November 8, 2009 (Lake Louise, AB) – As you can imagine, this time of year is crazy for National team skiers so it’s been a while since my last update. The team is currently in Lake Louise for an on snow training camp. The skiing has been outstanding and with more snow in the forecast, and things should only get better! More on that to come in my next update…

Mammoth, our final dryland camp of the season finished off without a hitch. The highlight of the last few weeks in Mammoth was a trip to Yosemite National Park to do a run/hike up Half Dome peak. Not only is Yosemite a world famous National Park, but it’s also one of the most famous and popular climbing destinations in the world! The towering granite walls of Half Dome and El Capitain are a hardcore climber’s dream, not to mention a spectacular sight to see.

Our first day in Yosemite was a rest day so we took advantage of some free time to check out the Yosemite Village and then get settled in our accommodations to rest up for our 5-hour run/hike up Half Dome the following day. Unbeknownst to many of the members of the team we would be staying in army style tents in an area fittingly called Tent Village. Now normally this wouldn’t be so bad but tenting in October with sub zero temps and no heat made for one chilly night spent huddled under the army issue wool blankets. Needless to say there were some unhappy campers in the morning. Sweden’s Peter Larsson said it best- ‘For sure this is the coldest I have been in my life!’

The next morning we got up bright and early, shook the frost off our gear and headed out to tackle Half Dome. A trip that takes your average (insert fat American joke here) tourist anywhere from 12 hours to three days – took us just five hours! Half Dome is a truly spectacular hike, climbing around 1,500m over 12.96km/8 miles, this is a grueling trek but well worth the punishment. With some incredible waterfalls and great views along the way, this is easily one of the coolest hikes I have ever done.

As you approach the summit of Half Dome there’s one last pitch that is insanely steep, cables and poles have been attached to the rock to help hikers make their way to the top without need for extra gear. It’s tough to tell from the photos just how steep the pitch is but I assure you, it would not be possible to climb without the help of the cables…

With our final dryland camp in the bag it was time to return to Canmore for some much needed reast and recovery. Thanks to mother nature and some hard work from the snow making crew at the Canmore Nordic Centre, we were lucky enough to return home to a short but sweet 400m loop of skiing. It isn’t much but for October you can’t complain! I’m happy to say that I’ve only rollerskied once since returning from Mammoth and it looks like that session will have been my last!

In the tape deck:
Album: The Blueprint III, Artist: Jay-Z
On the Tube:
Click here.
Overheard:
‘For sure this is the coldest I have been in my life!’ -Peter Larsson

Thanks for checking out my SkiTrax Blog!
This article, and more photos can be found on drewgoldsack.ca