiing and cycling around MI tonight. So much for sport specific conditioning.

06.29.08 Silver Peak Skiing...been getting inspired by DV8's skiing blitz this spring, the temps were expected to hit the 90's in Seattle and we finally have a consolidating snowpack. Lastly the access road just opened on saturday. It seemed like a perfect opportunity, so I rolled out of town at 6am. With the windy pass road open, silver is an easy 2k ski up the west ridge and then a 300 foot scramble to the summit. I've always wanted to ski Silver peak since I've looked at it so many times while skate skiing the Mt. Catherine loop. There was enough snow to put the skis on at the car and skin all the way to the ridge,just short of the summit, where you had to go on foot. I forgot how crappy T1's are for scrambling up rocks. I was a danger to myself. After some peak-naming on the summit, clicked back into the bindings at 9:45 and enjoyed firm, slightly suncupped corn back to the car. A perfect way to spend the morning. Didn't see a soul while I was up there, which is pretty rare in that area. No pics since Summer has the camera with her so I substituted one looking at silver peak from granite mountain on a 2005 hike. (we have a lot more snow this year)

Silver Peak, taken from granite mtn (photo from 2005 archives)

06.25.08 Colonnade...an after work skills ride over at Colonnade--good times riding skinnies, teeters, the pump track and dozens of tight switchbacks. Not my favorite type of riding, but a super fun on the rare occasions we get a crew over there. Rode home under glorious sunshine. Unfortunately didn't get the camera out for any pics.

06.23.08 Hour of power... A rare monday ride, out over Yesler to loosen up the legs and then 4 repeats of Madrona to try to stimulate a bit of climbing speed. 4th time up I rolled over the top and over to Cap Hill and home. Less than an hour after leaving work my legs were toast.

Been rekindling the love of the bike this year...can't wait for tomorrow's ride.

06.12.08 All rides start with "M"...Mercer,Magnolia, Mission Ridge--need to break some new ground and mix it up a bit. Finally tonight, the first shorts, short-sleeves road ride I've had in a month in Seattle. I've grown totally accustomed to wearing arm warmers and knee warmers every time I ride. Hopefuuly we'll get some warmer weather soon.

Off to Portland for the weekend, nephew's graduation and hopefully some trail running in Forest Park along with a little coffee and beer, two p-town specialities.

Just in case you hadn't seen enough pictures of bikes-n-brews, SB put up some photos and a movie or two here

06.09.08 Racing & Riding...A fine, fine chiwawa weekend. Rolled over the cascades on Friday night with a car full of bikes and four of us escaping the cold wet, spring for (hopefully) sunny skies on the eastside. Rolled into the cabin for the prologue, beers by the fire.

Up early the next morning for pancakes and down to Leavenworth so TJ could race at 10:30. Race was sold out at 300+ entrants, so SB couldn't get into the sport class event unfortunately. TJ had a big smile after his two laps, and no mishaps. Pretty good for his first mtb race.

Doug, Alan and I had to stand around a bit as they delayed the open (dougie) and expert ss (alan and I) start due to having to med-evac a sport racer that took a bad tumble. After some darts at the tortuga and another 30 minute delay we finally started. I felt, good but not great and couldn't quite hang with a group of 3 just in front of me. But put in three amazingly consistent laps. All were 43 minutes which was surprising as I was hurting on the last climb, legs were fading and the hands/forearms were stinging a bit from the braking bumps on the descent. Finished in 4th place, which I'll take for my first mtb race since 2002.

Then the beer garden and brats and bluegrass band that played some great covers. A late night and then off to Devils Gulch/Mission Ridge for our Sunday ride. Lots of cars in the lot, but amazingly not to bad on the trail. Passed a couple of large groups and then we had smooth sailing. Hooked up with some more friends for a 9 strong group at a few points. As always, Mission is a great descent. Was a little bummed to see the moto's have already rutted it out this spring, but it was still fantastic. My photos are up on flickr and here are some of Alan's

Alan descending Mission Ridge, June 08, 2008

06.03.08 Deluge...Was supposed to meet TJ for a couple laps of magnolia tonight, he was running late so I rode the first one by myself and it started to sprinkle. TJ showed up and it begin to pour. Two more laps and the long cross town ride in an absolute monsoon. I haven't been that wet in a long, long time. Luckily it wasn't too cold so the misery index was not pegged.

06.02.08 Racer???...It's been a few years since I've raced the mtb, I think Cascade Creampuff was the last time I turned the MTB pedals in anger, but the dry spell is over. Just signed up for Expert SS at bikes-n-brews in leavenworth this weekend. Last time I raced I was an expert, but now I might just be a washed-up, weekend warrior.

But it's a great course in freund canyon and good training + Sunday we'll grab a crew and hit up a PNW classic-Devils Gulch and Mission Ridge. 27 miles of singletrack bliss. Looking forward to it. Maybe I'll just taper at this point...

05.31.08 Methow Pics are...Here

05.30.08 Methow...Spent four days in the Methow last weekend--no skiing since we had some questionable weather at the pass, but the mtb was great. Tacky trails, spectacular flowers and a good crew. Couldn't have asked for more....Rode 3 days in a row and then hiked driveway butte on the 4th day. Pics soon....

Balsam roots and singletrack-Methow, May 24.2008

05.18.08 NEA great ride around the north end of Lake Wa today....temps around 70 and a nice breeze made for perfect pedaling weather. So many of my rides have been after work, so it felt nice to ride without a pack for once. I'd forgotten what a perfect little loop this is--although a few too many people on the BGT for my liking.

Brought the ss into to (finally) get the steerer tube cut down before I busted my sternum with it and also picked up a pair of new brake pads to get all tuned up for some riding and skiing in the the methow over memorial day. (assuming the forecast climax slides didn't go all the way to the ground!!)

05.16.08 climax...Had planned to grab SB and head up to the North Cascades fora little skiing this weekend. But the weather is supposed to be way too nice, temps in the 90's and the threat of climax avalanches with the possibility of them running to ground due to the unconsolidated snowpack and the first dramatic temperature spike of the spring. North Cascades is already closed.

So, a chance to get some more miles on the bike--feeling better this week, but still not dancing on the pedals. Today is bike to work day--so the streets should be full

05.11.08 End of the streak...No skiing this weekend---for the first week since early february. Got in a nice trail run at cougar mtn and a lazy sunday at home. It's not over though, plans to head back up to the North Cascades on Friday after work. Hoping for silver star and the birthday tour, but flexible for whatever looks the best. Hopefully a good week of melt/freeze will get us snow stability before next weekend.

05.07.08 bike...Got some good rides so far this week, a solo lap of MI last night after no one could make the ride and the RW and I hooked up for a few laps of magnolia tonight. Slowly, very slowly the cycling legs are starting to come around.

05.05.08 Weekend wrap-up...Took forever leaving Seattle on Friday night, after a stop at REI for maps, grabbing a coffee, some food etc. we were finally on the road about 8:30. A great drive over the North Cascades Highway the day after it opened. We dropped down the other side to early winters cg and pitched the tent around midnight.

Went looking for Alan and Rachel in the morning after a cup of coffee and muffin from the Mazama store. We didn't see them at Cutthroat, the hairpin, blue lake or rainy pass. So we geared up to ski either Heather/Maple Passes or Cutthroat Pass. Of course, in true Martinez style, they come driving up the road about ten minutes after we arrive and we were off. One of the biggest challenges of the tour was getting off the highway with a 8 foot snowbank. We skinned up towards Lake Ann, snow was slightly crusty, but not the solid overnight freeze we hoped for, so stability was lacking. We skied up to Heather Pass and then toured over to Maple pass for lunch. Took a nice NE facing run down on silky, buttercream corn into the basin behind the pass and then skinned up the valley towards heather pass. Coming down to Lake Ann was heavy and sluffy. Alan kicked off some sluffs so I ran a long ski cut traverse that totally released about 100 yards of snow, which I just watched entrain more and more snow from my safe spot before it slalomed through the trees towards the lake. We beat a hasty retreat down the slide path and out to the hwy.

A big dinner in twisp, chatting with a few friends from the valley and then back up to early winters for a campfire. Without a hard freeze, we decided to play it safe and hang out with Alan and Rachel til' they had to leave and then go for a hike in pipestone canyon. Spring in the methow means skiing 15 minutes one way or high desert lounging 15 minutes the other. All the pics are up on NC Hwy opening

05.04.08 I Heart Spring Skiing...No time for words, but a couple of pics for now.

Saturday lunch break at Maple Pass-North Cascades 05.03.08

Sunday morning sunshine...

04.30.08 MTB...A work committment east of the mountains seemed a like a perfect opportunity to bring the ss and do a little mtb riding. Stopped Tuesday evening in Leavenworth to ride Freund Canyon. I ran into snow on the ride up to the trailhead, was hoping as the aspect changed I would be ok, but after a 1/2 hour realized it was going to not go through. I descended back down and road up the down trail for awhile and it was snowfree and fast. A good 1:30 of riding on some fun singletrack before hitting Uli's for a beer and then up to Chelan.

Got up around 6:15 the next morning, grabbed a coffee and headed up to Echo Ridge, a few miles out of Chelan. Was on the bike before 7 in cold temps and a blustery wind. Put all my gear on and started climbing. Slowly warmed up, but it was cold all morning. I got in 2+ hours of rolling riding in before going to my conference and giving a presentation. Added bonus was the taco truck I spied and grabbed some dinner before driving home. This weekend trying to see if I can rally for the NC Hwy opening and the skiing that brings. Rest of the photos are up on flicker

Looking up Lake Chelan from Chelan Butte 04.30.08

First balsam root of the season-Chelan Butte

04.27.08 Tension...some of the cycling crew think it's time to put away the skis on the weekends and start riding more, they're tired of the "nor-dick" focus and the fact that I can't keep up on the bike. But-skiing has been so good we can't quit. Plenty of time to ride--plenty of snow to ride now with the north cascades opening next week.

A good week with a couple rides with RW and TJ, a couple of runs and a great day BC skiing at the pass. A trip east of the mountains this week for work will hopefully mean a chance to get the mtb out for a couple rides as well if Leavenworth or echo ridge is snow free.

04.26.08 Mt. Snoqualmie redux... After being stymied last week, I really wanted to go back and ski Mt. Snoqualmie. Saturday's forecast was for warm temps, clear skies and an increasing avy danger by mid-afternoon as the super warm temps worked on saturating the snow. SB was down with a plan to hit the pass early and be back down drinking beer by 1:30 when the snow turned heavy and wet slide risk increased. It was great, we made good time, phenomenal views, fun route, bagged a peak, skied the phantom and had some good people watching on the proch at alpental. We did miss the entrance to the slot couloir, which we were thinking of skiing so we'll be back at some point. All the photos are here: mt.snoqualmie 04.26.08 A preview is below.

Up is red, down is blue. 04.26.08 (yep you start by walking a couple hundered yards under the freeway)

SB skinning just below the summit

Some nice scenery: source lake, chair peak,snow lake

SB skiing the phantom

The route just happens to finish about 200 feet from the bar at alpental-lucky us

04.21.08 Still skiing...9 inches of new for a bc adventure to mt. snoqualmie on saturday. A very nice tour, although we turned back before the summit due to bad viz. Had some excitement as we skied down a south facing slope towards cave ridge and kicked off some big, slow moving sluffs that knocked down Summer and put SB in a precarious spot.

But, skiing is a particpatory sport and we learned a lot from the incident and expanded my thoughts on snowpack, stability, solar gain and trip planning. The sluffs ended up running a good 200 or 300 vertical feet down to the vally bottom. Everybody was fine and we enjoyed some good turns below cave ridge and out into commonwealth basin on the way out.

04.12.08 Repeat...Hmmm, just like last week, a couple of good rides--got out with TJ and RW again in magnolia, a couple of runs and great day skiing at crystal mtn. Avy danger spiking to high (due to temps reaching almost 80 degrees) saturday had us riding the lifts at crystal--one run in southback before they closed due to big sluffs.

Busted a shifter cable on fridays ride, so ended up riding 15 miles home in the 39x12. I've busted a lot of things cycling, but never a shift cable inside the ergopower lever? Don't even know how that would happen (or how long it might have been on that last little strand of metal)

04.05.08 Best one inch ever...Overnight report had only an inch of new at Crystal, plus I was super tired. Shook of the lethargryand rallied. What a day! We spent the whole day in the Crystal slackcountry. 10 or 15 minute hikes out the ridge to ski off the king and also a few runs in silver basin. Snow on all the N. aspects was light and deep. It didn't feel like April.

Me---in 1 inch of new snow. 04.05.08 (photo credit: SB)

04.02.08 Tuesday ride...occured on Wednesday under sunny skies. RW and TJ kicked my ass around MI--uphill, downhill, it didn't matter. So far my ski legs aren't translating into much bike speed.

03.30.08 Powder Pigs...Big weekend of outdoor play. In my pursuit of ever niche'er niche sports that involve lycra suits at the higher levels, I did the Vertfest on saturday morning. My first stab at doing a randonee race. Signed up for the one-lapper and had a great time. A few mistakes, including a missed kick turn that had me sliding back down the hill and a tricky transition on some icy, steep snow where we switched to booting. Had good success with fast transitions and almost never dealing with risers---crazy downhill ski to the finish line with loose boots and tired legs made for a good time. Wished I would have gone for two laps as it was a lot of fun. Then we skied crazy deep powder til' our legs gave out. Alpental had received 15+ inches of snow on Friday night, so the skiing was spectacular.

Today a full-day in the backcountry, touring up bullion basin and east peak. Got a lot of great runs in fantastic snow. Probably 15-18 inches of fresh snow with cold temps (<20 degrees) We racked up about 4500 feet of vertical. Not many views with the clouds and fog swirling, but great snow. Some photos are up on flickr

Caroline charging-East Peak 03.30.08

Never eat cheescake in the backcountry without your SHOON (patent pending)

03.26.08 Tuesday night rides...The first tuesday night ride of the 08' campaign happened on Wednesday. TJ and I met up at the top of the overlook for quick ride around the island. Twas' chilly on the loop, but we avoided rain showers and just had a few sprinkles. I've got a lot of work to put in on the bike if my summer plans are going to be successful, and judging by the fact TJ pulled the whole night, it's time to get busy.

Ten minutes after getting home it started to snow! Rare in Seattle, and super rare in late March. My feet were pretty cold cycling---I guess I know why.

03.25.08 Randonee Racing...Or in my case tele racing. Just signed up for VertFest, a randonee race up at Alpental. Decided to go for the 1 lap recreational class since I'll be using my ultralight, 100mm underfoot, BD Verdicts and T1's. (Thank gawd for free pivot bindings) I've been wanting to try it for awhile and this weekend it will happen. Course is basicaly one lap of alpental--up under armstrong express and then climbing up under chair 2 (with a few bootpacks) and then rip the skins at the top and drop down upper and lower international and cruise down Sessel to the finish.

I have no strategy other than to find that endurance racing speed of fast, but not to fast and try to be smooth and steady on transitions and ups and downs. Curious to see how it compares to nordic racing and/or bc skiing.

03.23.08 Alpental...Was hoping to go BC skiing today, but for a variety of reasons we shot up to alpental to make some turns in the sun. Great spring skiing with some nice, nice snow in the bc given the temperatures plus wind and sun affects. A fun day with friends. A pass closure for avy control work meant we got to sit in the car for an extra hour, thus negating the alpental factor (speedy access)

SB,SH,MM in the Alpy BC 03.22.08

03.22.08 Master of none...realizing that I have been nordic skiing, running, road riding and tele skiing in the last 5 days. No wonder I never am that fast at any one dealio...variety is the spice of life

03.19.08 Ski day...A day of free skiing with co-workers. Dare I say a little better than the office.

No work today 03.18.08

03.17.08 Skate skiing...Finally got back out on the skate skis after a few weeks of tele skiing. Did the TT from the lower yurt up to windy pass and then up around windy acres, which was untouched corduroy. That is, hands down, my favorite loop when the conditions are good. Hard, hard climbs and dizzy-fast descents.

Tomorrow we get a work sponsored day at Crystal mtn, so I'll be riding the lifts and tele skiing with my co-workers. Should be a good time with 6-8" of snow hopefully overnight. Still squeezing a bit of winter out in this last week of winter.

03.15.08 Ed Abbey Tribute Radio Show...Spent an hour listening to some bad music and good reading to commemorate Ed Abbey--Risky Biscuit Hayseed Hoot has a podcast of their annual tribute show. Download it!

03.15.08 Fightng the SAR's...Been fighting off a cold all week---trying to take it easy and rest up a bit. Fingers crossed I can avoid what SB had. After a lot of bc skiing, tomorrow is set for along nordic skate session. Only a few weeks of skating left so I need to get out and make the most of it.

03.12.08 Pics are up on Flickr...recovering from a great trip--been tired this week for sure but seem to be avoiding getting sick and recovering well. A big gallery of pics are all up on on flickr

Summer letting the skis run

Ed and I skiing diamond #2

03.10.08 Tired, sunburned and satiated... Just got back from a trip to the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Nothing really went as planned and our ringleader was taken down with a nasty flu that left him unable to ski--which bummed us all out...

More photos later, but the numbers were 4 days of BC skiing, around 18 or 19k of verts and only a few runs where you had to cross another set of tracks.

We named the last run of the day, "paul's run" for our guide who saved the best for last. Paul & Ed climbing higher 03.06.08

Sunday morning--tracking out the #1 slot of the Diamond

03.04.08 Over and out...leaving in the morning for 4 days of yurt living and bc skiing in the Eagle Cap Wilderness---forecast looks like we could get some corn skiing and maybe a little new snow on the weekend. Either way it should be a great trip. Back with pics and details on Monday.

03.03.08 Ski prep and messed up skins... Spent the evening over at the bentsen abode waxing up my tele skis really nice for the four days of hut skiing coming up. Getting super excited for the touring to come, hopefully we'll have some good stability and snow.

SB and Summer were also trimming some skins in preparation for the trip. After finishing 99% of the job, Summer noticed that BD had riveted the tails on the wrong end of the skins---ie the plush was going the wrong way. Shite--back to REI for her to get some replacements---crazy but we're glad she got it today instead of at the Eagle Cap Wilderness boundary on Thursday morning.

One more odd note from yesterday's turns in the Alpental BC. On my 2nd run down through the trees I shot by a couple of guys having a "safety break" and one was a ski patrol! Doesn't make me feel quite as safe knowing the patrol is hanging out smoking in between runs.

03.02.08 Alpental and WAH...Busy weeks, some riding, some running and lots of working. Loving the extra light everyday as I ride home and trying to expand the activities to use it all up outside. Went up to Alpental today so Summer could break in her new phat skis before leaving for our hut trip Wednesday. Was underwhelmed at first, lots of people, parking sucked and had to wait in line for chair 2. But after the BC gate opened the Alpental goodness shined. Great fresh tracks to be had off of the high traverse and the 8 or 10 inches was increased by lots of windblown snow. We skied a bunch of laps until it was chopped up and getting heavy as the temps climbed. Jetted down the pass and now it's time for a nap.

Leaving for the Eagle Cap Wilderness and 4 days of BC skiing in the Wallowas this week. We've got a trip with CB and Wallowa Alpine Huts. Decided to put some voile switchbacks on my boards to make it a little more efficent on the uptrack. They aren't hammerheads, but I did like them, especially in soft snow. Have to adjust my stance a bit for some reason as I kicked the heel throw off twice today. Looking forward to figuring out the modified kick-turns and squeezing in a extra lap or two with the free pivot.

Summer's ready for some fresh tracks to once the BC gate opened around 10:30am 03.02.08

Summer making turns (still great this run, but getting tracked out fast!)

02.24.08 BDE...As SB and I try to eclipse each other in an attempt to have the "Best Day Ever" (BDE) skiing in a what is turning out to be a great, great winter (either powder or bluebird). This works best when only one of us is skiing and the other is stuck in town or at work. To counter what I'm sure is his gushing report from 4 days at the Scottish Lakes, I have our tour from Mt. Baker.

A celebration in Bellingham that went late into the night was followed by a 6 am wake up call that left me fumbling in the dark and hoping I had skins, beacon and skis, boots and poles when we left the martinez mansion.

Met up with Lyle and Nate, grabbed a breakfast bagel and an americano and headed up to Mt. Baker under rapidly clearing skies and a big ole' moon looming to the west. Lyle had put together an ambitous tour that had us heading up past artist point to Huntoon point, dropping in for the first great turns to the valley floor and then skating for about 2/3 of mile through the trees (crusts can be good) before putting on the skins.

Skiied up towards a saddle above Lake Ann and then headed up again towards Mt. Ann. Ripped the skins short of the summit to take advantage of a more favorable aspect and laid some purty tracks to the valley. Then up and over to Shuksan arm before dropping down through the hourglass to the White Salmon lot at the ski area. 6 hours and 5200 vertical of bluebird skiing in an amazing setting. I put up a whole gallery of pictures on FLICKR

Looking back at our tracks from earlier in the day-Mt. Ann 02.23.08

The crew skinning towards the col by lake ann

Skied the hourglass (just right of center) off the far end of Shuksan arm to finish the tour

02.20.08 Skating and Lunar Eclipse...Got up to the pass around 5:30 tonight and skated for a couple of hours. Super fast frozen tracks that made the skiing damn near effortless. Stars were out in force and we were able to see the lunar eclipse above ammabillis mtn. A great view as it was just above the mtn. It's good to leave work early every once in awhile---and since we talked shop on the way up, it counts right?

02.18.08 Spring skiing...After yesterdays race, today was all about pleasure. Forecast called for clear skies and plenty of sun, so we rolled to crystal for a day of spring skiing in february. Temperature inversion made sure the snow was soft and the views were grand. You forget how gorgeous the view from CM is until you get a bluebird day. Put in a good day and then sat outside on the deck sampling Georgetown brewery's 9 lb porter.

Summer--crystal mtn 02.18.08

Mt. Rainier and the White River from High Campbell--Crystal Mtn.

02.17.08 Kongsberger Stampede...Got in my first nordic race of the year up at cabin creek yesterday. 15k skate race on pretty fast tracks on a warm, warm day. Temps were close to 40 degrees, but a solid freeze kept the snow in pretty good shape. As I say every year, damn nordic ski racing is hard. Lots of suffering---no results to speak of. Was fun to be up there and it's always good to throw down and see where the condition is in these races. I always realize that if I want to do better, I need to more of them. One or two a year doesn't quite cut it.

02.16.08 slushy stampede?...Gonna head up to the pass tomorrow morning and race the kongsberger stampede. A 15k skate race at cabin creek--a little worried about conditions since it's supposed to be super warm tomorrow. Could be hard work. Monday we're heading to crystal for some spring turns and a day of riding the lifts. Was going to tour but NWAC is saying the warm temps are going to increase the danger on Monday.

02.14.08 like a deer on ice...beautiful last night up at the pass--plenty of moonlight to turn off the headlamp and just let the skis run a bit. Tracks were super bumpy, refrozen, offcamber and full of grooves and gremlins because of all the new snow we've been getting. It was easy to convince yourself that you had no skiing ability whatsoever. After awhile I just turned off my headlamp, relaxed and stopped worrying about all of bobbles and hops. Skiing on a weeknight is always good and you can't really complain about too much snow. It may disrupt the skating at times, but the spring volcano skiing should extend into July.

02.12.08 Riding...got in a nice ride tonight--up to Fremont on an errand and then decided to take a lap around Magnolia. Beautiful up there at night, see the Olympics and look over downtown, the clanking of trains on the way back into Seattle and view into the sculpture garden. My new favorite winter ride.

As good as that was though, I gotta say I'm excited to get up on the skis tomorrow for our Wednesday night sessions...should be good weather for the first time in a few weeks and I'm ready to ski.

02.11.08 Too much of a good thing...Dougie and I were ready to head to the Methow on Friday afternoon---planned on cutting out of work early and cruising east and north for a big weekend of racing and skiing. But---the epic snowfall and extreme avy danger closed not one, not two, but all three passes (the 4th and 5th are always closed in the winter) So the only route to the Methow would have been by going down through Oregon.

Bummed out on a zero skiing weekend, the first since early december. I did get in a long (extra long on account of taking a wrong turn) run at Cougar mtn. Fun to be out on the trails for almost two hours of running.

Yesterday a short session running the stairs after I found out it was raining up at the pass....Fingers crossed we get a break in the snow/avy conditions and can get out into the mountains soon. Wednesday night skate session looks good as of now.

02.06.08 random NS found out he has a class 2 tear of his MCL. Best wishes for a quick, complete recovery. Firming up plans to leave town on Friday for a weekend in the Methow. Racing rendezvous on Saturday and cramming in some more skiing on Sunday. Should be a good times with Geestik--an old school road trip. 02.03.08 Chasing the snow @ Stevens Pass---good news/bad news Finally got a chance to work on all the snow that's been dumping the last week. But--most likely a day late. SB, NS and I headed over the now open Snoqualmie Pass around 8 last night, looking to get to the chiwawa mansion for a beer with Dougie and a mini 20 hour vacation. Got to the cabin to find out the gazebo had collapsed. Woke up this morning for some eggs, coffee and bagels before heading up to the hill.

Super good skiing, but in a winter of great skiing, it seemed maybe we were a day late. Most of the freshies had been harvested and plenty of settlement (which is good with our recent high avy danger) had occured. Skied hard with SB for a couple of hours and then Geestik showed up and we skied hard for another few hours. Was totally cooked at the end. Bad news was Nick took a wicked looking crash and is getting his very sore knee examined first thing tomorrow. Fingers crossed it's just a sprain. No pics cuz my camera is in Guatemala with Summer.

02.02.08 It's dumping:-) But no skiing :-(....t's been snowing like mad since last Monday. Something like 4-8 feet of snow this week (depending on who you talk to)--an absoutely crazy storm cycle but the passes have been closed for about 80% of the week. Snoqualmie finally opened this morning, but had no power and the xc trails weren't going to be groomed.

So stayed in town today and did some errands that got put off last weekend and ran some stairs. (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)

Summer is off to Guatemala for two weeks, so I'm living the bachelor life (skiing a lot hopefully)

01.29.08 Cycling....went for a 1 hour ride after work that lasted for an 1:40...headed north into the wind, past the sculpture garden and up around Magnolia. Windy and cold---was underdressed and that means a long cold ride. Great views back over the city and along the water though.

01.28.08 BC and skating....another weekend and another couple days on the skis. A great exploratory bc trip up past lictenwasser lake towards lichtenberg peak on Saturday. Avy danger was forecast to go from moderate to probable to high through the afternoon and evening so we kept a pretty close eye on the new snow and stuck to conservative lines. Stability was good on with about 12 inches of fluff on a rain crust from about 12 days ago. A couple of sluffs, but nothing to worry about. Great turns in powdery goodness and then a trip to the nordic center to get dougie.

A bonfire, pasta and a few beers on the chiwawa river and then skating at ski hill in leavenworth on Sunday. Temps in the low 20's made for some slow tracks, but the grooming was great and I love to skate at ski hill. Rolling up and down all the time with lots of tricky little corners. Good stuff. Pics to follow.

SB & Marina scoring first tracks on 01.26.08

Plenty of snow at Stevens

01.23.08 Single digit skating....Not a big deal for a lot of the country, but 9 degrees is pretty rare in the cascade passes. Not used to dressing for skate skiing in these temps... a windshell and I got a little sweaty (=cold) No windshell and I was just chilly. Hmmm, a vest would have been perfect. Bumpy, ultra-fast tracks and a clear sky with zillions of stars made for fun skiing. We had a crew of 5 tonight. Always good to ski with new people. Put in about 2 hours and then rolled home....

01.22.08 Slacking....on the blog, but getting in lots of skiing. A nice bumpy skate session last Wednesday night at cabin creek. Some good intervals in the dark on a cold night.

Spent saturday in town and went for a run on the trails and stairs, but RW, Summer and I headed up on sunday to Hyak for some skating. Lots of work, with 12" new snow and cold temps the skating was slow even though it was groomed and required a light touch to not sink every time you pushed off. We got some good loops in and a wicked fast descent back through the ski area.

Up early yesterday for a trip to the pass for some BC skiing up on the snow lake divide. Cool temps (15 degrees) kept the snow in tip-top shape and we found some 15" deep runs of super fluffy, shady powder down to Snow Lake. Best skiing of the year so far (in a good year) We put in laps until late in the day and then rolled out past source lake and onto the traverse to the parking lot. A great day with friends. A few pics below and a few more are on the flickr site.

Although now I'm fighting off a cold, but hoping to still get my full moon skate session in tomorrow night. A crew from work is heading up, so I guess if I'm healthy enough to work, I can ski???

Summer spooning my tracks as she skis the down from Snow Lake Divide 01.21.08

The crew is ready to take some laps. Looking back towards snow lake, admiring my handiwork as I put in the skin track

Lunch time!!

01.15.08 Cycling....A super-sketchy commute off the hill today-icy and cold. I never like to pass up the rare opportunity for a snow commute so I got after it. Twas' dry downtown, but fun while it lasted. Doubled up by taking the long way home after work, getting in a nice hour on the bike with my new minewt light, felt good to be out on a clear cold night. Tomorrow night we've got the Wednesday night Cabin Creek crew heading to the pass at 4:00. Should be fantastic skiing with recent cold temps and a consolidating snowpack.

01.13.08 Boston 3rd Stage.... A true Hyak'ian experience today at the pass. Forecast for sunny skies and warm temps brought the hordes to the pass (even though the snow wasn't that great). Got caught behind a wreck that just compressed all of the traffic. Finally at the nordic center I busted the zipper on my rossi skate boots. But it was time to ski, so all of that was forgotten.

Snow was fast at first, flying along on refrozen, rained on corduroy. Sunshine, fast tracks I was living the life as I headed out cold creek.... little did I know that would soon end. Even though the trail was listed as both "groomed" and "open" it quickly became apparent that the groomer hadn't gone beyond the yurt on the Mt. Catherine loop in at least a day. Some trails up top hadn't been groomed all weekend.

To add to the suffering a snowmobile had poached the road as well. So it was a tough tempo/time trial up the 4k/900 feet to windy pass. Was really beginning to fade on the last 7 or 8 minutes from yurt to pass.

But luckily Boston's "cool the engines" popped into head and that saved me from blowing up and got me back in the game. Beautiful up top, sunny and 5 inches of new, but still no groomer. A frozen, rutted descent that is usually a favorite was miserable but then I saw the groomer. Spent the last hour spinning laps on nicely groomed trails out to hidden valley and the sunshine loops before bailing. A good 2:20 of skating and then the tricky part. Navigating the hordes in the parking lot to make a clean escape. A little whining, but all in all a great day of skiing.

Body is pretty beat down, a perfect way to finish up a Sunday evening.

Poached by a snowmobile and no sign of of the corduroy I dreamed of... 01.13.08

Windy Acres looking more bc than skate

Granite Mountain from Windy Pass

01.12.08 Mini Pineapple Express....After the endless amounts of fluffy snow and cool temps over the last 3 weeks, we finally got a warm, wet storm that rained on that 7-10 feet of new snow over the last 2 weeks. Which is ok since the snowpack has been sketchy and the avy danger high. So bailed on tele skiing in the (potential) rain today and went for a long trail run at Cougar mountain. Was worked after that....Waxing up my skate skis with some yellow toko for what is forecast as a warm, sunny Sunday in the mtns.

01.09.08 Wednesday night special.... Snuck out of work at 4:00 (with my boss no less) to go up and skate for a couple of hours at cabin creek. Supposed to snow 10-18" tonight, but it was calm all evening. Good skiing--plenty of people out with headlamps for the Wednesday night nordic sessions.

Something about skiing in the dark that just makes you relax and focus on riding your skis, sensing the terrain and shifting gears all by feel. One of my favorite things.

01.06.08 Moments of Zen.... You ski, run, ride all year around,but the moments of perfection are so rare. This weekend we were blessed with two such moments in two days.

#1---first run at Crystal Mtn on Saturday. High Campbell had just opened up for the first time in 2 days---13" of new in the last 24 hours and an incredible 81" in 8 days. SB, EM, Summer and I arrive moments after the lift opens at 10:15 and head up. A little wind-affected on the first two turns but then the bottom drops away, powdery goodness flows over the goggles and helmet as the tele-turns happen. Ahhh--moment #1. The rest of the day was almost as good, fresh snow all day, a chance to ski Northway shortly after it opened and still getting sweet turns as we finished up at 3:30. Unfortunately the only pics I took were on the lift since the skiing was so good.

Today, tired and sore but wanted to get some skating in. So grabbed a cup of coffee at Stumptown and Summer and I rallied to the pass. Did some speedwork up the hideous Hidden Valley climb and then we just skied easy for a bit since we were both pretty cooked at that point. Decided to climb up to grand junction and then cut over to my personal favorite at Hyak, when it's groomed, Dawn's run.

Moment #2--- We turned on to beautiful twisty, untracked, firm corduroy trending slightly downhill. I coaxed my tired legs to go faster and faster through the best trail at the pass under sunshine and perfect conditions. You can wait all year for a day like that up at Hyak. So good that I skied a few more k's just to get one more shot before calling it a day.

01.04.08 Time for tele-turns....gearing up for a trip to crystal mtn tomorrow for some inbounds tele skiing and with any luck out on the nordic skis on Sunday. High avy danger will probably make for busy day at the resort, but it should be fun.

01.01.08 Happy New Year!!!....We spent the last day of 2007 enjoying the bounty of new snow Mt. Baker had gotten over the last week. 18 degrees at the base kept the goods fresh and light even though most of the super fresh shots were gone. We skiied hard with the crew on a great bluebird day with Shuksan peaking out of the fog during the afternoon.

Then we rallied back to bellingham for a big sushi party, a few drinks and celebrating the new year with some records and laughs.

Summer and I posing before Mt Shuksan-12.31.07