Challenge: Accepted

 

Rob Corkran photo

Jan Guenther is easy to admire: the owner of Gear West Ski and Bike Shop in Minnesota, she is a perennial age-group winner at the American Birkie and World Masters Championships. In the summers she's an Ironman triathlete, an open water swimmer, an outrigger paddler, a trail runner, a bike racer. But at age 65, there was one thing she hadn't explored yet, and that was back-country wilderness skiing at altitude. So when her friend suggested they tackle the 40-mile point-to-point Grand Traverse back-country ski race this last winter, traveling high-mountain wilderness from Crested Butte to Aspen, she was all in.

So that meant a scramble to learn a whole new sport -- new skis and boots to try and buy, new hydration packs and safety equipment to try and buy, new experts to talk to and learn from -- and somehow figure out a way to take all the sea-level Minnesota-flat training and transform it into trackless backcountry skills at altitude.

She and her friend made it to Colorado with mountains of gear in tow and found race organizers fretting about the dangerously deteriorating conditions. The race was scheduled to start at midnight, with strict time cut-offs along the way, so that no one ended up skiing up and back down Aspen Mountain in the dark, but the course was rerouted a couple of times to avoid risky cornices and deep water (deep water?? in a ski race??). Finally, at 6:30pm on race day, mere hours before the start, the race was canceled -- just too dangerous to send people out there. After the initial shock of disappointment, many of the skiers went out and skied up and down Crested Butte anyway; you know, you're there, you're ready, you're trained, might as well go ski. (Reminded me of the time the Norwegian Birkebeiner was canceled the morning of the race, literally as skiers were milling around the start area, due to hazardous conditions up on the plateau. Many skiers, including our own Ozzie and Gil, just clicked into their skis and went anyway, even as the announcer was plaintively, and futilely, calling, "The race is canceled! Please stop!")

So, the adventure was thwarted. Jan's take on the whole thing?

The burning question: Would I have finished? Honestly?  I think completing the GT would have been nearly impossible within the time limit. Age, altitude, lack of mountaineering and downhill skiing experience most likely would have squashed my solid endurance and willingness to suffer.

 

Most importantly I am reminded that ADVENTURE and CHALLENGE and the OUTDOORS lay within our fingertips. We do not have to travel far to experience and grow from the grit of pushing through our comfort zone. Cold plunges and saunas, 5k’s and ultra marathons, pole hiking under a full moon, bike time trials and ironman all day training rides, Boundary Water paddling or just a nightly walk with your dog, a busy workday followed by a good book on the sofa… all offer a life of exciting or peaceful contrasts.

The take-away here for all of us? She jumped at the chance to try something new, she learned a lot, she stretched her skill set, she got to buy new toys. How about you? Have the race and training camp reports we've posted this winter made you say, hmm, that one looks interesting; I might like to try something different/challenging/scary/fun. We're into May now, so it's time to start the new training year and put some new challenge on your schedule for this coming winter. What are you thinking about?

See you out on the trails!