There have been some cool articles on fasterskier.com lately. Several articles have given us views of adventurous cross-training activities unique to various areas of the US and Canada. It's interesting to learn what our ski brethren do for ambitious fun and training in the off-season. Things like crust skiing in the High Sierra, in Utah and on Mt Ranier, and canoeing and backcountry skiing in remote Canada. The bottom line is – every place has unique outdoor options of some kind. Hopefully fasterskier readers will continue to share tales of their local adventures.
So, here's a cross-training/ adventure contribution from my home area of Southcentral Alaska. The activity: peak bagging.
What is peak bagging? Basically it is choosing a mountain and then going and climbing it. This activity is a natural for Anchorage, Alaska – because there are lots of mountains around here.
 of mountains in local ranges that have no recorded ascent. Each summer peaks of interest from this list are chosen and put on a short “hit list”. Plans are then made on how to climb the targeted mountains. When time, a team of skiers and weather coincide a speed-ascent attempt is made. If a summit is reached a small cairn and register is left. And a trip report is written for the local mountaineering club archives. If any sign of a previous climb is found on the summit, the climb is a first recorded ascent (FRA). If no sign of previous climbs is found – it is likely a first ascent (FA).<br />
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http://climbing.outlookalaska.com/LearnardPeaks/ This was a climb that former UAA ski coach and Olympian Bill Spencer and I did several years ago. A railroad tunnel to the seaport town of Whittier had been widened and just opened to cars and trucks. Bill and I rushed over to make sure all peaks in the area were climbed and accounted for (before our competition got to them)! Of the two peaks we climbed that day, one was a first ascent the other was a first recorded ascent.
