FasterSkier

Author: caitlin.patterson

  • A Ski on Moraine Lake Road

    Although Canmore has been feeling wintery and the 2k loop has been excellent skiing, yesterday we drove away from Canmore towards Lake Louise where there is more natural snow.  About an hour away from Canmore, within Banff National Park, we turned into a makeshift parking lot at the start of Moraine Lake Road, curious to see what snow cover and terrain we would find.  Sun Valley gave us a favorable report from skiing the road the day before, but you never quite know what “good skiing” means this early in the season.  The snow was clean and plentiful, if a little grabby, and it was relatively easy skating since most of the road had been groomed by snowmachine within the past few days.   The terrain was road-like rather than trail-like – up, up, up to a high point and then gradually down the other side to Moraine Lake.  It reminded quite a few of us of skiing on the access roads at Foret Montmorency in Quebec.  From the high point down towards the lake wasn’t groomed, so not everyone was willing to venture along the unpacked powder-over-pavement on the skis they brought.  However, those of us who did make it were rewarded with a nice view of the frozen lake and the surrounding rocky cliffs.  We didn’t quite luck out with a perfect sunny day, but we were able to see parts of the impressive mountains when the clouds cleared.

     

    Hannah was excited to start her first ski of the season!

    Hannah pauses for water

    Ida was happy with all the snow!

    All 7 guys in a train

    Alex and Nils at the lake

    Cliffs above frozen Moraine Lake

     

    Look at all the snow! I was happy to have used training skis so that I could ski to the lake and see the cliffs up close.

    From Moraine Lake Road, we could see the Lake Louise alpine mountain where World Cup races are held.

    Driving up to Lake Louise, there was a definite lack of clarity, both of the sky and of the van windows.  But we still were able to admire the mountains lining the sides of the valley, and to comment on an interesting feature of the highway through Banff National Park.  Every few minutes on the highway, we would pass under a short tunnel/wide bridge, but there were no exits or other roads in the area that would need to cross the main road.  Instead, these wide bridge structures were covered with earth, with little trees and grass planted on them, obviously for the purpose of enabling animals to cross the highway – the sides of the highway were fenced off, likewise to prevent the animals from crossing in front of cars.  An interesting use of resources to minimize animal-human conflict in the park.

    Taking a stroll to Lake Louise. During the few minutes of walking and admiring the scenery, the local birds gave us some entertainment by contemplating but refusing offerings of sausage and various other post-workout snacks, and then proceeding to dive-bomb and steal the last bite of Nils’ sandwich instead.

    Although it was drizzling rain and quite warm earlier today, it was snowing this evening!   We did intervals and a strength session today, and we’re looking forward to a distance classic ski tomorrow.  It’s great to be immersed in the winter season and skiing in October!

    Here are more photos from the Moraine Lake ski and from the classic sprint that was held last Friday.  Check back for more updates soon.

                  

                  

                   

                  

     

  • Lake Placid, sprint time trial photos

    From September 10th through September 21st, the skiing portion of the GRP was in Lake Placid, NY for a training camp with our peers from other training groups around the country and the US Ski Team.

    I’m not going to attempt to summarize the camp here, because chances are that if you’re interested in our day-to-day workout routines, you’ll probably have read the Fasterskier articles and followed USSA on Facebook to find pictures and other “workout stories.” We did bounding intervals, rollerski speeds and easy distance workouts, a sprint rollerski time trial, and quite a number of other sessions. And the notorious Climb to the Castle rollerski race, which I would say went moderately well to very well for most members of the GRP.  (Go to this link: http://nysefxcski.blogspot.com/2012/09/climb-to-castle-2012-race-coverage-and.html for results if you’re interested.)

    Here are a few pictures of the GRP guys (and others) from the classic sprint last Thursday, since I decided that watching and snapping pictures was somewhat more interesting than a long cool down.  We woke up to a cold morning but the sun was bright and faintly warm by the start of the qualifiers. The women tended to be conservative on the fast downhills of the Lake Placid jump complex course, instead using the flats and uphill sections to make decisive moves during the heats. The men flew around the corners and down the hills without hesitation, and then powered up the hills too. Fortunately there didn’t seem to be any crashes during the qualifiers or heats, for men or women. The camp was an excellent experience, a nice chance for comparison, competition, and just plain hard training. And some movies, team dinners, card games, strength competitions, and hours lounging on the sun porch at our Lake Placid rental house too.

    Lactate testing after the women's finals with Whitcomb and Pepper

    Lactate testing after the women's finals with coaches Whitcomb and Pepper

    From right to left: Pat, Eric Packer, Dylan, Alex, Gordon, (Bryan's shadow)

    From right to left: Pat, Eric Packer, Dylan, Alex, Gordon, (Bryan's shadow)

    The same heat, climbing the first hill

    The same heat, climbing the first hill

    Cornering: In control, or not quite?

    Cornering: In control, or not quite?

    Pat leading around the downhill corner

    Pat leading around the downhill corner

    Andy Newell leading a heat towards the finish

    Andy Newell leading a heat towards the finish

    Pat leading over the crest of the hill

    Pat leading over the crest of the hill

    Starting

    Nils and his heat just after the start

    Ida and Annie Hart cooling down after the sprint

    Ida and Annie Hart (in the distance) cooling down after the sprint. The fall colors were actually quite vibrant in NY by the time we left, though this picture doesn't do them justice.

    Alex gapping Tim and Gordon

    Alex gapping Tim and Gordon

    Tim, Gordon, Dylan, Nils

    Tim, Gordon, Dylan, Nils

    Alex leading up the last hill, with the aerials pools in the background

    Alex leading up the last hill, with the aerials pools in the background

    Pepa cheering on the heat of 5 GRP skiers + Sylvan

    Pepa cheering on the heat of 5 GRP skiers + Sylvan

    Bryan vs. Tad Elliott

    Bryan vs. Tad Elliott

  • Gardens and Vegetables

    Between training sessions, quite a few of us (okay, mostly the girls…) enjoy spending time in the gardens around the Outdoor Center and Elinor’s.  This has been my first summer in the East, and I’m finding the large variety of wild and garden plants, as well as the speed with which they grow, to be quite fascinating.  There is never any shortage of things to do in the garden, especially here in early August.  The weeds are as energetic as ever, with plenty of rain and sun to encourage new sprouts to pop up each day.  More importantly, the vegetables are growing extremely quickly, with the cucumbers and summer squash requiring almost daily picking.
    Bright flowers along the garden border.

    Bright flowers along the garden border.

    From these two rows of cucumber plants, consisting of 3 different varieties, we've been harvesting around 70-100 cucumbers every other day!

    From these two rows of cucumber plants, consisting of 3 different varieties, we've been harvesting around 70-100 cucumbers every other day!

    Cucumber flowers, spring-like vines, and baby cucs. These plants are lightly furred with spines and expertly hide fully grown cucumbers, so that each cucumber picking session quickly turns into a cucumber treasure hunt.

    Cucumber flowers, spring-like vines, and baby cucs. These plants are lightly furred with spines and expertly hide fully grown cucumbers, so that each cucumber picking session quickly turns into a cucumber treasure hunt.

    A few long, skinny cucumbers that are almost ready for picking. All of the vegetables we pick go straight to the Outdoor Center kitchen, where they soon find their way into salads, soups, and sautés for all diners to enjoy.

    A few long, skinny cucumbers that are almost ready for picking. All of the vegetables we pick go straight to the Outdoor Center kitchen, where they soon find their way into salads, soups, and sautés for all diners to enjoy.

    We also have fantastic beets, peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos growing.

    We also have fantastic beets, peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos growing.

    Yellow zucchini and patty pan squash are two of the types of summer squash we've grown this year.

    Yellow zucchini and patty pan squash are two of the types of summer squash we've grown this year.

    It's fun to find all the bright yellow hiding underneath big green leaves.

    It's fun to find all the bright yellow hiding underneath big green leaves.

    Near Elinor's, there are two winter squash gardens, with vines reaching into the wild grassy borders.

    Near Elinor's, there are two winter squash gardens, with vines reaching into the wild grassy borders.

    The tiny butternut squash...

    The tiny butternut squash…

    … quickly balloon into edible fruit.

    … quickly balloon into edible fruit.

    In the squash garden it is possible to study many color differences within the same type of squash.

    In the squash garden it is possible to admire the many color differences between squash of the same type.

    A few of the squash varieties, like the sugar pumpkins at bottom, seem to think fall is coming. Just a few days ago, they started turning orange, with a faint glow like a misting of spray paint at first, which has now turned into full-fledged orange.

    A few of the squash varieties, like the sugar pumpkins at bottom, seem to think fall is coming. Just a few days ago, they started turning color, with a faint glow like a misting of spray paint at first, which has now turned into full-fledged orange.

    The garden scene wouldn't be complete without garden pests and helpers. Finding one of these little frogs (or maybe they are toads) always makes digging in the garden even more fun, and fortunately there are quite a few of them hopping around.

    The garden scene wouldn't be complete without garden pests and helpers. Finding one of these little frogs (or maybe they are toads) always makes digging in the garden even more fun, and fortunately there are quite a few of them hopping around.

     

    On a different note, the Outdoor Center has been hosting the USSA J2 camp this week.  On Monday, several members of the GRP ran the Elmore uphill time trial with the J2 group.  Gordon set an impressive new men’s record, and I think all or nearly all of the GRPers who ran set PRs.  There were some very quick J2s, and everyone clearly gave the time trial their best effort.  Here are just a few photos, although the picture quality isn’t very good with the sun-speckled lighting.

    Nils in the Elmore time trial

    Nils in the Elmore time trial

    Dylan on Elmore

    Dylan on Elmore

    Gordon speeding by for a 16:00 record on Elmore

    Gordon speeding by for a 16:00 record on Elmore

     

    The J2s are finishing their camp and leaving the Outdoor Center tomorrow morning.  For the GRP, tomorrow brings skate rollerski intervals for some of us, biathlon races at Jericho for a few, and the continuation of Canadian Henley for the rowers.

  • Gardens and Vegetables

    Between training sessions, quite a few of us (okay, mostly the girls…) enjoy spending time in the gardens around the Outdoor Center and Elinor’s.  This has been my first summer in the East, and I’m finding the large variety of wild and garden plants, as well as the speed with which they grow, to be quite fascinating.  There is never any shortage of things to do in the garden, especially here in early August.  The weeds are as energetic as ever, with plenty of rain and sun to encourage new sprouts to pop up each day.  More importantly, the vegetables are growing extremely quickly, with the cucumbers and summer squash requiring almost daily picking.
    Bright flowers along the garden border.

    Bright flowers along the garden border.

    From these two rows of cucumber plants, consisting of 3 different varieties, we've been harvesting around 70-100 cucumbers every other day!

    From these two rows of cucumber plants, consisting of 3 different varieties, we've been harvesting around 70-100 cucumbers every other day!

    Cucumber flowers, spring-like vines, and baby cucs. These plants are lightly furred with spines and expertly hide fully grown cucumbers, so that each cucumber picking session quickly turns into a cucumber treasure hunt.

    Cucumber flowers, spring-like vines, and baby cucs. These plants are lightly furred with spines and expertly hide fully grown cucumbers, so that each cucumber picking session quickly turns into a cucumber treasure hunt.

    A few long, skinny cucumbers that are almost ready for picking. All of the vegetables we pick go straight to the Outdoor Center kitchen, where they soon find their way into salads, soups, and sautés for all diners to enjoy.

    A few long, skinny cucumbers that are almost ready for picking. All of the vegetables we pick go straight to the Outdoor Center kitchen, where they soon find their way into salads, soups, and sautés for all diners to enjoy.

    We also have fantastic beets, peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos growing.

    We also have fantastic beets, peppers, tomatoes, and tomatillos growing.

    Yellow zucchini and patty pan squash are two of the types of summer squash we've grown this year.

    Yellow zucchini and patty pan squash are two of the types of summer squash we've grown this year.

    It's fun to find all the bright yellow hiding underneath big green leaves.

    It's fun to find all the bright yellow hiding underneath big green leaves.

    Near Elinor's, there are two winter squash gardens, with vines reaching into the wild grassy borders.

    Near Elinor's, there are two winter squash gardens, with vines reaching into the wild grassy borders.

    The tiny butternut squash...

    The tiny butternut squash…

    … quickly balloon into edible fruit.

    … quickly balloon into edible fruit.

    In the squash garden it is possible to study many color differences within the same type of squash.

    In the squash garden it is possible to admire the many color differences between squash of the same type.

    A few of the squash varieties, like the sugar pumpkins at bottom, seem to think fall is coming. Just a few days ago, they started turning orange, with a faint glow like a misting of spray paint at first, which has now turned into full-fledged orange.

    A few of the squash varieties, like the sugar pumpkins at bottom, seem to think fall is coming. Just a few days ago, they started turning color, with a faint glow like a misting of spray paint at first, which has now turned into full-fledged orange.

    The garden scene wouldn't be complete without garden pests and helpers. Finding one of these little frogs (or maybe they are toads) always makes digging in the garden even more fun, and fortunately there are quite a few of them hopping around.

    The garden scene wouldn't be complete without garden pests and helpers. Finding one of these little frogs (or maybe they are toads) always makes digging in the garden even more fun, and fortunately there are quite a few of them hopping around.

     

    On a different note, the Outdoor Center has been hosting the USSA J2 camp this week.  On Monday, several members of the GRP ran the Elmore uphill time trial with the J2 group.  Gordon set an impressive new men’s record, and I think all or nearly all of the GRPers who ran set PRs.  There were some very quick J2s, and everyone clearly gave the time trial their best effort.  Here are just a few photos, although the picture quality isn’t very good with the sun-speckled lighting.

    Nils in the Elmore time trial

    Nils in the Elmore time trial

    Dylan on Elmore

    Dylan on Elmore

    Gordon speeding by for a 16:00 record on Elmore

    Gordon speeding by for a 16:00 record on Elmore

     

    The J2s are finishing their camp and leaving the Outdoor Center tomorrow morning.  For the GRP, tomorrow brings skate rollerski intervals for some of us, biathlon races at Jericho for a few, and the continuation of Canadian Henley for the rowers.