Sick
Feeling sick, it started sunday with no energy and a headache, then yesterday I started feeling better, this morning I wok up ad any action I do gives me a heartpounding headache. Its feels like my brain is swollen, I cough and it hurts, I get up quickly and it hurts.
I think about the days I am missing and it hurts. Seriously though I was so intent on making August such a huge month, and its not that I am tired out. I am eating well, sleeping well and not exhausted but I have had a cold since July. I hope that this is the final fight and I will be rid of the cold. But I am bummed to have missed out on three days of touring. Today is so stormy and rainy that it’s ok to miss but I soo wanted to hit 1.3 by the end of the month. I still can but I have to start feeling better.
Tomorrow is Charley’s 5th birthday so I will not ski then and then from the 26-31 I will hopefully feel good and get back on my horse. Its amazing to think that I have been a parent for 5 years, and that our little beauty will be starting Kindergarden soon. Time flies.
Wacky weather
Two days ago when I was lapping the Laguna area the freezing level rose to 3000m, given that everything around here is 2400m and lower, everything got a little warm. We had received upwards of 70cm of new and I was hoping for lost of great skiing, but it was so warm that I wondered if I would find any good skiing left on the South faces. But no need to wonder since if the melt freeze crust was not enough it then rained up to 2300m, virtually F#$%^&* everything. Since it was a rainy day the family and I headed to take a look at Isla Victoria, a touristy hike through a super cool forest. Myrtle trees, a phenomenon on this one island. Super amazing forest, unlike anything I have ever seen.
I am not usually one for touristy things, but this had a beautiful walkway through this special place. It also involved a boat ride to this island with another touristy yet appealing game. Feeding the flying seagulls.
Sorry I digressed from skiing, but there is another side to my life.
Today I headed up the hill, down a hard rain crusted line, well there were a few softish turns, but overall it was high speed side slipping. I then headed up past Refugio Frey and met up with Cassidy, a friend of a friend who was in the area. A quick “hey what’s up?” and then I was off and up a skin track towards Torre Principal. I had dreams that I could solo to the top of this thing but in reality there are a few pitches of 5.10, so obviously no go. Anyhow since there was melt freeze crust or rain crust everywhere this north face was warming up and had some decent turns down it. I went back and tried to catch back up to Cassidy and crew but they were headed somewhere different from where I wanted to head, so a faraway wave and I was off. More crusty skiing, a boot pack up a slope that was too frozen to skin and then home. 10370 ft. My tenth 10 000 footer of the month.
A day at the laguna
Yesterday I headed up to the Lopez trees again and enjoyed 45 cm of new snow, it was a little heavy but fresh and untracked, and with the new snow I was able to do longer laps and ended up shredding another 10 thousand. And then today cleared so I headed up and played it safe in the Laguna area. Which is an inbounds/outabounds area located 10 minutes of hiking up from the resort, or off the crazy poma lift that never runs. Luckily I got there before anyone and enjoyed 2 runs before the hordes arrived.
It was a social day, where I chatted up a bunch of different people from a bunch of different places, Sweden, Italy, Norway, States, Canada, and of course Argentina. I am not sure if anyone realized that I was slamming laps and had 10 540 feet done by 2. I do not know how many days I am off par but I am busting it to see if I can hit par by Sept 1st.
Thanks to Tony Girardin for his donation. Tony is a highschool friend who was pretty important in my development. I am sure he did not realize it but he helped me to realize that we should be who we want to be and let others decide whether they like it or not. At the time he showed me this independence through the Hacky sack, we would spend hours hacking it up and just enjoying ourselves. Thanks Tony.Check out his video hoppythedeer, a pretty amazing story of them taking in a baby dear and living with it.