Skiing

I can't think of anything I would rather do than ski. I started skiing seriously after a trip to Purgatory with my friend John Lowe in 1998. He's a true expert and while I was skiing with him I decided that I would really learn how to ski. I then purchased the first skis of my own in many, many years and started skiing with Dale, a friend from work and a good skier. On my first day with him he gave me some good advice as we were standing on the lip of a double black chute called "Devil's Crotch" at Breckenridge. He said "After this, everything else will look flat!" He was right, and I still think about that every time I ski. Now Teri and I ski most winter weekends and usually take a few special trips to find great conditions around the west. We've even skied in Chile during the early fall (Chile's Spring). Ironically, we have difficulty finding people who can ski well enough to hang with us, and I really never see people our age skiing the steeps, crud, and deep powder that we love.

We really enjoy our little hill in Los Alamos (Pajarito Mountain), and some other small places such as Monarch and Wolf Creek in Colorado. Utah is great, but we think Steamboat Springs is hard to beat. Tahoe is fun, but usually the crowds and prices are a bit much.

I've become something of a ski gear-head. Unfortunately this has led to a need for better and newer equipment, and that means $$$. Oh well, I guess there are more decadent hobbies.

Keeping in Shape

I always feel better when I'm in decent physical condition and last year my wife Teri and I trained for and ran the Las Vegas Marathon. Unfortunately, my mother died not long before the marathon date and her funeral was held the day before the race. We rushed off to Vegas, but I think we would have done a little better without the stress of a crazy weekend. Anyway, during marathon training last fall, I started to workout in the pool as a sort of cross-training idea. Now my swimming is becoming a focus and I'm starting to feel like my old self (only a lot older and slower) in the water. We're also training for the Valle Caldera Marathon on June 13th, so the running is now a major element of our day. I do some strength work too, so I think I can say that my fitness level is pretty high right now. I'm trying to drop some weight to make the running easier, but it will be muscle that I'll lose - not much fat left. After this marathon, I think I'll shift my focus on the swimming and just run on the mountain trails around here as an enjoyable cross-training activity. Teri wants to run the St. George Marathon in October, and she put our names in the lottery for that race. If my name is picked I think I'll have to really psyche myself up for the training. It's difficult to work, do the church jobs, keep up with family, and be really serious about training and working out - but it helps with my mental state.

Rattlesnake Kills Dude, Our Little Jack Russell

Saturday, May 17, 2008, my wife and I went on a trail run down to the Rio Grande. The trail we took was the Ancho Rapid Trail. The river was very high and the rapids were spectacular. We spent about 40 minutes at the river and threw sticks for our dog "Dude." On the way back up the trial we met 3 hikers who warned us about a large western diamondback on the trial about 300 yards ahead. I picked up Dude and started walking back up the steep trail. We thought we had passed the location of the snake, but suddenly I heard a loud hiss and then rattling. I instinctively stepped backward and looked for the snake. It was a large, rust colored diamondback; probably close to 5 feet long and quite heavy in the body. The snake was very agitated although we had done nothing to disturb it other than our unknowing approach. The snake was coiled up, in defensive posture, right on the trail.

We looked at the snake for a minute, then I took a long stick and moved it well off the trail, down-slope about 30 feet. I didn't see where it went from there. My wife Teri was holding Dude at the time. We started back up the trail and after a while I put Dude down so we could start running again. As soon as he hit the ground Dude made a u-turn and beelined back to the location of the snake. Teri and I were yelling at him - NO! STOP! NO DUDE! And I chased him, throwing rocks to change his direction, but he was on the very steep and rocky slope and I was too far behind. He found the snake and just as I came on him it struck him in the head as he put his nose close to it. He gave a yelp and retreated up to Teri

Within 30 seconds he was in pain and Teri saw fang marks on his upper left lip, and one large one just in front of his left eye. I carried him out about 2.5 miles, but by the time we got to the car he was in serious trouble and his head was very swollen. He was salivating heavily, gasping, and some body functions were uncontrolled. We drove to the vet, but he convulsed, stopped breathing and died in the parking lot about 50 minutes after being bitten. I think he knew the end was coming, because just before he died, he sat up, and stood in his usual place between the 2 front bucket seats before collapsing.

Later, the veterinarian wondered why Dude died so quickly and she did a post mortum exam. She found that the fang that entered his lip had broken off, probably when Dude jerked away, and had pierced his tonsil, deep in his throat. The fang was obviously filled with venom and this caused his throat to rapildy swell, cutting off his airway. The vet said it was a very freak thing to have the fang break off and lodge in his throat. Dude could also have been trying to bite the snake. The vet remarked that the fang she removed from Dude's throat was very large.

Dude was 7 years old and our almost constant companion and we loved him. He was loyal, happy, and friendly to everyone. He wanted to be with, or more accurately, be on the lap of someone all the time. He demanded constant attention and was always the center of any action at the house. His fault (maybe common to the Jack Russell), which I tried, but was unable to correct, was to tune-out our commands anytime he got focused on something he wanted. He got into trouble several times because of this, and this time it was fatal. I have since learned of a "rattlesnake vaccine" that could maybe have saved his life. Time, the fact that he was so small (15-17 lbs), and probably the large amount of venom, were all against us. In all our trail running, and hiking in New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado this was the first rattler we have encountered.

Beginnings

I'm really excited to create this blog so I can more easily keep track of events, thoughts, and ideas. If I get the time I might even do a little history; but for now I'll stick with the present.