Posts Tagged ‘Utah’

Can you believe that there is still skiing to be found in the USA? Mid-June – that’s INCREDIBLE.

So where can you find snow?

SNOWBIRD is where it’s all happening  – ski enthusiasts will get one last weekend to hit the slopes in Utah.

That’s because Snowbird has announced today it will extend skiing and snowboarding through this weekend.

The extra days would extend the ski season to a total of 189 days.

The snowfall to date at Snowbird has been an impressive total of 603″ and there is still 72″ mid-mountain. Only one lift will be open – Little Cloud and it will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Expert skiers will also have limited access to Snowbird’s Hidden Peak during morning hours.

Snowbird is known for its long, continuous vertical runs and in season it, along with neighbouring Alta, share a dual-resort ticket providing 4,700 acres of skiable terrain. Located 29 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort is North America’s most accessible ski and ride destination.

Courtesy of Wikipedia I now know that Snowbird is a multi-facility winter and summer resort located in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Primarily known for its challenging winter powder skiing and snowboarding, the Snowbird resort also hosts hikers, mountain bikers, fishermen, sightseers, and mountain vacationers in other seasons. Set among spectacular crenelated granite mountain peaks, facilities include ski lifts, hotels, condominiums, spa facilities, restaurants, skiing and mountain-resort-related retail businesses, medical services, heli-services and others.

Starting next week, Snowbird will only offer summer activities including a ropes course and mechanical bull.

An area which obviously has it all…

So if you’re in the vicinity and very keen to boot yourself into your skis one last time this season, then get yourselves over to Snowbird. I imagine it will be pretty festive with everyone intent on having one last good schuss.

Living legend Hermann Maier, one of Alpine skiing’s greatest, yesterday announced his retirement from competitive racing. Maier, who picked up the nickname ‘The Herminator’  won four overall World Cup titles – 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2004, two Olympic gold medals at the Nagano Olympics in 1998,  three World Championship titles – 1999 x 2 and 2005  and a total of 54 races on the World Cup circuit.

His racing career nearly ended following a motorcycle accident in August 2001 when he collided with a car on his way home from a summer training session in Austria. Doctors nearly amputated his lower leg, but instead Maier underwent massive reconstructive surgery. Most believed his racing career was over when he had to sit out the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, Utah.

His first full season back was 2004 when he reclaimed both the Super-G and overall titles, a feat widely seen as one of the greatest comebacks in sports history. In 2004, Hermann Maier received the Laureus World Sports Award for the “Comeback of the Year” and it was at this time that he picked up his nickname for his indestructible nature.

Hermann Maier in action.

Maier had victories again in the World Cup series in 2005 and 2009 but after surgery  on his right knee in the offseason he has decided to hang up his boots.

“I am healthy now and that’s the way I want to live on,” Maier said, fighting back tears at a news conference. “I wanted to become fit once more and I’ve accomplished that now.”

We are pleased to bring you this video from petrduchac of Maier in action at Kitzbühel in Austria which could be considered his own back yard for it is Maier who holds the best results ever recorded at Kitzbühel from the Super-G races, with 5 victories and 2 seconds in the 7 times that he competed there – an extreme performance in this extreme sport – without precedent – deserving respect.

We recently wrote about two endurance marathons -  Furnace Creek 508 and the  Simpson Desert mountain bike race – about which more later – and so thought we would do some research into the subject. These extreme events are gaining in popularity – does this suggest a rather macabre side to the human psyche?

Our own experience of marathons is on foot and we hated almost every yard of the actual run but when you finish, when you have bested your personal best, achieved your goal and maybe even raised a few bob for your local charity the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction is huge.

It must be the same for the marathon mountain bikers…….and having made some enquiries we have found some information on the north American endurance mountain bike races which we thought you would appreciate.

UCI

The world of mountain biking comes under the jurisdiction of the UCI – Union Cycliste Internationale (International Cycling Union) which is based in Switzerland. They run/manage all world championship events such as the recent UCI mountain bike and trials world championships that were held in Canberra, Australia. The UCI were established in 1900 but it was not until 2004 that the UCI held marathon mountain bike championships. The 2009 event was held in Austria with Roel Paulissen from Belgium winning the men’s event and Sabine Spitz  from Germany winning the women’s event.

Non-UCI events routinely cover much longer distances. The typical event in the USA is either based on time, usually 6, 12 or 24 hours, or distance, the most common being 100 miles (161 km) Events based on hours typically allow either people to compete individually or as part of the team. Distances events are almost all solo events. The number of these events and those taking part in them have grown greatly. The first such events began to be held routinely in the early 1990s Typical each year there were less than 10 events each with less than 50 racers. In 2006 nearly 100 events were held and most had more than 150 racers.

It is these non UCI events that we will report on today.

Montezuma’s Revenge is a 24 hour endurance mountain bike wilderness race held in Colorado each August. Competitors are required to climb a 14,272-foot (4,350 m) mountain-Gray’s Peak. The course varies from year to year but is always extremely demanding. The winner is determined by who covers the most distance in the 24 hour period.

Wilderness 101 Mountain Bicycle Race is a 101 mile (162 km) race held annually in late July. The race starts and ends in Coburn, Pennsylvania. The course is a single loop covering roads, forest roads and trails. The total climbing in the race is approximately 10,000 feet (3050 meters.)

Chupacabras is a 100 km race in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.  The annual race has taken place every October since 1997. It is sponsored entirely by the private sector and draws hundreds of competitors each year, primarily from Mexico and the southern US.

Leadville Trail 100 MTB is one of the oldest of a growing number of 100-mile (160 km) races. It was first run in 1994 and has become one of the best known marathon events in mountain bike racing. Entry is by lottery, with entries due by the end of January each year for the race that is run the second Saturday in August.

Breackenridge 100 is an endurance mountain bike race held annually in mid July Breckenridge, Colorado. The race offers two distance classes, 100 miles (161 km) and 100 km (62.5 miles). No awards are presented to those doing the shorter version, it simply offers easier alternative for those riders not ready to take race the full 100 miles.

Mohican MTB 100 is an endurance race of 100 miles (161 km) held annually in early June in North Central Ohio. The course contains over 11,000 feet of climbing on singletrack, doubletrack and dirt roads. This course is very scenic, almost entirely tree covered and more than 90% on dirt. This course is only one lap and is almost entirely in the 5,000 acre (20 km²) Mohican State Park.

Lumberjack 100 is an endurance race held in June at Michigan’s Big M Cross Country Ski and Mountain Bike Trail in the Manistee National Forest.  The race course consists of four 25 mile laps in the Udell Hills area.  The course contains over 8,000 feet of climbing and is 99% singletrack. Due to venue limitations, only 250 racers are allowed to participate.

Shenandoah 100 is a 100 mile (162 km) endurance race held annually on the Sunday during Labour Day weekend. The race course start and finish points are near Stokesville, Virginia and is mostly contained in the George Washington National Forest and has nearly 12,500 feet of vertical climbing over the 100 miles.

Endurance 100 is an endurance race of 100 miles (162 kms) held annually in late August in Utah.

So there you have a brief compendium of the main endurance marathons held in the US – we hope you will get yourselves motivated to take on this challenge – get yourself fit and then glow in the aftermath personal satisfaction and achievement. Below is some action from Utah in the video from BrianHeadInsiders

We promised to update you on how the crazy guys are in the Simpson Desert classic – day 3 and its getting tougher – still one man with 100% – thanks to Sue George of www.cyclingnews.com for this extract.

‘Once again the Simpson Desert threw in a bag of tricks for the riders. A change from the normal race route has been necessary as the Warburton Crossing leading onto the Birdsville Track is impassable. Day three was diverted up the little used sand track, known as the K1 Line.

Good conditions were experienced for the first few hours of the stage. However, by around 10:00 am riders were pushing into a northerly headwind while slugging through soft sand. By 10:45 am, the wind blew up a massive dust storm that has continued through most of the day and evening.

Nevertheless, 13 riders completed the morning stage, including the one remaining 100% rider, Alan Keenleside from NSW. Keenleside was well supported throughout the day by 2008 winner Lynton Stretton, who despite suffering a knee injury, is doing everything possible to help him remain undefeated by the desert.’

Excuse the rather lurid headline but hey – we got your attention and rightly so cos what you will watch below is truly extreme, truly awe inspiring and truly incredible mountain bike riding.

The best in the land test their skill in yet another Red Bull sponsored extreme event at Virgin in Utah in both freeride and downhill mountain bike riding with some huge drops. We are really impressed by the skill that these guys show – mastery over your environment, a cool nerve and great balance – and watch how in mid air they manouvre the angle of the bike frame so as to land the bike at the right angle to the hill.

Well done guys this is cool – thanks to pjmitchellontoast for the video

The European sport of canyoneering — a blend of rock climbing, rappelling, hiking, swimming and scrambling — attracts a growing crowd of adventurers to the Zion area in Utah, acclaimed for its red-rock slot canyons and soaring monoliths. The activity is most popular during the summer, when temperatures topping 100 degrees send people off the ledge in search of a cool splash. However, with its semi-arid climate and average winter highs in the 50s, Zion never hibernates. Nor do its hardy visitors.

We are indebted to the Washington Post’s special correspondent, Kristin Harrison, for bringing us this this report on her visit to Zion National Park.

Last year the park received more than 2.6 million guests, with most folks arriving June through September. From December 2007 through February 2008, attendance was only 63,000 per month. Some of the park’s higher elevations in the northwest become difficult to access in the colder months, but the main attractions in Zion Canyon stay open year-round.

“In the winter,” said Ron Terry, the park’s chief of interpretation and visitor services, “you can avoid the crowds. You’re likely to hike a trail and not see anyone else.” The wildlife, though, will be out and about, including bald eagles (which appear only in winter, during their migration), desert bighorn sheep and mule deer.

Located 160 miles northeast of Las Vegas, the nearly 150,000-acre national park sits along the Colorado Plateau on what geologists call the Grand Staircase, a massive series of sedimentary uplifts that runs from Utah’s Bryce Canyon to Arizona’s Grand Canyon. Zion’s sculptural rock formations, including the 3,000-foot-high Navajo Sandstone walls in Zion Canyon and the beautiful rock arches at Kolob Terrace, have long inspired mankind. The Paiute Indians called Zion Canyon “Mukuntuweap” (sacred cliffs), the name used when President William Howard Taft declared the site a national monument in 1909. In the 1860s, according to historical lore, Mormon settler Isaac Behunin said, “A man can worship God among these great cathedrals; this is Zion.” Through lobbying by the Mormon Church, Zion became the area’s official name when it was designated a national park in 1919.

My Zion foray left me similarly awestruck. My boyfriend and I started our visit on a rainy morning, at the park’s south entrance just north of Springdale, Utah. At the visitors center, we received tips on the best trails to hike based on weather conditions. Snow rarely sticks in Zion’s valley, where most visitors spend their time, or in the southern region, so hiking options are numerous year-round. Terry recommended the desert trails of Chinle, Coalpits and the Huber Washes, all of which are usually dry and provide scenic canyon views. Rangers also divulge one of the park’s deepest secrets: the locations of the Anasazi petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings), created an estimated 1,000 years ago. (Directions to the artworks aren’t widely publicized because of past acts of vandalism.)

In Zion Canyon, we started with an easy stroll down Riverside Walk, a paved, stroller-friendly trail that rambles along the Virgin River and ends at the start of the Narrows, a well-known hike that involves more wading than walking. (Although recommended for summer, the Narrows can be explored in the winter, depending on the weather. It’s essential, however, to wear a dry suit and talk to a ranger first.) Afterward, we tackled Emerald Pools, a 2.6-mile loop that winds behind a roaring waterfall. Thanks to a downpour earlier in the day, a handful of other falls cascaded over nearby cliffs, making me glad we had hiked in spite of the rain. Depending on snowmelt and storms, waterfalls also can appear throughout winter at the lower and upper pools.

Soggy after a day of hiking, we stopped for hot chocolate and snacks at the Sol Foods Market, just outside the park’s gates and a short walk from our hotel, the new Cable Mountain Lodge. All lodge guests receive free tickets to the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre, so that evening we attended the 40-minute film “Zion Canyon Treasure of the Gods,” shown on a six-story-high screen, the largest in Utah. To be honest, the narrative was a bit cheesy, but the film provided dramatic bird’s-eye views of Zion’s canyons and made us wishful for clear weather the next day.

Prayers answered: We awoke to sunny skies and 50-degree weather. In these perfect conditions, we decided to tackle Angels Landing, one of the park’s most challenging trails. Constructed in the 1920s, the five-mile route follows a series of steep switchbacks, known as Walter’s Wiggles, that march nearly 1,500 feet up to the top of an exposed, narrow rock pinnacle with a jaw-dropping panorama. The final half-mile is bare and exposed, and it is sometimes closed due to ice in the winter. But the lower portions still provide grand overlooks and a strenuous workout.

Hiking Angels Landing prepared me (a little) for our canyoneering adventure ahead. Guided canyoneering trips are not allowed inside the park, so we booked a trip in a nearby canyon with Zion Adventure Co. Our guide, Lynn Unger, told us that we’d spend the day “problem solving” as we traversed the canyon by rope or foot or any other body part that might prove useful.

After five hours navigating our way up a steep, narrow trail, scrambling over boulders and rappelling four rock faces, I started to feel confident; just call me Indiana Jane. So, when we arrived at the final drop-off, my early-morning anxiety was gone. Until Unger said, “Getting down this cliff will require all the skills you’ve learned today, as well as the experiences you brought with you.” That sounded like psychoanalysis.

The rock plunged at a steep angle, making it impossible to see the ground or my boyfriend, who had just disappeared down its face. Just to get to the edge, I had to squeeze between two large rocks. I must have looked slightly terrified, because Unger attempted to assure me: “You’ll be fine.”

I climbed halfway down the face and did not encounter anything scary or tricky. I started to think Unger had been joking. “What’s the big deal?” I wondered. Then I found out: I had to navigate a slot just a few feet wide. My knuckles touched one wall and my backpack scraped the other. I started to panic, envisioning myself permanently sandwiched between two cold slabs of rock. With no other way to go, I squeezed my way down, hoping the space wouldn’t slim any further. I’d never been so happy to drop, once again, into cold water.

Heart still thumping, I swam to land and looked at what I’d just scaled down: a nearly 100-foot cliff that angled into a narrow, miniature canyon. An experience, indeed, and I didn’t have to wait for summer to have it.

Below is a great video from hyner49 of what you might expect in reality if you decide to go canyoneering in Utah’s Zion National Park.

Lisa Verzella stands quietly at the edge of the ridge at Point of the Mountain in Draper, her attention fixed on a windsock on the ridge in front of her. She watches patiently as the wind causes the tall grass below her to sway violently as if it were trying to escape its own roots in the steep hillside. The wind calms slightly and with a few graceful strides forward, she launches her hang glider smoothly, its wings cutting through the chilly evening wind.

“I like to launch from mountain sites and try to fly 100 to 200 miles away,” said Verzella, who came within one mile of breaking the state record hang glider flight of 190 miles by gliding from Wasatch Mountain State Park in Heber to South Pass, Wyo., in about five and half hours. Three weeks later someone else broke the record by flying 220 miles after starting from the same launch site.

Verzella is one of the world’s top cross-county hang glider pilots. She is one of three women on the U.S. Women’s World Hang Gliding Team, and will be traveling to Italy to represent the United States in competition next month. She routinely flies her glider extreme distances to attempt to break records or just to enjoy the open sky using only the power of the wind, all while maintaining altitudes as high as “cloud base” (14,000 to 18,000 feet). The harness that attaches her safely to the underside of her glider is something like a sleeping bag with pockets for food and water. It zips around her legs and feet to provide insulation from the sub-zero temperatures she experiences at high altitudes. She even carries a tank of supplemental oxygen to counteract the thin air above 13,00 feet.

“You have to dress for skiing,” Verzella said. “You dress for snow, your Camelback hydration pack freezing, everything at 18,000 feet. You could sit on launch for half an hour sweating and sweltering, then end up in the landing field in 2 minutes because the wind is bad, or you could be up for 8 hours and freezing up at cloud base. You just don’t know.”

Verzella has a real understanding of the weather, its fickleness, and its potential effects on her flight. She originally went to school at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and still plays as lead trumpet for Ballet West. But her passion for flying persuaded her to extended her education to aid in her understanding of the wind.

“I had been making my own forecasts and living or dying by them for the last 18 years,” Verzella said. “So I figured I would finally go to school for meteorology. They say that if you could paint the air you would never fly in it, but there are certain aspects of it that are predictable. I study the forecasts so that basically what I am doing is stacking the odds on my side.”

It was a career in music working for Ballet West that originally brought Verzella to Springville from upstate New York. The availability of hang gliding launches was just a perk. But that is not the case with many of the flyers in the State. Utah is considered to have some of the best flying in the country if not the world. The suburban neighborhood surrounding the launch site at Point of the Mountain is a tight-knit community with many of the houses belonging to active hang gliders and paragliders.

“People come from all over the world to fly at Point of the Mountain because it is very consistent and there is very good instruction here,” Verzella said.

Getting started in the sport requires professional instruction as well as a significant investment in equipment. It would take about two weeks of instruction in good weather to earn your “hang-2″ certification from the United States Hang gliding and Para-gliding Association, which will allow you to practice on your own at sites like Point of the Mountain. It takes many years of flying several times a week to get to Verzella’s level, and even then each flight can be dangerous and unpredictable.

Even with 19 years of experience flying gliders under her belt, Verzella admits that she gets nervous before each launch. “Then once you are in the air, especially at beautiful sites like the mountains here at Lone Peak or over Twin Peaks, it is breathtaking, yet you almost forget how incredible it is until after you land and you are thinking about the flight and you are like ‘dang I was way up there!’ ”

Over this past weekend Verzella traveled to Hurricane north of St. George in search of just the right wind conditions to make another attempt to claim the state record. She was hopeful on Friday before leaving but her flight attempt Saturday was short lived. After take-off she couldn’t catch the updrafts and “bottomed out early,” forcing an early landing after a short flight. Yet Verzella is not discouraged. Her passion is dependent on the turbulence of nature and her dedication to the sport demands a respect for the winds and a willingness to accept her lack of power over nature. Hang gliding is about harnessing the power of nature, not trying to fight it.