A long time coming

Alright, well I've finally got some time (even if is is forced) to get caught up. I am currently stuck in Petersburg after the Alaska Airlines jet decided to skip its milk run stops on its way from Seattle to Anchorage because of horrendous winds and rain throughout Southeast AK this morning. Ironically, at the time the flight was supposed to land in Petersburg blue sky started to peak through the clouds and the winds died down. Its not that I'm complaining so much, there are a lot worse places to be stuck in. It is kind of nice to get more of a feel for these quaint little towns. The past week I've been blurring through Southeast AK (Juneau, Gustavus, Haines, Ketchikan, and now Petersburg) on a trip for work; so its nice to get to check this town out. On the downside I'm going to miss out on the party of the year, and the first ice climbing. Anyways, where was I before I abandoned my blog to the eternal catch 22 of blogging....

Last winter finished off with some more ice climbing, some ski racing, and dreams of water. When the water started flowing it started flowing fast and hard. The Lil' Su got up to the highest level its been in two years this past spring. It was really nice to get out there and run the Lil' Su as much as possible. After about a month and a half of solid boating (about three times per week on average) the water ran out. Which wasn't a bad thing, as we had a much sunnier summer than last year.

I kept more than busy the rest of the summer with all sorts of weekend trips and field work. The two highlight trips for me this summer was a road trip to Haines for the Southeast State Fair, and a backpacking trip in Hatcher's Pass over Labor Day weekend.

As summer came to a close I started packrafting, believe it or not. Roman got me out on a class V creek and I was hooked. I got out four times total this fall, and in those few short weeks the evolution of packrafting exploded. Timmy J (a fellow class V kayaker) got out there, as well, for a Bird Creek session. Timmy saw how fun it was an bought up one of Roman's packrafts. He immediatly put thighstraps in his raft and showed the world that you can roll packrafts. The next summer is going to see a major advance in packrafting. I can't wait.

After it started to become a little ridiculous to still be playing in the water, I've started to become more excited about training again. I've joined up with OIA (Only In Alaska, an active group of 20 somethings) for workouts at APU this fall and have really been enjoying rallying myself once a week doing an hour and a half of circuits. Now I'm ready to start training recreationally, and stay active. I've been trying to do something everyday. Lately I've been going on cross country ski sessions, getting over to the Rock Gym to get ready for ice season, doing yoga, doing circuit workouts with OIA, and going to the pool to kayak with Cassie.

The snow finally fell last weekend, right before I headed out to the Southeast. I'm really looking forward to getting back to Anchorage and enjoying the winter sports. As I'm writting Cassie is out ice climbing. I was hoping to get out tomorrow and go climbing with her in Hatchers, but I don't think I'll make with the current delay. I bought some new telemark boots this fall and am looking forward to using them soon. Alright, well stay tuned, as blogs should come out in a flurry as I have nothing better to do but get caught up.

Ciao

This time it is for fun

I've started to race again.

This time I've taken a different focus, fun. I've been racing in the AMH Anchorage Cup Races. Last weekend I raced in Pia's Classic and this weekend I did the Hickok Pursuit. Pia's is a 30k mass start classic race and The Hickok is a 10k race where you race 5k classic and 5k skate. It was so much fun to get out there and mix it up with other skiers.

I found it was so much nicer to just go and not worry about anything. My last few seasons I ended up putting so much pressure on myself ski racing wasn't fun for me anymore. I would always say that I had fun, but in reality I really wasn't having fun. I was beating myself up mentally; I couldn't keep a positive out look on my racing or how I was feeling. I would usually finish a race second guessing my effort and wondering if I had gone hard enough. On my cool down I would systematically pick through my race and try to figure out what I could have done better. Not matter what I did, or where I placed I was never good enough in my own mind. I could never go hard enough, ski as technically well as I wanted or place where I could make my goals.

Last Sunday, when I finished my race I actually felt like I had fun. In three years I can remember two races where I finished and felt like that; the 2006 Tour of Anchorage and the 2007 New Mexico Invite. After my last ski race last year I didn't think that I would be out ski racing in the next couple years. I had finally beat myself far enough down that I couldn't stand it anymore. But after my trip to Guatemala, and getting some separation from the world of nordic ski racing, I had an epiphany. It didn't matter anymore where I placed, or how I did. I found that I like the feeling of racing, the blood pumping through my body and being in the zone.

So when I got back from Guatemala I started to ski again. This time for fun. There is a great local group of skiers where that is their goal. Some of them are more serious than others and want to show that you can still race competitively while maintaining a 40 hour work week. I'm done with that. Been there, done that. Count me in the fun group. My training plan is as follows. Stay active. When fun, adventurous activities don't present themselves, go out and ski. This has worked great so far. Between fun, adventurous activities and resting from those activities I usually get one or two days of skiing in a week. One of those sessions is usually intervals with the local group. Okay, so I still haven't completely broken myself from training completely (setting goals and doing intervals). It is a hard habit to break. At least this time it is healthy. I feel like I've got a healthy balance now.

Pia's classic was really fun. It was a blast to get out there and mix it up a little bit. But when it came down to it, it was really nice not to suffer and just ski. My goals were to ski with good technique and not worry about where I came in. Mission accomplished. I was able to get out there and mix it up with Adam and Rob for a while, but when it came to the punch I didn't feel that I had to puke my guts out to stay with them. I got what I wanted out of it; to ski in the zone for 30k and to feel my heart pump blood through my body.

Today I finished the Hickok. I'm not sure where I came in, perhaps top 15. Again it was really fun to get out there and do some ski racing. It was my first ski of the week. I've been staying fairly active though doing back country skiing, breaking trail up hill for a ways. I could definitely feel that I haven't been training like I used to in this shorter race. The whole race I felt like I was shaking off cob webs. But this time when I came to the last kilometer I did feel like pushing it a bit. I had really fast skis and was pulling away from the group I had been skiing with and gaining on the couple guys in front of me. With about 1k left to go I had just about caught up to Adam and gave it everything I had to catch up to him and get away before the final sprint, as Adam can easily out sprint me.

Its been nice to take this different approach to racing. I feel like if I really want to get back into it I can just start putting in the time and get it done. I know what it takes now, and for now I don't want to do that any more. I'm perfectly happy finishing off the tail end of the fast guys and having a ton more fun than they are. Well time to get a few chores done around the house before going out tele skiing tomorrow. :)

Rob skiing behind me on the first lap of Pias

And now for our feature presentation.....Snowyaking

A "Snowyaking" Movie Review

"Snowyaking" features Jason and Paul in their first grand adventure. The movie starts out at their apartment. Within minutes of meeting up, the two of them devise a plan to do the first winter descent of a small tributary of Rabbit Creek. In no time Paul and Jason have their boats and gear loaded up in the truck and blast into the mountains.

The movie continues with their slog into the headwaters of the creek. The real action begins when the two of them start the first descent. The trepid duo soon find out that kayaks are very fast on the snow and for all intensive purposes can not be controlled. The first drop easily skips the snowyakers over small rocks and tussocks and sends them speeding into a patch of willows. Paul's first attempt ends after landing sideways and barrel rolling down the mountain. Jason fairs much better by crashing into a patch of willows. They soon learn that their only option for stopping is to crash into the willows. The best way to do that is to spin backwards and let the backpack take all of the impact.

The rest of the movie consists of the two adventurers advancing through the rest of the drops to the truck. At one point during the film they run into some skiers. The skiers really seem out of their element in the film. Who would think of skinning up a mountain in the winter and skiing down in a controlled fashion with mettle edged skis?

Screen shots

Paul rocking the atomic hat on the way up.

Jason slogging up the mountain.

Paul's first attempt.

Trying to turn.....

and ending up in an unintentional back "surf"


Off and away

Jason, ready for battle.

Jason, on the move.

Assuming the position

The usual end of things. Note the twisted pack.

Loaded up and ready to cruise.

(No actors, kayaks, or paddles were broken or injured in the making of this film. DO NOT try this at home! The stunts in this movie were performed by incredibly bored individuals, decked out in BMX armor, lifejackets, elbow pads, and helmets for protection, that had no clue what they were getting into. There is no actual film.)

Coming soon to a theater near you....

Bike-blading

The Adventures of Eagle Lord and Dangerous Person have been interupted to bring you this special update.....

Cassie and Paul about to embark on another Bike-blading escapade.

In other news from the Anchorage area, temperatures have dropped below zero yet again. However, this did not stop local enthusiasts, Paul and Cassie, from enjoying the little known sport of bike-blading. In bike-blading one person rides a bike while the other one is towed along on ski-blades.

"It is very similar to bike joring or water skiing, except this time the bike is doing all the work." explains Paul in a post bike-blading interview.

"[Bike-blading] is possibly the most awesome thing out there!" exclaimed and ecstatic Cassie.

The two were spotted ripping around the Turnagian subdivision late Tuesday night. They were repeatedly seen banking off the snow berms, being towed backwards, and having far too much fun in the subzero temperatures.

Two excited bike-bladers

Paul putting in the hard work

Look mom, one hand!

Paul's turn behind the bike

Eagle Lord and Dangerous Person's Grand Adventure

It started off as any other hard week of playing Fight Man and dishing out burgers at Meaty Boy, but little did our two heroes know it would soon turn into one of the sickest adventures ever. Friday evening Eagle Lord and Dangerous Person headed out to the land of Joe Six Pack to stage their attack. After conferring with Mason, the best computer hacker they know, they decide that due to the potentially unstable snow in Hatchers they should head up to Hunter Creek to go exploring. After Climbing around The Cliffs of Insanity, the frigid waters teeming with shrieking eels and fighting off ice block head monsters with their mad ninja skills, the two trepid explorers happen upon some vertical ice. Unfortunately they sprung their trap too early and as they were at the top of the climb they found that just around the corner from where they were there was some truy wicked ice.

Scaling The Cliffs of Insanity

Eagle Lord, truely insane

The Cliffs of Insanity with frigid shrieking eel waters below

Awfull ice block head monsters

Ice block head monster, oh no!!

The ice bridge of terror

The next day Eagle Lord and Dangerous Person headed out to the Hillside Pillars of Doom. Early on their trek to the HPoD they found that there were fresh tracks in their path. Surprised, the two Fight Man champs thought it was their evil nemesis, Eric. He'd better watch out, that fool, yeah fool...... foolish sucka! But as it turned out it was Ice Elf Queen and her friend Tony. It was too funny because Ice Elf Queen, Tony, Dangerous Person and Eagle Lord seemed to know so many of the same people, it was a suprise that they didn't know each other previously. After a wonderful day the four of them vowed to meet again to vanquish Eric, the foolish sucka.

Dangerous Person trekking up to the Hillside Pillars of Doom

The Hillside Pillars of Doom

Dangerous Person scaling the HPoD

Off into the sunset, to vanquish Eric!

Dangerous Person staying dangerous

Eagle Lord strapped into the pointy end of the rope

Eagle Lord on the HPoD

The next day Dangerous Person and Eagle Lord went into the mountains to train for their impending fight with Eric. It was coming up quick; they only had a day left to train. While on the mountaintop they practiced their Flying Death Kick of Death.

Dangerous Person in the Purple People Eater Suit

Dangerous Person

OMG!! Is that Sasquatch.....or Sassafras

Eagle Lord into the Flying Death Kick of Death

Airborn

Eagle Lord's Flying Death Kick of Death

Dangerous Person's Flying Death Kick of Death

Finally Tuesday rolled around and Dangerous Person and Eagle Lord headed out to Eklutna to face their nemesis at Ripple. Unfortunately Eric never showed! That fool...... yeah that foolish sucka! He'll meet Justice yet.

Dangerous Person approaching Ripple, without Eric!

To be continued.....

Kayak for Sale

Well, after moving around a bit and dealing with a rediculous amount of stuff. I have decided to sell my Big EZ. So if anyone is interested I'll toss it out there for $300 and see if there are any bites. I would even be willing to teach whoever buys the boat how to roll. Pool sessions are open now, so the learning is a lot easier now than later (the teaching is much easier as well). It is fairly well used, but a great boat for a river runner, and to learn in. On top of that the boat surfed the boar tide last spring at the spring tide! Let me know if you are interested.

In other news, I seem to be dragging the weather around with me. When I went to Houston it snowed, and when I came back to Alaska it decided to rain and melt almost all the snow. Sadly Cassie and my plans were foiled once again. We had planned on going out to my cabin this weekend. However, with UAA closed the last couple days, all of her nursing classes that were cancelled got reschedualed to today. So it doesn't quite seem logical to drive for six hours out there, spend a day there, and drive six hours back. SO, now we have to find some other fun things to do this weekend. Ideas? I guess the Beer and Barley Wine Festival is going on this weekend. We might just go spend a rainy winter day inside tasting beer, perhaps it will help my rock and roll image. Yeah, there we go, I could go for a big delicous beer. I could have a gallon, a big gallon of it.