2012 Summit for Life Results

Doug Folk and Me at the Top

Last Saturday’s Summit for Life Race at Aspen Mountain was a lot of fun. An after dark start was a nice twist to your typical daytime race start. The race was timed perfectly with a large winter storm that dumped 15 inches of much needed snow on Aspen Mountain.  It was beautiful skinning up the mountain with large snow flakes falling. The scene in front of each racer was illuminated by headlamp.

My goal for the race was to finish in under and hour. The race ended up taking me 1 hour 2 minutes and 27 seconds a 10^th place overall finish out of over 390 racers. The race was a good kick in the pants to train a little harder leading up to the 2013 US Ski Mountaineering National Championships in Jackson Hole WY.

Time to Sharpen the Ice Tools

Lots of new and great climbing went down this fall in the Narrows just outside of Carbondale Colorado. A long list of excellent climbs have been added to the area. Some of them like Maximis are a full 40 meters long and mind blowing good. Can’t wait for the new guide book to come out highlighting the Crystal River Valley’s new climbs. I think locals and visitors alike will be thrilled by the Narrows unique setting along the Crystal River and new excellent routes. 

This fall we climbed rock all the way into the first week of December 2012.  Here are a few pictures from recent projects in the Narrows area. Most of the following pictures of of Gabe Collins. He was one of the few climbers I could convince to come up to the new zones as temperatures usually dipped below freezing, icy rain drizzled and snow flakes fell this fall.

Gabe follows first ascent of Knuckledragger.

Gabe enters Diaphoresis final crack after difficult face climbing.

DR cleaning the Simian Sounds Wall.

Gabe follows the Mohel's Mazaltov in The Gash.

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Diaphoresis

Wild Stems on Spunk Monkey.

The great white Spunk Monkey.

More Diaphoresis.

Gabe low on Knuckledragger.

Diaphoresis in the left and Spunk Monkey on the right. Crystal River in the background.

Just past the roof crux on Kunckledragger.

Diaphoresis arete.

Pulling hard moves on the Mohel's Mavaltov.

Sweet Simian Sounds Wall Perch.

John on first ascent of Fasting on Ramadon in The Gash.

7th Annual Summit for Life Event Climbs Aspen Mountain at Night

Don’t miss Saturday December 8ths Summit for Life race up Aspen Mountain Ski Resort to benefit the Chris Klug Foundation. The Chris Klug foundation raises money and awareness for organ and tissue donation.  For us Ski Mountaineer Racing dorks this is a great opportunity to kick start our lungs early in the season.  Every time I skin up Aspen Mountain I am reminded how relentless a hill can be.  A couple of my coworkers from Valley View Hospital are going to be competing in the race including Doug Folk who just completed his first Iron Man.  For more information on the race and Chris Klug Foundation visit http://summitforlife.org. Thanks to all of those who have already sponsored me with donations to The Summit for Life Event.

Bottom to Top Aspen Mountain gains 3267 feet of elevation. Not exactly a climb one want to do off the couch. To get ready for the event I thought I should start skinning  up Aspen Mountain as much as possible. My first skin up was Monday November 26^th 2012. I have always held onto the foolish notion that I could keep training through any cold, sickness or injury. It has taken me over decade to learn intense cardiovascular activity is not a cold remedy.

On the 26^th Aaron and I skinned up Aspen Mountain sucking  in frigid cold air as snow gun blew icy snow that plastered our faces.  I was sick as a dog and struggled to keep up with Aaron. My throat burned like a lava tube.  At the Sundeck we turned south and  ventured out Richman Ridge for an hour. I knew it was a bad sign when we saw a Nissan Xtera at the top of the mountain.  (There was so little snow people could still drive up the backside of the mountain.)  Aaron and I had to constantly remove our skis and walk through snowless patches along the  ridge.  A mile out or so  we ran into an elk herd.  These guys were a little high in elevation for this time of year.  Needless to say the outing was supposed to knock my cold out of my system but instead it grounded me at home the next day.

Aaron searches for snow on a very dry Richmond Ridge.

A week latter I was 90% recovered.  I decided to skin up Aspen mountain again on Monday December 3^rd 2012. Rain in Carbondale turned into ice and then snow as my wife and I drove up Valley. Aspen Mountain had gotten 2 new inches of snow.  A handful of people and I skinned up.at a tortoise pace.  As I reached the base of Kleenex Corner I noticed a guy taking some pictures of a snow dusted Aspen below. It turns out the early morning uphill enthusiast was taking a picture of me that ended up on the front page of the Aspen Daily News! Things were finally starting to look wintery on the mountain.  The couple inches over the manmade base was actually enjoyable skiing.  We’ll see if the precipitation in the next couple days gets winter back on track.