As I’ve explained in the last two posts, yoga and skiing share in common the need for balance, flexibility and focus. 
Yoga helps cultivate these qualities, so it follows that practicing yoga can help improve ski technique. Think of yoga as insurance against injury and one of the best ways to improve your skills on the slopes. By being able to concentrate on your breathing, transitioning your movements with grace, and cultivating an awareness of body balance and alignment, any level of skier will get more out of their time on the mountain and be less injury prone.

This is the third installment in a six-week series designed to get your body ski-worthy so you can hit the mountain with confidence. These mini yoga-practices will target body parts that are critical to good form and technique, and when practiced together will stretch and strengthen these key areas in anticipation of the start of ski season.

Yoga’s Got Your Back

Our previous yoga and ski session focused on core work; it follows that next up is the back, to address opposing muscle groups. These two body areas go hand in hand — chances are, if you’ve got a weak core, your back isn’t strong, either. It’s a good idea to alternate core work with back work to balance things and simultaneously strengthen both places. Backbending poses have the added bonus of increasing spinal flexibility. With strong back muscles and a flexible spine, you’ll be all set to ski.

Try these yoga moves to increase your back’s strength and flexibility during ski season; aim for 3 to 4 times a week all winter.

CHILD’S POSE to COBRA
Position 1: Child’s Pose. Sit back on your heels, tops of feet flat on the floor. Reach your arms out in front of you with fingers spread wide and palms pressing into the floor. Rest your forehead on the floor (or if it doesn’t touch, let your head be heavy).

Position 2: Cobra. On an inhale, come forward with your upper body so that your hips touch the floor and your chest lifts. Your arms are close to your sides with elbows bent; be sure not to let your shoulders lift toward your ears. Move them down your back instead. On your exhale, return to Child’s Pose. Repeat this sequence 10 times, with 10 deep breaths.

DOWN DOG to UP DOG
Position 1: Down Dog. From Child’s Pose, tuck your toes under and lift your hips up and back. Press the floor away with your hands, keeping the fingers spread wide. Straighten your legs as much as possible and let your heels be heavy.

Position 2: Up Dog. On an inhale, come forward with your upper body, but don’t let your hips touch the floor. Keep your arms close to your sides with the elbows slightly bent (arms are mostly straight). Lift your gaze. On an exhale, move back to Down Dog. Repeat this sequence 10 times, with 10 deep breaths.

LOCUST
Lie on your stomach with your forehead on the floor, and your feet as close together as possible. Start to press your hips into the floor as you interlace your fingers behind you. On an inhale, lift everything up and tuck your chin in slightly; squeeze your hands together as you lift them away from your back. Use your inhales to keep lifting up, and your exhales to hold the lift. Float back down on your fifth exhale. Repeat and hold for another 5 deep breaths.

BOW
Lie on your stomach with your forehead on the floor. Bend your knees and reach back for the tops of your feet. Press your feet into your hands and let your legs do all the work to lift your upper body and thighs off the floor. Keep pushing your feet toward the ceiling. Float back down on your fifth exhale. Repeat and hold for another 5 deep breaths.

CAMEL
Version 1. Stand on your knees, with your feet and knees hips’ width apart. Take your hands to your lower back and fan your fingertips out. Press your hands into your back and lift through the chest; take your head back so that you are looking straight up at the ceiling. Hold for 5 deep breaths; come into Child’s Pose for a few breaths and then repeat.

Version 2. Stand on your knees, with your feet and knees hips’ width apart. Take your hands to your lower back and fan your fingertips out. Press your hands into your back and lift through the chest; drop your right hand to your ankle while keeping your left hand on your back. Hold for 5 deep breaths, then switch sides. Come into Child’s Pose for a few breaths and then repeat.

Version 3 (full pose). Stand on your knees, with your feet and knees hips’ width apart. Take your hands to your lower back and fan your fingertips out. Press your hands into your back and lift through the chest; take your head back so that you are looking straight up at the ceiling. Take both hands to your ankles, and let your head release back. Keep the hips moving forward as the chest lifts. Hold for 5 deep breaths; come into Child’s Pose for a few breaths and then repeat.

(Photos by Chris Hamilton)

• Ski Season Strengthening I: The 5 Warrior Warm-Up
• Ski Season Strengthening II: Core Work

Margaret Burns Vap is a Cloudveil Inspired Mountain Ambassador and the founder of Big Sky Yoga Retreats, offering yoga and outdoor fitness getaways in Big Sky and Bozeman, Mont. Visit www.bigskyyogaretreats.com for winter 2010 yoga and skiing retreat dates.

Off-season in Jackson Hole is bookended by a pair of ski movie premieres, starting with Teton Gravity Research’s much-anticipated debut in September.

Tonight Darrell Miller’s Storm Show Studios presents its latest, “Magic Moments,” before a typically rabid Friday the 13th crowd at Snow King Resort.

Miller, a Jackson Hole native, continues to keep it local, with all Teton-area riders and nearly all footage shot locally. Miller and mates had much to work with last winter, with avalanche drama and more than 500 inches of snowfall at the upper elevations of the Tetons.

Screenings are at 6 and 9 p.m. in the Snow King Grand Room. The after-party, which has produced some legendary ragers and is almost as anticipated as the premiere itself, will be at the Elks Club in Jackson. DJs Richie Beats, Mr. Whipple and Deejay Sessions will spin tunes to work the crowd into a froth.

In this trailer one can practically taste the powder. Although by now, I suspect, skiers and riders can make do with less stoke and more actual snow, so hungry are they to get after it.

Tickets are $15, available at the Cloudveil Store, Teton Village Sports, JH Wine Co. and The Liquor Store. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, and there will be a silent auction and raffle for the Brent Newton Memorial Foundation.

So as a snow leopard biologist I’m frequently asked the question, “Is it frustrating to study an animal that you might not ever see?”

I suppose I should start by saying that it’s true that these cats are incredibly difficult to see in the wild, even when you know they are there. They are so well camouflaged that they literally seem to disappear into their surroundings. A few weeks ago I gave a talk for a third-grade class at a local elementary school. The kids went wild when I showed them a photo and asked them to try to spot the snow leopard. Take a look at this photo and try it for yourself.

Did you find the snow leopard? If not, don’t worry. You’re in good company! None of the kids in the class could spot it, either. If you think you’ve found it, or have given up trying, take a peek at the photo below to see if you’re right. If you look closely you can just make out the cat’s face peering intently at you.

In case you’re wondering how in the world I managed to spot and photograph this snow leopard, it’s Aztai, the cat we radio-collared at our study site in Mongolia back in June. The photo was taken just after we released him when he had moved a short distance up the canyon.

For me, studying an animal this difficult to see just adds to their mystique and makes those rare occasions when you do see the cats all the more extraordinary. And I know I’m not alone in admiring snow leopards because of this sense of intrigue. The photo of Aztai inspired, Mia, one of the children in the class, to send me a drawing. I think she did an incredible job of depicting the elusive nature of the snow leopard that has captured the imagination of people for centuries.

Kim Murray is an Inspired Mountain Ambassador and assistant director of science for the Snow Leopard Trust. The group is working to conserve snow leopards by answering fundamental ecological questions about this elusive and little-studied cat.

October brought mostly wintry weather to Wyoming. It seems the local consensus is we missed both spring and fall. May and June were rainy, and October was colder than normal. We did have a few bluebird days, but most of the month was unsettled. It got the skiers excited and should help encourage holiday visitors. Mornings were cold. Eight degrees was a bit chilly for October.

I always enjoy this time of the year as I watch nature change and prepare for winter. Chipmunks have been quite visible and active. The squirrels are caching cones, and my favorite midden has quite a few. I plan to go back in the next week and check out the winter supplies. This ritual did seem early to me, with all the cones stored in September. I imagine that the squirrel knew October was going to be cold and unsettled.

I love to hear the sandhill cranes gathering and soaring above the clouds as they begin their fall migration. Teton Valley, Idaho, is one of the main stopovers for the cranes, so you can hear hundreds calling in the sky. It really is one of those awe-inspiring moments. The Sibley Guide to Birds describes their voice as “a loud, resonant, wooden rattle hkkkkk or hkarrrr, variable, a rolling bugle, typically a long, slightly descending roll, but some variation.” The sound is ethereal and prehistoric at the same time. They are large, graceful birds and a summer resident in this area. They always leave in October and resemble pterodactyls as they soar on the thermals. They will winter in the south, near Mexico.

Another fall indicator is the return of the elk to the National Elk Refuge, located on the outskirts of town. We actually have fewer elk on this feedground than in past seasons. The assumption seems to be that they have found sufficient forage farther north because of the wet spring, or they are more disturbed by hunters on the southern part of the refuge. According to the Oct. 24 biological update, there are only 25 elk on the southern part of the refuge. I did share Grand Teton National Park with some visitors this past month. It is always a thrill to watch the bull elk bugle and call in a harem of females. We saw a few large herds, which is a sure sign of fall.

Fall is also hunting season in the West and, unfortunately, a grizzly bear was shot. It happened to be the cub of our famous female, No. 399. She reared her cubs in the Jackson Lake Lodge area so visible to many. The hunter didn’t have bear spray and so used bullets to protect himself. There seems to be mixed reviews as to what exactly happened. The female grizzly was feeding on a moose carcass left by other hunters. She stood on her hind legs, which they often do because they have poor eyesight. Her size must have frightened the hunter and he felt threatened. He shot and killed her. She was 40 feet away but only 5 feet from the moose carcass. Was she just being curious or actually going to attack? We will never know, but bear spray has been proven to work with aggressive grizzlies. It might have been a better initial response and reinforces the need for bear safety awareness and the proper use of bear spray. Regardless, losing a breeding female hurts the stability of our bear population. Death is never easy.

It’s 8:30 a.m. and the sun is just rising over the Tetons. Since I live in Teton Valley, Idaho, west of Jackson Hole, our days start a bit later. It is 12 degrees outside and there is a dusting of snow from the last storm system. The air is crisp and dry and nature is quiet. A few chickadees are at my feeder, but most species are awaiting the sun. As it comes over the mountains, the sun glistens and dances with the ice on the branches. The day speaks of winter and the ongoing change of the season.

What’s in the woods:

10/1 — snow in the valley and mountains
10/2 — Grand Teton park: bison, pronghorn, flock of mountain bluebirds; Shadow Mountain: Clark’s nutcracker
10/3 — Puzzleface ranch: bald eagle in osprey nest; Munger Mountain: bull moose, flock of juncos
10/4 — Munger Mountain: great gray owl, Clark’s nutcracker, raven, magpie
10/8 — Victor, ID: red tail hawk, bald eagle
10/9 — Fox Creek: rose hips, sandhill cranes flocking
10/12 — rain/snow mix
10/16 — Victor, ID: sandhill cranes flocking
10/16 — Grand Teton National Park: herds of bison, herds of elk with male bugling, pronghorn, mountain bluebird, red tail hawk, mule deer, bull moose, beaver
10/17 — beautiful blue sky day, juncos, chickadee, magpie, white-breasted nuthatch
10/27 — snow in the yard
10/29 — Ely Springs: red fox

Tour Suggestion:

With fall migration, October and November are always great months to look for animals. A great drive is along the Gros Ventre Road off Highway 89/191 north of Jackson. You can find moose along the river bottoms and elk and bison in the sage flats. Inner park roads close Nov. 1, so you do have to plan your travel routes more carefully.

Choosing tour options is always a bit challenging with the season change. I like to hike when the ground is frozen so you don’t slog through the mud. Ski Lake is a great fall hike in the southern Tetons. It is above the valley floor and usually frozen by mid-November. It is accessible at the Phillips Pass trailhead off Highway 22. Once the snow gets a bit deeper in the high country, you can begin to ski. The top of Teton Pass is always a fun start to the season. You can ski south toward Black Canyon. I also like to walk my dogs on country roads. I like Fox Creek in Teton Valley because you can hear the water. I also like Game Creek south of Jackson, which also has the soothing sounds of water. I recommend seeing what the weather is doing, bundling up and heading out to explore. The great part is you never know what you might see!

Cathy Shill is the owner of Hole Hiking Experience.

Late October brings the peak of foliage season, cold nights and the last few days of fishing season. To squeeze in one more day on the river, I got in touch with an old friend, Rick Estes, a fishing guide here in New Hampshire and Maine. A few years back Rick retired from life as a Fish and Game officer, which is how I got to know him. His job with Fish and Game was to coordinate the search and rescue operations in the White Mountains. So we’ve spent a few nights out in the cold winter together carrying broken hikers off Mount Washington. Now Rick spends his winters tying flies and preparing for spring fishing, and sprucing up his drift boat for another season on the Androscoggin River.

I was lucky enough to catch Rick on the last week he was drifting the upper Androscoggin, during prime late fall fishing, and a nice stretch of New England autumn weather. I’ve waded a large part of this stretch of river, but to drift it on a boat is like night and day. The morning we meet up to launch the boat I noticed Rick was sporting a pair of Cloudveil wading pants. Being somewhat connected to this whole Cloudveil “thing,” I was curious to get an outsider’s view of the company. So as we rolled down the river I started to pick his brain on his wading pants, and the story came out something like this.

Hey Rick, how are those pants working out for ya? “They’re perfect for in the boat; I used to jump in and out with shorts and sandals, but it got way too cold, especially this time of year. The zipper fly makes life a lot easier after a few cups of coffee, instead of wrestling with chest waders.” Rick, I haven’t seen those around in this area; how did you find those? “Well, with all the rock snot and other invasive species heading our way, the camp I guide for thought we should have waders for the Upper Magalloway and Androscoggin River for guests. That way there’s no chance of someone bringing rock snot here.”

So Rick called a few big-name wader manufacturers – you know the ones that charge tons of money for the label. Each reply was sorry, can’t help. Turning to his friends in the climbing world, Rick got turned onto the Cloudveil guy that reps to some of the local shops. After a few quick phone calls Rick got in touch with the Cloudveil guys in Wyoming, and they offered to provide him a full line of sizes at a really good price. “It’s great to see how those guys were willing to help us out, particularly nowadays.”

Sure, there’s some value to having waders out there with the Cloudveil logo, but the big difference is that someone all the way over in Wyoming cared to help out a small guide service and lodge with a huge problem we all are facing. It’s no big cardboard check presented at a press conference; it’s just a quiet gesture that will go a long way to help protect a legendary watershed from the onslaught of rock snot and other invasions.

Thanks to the network of inspired employees, reps and customers for making this happen, and a big thanks to Rick for getting me out on the river and catching a few rainbows, and brookies before the end of the season!

Joe Klementovich is an Inspired Mountain Ambassador and photographer who lives in North Conway, N.H. Check out KlementovichPhoto.com to see more of his work.

What do yoga and skiing have in common? The need for balance, flexibility and focus. 
Yoga helps cultivate these qualities, so it follows that practicing yoga can help improve ski technique.

Let’s face it — we love skiing for its adrenaline rush. But the other side of this coin is the potential for injury. Think of yoga as insurance against injury and one of the best ways to improve your skills on the slopes. It does both by addressing your body’s imbalances and fostering strength and flexibility. Yoga also encourages a focus on the breath. By being able to concentrate on your breathing, transitioning your movements with grace, and cultivating an awareness of body balance and alignment, any level of skier will get more out of their time on the mountain and be less injury prone.

This is the second part of a six-week series designed to get your body ski-worthy so you can hit the mountain with confidence. These mini yoga-practices will target body parts that are critical to good form and technique, and when practiced together will stretch and strengthen these key areas in anticipation of the start of ski season.

Core Work: Twists and Abs

In both yoga and skiing, core strength is key. A strong, stable core allows us to control our movements with more precision. In skiing, a strong core will help take pressure off the knees, which typically end up bearing too much weight if the glutes, quads and back muscles are weak.

We’ve all seen this happen (and have probably done it once or twice, too): a skier jerking her upper body to turn, while her lower body remains facing the opposite direction — ouch. This person is disconnected from her center, which along with her knees and hips should be in the driver’s seat for a turn.

In yoga class an often-heard refrain is “draw your navel in towards your spine.” This helps cultivate an awareness of our core as the body’s center and source of stability. A skier needs to get her core under control to be stable and direct other body parts’ movements with precision, whether carving smooth S-turns on a groomer or reacting quickly to unexpected terrain.

Try these core-strengthening yoga moves to connect to your body’s center during ski season; aim for 3 to 4 times a week all winter.

TWISTED CHAIR
Stand tall with your feet and knees together. Bend your knees deeply and bring your palms together at your heart center. On an exhale, turn to your right and hook your bottom elbow on the outside of your right knee. Try not to let one knee come in front of the other, or let your hands move up towards your armpit. Hold for 5 deep breaths, moving deeper into your twist on every exhale. Repeat on the other side.

PLANK
Version 1: Come into a push-up position with your shoulders lined up directly over your wrists. Bend your right knee and pull it in as close to your chest as possible, while rounding your back. Hold for 5 deep breaths and repeat on the other side.

Version 2: Come into a push-up position with your shoulders lined up directly over your wrists. Bend your right knee and bring it as close to your right elbow as possible. Hold for 5 deep breaths and repeat on the other side.

SUNKEN BOAT (see photo at top of page)
Position 1: Sit up tall and lift your legs off the floor about 45 degrees. Take your arms straight out in front of you, keeping your legs straight and together. Pull your navel in towards your spine to stabilize the lower back. Take a deep inhale and move to …

Position 2: On your exhale lower your arms and legs down to hover a few inches off the floor. Use your next inhale to lift everything back up to position 1. Repeat 10 times.

Modification to Step 1: If it’s too challenging to have your legs straight, you can bend your knees to bring your shins parallel to the floor (this takes pressure off the lower back as well).

EAGLE CRUNCHES
Position 1: Lie on your back and cross the right arm under the left, bringing your hands together. Cross your right leg over your left, squeezing your thighs together. See if you can hook your right foot under your left calf. Take a deep inhale and move to …

Position 2: On your exhale lift up to bring your elbows and knees together. Use your next inhale to return to position 1. Repeat 10 times, and then switch sides.

(Photos by Chris Hamilton)

Margaret Burns Vap is a Cloudveil Inspired Mountain Ambassador and the founder of Big Sky Yoga Retreats, offering yoga and outdoor fitness getaways in Big Sky and Bozeman, Mont. Visit www.bigskyyogaretreats.com for winter 2010 yoga and skiing retreat dates.

This Halloween myself and two good friends, Chris and Kevin, decided to venture out into the frightening weather to do some lake fishing in the West Yellowstone area.

As we headed through Island Park, the five inches of wet, unplowed snow on the road felt like pools of blood under the wheels and made for some spooky driving conditions. Pushing on, we approached our destination, then screamed in horror to see the white-capped waves, muddy water and floating ice.

Wanting to run in fear, instead we stayed and slid the boat into the bloodcurdling icy froth. To say the least, things were looking a little grim for the crew. At first we rowed around like lost souls before stumbling upon a sinister-looking cove with dark, dark water. We began to cast our lines like spiders casting a web.

Then, just like that, we began to bring the monsters to the boat!

Hope you had a happy Halloween, too!

It’s not easy to get motivated some days to do anything. Even living where I live, in beautiful Colorado, it can be tough. With all the heavy trauma I went through after a climbing accident seven years ago, some days my body is just not psyched to climb or mountain bike.

That’s when I lean on my partners. Most of my climbing partners are younger than me and ready to get out whenever they can. I usually can round up one or two fellas to go boulder when I need to. But biking can be a bit of a chore. I ride because it’s a great way to cross-train my body for climbing. I like to ride, don’t get me wrong; it’s a blast to rip down a single track in the mountains, cross a stream. I even like climbing. It has a really nice quality of repeated movement that is soothing to me. Watching the chain rings turn with my head down, watching the hill slowly glide past, is some days sublime.

And then there are the other days …

The guys I was riding with were of two extremes.

They either kicked my ass into the ground, where all I saw was their butts, or I was in front and quite frankly, I don’t want people to look at my butt. I have too many scars on this body to have people looking at me.

I needed someone new.

Someone psyched, but at my level so we could push each other.

I’ll call her the Queen because she comes from Queensland, Australia.

And she rips on the trails.

At first we had that weird “get used to riding with each other thing,” but I was into the way she was psyched to get out. It didn’t matter if I gave no advance; just show up with my stuff on and she was ready to take off.

Once we were out, she would always take the lead. At first I let her, but as we got used to one another, I started trying to keep up. She can climb faster than me, but on downhills she holds back a little and I can rip past with a laugh. Even in the rain and cold, when I’m less than psyched to go out, there she is, literally chomping at the bit to hit the trail.

It’s not a perfect relationship by any means, as my wife keeps pointing out.

She likes to play with tennis balls in a really annoying way. She likes to eat her food really fast without ever looking at you and then wants more, no matter how much you serve. Of course with her activity level, she never gains weight.

She also has a nasty habit of chewing on her butt. I don’t mean yelling at herself; I mean she actually turns and fleabites the part by her spine.

It’s weird. And loud.

Her worst quality, by far, is her love of tires.

Now I love tires, too, but there is a limit to my love. I buy them, I put them on, and I enjoy the feel of them biting into the trail as I lean into a tight single-track turn. But I have never — I repeat, never — had the desire to turn on my riding partner and bite his damn tire! I mean, seriously, what the heck is that about? We’ll be ripping through a great area, and she is right next to me matching me stroke for stroke when suddenly she gets this look in her eye … and then turns and bites my front tire. This usually results in me hitting her with the bike and then a stern talking to. Not that she cares; she does it every time. I was riding with my buddy Andy last week when she did it in front of him, not to him, but in front of him. All he did was laugh, which I think eggs her on, and then it was done.

We’ve had lengthy talks about this, and all she does is gives me that faraway look in her eyes that says,”Yeah, yeah, I’m doing it again next time, too, buddy. Watch yourself.” I guess every relationship has problems, and really this is not that bad. Most of the time she is the most awesome riding partner I’ve ever had. We just have this one thing we need to work on, and I’m sure it will work out.

I mean, she is a new dog, and you can teach them new tricks, right?

What were you thinking?!

Behave!!

Craig DeMartino is one of Cloudveil’s Inspired Mountain Ambassadors.

But everyone knows how that goes – mountain local moves to new mountain locale and the talk is always big. Or as a friend recently joked, “How do you know someone lives in Jackson? It’s easy, they’ll tell you.”

But I regress. My wife, Kir, and I went to the Dolomites. Our goal was to climb, hike, explore and check out some via ferratas. Sure, we’d grab some culture along the way, drink some fine espressos, and dine on hand-cut minestrone or handmade pasta around a rifigio hearth.

Here’s the deal. You can climb long moderate routes forever in the Dolomites. A minor day would be the equivalent of the Exum on the Grand Teton. Want a 20-pitch-plus .10B line on the Marmolada? Go Don Quixote. Want to follow Cassin or Messner lines? Take your pick on the Tre Cime or anywhere, really. Desire a three-big-tower-link-up at a moderate grade? Go to Sella Pass and look left.

The Italian approach to weather forecasting leaves a bit to interpretation, but they make up for it with their sophisticated approach to everything else. When the forecast looks unsettled you can sport climb at an area such as the Citta Dei Sassi, or the City of Stones. Kinda like City of Rocks in Idaho, only instead of Almo as your cultural hang, Sella Pass has full leather guys in mirrored shades on Ducatis and bronzed women in tight white jeans sipping lattes.

So, is Dan right about how great it is over in the Dolomitis?

Well, probably best for you to go check it out yourself …

(Roll cursor over photos for captions.)

Much more frightening than any of the tricks or freaks you’ll encounter this Halloween is the prospect of climate change.

Our friends at the Outdoor Alliance have put together this short video as the energy legislation debate heats up in Congress. “It’s really rather simple,” says OA. “Human-powered outdoor pursuits need a healthy climate. If the climate is out of balance, then our favorite ways to enjoy the outdoors can go from being degraded to actually disappearing.”

The group is calling on the outdoor community to “flex some political muscle and help get the climate back on track.” Take action by clicking here.

Founded in 2006, Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of six member-based national outdoor advocacy groups — Access Fund, American Canoe Association, American Hiking Society, American Whitewater, International Mountain Bicycling Association and Winter Wildlands Alliance — whose mission is to ensure the conservation and stewardship of our land and waters through the promotion of sustainable, human-powered recreation.

Outdoor Alliance serves as the human-powered outdoor community’s voice on “big picture” public lands and waters issues in Washington, D.C. OA’s members, friends and staff testify before Congress, pen editorials and produce films to help the human-powered outdoor community channel its vision of conservation and stewardship directly to national policy makers.