Looking Ahead

After three days of isolation from a nasty bug I managed to pick up from some co-workers I was in no shape to go out and ski a 42k race. As it was I felt fortunate to get out and cheer on the SKOAC kayak and Cross Country Ski Team in the 58k Relay race. They did a great job of keeping the team in the top 10 finishers again this year. Well done!

Thoughts are now turning to Spring, and the paddling season. Of course with 40f temps and all our snow melting into huge puddles, it feels like Winters icy grip is letting up and giving us all a break from the sub zero stuff we were getting not so long ago. I'm sure we are in for some more cold and snow, it just seems like the end of Winter is close. A couple pool sessions, one or two more ski trips to Northern Wisconsin, and I'll need to start planing the first Apostle trip ... last year we were on Oak Island for the first weekend in April.

Loppet Weekends

A really great weekend of skiing and hanging out with fellow paddlers/skiers. I managed to get through the 25k Hoigaards Classic race last weekend with out to much trouble, I'm not real good with the warm skiing conditions. Over dressing and choosing the right kick wax were my primary problems. I'm so used to skiing in the sub-freezing temperatures that when it warms up it throws my game off. Now with the 42k Vassaloppet coming up next weekend and temps again above the freezing mark I will need to re-think my usual plan and waxing strategies. Number one ... Klister or grip tape are going to be in the plan this week! Not sure exactly yet as I've not much experience with either .. none with the grip tape. With Thursday weather to be much like the forecast conditions for the Sunday race, I'll be out doing some testing.

Paddle Float Re-Entry Roll

A while back I wrote about teaching a paddle float re-entry roll as a basic skill, my thoughts are it is not a difficult skill to learn, and once learned it is a better solo rescue than the standard paddle float rescue. A recent article on Paddling.net brought up the same subject. It's worth a read.

Back Online

Laying low tonight. After work today I met up with some fellow skiers to have some hotdish and beers at Grumpys and discuss plans for the next few weeks. We've all been trying to get out most every night after work, and most any available hours over the weekends training for the "City of Lakes Loppet", and the very next weekend is the "Vasaloppet". This weekend is the "Intensive Training Weekend" with Dave and Chris in Cable Wisconsin with another group of skiers. Last Summer with weekend kayak trips, and local club activities with two kayak clubs I was busy every weekend. The Winters here have been no less.
My good friends Courtney and Chris had an extra computer laying around and were kind enough to get me back online and back in the blogger world. Many thanks!

Still Here!

A quick note to say I'm still around ... work has kept me out of the loop on some things, and a broken computer has left me out of the blogger world for awhile. Lately I'm just trying to get in shape for some skiing adventures I have coming at the end of January. I do believe it is much easier to get "out of shape" than get back "into shape".

Skiing, Sun Dogs, Pool Sessions, and Computers

Skiing season is getting under way, the local trails are starting to open up and forecast for snow is looking good. I really really need to get out and get some time in on the trails if I am going to ski the 42k Vasaloppet this winter. Right now I'd never make it to the finish.

Tree is looking good!

Sun dog yesterday morning ... very cold!!

And Alex says he doesn't have any balance ...

My laptop has given its all for me, I think this time it is finally over. New in 1999 it was the cutting edge in technology ... it's been fixed, reloaded, rebooted and abused for the last 9 yrs and just has nothing left. I'll be doing only some early morning and lunch break posts until I can get some Internet going at home again.

Airplanes ...

So why would an avid kayaker who works on airplanes every day for a living, go and get current, and start flying again? A couple reasons really. I get much the same feeling alone in a small plane flying over the country side seeing the view from above, as I do paddling a kayak in places like Lake Superior. I dug out my log book and found my last entry was in 2003, and was an instructional flight with Jim Robillard. A close friend who was killed in a plane crash not long after that flight. One of the reasons I quit flying was because of that loss. Maybe enough time has passed and I can pick up some of the pieces and take to the skies again. Another reason is I've always felt it important that I would fly the same planes I work on ... a matter of trust to the people who trust me to sign off the work I do on their planes. I have planes to fly, and friends who are instructors who can get me current again. Besides, I need something to do between kayaking and skiing.