Zooming Xoona's Backcountry Downhill Ski Race in the Adirondacks

Some vacation destinations attract tourists. Others attract outdoor athletic disciples. Lake Placid and the Adirondacks attract both. It is the latter variety however, who will be most excited about the new online community founded in Lake Placid, Xoona.com. The brain-child of local outdoor enthusiast, Peter Fish, Xoona offers "racing for everyone" with self-timed races on courses developed by local experts.

Fish's ultimate goal is to develop a national network of 'hubs' that will allow people to race anywhere in the country. The pilot location for the project was established this past fall when Xoona partnered with Placid Planet Bicycles and created the first Xoona racing hub in Lake Placid. Lake Placid's decades-long history of hosting international caliber competitive athletic events allowed Placid Planet's owner, Kenny Boettger, to create more than forty self-timed race courses in a variety of endurance sports. From the Ironman swim course in Mirror Lake, designated running routes, a road bike time trial, to a couple of backcountry downhill races courses, the self-timed competitive options available are designed to appeal to all types of endurance athlete. The Xoona concept is simple and works like this: "join Xoona, race for free, submit times, view results."

My personal interest in Xoona began when a friend's post on Facebook caught my eye. He wrote he had participated in a fun "backcountry downhill ski race." Although I've participated in many organized cross-country ski races over the years, the solitude of the backcountry has always been more appealing than interval training. Since I admit to being just a tad competitive in nature, love going downhill fast, and enjoy the challenge of skiing Mother Nature's slalom gates, this Xoona backcountry downhill ski race sounded like something worth investigating.

The mogul section of the Xoona backcountry downhill race at Avalanche Pass.

Xoona.com offers two backcountry downhill ski courses from which to choose. The first course is on the Jackrabbit Ski Trail at the Whiteface Inn Road in Lake Placid and starts at the Placid Lean-to at the height of land and finishes at the DEC sign-out. The second designated backcountry downhill course is in the High Peaks and is the descent from Avalanche Pass to the Marcy Dam Pond. It was an easy and obvious decision to choose which course to ski as my first Xoona race. I couldn't wait to time my favorite quickee backcountry ski - the descent from Avalanche Pass to Marcy Dam Pond.

A few weeks ago on March 2, I had the time and the mountains had the snow, so I headed into the backcountry for my first Xoona race. Armed with my 25-year-old faithful Karhu XCD GTs and my sport watch, I was looking forward to an interesting few hours of climbing, solitude, and speed.

The start house for the Xoona backcountry downhill ski race at Avalanche Pass.

The debris pile at the bottom of the slide on Mount Colden on the Avalanche Pass ski trail is the designated start house for this course. Like all downhill start houses, this one is located at the height of land. As any downhill racer will tell you, the wind blows colder and stronger at the start building. This is where racers strip off their warm-up layers and stand shivering in race lycra waiting for the start official to count down to their start. For a backcountry downhill race, the process is just the opposite. Because you climb up the mountain using human power instead of riding a lift, you usually arrive at the height of land, or at the start in this case, stripped down to base layers to avoid overheating.
After my climb, I dallied at the "start house" to add warm layers of clothing for the descent and fortified myself with hot mocha and a  snack, while pondering my downhill strategy. Pondering my strategy did not take very long since after 25 years of course inspections, I already knew how to ski this course. The idea was to simply point my skis down the hill and turn only when the trail turned. The challenge for me was having the gumption to actually perform this without skidding a turn or slipping in a stem christie when the speed seemed out of control.

The finish line of the Xoona backcountry downhill ski race at Avalanche Pass.

 I can't say I had all the gumption required to ski as fast as the mountain and my skis allowed, but I made it to the "finish" at the Marcy Dam Pond giggling with exhilaration and trembling quadriceps. My time was nothing to write home about but it was one of the most enjoyable "ski races" I have ever completed.

Adirondack Early Season 2010 Backcountry Ski Report

Yesterday’s backcountry ski excursion served as my annual New Year’s Day ski to Avalanche Pass, just one day late. This classic ski trip is one every off-piste skier lucky enough to pass through the Adirondacks should try. An easy half-day adventure in the woods, a ski to Avalanche Pass is worth the trip for all easterners who call themselves backcountry skiers.
Although the approaches to skiing to or through Avalanche Pass are varied, I usually start my ski at the Adirondack Mountain Club’s facility located on the Adirondack Loj Road, near Lake Placid, New York.
Conditions for yesterday’s reverse palindrome ski (01/02/10) were pretty good. Normally rocky areas were still pretty boney due to lack of snow depth and the heavy, holiday, massive snow-plowing, beginner traffic. The foot of very light snow that fell here at the homestead in the last 18 hours should translate into at least 18 inches up high, so it is safe to say the rocks and steps now have adequate coverage.
Here is a link to an old story I did on this ski, with plenty of photos.
Enjoy yesterday’s pictures above and below.

Angel Slide from Marcy Dam.

Crossing Marcy Brook just before Avalanche Camps.

Ski tracks coming off the slides.....

Adirondack Outdoor Recreation Report 02/04/11

Big Whiteface as viewed from the summit of Little Whiteface and the top of Excelsior.

As promised, I was hard at work yesterday gathering data for today's Adirondack outdoor recreation report. Whiteface Mountain really did get 23 inches of fresh powder, as my exhausted quadriceps will attest. As you can see in today's collection of photographs, it was a gorgeous day on the mountain. Conditions and company were delightful.

From the top of the Wilmington Trail - great skiing yesterday.

All Adirondack cross-country ski centers are reporting superb conditions as well. I will conduct an in-depth investigation later today just to make sure.

Lake Placid as viewed from the top of Little Whiteface.

The Adirondack backcountry got slammed in the storm. Recent snowfall amounts have been measured in feet: 2+. As a result, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an avalanche warning. The DEC reminds us

"Snows have accumulated to sufficient depths on Adirondack Mountain slopes to create conditions conducive to avalanches.
While avalanche danger increases during and immediately after major snowfalls, as well as during thaws, avalanches can occur in any situation where snow, slope and weather conditions combine to create the proper conditions.
The majority of avalanches in the United States occur in the western mountains. However, avalanches do occur in New York and can have dire consequences.
DEC reminds back country winter recreationists to take the following precautions when traveling in avalanche prone terrain: know avalanche rescue techniques; practice safe route finding; carry safety equipment (transceiver, probe, shovel); never travel alone; know the terrain, weather and snow conditions; and inform someone where you plan to go and when you expect to return.
Information on avalanche danger and safety precautions is available on the DEC website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/950.html. A brochure titled “Avalanche Preparedness in the Adirondacks” is also available for download on the website or by contacting the DEC Region 5 office at (518) 897-1200.
Skiers and snowshoers are reminded that the Avalanche Pass Slide is closed to public recreation of any type during the winter."

Ahem. I think the authorities want everyone to stay off the slides.

Photographs courtesy of Joann Sandone Reed

Back in the Adirondack Backcountry Again

I try to spend the first day of a new year doing what I love as it helps set the tone for the coming year. For my family and I, that has meant going for a backcountry ski whenever conditions allow. An essential element of my Adirondack Lifestyle experience is the traditional First Day Ski to Avalanche Pass. This year's ski was epic, a ten, superb, great, awesome and a total blast. Here are some photos from yesterday - check out the Avalanche Pass Slide. There is plenty of snow in the Adirondack backcountry, as a matter of fact, this year's ski featured some of the best snow coverage in memory. Great snow conditions combined with great company makes for a fabulous day in the Adirondack backcountry. As the purpose of this blog is to highlight the wonderful Adirondack lifestyle I enjoy, I get to talk about skiing as much as I want. Naturally, there is more to living in and visiting the Adirondacks than skiing. Backcountry skiing, however, is a perfect way to connect with one of the best parts of the Adirondack lifestyle; the indescribable human response from spending time in and around natural beauty.

Telemark Tuesday in the Adirondack Backcountry

Today's Telemark Tuesday photograph takes us to the base of a popular backcountry ski destination in the Adirondacks, the slide on Mount Colden. Mount Colden is the 11th highest peak and in the Marcy Group of  the Adirondack mountains. In the fall of 1999, the rain-soaked vegetation covering the mountainside came loose and slid down the peak, creating a massive pile-up as the remnants of Hurricane Floyd moved up the East Coast.
Folks might forget we get a great deal of East Coast weather here in the Adirondacks. I particularly love the sight of a nice spinning Nor'easter when it hits a Canadian cold front over the Adirondacks. Ooops - waxing about snow, sorry.  Although the storms are transient, they leave change in their path. I found a great site with side by each photos of Mount Colden before and after the slide.
Obviously, the slide skiing here is for experts only and not the faint of heart. The marked ski trail to Avalanche Pass is a nice half-day excursion for an intermediate backcountry skier and climbs past and through the slide area.

As you can see by the sign, skiing on the slide is highly discouraged, but conditions are occasionally very good, and tempting.

Skiing and Dogs

For many years, my daily ski partner was my trusty black lab, Zeek. He loved the ski to Avalanche Pass, or any other backcountry ski excursion where he could sniff around in the woods while I climbed slowly to the height of land. Then he would sprint ahead of me on the downhills, until it got so steep and I was skiing so fast that he couldn't stay ahead. Then I'd tag him on the way by and say "eh-heh, I win." That game ended when the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation passed a leash-law for the High Peaks region of the state. Now you must have your dog leashed at all times while in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack backcountry. While that new regulation was a bummer for us dog owners, it inspired many of us to pay more attention to something that some dog-owning cross-country skiers did for fun; Skijoring. Skijoring is great fun if your dog will participate. Most dogs will pull if trained properly. My friend, Denise, outfits everyone here in the Adirondacks, and in other parts of the world via her website, adirondackskidog.com, with all the proper equipment required to participate. It is important to buy the right size harnesses, etc., for the specific dog. I was reminded of this fun Adirondack activity a few weeks ago when I saw a large number of dogs and skiers on the ski trails at Mount Van Hoevenberg (MVH). Normally, dogs are not allowed at MVH, but there was a Skijoring event in progress that day. I didn't tell the current resident black lab that I saw dogs skiing since he would have been quite put out that he didn't get to go. He wouldn't have been allowed anyway since he is one of those dogs who is either too smart or was not trained properly. He has his own lovely, custom-fitted harness system and all the right makings to be a super deluxe skijoring dog; he is big and strong, weighs nearly 100 lbs, and has a great deal of energy. But he sits down and refuses to pull as soon as he feels tension on the harness. Usually, however, skijoring is a great way to spend time outside with your pet while you both get some exercise. Give it a try next time you are in the Adirondacks!