Training Log Archive: Swampfox

Big sun was burning bright in the sky--at least as much as sun can burn in January around here--and it seemed like an ideal time to hop on the bike.

Actually, I hopped on the bike yesterday. It looked equally promising as regards the sun, but the temps didn't quite clear freezing, and there was cold breeze out of the north...as it turned out. My mistake was going out, too optimistically, in summer biking gloves. Bit by bit my fingers got colder and colder. I tried every trick to keep them warm, including going up to cars at stoplights, and putting my hands where the exhaust was coming out, all to no avail. But we survived.

Today was enough degrees more better (great English!) that it was an altogether different experience, and I rode long south of town and back, getting comfortably toasty in the process. Very nice.

Except for a big time wreck across 287 several miles south of town. After biking and driving up to Happy Jack, the helicopter light on the hospital was revolving, and it was still turning when I drove by in the dark a few years later. There's no guarantee the lights had anything to do with the wreck, but that's where I would put my money.

Skiing was terrific. It was dead calm and it made me think about Saturday when it was total scream method wind from start to finish. Saw all sorts of people I recognized and skied with a few of them. Didn't see Steve Tyler.

C • Helicopter light 5

Sunny from start to finish, beautiful outside in every way, and windy as well. Very windy in fact, and at various times during the day various roads around Laramie were closed, including the interstate. Though I'm not sure that all the announced road closures corresponded to actual closures on the ground.

It turned out the ski race had ample staff (and not so many racers), so briefly I was asked to collect bibs from racers as they finished. I had dressed for skiing (sweep duty) and not for standing around, and already after getting just the first few bibs I explained the situation and bailed, and did a good ski. Followed up by running down into the Crow Creek drainage. After 4+ hours of that, or whatever it was, I was pretty well done, and headed home. The wind never let up one little bit, and it was rock and roll going down the canyon. Man!

The wind fans kicked back on today, and just in time--more than a day or two of quiet, and it just doesn't feel right.

There was mention in the local news early in the afternoon of a snow squall in the vicinity of Elk Mountain (west of Laramie), and when I was driving up top go skiing and had a view from near the parking lot out over the Laramie Valley, I could see there was an amazing looking ground blizzard obscuring the valley floor NW of Laramie--no doubt the result of the snow squall plus the big wind. On the way back home, signs were flashing warning that the interstate was closed west of Laramie.

Tomorrow there is a local ski race, and I agreed to help after being asked. The organizer wrote me:

"Here’s a bit more information about your role as course sweeper on Saturday:
Course sweeper. Ski part of race course, starting approx. 10:45, to be sure that all racers have finished. If you encounter a racer who needs assistance, ski back to start/finish to notify Randy and the 1st-aid person. Plan to stay until 11:30."

I wrote him back:

"For those who are flagging through no fault of their own, I will have marshmallows and little trinkets to encourage them along.

For the recalcitrant who are not even trying, swift and terrible justice will be rendered, along the lines favored by the founder of the Pole Mountain Shuffle, General Philip Sheridan.

Thus will sweeping be accomplished."

He then wrote me back:

"Wow. I’m glad I’m not racing…"

There is an announcement today that the permitting process for a 5th nearby, major wind project has begun, this one to be sited south of town.

It looks like at long last SE Wyoming is making a play to be Wind Capital of the Orienteering World. To be sure, a mere 5 major projects will hardly make a dent in the wind resource, but it is at least a start.

Went out biking at noon; with the sun out, the winds not so much, and temps up to as much as 48F, it felt like spring, and warmer than it's been since back in October. Down in Denver it is probably summer time, and geese are likely frantically chasing scantily clad sunbathers off the greening grass.

The reality is it's not even the end of mid-winter yet, and won't be for two more weeks. But for today, skiing will be toasty.

Skied short and ran longer, at very easy intensity the whole time. Saw one friendly young lab who was happy to get to go out on the snow bike trails, and didn't see any moose. When you do see them, moose also are happy to get to walk around on the snow bike trails.

Beyond that, it came to me while I was running that Howdy Doody had 48 freckles. That was odd, especially given that I never ever saw Howdy Doody, and that what really comes to mind with Howdy Doody is a certain infamous Wyoming football incident.

Saw some very large blades coming down the canyon, headed west.

After updating for the Sugar Hill mapping, it looks like there is about 147 km2 of contiguous O' map here in Laramie. All of which is thoroughly infested with moose. But things could be better, and by the end of 2020 hopefully that figure will finally cross the 150 km2 mark!

Ski intervals, did a little more total volume that I have previously this season. I was somewhat tired from staying up late last night, watching the Tigers play the Tigers. Nice day, nice conditions, nice swampfox (I could be biased.)