Heather and I planned a visit to see her sister Carly in Leavenworth before she left for a new job in Colorado. Had a little time before Carly got off work, so decided to stop and tour at Blewett on the way over. Haven't had snow in a little while so conditions weren't great, but, still nice to get out somewhere new, and on the eastern slope.
With crunchy snow and no recent snowfalls, we've all been hoping for some fresh snow. I did my snow dance and even included a request for snow in my prayers at night. :)
And it has snowed! A ton! Even you lowland Seattleites are getting a nice white blanket!
On Sunday, figuring it would be the safest of days to come in regards to avalanche conditions, we headed to ski the trees of Mt. Catherine.
Then, on Tuesday, after 2.5 feet of fresh, dry snow, we decided to tour up Hyak. There was actually TOO MUCH SNOW to get down the hill. We chose the steepest line and straight-lined it down; still, we both came to a stop on the flatter sections and had to unbury ourselves.
Waist-deep on Hyak
After one lap on Hyak, we decided we could have much better skiing at Alpental, on steeper runs with more consistent grade. We got fresh tracks on a few runs in Alpental before the crowds arrived once the freeway opened.
Since Brandon has become interested in skimo racing, we've looked for one or two races to travel to each year as there is only one in Washington state. This year, he thought it would be interesting and cool to participate in the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Championships, held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And it just happened to line up with our anniversary, so we decided to make a trip out of it.
Most of our skimo experience has been participating in Alpental's VertFest, in which 99% of the people are 'recreational' athletes, out to have a good time and get some exercise. At the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Championships, a vast majority of the participants were serious athletes. Some are sponsored as skimo racers, some as trail runners, some for both sports. Most have a legitimate training regiment and have really dialed in their techniques and equipment to a level that is quite impressive.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Krill @ http://crestedbuttephotography.smugmug.com/
At the start, I glanced around and noticed there were very few 'heavy' set-ups and most of the participants were in skin-suits. I couldn't heckle Brandon as he clearly fit in with the majority. :) A quick race summary for you:
Brandon participated in the race category, which covered over 8,000 feet of vertical gain and loss, including a couple mandatory bootpack sections. He is disappointed in his performance, having come in 32nd, after setting the goal of top 25, and being there most of the race. The main disappointment comes from knowing he could've done better if he had a better system of dealing with skin failure, which caused a lot of time loss on the last uphill.
I participated in the rec category, which covered a little over 3,000 feet of vertical gain and loss. Within the first 5 minutes of the climb, I was really struggling to catch my breath, definitely feeling the impact of not living and/or training anywhere near that elevation. At this point, I was passed by A LOT of people and then looked back to see that I was near the back of the pack. Here, my goal shifted from trying my hardest to just not quitting b/c I was pretty discouraged at my position and the way I felt physically...I'm disappointed that I didn't continue to challenge myself b/c I could've done better had I done so.
If you want to get an idea of the race, check out this video (trust me, these people are moving fast even if the video makes it look like they're just out for a walk):
At any rate, we were both glad we did the race and we look forward to continuing to improve in all areas.
Brandon reserved us an awesome cabin in Driggs, so we returned back to the cabin to eat well and relax for a day before our return to home and work.
Sourdough pancakes (made from a starter) with huckleberry butter, an egg, and bacon...
I love having a hubby that is such a good cook!
We spent a full day in front of the fire reading.
the Colter Cabin; I could totally live here.
Tenderloin in hollandaise sauce; Beet, Celery, and Chevre salad...
seriously, how did I get this lucky?!
And finish it all off with Pecan Sweet Potato Pie
It was a great anniversary weekend, with a perfect combination of comfort, pleasure, and even some of that pain that we somehow enjoy.
After great skiing on New Years Eve, and warm weather supposedly on the way we didn't know what to expect for weather / snow on New Years Day. Looking out in the morning revealed blue skies and maintained cold temps! Ed came up with his friends Brooks, Eric and Christy and we all headed up to Mt Catherine. We found great snow, good stability, and not too much wind. Two laps of fun and we headed home. Great way to start the New Year!
I had the whole week off from work and was really looking forward to some skiing and hopefully some nearby tours. But no...it rained the whole week. We went skiing most days anyway. We skied in everything from mist to torrential downpours. It was miserable.
So I adapted. I read for hours on end in my favorite chair, with my coffee/tea in hand. I did sewing projects. I organized cupboards. My vacation was SUPER relaxing but, I was itching to get outside in something other than rain.
On the eve of New Year's Eve, we got fresh snow!!! And then, as if that weren't amazing enough, the clouds cleared and we had a partially sunny day. What?!? This is Western Washington, not Colorado. Fresh snow and sun?!?
So, we headed off to tour Kendall Peak...
B on the summit
Mt. Rainier
B, making some turns;
although there were a couple large parties up there,
we had the whole bowl to ourselves as they were taking turns in the trees.
Heather skiing Kendall Trees
While we were out skiing, Brandon mentioned we needed to be back from our tour by a certain time b/c he thought we needed to spend New Year's Eve in the city, being social and doing something fun. I didn't want to be rude but I was thinking I really don't mind our usual stay-at-home New Year's Eve. But he kept insisting that we should do something so I went with it.
He suggested that we could drive into Seattle for dinner and then go dancing. I was not super excited but, again, I went with it. After dinner, we started walking towards the Neptune Theatre and I glanced up to see the marquis, 'Brandi Carlile' (in concert). And then I understood what this whole 'going out' thing was all about.
My sweet husband knew I wanted to go to this concert but had decided not to spend the money, and so, he bought us tickets and surprised me with them. I am a huge Brandi Carlile fan and have seen her in concert several times before. This was, by far, THE best concert I have ever been to, of any artist, any venue. They made it more of a 'party' event so the crowd was totally into it and the band just had a ton of fun. They played for 3 hours, while the crowd hollered and sang along. And just before midnight, the staff of the Neptune handed out champagne so we rang in 2012 in style. I toasted my husband and gave him a nice kiss... :)
