Dan Skate Skiing at Eldora

On Saturday morning Katie and I went to the Nordic Center at Eldora Mountain Resort to try skate skiing.  Seeing as we had no idea how to skate, we signed up for a beginner lesson (it did not hurt that the cost of a lesson was only $9).  A lesson is apparently a great place to pick up girls, or at lease the odds appear to be in your favor; our class was eight girls to two guys.  Seeing as I had no need to pick up a girl, I proceed on with the falling (I had assumed that all my hockey and speed skating would have set me up for this sport but all the falling would indicate otherwise).

We had two great instructors, Anna and Jack.  Anna had skiing competitively in college at Colby and Jack had been skiing for 35 years; theoretically there should be enough skill and knowledge to get us skiing.  Being a little late to the lesson, Katie and I must have missed the short introduction where the instructors said do not lean back.  Or maybe I just didn’t hear it.  In any case, on our ski over to “the stadium” for the actual learning, I discovered that leaning backwards is a very bad idea.  In fact, I must have learned this at least six times.

When we got to the stadium, Jack and Anna took us over balance, edges, and body position before setting us loose to try for a few laps.  I was undoubtedly the fastest person in the class, though my advantage would almost always be tempered by my failed attempts to go faster.  I believe Jack thought this was mildly amusing; he told me that I was really close to getting the form down and that I just needed to learn forward a bit more.  While leaning forward did have a positive effect on my speed, inversely it near destroyed my already pathetic balance.

After a while I became fairly comfortable with the V2 skate on the right foot, somewhat less so on the left foot.  I was able to unintentionally switch without thinking about it on our way back to the Nordic Center; when Anna commented on it I immediately fell.  As for the V1 stride, I understood the concept but was disastrously off balance.  Alas, something to strive for.

After the lesson Katie and I decided to try some of the trails.  Anna recommended that we take 17th Avenue to the Meadows Loop, though she warned us that there is a “little bit of hills” on 17th Avenue.  I had assumed this definition was similar to the hills we had seen during the lesson; I was wrong.  17th Avenue was essentially one long hill all the way up.  By the time we got to the top, neither of us had any energy to attempt Meadows Loop.  Apparently really skiing is a lot more tiring than taking a few laps before pausing to learn the next drill.  Seeing as we were all but dead, we took Cheater Corner back down.  Which was great, except when I caught my ski in a classic track and went down by the top of the Little Hawk lift to the great amusement of all the snowboarders.  Again, alas.

While I fell a lot and felt painfully out of shape, I really enjoyed the day.  I will definitely try it again and maybe, just maybe, will find the water bottle I lost on one of my many falls.

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Evil RTD Bus

There are some days that I really just do not want to ride my bike home from work.  Today was such a day.  I rode my Jamis Supernova into work (and experienced a slew of smells including a dead skunk, burning rubber, cinnamon rolls, a slaughter house, and sweat) and ran a few miles at lunch.  The afternoon consisted largely of a coworker trying to dump his grunt work on me.  When the day finally concluded, I really did not want to ride home so I road my bike over to the RTD bus stop.  And then it happened – I saw that the bus had already passed and was a few minutes down the road.  Now I wanted to blame myself, but both my watch and cell phone confirmed that the bus was two minutes early.  That was all I needed; I said I was going to beat the bus home on my bike while still wearing my dress clothes (though I did have on bike shoes).  I put the hammer down and at the first light I had almost caught the bus – the light was really long and the bus had to make a few stops.  Unfortunately the bus made the light and I did not.  Waiting at the light, the desire to win just grew; there was no way I was going to let that bus defeat me.  I took off the second the light changed and never looked back.  When I turned on to my street, I looked at the coming bus and threw out some obscenities regarding meeting a schedule and how pathetic it was getting beat by my cyclocross bike.  Score another win for Dan.  Now I just need to deal with the pit stains on my undershirt…

Pit Stains After Bike Commute Home

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When I got home and stripped down I was pleased to see that my skin was still in one piece, particularly since I could see the crash marks directly on an old scar (from the first time I use clipless pedals on a mountain bike and subsequently spent three hours getting gravel picked out of my arm at the hospital; you know it happened you too).

Icing My Elbow with Dale's Pale Ale

Anyways, after years of athletic injuries I know the proper recovery method involves putting something very cold on the wound; I improvised with a can of Dale’s Pale Ale.

A Better Use of Dale's Pale Ale

After about 8.7 seconds, I got bored and decided on a better use of my cold object.  Sucks to be my elbow.

The Remnants of My Cooling Device

Now I just need to find someone else to blame for my crash on an empty, icy road while going 25 km/hour; suggestions?

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Katie Snowboarding at Vail

While we still have not found a ski house, Katie and I could no longer ignore the mountains.  A few weeks back we rented a condo for the weekend in Frisco and went for our first outing of the year to Vail; it was the only mountain that had decent snow.  The back bowls were not open, but it was a decent start to the season.  We followed up the next morning with a few runs at Keystone, which was easy seeing as there were only a few runs open…

View from Ski Santa Fe

Over Christmas we headed to Santa Fe with the misguided conception that it would be warm there.  It was not.  At all.  The temperatures had highs in the teens and twenties.  In any case, we went to Ski Santa Fe on Christmas Day.  It was really nice with a the short drive; the ski hill was about 30 minutes outside of town.  It was a reminder that we should ski Eldora sometimes instead of driving to Summit county.  As for the skiing, it was similar to Keystone; there were a very limited number of runs open.  We skied every single one of them.  And then skied them again, because what else was there to do but ski on Christmas Day!  It was nice exploring some new terrain, though I would really to try some of the more challenging upper runs if I go back.  I did take this very odd picture with my iPhone; I have no idea what happened to it.  If you know, send me an email!

Odd iPhone Picture - Ski Santa Fe

Finally over the last week I went up twice again, once on Tuesday to Breckenridge and then again to Keystone on Thursday.  Breckenridge was absolutely packed with 30-45 minute lift lines; it was not an entirely enjoyable day.  Keystone was much better, both in terms of lift lines and terrain from the previous visit.  The snow was fairly soft, the Outpost was completely empty in the morning, and my friends were moving fast.  It was the best day of skiing so far.  Hopefully the season will just get better, particularly so I can stop taking core shots on !

A Very Barren Keystone

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Patagonia Watermaster Waders

For my second review of Patagonia gear this week, I took out my Watermaster Waders to the water today.  A few months ago I bought a the pair; this was the second time I took them into the water and decidedly less successful than the first.  After finding most of the water in Eldorado Canyon State Park mostly iced over, minimal flows on South Boulder Creek east of the park, and then a New Zealand Mud Snail closure on Boulder Creek, I finally found some fishable water near the Backpacker office where I was rewarding with losing one small rainbow.

The Waders:

The Watermaster stockingfoot waders are extremely lightweight and fit well around my body; they allowed excellent movement without feeling too balky.  Along with the breathable material, the unique suspension system makes these great for warm summer days as you can easily roll down and secure the waders at your hips.  Patagonia makes a big deal about the material being puncture resistant; unintentionally to test this I slide about 10 feet down a hill after stepping on some ice.  My fishing spot was next to a bike path and my blunder did not go unnoticed.  While my dignity may have faltered, the waders did not and I stayed dry.  Including again after I broke through some bank ice.

Boulder Creek

My one complaint with the waders was the integrated gravel guards.  At first glance I was ecstatic to no longer worry about forgetting or losing my gravel guards.  Now, particularly when the water is running cold, I found them annoying.  It is extremely difficult to keep long underwear pants in place while putting on the waders.  Even when on it was difficult, though not impossible, to force the long underwear (or whatever pants you are wearing) back under the tight elastic strap.

Overall I am extremely pleased with the Patagonia Watermaster Waders and would recommend them to anyone looking for a lightweight and durable wader.

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Bloodied Patagonia Boaris Limited Edition Shoes

A few weeks back Katie asked me if I would review a pair of Patagonia Boaris Limited Edition shoes when I went hunting in Wisconsin over Thanksgiving. And then she gave me a plastic bag containing the previously tested shoes…

I did take them home, and I wanted to hunt in them, I really did. But I also wanted to avoid losing my toes to frostbite; I could only use them sparingly. They fit my heel snuggly and had a surprising amount of traction; however I must question Patagonia’s color selection.

Read the full review on Backpacker here.

Patagonia will be getting some more love this weekend when I review fly-fishing waders this weekend – be sure to check back!

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Take Us Back Summit County!

Last winter Katie and I joined a Ski House in Dillon, CO.  It was great.  We had a bed every other weekend (along with any time during the week we wanted) and could take our dog with us.

This year, not so much.  The group from last year fell apart.  The group I tried to put together at work bailed as soon as I started asking for cash.  Then the guy renting his room on Craigslist reneged.

We have not given up yet.  If you need two more for your ski house, and a lazy bulldog, let us know!  We really do not want to do the drive constantly.  Alas.

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A) Introduce new people to mountain biking without killing them

B) Recover my confidence on a bike post crash(es)

C) Go fly fishing in a ditch when the water is exceedingly high

———————————

A.

Chris's first mountain biking adventure

I have friends come to town from time to time and want to experience biking in Colorado.  Sometime to see me.  Or in this case one of my friends flew to visit her mother in Denver.  Obviously Katie and I rank far behind her mother, so we settled for an afternoon mountain bike ride and beer.  Now I like Chris.  She is fun, amusing, and only slightly annoying.  However she is not a bicyclist (she showed up wearing sandals, thankfully I had extra shoes) , opening the question where should I take her for the first attempt.  Marshall Mesa is obviously the answer, the trails are relatively flat, have minimal rocks/technical sections, and can be as short or long as you want.  We took Chris on the Marshall Valley, Cowdrey Draw, Community Ditch, and Coal Seam trails; that seams like a lot but in all it is only a few miles with virtually non-existent hills.  Why do I keep mentioning hills?  Well, out of towners generally are not used to the elevation and can really suffer.  Which while occasionally fun to watch, does not lead them to continue biking.  Usually.  My Trek Fuel EX 8 is definite overkill for the trail, alas.  However the Boulder Trek Store has great bikes for rent that are appropriate.

View from Coalton Trail

B.

I have been crashing on my Jamis Supernova cyclocross bike during races.  A lot.  Sometimes I just need a confidence booster.  Katie and I went out a few weeks back on one such ride.  As I mentioned above, Marshall Mesa can be extended to just about any distance you want.  We created a long loop (made longer by the 20 mile per hour in your face winds on the return half), starting on the Greenbelt Plateau, continuing on the Community Ditch and Cowdrey Draw trails.   After running into 66th, we took a right to a short trail before jumping on McCaslin Blvd.  Another right and a hill took us to the Coalton and High Plains trails, thus returning to the start.  Confused?  Check out this map.  The Coalton trail has a decent hill on it and when the wind is coming straight off the mountains, it hurts.  I didn’t fall, so overall it was a success.

Dan's Community Ditch Rainbow

C.

This has nothing to do with mountain bike.  Too bad.  Marshall Lake is private and maintained by a fishing club.  They stock a lot of trout.  And when the water gets high, the rainbows run up the Community Ditch to spawn.  I wrote about fly fishing in a ditch; it is an interesting experience.  Even more interesting when a club member comes and yells at you, even though you are on public property.  Alas, it was not my fault that the water runs high in the spring.

First Ride on Marshall Mesa

Marshall Mesa

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I have been fairly lazy, at least with my lunchtime workouts and bike commuting.  I probably averaged less than one ride to work a week.  I ran at lunch once.  I have been only mildly active on the weekends.  I put on 5 lbs in the month.  Bad news.  Seriously bad news.  I will have to do something to get in shape for speed skating season.

So what all did I do?  I went fly fishing with the snow falling and the wind biting at my face.  It was like steelhead fishing back in Wisconsin and Michigan, except I only caught one 8 inch rainbow instead of a 15 lbs silver bullet steelhead.

I only took my Trek Fuel EX 8 mountain bike out once.  Katie and I went out to Marshall Mesa for an easy ride.  Except we were battling 20 mile winds.  Which was awesome…  I will write more about that tomorrow.

I rode in three cyclocross races.  Technically only one of them was in October, but that is acceptable as I collectively performed miserably at all of them.  The first, at the Louisville Rec center as part of the Boulder Cyclocross series, I was actually doing fairly well (probably somewhere in the top 15-20) before I crashed on the downhill immediately following the sandpit.  I went down hard on the turn and bent my derailleur hanger, of course I didn’t notice until my chain sucked behind my cassette and refused to be freed.  Alas.  The next race was the Valmont Bike Park Fest race where I continued my trend of falling.  Not only did I fall, but I fell three times.  And by falling I do not mean poor mounts, though I had plenty of those as well.  I went down twice in the loose dirt after the run-up and then once again when some guy bumped me into the tape.   I think I somehow managed to be the last person not to be lapped.  Finally I competed in the Boulder Cup.  I did not manage to avoid getting lapped; apparently I have a lot to learn about cyclocross, like that it helps to train…  At least my Jamis Supernova is performing well.

In pre-winter news, we had three different ski houses fall through.  If you know of anyone who needs two more (and a bulldog), let us know!

Oh, and it snowed 23 inches in two days; forty-eight later it was all but melted.  We’ll see what November brings.

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Katie at the top of Cheyenne Rim

Go North Young Man.

Wait a second…

This morning Katie and I wanted to ride somewhere new – most of the mountain bike trails in Boulder county have been ridden too many times to county.  To find some new trails we looked north, to the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area above Fort Collins.  After an hour and a half drive, we arrived at the park gate and asked the ranger for an 8-10 mile loop recommendation.  The ranger told us to try the Cheyenne Rim trail, a 15 mile round trip out and back.   While not at all what we asked for, the colors were supposedly gorgeous so we agreed to try the trail.

Aside from the fighting the painfully strong winds, I really liked the trail. Of course with all the cacti it probably would be wise to have a selection of spare tubes. There were almost no people – across fifteen miles we saw only six other humans.  The trail was a mixture double track and single track (really wide single track) and extremely smooth.  So smooth that I could have easily taken my Jamis Supernova instead of my Trek Fuel EX 8.  The trail had a long gradual climb on the undulating hills in the wide open expanse of plains (bring lots of water and sunblock).  The park is a great place to take a new rider, as long as they have the endurance or you the will to turn around.

If you want a technical challenge, this trail is not for you.  If you want epic climbs, this trail is not for you.  So why did I like this trail?  It was beautiful and beautifully relaxing.  I spent the entire ride (downhill included) just cruising, looking at the scenery.

Cheyenne Rim Panaramic 1

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