Alaskan Pack Fodder

This Sunday they cancelled Mighty Mites. The mountain got hammered by rain, and there just wasn't enough good terrain to train on safely. Other training groups did the same thing. It's just been a tough year in South Central Alaska for those that like snow. My enthusiasm, which usually starts waning in March, is ebbing as I write this.   On the bright side, as I drove down the Seward highway to Girdwood yesterday (not for skiing, but for a wedding), I couldn't help but notice that I could have easily ridden a 'cross bike since there was nothing but sand on the side of the roads. Maybe I'll be riding on the pavement in mid-March (or earlier), grinding out those endurance workouts on the road instead of adding a fresh coat of sweat to the garage floor. That's something to look forward to...   I ski when it there's snow, and I ride when the roads are clear. I would just rather the weather make up its mind so I can get in some sort of rhythm.

This year marks my daughter's first year as an Alyeska Mighty Mite. After a few years kicking around a very small ski bump and a year with their ski team, she moved to the big leagues and to the big mountain. She's coming from a hill where the snow is always groomed, the visibility is never bad, and the hill itself is nothing challenging once you get comfortable sliding. It develops certain habits in skiers who stay there too long, and she just wasn't progressing as much as I would have liked.   I am still a fan of that hill. I ran an adult racing league there for over 10 years, but like my daughter, it was time for me to move on to new opportunities. I decided that if she was going to move to Alyeska, so was I. I used to coach with the Alyeska Masters, and the old Masters head coach is now the Mighty Mite head coach, so I worked my connections and got us in the program. It's nice to know that I'm likely one of the slowest and least-credentialed coaches out there....