Fresh Tracks

Just thought you should know that Sunlight got 13" of fresh powder yesterday. Also, I got fresh tracks through that powder.
I was able to take a short break from work and hit the slopes with a friend. Even though my grooming report showed that many of the trails had been done early that morning, everything was coated in at least 6" of untouched snow. I was only able to get two runs in, but we made sure to ski the East Ridge. Our 52 degree slope is beautiful. Wide open terrain allows you to drop in wherever on the ridge line. Fortunately for my friend and I, we were the first ones to touch that snow. 13" of fluffy powder floated around us as we drifted down the slope.
My powder skiing is, by no means, pretty. It doesn't matter in that much snow though. The powder holds you up and even a quick fall is like leaning into a pillow. I can't wait to find out what it's like when I actually have the right equipment. Someday...
Over the next two days, we're expecting another 10" of snow. I'll make sure to take my camera and actually get pictures of this beautiful fluff. Colorado is the best!

By the way...3 days until the Iditarod! 

Almost There

The Iditarod begins in 4 days!!!!

I was able to speak to Bill a few nights ago and preparations are in full swing for the race. The yurt is overrun with harnesses, tug lines, and cold weather gear; all the repairs and organization must be done before the team leaves for Anchorage. They'll head up there on Wednesday and spend the next few days attending meetings and getting the dogs ready. Bill has decided to take 15 dogs up to the race; he'll drop one of the dogs last minute since you can only run with 14.

Rincon

He was hesitant to tell me who would be racing. The decision depends on so many different factors and a dog's attitude or condition can change instantly. For instance, one of our main lead dogs, Lynx, strained one of his leg muscles last week. Bill noticed that he was favoring it during runs, so he has stopped running him for the past few days. The leg is getting better quickly and Lynx will hopefully be ready by Saturday. He's such a strong dog, I have no doubt that he can pull through. Lynx's brother, Rincon, has stepped up drastically. He has been doing extremely well in the lead dog position. That litter has great things ahead of them and I think the brothers will really support the team this year.
All of the males will most likely be racing. They are a very strong bunch: Zion and Osiris, our big boys, are looking incredible. Kobuk has a steady pace; Spur and Spit would run forever if Bill let them; Oly is one of the best I've ever seen; and Lynx, Rincon, and Hudson bring the cunning sibling power. Some of the females will round out the team. When I spoke to Bill, he was thinking of taking Juno, Kiana, Daikon, Luma, and Kayenta. Some of the females are certainly able, they just aren't the perfect fit for this team and this race.
The dogs have to be able to run well together and also be able to run the conditions. It looks like the trail will be slightly warm and a bit soft. This is perfect for our dogs, since it's exactly what they've been trained in. Bill was telling me that his strategy is to take it easy. This is a competitive race, but his goal is not to go to the front of the pack. By running at their own pace, our dogs will get stronger and be able to pick other teams off closer to Nome. I don't care what place they come in, I just want the dogs to be happy and healthy. No matter how fast they go, they are still amazing animals.

Kobuk

If anyone has any questions throughout the race, please let me know. Things will get a little crazy out there and I'm going to try and follow the race hour by hour. Bill will have a GPS tracker, so I can watch the team's progress. If you would like to do the same, feel free to use my account on Iditarod.com.
           Username: ltnobo06@gmail.com
           Password: Lynx2012
By using this, I can track my team as well as watch videos and get pictures. I highly recommend it. Don't be worried if a dog has to be dropped, it is very common in the long distance races. I'll find out what happened as soon as I can, since I'll be worried and post it. I know a few of you are as invested in my dogs as I am (KB and Ben!).

These next few weeks will be crazy! Can't wait!

The Endurance Challenge

Yesterday, Sunlight Mountain hosted the Endurance Challenge. The annual race is a 12-hour hike up, ski down killer. Starting at 8am, racers set the grueling pace that would continue until 8pm. I was able to help out and watch the entire thing.
There were several different categories in which to race. Of course, there were men's solo and women's solo; there was a co-ed duo team; and a firedrill team of up to 5 people. The co-ed duo team only allowed one person on the course at a time, whereas the firedrill teams could have all their team members racing at once. Starting at the base, they had to hike up 1,500 feet in elevation gain before skiing back down. Incredibly, some competitors chose to snowshoe the entire thing and others dragged a snowboard behind them on the hike up.
It was awe-inspiring to watch these athletes. I wish I could say that I was inspired to hike with them, but I preferred to eat cookies and cheer them on.
For the majority of the day, I helped with timing. All that required was scanning their bibs and recording the lap number. We managed to drink lots of spiked hot chocolate and eat our way through the lodge's baked goods. For the last few hours of the race, I volunteered to marshal the top of the course. In the stillness of the night, I watched headlamps slog their way up the mountain. The skies were perfectly clear with a crescent moon; it was a fabulous way to spend the evening.
Racers were coming up for their final lap and somehow they still made the effort to thank me and to chat. The racing community has always been courteous and fun. Some of these athletes had done 15 laps, but it seemed like they were still on number one. It was truly amazing to see them reach the peak in the dead of night. After getting a speedy snowmobile ride down the mountain, the awards were held. The men's solo winner finished with 18 laps. That's the equivalent of hiking 27,000 feet in elevation. He was disappointed in himself for not getting 20 laps....um, what?
The Endurance Challenge at Sunlight is the only one of it's kind. I look forward to helping out again next year and enjoying the peace on the mountain at night.  

Mardi Gras

Oh Sunlight...how you entertain me! Last night was the annual Mardi Gras Party at Sunlight Mountain Resort. For weeks, I have heard stories, legends, and jokes about the infamous evening, so my expectations were high. I was not disappointed. Employees and friends packed into the bar at the Inn and commenced to dance into the wee hours of the night.
Mardi Gras, of course, requires costumes! Fortunately, one doesn't have to dress purely in Fat Tuesday attire; any costume is allowed. Attending last night, we had a chicken, an Ute Indian named White River, a sombrero-salesman, a gypsy, mother earth, lots of masked mysteries, and the entire liftee squad dressed as the mob. My costume was actually taken from real life: I went as a musher. I wore mukluks (mushing boots), a flannel shirt, and a big fur hat. To complete the ensemble, I carried a stuffed husky dressed in a homemade harness (a real dog would have been difficult). The people that knew me, instantly got it and laughed....everyone else thought I was Canadian.
The Mardi Gras Party is a way for everyone to unwind halfway through the season; not that the ski bum life is all that taxing. Even so, we danced for hours and laughed even longer. Definitely a good way to spend Fat Tuesday!

9 DAYS UNTIL THE IDITAROD!

Colfax

He's playing games with my head. I just know it.
If you'll remember back a few weeks, Colfax got loose. Not only did he refuse to come when I called him after playtime, he toyed with me. He would walk right up behind me and then dart away when I pounced; he would wag his tail and go down on his front paws as if it were all a game; he would even stand at my front door staring in at me as a dare. When I finally did catch him, he got treats, canned food, and lots of hugs. I was trying to teach him that it was a good thing to be with me and to be in his area. 
Over the past few weeks, I've noticed a change in Colfax. Whereas, before the two-year-old would skip around his spot whenever I came into sight, now he lunges to get to me. He showers my face in kisses and paws at me when I'm not paying attention to him. When I leave to feed the others,he howls to the sky, begging me to come back.

At first, I was ecstatic about this change in behavior. Colfax was taking the hint from his sisters and really opening up to me. We were starting to form a great bond, hooray! Then, my mom remarked that perhaps he was just trying to trick me. Yep, that sounds more like it. This dog is smart and he knows it. He has that cocky look in his eye and I can just see him scheming away. He's just trying to blindside me, make me trust him again and then he'll strike! As soon as I let him off to play with everyone else, he'll probably start the games all over again.

The problem is, I want to trust him. I want him to play and love and have fun. I'll just have to get over my paranoia first. I'll keep watching that glint in his eyes...

What's the Big Deal with Vail?!

 Since the ski season began (and honestly for most of my life), I have doubted Vail Ski Area. I've done big mountains before, so what could make this one any better that it was world renowned? I get it now.
Vail. Is. Awesome!
 On Thursday, I had the pleasure of meeting the Putnam siblings (Laura, Emily, and Brian) at Vail. As a die-hard small ski area fan, I was expecting to be underwhelmed. I don't like crowds and I don't like terrain that's all been skied off. I was proven wrong within thirty minutes of arriving. First of all, I didn't have to pay the usual $111.50 to ski. Lo has been volunteering for Breckenridge, so she was able to get a few comp tickets. Score 1 for Vail.

Emily, Laura, and I!

At the base, specifically Vista Bahn Lift, it was packed. While it was a high-speed quad lift, there was still quite a large back up. I though, "Haha! You fail, Vail!" I ate my words at the top of that lift. On the way up a very fast and comfortable chairlift ride (score 2 for Vail), Laura and Brian explained that Vail has a front side and then they have the back bowls. The front side contains the easy runs, the easy lifts, and the easy skiers. This side is heavily trafficked. I was gloating the entire ride up, mentioning how at Sunlight it's like your own private mountain. However, as soon as I got to the top of the ridge, the back bowls spread out as far as the eye could see. This is where we were spending our day.
The faint of heart do not venture into the back bowls. Therefore, the lift lines are short and the skiers are tough. Bowl skiing is glorious. Score 3 for Vail. At many places, the Vail bowls are above treeline. Therefore, you can go anywhere and pick any line. There are always opportunities for powder, as the bowls are so big, they can't really be groomed or skied off. Once you get down into treeline, it's a free for all. Most of the glades are well spaced and offer some great powder. The moguls that have been formed in between the trees makes it even more interesting.

Brian skiing Sun Up Bowl

I believe we hit around 13 runs on Thursday. Every single run either included glades or moguls. Many of the runs required jumping off lips or bumps. All of them had powder flying into my face. I have been hard pressed to think of another ski day where I giggled the entire way down. Score 4 for Vail.
We hit Sun Up Bowl, China Bowl, Siberia Bowl, Tea Cup Bowl, and Blue Sky Basin. Every single one was great. After skiing bowls, there's no going back. The open space, the lack of crowds, and the feet of powder can cause an addiction.

Laura, Brian, and Emily hitting the moguls

The only down point to the day was in the form of a fantastic fall. Even then, I'm so impressed with this fall, that I actually quite approve of it. It was our second to last run of the day and we were working our way back down on the Front Side of Vail. Laura had us duck into Hairbag Alley, where the trees are tight and the bumps are plentiful. I was doing surprisingly well, until I went off one bump a little faster than planned and rammed straight into the next bump. I did a complete somersault in the air and landed hard on the back of my right shoulder. After sliding ten feet down the hill, I popped back up and kept going. I almost wish that I had gotten it on camera, because the way my neck was feeling the next day, it must have been good! Score 5 for Vail.

After an epic day of skiing at, what I now concede, one of the best ski areas in the world, I was a little worried to return to my little Sunlight. There was no need for the concern, however. The Putnams and I spent some time yesterday running the glades here at Sunlight. Even on one of the busiest weekends of the year, we had the place to ourselves and found some beautiful pockets of powder within the aspen groves. Plus, after a day of skiing here, we relaxed in the Hot Springs and had a fantastic dinner out without paying the exorbitant fees of Vail. Score 100 for Sunlight! (I can't help but be a little biased)

Struggling in the powder at Sunlight!

12 DAYS UNTIL THE IDITAROD!

Withdrawal

Skier's withdrawal....
I haven't been skiing for a full week! This is the longest period I've gone since opening day; I'm starting to get a little anxious about it. It doesn't feel right to be working all day. I've been on my own the past week, so I haven't had my usual opportunity for a break. However, if I had to choose a week to skip, this would be it. The weather hasn't been the best and I've been taking advantage of my free time by reading the Sherlock Holmes novels. On top of the poor weather, I tweaked my wrist the other day playing with the dogs and I've had it in a brace, so it's probably good to give it a rest.  Plus, there's a snowstorm blowing in tonight that should dump a little over a foot. That just means that I can break my dry spell with fresh tracks in the morning!

Racer withdrawal...
On the dog front, the racers are all doing very well. I hear from Alaska every week, but I wish that I could check on those dogs even more. A virus swept through the kennel a few weeks ago, but they've all made a full recovery. Bill said that it's better the illness hit now instead of in the middle of the Iditarod.
He's done a few long runs with the dogs and they've performed splendidly. It's been hard getting them out on good trails since there has been so much snow and the wind has blown everything into drifts. Regardless, they're training well and it looks pretty good for the race. I only wish that I could be up there taking care of them. I would never leave my puppies and retirees, but I miss those other dogs so much. It's been months since I cuddled with Lynx or had Zion knock me over.

Bill coming into a checkpoint at the Tustamena 200 race a few weeks ago

Over the next few weeks, I'll be very anxious for Bill's decisions. He has to choose 14 racers out of the 19 that he is training. This is one of those years where everyone looks strong, so it'll be a tough decision. Whatever the choice, this might be his most promising year in the Iditarod. Keep your fingers crossed!

The dog yard in Homer, AK

19 DAYS UNTIL THE IDITAROD!

Falling in the snow isn't always bad...

Yesterday morning, after the usual chores, I was feeling a little nostalgic with my puppies. Therefore, I took all five of them for a hike up the ridge behind the house. Lately, I either let everyone off to run around the yard or I take a couple dogs on hikes. It had been a long time- August I think- since all of the puppies and I did something together.
As soon as I started heading for the back of the house, the puppies instantly knew what was happening. All five of them rushed up the hill, plowing through the snow. Now, back in August, we didn't have as much snow, nor were the puppies full grown. This adventure was a little different. At first, they were just so excited to go up onto the hill that they dispersed, smelling every little hollow and branch. Within a few minutes though, they realized that I was still around. They took turns running towards me and jumping straight into my arms. That was a blast when they were little puppies, but now Big Brown can rest his paws on my shoulders when he's standing. With the addition of ice and snow, I probably spent the majority of my time rolling on the ground rather than hiking up the ridge. As if they planned it, when one of the pups would knock me over, the others would come sprinting to join in on the fun. Five full grown dogs with puppy mentalities are pretty hard to escape.
We spent about an hour up on the ridge exploring and falling in the snow...I did most of the falling. By the end of the hour, all five pups were content to sit with me in the snow. Niva and Pismo were more content to sit on me. It's the moments like this that make me love these dogs so much.


 21 DAYS UNTIL THE 2012 IDITAROD!

Mouse-icle

Often, I have to bang out the dog's dishes in the morning to free the frozen water leftover from the day before. The dogs like to then chew on the ice or play hockey with the shards. The puppies, especially, can be spirited with tossing their ice fragments up into the air. An even greater treat is supplied when a few pieces of kibble are frozen inside. Hence, the crunch of ice between a dog's jaws is a common occurrence every morning.
Imagine my surprise then, when I noticed that the piece of ice Sculpin was cracking into this morning appeared to have a tail. In the first light of the morning, I had to get fairly close before I realized that she was chewing on a mouse-icle. She seemed rather pleased with her find; I was not. That mouse was so frozen it sounded like she was splitting apart ice. I've found dead mice in the dog yard before (why they think that they can run in between 37 dogs and live is beyond me), but this is the first frozen treat I've seen. I let Sculpin have her victory, but she's not coming near me with that tongue again...

Torches and Chili

It was an eventful weekend up at Sunlight Mountain Resort. The Ski Spree Festival always comes through as one of the busiest days all season.
In the morning, there was a Need For Speed competition, in which anyone could join. Basically, we groomed out Joslin so that it was as slick as ice and then encouraged people to tuck all the way down. A ski patroller stood at the bottom with a radar gun to clock the speeds. The fastest time this year came in at 70 mph...I'm sure that if I hadn't been working, I could have beat that!
In the afternoon, the long-awaited Chili Cook-off commenced. Approximately twenty cooks competed to have the best chili. More than half of those competitors were professional restaurants. The individuals seemed to all have recipes that were passed from generation to generation. I never knew there were so many options for chili. My stomach hated me afterwards. I had chicken and tomato chili, your basic bean and spice chili, steak tips and pancetta chili, elk chili, and what I could have sworn was just chili out of a can. Of course, there were several options for cornbread on top of that. The only option for soothing my burning tongue was beer...alas, so sad. I am happy to say that the winner went to Sunlight Mountain Inn for their classic take with beef and beans. The Pullman Restaurant was a close second with their extremely spicy concoction including a peach garnish. Finally, third place went to Hotel Colorado for their fancy steak tip and pancetta chili with aged cheddar and scallions. I loved all three!
After the chili, when I could barely move, I participated in the torchlight parade. Several ski areas across the country do this. Usually, only ski patrol is involved, but Sunlight allows other employees to join if they're comfortable with skiing in the dark. We loaded the lifts at sunset and headed up into the cold. The views are incredible at this time of day; as we rode up the lift, the ski turned a beautiful golden pink and the stars started to twinkle on. A few of the rental guys started to howl to the half-moon. Within seconds, all fifty participants were howling on the lifts (my dogs would have loved it). At the top, we all got flares attached to bamboo sticks about 3 feet long. After lining up and setting our flares alight, we started down the mountain. The slow wind down the mountain was a bit unnerving. I usually complain about not being able to see the snow well in the shade; it's definitely worse in the pitch black. With only the flare light to guide you, you have no choice but to go slow and hope for the best. Of course, halfway down, my torch went out, so I had to rely on the lights ahead to guide me. Looking back up the mountain, it was beautiful to see all the bright red lights coming down through the dark. If it wasn't for those damn snowboarders having a hard time keeping up, we would have looked pretty uniform. As soon as we lined up at the bottom, a fireworks show banged into life behind us. After the fireworks, an oldies band played into the darkest parts of the night. Ski Spree is a long day to work, but I made sure to reap all the benefits. From a full belly to skiing in the dark, it was a pretty good weekend!

Skiing, Snowmobiling, and X-Games....Oh My!

Well I just had a whirlwind week! Some friends from college came out to visit and I made sure they got the full Colorado tour. We played with the dogs, went on a cave tour, went to the 2012 X-Games, skied at Sunlight Mountain and Copper Mountain, hit up the Glenwood Hot Springs and Vapor Caves,went on a snowmobile tour, and got massages. It's sounds pretty fun when I type it all out, but I am so tired now.

Corey, Matt, and I at the top of Glenwood Caverns!

The adventures started off when we were playing with the dogs. I let everyone go loose so that they could say hi to my friends. It was all fine and dandy...until everyone started to go home. Usually, I grab Colfax first since he can be pretty hard to catch. Well, since I was all caught up in the excitement of having friends there, I didn't realize my mistake until it was too late. After I had hooked a few dogs up, he knew what was going on and he was determined not to go home. The other dogs always come when I call, but he would have none of it. We tried food, herding, ignoring him, and cursing to the skies. That damn dog was just too smart for the three of us. He never left the dog yard; he would just content himself with running around and saying hello to everyone else. Oftentimes, he would walk right up behind me, but when I pounced, he would skirt away so that I would end up landing on a rock. Finally, he made the mistake of exploring the upstairs porch. We cornered him up there and I landed on him hard. As soon as I put him back home, I gave him some yummy canned food to let him know that being there was a good thing. As soon as I turned my back though, he let up a mournful howl. He enjoyed that brief stint of running the kennel...
The X-Games were pretty incredible. I hope they come back to Aspen next year (their contract is up) because I'd like to spend more time there. We went Saturday night to the Big Air Competition. The tricks that the skiers were doing blew my mind. I had no idea what anything was called and, honestly, after awhile, everything just looked like the same twisty cool thing. It's just the idea that someone can enter a jump at that speed and hurl their body into all sorts of spins that I find impossible. It didn't take long for me to enter the crowd mentality and start saying, " that was sick man!" or "sweet air!". If you know me, you know that I am not a bro. Regardless of the impressive tricks, we could only stand the cold so long. Next year, if I get the opportunity, I'll stay longer and wear more layers.
Another highlight of the week was the snowmobile tour. At Sunlight Mountain, we offer two snowmobile tours. A shorter, made for beginners tour and a lengthy, "rip-it" tour. As an employee, I often have to sell these tours, so it only makes sense that I go on them...the hardships of working at a ski mountain. Of course, I chose the longer tour. We started at the ski resort and traveled into White River National Forest. The first half was spent in aspen groves, climbing into the hills. The mid-point is a stop in Baylor Park. This is the main destination of the tour as it is a massive field that is solely for the purpose of going fast. I believe we got our sleds up to 60mph...For an hour, we raced on the groomed trail and made our own tracks through feet of powder. On the way back, we took a different trail that hadn't been groomed out yet. This led to lots of bumps and inevitably my trying to jump them. I got air a couple times, but mostly it was just me flying off my seat. Usually, the tours don't go on this fun terrain, nor do they go so fast, but I get an exception since I make the snowmobile boys cookies. And now that I'm addicted, I'm going to have to start baking a lot.

With all of these adventures, it's only natural that we relaxed in the hot springs and got massages. I know I've said it before, but life in Colorado isn't all that bad...


Sculpin update: She had her stitches out last Saturday and everything healed beautifully. She was overjoyed not to wear the cone of shame and be able to lick freely. However, she's mad at me for sending her back up into the dog yard. It's only a matter of time before I cave and let her come back to the couch.