While out of running for 8 weeks to rehab my toe surgery (removed a neuroma that had plagued me for 8 years), I needed a creative way to train for the upcoming ski mountaineering season. The mountain running I’d been doing was such good preparation.... lots of long sustained climbs into higher elevations with thinner air (good training benefit).



My solution was found in Vertical Mountain Biking. Around my home I’ve found several good, long uphills. Sustained climbs of around 1-1.5 hours. On the bike they vary from long gradual cruisers (Red Earth creek-1 hour) to downright challenging granny gear intense climbs (Sulpher Mountain backside 1.5 hours). Closer to home is Skogan pass, a good 1.5 hour climb to the top and about 900vertical meters.

I tend to like the less intense climbs as they provide screaming high speed downhills with not as much technical braking (also good for skimo training).

Some of my other favorites include: Sunshine ski area access road (start from the highway for 1k vertical m); Nakiska ski area (cat track to the top. 1.5 hours); Norquay ski area.

However, after last weekend, there’s snow in them thar hills (Nov. 1) so it’s time to crank up the skiing!

How to be a Good BC Ski Partner

Last year there were times when I struggled to get out with other backcountry skiers. As part of the small community fast/lite skimo race crowd it can sometime be a challenge to get an even match for equipment, speed and ski ability. I began to wonder, “is it me, or am I just imagining that people are avoiding me?” I don’t know. One thing I do know is that this year I’m going to strive to be the best bc skimo ski partner possible. Here’s my personal rules to get me on this path (friends, since you’re reading this, you can keep me accountable).

1) Always be on time. Always be ready for pick up. Shoot for an early, stress free ready time.

2) Get more avalanche education. I don’t want to have to rely on the snow safety experience of others that have taken the time to take the advanced courses and are well read and consistently check bulletins, etc.  At least get educated enough to be able to wisely contribute to the evaluation discussion.

3) Shore up mountaineering skills and practice in the summer. Whether it’s an impromptu rap down a couloir cliff band, roping up for glacier travel, or conducting a cravasse rescue (hopefully never!), be the one that has the gear on board and knows how to skillfully use it.

4) Be willing to take my fair share, or more of the trail breaking.

5) In addition to #4, lead at a pace that is appropriate for the rest of the group’s fitness. I’ve been in situations where I’m not breaking a sweat, but still gapping those behind me as I break their trail. Why not dial it down a notch and keep them from fearing an outing with me.

         -the converse is true as well...make sure my fitness level is up to the standards of the group

6) Be the one toting the first aid kit, rope, etc. Some of these items we know we should bring, but often we don’t want to add extra weight. Just bring it without being asked to.

7) Don’t whine if you’re not comfortable with the objective, route etc. Simply state your concerns and be willing to let them go ahead, bless them and stay a safe distance away, observing in case they need help. As a family guy I tend to be a little more conservative than some of the 20 somethings I ski with. Sometimes it has been the other way around too though.

8) Be willing to drive and don’t expect gas money. I’ve got a nice enough 4 wheel drive truck to get us there. Not expecting pay back is simply putting some good karma into the bank.

That’s it for now. I’m sure the list can and will grow.

Thoughts on a Goal Setting Lifestyle

Each summer since my two girls began reading in grade 1 I’ve had the  “Daddy’s summer reading plan”. We set a goal of how many chapters they can read in the summer, then I reward them. Rewards have been things like going horseback riding, going to a movie, buying that special “stuffie”, etc.

This summer my youngest daughter, the strong willed one, decided to come up with her own plan. Usually at her age she gets a reward for 150 chapters, yet this summer for reasons only she really understands, she made a goal to read 5 chapters a day. She barely considered the final tally which in the past was the only consideration because it led to the reward. This summer she hit 250+ and couldn’t care less about the reward. Her internal reward far exceeded anything I could give her.

I’m pretty proud of her and it motivates me to keep a goal setting lifestyle. I read an article today comparing Navy Seals with Olympic athletes in goal setting. Here’s a couple exerts:

“The best athletes had clear daily goals. They knew what they wanted to accomplish each day, each workout, each sequence or interval. They were determined to accomplish these goals and focussed fully on doing so.”

“With goal setting the recruits were taught to set goals in extremely short chunks. For instance, one former Navy Seal discussed how he set goals such as making it to lunch, then dinner.”

“What happened when they achieved those goals? SEALs set new ones. The focus is on always improving.”

A few years ago I read a blog written by a Finnish Ironman triathlete and businessman (on the podium for his very competitive age group at Hawaii world champs). He explained with his limited time he needed to maximize his time and training. To do this he took a weightlifter’s approach. Instead of training 20-30 hours each week, digging yourself into an overtraining hole, then hoping your pre-race taper would get you out of that hole, he measured almost every workout and strove to improve each day. His weekly training hours were ½ or less than the other athletes he was competing against. 100-200m swim times were recorded, power wattage on the bike was challenged and running times were lowered. When he got to the Ironman start line, he had the confidence and the written proof that his training was working.


Training like this is not only effective, but it’s fun. It gives every workout a purpose and it motivates you to push harder and it’s incredibly rewarding when you see improvement. I put this into practice as I strove to improve my skimo downhills. One day a week I’d go to our local ski hill and train on my race skis. I timed myself down the double black diamond run, Lone Pine. As I rocketed into the lift at the bottom I’d look at my watch and note the time. Sometimes I’d let the lifty in on my protocol and they’d ask me each run how I did. This accountability fueled more passion into the workout.


Sometimes in life we get stuck and have a hard time taking the next step forward. This is when small goals can get us moving and going the right direction. We receive a small boost in self respect when the small short term goal is achieved and that motivates is to set another, maybe even slightly larger goal. Before you realize it you’re flying down the path to real achievement.

Steve's Cold Weather Training Tips

Now that we`ve successfully sent our bone chilling Alberta Clipper to the USA Midwest, I figure the least I can do is offer some cold weather training (& living tips) to get through it all. I know that we`ve all got our own cold weather survival tips often gleaned from painful experiences and frostbite. So, for what it`s worth, here`s mine:


-Warm torso = warm hands. Same goes for legs and feet. I can be ski touring uphill in -20C (-8F), but my hands are sweating so much I have to take my gloves off to keep them from getting too wet. Same with feet. Warm enough layers on legs means warm feet. I like to use pants with ventilation zips to keep from overheating on the ups, then zip up for the downs.


-Heater packs. These chemical warmers have saved me on many occasion. In a very cold skimo race at Jackson Hole last year I’d opened them up and placed them in my spare mittens and put them in my pack. Since the heaters take about ½ hour of exposure to air to really heat up, by the time I needed them part way into the race I simply swapped them out for my gloves and my hands were happy the rest of the race. One of my travelling partners didn’t fare so well and spent 2+ hours in emerg for frostbitten hands. Her hands were actually yellow, blue and green... really nasty looking. Unfortunately she’ll have circulation problems and cold hands the rest of her life. This is how it often goes when you frostbite a particular part of your bod.


They also make insole heater packs that you can slip into your boots. I’ve had mixed results with these.


-Hand/arm swinging. If the hands are cold and getting numb, then it’s time to stop your activity, take poles off and swing your arms hard. Raise ‘em up high, then forcefully swing them down. This effectively brings warm blood from the torso and arms down into the hands. Do it until the numbness ends and the until the pain (of thawing) abates (ouch!!).


-Fur lined bush pilot hat. I love my hat. It’s insulated and has big fur lined ear flaps that wrap around my cheeks. I’ll wear a balaclava or full face mask underneath and laugh at the cold. What they say about having a warm head bringing warmth to the rest of the body I think is true.


-Anti-perspirant and powder on the feet to keep them dry. This is an old truck driver’s secret. When you’re exerting hard and sweating, your feet can easily chill out when the pace slackens a bit. Another foot trick is to use neoprene sox. Your feet will really sweat in these so the powder and anti-perspirant are important to use in combination with these.


-Protect the face!! Use a balaclava or Buff (I love Buffs. You can configure them so many ways to adapt for whatever cold condition you’re facing). For really cold I have an old face mask similar to what my mom made me wear when I was a kid. It’s got eye holes and a hole for breathing. It makes you look like a Palestinian terrorist or WWF wrestler, but that just adds to the badness factor.


-Moleskin/physio tape. When you’re racing you tend to take a few more cold weather risks for flexibility, breathing and to avoid overheating. So instead of the face protection mentioned above I’ll often use either of these. The moleskin has a little better insulation, but the physio tape comes in cooler colours. Back in the day we’d often get awesome looking frostbite marks in the shape of a Nike swoosh right at the place where the wind came off our Oakley Factory Pilots. So we’d put the tape on that spot. Worked good!


-Hood. This is a new one for me, but it seems every training jacket and base layer I prefer now comes with a hood. It’s so great to have the flexibility to throw that hood on when needed as it’s always in tow, but out of sight. My latest favourite base layer is the Sherpa Tchimi hoodie. The hood actually zips up so high that it has balaclava built into the hood. Materials are super fine, with an incredible fit. It’s a Nepal company so I assume the pieces are made by actual Sherpas. Nice to help out a developing economy (no I’m not sponsored....yet).


-Woolie Boolie sox. Man, I love my all wool, thick Woolie Boolie sox. I have them in ankle high and knee high. Even with the advent of all the new hi tech synthetic materials, it’s still pretty hard to beat old fashioned wool. After a workout I’ll put these on along with a dry base layer and be smiling all the way home. It’s paradise when you can also slip into dry underwear, but that’s a little more challenging to do in a crowded parking lot!


-Ease up on the throttle. Regulating your sweat rate is super important in sub cold. If you feel you’re sweating too much then back off. You’re going to pay for all that moisture build up with getting chilled at some point coming soon! You’re already getting the training leg up on your competitors just by being out there, so don’t sweat it!


-Insulated pants. This final tip isn’t for training, but just general life. I love my flannel lined khaki pants for kicking around during the day. Their way more comfortable than regular long johns and easier to put on to start your day!