twosmallcones

It’s amazing how warm 20F feels after the deep freeze of late. Riding our bikes to work every morning I realized I have a pretty good streak of riding my bike to the office every day since I took the position in September. Windbreakers turned to ski jackets and then full puffy’s and snow pants. As my eyes watered and my eyelashes froze shut one morning I realized goggles were necessary and now I don’t leave the house without them.

Scoping the objective.

This last week, however, has felt downright tropical as temperatures jumped 60 degrees into the mid forties during Jerrod’s visit. We skinned back to The Mushroom in Galena Pass sweating in t-shirts. The following day was much the same as we trenched through 40 cm of facets weakened and angled by our weeks of subzero temperatures.

Summit ridge of The Peanut. Great turns in deep facets. Today was more of an exploratory day, skinning in about 3 miles before climbing The Peanut. Beautiful mountains back here in the Pioneers that have inspired us to return for snow and hiking adventures.

The smell of earth has returned for the first time in weeks, and the roads are fast with only small patches of ice on the corners we know to expect it. Tomorrow we will head to Ketchum for the Skin it to Win It  Randonee race to benefit the Avy Center and kick off the Nordic Festival. I will be a part of a 4 person team including the forecasters of the SNFAC as we complete as many laps as we can from the bottom to the top of Dollar Mountain.

Planning our return to this place.. I hear there is a hut out there and you can tour to the summit of Hyndman Peak at 12,009ft.

The Nordic Festival will bring all sorts of fun events to the valley including the Banff Mountain Film Festival which Robyn and I always look forward to if we are near a showing.

Jerrod picks his way along the thin summit ridge of The Mushroom with views of all the usual ranges abound.

With the warmth in the wind though brings thoughts of hiking, bikes and climbing. Today Robyn and I checked out the YMCA climbing wall and had a blast getting ridiculously pumped after a 3 week hiatus from the rock. Fresh pump in my forearms got me thinking ahead to my goals for 2013.. And with the nice ring of 20 twelves in 2012, why not shoot for a 5.13 in 2013? Along with our climbing goals, we also have a few others up our sleeve – one of which is already underway. A few weeks back Robyn and I enrolled in a Spanish course and have been supplementing it with online games and trainings. By the end of the year we plan to spend two weeks in Mexico climbing (hopefully with some of you) in El Potrero Chico.

Jerrod and Robyn on their way to the summit of The Mushroom, a nice accessible run off Galena Summit. I couldn’t believe how warm it was. T-shirts in mid- January?

I wont write down anymore of our goals just yet, because I am a firm believer in sticking with them once they are set in ink (or Times New Roman). Some of these will take a bit more planning and prep, and I don’t want us to spread our psych to thin. Let’s just say at this point there is no lack of motivation to get out and explore.