Flattop Mountain

The training you need to do to be a fast cross-country skier is very different from the kind of training you need to do to be a fast alpine skier.  Therefore, although we're all on the same team and the success of the alpine team is critically important for the success of the cross-country team and vice versa, we don't get to actually train together very often.  When we're out rollerskiing, the alpine team may be out doing agility training, and when we're out running with ski poles, the alpine team may be doing power lifting.  But today the teams had a chance to train together.  The training venue was Flattop Mountain, overlooking Anchorage.  The hike up Flattop is the most popular hike in Alaska because of its proximity to Anchorage - a fifteen minute drive from downtown, as well as its relatively easy access to high alpine terrain with a good view over the city.  The view wasn't so great today, of course, because we're in the middle of the rainiest autumn in the history of the world.  Nevertheless, here's what it looked like:

Galen, Kayla, Viktor

Brew and Lasse

Alpine and Nordic teams.

 The cross-country team actually ended up climbing Flattop twice.  After climbing up the front side of the mountain, we went down over the back of the mountain to the bottom, and then back up the "back side of Flattop" again.

Brandon and Viktor nearing the top of Flattop for the second time, from the "back side".

As you can see, it wasn't getting any drier up there...