We're Back At It

Due to budget constraints and general apathy, the entire Blog staff has been put on unpaid leave since last April. But with the recent influx of cash from pop-up ads and website redirects from this Blog page, as well as a 20% pay raise (thanks Sparky!) the Blog is rehiring all staff and firing up the presses.  So here we go!

The summer was a productive one, if not the most exciting summer on record. Though Covid restrictions are relaxing, it doesn't mean Covid-19 is eradicated, and who wants to travel someplace only to test positive and then have to cool your jets before being able to board a flight home without becoming a public health nuisance?  So there wasn't too much leisure travel for me this summer. But our entire men's team spent the summer in Anchorage, most of them as summer interns at various businesses in town, and getting together for workouts together after or before work. 

Here's Maggie at Arctic Valley in July.

It's been a strange summer for amateur meteorologists like me. After a super-sunny early summer, it started raining on around July 10 and it hasn't stopped yet. We're at almost double our average precipitation so far this year, and well on our way to a new record for rainiest year in Anchorage history. I don't know about you, but everything at my house is starting to smell like mold.

According to this graph, it's been raining a lot around here lately.

I returned from the desert last week to find the team in full flight and in fine form, with a couple of new nordic recruits, a lot of new alpine recruits, and a schedule packed with workouts. My first day back on the rollerskis was a rough one, coming straight out of desert into a rollerski interval workout that was notable for its quality and focus. Among other positives, it's been beneficial to have a couple of extra guys at  some of our intensity workouts, which serves to raise the level of the group and adds to the focus and the intensity of the workouts. Although JC Schoonmaker has graduated and he'll be off on the pro circuit this coming winter, he's spending his summer and fall training with his UAA teammates. And Gus Schumacher has also been joining us for a lot of our workouts, too. These guys are serious about their skiing, and when they show up at our UAA practices, it adds to the professionalism and the expectations for the workout. 

The whole team, alpine and nordic, got together for a hike behind town yesterday. And the sun came out!

Siggi on Rainbow Peak

JC. The snow is creeping down. We'll probably be skiing in about six weeks or so.

Pascale

Our new nordic freshman - Matt Seline

There was the question of whether a person could base jump from here.

Relaxing with the alpiners

Enjoying the sunshine in the parking lot

I'm looking forward to the coming ski season. It's gonna be a good one!