Give me something to believe. I have moved to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games venue. I am undergoing a transformation now that I am out here; the atmosphere is intoxicating. Desire to race fast is bubbling and frothing out of my mouth like saliva from a rabid dog. I can’t control it, it’s just happening and gaining momentum. I am becoming more and more of a fiend for competition and skiing fast. I was just watching a little youtube video from teammate Dan Roycroft (aka xcgeek) and I said to Pate, “I want to do a ski race”. After doing the season’s first interval session today, I realized that I have been gathering tools lately and that some of these were even put into use today. The hunter-gatherer archetype is prominent in my daily life. Some day I will switch to the honing and sharpening of said tools. It may sound corny, but this stuff is true, believe me. It’s happening to me as we speak…
The Olympics are soon, the season after this one. I will be 21 years old, which is still young for a skier but isn’t so bad as a sprinter. I have accepted that qualifying for the Olympics in 2010, let alone competing in them is not currently a realistic goal. Despite this reality, the 2010 vibe is consuming me and grasping me with its eagle talons and lifting me to new lofty dreams and aspirations.
It really is a great place to be. I am amassing an army of supporters along with the tools that I mentioned above… hahah, hopefully not too many of the supporters are tools too! Or maybe they are? But in a different way? What? Anyways, forgedaboudit… I have mentioned before how Whistler could snowball into greatness as a Nordic ski mecca in Canada. If you think about it, there is no better place as a training base. I have only been here for a week and I haven’t even started to scratch the surface of the monumental potential of quality training sites. Pate picked up “The Insiders’ Guide To Whistler: 99 Things to do” and reading this through nearly put me into a coma upon the realization of the endless adventure that this valley contains. Within the valley you can rollerski for hours on the beautifully paved and vast valley trail system along with the no-traffic Alta Lake road. And if, for some reason, you get bored of the convenience of rollerskiing out your door, you can go for a rip on the Callaghan Valley access road along with the 5km of paved rollerski trails at the Whistler Olympic Park. For running workouts there is some sweet terrain and wicked winding trails over at lost lake that are begging to be explored. Me and Argue hit that up today; it was incredible. (Mike: work on your breathing. You were breathing too hard today.) If you get bored of the like 50 km of entertaining running in this area, why not go for a mountain run up in the alpine? Or explore the 140+km of bike trails in the valley? You will run yourself into the ground and then trample your face into the path before you get tired of going for runs in this area. Guaranteed. Just remember to bring bear spray if solo or in weak numbers. Bears like the training (or is it feeding?? I can’t remember…) in the area too, so we’re not alone. I know this last one I described must have excited Somppi quite a bit, but Somppi, there is more! The ski walking could be sick! Ski walk up, Gondola down. No more ripping the quads to shreds. You Lappe-ites who are just discovering new technologies such as “rollerskiing” and “bicycling”, you can go back to your roots of running and ski walking! This means you too, Timo!
The most unreal thing that will certainly get up and running very soon in the future, is reliable summer skiing. There are 3 locations in the area where summer skiing is possible. #1: Horstman glacier up on Blackcomb. Wake up in the morning, stumble onto the gondola, do what it takes to get to the top, gobble some breakfast, and bang out a big ski up top. #2: Callaghan Country and the glacier up there. It would be about a 1 hr drive from Whistler followed by a short walk/mtb/ski to the Callaghan Lodge and then wicked conditions summer-long up in the meadows and on the 12k-long ice field. #3 Pemberton Ice Sheet. I don’t know too much about this, but head toward Pemberton and up high on your left is a glacier. Somewhere. There are snowmobiles up there apparently, and glacier skiing is a very realistic possibility.
How sick would it be to do half of your summer training on-snow? This is how sick it would be: pretty sick.
I think I mentioned something earlier in the post about insane kms of mountain bike trails. What I say is true. There are lots of trails fo sho. At around 5pm everyday the outdoors is flooded with gangs of buddies just shredding the heck out of the trails. And its sweet how the cheapest bike out there is like a Santa Cruz Blur…which is a pretty sick and expensive bike. The people of Whistler are of a new breed. The code of mtb has been passed down from generation to generation that ingrains the theme of 2 wheels rolling over gnarly terrain and being airborne at times. And it is this theme that holds sway and rules the town in summertime.
There are a few gaps in the descriptions that I have given above, and that is because at the moment I am lacking knowledge. I have heard of a sick indoor facility that holds an exceptional gym for all of you strength junkies out there. There also seem to be many options for paddling and kayaking on the 5 or 6 lakes in town along with the 3 or 4 streams and rivers. If that sort of stuff tickles your fancy. And of course there is wicked awesome sweet climbing, hiking and mountaineering in town.
So much untapped potential! …cough cough…I’d tap that…And I will over the next year and hopefully more!
But yeah, so this week we have been doing a bunch of skiing on snow up in Callaghan Country. It’s been cloudy almost every day and drizzly (Snoop Dogg’s fave weather is predominant around here fer shizzle) but the fact that the snow has been very firm and consistent throughout the course of the week and that there are at least 25 km of trails, things have been pretty amazing. Like I have said, first time I’ve skied in June. Not bad, eh? Pretty good, eh? Brad, the owner of Callaghan Lodge was telling me that the skiing is just starting to get good up there. Normally throughout the winter they get like a meter of snow every night and skiing is pretty difficult. We’re going to be skiing into July no problem apparently. I suppose it all depends on the support we can get. This week Vanoc has been really awesome providing us with the groomed trails throughout the week. It is costing them $400/day and this is all given to us for free so we are all very thankful for this advantageous opportunity! Not many other people in the country are skiing these days and this gives us an edge over our competition. So there!
So here are a few pictures from the week of skiing. Feast your eyes. And your mind. Some day you could be out here living the dream. I am a pioneer. I’ll letchyall know what goes down over the next while and how the movement is going. It has started. It isn’t in full swing yet, but it will be soon cause I’ve heard that the secret is leaking. Maybe I heard that from myself… but I think I promised pictures, so here ya go.
The Olympics are soon, the season after this one. I will be 21 years old, which is still young for a skier but isn’t so bad as a sprinter. I have accepted that qualifying for the Olympics in 2010, let alone competing in them is not currently a realistic goal. Despite this reality, the 2010 vibe is consuming me and grasping me with its eagle talons and lifting me to new lofty dreams and aspirations.
It really is a great place to be. I am amassing an army of supporters along with the tools that I mentioned above… hahah, hopefully not too many of the supporters are tools too! Or maybe they are? But in a different way? What? Anyways, forgedaboudit… I have mentioned before how Whistler could snowball into greatness as a Nordic ski mecca in Canada. If you think about it, there is no better place as a training base. I have only been here for a week and I haven’t even started to scratch the surface of the monumental potential of quality training sites. Pate picked up “The Insiders’ Guide To Whistler: 99 Things to do” and reading this through nearly put me into a coma upon the realization of the endless adventure that this valley contains. Within the valley you can rollerski for hours on the beautifully paved and vast valley trail system along with the no-traffic Alta Lake road. And if, for some reason, you get bored of the convenience of rollerskiing out your door, you can go for a rip on the Callaghan Valley access road along with the 5km of paved rollerski trails at the Whistler Olympic Park. For running workouts there is some sweet terrain and wicked winding trails over at lost lake that are begging to be explored. Me and Argue hit that up today; it was incredible. (Mike: work on your breathing. You were breathing too hard today.) If you get bored of the like 50 km of entertaining running in this area, why not go for a mountain run up in the alpine? Or explore the 140+km of bike trails in the valley? You will run yourself into the ground and then trample your face into the path before you get tired of going for runs in this area. Guaranteed. Just remember to bring bear spray if solo or in weak numbers. Bears like the training (or is it feeding?? I can’t remember…) in the area too, so we’re not alone. I know this last one I described must have excited Somppi quite a bit, but Somppi, there is more! The ski walking could be sick! Ski walk up, Gondola down. No more ripping the quads to shreds. You Lappe-ites who are just discovering new technologies such as “rollerskiing” and “bicycling”, you can go back to your roots of running and ski walking! This means you too, Timo!
The most unreal thing that will certainly get up and running very soon in the future, is reliable summer skiing. There are 3 locations in the area where summer skiing is possible. #1: Horstman glacier up on Blackcomb. Wake up in the morning, stumble onto the gondola, do what it takes to get to the top, gobble some breakfast, and bang out a big ski up top. #2: Callaghan Country and the glacier up there. It would be about a 1 hr drive from Whistler followed by a short walk/mtb/ski to the Callaghan Lodge and then wicked conditions summer-long up in the meadows and on the 12k-long ice field. #3 Pemberton Ice Sheet. I don’t know too much about this, but head toward Pemberton and up high on your left is a glacier. Somewhere. There are snowmobiles up there apparently, and glacier skiing is a very realistic possibility.
How sick would it be to do half of your summer training on-snow? This is how sick it would be: pretty sick.
I think I mentioned something earlier in the post about insane kms of mountain bike trails. What I say is true. There are lots of trails fo sho. At around 5pm everyday the outdoors is flooded with gangs of buddies just shredding the heck out of the trails. And its sweet how the cheapest bike out there is like a Santa Cruz Blur…which is a pretty sick and expensive bike. The people of Whistler are of a new breed. The code of mtb has been passed down from generation to generation that ingrains the theme of 2 wheels rolling over gnarly terrain and being airborne at times. And it is this theme that holds sway and rules the town in summertime.
There are a few gaps in the descriptions that I have given above, and that is because at the moment I am lacking knowledge. I have heard of a sick indoor facility that holds an exceptional gym for all of you strength junkies out there. There also seem to be many options for paddling and kayaking on the 5 or 6 lakes in town along with the 3 or 4 streams and rivers. If that sort of stuff tickles your fancy. And of course there is wicked awesome sweet climbing, hiking and mountaineering in town.
So much untapped potential! …cough cough…I’d tap that…And I will over the next year and hopefully more!
But yeah, so this week we have been doing a bunch of skiing on snow up in Callaghan Country. It’s been cloudy almost every day and drizzly (Snoop Dogg’s fave weather is predominant around here fer shizzle) but the fact that the snow has been very firm and consistent throughout the course of the week and that there are at least 25 km of trails, things have been pretty amazing. Like I have said, first time I’ve skied in June. Not bad, eh? Pretty good, eh? Brad, the owner of Callaghan Lodge was telling me that the skiing is just starting to get good up there. Normally throughout the winter they get like a meter of snow every night and skiing is pretty difficult. We’re going to be skiing into July no problem apparently. I suppose it all depends on the support we can get. This week Vanoc has been really awesome providing us with the groomed trails throughout the week. It is costing them $400/day and this is all given to us for free so we are all very thankful for this advantageous opportunity! Not many other people in the country are skiing these days and this gives us an edge over our competition. So there!
So here are a few pictures from the week of skiing. Feast your eyes. And your mind. Some day you could be out here living the dream. I am a pioneer. I’ll letchyall know what goes down over the next while and how the movement is going. It has started. It isn’t in full swing yet, but it will be soon cause I’ve heard that the secret is leaking. Maybe I heard that from myself… but I think I promised pictures, so here ya go.
Peace out padres.
Tdhont.
Fun trails winding around through the alpine. I guess this particular trail is pretty straight and doesn't justify the "fun" claim, but I'm sure the next picture will. If you consider near-death experience fun...
This sketchy bridge that crosses Callaghan Creek. The first day there was next to no snow on it, just big logs bridging the chasm.
Happy. Look at the snow in the tree tops! 
First glimpses of sunshine = inferno heat.
It looks like I'm saying something that starts with "F". It was a slow day.
Little-Nish doing her thang.
Lower down on the road ski trail. Nice, firm track mixed with wicked Z. (zed) Caldwell hairies made for a perfect day. Jesse: is that a chicken you're riding? Or are those your legs?
2 comments:
I didn't realize that was Desire Thomsen. I thought it actually was saliva frothing.
Sounds like a pretty sweet location TD. I'm currently fantazing about skiwalking up with a gondola down...
Post a Comment