After a solid fall of nose to the grind stone training for the MOD Squad it seemed appropriate that we take advantage of being home for a week between training camps and a recent dump of snow in our little mountains that ring the Methow Valley to have some serious fun while getting in a bunch of vertical and a few hours of skinning.br /br /So after a nice high intensity classic ski workout yesterday we shifted gears and shifted gear; switching the ultra light RCSs for some stout Alpine Touring boards. The snow pack is still bit lean with only about a meter and half on the ground so we headed up to Maple Pass which is predominately covered with heather and slide alder with only a smattering of rocks, so lends itself to early season tours before we get the serious snow that allows us to ski the big terrain. With the highway still open our access was easy and we put skins on right next to the road.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzXwJDjFpI/AAAAAAAAABE/6Wif0ThVOwE/s1600-h/erik+adds+skins.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzXwJDjFpI/AAAAAAAAABE/6Wif0ThVOwE/s320/erik+adds+skins.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403430875002246802″ border=”0″ //abr /Touring up through larches and firs under a cloudless sky made us glad to be skiers. We just plain love to ski; up hill or down hill doesn’t much matter to us especially when the day looks like this. We often have to pinch ourselves, saying “We live here!”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzZ0QO9g4I/AAAAAAAAABU/LD8sfh98v_c/s1600-h/Skinning+up.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzZ0QO9g4I/AAAAAAAAABU/LD8sfh98v_c/s320/Skinning+up.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403433144671896450″ border=”0″ //aErik followed by Sam and former Methow racer Chad Honsinger wearing his still stylish PNSA JO suit try gamely to keep up with their coach.br /br /Well, as the saying goes; What goes up must come down and down we did go for a couple of great runs in perfect powder.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzcI0lQVwI/AAAAAAAAABk/T47TORMy61w/s1600-h/Erik+rips.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzcI0lQVwI/AAAAAAAAABk/T47TORMy61w/s320/Erik+rips.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403435697049720578″ border=”0″ //aErik rips into the first bowl while Sam and Chad plan their attack.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzdZhxbJrI/AAAAAAAAAB0/2_q6-KCbEeI/s1600-h/sam+and+max.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzdZhxbJrI/AAAAAAAAAB0/2_q6-KCbEeI/s320/sam+and+max.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403437083569890994″ border=”0″ //aSam shows that intrepid powder hound and team mascot Max a trick or two.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzeA8saciI/AAAAAAAAAB8/yr9-x6W42FI/s1600-h/erik+lunch.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzeA8saciI/AAAAAAAAAB8/yr9-x6W42FI/s320/erik+lunch.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403437760811528738″ border=”0″ //aAfter a quick lunch wherein Erik defied that ancient adage of never eating anything bigger than your head while smearing much of his three burritos onto his face, we were ready to take one last run back to the car.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzgIOA5t-I/AAAAAAAAACE/OuFA1_QIIX8/s1600-h/erik+smokes.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dNktq7tevMw/SvzgIOA5t-I/AAAAAAAAACE/OuFA1_QIIX8/s320/erik+smokes.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403440084743206882″ border=”0″ //aBurrito Boy gettin ‘er done as the sun shines on happy skiers. Gotta love that cold smoke and warm sun. Just a typical North Cascades day. SHHHHHH! Don’t let the secret out.br /br /We kept the fun short. Honest coach; it was just a 4ooo’ day. REALLY! Yes, we’ll be ready for another interval session bright and early tomorrow.br /br /Scottdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2910103639238326543-6094452334032931575?l=methowolympicdevelopment.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
