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The Worlds Collide

Fun times at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon

You know, one of the cool things about ski trips is that you can get together with a lot of your friends and have a great time in the mountains and afterwards at apres ski. I have been trying to get the four couples on this trip together for a long time. The Chetlins who are part time residents of Bend, the Durfees of Lake Tahoe, the Hutchinsons from Vermont, and the Girones- fomerly from Pittsburgh and now full time residents of Bend, Oregon. They all have their own different worlds of existence but they all collided finally last week at a really fun time in Bend and Mt. Bachelor. I have been trying to get the Chetlins, the Durfees and the Girones together because of their mutual love of camping with their truly amazing vehicles. Once they got to know each other, they got a good look at their respective camper vehicles and there was a lot of chatter in the parking lot at an impromptu tailgate to celebrate Tim Girone’s birthday.

The Girone’s fabulous tailgate and their amazing Mercedes camper van.
The Durfee Sportmobile

The Hutchinsons and the Chetlins have their own camper vehicles but generally use them in the summer months and Janet and I are the only ones who do not partake. However it was cool to see all parties discussing camping and their vehicles in the parking lot last week.

The gang at the Girone tailgate.

Another two worlds that collided positively last week were the Hutchinsons and the McCloskeys. We have been trying to get Nancy Hutchinson and Janet together to ski and it finally happened. They had a great time skiing together and their friendship bonded through the week on the slopes and off.

Nancy and Mark Hutchinson at Mt. Bachelor

Mark and I have skied together for 25 years and Eric and Helen Durfee and I have skied consistently together for 45 years. Recently my wife Janet has joined this mix and it is nice to have all the couples together on the slopes and telling tales afterwards over a cold beer.

But the final world to collide with all of us was the Chetlin world. Jeff and Julie were really the glue behind last weeks collision as they made everyone feel welcome in their adopted hometown of Bend and also their favorite ski area- Mt. Bachelor, as well as in their beautiful home.

Janet and Julie – pals forever.
Jeff the ringleader.

Jeff is nothing short of amazing. Part of the experience for all of us on this trip was to see Jeff make beautiful ski turns down the mountain. He also rode his fat bike and it was gratifying to see a guy who almost two years ago suffered a debilitating stroke and made an amazing comeback with the help of all of his friends and his wonderful wife Julie. On trips like this, memories are made and to see all these people come together and ski, talk about van camping, discuss food and wine from the Willamette Valley, enjoy all that Bend has to offer was spectacular. And to see Jeff back in his element with his friends and making classic turns down the mountain with excellent balance was a dream come true.

Now the finale to this story, is the fact that I love to do this. Part of my mission in life is to get like minded people together to experience each other as friends. Some people joke that I don’t really have to do this, because they like to do their own thing, and I understand that. But it is important to me to try to get people of similar interests together. Friendships are forged through memories and to create some new ones with new people getting together is something special. Mt Bachelor is an amazing mountain and the weather can be ruthless but the skiing is top notch and we all enjoyed our days on this beautiful mountain/volcano. It served as the backdrop to a really fun week with really fun people. Many of whom had met for the first time. Hats off to the Hutchinsons for getting the wheels in motion. One last thing……………Bend people are cool. So nice, considerate, and just plain friendly. Why wouldn’t they be? They all live and play in a great part of the country and they enjoy all that it has to offer year round. If you haven’t been to Bend, check it out. And take some friends along. Thanks for reading.

The majestic Mt. Bachelor
The ultimate fun seekers- the Girones.
Left to right- Julie, Helen, Janet, yours truly, Eric, and Richard the Bend locaL

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Culturally World Class

Chris Wu

Back in April of 2015, I posted about what it takes to be world class. That post was about world class athletes and what it takes to get to the top.. Recently, I watched a couple of documentaries on Netflix about the PGA and the upstart LIV Golf Tour. Also watched a documentary about the ATP Tennis Tour. Both documentaries gave an intimate look what it takes to be successful. Definitely worth the watch. The intensity of these athletes was very visible and the sacrifices that are made to get to that level are astounding. They don’t take the elevator to the top- they take the stairs, as they like to say.

Like many of us, I have seen world class athletes in action. I have seen several World Cup ski races as well as golf tournaments, tennis tournaments, baseball and football, and the one thing that is consistent with all of those athletes and all of those sports is drive, determination, dedication, and passion. If you don’t have those, you are not successful.

World Class is a term that is not limited to athletics though. Recently, Pete and Sandi Hilton, and Janet and I were invited by Chris and Annette Wu to be their guests at the Pittsburgh Symphony presentation of works of Beethoven and Wagner at Heinz Hall. Chris is one of the principal violinists for the orchestra and is currently on sabbatical until May. It was interesting to sit next to Chris in what was a rare chance for him to see his orchestra perform without him. Chris has been with the symphony for 35 years and has performed all over the world. He is on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon among other achievements and is truly what I would call a world class musician. To hear him play is mesmerizing as he performs regularly at our church and at other local venues. He sent us a musical Christmas card that was particularly moving as you watched him play with intensity, passion, dedication and determination- all of the above mentioned qualities of being world class.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performing at Heinz Hall.

But being world class sometimes involves some of the darker segments of personality as seen with volatile athletes. You don’t see that in the symphony world. It seems that their passion, determination and drive is bottled into their practice and performances on the stage. It was interesting to hear Chris give me some insight to the world of the symphony orchestra. I asked, for instance, how many practices does it take to prepare for a concert? He said usually about four and I was amazed. He said,” Pat- you have to understand that we all come to the performance like a football team. We all know the plays, we just have to practice them together a little bit before the performance.” Imagine what is swirling around in Chris Wu’s brain if he knows all the plays to all of the performances of the PSO? That is amazingly world class in my mind. Chris is truly worldly as well in that with all of his experience and worldwide travels, who he interacts with, and his general sphere of influence, he has amazing practical knowledge. We all went to dinner at the Yuzu Kitchen in downtown Pittsburgh and Chris did all of the ordering. He knows the restaurant, he knows the food, and we were perfectly happy to have him “orchestrate” the pre-concert dinner. Great restaurant and happy to have a guy who knew how to get around.

But what is truly outstanding to me is that there is another part of being world class. That is being a world class person. Chris dedicates a lot of his time and resources to charitable causes and also his church, as well as other churches in the area. He is not selfish with his talent and cheerfully spends time with lots of causes and people. His wife Annette says that he has sacrificed a lot with performances with the symphony on weekends and with his touring schedule. But he is always considerate of his family and will think about that for his future plans. He loves performing but also loves his wife and family and has to achieve a balance after 35 years of playing with the PSO. He will figure that out, but in the meantime, we will all enjoy him performing wherever it is.

Character is another piece of the puzzle of being world class. Watching those documentaries shows you who has character and who does not. Some people say you have to be tough and step on a lot of toes to get to the top. You smash racquets, throw clubs, and passionately make your way through life thinking of only getting to the top. There are no thrown violins or cellos in the symphony world, but there is passion for sure. It all depends on the person as to how that passion plays out. Chris and Annette are strong Christians along with their kids and it shows that passion, determination and drive can be blended with values to make a truly world class person. Google Chris and hear some of his performances and see him live if you can. You will be as amazed as I always am. You may not have the talent that Chris has, or Mikaela Shiffrin has, or Raphael Nadal has, but you can certainly be a world class person with values. Thanks for reading.

Trying to be a musician- way off the mark. LOL!!
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The Beer Can

The Mt. Allen Tram- affectionately known as The Beer Can.
Photo courtesy of Amy Phillips.

There are a lot of iconic lifts at ski areas that most people always remember. The single chair at Mad River Glen, Vermont, Chair 23 at Mammoth, and this one at Snowbasin, Utah among others. Affectionately known as ” The Beer Can”, the Mt.Allen Tram has roughly a 12 person limit depending on the size of the people. I returned to Snowbasin last week with my wife and some good friends, and three of us decided to take a ride in The Beer Can before lunch. There are a lot of folks who take the John Paul chair lift to the John Paul Lodge up top for a scenic ride and view. They have lunch at the John Paul Lodge and then if they are adventurous, they take the Mt. Allen Tram all the way to the top to take in a breathtaking view of Ogden, Utah down to the left and the massive Wasatch Mountains to the right. They then get back in the Beer Can and take their spectator descent back to the base lodge. But for those who choose to ski from the top like the three of us before lunch last week, it is always an interesting experience.

Listening to the Snowbasin guide at the top, she has a document that she reads outlining all the do’s and dont’s of the skiing experience from the top of the Mt. Allen Tram. Don’t ski beyond the ropes as there is no rescue available from the ski patrol. Ski under control and other warnings fitting for what was the top of the Men’s Downhill at the 2002 Olympics. You can see the start house on the right in this photo above. But the interesting descent is a knife edge trail that leads to the slope right below the start house. As the rest of our crew that day went in to have lunch, three of us decided to have a go of the skiing opportunity.

My wife Janet and me on the John Paul Chair

Judy Smith, Ralph Phillips and I ascended the stairs to the tram and joined a bunch of younger “dudes” in the tram and began our ascent. The interesting thing about skiing is that it puts together people of all ages. We could have been the parents of these kids or maybe even the grandparents because I am not sure of age these days. Hard to tell with all the helmets and facemasks but the “dude” this and ” dude” that kind of gave it away. They kind of looked at us like ” what are you old dudes doing with us?” And we looked at them kind of the same way. But again, skiing unites all ages and sometimes people surprise each other. I looked at Ralph and Judy and said, “let’s go before we have to fight these “dudes” for a piece of the narrow trail in front of us.” We were halfway down before they saw us,and it was probably a good thing. Sometimes experience wins the day and maybe they thought that the old dudes and dudette could handle themselves despite their initial reaction to us in the tram.

After a nice lunch together in the John Paul Lodge, our group enjoyed all that Snowbasin had to offer. The views are breathtaking, there is something for everyone including the endless runs off the Strawberry Gondola. At the end of the day, Mike and Judy Smith and I took a few flyers on the Wildflower Downhill which was part of the Women’s Downhill at the 2002 Olympics. Steep and a little ungroomed, it proved a little bit of a challenge but great fun.

The Flying Smittys, Janet and me.
The beauty of Snowbasin.

I think a lot about that Beer Can though. You can see Austrian Leonhard Stock’s name on the outside of the tram as he was the gold medalist at the 2002 Olympics in the men’s downhill. I think about all those athletes that were transported to the start in the Beer Can and as I always look down from the start, I think about how they hit 60 MPH quickly and then hit a compression at the bottom of that face. Downhillers are fearless and skilled and the Mt. Allen Tram saw the world’s best that day. If you ever get the chance to ski Snowbasin, don’t miss the Mt. Allen tram and don’t miss eating lunch at the John Paul Lodge and take in some truly spectacular scenery. Thanks for reading and think snow. We need it here in the East.

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The Operative Word is…..” Yes.”

Winter Hike with the Bride.

You know, last time I referred to a saying in my post that goes like this. ” You don’t quit skiing because you get old, you get old because you quit skiing.” You could really plug in any activity there. ” You don’t quit golf because you get old, you get old because you quit golf.” Really any activity you could plug in there and the lesson is still valid. I remember talking to Scot Nichol of Ibis Bikes one time and asked how long he thought we could ski and mountain bike like we do, and his answer is one that I always reference and think about. Scot says” Don’t even think about it Pat. Just keep doing it.” So true. Whenever you ask any older person what keeps them going they always say………” keep moving.”

So, the other night Jan and I were out to dinner and we ran into some folks that we knew. Had a nice conversation and the question came up whether we were still skiing. We said “of course” and they kind of chuckled when I asked them if they still skied, and they sadly said no. They said they thought they were getting too old and they didn’t want to get hurt at their age. The saying above immediately came to my mind but I didn’t verbalize it. I just left things go and Janet and I left the restaurant thinking that our path in life is a pretty good one. We are blessed for sure and we keep moving. When someone wants to do something, we just say “yes.” It is just the two of us now and we tell people all the time that we are flexible and can make some spur of the moment decisions.

The Smittys. Our skiing and snowshoeing pals.
Lifelong friends- The Birsics

Soon we will be heading west to ski with our pals from Philly – the Smiths, and our local Park City resident friends, the Birsics, on what has become an annual affair at Deer Valley. We all comment on how there are fewer and fewer of us who still ski together and how important it is to keep going. The days and years go so quickly now that the operative word ” yes” is even more important. We will also ski this winter out in Bend with our friends, the Chetlins, the Hutchinsons, and the Durfees. Jan and I are the common denominator on this trip introducing our friends the Chetlins to our other skiing pals- the Durfs and the Hutch’s. We really like making introductions like this so that new adventures can be shared with some new friends. So important to keep like minded couples together doing things well into our older years. We met the Hutchinsons through the Durfees and now the Hutchinsons and the Durfees will meet the Chetlins through us. Kind of a cool dynamic with active couples who keep doing things together.

Julie and Jeff Chetlin hiking at Laurel Mountain.
Lifelong friends the Durfees from Lake Tahoe.
Vermonters Mark and Nancy Hutchinson hiking in their beloved Green Mountains.

So I guess the point of this virtual Venn diagram is to point out that as we age, we need to keep active and keep friendships going. It takes work, as we all know, to schedule things with friends. But it is so important. Time flies so fast and if you don’t keep in touch, the years fly by and your friends become nothing more than a memory. This year, Jan and I will also start taking some bucket list trips that we have the time to do now. We don’t want it to get to the point where we said, ” we really should have gone here and there and now it is too late.” Do things with your friends, schedule trips with your friends, do the bucket list trips, and make the operative word” yes” part of your senior vocabulary. Thanks for reading.

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How To Not Check the Box

Nice day at Laurel Mountain

So, the other day, the sun was shining on a bright winter landscape and Jan and I decided to take off and head for Laurel Mountain State Park Ski Area- our local area. Not everything was open, but the point was to try Jan’s new boots and get some turns in for her in a relaxed, lowkey setting. There was lots of snow on the mountain, not too many people, and just a nice, relaxed way to spend a weekday during the holidays. You see, the older I get, the more I start to realize that every day is a gift. I have this tendency to check the box with things like days of skiing, trips out west, days of exercise, places to go, plans to achieve, basically a lot of checking the box over my years just to say- been there and done that. Not the best way to move through life.

Don’t get me wrong- you have to plan things to get them done, but for the most part I am learning as I get older to enjoy each day as it comes. You just don’t have to check the box on everything. Working from home has taught me a lot over the last two years and most of it has been to look at each day as one of its own and don’t worry about tomorrow. Enjoy what we have each day and that includes our beautiful parks, the Laurel Mountains, and most of all each other. Our son Jack is out of town now and so basically it is Janet and me together forging our way through this world. And that’s ok.

Enjoy your friends for life. Dixon, Melissa and Jaime.

Driving through Ligonier and taking in the horse farms along the way, I remarked to Jan that this is part of the experience for us now. Learning to take things in, enjoy drives, look at the scenery and in short- make the most of the day. Looking out over the Ligonier Valley from the top of Laurel Mountain is relaxing. Yeah- it is not the same as the views in Utah or the west but for an hour and a half from our house, I will take it. I love the Laurels and if you take the time to enjoy them, you can appreciate what you have right here in Western Pa. I looked at Jan making her turns and enjoying her new equipment and was not counting the vertical or the number of runs we made. It was an opportunity to be together and that included the drive up, the ski day, and an apres’ ski beverage in the Wildcat Lounge at the ski area.

I used to plan everything, and if the plan was sidetracked somehow, it made me nervous. But I am learning to go with the flow as I get older and take things in stride. For instance, I don’t have to keep up with people who are faster than me on the bike. I am 68 years old and want to enjoy the time spent in the outdoors and the scenery and not have to be in anaerobic debt looking at the guy’s shorts in front of me. I haven’t given up. I just slow it down a bit recognizing that there are more important things to understand. If I can go to an event, great. If I miss it for some reason, I don’t beat myself up. If I get a day on the slopes or the bike, that is great. I enjoy it and don’t ruin it by trying to get the most runs for the day or the most mileage on the trails. Enjoy it as it comes.

Our son Jack made it home for the Christmas and it was so good to see him. He and his girlfriend Marisa and their dog River spent a lot of time here and it was nice just hanging around with them despite the bitter cold outside. We went for walks, had some nice meals together and in general, we tried to enjoy each day with them and tried not to plan too much. It worked out great and they made it safely in and out and back to Grand Rapids. I even enjoyed their dog River even though I am not much of a dog guy.

The very rambunctious River
Marisa and Jack
The Ligonier Valley

So, the point of all of this is that in 2023, we all should make an effort to stay active or get active. The old saying goes that you don’t quit skiing because you get old, you get old because you quit skiing. Insert any activity and the truth is still there. But be willing to enjoy the experience and not just check the box. Take in the outdoors, enjoy your family and friends, and slow down so you don’t miss anything along the way. I am a slow learner. That comes with the territory when you are a Type “A”. But I am indeed learning. Thanks for reading and think snow!

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

-Matthew 6:34

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Over the Edge

Mammoth Mountain, Ca.

Years ago, my friend Jack Banbury and I started to go on ski trips with our pal Eric Durfee who at that time lived in Vermont. Eric would take us to places that were a little bit out of our comfort zone and it kind of went like this. Eric went over the edge first, then I saw that it can be done, so I think positive thoughts and went over next. I heard Jack laughing behind me. He reasoned that if Pat can do it, so can he and we all followed Eric. Many different places like the Palisades at Squaw( now Palisades-Tahoe), Corbet’s Couloir in Jackson Hole, and many other iconic drops that make you think about your first turns.

Eric and I went to Tuckerman Ravine in New Hampshire for many years and skied down some really steep walls there that we climbed first. One year, we hiked in the fog over to Dodge’s Drop and broke our rule of never skiing anything that we had not climbed first. But we made it and were the only tracks in there for the day. Eric did it with a cast on his wrist which is another story altogether.

The Headwall at Tuckerman Ravine

Fast forward a few years and Eric’s childhood pal from Vermont started to come with us. Mark Hutchinson was a ski race coach at Stowe and a Level III PSIA ski instructor with a lot of experience. He is a nice smooth skier but we both continued to follow the “alpha dog”,as Hutch calls Eric, down some interesting places at Mammoth Mountain, California and Mt. Rose in Nevada. Same situation, Eric showed us how it is done and then Hutch and I looked at each other, mustered some courage, got rid of any negative thoughts, and proceeded to ski down some iconic drops. Places like ” Dave’s” and “Paranoid’s”. Better judgement said “no” to some drops which Eric skied. But for the most part, we followed the “alpha dog” and breathed a sigh of relief when we had completed the run. In fact, most of the drops that I have done in my life were with Eric and all of them were most memorable. I can honestly say that most of my really good skiing experiences have been with these two guys. We have been skiing together for years and we still put them over the edge from time to time- just to make sure we still have it. The thing is as you age, your experience with these things comes into play. We know how to make the turns. We just need to make sure we are in shape and use good judgement when it is warranted.

Chair 23 at Mammoth- serving up some great “drops”
The Chutes at Mt. Rose, Nevada
The cornice this year at Dave’s Run at Mammoth- whoa!!! Not sure I would be challenging that.

Recently we have been taking trips with our wives and have a nice one scheduled again this year up in Oregon. But I ski Deer Valley, Utah with my wife and some friends from Philly (The Flying Smittys), and locals Patter and Tom Birsic, on another trip each year. When the opportunity arises and the conditions are good, I make my way over to the Daly Chutes at Deer Valley and look over the edge on the cornice above a series of steep drops. I think of Eric and Hutch when I am there and as I peer over the edge, I think about my first turns, get all the negative ” what if” thoughts out of my head, and use the experience that I have over the years to begin a series of turns down to where it flattens out a bit. Skiing these things are part of the western experience that you pay your hard, earned, money for and each year, the challenge is there. As I get older, I assess the risk and the reward and if my experience and feelings at the time are in order, I drop in. But if not, I will defer to another day and time. But the feeling of making some really steep turns down a vertical face is quite intoxicating and one of the reasons why I try to stay in shape by riding my mountain bike. My friend Pete always explains that I am not really a cyclist. I am a skier who cycles to stay in shape. Even though I live in the mid-Atlantic and ski locally most of the time, I love to head west and ski these challenging runs to keep the flame alive. Janet lets me go and burn a few which I appreciate. And when I get together with Hutch and Eric, the “stoke” is still alive as the young chargers say.

Eric and Hutch sipping a cold one at the June Mountain Brewery a few years back.

I am looking forward to what the new ski season will bring with these guys and the ladies. I am sure we will get some chances to “burn a few” together. We may even have a time or two when the ladies need a rest to “peer over the edge” at some things and see if the “alpha dog” thinks it is a “go.” Hutch and I will look at each other, decide, and then eventually make our way back to the ladies for some relaxed smooth turns with them. But we will have that twinkle in our eye if we did something fun with Eric. Just like the old days. The older we get, the better we were. Thanks for reading and think snow.

The Daly Chutes at Deer Valley
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The Ski Swap

This time of year- the Ski Swap notices start coming and people get excited for the coming season. The Ski Swaps are not only an outlet for selling and buying equipment, but also a social time to reconnect with your ski buddies who perhaps you have not seen since last winter. But there are plusses and minuses for these things and I believe that there should be an acronym for the word SWAP( S#$% we all purvey) Yes- we are purveyors of the “s@#$” from our basements and garages and in most cases, we just want to unload and if we get a buck or two for it, so be it. But the main reason is to clear out so that we can make room for new equipment. Old boots, helmets, skis, and various auxiliary ski items can be moved but the funny thing is the difference in what we think they are worth compared to what people are willing to pay. If your main reason is to unload stuff at the swap, then you will take whatever is offered. But if you think your “stuff” is worth more than people are willing to pay- you will be sorely disappointed. If you want to get rid of your “stuff” then you better be prepared to let it go for next to nothing.

Let’s go through a couple of examples shall we? Skis- if your skis are straight skis and not shaped, meaning they are “old”, you have next to no chance to sell them.. You are better off disposing of them or donating them to those guys that make Adirondack chairs out of old skis. Or hang them up above your fireplace if they are real old. Anything 10 years or older – the ski shops will not work on the bindings for liability purposes. Kids skis?- There is a market for these. But again, they cannot be too old or they will not sell. But people are willing to at least purchase used kids skis because they grow in and out of them quickly. My opinion- it is better to go to a shop and be a part of their seasonal rental program. Better equipment, and you can return it after the season. Better skis like you see above? If you want to move these, you need to be realistic about the price. You may have paid over $1000.00 per pair for them with bindings in the past, but people are not going to want to pay more than half of that if they are a number of years old- no matter how well they are maintained. And in my opinion, you are better off marketing them on line rather than take them to a swap. You will not get anything near to what you want at a swap. Sad but true.

Lets talk about boots. A discerning buyer will look at used boots to see what kind of shape they are in. Are the liners worn down? Are the toes and heels of the shell worn? They won’t work well in the bindings if they are. Are they more than a couple of years old? If the aforementioned things are true, don’t expect much from a swap. Take what you can get and leave the building. Rear entry boots- use them for a flower pot. Not worth a hoot. My dad’s old buddy had a pair of Hansens that he wanted to sell back in the day. I told him to plant his geraniums in them in the spring. Nobody in their right mind was going to buy those things. Be realistic.

Clothing- a lot of swaps do not have clothing options because of COVID. However, there are some that may try it. Again, don’t expect much for used clothing. Your old Bogner one piece may have been cool in the day, but it is not worth a thing today. Again- lower your expectations and try to unload if you can for a cheap price.

People are amazing at swaps. There are those who find it entertaining to seek out the hidden great deal on a pair of used skis, boots, or other equipment. Every once in a while you will find someone who is unloading some good “stuff” because they have to move, or they have quit skiing for one reason or another. It is fun to look for these things but buyer beware- there are no guarantees and usually all sales are final. The great pair of skis you bought at the swap may appear to be in pristine condition until you get home and notice that core shot in the base, or the edge that is damaged by a rock. You may be able to repair them, but no chance of getting your money back. Most sellers at a swap just dump off their stuff and put a price on the items and wait for the swap people to give them their money or shop credit at the end of the day. Sellers are usually nowhere to be seen. But buyers are there for several reasons.

Some ski shops will sponsor swaps and perhaps give shop credit for items sold. They also have old equipment from trade ins, or perhaps some items that have not sold in the regular shop sales. It is an opportunity also for the shop to market its new wares for the season. Get people in the shop or venue and allow them to perhaps change their minds and get new equipment.

There are some swaps where there is a beneficiary like a charity or kids ski program that benefits from the sale of the equipment. If you are in the generous mode and are willing to donate for the express purpose of supporting the cause, it is a successful day. You have unloaded some stuff out of your basement or garage for a good purpose and these types of swaps are becoming more popular.

Swaps may be more popular these days because of the economy. Seasoned skiers and real enthusiasts are going to always buy good equipment and maintain what they buy. But the skier who perhaps is watching their bucks, especially with all the increased costs of skiing today, may be willing to compromise a little bit and get some used stuff at a swap. Typically these are the casual skiers who want something to do every once in a while in the winter. But the real skiers- they will buy the good stuff and scrimp somewhere else.

But the bottom line is see your friends, see what s@#$ they are trying to buy or sell, laugh at the curmudgeons, and enjoy one of the highlights to the beginning of ski season. Think snow and thanks for reading.

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The Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb

The beginning of fall at Mt. Washinton, NH.

So it’s a rainy day and I am surfing around You Tube and I happen to see Phil Gaimon’s coverage of the Mt. Washington Hill Climb. Phil is a former professional in road cycling and has raced all over the world. He now has a You Tube channel where he continues to chase records on STRAVA and tours the country riding in the most iconic places and chasing records for climbs. When I saw the coverage, it brought back memories of when my pals Eric Durfee, Jack McArdle and I did it back in the mid-80s. Eric, at the time was a Category 1-2 road cycling racer and extremely fit and ended up in the top 5 overall which was a huge accomplishment. Jack and I were not in that category but I recall being respectable at the finish.

A young Pat back in the day at the start in New Hampshire.

Thinking back on that day, it was a bluebird sunny one at the bottom of the mountain and as I recall it is about 7.6 miles to the top on a road that was part asphalt and part gravel and dirt. The road today is paved to the top but at the time, it was definitely a cyclo-cross tire on the rear wheel. A fairly large group at the time started together and people started to settle in for what was a grueling climb to the top of one of the highest mountains in the East – topping out around 6,000 feet. I recall settling in and at about the halfway mark( reported to me by a bystander), it was about 46 degrees and a heavy fog. Typical weather for Mt. Washington that can change rapidly at any moment. It was windy. The highest winds recorded on earth are at the top of Mt. Washington because of its location as the epicenter of weather patterns roaring across the US and Canada. My friend Jack was behind me and he reported later that he stopped several times to get a drink out of the rain barrels that were used to cool down radiators on the descent in a vehicle. Pretty nasty stuff but he was thirsty. LOL!! Coming into the upper sections, I was able to see the summit weather station and just kept my head down and grinding the gears to approach the last several switchbacks that were reported at a 20 percent gradient. Lots of people cheering us on as I struggled to finish upright and came in with a time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. Respectable for a guy from Pa. My pal Eric from Vermont was top 5 and he was a little over 1 hour and three minutes, just to give perspective. Don’t remember what Jack’s finishing time was, but he made it and immediately stripped down at the top to his Superman briefs which garnered laughs from the crowd as he shivered to change clothes in the parking lot and put on a wool hat and parka because it was 41 degrees and sleeting.

The course marked in red.
Todays racers finishing on the 20 percent paved grade.

The interesting thing is that there is a running race up Mt. Washington as well. The winning times for the bicycle race and the running race are within a minute of each other. Phil Gaimon’s winning time this year was 51.38 which was a record. Sure he had the advantage of paved roads all the way and also the good fortune of technology of light bike design, training improvements and nutritional expertise. But nonetheless, an excellent time, and speeds up that mountain are getting faster every year. Athletes today are just so much better. But back in the day, my buddy Eric made a statement. Today there are a lot of entrants with many of them making the top to the cheers of their friends and family in 2 hours, 3 hours, or whatever it takes. Many of them ride it just to see the scenery and to say that they finished. One guy rode up there this year on a unicycle. Amazing!

As we made our way back down the mountain in Helen Durfee’s van, we were amazed that we could not ride our bikes down the hill. Even with today’s disc brake technology, you would not want to negotiate that road on a bike downhill. Even many of the parade of cars descending the Auto Road have to stop to cool the brakes. It is that steep. So happy to have seen Phil’s recording of the 2022 event as it brought back many memories of an interesting day a long time ago in the White Mountains in early fall. Thanks for reading.

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Duckin

Breaststroke by the incomparable Michael Phelps

It’s funny. My wife says to me occasionally as we walk, ” Hey- you are duckin.” I laugh and say-” well maybe that is because of all the breaststroke I did as a kid?” Duckin is her word for saying that I walk like a duck. Left foot pointed left and right foot pointed right in a kind of fast waddle. I am kidding but as I remember back, all of us kids who were breaststrokers, walked like a duck. Perhaps it was a hallmark of the physiology needed to do the whip kick that is the engine of the stroke. The Rose brothers, me, Johnny Kane, Dru Duffy, all battled it out in the community pool wars and the YMCA teams. We all ducked. Even the Rose girls ducked ( sorry Annie and Mary). Breaststrokers all ducked. That is the way it was and apparently still is. I still duck.

The Allegheny Y Team back in the day- I am third from left at the top.

So as the days dwindle down for our community pool, I do take advantage of what we have left until Labor Day and swim some breaststroke from time to time when the pool is not crowded. Breaststroke was always a natural stroke for me. I could freestyle and backstroke, but the butterfly? No way. But breaststroke came natural and I competed as a kid for our community pool- Valley Brook Swimming Club, The Allegheny YMCA and also Shannopin Country Club. My dad drove me back and forth between venues a lot so that I could catch my heats. I would no sooner finish a heat in a relay or individual event when my dad would rush me into the car to catch the meet at Shannopin which started later. Breaststrokers were a valued commodity and all three teams needed a breaststroker for individual events and medley relays. There was a lot of competition between all of us “strokers” but it was a fun part of the competitive side of growing up.

Our community pool

Today I find that swimming in my community pool is relaxing and as I “stroke” along, I think about how the sport has changed. Watching swimming on TV I see the rules have changed as well. It used to be that you needed to touch both hands on the wall before you could turn. When you did turn, you had to push off the wall and get your arms above your head and make one giant pull under water and kick to surface and start swimming the next lap. Today- you can dolphin kick for as long as you can and then surface and start swimming. You also submerge your head after each stroke. In my day, your head could not go below the surface of the water. I try the new breaststroke and it is definitely more efficient and faster. But the main reason I swim is to stretch out. I tend to get tight from mountain biking and swimming helps me stretch out and relax those tight leg muscles. As I swim along, I think about all those old meets at Trees Pool at Pitt, with the Jello sticking to our feet. The energy powder in those days was Jello and it spilled all over the floor and made our feet sticky and we sported the many colors of cherry, grape and lime. I think about the summer meets at Valley Brook and the other away meets and finally think about how hard it was to jump in the pool at the Allegheny Y or Allegheny High School in the winter. Wool hats and parkas to Speedo suits in the indoor pools.

So as the countdown begins, I will try to take advantage of all the great summer days left before the fall takes the pool out of play. Another guy from the neighborhood swims every day and he is amazing. He plays golf every day and swims every day and I just found out……..he is 80 years old. Doesn’t look it. Swimming is a wonderful form of exercise – even if it makes me duck. Thanks for reading.

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Rich Roll Rocks

Rich Roll- ultra distance athlete and successful Podcast host.

Last year, my friend Jeff Chetlin turned me on to a great podcast by Rich Roll. You can google him to find out all about his podcast and his amazing lifestyle change over the years. But suffice to say that he is impressive as is his list of guests on his daily podcast. I also read his book which is a good one too.

I have listened with great intent to his interviews with world class athletes like Lyndsey Vonn, Lance Armstrong, and Rebecca Rusch. Rich brings out the best in all of them by asking provocative questions and allowing them to expand during his usual 2 hour show. The interesting thing about world class athletes is their drive to which Rich is intimately familiar as he himself is a national class ultra athlete.

The Rich Roll Podcast

Rich is aging like many of us and it is interesting to hear his guests who speak on what it takes to stay healthy. I heard a Rich Roll podcast with Drs. Dean and Anne Ornish who spoke at length about plant based eating and how that lifestyle can be a “fountain of youth” for many of us. They also spoke about mitochondria health in our cells and as we age, how it is compromised. I first heard of NADs (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and how we can refurbish our cells taking a product called Tru-Niagen. I take it every day because I believe that the science is there. Rich has varied guests in the medical field who talk about health in general but also as it relates to those of us who are trying to stay healthy through exercise as we age.

Rich on an ultra distance training run.

Recently Rich had Dr. Peter Attia as a guest who has worked with many world class athletes. The discussion centered around Zone 2 training. Now, as I listened, I thought back to where I had first heard that term. It was from the Heart Rate Monitor Book published by Sally Edwards in 1993. I had a monitor in those days and found the discussion on training in zones particularly enlightening. Sally Edwards as well as Dr. Attia find that training in Zone 2 which is basically a heart rate zone where you can exercise and still have a conversation, is the most beneficial. The heart rate zones are different based on the conditioning of the athlete, but the basic premise is not to always be in zone 4 or 5 which is aerobic to anaerobic in scale and often hampers one’s ability to be conditioned. He spoke about lactate levels which are blood lactate readings taken basically in a lab environment where an athlete’s blood is taken regularly during exercise to find the optimum level at which lactate levels begin to build in the muscles leading to lactic acid formation. If you can be aware of your levels, keep your heart rate in zone 2 and not go above your recommended levels, the training benefits are optimized. The discussion also included awareness of watts produced during exercise and the balance between watts and lactate levels. Watts seemed to be more pertinent in the discussion than heart rate but many casual athletes do not have a watt meter attached to their bike as world class cyclists do.

Now Rich Roll even admitted during the interview that most people who exercise are not at the level at which lactate measurement is a consideration. Most of us can relate to heart rates that are in different zones and if we stick to training or exercising in zone 2 – the conversational zone, it will be more beneficial and also……..more enjoyable. Pain is not always gain.

Dr. Peter Attia- google him.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to me about the interview with Dr. Attia was the discussion on what goals we have as we age. Dr. Attia stated that as an aging athlete, we need to consider what we would like to do in our later years as octogenarians and above. Do we want to be able to get up off the floor without using our hands? Do we want to easily get up out of a chair? Do we still want to race? Do we want to ski? Do we want to have sex? All of these things are considerations and if we outline them, we can “back cast” to the present time and lead a life that will make those things possible barring any catastrophic health issues. Bottom line in the discussion for us mortals is just to keep moving. I always quote Scot Nichol of Ibis Bikes when I asked him how long we can ski and ride like we do. His standard answer is ” just keep doing it.” ” Don’t even think about it.”

If you get the chance, tune in to the Rich Roll Podcast. It can get technical but for most of us who exercise for health with our racing days behind us, his discussions with his guests are enlightening. I won’t be undergoing any lactate testing any time soon but I recently did get a Garmin Fenix sports watch that gives me way more information about my daily exercise and lifestyle than I could ever utilize. But it does give me some benchmarks that I can use as I “forecast” to the future and see how long I can keep doing the things that I like to do. Garmin, Rich Roll, and books like ” How Not to Die ” by Michael Greger M.D. keep me in the game. Friends do too and to have a group of people who have similar interests on the slopes and trails keep me motivated and engaged. Zone 2 keeps it fun too. Thanks for reading.