The high-performance, all-terrain Salomon Enduro XT850 skis with bindings fly down the mountain atop powder, crud or corduroy.
By from on 9/23/2011
(legalese)
Friday, September 23, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
What do ski instructors do in the summer?
Have you ever wondered what ski instructors do when there is no snow on the mountains?
Some are summer camp counselors. Some work at golf courses. Some go sailing. Some can't live with out the snow and travel to the southern hemisphere to get their endless winter.
P.S. Ski Instructors are ineligible for unemployment benefits
Some are summer camp counselors. Some work at golf courses. Some go sailing. Some can't live with out the snow and travel to the southern hemisphere to get their endless winter.
I work for the US Forest Service cutting down dead trees to keep the trails around Winter Park open.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Ride of the Week -July 31st 2011
This weeks ride is a road ride. The Tour de France just ended and I am now anxiously awaiting the Colorado Pro Tour to pass through. This road ride is pretty simple, turn right out of Winter Park Resort and just keep pedaling. The ride is 10 miles exactly from the last stop light in Winter Park to the top of the pass and climbs consistently for over 2000ft making it a category 1 climb according to the UCI.
The false flats at the start act as a great warm up and once you hit the first hairpin you know you are in for a ride. It kicks up to a mile long climb averaging about a 8% grade. It then flattens out the rest of the climb until you make it to the last mile of the climb where the hill returns to an average grade of about 8% again. You will be rewarded with some great vistas on either side of the divide.
I recommend that you do this ride in the morning because the winds are more calm. A head wind can be brutal. The traffic is not bad and the lanes are plenty wide.
The best part about working your way to the top - the descent. Make sure you don't get a speeding ticket on the way down.
The false flats at the start act as a great warm up and once you hit the first hairpin you know you are in for a ride. It kicks up to a mile long climb averaging about a 8% grade. It then flattens out the rest of the climb until you make it to the last mile of the climb where the hill returns to an average grade of about 8% again. You will be rewarded with some great vistas on either side of the divide.
I recommend that you do this ride in the morning because the winds are more calm. A head wind can be brutal. The traffic is not bad and the lanes are plenty wide.
The best part about working your way to the top - the descent. Make sure you don't get a speeding ticket on the way down.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Ride of the Week
The name of this blog is ride-winter-park. Half of the riding takes place in winter, but the other half is in the summer. The mountain bike riding is fantastic and that is why Winter Park is named Mountain Bike Capital USA.
The Mary Jane Hill Climb on the 11th marked the first race of the Epic Single Track Series. The summer biking season has kicked off.
This weeks ride - Wolf Park - Givelo - Northwest Passage - Unnamed Trail and back.
Difficulty: Easy
Take the Wolf Park trail towards the Rec Center. Turn left on the dirt road that runs parallel US 40. Join the Fraser River Trail and turn left at the Alco Center. Go under the railway bridge and turn right and then left onto CO 73. Givelo trail runs next to CO 73. Follow Givelo and when the trail splits take the right fork. Take the right fork again. This is Northwest Passage. Turn right onto CO 50. In around 100yds turn left onto an unnamed trail. Keep your eyes open! This trail has some intimidating jumps but you don't have to go over them, there are small trails that go around the jumps. This trail drops back off on CO 50. Follow CO 50 and turn right onto CO 5. Then go right on US 40 and head back to Wolf Park.
The Mary Jane Hill Climb on the 11th marked the first race of the Epic Single Track Series. The summer biking season has kicked off.
This weeks ride - Wolf Park - Givelo - Northwest Passage - Unnamed Trail and back.
Difficulty: Easy
Take the Wolf Park trail towards the Rec Center. Turn left on the dirt road that runs parallel US 40. Join the Fraser River Trail and turn left at the Alco Center. Go under the railway bridge and turn right and then left onto CO 73. Givelo trail runs next to CO 73. Follow Givelo and when the trail splits take the right fork. Take the right fork again. This is Northwest Passage. Turn right onto CO 50. In around 100yds turn left onto an unnamed trail. Keep your eyes open! This trail has some intimidating jumps but you don't have to go over them, there are small trails that go around the jumps. This trail drops back off on CO 50. Follow CO 50 and turn right onto CO 5. Then go right on US 40 and head back to Wolf Park.
Friday, May 20, 2011
BASI level 4 ISTD - Teaching around the world
My life continues on in the States, but what few people know about me is that I continue to pursue my European ski qualifications. The US is one of the few countries where you do not have to be qualified to teach skiing. Most countries have minimum certification criteria, and some countries standards are higher. France is the country that has set the bar the highest, and there are only a few other national bodies that have a standard that France will accept. They are France (of course), Austria, Italy, Germany, Britain, and Switzerland.
For two years I have been completing my British Association of Snowsports Instructors (BASI) level 4. There are 8 components
That is a total of fourteen assessed days and many more spent training to the standard. To put this into context to be fully certified through the American system it takes nine days, three of which are assessed.
I traveled to Hintertux, Austria to take part in the level 4 technical skiing exam. It was a hard week of skiing. There were 30 candidates spread over four groups. Everyone in the exam fell at least once, including the examiners. I had some mighty bruises on my legs and one of the girls on the course had a chance of making the standard until she hurt herself at the end of the first day. We skied so hard that we had a GS ski break in half!
I was successful and am very glad to have finished my BASI level 4. It allows me to establish a ski school anywhere in the world, which means I can now take my guests skiing around the world. I look forward to taking you on a world tour soon!
For two years I have been completing my British Association of Snowsports Instructors (BASI) level 4. There are 8 components
- Technical (Skiing) Module - 5days
- Teaching Module - 5 days
- European Mountain Safety training - 4 days
- European Mountain Safety assessment - 3 days
- 6 logged back country tours
- European Speed Test (timed GS race)
- Written Project
- Interview
That is a total of fourteen assessed days and many more spent training to the standard. To put this into context to be fully certified through the American system it takes nine days, three of which are assessed.
I was successful and am very glad to have finished my BASI level 4. It allows me to establish a ski school anywhere in the world, which means I can now take my guests skiing around the world. I look forward to taking you on a world tour soon!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Best Powder of the Season
The lifts at Winter Park may have stopped turning, but that is no excuse to stop skiing.
Chris Hoffbauer is the J5 Development Coach for Aspen Valley Ski Club and we went powder skiing after a big dump on Berthoud Pass near Winter Park. Can you believe that at the end of April it would be possible to ski waist deep snow? If not watch the video.
We took precautions on our small trip. This season there have been two avalanche related fatalities on Berthoud Pass. Both could have been avoided if those involved had respect for the mountain environment and taken steps to protect themselves.
Chris and I were both wearing avalanche transceivers, carrying probes, shovels, a small shelter and the knowledge of how to use the equipment. We had read the Colorado Avalanche Information Center website to get the snow forecast. We talked to the CDOT representative on the pass and asked about the avalanche mitigation that they were conducting on the other side of the pass. I am a certified mountain guide, and although Chris is new to skiing in the backcountry, he is an experienced mountaineer who has climbed almost all of the 14,000ft peaks in Colorado.
Chris Hoffbauer is the J5 Development Coach for Aspen Valley Ski Club and we went powder skiing after a big dump on Berthoud Pass near Winter Park. Can you believe that at the end of April it would be possible to ski waist deep snow? If not watch the video.
We took precautions on our small trip. This season there have been two avalanche related fatalities on Berthoud Pass. Both could have been avoided if those involved had respect for the mountain environment and taken steps to protect themselves.
Chris and I were both wearing avalanche transceivers, carrying probes, shovels, a small shelter and the knowledge of how to use the equipment. We had read the Colorado Avalanche Information Center website to get the snow forecast. We talked to the CDOT representative on the pass and asked about the avalanche mitigation that they were conducting on the other side of the pass. I am a certified mountain guide, and although Chris is new to skiing in the backcountry, he is an experienced mountaineer who has climbed almost all of the 14,000ft peaks in Colorado.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Spring Skiing
While Europe is winding down their season with muddy slopes ad big piles of slush, Colorado is ending its season in style. Most Colorado ski areas shut their doors on April 24th, with a base of 2.8m, 20cm of fresh snow overnight and and a total of 10m+ snow throughout the season.
The video below is of my father and my friends skiing at Aspen Highlands three days before their season ended. We were greeted with no lift lines, first tracks and 7 inches of powder.
The video below is of my father and my friends skiing at Aspen Highlands three days before their season ended. We were greeted with no lift lines, first tracks and 7 inches of powder.
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