Adventure Sports Journal // Feb/March 2023 // Issue #127

CLIMBING BLIND: Shawn Cheshire's Quest to Stand on Top of the World

Project M Topper

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departments

7 Editor’s Note The Raging Buddhist // 8 Inbox

opinions & poetry // 9 Ear to the Ground

& notes from the outdoor industry // 10 Earn Your Beer A fat bike snow ride // 11 Beginner’s Guide Backcountry skiing // 14 EPiC Replanting Joshua trees // 27 Keeper Calendar 2023 events

Photo by Troy Corliss

PHOTO CREDITS:

(16) Steve Adrian; (14) Anthea Raymond; (12) Matt Johanson; (22) Ryan Althaus

PUBLISHING + EDITORIAL

PUBLISHER

Cathy Claesson cathy@adventuresportsjournal.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com

EDITOR

Michele Lamelin michele@adventuresportsjournal.com

COPY EDITOR

Jennifer Stein jen@adventuresportsjournal.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Anthony Cupaiuolo, Mike Kelzenberg, Anthea Raymond, Matt Johanson, Steve Adrian, James Murren, Leonie Sherman, Gina LeVay, Matt Rice Photography / Ironman, Theresa Nelson, Troy Corliss

LAYOUT

Cathy Claesson

COVER DESIGN

Lauren Worth

asj contributors

What’s your favorite and/or most exciting winter memory so far?

leoniesherman

For a week I braved 35 degree mornings for chilly pre-dawn surf sessions. I remember a looming wave obscuring the rising sun as I caught it and metallic orange purple turquoise hues on the surface. Pure joy.

mattjohanson

I managed to climb three Mexican volcanoes in January: la Malinche, Izta, and Pico de Orizaba. I even got to use my limited Spanish along the way. Muy feliz!

anthearaymond

SoCal snowpack at over 150 percent of normal by mid-January!!! Bodes well for the boaters.

ryanalthaus

ADVERTISING

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Cathy Claesson I 831.234.0351 cathy@adventuresportsjournal.com

EVENTS & DISTRIBUTION

Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com

EVENTS MARKETING

Michele Lamelin michele@adventuresportsjournal.com

Jennifer Stein jen@adventuresportsjournal.com

Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Adventure Sports Journal or our advertisers. We usually agree with our articles, but sometimes we don’t. We welcome all contributions.

All content © Adventure Sports Journal 2023. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the editors

ADVENTURE SPORTS JOURNAL

PO BOX 35, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 Phone 831.457.9453

asjstaff@adventuresportsjournal.com

lauraread

As an adventurer who struggles with anxiety & doesn’t like being cold — my favorite memory isn’t exciting or wintery. It was catching that first sunsetshaded, waist-high wave following two weeks of atmospheric rivers.

My first job in Tahoe City was at Lakeside Pizza, now Za’s. Snowfall was big. One night driving to work, terrified, I slid all the way down the parking lot almost into the lake.

jamesmurren

Winter camping in the Borrego desert has become a favorite seasonal outing for me. Loading up the bike and pedaling into Sheep Canyon or into the folds of Fish Creek Wash leads me to deeper understandings of “never better.”

robkyte

An epic adventure skiing into Death Canyon in Grand Teton. We skinned 5 miles in, bailed on account of bad weather, descended down a creek, and skinned 5 miles back out. The backcountry always delivers.

mattniswonger

In January of 1991 I camped in Joshua Tree for two weeks to rock climb. I led my first 5.10, Illusion Dweller. It was an epic struggle and I barely survived. I was hooked on climbing after that.

THE RAGING BUDDHIST Emotions, writing, and the art of taking risks.

Even though she was only joking, I like my new nickname. I read books by Zen Buddhists, but many times I struggle with my own runaway emotions. Life is happening at the pace of life, and sometimes it feels beautiful and other times it feels like a train wreck.

As a writer I seek inspiration in the wild realms of California and Nevada. The natural world informs my inner world. Sometimes I feel isolated and alone and other times I feel gloriously connected with everything. Either way I do my best to live authentically.

Like a powerful storm moving across the landscape, my emotions fuel my creativity in wild, unpredictable ways. Sometimes people like what I write, and other times people are critical of my work.

Regardless, If you are reading these words, I want you to be happy. In fact, our collective happiness is bound together. We depend on each

other through the phenomena of Interbeing as described by the late Zen philosopher Thich Nhat Hanh. Together we can merge the storms brewing in our hearts with the storms moving across the landscape to become powerful artists and healers.

From the very beginning, ASJ was intended to be a space where people could be authentic about their adventures. We only sought the truth in our pages. Twenty years later we are still seeking the truth about why we test ourselves in magical landscapes. Not to seek danger for danger’s sake, but because we know that without challenge and a measured dose of risk we can’t evolve and progress as human beings.

With the inescapable knowledge that every life is terminal, I seek the courageous existence because no other existence is inspiring. Instead of running away from my problems, I’d rather swim into the cold ocean

seeking rebirth and illumination to help me face my challenges head on. I don’t post fake versions of myself on social media, I try to understand my emotions and stay mentally healthy for the sake of my loved ones.

For every incredible video of a big wave surfer on Instagram there are ten thousand people sitting at home mindlessly scrolling their lives away. It’s an easy trap to fall into. Like most people I spend too much time on social media.

I’m not saying that extreme athletes are the only ones living a valid and beautiful life. I’m saying that because so many of us are addicted to digital comforts we are afraid to become the artists and poets we were meant to be in the real world. Risk taking doesn’t always mean physical risk. Sometimes emotional risk feels even more challenging. For example, how often do we say “I love you” to the people in our lives? For most of us, not often enough.

Welcome to issue #127. In this edition we invite you to join forces with hundreds of ski racers and glide through the winter landscape of Lake Tahoe for a good cause. We also invite you to climb mountains, ride a fat bike, replant Joshua trees, and explore the Willett and Sespe hot springs in Ventura County. There are so many ways to get out of your comfort zone during the winter season.

This also includes getting out of our emotional comfort zone to express ourselves through writing and art. I hope you are dissatisfied with comfort and ready to push out into the cold darkness of uncertainty, fear, and adventure. I mean this both literally in the sense of outdoor adventure and metaphorically in the sense of emotions, writing, and art.

I’m always interested in hearing from readers, especially if you have any insights to help us do a better job. Send me an email: matt@ adventuresportsjournal.com. Better yet send me a hand written note: PO Box 35 Santa Cruz CA 95063

— Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com

THANK YOU!

For supporting ASJ

California, and we are in direct competition with corporate media and online platforms.

Please consider helping us continue our work by becoming a member today.

With your support we can continue to inspire adventure, event participation, exploration and environmental stewardship.

&

Recently my wife and business partner Cathy gave me the nickname “The Raging Buddhist,” because despite meditating regularly to stay calm I am often very emotional.

— Matt Niswonger

Cathy Claesson

POETRY

3

GENERATIONS

Josh rousts me at false dawn morning chill enough to replace coffee

Tired bones bend down for 50 lbs.

Alpenglow showers Mt. Muir dikes and shadows merge on the horizon us engulfed in Whitney’s great western basin. We pass No Name Tarn sight of yesterday’s bracing cold plunge with my son our weary muscles catabolizing, then metabolizing. Moving specks of early trail-risers snake above us We don’t compete, content on earning Whitney in a few hours. We’re 4 days out and have passed Cottonwood - Siberian - Army my breath cold still, I unzip, and soon de-layer.

Josh far up ahead as he should be

My pride swells as he climbs up into first light glowing in long strides deserving Everest.

Later, atop, we move away from the crowd and set 2 tiny pieces of obsidian 4 days long they’ve been tinkling in my pocket now they tinkle down into Whitney’s bones set here forever

Mine for my Mom

Josh for his beloved Grandpa

We stand silent then I tell him he’s not getting off so easy with my obsidian “It’ll be Denali in winter,” I huff.

— John Balawejder, Santa Cruz

all rush no routine.

Life—like water—suffers in stagnation.

Break out of the daily grind on a rafting trip with OARS.

Congratulations to John Balawejder of Santa Cruz. You have won $100 and a bottle of wine of your choice from Mantra Wines. mantrawines. com

ASJ poets, submit your poetry for a chance to get published and win money and wine. Email poems@ adventure sports journal .com

ASJ MEMBER WINNERS

Congratulations to our recent ASJ member winners! Axel Loelhoeffel of Santa Cruz is the winner of a brand new Giro helmet and pair of goggles (giro. com), and Adêle Ho of Richmond has won two ski passes to Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center (tahoedonner. com/xc). Our next drawing will be for a gift card for a stay at Costanoa Lodge (costanoa.com). See page 4 for details.

PHYSICAL COPIES

Congratulations on keeping your print, undigital, version going for so many years. I discovered you during early COVID (at the Greenbrae California bus stop no less) and was impressed with your pieces and politics and sense(s) of adventure, especially since I do not do any adventure sports.

Still I keep active, walking a lot (no car makes it imperative, plus I’ve always enjoyed walking — slow to medium pace), and occasionally dancing (contra dancing), which can be quite an adventure on its own. I’m a writer/ poet, too, a trash picker upper, and tranz, located somewhere in the midst of the T-spectrum (that can also be quite an adventure).

I am sending you a check for $20 to keep you out in the physical world. It aint easy, I know, to keep doing that!

– Andy Plum / Selena Anne Shephard, Greenbrae

CHRIS SHARMA’S REALITY SHOW DEBUTS ON HBO

Since Chris Sharma’s humble beginnings at Santa Cruz’s Pacific Edge Climbing Gym in the early 1990s, he has accomplished much. Now, he is the co-host of a new reality show on streaming service HBO Max, along with Hollywood actor and fellow climber Jason Momoa.

The Climb follows Sharma as he travels around the world in search of new and challenging climbing routes for competitors who compete for $100,000. The show is designed to appeal to both climbing enthusiasts and those who are new to the sport.

The series showcases Sharma’s unique approach to climbing and his philosophies, while also capturing the beauty and thrill of climbing. The series is a must-watch for anyone interested in the sport of climbing and the unique individuals who push the limits of what is possible. It is also a great way to learn more about the sport, and explore the world of climbing with Sharma as your guide.

Even though we are biased (we’ve featured Sharma over the years; he has been on our cover a couple of times, and we’ve watched him progress from a 14 year old climber to a world champion) The Climb is entertaining and should be appreciated by a broad audience. All episodes of season one are available on HBO Max.

News and notes from the outdoor industry

THE END OF WARREN MILLER ENTERTAINMENT

Warren Miller Entertainment (WME), a company that has been synonymous with ski and snowboarding films for over 70 years, announced that it will be shutting down operations. The company has been a staple in the ski and snowboarding community for decades, producing and distributing films that captured the spirit and excitement of the sport. According to a statement released by the company, the decision to fold was not an easy one but was necessitated by changing market conditions and the shift in how people consume media. The ski and snowboarding community has expressed their sadness and disappointment at the news of WME’s folding. Many have criticized WME’s parent company Outside Inc. and its CEO Robin Thurston for shuttering the iconic ski movie brand.

“The iconic ski movies were still popular, they just weren’t at the level of profitability that satisfied Mr. Thurston, who fancies himself a tech CEO. Since he doesn’t believe in traditional media, he considers ski films to be irrelevant. Shuttering Warren Miller Entertainment is a serious blow the outdoor community,” said ASJ editor Matt Niswonger.

Despite the folding of WME, the legacy of Warren Miller and his films will live on. The films will continue to be available through various streaming platforms, and the memories of watching them in theaters will be treasured by skiers and snowboarders everywhere.

WOMEN COMPETE IN BIG WAVE INVITATIONAL

The 39th annual Eddie Big Wave Invitational in Waimea Bay, Hawaii was a historic event as it marked the first time that women were allowed to compete in the prestigious event. The Invitational, held at the renowned surf break at Waimea Bay, attracts the world’s top big-wave surfers to compete for the title of “Eddie Aikau Champion.”

This January, six of the 40 competitors marked their names in history as the first women to ever compete in “The Eddie” — Andrea Moller, Paige Alms, Keala Kennelly, Justine Dupont, Emily Erickson, and Makani Adric. The performances of these women helped showcase the talent and determination of female surfers, while also paving the way for future generations of women in the sport.

In the end, it was a local lifeguard Luke Shephardson who took home the title of Eddie Aikau Champion, with a commanding performance throughout the event.

20TH ANNUAL KLAMATH RIVER SALMON RUN

The 20th Annual Klamath River Salmon Run is set to take place this May 18-21, 2023, and is open for runners of all levels. The event, organized by the Yurok Tribe, the Karuk Tribe, and the Klamath Justice Coalition, aims to raise awareness about the impact of the dams on the river’s ecosystem and the indigenous

communities that have relied on the river for thousands of years.

The Run follows the traditional routes of the Yurok and Karuk tribes, passing by the four hydroelectric dams that have blocked the salmon migration on the Klamath River since the 1920s. The Yurok Tribe and other tribes in the region have been advocating for the removal of the dams on the Klamath River for many years, as they believe that this is necessary to restore the natural flow of the river and improve the health of the fish populations, which are an important source of food and cultural identity for the tribes.

Look for a feature on the Klamath River Salmon Run in our April/May issue. In the meantime, search them on Facebook to learn more about this event.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD GRANT

At its January 13, 2023 meeting, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved approximately $70.14 million in grants to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California. The three approved projects will benefit fish and wildlife through funding mechanisms that support biodiversity, watershed restoration, climate resiliency and working landscapes that integrate economic, social and environmental stewardship practices beneficial to the environment, landowners and the local community. Read more about the funded projects at adventuresportsjournal.com/wcb

UPHILL/DOWNHILL FESTIVAL & SKIMO RACE

The 4th Annual Luggi Foeger Uphill/ Downhill Festival & SkiMo Race is coming to Diamond Peak March 25-26. Competitors race to the top of the mountain using whatever human-powered method they prefer — skins, snowshoes, running shoes, etc. — then ski, snowboard, snowshoe, or run back down to the finish line. For those of a less competitive nature, the Beer Luggi division offers the opportunity for a less competitive experience and a pint of locally-brewed beer after the race. A recreational course to mid-mountain is also available. The event is family-friendly and also includes fun activities in the base area including ski boot races, live music, an awards ceremony, and more! The fun continues with a winterwildlife snowshoe hike Sunday morning. Learn more at adventuresportsjournal.com/luggifoeger

VISIT CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS FOR FREE

California State Parks has three new ways to explore the great outdoors for free. The California State Park Adventure Pass is available for fourth graders and their families, The California State Park Library Pass is available to check out at over 1,150 libraries in the state, and the Golden Bear Pass is available for CalWORKS families. Learn more about these programs at adventuresportsjournal. com/free-state-parks

EARN YOUR BEER

A fat bike snow ride

By James Murren

THE EARNING

Outside of Yosemite’s south gate, there are miles and miles of forest roads in Sierra National Forest. Fish Camp town is a good starting spot, one that I recently used to spin some miles on my fat bike. Late fall into early winter in the mountains is fat bike season, as you may encounter weather that turns wet overnight, possibly even snowy and icy.

As I pedaled away from the hard road and back towards the stables, it wasn’t long before the crunching sound of rubber tires rolling over ice was present. At the cut in to turn back on single track to the waterfall, the trail had several inches of snow on it. The ride was only beginning, yet I had already found the day’s bliss, standing and listening to falling water in the mountains.

There was no agenda, no plan that I had. Riding a bike that way was not something I had done in a while. This time around, it was simple: pedal for a few hours then make my way back to where I started.

Snow got deeper as I pedaled past a burn scar below, a deep gorge cutting through the land. Blackened toothpicks stood tall and lay scattered, the remnants of a wildfire.

Thank goodness someone had driven up the road and packed down the snow, as the tracks allowed me to keep going. At Big Sandy Campground, the primary water crossing was too wide and deep, partially covered in slabs of broken ice. I scouted a spot off to my left to make it across, using my bike to balance and hold on to while I rock hopped to the other side.

Voices. I heard voices. Who else is out here and why?

Turned out, three guys on ATVs decided to get out for their first winter ride of the season, coming up from the

other side, meaning the Bass Lake area. We all laughed about not expecting to see anyone else, and the camaraderie was high as we relished being in a winter wonderland.

I pedaled on a little ways more, stopping for lunch where I could see and hear water coursing its way through the mountains. Right then and there, I knew it was my ending point for the day. I turned around and went back down from where I came.

THE BEER

Grocery store beers are worthy. Nowadays, it’s easy to pick up independent brewery beers while stocking up on food supplies. On this trip, I saw New Glory Craft Brewery cans and picked up the Citra Dream, a hazy offering from the Sacramento beer makers on Alpine Avenue. The big, juicy, citrus IPA had me tasting papaya right away. In fact, it transported me back to eating fresh, sun ripened papaya in far eastern Ethiopia in a Somali town for lunch while working on a project.

The Citra Dream was so delicious that I later picked up New Glory’s Gummy Worms, which they call a “chewy pale ale.” Again, I was quite pleased. Balanced and lighter in the ABV, it delivered pineapple breezes to me in the chilly/cold Sierra. I’d not had any of their beers, but after having the Citra Dream and Gummy Worms, they are going to stay on my radar.

OUT OF BOUNDS

A beginner’s guide to the backcountry

By Rob Kyte

But, before you start skinning tracks, make sure you learn how to travel safely and responsibly in the backcountry.

Any terrain beyond the boundaries of the ski resort — whether you hike in, snowshoe, enter through the sidecountry, skin up the slopes, or drop in via helicopter — is considered the backcountry. Such terrain can be extremely varied, and it’s important to be thorough in your safety skills and education. Here are some steps to get you ready:

1. Take a backcountry 1.0 course. Before taking an avalanche safety course, start with a basic backcountry course. These courses get you ready for the nuance and fundamentals of backcountry travel and uphill movement. Learn how to properly

use your touring gear under the supervision of a certified instructor. This is the ideal first step.

2. Take an avalanche safety course. Many avalanche centers around the country offer free courses that cover the basics. These are good, but do not replace the more thorough AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) courses provided by outfitters. These courses are taught by certified instructors who can help prepare you for anything from local tours to ski expeditions in the big mountains.

3. Be prepared with the right knowledge, gear, skills, and fitness. You must have the right equipment to safely travel in the backcountry. Essential safety gear includes an avalanche beacon, a shovel, and a

probe; be confident in your ability to use this gear in a variety of conditions. Beyond the safety gear, anyone wishing to travel uphill will have to utilize skis with touring bindings and skins. If you’re a snowboarder, consider a splitboard. Make sure you are confident in your skills and fitness. Backcountry winter travel typically requires skinning for extended periods of time, and once at the top you must be comfortable with skiing/riding down off-piste terrain in variable conditions. It is not

always as easy as it looks.

4. Thoroughly plan and review your first backcountry trip. Assemble your crew, check local weather and avalanche forecasts, and use the web, guidebooks, and maps to plan your first outing. Still unsure of your abilities to travel safely in the backcountry? If you doubt your skills, or even if you’re on the fence, it’s always best to hire a guide. This is the best way to get familar with winter backcountry travel.

NOTE: On big snow years, like the one we are having this winter, avalanches and other safety risks can happen inbounds at resorts. If you plan to push the boundaries on big days at your favorite resort, it is a good idea to wear a beacon and have some knowledge of high-risk conditions. Always ski/ride within your limits to keep you and your crew safe.

Rob Kyte is an AIARE certified instructor at Alpenglow Expeditions, based out of Lake Tahoe. alpenglowexpeditions.com

With all of the snow this year, you may be thinking of ditching the lift line for fresh powder and untracked terrain in the backcountry. Going past the boundaries of ski resorts opens up a whole new exciting world of possibilities for skiers and riders.

Photo: Anthony Cupaiuolo

YOSEMITE WINTER SKI TOUR

Skiers seek unique El Capitan adventure

Words and photos by Matt Johanson

El Capitan attracts its share of impressive exploits. From Warren Harding to Lynn Hill and Tommy Caldwell, countless cutting-edge climbers made their mark there. But how many have ascended Yosemite’s granite giant with skis rather than ropes? The prospect of that unique challenge lured me and two companions to the big stone in winter.

My cousins Andy and Zach Padlo, and I set out from Old Big Oak Flat Road trailhead, on the west side of Yosemite Valley near the Foresta Road junction. Our route took us east, crossing Tamarack Creek and Cascade Creek as we gradually gained elevation. After two hours of effort, we reached enough snow to don our skis. That lightened our packs though complicated route-finding as snow concealed the trail. So we used a map, scattered trail markers and faint snowshoe tracks to navigate.

Winter visitors, and especially backcountry travelers, experience a vastly different Yosemite than summer crowds. When we camped that night, our only companions were each other, the trees and the stars. Zach and I collected wood to build a fire. Andy, field chef extraordinaire, fed the team a sumptuous dinner. We enjoyed a pleasant night together in the snow, unfathomable as that would sound to tourists in the valley below.

Our journey reminded me of Native Americans who also experienced a Yosemite free of traffic jams and crowded parking lots. They named it Ahwahnee, called themselves the Ahwahnechee, and told an interesting legend about our objective. Two young bears slept on a large flat rock which grew until the cubs scratched their faces against the moon. When Mother Bear called for help, the inchworm Tutokanula crawled to the top and rescued the babies. So they named the 3,000-foot mountain Tutokanula, after the bears’ savior. Perhaps the inchworm should get credit for the first ascent, too.

Our ascent became more difficult on the second day as tracks and trail markers disappeared. The unseen path wound through a thick forest with only occasional glimpses of landmarks like the Cathedral Rocks. Reluctantly, we resorted to electronics to stay on route. The snow itself varied in quality: sometimes good, other times choppy and rough. We caught our first sight of

El Cap from its western gully and neared the summit soon after. Snow became icy as we traversed a steep slope; a fall into the gully would mean a thousandfoot drop and mountain-sized trouble. But we overcame the crux and soon found ourselves atop the big stone that fascinates so many.

A wondrous winter view rewarded us and we gazed at Half Dome, Sentinel Rock and other snowy mountains around us. The best snow of our 20-mile outing let us glide smoothly around the summit; we kept a careful distance from the edge. None of El Cap’s more famous climbers were present, unless Tutokanula escaped our notice.

We couldn’t claim a first winter ascent, though, not even for that day, as we spotted several snowshoers tramping about. A dozen more were ascending or descending on the Yosemite Falls Trail. El Cap has actually seen remarkable activity in winter, including death-defying climbs through epic snowstorms and even the world’s first

skiing BASE jump in 1972.

Still, only a handful ski across this summit each year, compared to thousands who rope up to climb the mountain’s face. Harding, Hill, Caldwell, Honnold, and … Andy, Zach and Matt?

That’s quite a stretch but we descended into the valley with pride. Tourists stared at our skis and backpacks in bewilderment. Hot showers, cold beers and a suitably huge dinner restored our energy as we celebrated an uncommon adventure and pondered our next one.

TOP TO BOTTOM: SNOWY TREES FRAME EL CAPITAN IN WINTER; MATT JOHANSON, ZACH PADLO AND ANDY PADLO SKIED 20 MILES OVER EL CAPITAN IN TWO DAYS.

TEAM GROUND SLOTH

Replanting the next generation of Joshua trees from the ashes of the Cima Fire

By Anthea Raymond

Mojave National Preserve biologist Andrew Kaiser dubbed them “Team Ground Sloth” after the long-extinct mammals that once helped Joshua tree seeds travel by eating and eliminating them. He sees the planting effort as a small way to recreate the sloths’ important role in seed dispersion.

The volunteers are planting trees genetically different from the U2famous ones you find in Joshua Tree National Park, an hour or two drive south.

These eastern Joshua trees are prevalent mostly in Arizona and Nevada as well as the Mojave National Preserve’s Cima Dome where the planting is taking place.

Cima Dome is a volcanically formed rise. It has been identified as part of the best microenvironment for Joshua trees to survive our current climate change. It’s also where in August 2020

the eponymous Cima Fire wildfire destroyed an entire forest of Joshua trees – 1.3 million trees – possibly the densest in the world.

Two years later, their blackened husks still hang darkly over “the Dome,” though some now have tumbled to the ground. Before the fire, the trees had already been at risk due to climate change, invasive grasses, and lest we forget, the extinction of the ground sloth! But the fire was an ecological disaster that had park officials shaking their heads.

Luckily, however, baby Joshua trees were already growing in a National Park Service (NPS) nursery near Lake Mead. Grown from seeds gathered locally, the seedlings were meant for another restoration project nearby. They instead were rerouted to Cima Dome for two weeks of planting in December 2021. The goal was to get a thousand seedlings in the ground before the winter frost.

The volunteers who gathered at Valley View Ranch in December 2021 planted the seedlings in four different ways. Some were protected in chicken wire enclosures or “cages,” some were not. Some relied on the succor of a so-called “nurse plant” – usually a tiny cholla cactus showing some sign of life after the fire. Every planting was photographed and its GPS coordinates were recorded. Volunteers even gave a few names. Some locations were easy to reach, others were several miles off dirt roads navigable only by 4x4s.

The cages protect delicious baby plants from being eaten by rodents and other predators, but are considered permanent structures generally prohibited in federal wilderness areas. Year one of the planting was in part a test to see whether cages were the “minimum necessary tool” for the plants to survive, avoiding that restriction.

This page, top to bottom: “Team Ground Sloth” volunteers can hike up to three miles carrying seedlings to their planting sites (Mike Kelzenberg); National Park Service staffer Ryan McRae shows a map of planting sites at morning orientation (Anthea Raymond). Opposite page, clockwise from top: One-year-old Joshua trees awaiting their big moment (Anthea Raymond); A small slice of the damage from the 2020 Cima Fire (Anthea Raymond); A volunteer stakes chicken-wire cage around a newly planted seedling (Anthea Raymond).

They have come from all over to plant Joshua trees. They are doctors, engineers, activists, scientists, writers, conservationists and kids. Some are local from Los Angeles or Palmdale. Others fly in from other states, some as far as Illinois and Wisconsin.

Joshua trees have long lives. Some of those that burned were over a hundred years old. And the babies don’t produce seeds for a decade, or flowers for at least two. So it will be a while before the volunteers will truly see the fruits of their efforts.

It was cold in the Mojave and after five days rain and sleet halted the planting, set to last for two weeks. Volunteers returned in April 2022 to complete planting the initial thousand seedlings of the four year cycle.

Months later, after several visits, the biologists saw that caged plants did better. So for round two in November 2022, all the seedlings were caged, though not all had a nurse plant. Park biologists and technicians will again visit the plants over the course of the year to see how they are doing, much as they did with the 2021 crop. It had a just under a one in five survival rate, considered a success.

Making their rounds, the biologists also noticed unexpected signs of life in the burned forest. Nourished by summer monsoon rains, new growth at both the bases of burned trees and on their branches was evident. It meant the forest hadn’t been completely destroyed. It also meant better conditions for the baby trees too.

Joshua trees have long lives. Some of those that burned were over a hundred years old. And the babies don’t produce

seeds for a decade, or flowers for at least two. So it will be a while before the volunteers will truly see the fruits of their efforts. But for many, some of whom have spent many days at the project, it’s also a chance to make a difference in a very hands-on way.

According to Erin Knight, a biological technician staffing the planting project, “The preserve is a very beautiful place and it’s pristine in a lot of ways that you won’t really see in other settings. We are looking for conscientious people who also want to experience that.”

The Preserve will host a group campout and watering day in April 2023. NPS employees will lead a day of watering the existing two years of plantings. And the third round of planting is slated for a few weeks in October 2023.

To get more information and to join the project mailing list, email Erin Knight (erin_knight@nps.gov). The Preserve also maintains an Instagram @mojavenps and a web page with more details about the physical requirements of the work www.nps.gov/moja/getinvolved/cimadome-joshua-tree-forest-restoration

WILLETT AND SESPE HOT SPRINGS

A magical backpacking area north of Ojai in Ventura County

By Leonie Sherman

The light is returning! By mid-February nights are a full hour shorter than the longest of winter solstice and we are gaining two minutes of light every day. Flowers unfurl tender petals, birds flutter through budding branches, small mammals resume their frantic activities. What better way to celebrate the glory and promise of spring than a quick backpacking trip?

Sure, the nights are still over 13 hours long. The mountains are buried under snow, and lowland forests are still dripping and chilly. But the chaparral cloaked hills outside of Ojai offer sunny skies and mild temperatures perfect for late winter backpacking. Two backcountry hot springs, moderate terrain, a wild and scenic river, the chance to see one of the planet’s rarest birds, and the desert’s most charismatic megafauna beckon. The Sespe Wilderness is calling and you must go. The area’s original inhabitants, the Chumash, lived here for at least 10,000 years before Europeans showed up. The word Sespe means “kneecap” in their native language. The wisdom of elders and close observation of nature inspired and informed their culture and values. Accepting personal limitations, practicing moderation in hunting and gathering, and understanding that compensation for hard work comes in many different forms led to harmony with their environment and each other. They revered the area’s soothing hot springs for millennia, believing them to have healing powers. Take a moment at the

trailhead to appreciate the people who stewarded this land for thousands of years and still call it home.

THE TRAILHEAD

Though there are three ways to access Willett and Sespe hot springs, the easiest route starts at the Piedra Blanca trailhead, about 20 miles from the ritzy hippie enclave of Ojai.

Piedra Blanca’s sandstone cliffs, a ghostly pale gash against a sea of dark green hills, are visible from the parking area. About half a mile from the trailhead hikers can turn north to visit the wild eroded formations or continue east along Sespe Creek to the hot springs.

Sespe Creek, which is 61 miles long, is the last remaining undammed river in Southern California. Starting 5,000 feet above sea level in the Santa Ynez Mountains, the creek tumbles over waterfalls and boulders before reaching the Santa Clara River south of Fillmore. In 1992, as part of the Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act, Congress designated 31.5 miles as Wild and Scenic River,

This page, top to bottom: Enjoying a soak after a roughly ten mile hike into Willett Hot Springs (Steve Adrian); A rainbow over Sespe Wilderness (Leonie Sherman). Opposite page: Sespe Hot Springs (Leonie Sherman).

making it the first seasonally flowing stream to be granted such protection.

The trail crosses Sespe Creek ten times in 17 miles; trekking poles are a good idea during peak runoff. Though the hot springs are downstream and generally downhill, the trail still involves almost 2,000 feet of climbing as it winds around side canyons. The grade is gentle and there’s rarely more than 500 feet in a single push. Several idyllic riverside campsites

beckon before reaching the junction for Willett Hot Springs, about ten miles from the trailhead.

THE HOT SPRINGS

Named for an early homesteader, Willett Hot Springs features a ten foot diameter tub and sparkling green water that reeks of sulphur. An inflow pipe keeps the temperature constant at between 99-100 degrees; perfect for a long soak. The first ten miles of trail was

a road until the Wilderness Act of 1964 closed it to motorized traffic. The final half mile to the springs involves 300 feet of steep climbing. Fifty feet shy of the springs, the path crosses a campsite with a fire ring; set up a tent further away to leave the springs available for other visitors.

Five miles beyond the Willett junction the trail turns north into Hot Springs Canyon. Half a mile up there is ample camping along a warm creek. Continuing

The chaparral cloaked hills outside of Ojai offer sunny skies and mild temperatures perfect for late winter backpacking. Two backcountry hot springs, moderate terrain, a wild and scenic river, the chance to see one of the planet’s rarest birds, and the desert’s most charismatic megafauna beckon. The Sespe Wilderness is calling and you must go.

north, the creek gets hotter; at its source it’s almost 120 degrees, some of the hottest wild water in the state. Sespe Hot Springs are about a mile and a half from the junction and consist of a series of excavated pools. Previous visitors constructed rock walls around a couple of palm trees that provide wind shelter for a tent during blustery days. Sespe Hot Springs is a long push for a single day, and finding the right temperature can be a challenge.

THE WILDLIFE

East of Sespe Hot Springs, over the Topatopa Mountains, lies the 53,000-acre Sespe Condor Sanctuary, set aside in 1947 and expanded in 1951 to aid recovery efforts for North America’s largest and rarest bird. The entire sanctuary is closed to public entry except by permit, save for four quarter-mile wide corridors open to hikers.

A wingspan of up to nine-and-a-half feet allows condors to soar for hours without flapping them; they can cover 100 miles in a single day searching for carrion. Once abundant across North America, the end of the last glacial period reduced their range to the southwest deserts and west coast. In the modern era, Europeans reduced their food supply of elk and antelope and often shot or poisoned the massive bird, which can weigh up to 25 pounds. They incubate a single egg every other year. By the early 1900s, the condor clung to a tenuous existence only in the remote mountains of Southern California.

DDT, lead-infected carrion and habitat loss decimated their population further and they were declared endangered in 1967. By the 1980s there were fewer than 30 California condors left; fear of extinction led to a captive breeding program that involved the capture of every wild condor left on the planet. Thanks to the success of that program, today almost 250 wild condors grace the skies above the Grand Canyon, southwestern Utah, Pinnacles National Monument, the Big Sur Coast, Humboldt County and Sespe Wilderness. Roughly the same number remain in zoos for captive breeding. The condor conservation program has cost at least $20 million to date, roughly a quarter the price of a single F-35 jet. The continued existence of wild California condors reminds us what we hold dear.

The Chumash also revered the California condor. About seven miles from Sespe Hot Springs there’s a cave with paintings of the massive bird; other caverns and walls throughout traditional Chumash territory feature

The condor conservation program has cost at least $20 million to date, roughly a quarter the price of a single F-35 jet. The continued existence of wild California condors reminds us what we hold dear.

similar artwork. Capes of condor feathers gave the people who wore them special powers. During Francis Drake’s first contact with Chumash natives, they threw a bundle of what was probably condor feathers onto the deck of his boat; this was traditionally part of a mourning ritual.

While the California condor is the largest and rarest bird in the region, the desert bighorn sheep is its most charismatic megafauna. Though native to the area, introduced diseases and hunting extinguished the local population by 1914. In 1985, 37 desert bighorn from a San Gabriel Mountains population were reintroduced to the Sespe area; in 1992, a survey found only two remaining desert bighorn. Less than a decade later, though, hikers reported sightings of bighorn sheep near the hot springs. The current population is believed to be about 30.

During our final dawn soak at Sespe, my friend and I heard rocks falling from a cliff and looked up to find the silhouette of a bighorn against the tangerine lavender hued sky. We watched in silent reverence as the sheep meandered out of our view. And we stepped into the morning chill to begin our journey home.

The Willett and Sespe hot springs are located on the traditional lands and territories of the Chumash tribe. For more information on Indigenous land acknowledgements, go to nativegov.org/news/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment and native-land.ca

This page: A riverside campsite in the fall. The best time to visit is from March through June, when it is green and the wildflowers are in bloom, but this is also the busiest time of the year.

CLIMBING BLIND

One woman’s quest to stand on top of the world

By Leonie Sherman

In 2009, EMT and Army veteran Shawn Cheshire got knocked down while attending to a combative patient. Over the next two years, the resulting brain injury left her completely blind. She tried to kill herself twice in those first dark years. Now she’s trying to climb Everest and Lhotse back to back.

If she succeeds, she will be the first blind woman to climb Everest, and the first blind person to summit Everest and Lhotse back to back. Cheshire has never held an ice axe or been above 14,000 feet, but her climbing partner Remy Kloos isn’t worried. “Everest and Lhotse are easier than some of the adventures she’s done,” explains Kloos.

But why would a blind woman want to stand on top of the world? For Cheshire, it’s all about mental health and self-care. “Every morning when I wake up I’m sad,” she admits. “I don’t like not being able to see, it makes life harder. It’s really lonely. But if I push myself and continue to do things I didn’t know I could do, that holds the sadness at bay and keeps it from being so soul-sucking.”

At first, the sadness was soul-sucking; once she accepted losing her eyesight, she didn’t leave the house for six weeks. “In the beginning I couldn’t fathom ever being OK with being blind,” Cheshire explains. “My whole quality of life, any chance of happiness, joy, or new experiences, all left with my vision. I was pretty much hopeless.”

“I had a choice to make,” she continues after a long pause. “I could either choose to see the possibilities, make the possibilities, discover the possibilities or I was going to kill myself.”

Physical exercise and a dedicated crew helped her through those first difficult months. “When I didn’t believe in myself, I was surrounded by people who did at the VA,” Cheshire recalls. “They kept pushing me to try different activities.”

First she tried running. Her mobility teacher, Katie, brought her to an event sponsored by Team Red, White and Blue, a non-profit dedicated to improving veterans’ health as they reenter civilian life. “She literally walked up to the group, introduced me and asked who wanted to be my guide.” A woman named Chrissy Quijano stepped up and they ran four miles together. A month later Cheshire completed the hilly tenmile Mountain Goat race.

Folks from team Red, White and Blue convinced her to go to the VA Palo Alto Polytrauma and Blind Rehabilitation Center. At 174,000 square feet, it’s the largest rehab center administered by the federal government, and offers wraparound services ranging from occupational and physical therapy to life skills. “There are a lot of VA rehab clinics around the country, but Palo Alto is the only place where they have a unit specific to vision loss from TBI [traumatic brain injury],” explains Cheshire.

“Most people lose their vision from birth or a degenerative eye disease. I’m part of a small percentage of people

who lose their vision from TBI,” says Cheshire. “It felt really good to be some place where I didn’t feel like a freak of nature. They created a safe space, and allowed me to be who I am. My time there was transformative.”

Specifically, it transformed her into a world-class adventure athlete. A recreational therapist noticed she was spending hours every day on a treadmill and reached out to someone from the US Association for Blind Athletes. “On graduation day I stood up in front of the whole class and said ‘One day I’m going to be a Paralympic athlete,’” Cheshire says with a laugh. “Less than a year after graduation I was racing in a World Cup and won a bronze medal in a road race!”

“I started cycling competitively all because a boy told me I couldn’t do it,” Cheshire laughs. Though she’d never ridden a bike as a sighted person, she attended a cycling camp in Colorado Springs where staff for the US Paralympic team came to scope out new talent. “When I learned that the Rio games were less than four years away, I was like ‘Oh, I can do this,’” Cheshire explains.

One of the coaches told her it takes five years and 10,000 hours of practice to get ready for the Paralympics. “I refused to believe him that I couldn’t do it. When people say I can’t do something I become even more

This page, top to bottom: Cheshire bikes past the Grand Tetons on her trans America ride (Gina LeVay); The face of determination (Gina LeVay); Cheshire also runs competitively (contributed); Opposite page, top to bottom: Biking through small town America, accompanied by messages of hope which Cheshire can’t see, but can hopefully feel (Gina LeVay); Cheshire competing in a biathlon (contributed).

determined,” Cheshire recalls. “Within three months of first riding a tandem bike I was racing with Team USA. It gave me something to work towards. I found my competitive spirit.”

When she wanted to ride her own bike people told her it wasn’t possible. She rode 3,600 miles from Oregon to Virginia to prove them wrong. Last summer she mountain biked the Tour Divide, a 2,700 mile long singletrack race that follows the spine of the Rockies from Canada to Mexico.

“If I was a sighted person I would have trained by bikepacking a bunch. But I probably went on four mountain bike rides before I did the Tour Divide, and each of those rides was ten miles or less. Then I got on a bike and did one of the hardest rides in the country,” Cheshire explains. “I feel like this is where we limit ourselves, people say if I don’t train this much and do this particular thing I’m never going to be successful. I just go and say we’re going to do it. We’ll figure it out as we go.”

“I just got really tired of people telling me what I can and can’t do because I’m blind,” she says with a sigh. “Now when I hear that I think ‘How can I do this thing?’ That makes my life about rising to challenges instead of accepting limitations.”

“Biking the Tour Divide is the most incredible, epic, challenging thing a blind person has ever done,” explains Lonnie Bedwell, the first blind person to kayak 226 miles through the Grand Canyon and a National Geographic’s 2015 Adventurer of the Year. “It’s so

physically demanding and then you add not being able to see it, Shawn is incredible.”

Which helps explain why she’s got such an incredible climbing partner. Kloos is the first South African to climb Everest and Lhotse back to back. She climbed Kilimanjaro in 2016 to bring herself out of a debilitating depression, and is steadily ticking off the Seven Summits. She’s excited to help Cheshire reach new heights. “My goal is to communicate the beauty of what we are seeing. There’s a higher power up there and I want Shawn to experience that,” explains Kloos. “I believe the summit is for the ego, but the journey is for the soul. Soul food creates meaning in our lives.”

Cheshire finds meaning in her life not only from pushing herself but from serving others. Her nonprofit, Choosing To See, raises money for the blind and visually impaired community.

“I want people to be able to do things, even if they can’t see. Blind people don’t make a lot of money, but our quality of life depends on being able to do things, and that requires money. I don’t ever charge anyone to tell my story, I ask them to donate to my nonprofit or another nonprofit that helps others,” she explains. “If I ever get so busy that I can’t make time to talk to another blind person and help them out, I tell my friends to please kick me in the crotch.”

You can help Cheshire make history through donations to Choosing to See at choosingtosee.org, and follow her story on Instagram @shawn_cheshire.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 9-8-8. The Lifeline is free, confidential, and always available.

“I had a choice to make,” she continues after a long pause. “I could either choose to see the possibilities, make the possibilities, discover the possibilities or I was going to kill myself.”

— Shawn Cheshire

ATHLETICISM, ANOREXIA AND ADDICTION

Endurance for recovery as we prepare for Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Ryan Althaus

I was having a recurring nightmare. Each time, it was the same but also different in some ways. There I was, in a race or being chased. I was swimming from a big fish, fleeing from a big bear, or sprinting towards a big finish. I knew how to run, remember what it felt like to run, and sure as hell wanted to run, swim, jump or leap … but I just wasn’t getting anywhere. My legs were too heavy, my arms wouldn’t pull me through the water and my bike tires were glued to the asphalt — and the harder I tried, the more fearful and frustrated I became as I feebly fought for a far off finish or ran from the ferocious animal gaining on me from behind. But then, just when I was about to give up or get eaten, I would wake up.

Iremember waking up from that nightmare one morning not so long ago. It was not the obnoxiously familiar buzz of my clock that called me to consciousness, it was the warning alarm of the EKG machine I was attached to, alerting the nursing staff that my heart-rate had dropped to a dangerous level. I squirmed my way free from the sterilized sheets and set my feet on the cold tile floor, but something was very wrong. I’d awoken from my slumber, but not the nightmare.

My atrophied legs struggled to support the weight of my body when I tried to stand up, and my feet felt as though they were still sinking in quicksand. I knew how to run, and Lord knows I wanted to flee from the ICU room. However, my body was weak and wired to machines and IVs. I was stuck in a very bad, very real, disordered dream.

FROM ELITE ATHLETE TO EMACIATED ANOREXIC

My eating disorder and exercise addiction were nothing new — I’d lived with them for decades despite stints as a professional marathoner, an elite Ironman Triathlete and an endurance coach. True, I was skinny, but I managed to stay strong. I was driven, albeit secretly disordered. I was fast, but, undeniably, underfed. And, in terms of my successful athletic career, that was slowly slipping away.

Ever since winning my first race as a high school freshman, I had lived life in pursuit of a faster mile split, a steeper mountain and a victorious finish; however, little did I realize that all these ego-driven endorphin fixes were only leading me to a bad place. As I began to fall short of my self-imposed list of evolving goals, my mind started convincing me to stop feeding myself as a form of punishment for falling short.

As a result, I ended up retiring from the endurance athletic world early. Heat exhaustion and fatigue left me crawling (instead of my trademark cartwheeling) across the Louisville Ironman finish. It was 2015, and I was left with a broken heart, bruised ego and beaten body.

In all honesty, I had been on a downward spiral for years. A severe hamstring tear in the 13th mile of the Boston Marathon shone a light on my addiction. Rather than resting and nourishing my body, I continued to train. What was far from a career ending event, led to a series of overuse injuries and a depressing decline. Had I rested and nourished my body I would have been back on the trails within a few months. Rest and nourishment have never been my forte, and the guilt-rooted anxiety that came with stillness caused me to seek creative ways to burn off calories that I had already cut from my diet. Needless to say, it doesn’t take a nutritional degree or coaching credential to recognize that forgoing fuel while upping one’s energy expenditure is the definition of an eating disorder

ANOREXIA ATHLETICA

Athletically induced anorexia is common in the endurance sports community. In fact, athletes are more likely to suffer from eating disorders than people outside of competitive activities. The roots of the disease go much deeper than one’s reflection in a mirror or the numbers on a scale. For athletes, anorexia is a behavioral and substance addiction (and a deadly one at that) tied to our pursuit of an ever-illusive runner’s high and the drug we know as dopamine. If you are reading this magazine, you know the feeling well, and whether you get your fix in the water, on the trail, atop a mountain, or soaring through the

sky — the endorphins-added euphoria is universal. However, as we hike, run, and climb our way through National Eating Disorders Awareness Week starting at the end of February (Feb 27 – March 5) , I encourage all of us to pause and reflect on why it is we do what we do.

With the support of my community, I am happy to say that I managed to crawl my way out of the ICU and free myself from the quicksand, but not without a few rounds of residential care that required more emotional endurance than any Ironman I’d ever competed in. That said, I am far from healthy because, unlike a drug or alcohol addiction, someone struggling with an eating or exercise disorder must face their drug of choice many times every day. In other words, you can’t go cold turkey on food or movement … and we wouldn’t want to because, when balanced, they each provide us a source of pleasure. However, in order to compete at our full potential and fully enjoy our athletic pursuits, it is

This page: If the 18th mile of a marathon doesn’t make you grimace, try it after a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike ride on a 99 degree August day in Louisville, KY (Matt Rice Photography / Ironman); Opposite page: Captain Ryan at home on the helm of his nonprofit’s special needs inclusive ‘Salty Sheep’ catamaran sailboat (Theresa Nelson).

essential to remember what got us into our sport in the first place.

MINDFUL VS. MINDLESS MOVEMENT

In the exercise addiction recovery community, we often talk about the difference between mindful and mindless movement. That term, recovery, carries two distinct connotations: there is recovery from a hard workout, injury, or race and recovery from a disorder or addiction — and both require intention, selfawareness, and self-acceptance; things that many of us struggle with.

As I alluded to earlier, I lived most of my life striving to prove myself via finishing times, adventurous social media pics, and Strava stats. However, proving myself often entailed punishing myself — and at the end of the day, the only one that actually cared was me.

When I had a bad race or workout I’d restrict my calories and train harder the next day instead of resting and refueling my body, and when I woke up injured, I’d load up on ibuprofen instead of listening to my body’s cries that it was overworked. Thus, anxiety and a lack of self-acceptance slowly transformed my training into what we call ‘mindless movement,’ and, as a result, once pleasurable athletic pursuits became forms of self-punishment.

I remember the first supervised workout that I was allowed to partake in during residential treatment — it was a ‘mindful movement’ class that could best be described as yoga on tranquilizers.

“What do you feel?” the instructor asked while we gently lifted our arms above our heads into mountain pose and then bent forward to touch our toes.

Though I originally mocked her referring to our activity as “exercise,” her question called me to re-connect with my body and re-evaluate my personal state of fitness (or lack thereof). My stiff hamstrings shouted at me as they struggled with the simple

movement and my head spun as the blood rushed out of it. This was the first time in a long time that I had focused on what I was actively feeling, instead of using activity as a means of fleeing from my feelings, and despite the ease of the workout, my body was telling me that it was sore and strained. I’d spent over a decade working out 4-8 hours per day — whether in a prescribed brick workout during triathlon season or anxiety-induced aerobic session — all in an attempt to mute the messages of my body; however, what this adventure in recovery has taught me is that exercise isn’t supposed to mask our feelings, but build us up and make us feel better. Just the same, a race isn’t about our finishing time so much as the opportunity it provides to connect with like-minded friends. Mindful movement is thus an adventure of the body, mind,

and spirit that allows us to connect with our true self and community, not to escape ourselves.

So, as you peruse the many races, training ideas and activities filling this issue, take time to meditate on the magic of your chosen source of sport and ways in which you can nurture your mind, body and spirit through mindful movement instead of numbing your emotions, aches, and pains by forcing it. Furthermore, know that many of us struggle to find balance when it comes to nutrition and exercise, so if you are in need of some support, don’t hesitate to seek it! Eating disorders are a deadly form of mental illness. They are not you, rather sicknesses to be treated, not ashamed of. I was lucky to wake up from my nightmare and get on the path to healing.

You can share in Ryan’s journey and support eating disorder awareness by grabbing his latest book, Emaciated to Emancipated: The Story of a Skinny Mango, and be sure to visit his website at thesurfingmango.com

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Athletically induced anorexia is common in the endurance sports community. In fact, athletes are more likely to suffer from eating disorders than people outside of competitive activities. The roots of the disease go much deeper than one’s reflection in a mirror or the numbers on a scale.

THE GREAT SKI RACE CHANGES COURSE

The legendary Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue fundraiser saves lives

After more than 40 years, in 2022 The Great Ski Race changed the course of its annual North Tahoe 30k cross-country ski tour. It was a big decision, because since 1977, the event that calls itself one of the largest races west of the Mississippi had followed a historic point-to-point route along an old postal route and logging trails from Tahoe City to Truckee.

Now the course starts and ends at Tahoe XC in Tahoe City. It still follows part of the old postal route and uses old logging trails that are familiar to mountain bikers and hikers in summertime and snowmobilers and skiers in winter, but it is now a loop race and slightly shorter than it was in the past; however, at a whopping 26k, not by much.

“It was a difficult decision after so many years of going to Truckee,” Race Director Dirk Schoonmaker said. “Once we made the change, the logistics got easier for organizers and racers and every comment I have heard has been positive, especially regarding the downhill.”

Will The Great Ski Race originators be doing flip flops over this change?

No way. One early Great Ski Race supporter was Tahoe Nordic Center founder Skip Reedy. Retired now, he lives with his wife, Katja, in Bend,

Oregon. “I was not surprised when the course was changed,” Reedy said. “It was always a hit or miss being able to get the finish to go all the way to Hilltop/Cottonwood [Restaurant in Truckee] with heavy brush, low snow, and reluctant neighbors allowing the course to cross their land.”

Reedy sponsored three races annually during the 22 years he owned and operated North Tahoe crosscountry ski areas. “Two races were always loop races, but the point-topoint Tahoe-to-Truckee race became the most popular,” he said. “The team’s choice of the new loop around Mt. Watson has some wonderful terrain. I have skied that area in the past and think it’s a good choice for taking advantage of higher snow levels. Sorry, Truckee.”

Warm snow has indeed had a major impact. Low snow conditions forced the race cancellation in four out of the past ten winters. Before that, the race

had been abandoned only once in 33 years. It was called off because of low snow that time, too.

In 2020, The Great Ski Race was cancelled once again, this time because of the pandemic. As its coordinators regrouped, they decided it was time to adjust the course in case the minimal snow years continued. The new loop course was born. The course still features the strenuous Starratt Pass climb from the forests above Tahoe XC, as well as famed Soup Station One, but from that high point, instead of veering downhill on the legendary and steep S-turns toward Truckee, the route goes straight along old logging roads toward Northstar California. It then swings around Mt. Watson and back through the forest above Carnelian Bay onto Tahoe XC’s Blue Trail to finish on a sizzling downhill at the Tahoe XC lodge. Skiers don’t depart just because

This page, top to bottom: The Great Ski Race brings out skiers of all stripes, from beginners to pros, and from the extremely young to the “well-seasoned.” Uphills can cause grins — or tears; Colorful XC skis make a rainbow in front of signs that show winners of previous races; Tahoe Nordic Search And Rescue (TNSAR) team members train with helicopters from the CHP and the Fallon Naval Air Station Longhorns rescue team.

Words by Laura Read • Photos by Troy Corliss

they’re done with the race: There’s plenty of partying to be had at the Tahoe XC lodge. The ski area’s parking lot is cordoned off for dancing, chowing, and jabbering, and of that there’s plenty. Hot food is on order, as usual. The food truck Men Wielding Fire has been serving up soup and other goodies — and they will again with owner Jack Lyons at the helm. More than 150 search team members and residents volunteer multiple hours to put the race on — not all of them skiers, but all ready to have a good time and present a great event, according to Schoonmaker. Volunteers deal with parking, food service, starting-gate and finish-line setup, timing, registration — you see it, there’s a job for it. There’s always at least one volunteer MC squawking over the loudspeaker as racers finish. Last year it was Michael Hogan joined by team member Kyle Railton. The Great Ski Race has been known for antics and costumes, and Railton didn’t let anyone down. His Captain America outfit was a red-toned hit atop the announcer’s podium. The outfit echoed one of many race traditions. Organized by team members in the late 1980s, The Great Ski Race Cheerleaders have raised a ruckus on the course every single year since, cheering skiers at the top of Starratt Pass, hooting them on to Truckee at Soup Station Two, and calling them home at Cottonwoods.

Since its inception in 1977, The Great Ski Race social influence has grown exponentially. It is part of North Tahoe and Truckee culture. It is a long-distance tour that skiers every year train for, talk about, and dream of.

In 2022, the same cheerleaders honored local athletes who have competed at the Olympic Winter Games. It just so happens that at the 2022 Olympics, JC Schoonmaker was a standout cross-country ski racer on the US team. His dad is Dirk Schoonmaker, The Great Ski Race director for more than 20 years, and his mom is Marty Schoonmaker, who helped organize races at the Far West Nordic training program. Schoonmaker was joined at the 2022 Olympics by cross-country skier and North Tahoe resident Hannah Halvorson, who now teaches skiing workshops at Tahoe XC.

For years The Great Ski Race has been the main fundraising event for TNSAR. The team could count on raising at least $30,000 per year from the proceeds, according to records, and that paid for all the equipment and training needed for the year. But those days of simplicity are gone. The team has grown from a one-truck operation and a bunch of construction workers bent on being well-organized, teaching kids to survive, and knowing the backcountry to a well-oiled force that has plucked more than 400 shivering lost folks from the winterbound backcountry. Their efforts require not only securing equipment and training, but also leaving their families and homes usually late in the evening, pushing through snow and wind and sleet, and sometimes, late

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This page, top to bottom: Race proceeds from The Great Ski Race support search and rescue operations in the Tahoe backcountry; Doug Read and other originators don costumes along with racers and cheerleaders.

in the night when they can’t get home quickly, warming up a chilled lost person around a campfire handbuilt in the snow.

The team has also expanded in transportation methods — from a group of skiers only, training on slim wooden skis and leather boots, to a combination of skiers, snowmobilers, communication van drivers, and snowcat drivers operating sophisticated equipment propelled by advances in technology, resources, and human ingenuity.

As technology has advanced — with cell phone batteries lasting longer, GPS units aiding communication and tracking, and a special app mapping out search patterns — everyone’s

quickly and get them out of danger much more rapidly than they did in the past.

The 2022-2023 winter snowstorms have delivered endless days of skiing, and the pandemic’s restrictions have spawned a new load of skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, and snowmobilers in the backcountry, potentially getting into trouble. Fortunately, at the team’s first meeting of the season, more than 20 newcomers asked to be involved. New members do not join search teams right away. In on-snow and off-snow training, they first learn about terrain, equipment, snow behavior, lostperson behavior, search techniques, and team protocols.

now part of North Tahoe and Truckee culture. Every year, skiers, some fresh off the couch, train for, talk about, and dream of it. Afterward, they compare notes and official race times. And the stories go on.

“Last year there was so much positive and exuberant energy at the start and finish that it made all the hard work by the volunteers and

all the tough decisions by the race committee seem minor compared to the outcome and the return,” Schoonmaker said. “As much as anything it pretty much guarantees that we can hold the race every year regardless of snowfall, since we stay at a higher elevation.”

The Great Ski Race takes place March 5 this year “at 9am sharp!”

Online registration costs $80 until Thursday, March 2. The fee includes a celebration party with delicious hot food, live music and dancing, and many prizes. Pickup for bibs and the pre-race packet is at Tahoe XC Friday, March 3, 12-5pm, Saturday, March 4, 9am-5pm and Sunday, March 5 (race day) until 8:30am. For details and to register, visit thegreatskirace.com

Laura Read has been a member of the TNSAR Team since the mid-1990s, helping to handle PR, functioning on the once-essential-now-defunct dispatch team, and helping to teach fourth graders how to survive when lost in the woods. She is the Opinion Editor with the monthly news publication, Moonshine Ink.

terrain for the whole family, June Mountain’s easy-going atmosphere and breathtaking views make for the perfect Eastern Sierra ski day.

Left to right: The Great Ski Race participants are timed, and start in waves according to previous times; Colleen Conners Pace stokes skiers along with traditional course cheerleaders who have worn different costumes for every race since the late 1980s; Having evolved over the years, TNSAR members wear identifying red jackets and use modern snowcats to transport skiers and carry found people out of the backcountry.

2023 EVENTS

BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEAT, CLIMB, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEAT, CLIMB, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEAT, SURF, CLIMB, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEATCLIMB, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEAT, CLIMB, PADDLE, BIKE, RUN, SWIM, RUN, REPEAT, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SURF, PADDLE, REPEAT RUN, SKI, PADDLE, CLIMB, BIKE, SWIM

Go to the EVENTS page on our website for more information and direct links to each event. Confirm dates and details with event producers.

BIKING

FEBRUARY

11 — Tour de Palm Springs / Coachella Valley / TourDePalmSprings.com

11 — The BMC Rock Cobbler / Bakersfield / RockCobbler.com

17 - 19 — Mob N Mojave / Boulder City, NV / BootlegCanyonRacing.com

18 — Cantua Creek Road Race / Coalinga / VeloPromo.com

18 — Camino Real Double Century / Lake Forest / PlanetUltra.com

19 — Pine Flat Road Race / Piedra / VeloPromo.com

25 — Snelling Road Race / Snelling / VeloPromo.com

25 — Huffmaster / Maxwell / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com

26 — MTB Madness / Folsom Lake SRA / XC MTB race / TotalBodyFitness.com

26 — Original Merced Criterium / Merced / VeloPromo.com

MARCH

4 — Solvang Century Reboot / Solvang / PlanetUltra.com

4 — Shasta Gravel Hugger / Montague / GravelHugger.com

4 — Wards Ferry Road Race / Sonora / VeloPromo.com

5 — Copper Valley Circuit Race / Copperopolis / VeloPromo.com

11 — Sherwood / Willits to Fort Bragg / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com

12 — MTB Showdown / Folsom Lake SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

18 — Solvang Double Century / Buellton / 200 mi & 200 km / PlanetUltra.com

19 — Ride & Walk 4 Art / Valley Springs / RideandWalk4Art.com

20 — 25 — Solvang Spring Tour / Solvang / PlanetUltra.com

25 — Sagebrush Safari / Campo / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

26 — MTB Throwdown / Folsom Lake SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

26 — Santa Cruz Classic Criterium / Santa Cruz / VeloPromo.com

APRIL

1 — Fish Rock / Boonville / BikeMonkey.net

1 — Marinduro / Fairfax / Marinduro.com

8 — Copperopolis Road Race / Milton / VeloPromo.com

8 — Mulholland Challenge & Double Century / Agoura Hills / PlanetUltra.com

15 — Lake Sonoma / Lake Sonoma / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com

15 — Bike Around the Buttes / Sutter / BikeAroundTheButtes.com

15 — Cinderella Classic & Challenge / Livermore / ValleySpokesmen.org/ CinderellaClassic

16 — Belgian Waffle Ride California / San Marcos / BelgianWaffleRide.bike

22 — Levi’s GranFondo / Windsor / BikeMonkey.net

22 — Tierra Bella Bicycle Tour / Southern Santa Clara County / TierraBella.org

22 — Mt. Laguna Classic / Pine Valley / PlanetUltra.com

23 — The Campagnolo Gran Fondo San Diego / San Diego / sdgranfondo.com

23 — Primavera Century / Fremont / Ffbc.org/Primavera

27 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series, #1 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

29 — Six Sigma Hopper / Lower Lake / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com

29 — The Boob Ride / Orange County and San Diego / TheBoobRide.org

29 — Ridge to Bridge / Marin / RidgeTrail.org/events

29 - 30 — Chico Velo Wildflower Century / Chico / WildflowerCentury.org

MAY

4 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series, #2 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

6 — Delta Century / Lodi / StocktonBikeClub.org/deltacentury

6 — Wine Country Century / Santa Rosa / winecountrycentury.com

7 — Grizzly Peak Century / Moraga / Grizz.org/century

11 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series, #3 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

13 — Central Coast Double Century / Paso Robles / CentralCoastDouble.com

THE 2023 RACE & EVENT CALENDAR

2023 RACE & EVENT CALENDAR

Go

CONFIRM DATES AND DETAILS WITH EVENT PRODUCERS.

28 — The Art of Survival Century / Dorris / SurvivalCentury.com

JUNE

4 — America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride / Lake Tahoe / TeamInTraining.org

4 — Regalado Road Race / Oakdale / VeloPromo.com

17 — Lake Tahoe MTB Race / Tahoe / AdventureSportsWeekTahoe.com

17 - 24 — Sierra to the Sea Bicycle Tour / Tahoe to SF / SierraToTheSea.org

13 — I Care Classic Bike Tour / San Jose / ICareClassic.org

13 — Chain Smoker / Las Vegas, NV / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

18 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series, #4 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

19 - 21 — Grinduro / Shasta / Grinduro.com

20 — Groveland Grind / Groveland / GrovelandTrailHeads.org

20 — Georgetown Enduro / Georgetown / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com

20 — Stetina’s Paydirt / Carson City, NV / StetinasPaydirt.com

21 — Strawberry Fields Forever Ride / Watsonville / StrawberryFields.org

27 — Heartbreak Hundred and Double Century / Los Padres National Forest / PlanetUltra.com

1 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series, #5 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

3 — Ojai Valley Century / Ojai / OjaiValleyCentury.org

3 — Wente / Willits / RaceWente.com

3 — Eastern Sierra Double Century / Bishop / PlanetUltra.com

3 — Gold Country Cycling Challenge Road & Gravel Ride / Nevada City / RotaryGoldCountryChallenge.com

3 — LaGrange Classic / Weaverville / TrinityTrailAlliance.com

3 - 4 — Lost and Found Gravel Grinder/ Festival / Portola / SierraTrails.org/ events

4 — The Sequoia / Los Altos Hills / WesternWheelersBicycleClub. wildapricot.org/Sequoia

4 - 10 — AIDS LifeCycle / Santa Monica / AIDSLifeCycle.org

8 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series, #6 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

10 — Tour of Two Forests Double Century / Santa Clarita / PlanetUltra. com

10 — Giro di San Diego / Escondido / GiroDiSanDiego.com

10 — Truckee Tahoe Gravel / Truckee / BikeMonkey.net

10 — Fears, Tears, & Beers / Ely, NV / ElyNevada.net/fears-tears-and-beers

15 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series, #7 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

17 —TerribleTwo / Sebastopol / srcc.com

17 — Climb to Kaiser / Clovis / FresnoCycling.com/Climb-to-Kaiser

22 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series, #8 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

24 — Ruby Roubaix: Gravel Fondo / Lamoille, NV / RubyRoubaix.com

24 — Giro Bello / Sebastopol / GiroBello.com

24 — China Peak Enduro / Lakeshore / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com

24-25 — Bike MS: LA Coastal Challenge / Santa Monica / BikeMS.org

JULY

2 — Leesville Road Race / Williams / VeloPromo.com

8 — Watsonville Criterium / Watsonville / VeloPromo.com

15 — Tour of the California Alps / Markleeville / DeathRide.com

2023 RACE & EVENT CALENDAR

Go to the EVENTS page on our website for more information and direct links to events.

CONFIRM DATES AND DETAILS WITH EVENT PRODUCERS.

15 — Mt Shasta Enduro / McCloud / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com

29 — Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge / Santa Cruz / SantaCruzMountainsChallenge.com

AUGUST

5 — Tour de Big Bear / Big Bear Lake / BigBearCycling.com

5 — Warnerville Time Trial / Knights Ferry / VeloPromo.com

6 — Patterson Pass Road Race / Tracy / VeloPromo.com

12 — Dunnigan Hills Road Race / Dunnigan / VeloPromo.com

13 — Suisun Harbor Criterium / Suisun City / VeloPromo.com

19 — San Ardo Road Race / San Ardo / VeloPromo.com

19 — Cool Breeze Century / Ventura / CoolBreezeCentury.com

19 – 20 — Northstar Enduro / Truckee / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com

20 — University Road Race / Santa Cruz / VeloPromo.com

26 — Winters Road Race / Winters / VeloPromo.com

SEPTEMBER

2 — Tour de Fuzz / Santa Rosa / TourDeFuzz.org

2 — Athlone Time Trial / Merced County / VeloPromo.com

4 — Giro di San Francisco / San Francisco / VeloPromo.com

9 — Mammoth Gran Fondo / Mammoth Lakes / MammothGranFondo.com

9 — Race the Rails / Ely, NV / ElyNevada.net/Race-The-Rails

9 — Lassen Gravel Adventure / Susanville / BizzRunningCompany.com

11 — Rock Cobbler & Pebble Cobbler / Bakersfield / RockCobbler.com

16 — Tour of the Unknown Coast / Ferndale / TUCcycle.org

17 — Eroica California / Cambria / Eroica.cc

17 — Oakland Grand Prix / Oakland / VeloPromo.com

22 - 24 — Silver State 508 / Reno, NV / the508.net

23 — Henleyville Road Race / Corning / VeloPromo.com

23 — Coyote Classic XC Series #1 / Boulder City, NV / BootlegCanyonRacing.com

30 — Ashland Mountain Challenge / Ashland, OR / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com

30 — Sacramento Century / Sacramento / SacramentoCentury.com

30 - Oct 7 — California Coast Classic / SF to LA / Events.Arthritis.org

OCTOBER

TBD — Usal Lost Coast / Mendo. Cty. / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com

TBD — The 3F Century (Flat Fast Fun Bike Ride) / Colusa / 3FCentury.com

1 — Tour de Cure: Northern California / Rohnert Park / Tour.Diabetes.org

7 — Best of the Bay Double Century / Orinda / CherryCityCyclists.org

7 — Big Bear MTB Gran Fondo / Big Bear Lake / BBVrace.com

7 — Best of the Bay Double Century / Orinda / CherryCityCyclists.org

7 — Heart of Gold / Nevada City / BikeMonkey.net

14 — Asti Tour de Vine / Asti / AstiTourDeVine.com

14 - 15 — Hammer Road Rally / Shaver Lake / BikeMonkey.net

21 — Ride Santa Barbara 100 / Santa Barbara / RideSB100.com

21 — Tour de Lincoln / Lincoln / TourDeLincoln.org

21 — Coyote Classic XC Series #2 / Boulder City, NV / BootlegCanyonRacing.com

2023 Race & Event Calendar 2023 RACE & EVENT CALENDAR

Go to the EVENTS page on our website for more information and direct links to events. CONFIRM DATES AND DETAILS WITH EVENT PRODUCERS.

BIKING, cont.

OCTOBER

28 — Bovine Classic Gravel Ride / Atascadero & Paso Robles / TheBovineClassic.com

28 — Filthy 50+ / San Diego / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

NOVEMBER

4 — Solvang Autumn Metric and Half Century / Buellton / PlanetUltra.com

11 — Tour de Foothills / Upland / TourDeFoothills.com

11 - 12 — DVO Race the Face Enduro / Boulder City, NV / BootlegCanyonRacing.com

18 — Death Valley Century / Death Valley National Park / PlanetUltra.com

DECEMBER

2 — Dirty 30 / Lakeside / QuickNDirtyMTB.com

2 — Coyote Classic XC Series #3 / Boulder City, NV / BootlegCanyonRacing.com

3 — E-Dirty Cross / Lakeside / QuicknDirtyMTB.com

9 — DVO Blue Diamond Enduro / Blue Diamond, NV / BootlegCanyonRacing.com

RUNNING

FEBRUARY

4 — Jed Smith Ultras / Sacramento / BuffaloChips.com/JedSmith

11 — Escape from Folsom 10 Miler & 5K / Folsom Lake SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

25 — Lost Trail 5K & Half Marathon / Granite Beach, Folsom Lake SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

25 — Almond Blossom Run / Ripon / OnYourMarkEvents.com

26 — Surfer’s Path 10K/5K / Santa Cruz & Capitola / RunSurfersPath.com

MARCH

4 — Way Too Cool 50K / Cool / NorCalUltras.com

5 — Chinese New Year Run / San Francisco / OnYourMarkEvents.com

11 — Chanoko 50K, 31K, 5 mile Trail Runs / Folsom Lake SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

11 - 12 — Shamrock’n Half, 5K, 10K, Leprechaun Dash / Sacramento / ShamrocknHalf.com

12 — St. Patrick’s Day 5K / Downtown Santa Rosa / SRcity.org

18 — Badwater Cape Fear / Bald Head Island, NC / exquisite natural setting / Badwater.com

18 — Napa Valley Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K / Calistoga / Envirosports.com

18 — Turkey Vulture Stretch 5K / Ely, NV / ElyNevada.net

18 — She.Is.Beautiful 5K & 10K / Santa Cruz / RunSheIsBeautiful.com

25 — Seize the Moment Run for Epilepsy / Crocker Park, Sacramento / STMrun.com

25 — Golden Gate Headlands Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K / Sausalito / Envirosports.com

25 — Blood, Sweat, & Beers / Boulder City, NV / DesertDash.com

25 — The Mighty Dog Trail Runs / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

APRIL

1 — American River 50 Mile Endurance Run / Sacramento to Auburn / ar50mile.com

15 — Mt. Tam Wild Boar Half Marathon & 10K / Mt. Tamalpais State Park / Envirosports.com

22 — Romancing the Island Half Marathon & 10K / Angel Island State Park / Envirosports.com

29 — Ridge to Bridge / Marin / RidgeTrail.org/events

3 epic routes on the border of Yosemite

National Park.

3 epic routes on the border of Yosemite National Park.

routes on the border of

Yosemite National Park.

3 epic routes on the border of Yosemite National Park.

The Groveland Trail Heads mountain biking club brings back this unique fundraising cycling event for its second year. The Groveland Grind is a multi-terrain adventure ride at Yosemite

The Groveland Trail Heads mountain biking club brings back this unique fundraising cycling event for its second year. The Groveland Grind is a multi-terrain adventure ride at Yosemite

may 18, 2019

3 epic routes on the border of Yosemite National Park.

3 epic routes on the border of Yosemite National Park. Groveland Trail Heads mountain biking club brings back unique fundraising cycling event for its second year. The Groveland Grind is a multi-terrain adventure ride at Yosemite National Park’s doorstep.

The Groveland Trail Heads mountain biking club brings back this unique fundraising cycling event for its second year. The Groveland Grind is a multi-terrain adventure ride at Yosemite

The Groveland Trail Heads mountain biking club brings back this unique fundraising cycling event for its second year. The Groveland Grind is a multi-terrain adventure ride at Yosemite

will experience everything the majestic Stanislaus National Forest has to offer including grinding climbs, challenging terrain, and some amazing views.

The Groveland Trail Heads mountain biking club brings back this unique fundraising cycling event for its second year. The Groveland Grind is a multi-terrain adventure ride at Yosemite National Park’s doorstep.

this unique fundraising cycling event. The Groveland Grind is a mixed-terrain adventure ride at Yosemite National Park’s doorstep with three challenging routes to choose from. Riders will experience everything the majestic Stanislaus National Forest has to offer including grinding climbs, challenging terrain, and some amazing views!.

Riders will experience everything the majestic Stanislaus National Forest has to offer including grinding climbs, challenging terrain, and some amazing views.

3 epic routes on the border of Yosemite National Park. The Groveland Trail Heads mountain biking club brings back this unique fundraising cycling event for its second year. The Groveland Grind is a multi-terrain adventure ride at Yosemite Riders will experience everything the majestic Stanislaus National Forest has to offer including grinding climbs, challenging terrain, and some amazing views.

Riders will experience everything the majestic Stanislaus National Forest has to offer including grinding climbs, challenging terrain, and some amazing views.

Riders will experience everything the majestic Stanislaus National Forest has to offer including grinding climbs, challenging terrain, and some amazing views.

Riders will experience everything the majestic Stanislaus National Forest has to offer including grinding climbs, challenging terrain, and some amazing views.

info and registration

Riders will experience everything the majestic Stanislaus National Forest has to offer including grinding climbs, challenging terrain, and some amazing views.

info and registration

info and registration

info and registration

info and registration

INFO AND REGISTRATION

www.grovelandtrailheads.org

www.grovelandtrailheads.org

GrovelandTrailHeads.org

www.grovelandtrailheads.org

info and registration

www.grovelandtrailheads.org

info and registration

www.grovelandtrailheads.org

Facebook.com/GrovelandTrailHeads

www.facebook.com/GrovelandTrailHeads

www.facebook.com/GrovelandTrailHeads

www.facebook.com/GrovelandTrailHeads

www.grovelandtrailheads.org

www.facebook.com/GrovelandTrailHeads

www.facebook.com/GrovelandTrailHeads

www.grovelandtrailheads.org

www.facebook.com/GrovelandTrailHeads

www.facebook.com/GrovelandTrailHeads

APRIL

29 — American River Parkway Half / Carmichael / ParkwayHalf.com

29 - 30 — Badwater Salton Sea / Borrego Springs / Badwater.com

30 — Big Sur International Marathon / Big Sur / BigSurMarathon.org

MAY

6 — Miwok 100K / Stinson Beach / Miwok100K.com

7 — Fair Oaks Sun Run / Fair Oaks / FairOaksSunRun.com

13 — Paiute Meadows Trail Run / Susanville / BizzRunningCompany.com

13 — Mermaid Run East Bay / Vallejo / MermaidSeries.com

13 — Dirty Secret Trail Run / Cool / DirtySecretTrailRun.com

13 — Muir Woods Marathon, Half Marathon, & 7 Mile / Stinson Beach / Envirosports.com

13 — Quicksilver Endurance Runs

- 100K & 50K / San Jose / QuicksilverRunning.com

20 - 21 — Bishop High Sierra Ultras / Bishop / BishopUltras.com

21 — Gold Country Half Marathon & 5K / El Dorado Hills / GoldCountryRun. com

21 — Surfer’s Path Half Marathon / Santa Cruz & Capitola / RunSurfersPath.com

27 — Armed Forces Half Marathon / Concord / ArmedForcesHalf.com

JUNE

2 - 3 — Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay Run Adventure / Reno-Tahoe / RenoTahoeOdyssey.com

4 — Women’s Fitness Festival / Sacramento / WomensFitnessFestival.com

10 — Olympic Valley Half and 8 Miler / Olympic Valley / OlympicValleyHalf.com

17 — Rock Tahoe Half Marathon / Lake Tahoe, NV / EpicTahoe.com

18 — Burton Creek Trail Runs / Tahoe City / 6K, 12K, Half Marathon / TahoeTrailRunning.com

24 - 25 — Western States 100 / Olympic Valley / wser.org

JULY

4 — Run to the Beach LakeTahoe 5K & 10K / Tahoe Vista / TahoeTrailRunning.com

4 - 6 — Badwater 135 / Furnace Creek & Lone Pine / Badwater.com

16 — Big Chief 50K / Tahoe / BigBlueAdventure.com

22 - 23 — San Francisco Marathon / SF / TheSFMarathon.com

23 — Blood, Sweat & Beers / Auburn / BloodSweatBeers.com

29 — Truckee Half Marathon & 5K / Truckee / BigBlueAdventure.com

AUGUST

5 — Ward Mountain Trail Run / Ely, NV / ElyNevada.net

5 — Angel Island Half Marathon & 10K / Angel Island State Park / Envirosports.com

13 — Marlette 50K & 10 Miler / Spooner Lake, Tahoe / BigBlueAdventure.com

27 — Good Dog - Dirty Dog 5K/10K / Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com

SEPTEMBER

2 — She Rocks the Trails / Auburn / NorCalUltras.com

10 — Buffalo Stampede / Sacramento / BuffaloStampedeRun.com

16 — Emerald Bay Trail Run / Lake Tahoe / BigBlueAdventure.com

17 — XTERRA Lake Tahoe 5K and 10K / Incline Village, NV / TahoeTrailRunning.com

2023 RACE & EVENT CALENDAR

23 — Mermaid Run San Francisco / Golden Gate Bridge / 5K, 10K, Sirena 10 Mile, Virtual / MermaidSeries.com

23 — Gold Rush Growler 10 Mile & 5K Trail Runs / Granite Beach / TotalBodyFitness.com

30 — Big Sur Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 5 Mile / Big Sur / Envirosports.com

30 - Oct 1 — Urban Cow Half Marathon, Relay & 5K Run/Walk / Sacramento / UrbanCowHalf.com

30 - Oct 1 — United Airlines Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose / San Jose / RunRocknRoll.com/san-jose

OCTOBER

7 - 8 — Bizz Johnson Marathon Events / Susanville / BizzRunningCompany.com

15 — Wahine 10K / 6K / Capitola / RunSurfersPath.com

28 — Napa Fall Wine Country

Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K / Calistoga / Envirosports.com

NOVEMBER

4 — Rio Del Lago 100 Mile Endurance Run / Folsom / NorCalUltras.com

10 - 12 — Monterey Bay Half Marathon / Monterey Bay / MontereyBayHalfMarathon.org

DECEMBER

2 — Death Valley Trail Marathon and Half Marathon / Death Valley National Park / Envirosports.com

3 — California International Marathon / Folsom / RunCIM.org

16 — Bootlegger 25K/50K / Boulder City, NV / DesertDash.com

SKIING

FEBRUARY

26 — Alpenglow 10K & 20K Race / Tahoe XC / TahoeXC.org

MARCH

5 — The Great Ski Race / Tahoe City / TheGreatSkiRace.com

11-12 — 50th Annual Bjornloppet / Bear Valley / BVadventures.com

25 – 26 — Luggi Foeger Uphill/ Downhill Festival & SkiMo Race / Diamond Peak / DiamondPeak.com/ events

26 — Sierra Skoggsloppet XC Fun Ski Race / Truckee / TahoeDonner.com

APRIL

2 — Mammoth Marathon / Tamarack Lodge, Mammoth Lakes / FarWestNordic.org

8 — Caldera Burn / Mammoth Lakes / MammothMountain.com/caldera-burn

16 — Billy Dutton Uphill / Palisades / FarWestNordic.org

SWIMMING

JUNE

24 — Tahoe City Swim / Tahoe City / TahoeSwimming.com

JULY

23 — Alpine Fresh Water Swim / Truckee Donner Lake / TahoeSwimming.com

AUGUST

13 — Tahoe Sharkfest Swim / Incline Village, NV / SharkFestSwim.com

26 — Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim / San Francisco / 1.5mi from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park / SharkFestSwim.com

28 — Lake Tahoe Open Water Swim / Tahoe / TahoeSwimming.com

SEPTEMBER

2 — Golden Gate Bridge Swim / San Francisco / WaterWorldSwim.com

2023 Race & Event Calendar 2023 RACE & EVENT CALENDAR

SWIMMING, cont.

SEPTEMBER

23 — Alcatraz Invitational / San Francisco / 1.27mi open water swim / SERC.com

24 — Alcatraz Swim with the Centurions / San Francisco / WaterWorldSwim.com

30 — San Francisco Bay Area Swim / San Francisco / SwimAcrossAmerica.org

OCTOBER

21 — San Diego Sharkfest Swim / San Diego Harbor / SharkFestSwim.com

FEBRUARY

11 — Double Duathlon & Happy Kids Duathlon #2 / Folsom Lake / TotalBodyFitness.com

25 — Happy Kids Duathlon #3 / Folsom Lake / TotalBodyFitness.com

MARCH

11 — Pasadena Triathlon, Duathlon, & Angel 5K / PasadenaTriathlon.com

25 — Happy Kids Duathlon #4 / Folsom Lake / TotalBodyFitness.com

APRIL

1 — IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside (Charity entry for CAF) / ChallengedAthletes.org/events/ ironman-70-3-california

30 — Orange County Tri Series / Lake Mission Viejo / OCTriSeries.com

MAY

13 — Folsom Lake International Triathlon / Folsom Lake / TotalBodyFitness.com

21 — Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon / UVAS Reservoir / USAPevents.com

JUNE

10 — TRI for REAL / Rancho Seco Park, Herald / TotalBodyFitness.com

24 — Tahoe Off-Road Triathlon / Tahoe City / AdventureSportsWeekTahoe.com

JULY

8 — TRI for REAL Triathlon #2 / Herald / TotalBodyFitness.com

9 — TRI for FUN Triathlon #2 / Herald / TotalBodyFitness.com

15 — Great American Triathlon / Sacramento / GreatAmericanTriathlon.com

22 - 23 — Donner Lake Triathlon / Truckee / DonnerLakeTri.com

AUGUST

6 — Tri Santa Cruz / Santa Cruz / FinishLineProduction.com

12 — TRI for REAL Triathlon #3 / Rancho Seco Park, Herald / TotalBodyFitness.com

13 — TRI for FUN Triathlon #3 /Herald / TotalBodyFitness.com

26 — Granite Bay Triathlon / Folsom Lake / TotalBodyFitness.com

26 – 27 — Lake Tahoe Triathlon / Lake Tahoe / BigBlueAdventure.com

SEPTEMBER

10 — Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz / Santa Cruz / Ironman.com

17 — Pacific Coast Triathlon & Duathlon / Crystal Cove State Park / OCTriSeries.com

17 — XTERRA Lake Tahoe / Village Green, NV / BigBlueAdventure.com

24 — Santa Cruz Triathlon / Santa Cruz / SantaCruzTriathlon.org

OCTOBER

7 — T9 Mermaid Tri & Du / Capitola / MermaidSeries.com

22 — San Diego Triathlon Challenge / San Diego / ChallengedAthletes.org

Expertly balancing protection and performance, the Khroma range is for those who dream big and ski hard. Engineered for self-propelled backcountry skiers and dedicated ski mountaineers, Khroma is equipped for everything from steep ascents, to technical couloirs and exposed faces.