Berkshire East Race Report

This season has been a mixed bag so far. After a great December, we've been stuck with weather more suited for April than January. Nevertheless, I've been able to get out for a number of mornings and even some real backcountry skiing at times. The summer and fall focused much more on base building via trail running than ever before. Having essentially no background in endurance sport, it's been a learning experience, but I've taken advantage of more consistent and productive training than in years past and even been able to log some decent adventures. All of this with the hopes of translating to a solid aerobic base for ski season.

My goal for the winter has been to translate my running training to on-snow sessions as much as possible. With what was supposed to be a lightened school schedule, I had hoped to get on snow at least twice a week, with some long and slow laps in addition to a session of intervals or threshold skiing. I also took a good look at the local skimo race schedule and made a committed effort to get to as many events as possible. As extra "encouragement", I even ponied up for a race setup (Hagan X-Race and Dynafit Low-Tech bindings) which functioned as metaphorical collateral. Events plus new equipment equals training, right?

This past weekend at Berkshire East marked the first of local races. Unfortunately, despite my desire to be trained up as much as possible for this event, life eventually got in the way. A mix of travel and illness had me on snow much less than I would have preferred. Nevertheless, I had a couple of weeks of good training and knew I'd at least be able to show up on race day. Way back in the fall, I set the lofty goal of at least one top 10 finish at a race this season. I decided this would be a reasonable success since I'd more than likely be a middler on most days.

The weather on Saturday was balmy to say the least. Weather forecasts had the start-time temp at 44F, with potential to rise to 50F during the race. Not surprisingly, the course was due to be wet by the time we finished. As we gathered for the mass start, I took a look at the competition - a mix of the usual speed crew, some others on light equipment, and a sprinkling of general touring gear. My gut told me it'd be a struggle to finish near where I'd hoped.

As the start sounded, the speed crew took off up the initial ascent. Knowing there was no chance I could keep pace with the leaders, but wanting to secure a spot somewhere in the middle, I pushed to maintain the second pack. It was clear as we made the first climb my legs and lungs weren't quite warm yet, making for an unpleasant beginning. Despite feeling like I was moving at a snail's pace, I looked up and saw Jonathan and another racer, Chris S., just ahead of me, indicating I was moving at a decent clip. They were just leaving the first transition as I pulled in, probably a minute or so ahead of me. Dima and an impressively quick Chris L. on non-race gear were beside me as we ripped skins and took to the descent.

Coming to the first boot pack just moments after Jonathan and Chris had transitioned, I realized I was pushing it too hard. I'd have to fall into a groove on the next section if I were going to keep my legs under me. Dima came out of the transition almost beside me, and we headed toward the first boot section with Chris just behind us. Here I was totally unprepared - my training has been exclusively skinning, and my legs felt the booter more than I expected. As I slowed a bit, I watched Dima pull ahead, increasing his lead to about a minute. I was able to make up a little bit time with an efficient transition, but was still trailing Dima as we headed into the second lap.

Finally, I was able to settle into a workable pace. I kept place for the next two laps with Dima about a minute ahead of me, and Chris (chugging along on his heavy gear) about a minute or two behind me. Still struggling on the booters, I was able to keep moving enough to keep my lead on Chris, making up a fair amount of time at the transition points.

As I descended to the second section of the race, my legs were feeling strong. The downhills had been fast and easy, and even the section of bumps on UMass seemed to go well. Transitioning to the uphill, though, I began to feel the effects of the first three laps. My skinning felt like it dragged, and I had to push myself to keep my small lead on Chris. After a quick transition and downhill to the second boot course, I turned to find Tim in full race suit right on my heels. Fully convinced he was one of the leaders, I asked which lap he was on and was surprised to learn he was right behind me on his first. This gave me a bit of a boost, hoping to keep a lead on him as I took on the second, long boot pack.

Up until this point, my transitions had been fairly smooth, without any major gaffs. However, fatigue was perhaps beginning to set in, and I had a couple of misteps getting into my binding. With Tim right on my heels, I worried that this might cost me another place. I pushed the short downhill and did my best to get back to skinning as fast as possible. I could still see Dima headed up the hill as I came out of the final ski to skin transition. It was at this point I was passed by Ian, who after some clarification, I learned had already finished and was meeting up with a friend to finish out his race. I was simply happy not to lose position. Coming into the boot ascent again, Tim was right behind me, and stayed within seconds of me into the final transition. I again missed on my step-in, which almost allowed Tim the time he needed to pass me. I quickly pushed into the downhill and was able to keep my lead to the finish at the base of the mountain.

My final time was 2:45. I was surprised to learn this put me at 11th overall, finishing only 2 minutes behind Dima and 41 minutes off of the winner, Ed Warren. Given this is my first race in two years, and I haven't had as much time to train as I'd hoped, I'm happy with this result. Perhaps my goal of the top 10 finish isn't that far out of reach after all.

Thinking about the race, a number of things went well - my early transitions helped keep me in place. Race gear certainly aids in this. Additionally, my legs felt good on the descents, which has been an issue in races and tours in the past. Finally, my nutrition seemed to be better thought out than previously, and I think that helped keep me moving and prevent the dreaded bonk. On the other hand, I started out way too hard. Pacing has always been an issue, and I still find it tough not to get caught up in the mass start, but I need to get to a medium pace that works for me earlier on. I definitely need more booting practice. My legs were killing on the first climb, and it was clear my lack of specific training was affecting me in this regard. More boot pack and step-ups are in my future for sure. Finally, I only carried a 500mL soft flask for water, which cut it a little tight. For shorter races, this should be fine, but I'll probably stick to a bladder for future races to prevent that parched feeling on the final climb.

This race is definitely a testament to how far I've come over the past few years, and how far I still have to go. I have no visions of grandeur of keeping up with the top finishers, but I think with a little work I can move up a spot or two. Hopefully I can maintain some semblance of training during what will undoubtedly be a busy February, and come back with a stronger effort at the races in March.

Franconia Ridge Loop

Had a break in my commitments at school and figured it'd be good to get up north for an adventure before things pick up again. I'd been eyeing the Franconia Ridge loop as an easy day trip that I hadn't made before. While my training has been relatively consistent compared to years past, I wasn't quite ready to go full bore on a mountain run. Instead, I set the goal of moving quickly but comfortably. I asked Ginger if she'd be willing to pace me for the loop and she enthusiastically agreed.

The weather forecast was sunny in the valley, but called for cooler temps and lingering fog at elevation. Wishful thinking had me hoping that things would clear up, but in reality I knew I was likely going to miss the views. The bonus was, it'd be much more comfortable than the 90F heat we've been having recently!

I opted for the counterclockwise loop, heading up Falling Water and descending via Greenleaf and Old Bridle Path, figuring this was the most practical route based on terrain features. The trails were busy, but not crowded, and I was able to move efficiently without too much delay, adding in periodic breaks for Ginger to grab water and for photos. As expected, not much for views, but was fun nonetheless. Certainly lots of room for improvement on the round trip time.

Franconia Ridge Loop
Splits:
Little Haystack 1:23
Lafayette 1:59
Greenleaf Hut 2:25
Trailhead 3:26

After a break this week, I'm planning to get more structured with my training, which will hopefully enable a few more northern running objectives before transitioning to ski season.

Bay Area

I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to spend a month rotating out at Stanford this summer. And while being away from the family was miserable, my temporary bachelor lifestyle did leave some room for exploring the Bay Area.

The Dish

This was my go-to local running spot. Since I was for the most part vehicle-less, the Dish offered a decent hilled run close to where I was staying. It's about 3.5 miles, and climbs 500' above Palo Alto. Working in a couple of laps gave me an OK climb and some good distance, in addition to plenty of vitamin D given it's complete lack of shade. Occasionally, I even saw some wildlife.

Castle Rock State Park

My PICs for the month and I finagled to all have a day off at the same time, and with a borrowed car headed up to Castle Rock to check the place out. We hiked out the Saratoga Gap Trail to Loghry, which traverses along the ridgeline, then back along the Skyline. Views of the surrounding hills and ocean in the distance were impressive.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Jason and I were able to secure a car for a second day, and headed out to Big Basin. This actually abuts Castle Rock and can be connected in a traverse if one has the time. Since we were under the gun to get back before sign-out to return the car (thanks Patrick!), we stuck local. Big Basin is a real gem. Trails through the redwood forest bring you up to the ridgeline, which allows for more spectacular views of the hills and ocean in the distance. While were relaxing on our day off, the trails here would make for some good running. There's definitely another visit in my future.

A few other miscellaneous shots from around campus:

Late Season Scores

The 2015-2016 will go down as the winter that wasn't. A serious lack of snow combined with increased family and school commitments had me left with only the occasional morning resort laps. While those certainly made the weekdays more tolerable, I was ready to get out into the backcountry. Fortunately, my schedule lined up with Huff's enough to get in a weekday trip up to Mt. Washington. Despite it being well into spring, winter had made a comeback in the Whites, and the weather forecast held a high of 30F and wind. Combined with a bit of recent snow and wind loading, we weren't exactly sure what we'd find, but decided to get out and take a look for ourselves.

Hillman's from a distance

We left home after sunrise, and were hiking in our trail runners by a leisurely 9AM. After ascending into the bowl, we were able to get a better sense of the snow conditions. There was some minor wind deposit in and around the established bumps on the trail, but navigating around it seemed reasonable. 

Huff

Since neither of us had sharps, we resolved to kicking steps into the frozen crust. We hiked up to about the choke point of the gully, and made a decision to quit while we were ahead. The ski down was more survival than anything, crust and stiff wind buff. Not exactly ideal skiing, but at least we were able to get out there and enjoy the remaining snow.

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A couple weeks later, I had another window open up in my schedule. This time around, the weather was forecast for a more spring-like 60s in the valley and 30s up high, much nicer than our previous wintery experience. Since my usual partners weren't available, I had planned to go up solo, but shot a last minute email to JShefftz to see if he'd be roaming around up there as he so often is. Sure enough, he had plans to lap the NE snowfield before heading to Tuck's to catch LG on the way down. We decided to try for a rendezvous on the mountain.

My day trip schedule had me rising at 0300 to get an early departure from the Pinkham lot. Since I had to be back for daycare pickup in the evening, I knew I had to move fast. Luckily, I was on trail by 0730 and chugged my way up the TRT and Lion Head. Aside from a few choice photo ops, I kept moving in order to get as much in and still make my strict deadline.

View from LH (NE snowfields on the far right)

LG

Hillman's

Just before the transition to skins, I caught up to JS (guess I was moving fast), and we skinned over to the NE snowfields together. The snowfields were in excellent condition, with almost the entire potential run still in. It had snowed a few days earlier, and with the solar gain and reasonable temps, we caught perfect corn laps. After a few laps, I let Jonathan spin one more as I set to repairing an unfortunate equipment malfunction - my CAMP pack had torn at the bottom and required some McGuiver-like tape mending.

JS

"One good run deserves another!"

We traversed on skis back over to the top of the bowl, then hike around to LG. Somehow we beat the numerous hikers coming from the bottom and scored first tracks down the gully. Jonathan of course knew a crew climbing the bowl, and we stopped to briefly chat before enjoying the soft bumps to the bottom. Reminded of my need to get home for daycare, I booked it downhill, leaving my partner for the day to enjoy a few more laps of corny goodness. Somehow I beat my cut-off time and got on the road with almost 30 minutes to spare. Unfortunately even the best laid plans can be completely derailed by I-95 traffic. Luckily, daycare was very understanding!

Ouch.

Ollie decided to help me with
my post-tour stretching.

Springtime on Monadnock

This past Saturday called for clear skies and warm weather. Combined with a free Saturday for the two of us, my father and I decided to shoot up to Mt. Monadnock for a casual hike up the hill. We took a different route than I have explored previously, starting up the southerly Parker trail, then heading along the Cliff walk toward the summit. This is a far cry from the busy frontside trails, that were no doubt littered with people that day. On whole, I think we encountered maybe a half dozen folks on the trail. One even commented that he frequently sees no one hiking up Parker, despite it commenting "it's hard to be alone in New Hampshire."  Mostly, it was just us and the reptiles. 

The trail starts out as a nice wind through the woods, with some more open pine groves as the elevation gains. Cliff walk slowly opens up toward the tree line, and the views are as expected, especially on a perfect day like we had. We stopped at Bald Rock for a snack and to enjoy the sunshine before making the final ascent toward Monadnock. As expected given it's proximity to civilization, and the relatively easy ascent, the summit was crowded with folks. Everyone from boy scouts and AMC groups, to college students, to several people I have no doubt were experiencing their first summits were out at the top. We found a lee area to hide from the cool prevailing wind and take a quick break and once again enjoy the great views on this almost cloudless day.

Monadnock from Bald Rock

Did I mention the views were good?

We opted for a quick-er descent down the White Cross trail, which, unlike our time on Parker, was most certainly not isolated. The front side trails are quite rocky, much to the chagrin of my dad, but nevertheless enjoyable. If you're looking for a quick ascent/descent, these are probably your bet. Be sure to stop and look at the quartz veins that somehow formed through the granite. I'm always amazed at the geological phenomena that developed over time in this rock. It's as if someone injected crystal into the granite all over Monadnock - fascinating stuff. At the bottom of the hill, we took a few minutes and poked around the base lodge looking at some Monadnock history and wildlife information, which was quite educational.

A perfect day with no agenda, no timeline, no goals - just a casual stroll up a hill. To top it off, Heather had prepped some delicious pork chops and yams for us to throw on the grill when we returned. Hard to complain with a full belly and tired legs. We'll count this as an early dad's day present for the father and father-to-be. 

Springtime Westside action

With things firming up nicely on all three important fronts: schedule, snowpack, and weather, Cotton and I headed up Mt. W a few weeks back to grab turns in some previously unexplored terrain (for us, anyway). Having gotten some recent beta from a few other folks who have the luxury of mid-week trips, we decided to skin up the Ammo Ravine trail. With the forecast calling for 55F temps at the summit, we hoped to be speedy enough to drop in to Oakes before the sun baked it to complete mush, then proceed from there as the day allowed.

Though the Cog Railway parking lot was crowded, we essentially had the ART to ourselves, save a pair of groups on microspikes looking to hike up to the summit. We started our ascent under bluebird skies and the shade of pines, accompanied by the sweet music of the Ammonoosuc River. I've spent little time exploring this side of the mountain, and can say I was pleasantly surprised with the amazing views one gets for the first third of the hike. I can't count how many times I'd stop to take a picture, only to do the same five steps later when an even better opportunity came about. We finally decided this was the spot and grabbed a few posed ones for the wall at home:

Look at those shiny new boots!

Around halfway up the Ammo trail we transitioned to booting (though perhaps skinning would have been more efficient, given the postholing that went on) until we hit treeline. From there it was a smooth skin to the Lake of the Clouds Hut, where we ran into a few groups coming up from various other ascents. From the hut we traversed along the Dry River Trail to the edge of Oakes. We found a decent path somewhere in the central Gulf and skied in. The snow was heavy, but not a complete mess, and fortunately without much sluffage. (In hindsight, I think it's a better idea to summit Monroe, then ski from the top into Oakes.)

On the way up.

Cotton getting after it in central Oakes

From the bottom of Oakes, we skinned back out and found a quite place to eat lunch among the rocks. Cotton had leftovers from a family dinner the night before, so we feasted on gourmet pasta and lamb, washing it down with a pleasant local microbrew.

Skinning out

On a lunch break

After refueling, we decided to head to the summit and ski down from there. We followed the Tuckerman Ravine Crossover trail to the southeastern snowfields, then zig-zagged our way up to the top. After an obligatory summit pic, we skied back down the southwestern summit cone then across to Lake of the Clouds, then traversing to Monroe Brook. We were blessed with perfect spring snow and some mini-moguls on the way down MB. As an added bonus, we kept skis on all the way to the trailhead with only a few lurking hazards to nick our bases.

I've been told summit pics are required by state law.

Coming down the southwestern side

It was nice to get out and explore a new area, enjoy the day, and get a few turns. I'm excited to use this as a springboard to get into even more terrain in the coming seasons. Unfortunately, this might be the last of 2015 for me. Hoping next season brings as much snow as this one did!