It’s one of my favorite weekends in Minneapolis. Lakes become luminary-lined parks, roads become trails, and skis are everywhere. It’s the City of Lakes Loppet. The 2013 Loppet was my first taste of winter culture in Minneapolis. The company I worked for was a sponsor and I had the opportunity to get involved. It didn’t take long before I was hooked. I attended the 2014 … Continue reading I Love Loppet
At a certain point, I lost count of the times something didn’t go right. Navigating three feet of powder on a mountain side with cross-country skis strapped to numb feet seven miles from the nearest road; losing footing while trying to cross a river in waist-deep, snowmelt raging water; finishing your last water bottle in 104F heat 17 miles from the car on a bike. You … Continue reading Get Uncomfortable
Fountain Paint Pots is a cluster of geothermal features on the west side of Yellowstone National Park. As we were approaching a pool of boiling water, our guide shared a story about a dog that jumped in and its owner who jumped in to save it. The water was 202 degrees F. Both died. The incident was detailed in a book called ‘Death in Yellowstone.’ … Continue reading Yellowstone Winter
Seven days out from race day, we had no snow. It wasn’t looking good. We had a January thaw that removed most of our snow. A deep freeze turned all the remaining snow into ice. Then there was a blip on the weather forecast. A storm appeared. The first model runs showed 5-8″. Optimism! Following models showed as little as 1″ and as much as … Continue reading Let’s Loppet
It has been nearly three months since the good folks at Mountain Hardwear sent me a package of goods and a booklet welcoming me to their #FindingWinter athlete ambassador team. Winter was looking like a certainty when I opened that package. Ski trips were being booked. I had every intention of spending more time outdoors than indoors this winter. Then everything went wrong. Pneumonia sidelined … Continue reading Still #FindingWinter
“Is this your first time skate skiing?” I asked Andy as we approached the Wirth chalet to pick up trail passes. “Yes,” Andy replied. “Oh good. You’re in for a load of soreness tomorrow.” After all, skate skiing soreness is the best type of soreness. We fixed our trail passes to our jackets and hit the trails. Learning how to skate ski isn’t easy. It has … Continue reading Let’s Skate
If you received cross-country skis for Christmas, you needed to be patient to use them. It was foggy, 35 and a nice shade of brown in Minneapolis on what is normally a snowy day. While all the new road bike owners were logging miles on the dry streets, skiers were left wondering when they’ll be able to earn their own miles. Patience paid off on … Continue reading Skiing Is Back
It wasn’t more than a week ago in Minneapolis that I could walk outside in an unbuttoned without a chill. I could bike home from work without gloves, crack a window and night and hear the crunch of leaves underfoot. Things are different now. Winter coats are required, sidewalks need to be shoveled and that crunch underfoot is ice and snow. Winter is here. I’m … Continue reading #FindingWinter with Mountain Hardwear
You could stick to the groomed trails–play it safe and easy by riding the tracks of many before you. Or you could cut your own trail. It isn’t easy, but the sweat you trade for the experience you’re rewarded with pays off. Minneapolis offers many miles of groomed trails and inner-ring suburbs offer many more. These groomed trails are top-notch. Some are just wide enough … Continue reading Backcountry Cross-Country Skiing: Your New Winter Plans.
If you get a chance to view a Warren Miller film in a theater, do it. I don’t care if you have other plans. Your new plans involve Warren Miller. It’s like going to a concert, but this concert has skiing and snowboarding, a fun crowd, prizes and travels the world. It was a night of fun and mountain wanderlust. But first, the pre-party. Thanks … Continue reading “No Turning Back” As Rad As Expected
Birch & Flannel 