The "75 ski days, 1 million vertical feet" feat

Ski Day#: 71 Date:   03/31/19 YTD totals: 766 Runs/Lift Rides, 1,035,588 Vertical ft., 923 miles Area:   49* North Weather: Cloudy, progressing to partly cloudy, 45*F, felt chilly. Snow: Soft, great for carving Best Thing: Weather getting better, some nice carve turns. Nice views from the chair. Daily: 8 Runs, 14,432 vertical ft, 13 miles I live down in the valley, about in the very middle of this photo.

Ski Day#: 70 Date:   03/30/19 YTD totals: 758 Runs/Lift Rides, 1,021,156 Vertical ft., 910 miles Area:   49* North Weather: Blue skies, 50*F Snow: Soft, great for carving, fast Best Thing: Feeling better Daily: 6 Runs, 10, 156 vertical ft, 9.9 miles

Ski Day#: 69 Date:   03/29/19 YTD totals: 752 Runs/Lift Rides, 1,010,098 Vertical ft., 906 miles Area:   49* North Weather: High overcast, 35*F, trying to snow a little Snow: Soft, great for carving, fast Best Thing: Getting done, I haven't felt good for a couple days now. Skiing made me feel a bit better, but very tired. I went to bed for 2 hours, as soon as I got home. One more day of decent weather, and then rain's forecasted for 4-5 days. Might have to resort to skiing one run, and calling it, just to get the ski days in. I'm ready to break out my bicycles, but the roads are still very dirty/gravelly on the shoulders. Might have to MTB for awhile. Daily Stats: 5 Runs, 8,892 Vertical Ft, 8.0 miles Above, modern ski technology, below, ancient ski technology.

Ski Day#: 68 Date:   03/27/19 YTD totals: 747 Runs/Lift Rides, 1,001,206 Vertical ft., 898 miles Area:   Schweitzer  Weather: Blue Bird, 40*F until 1:30PM, then high clouds. Got much colder when the clouds came in, very chilly ~ 30*F w/ 10-25 mph sustained winds.  Snow: Upper mountain - a little bit of light/spring snow on top of firm. Mid-to-lower mountain, firm, very carvable snow, fast; Perfect conditions using the Volkl Uvo L Codespeed Wall skis, doing 3600 vertical ft laps on Great Divide to Down The Hatch to Vagabond to the Stella lift, and then from the top of Stella, on  Vagabond , back to the Snowghost chair. The skiing was almost effortless, and the wind was blowing uphill on a lot of run, which helped as well, the wind would slow you down instead of having to use your own energy to do it.  Best thing:  I was feeli ng really good, and noticed the first run how efficiently I could ski this same lap over and over again, so I went for 30K...

Ski Day#: 67 Date:   03/26/19 YTD totals: 728 Runs/Lift Rides, 969, 644 Vertical ft., 859 miles Area:   49* North Weather: Mostly sunny Snow: Soft Best thing: Weather better than forecasted Daily stats: 4 Runs, 7,455 Vertical ft, 6.8  miles

Ski Day#: 66 Date:   03/25/19 YTD totals: 724 Runs/Lift Rides, 962,189 Vertical ft., 852 miles Area:   Schweitzer  Weather: Partly sunny Snow: Soft Best thing: Skiing with old friends - "Spring Fling 2.0". Daily stats: 14 Runs, 19, 343 Vertical ft, 18.9  miles

Ski Day#: 65 Date:   03/24/19 YTD totals: 710 Runs/Lift Rides, 942,846 Vertical ft., 833 miles Area:   49° North Schweitzer  Weather: Blue skies, 48*F Snow: Soft Best thing: Being able to ski 5 runs after tweaked my right knee again when a boarder cut me off yesterday. Daily stats: 5 Runs, 9,201 Vertical ft, 8.4 miles

Ski Day#: 64 Date:   03/23/19 YTD totals: 705 Runs/Lift Rides, 933,645 Vertical ft., 824 miles Area:   49° North  Weather: 45*F, high clouds Snow: Soft Best thing: Making it back to my truck. Park rat about took me and a bunch of little kids out. Re-tweaked my sore knee, it shifted again.  Daily stats: 1 Runs, 1820 Vertical ft, 1.7 miles

Ski Day#: 63 Date:   03/22/19 YTD totals: 704 Runs/Lift Rides, 931,626 Vertical ft., 822 miles, # of smiles Area:   49° North   Weather: Bluebird, 45-50*F Snow: Soft, sticky at the very bottom Best thing: Skiing in my new North face featherless sweater. I've wanted one for years, and bought it for myself for my birthday. I tried for 20K vertical feet today, but legs quads went onto stun after skiing 5 days in-a-row and 80,000 vertical feet. That's 4 days after tweaking my right knee, which continues to get better everyday, even though I've been skiing.  Daily stats:  9 Runs, 16,438 Vertical ft, 15.3 miles

  Ski Day#: 62 Date:   03/21/19 YTD totals: 695 Runs/Lift Rides, 915,188 Vertical ft., 807miles Area:   Schweitzer  Weather: Bluebird, 54*F Snow: Soft, better in north bowl Best thing: Set a new, short term goal for 60K vertical feet in 3 days on/after my birthday.... 2/3 of the way there. Because I missed a few days with  knee injury, and there's rain forecasted starting Saturday, I thought it was a good strategy to rack up as much vertical feet as possible, while trying not to make my right knee worse. A tall order, but I've been getting it done! My knee's getting better, instead of worse, and I've skied 4 days in a row and 40K vertical ft in the last 2 days, with plans for 20K more tomorrow! I've been doing laps of 3500 vertical feet at Schweitzer, starting at the summit and skiing to the bottom of the Stella lift. The terrain's perfect for carving turns, is easy on my knee, and let's me rack up vertical feet quickly.  Daily stats: ...

Ski Day#: 61 Date:   03/20/19 YTD totals: 682 Runs/Lift Rides, 894,720 Vertical ft., 782 miles Area:   Schweitzer  Weather: 59-60*F, blue skies, spring skiing Snow: Soft, wet, grabby like velcro on southern exposures and South Bowl, better in North Bowl Best thing: 20K vertical ft. on my 60th birthday  exactly   1 week after I tweaked my knee at Schweitzer skiing powder.   Daily stats: 14 Runs, 20,652 Vertical ft, 19.5 miles

Ski Day#: 60 Date:   03/19/19 YTD totals: 670 Runs/Lift Rides, 874,068 Vertical ft., 762.5 miles Area:   49° North  Weather: Blue Bird 54*F Snow: Soft spring snow. Best thing: Sunshine! Knee's doing good, skiing carefully! Daily stats:  7 Runs,  12,324  Vertical ft, 11.4 miles

Ski Day#: 59 Date:   03/18/19 YTD totals: 663Runs/Lift Rides, 861,744 Vertical ft.,  751 miles, # of smiles .... coming back! Area:   49° North  Weather: Blue Skies 50*F! Snow: Soft, groomed were great Best thing: Being able to ski today, after tweaking my right knee 5 days ago at Schweitzer. I took it easy, but the knee felt better when I was done, than before I started! The little bit of swelling I had improved too! The weather was really nice too! Statistically and realistically, I can still make my goals by April 7th. I have put "Plan B" online! Daily stats: 6 Runs, 10, Vertical ft, miles Looking north at Kalispel Peak, over Peacemaker. Looking west from Chair# 5, almost next to "That Bell". The irony of ice packs made from snow, for a knee trashed by the snow.

Ski Day#: 58 Date:   03/13/19 YTD totals: 657 Runs/Lift Rides, 851,145 Vertical ft., 741 miles Area:   Schweitzer  Weather: High overcast and variable fog upper 1/2 mountain, 27 to 31*F Snow: 2" new on top of 10" 24 hr pow.  Best thing: Being able to ski 9 runs....... On the 3rd run, my "bad" knee unexpectedly shifted (which is a partial dislocation, or "subluxation") in upper JR Trees, (has had ACL complete rupture for 30+ years), which is never fun. It was just slightly sore, so I was able to ski 6 more runs w/o issue, but being very careful....... as careful as one can be skiing powder in the trees. Problem noted when I took my skis off, and walked; mild, medial joint line knee pain w/ knee extended between 30 to 0°. This is most likely a tibial plateau/bone bruise, and possible meniscus tear/strain. But, I have minimal swelling, so I don't think there are any tears, or they aren't too bad. Have 1 day to rest and see what happens. I'l...

Ski Day#: 57 Date:   03/11/19  YTD totals: 646 Runs/Lift Rides, 837,969 Vertical ft., 729 miles  Area:   49° North   Weather: Blue sky, 32*F at base, 27*F at the summit.  Snow: Groomed was awesome, off piste - soft and cutup.  Best thing: The sun felt amazing riding up the chair! 3-4 turn pow runs under chair#1 "just because I can". I really cranked some carved turns at the bottom of Silver King, had my hip about 8" off of the ground...... getting closer! Guess I need to angle the skis on edge even more, and extend my downhill leg out even more. If it doesn't work, it's gonna be ugly. Daily stats:  10 Runs, 18, 575 Vertical ft, 15.6 miles My turns started having babies. West face of Mt Spokane, from the summit of Chewelah Peak.