C&C on the Move

This past weekend we traveled to McCall, Idaho to participate in the two day Northwest Passage Ski Mountaineering Race. Friday's race consisted of a 1600ft vertical race and Saturday a traditional ski mountaineering race with 5500 ft of vertical. 

The weather was so brutally cold that I didn't get any photos from the mountain. Here's a shot from the lodge. I ended up purchasing this Mammut skirt Friday prior to the race just to keep my tush and legs warm over my race suit....it was THAT cold. 

Here are a few shots from Friday's vertical race. I'm at the base of the climb to the far left. It wasn't a stellar performance, but given my lack of training, I was just happy that I didn't finish last. 

 This look is called "cold, tired and I live at sea level".

Saturday morning the temperatures were reading as low as -27 on our car, and at the start the temp was still ten to twenty degrees below zero. My younger self would have joined my amazing and slightly crazy husband....

photo courtesy of Eric Hoff

But my older, wiser self decided to stay in the warmth of my cozy bed at the Shore Lodge. Let's talk about the Shore Lodge. I had not stayed in this hotel in well over a decade, and only in the summer, so I didn't have any expectations going into it. 

The Lodge sits right on Payette Lake with spectacular views. Here are a few photos I took. 

And some from the hotel's Facebook page. The lodge in winter...

And in summer.

The cozy fireplace in the lobby.

And one of the rooms. Did I mention how cozy the beds were? I'm very particular about bed linens, pillows and mattresses, and these did not disappoint!

From the moment we arrived we were treated with only the highest level of service and hospitality. At the check-in desk they had a tray with a caprese bruschetta (which the second night was a pastry puff filled with a tasty fruit compote). Each night at turn-down we found a freshly baked treat next to the bed (oatmeal raisin cookie and rice crispy treat). Our dog was welcomed to the hotel with a food and water bowl and dog biscuits. And every....yes EVERY member of the hotel staff that we encountered was friendly and helpful. I would easily equate the level of service to that of the Ritz Carlton.

Friday before our race the Mini and I decided to check out the heated outdoor pool.

We had a great time swimming despite the crazy cold temperatures.

At the end of our very short stay (2 nights), the Mini said "I really like this resort. Can we come back here again?" Of course my heart will always be in my hometown of Sun Valley, but McCall and the Shore Lodge has made an imprint that will have us coming back for more. I didn't even have a chance to visit their incredible The Cove spa, so a return trip is definitely in order. 

As far as restaurants....we went to the Fogglifter Cafe three times in two days. It reminded me a lot of Java (in Ketchum) with great coffee, baked goods, breakfast and lunch food. We also had dinner at the Salmon River Brewery. I had a delicious steak salad, and they had a great selection of beers. Stacey Cakes came highly recommended, but we didn't have a chance to get there. I guess we have something to look forward to for our next trip. 

So if you find yourself looking for a fantastic winter or summer getaway, I highly recommend the Shore Lodge. 

C&C on the Move

It's been a while since I've recapped my travels on the blog, so I thought I would share with you the details of my adventure this past weekend!

My husband and I recently took up alpine touring/randonnee skiing, which is when you use a special alpine touring binding that allows the heel to be clipped down for more support when skiing downhill, and allows it to be released to swing resistance-free from the toe when climbing uphill. 

Anyway, since my +1 can't just dabble in sports, he decided we needed to sign up for a ski mountaineering race. "What is a ski mountaineering race you ask?" Competitive ski mountaineering is typically a timed racing event that follows an established trail through challenging winter alpine terrain while passing through a series of checkpoints. Think adventure racing on skis. 

It involves crampons, climbing harnesses, ascenders and via ferrata (pajamas discouraged). 

We traveled to Brighton Utah this past weekend to take part in the Wasatch Powderkeg, a two day race including an individual race on Saturday and a team race on Sunday. This sport requires a lot of gear, but some of it can be "cute", i.e. my new pink race suit!

Here is a description of Sunday's race. The blue= uphill climbing on skis, the yellow= uphill climbing in boots (carrying skis), and the red= skiing downhill. That's 8600 ft of vertical ascent over 14 miles.

 Here's a picture of the highest peak from the race. It's around 11,000 Ft.

And here's a photo of the Elite field taking off in Saturday's race.

I chose to race in the "Rec" field since it was my first time competing. It consisted of 3500ft elevation gain over 6.5 miles. It took me 2 hours and 11 minutes to complete, and I ended up in a 3rd place despite making a few rookie mistakes...i.e. losing the course and nearly sliding down the mountain (thankfully I grabbed a tree and pulled myself back up before taking an epic plunge).

I was really proud to be on the podium next to women who live at altitude and train regularly on snow, especially since my training and preparation was less than adequate.

Here we are...happy and tired after day one of racing! Since this is a "fashion" blog of sorts, I'd be remiss not to tell you where you can get my headband. it's the Dynafit Leopard Logo headband, and you can get one here! 

Day 2 brought blizzard conditions resulted in the cancellation of the team race. I was bummed, but I was also relieved. I was fatigued from day one of racing and feeling the effects of altitude, so I knew that the team race was going to be extremely challenging for me.

So what to do when your race is canceled? Drink coffee and eat cookies, of course!

I highly recommend checking out The Rose Establishment next time you are in Salt Lake City. It has a super cool atmosphere and great food.

Here are my other two recommendations for dining in the SLC area. 

Lone Star Taqueria- located just near the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon, this place has the most amazing tacos. We actually ate here twice over the weekend. It's that good! 

Ruth's Diner- Unfortunately we didn't make it to Ruth's this trip, but I ate there regularly when I lived in Salt Lake.  It has been an institution in the city since 1930. 

And the biscuits...I dream about the biscuits and the jam. Every diner gets to enjoy them (think of it like table bread), and they are mouth watering! 

Probably best to be consumed after a day of ski mountaineering! :)