June...AK Style

It's hard to believe that June has come and is nearly gone already. Highlights from the past 30 days include skiing on Eagle glacier, coaching the Junior athletes at the Girdwood "Death" Camp, racing up Bird Ridge, and ski-touring above Prince William Sound.
The name of the game up at the Thomas training facility on Eagle was: eat, ski, eat, sleep, eat, ski, eat, sleep, repeat. For those of you who aren't familiar with our glacier training facility, you can read more about it in a recent article that appeared in the Anchorage Daily News HERE or you can find more pictures on some of my previous posts HERE or HERE. My new teammate and training buddy, Morgan Smyth. Morgan moved up to Anchorage from the US Ski Team's stomping grounds in Park City to train with us-- I am psyched to have her as a new training buddy. Casey the grooming guru and Erik, my coach. Erik's hair stands straight up naturally when he gets a little crusty and he's been working his tail off up there...which means it stands straight up ALL week!
Holly Brooks ready to ski in paradise. A few days later, here's a picture from nearly the same vantage point (and no photo enhancements on either picture):
My retina can feel a overloaded with the color white! Fortunately, there are wands which mark our course so we can still train when we are sitting in a cloud. On one particularly stormy camp a few years ago I tried to come up with a list of my top 10 reasons of why its better to train up there its not a blue bird day.

One thing I love about the typical Alaskan athlete's attitude is that "there's no bad weather, just bad clothing". The junior team seems to be no different and doesn't let some cloud coverage dampen the adventures from being purely awesome. The kids ascending a snow field next to the Raven glacier before we glissaded down.

Since the start of the summer break, I've gotten the opportunity to know and work with the "Junior B" team. Coaching juniors has to be one of the most rewarding and satisfying jobs out there, and I can't say that there's any other way I'd rather be spending my time this summer.
A coach "sandwich" with Holly, Amelia, Celia, MacKenzie, Alex, Tsaina, and myself.

Our camp culminated with the Bird Ridge mountain running race where we raced from sea level to 3,400ft in just 3 miles. We all had solid performances and most of us had personal record times. Strabel and Holly took top honors and the junior girls were just shy of their team average time goal they needed to meet in order to be able to shave coach Strabel's mustache. Strabel watch out, they'll get it soon enough! Here's the view from half way up Bird Ridge, when we previewed the mountain early in the month. In addition to this view imagine seeing energetic young kids bound up the mountain, and a top-down view of a bore tide coming into Turagain Arm. We finished it all off by playing in the mud, and washing off with an ice bath in a freezing cold river. Yeah, summer is SWEET.

In addition to being fun, coaching is gratifying knowing that I get to spend my efforts engaging others in activities that promote health, fitness, and happiness. I still look back at my adolescence and feel indebted to the junior coaches I had growing up-- so spending at least a little time "giving back" is the least I can do. My coaches and mentors helped get me hooked on a sport that has provided me with a free college education, tools so that I have the freedom to exlpore and enjoy the Alaskan outdoors, sustain lifelong fitness, etc.. Here I am as a junior (along with the group), loving exploring new places on a a weekly Winter Stars hike usually lead by Jan Buron and Ben Arians.

My favorite workout of the Junior death camp was helping take the kids for a hike/ski adventure to ski at Crow Pass. Most of the kids had never strapped skis to backpacks and hiked up to snow. Hopefully this will be the first trip of many each of them!
The junior team (with Eric Strabel, Holly Brooks, Charlie Renfro, and I) ready for a 6hr adventure style over-distance workout.

I am making it more of a priority to include some adventure style training of my own when I can-- because those are the days that keep me going and I can't LIVE without.

I have a lot more learn about crevasse rescue before I am assured I have the tools and skills needed to be self-sufficient and safe when creating my own trips over glaciers in the backcountry. Rob Whitney served as Bill, Holly and my "coach" for this particular Memorial Day weekend trip. Im looking forward to learning more in this area in the coming years! Rope it up!
Ronsse and Brooks. Two glacier girls playing air guitar above Prince William Sound-- Only In Alaska!!

"More Than Sport..."

"Wilderness rowing is far more than sport to me; it has been a conduit to knowing and trusting myself. It is my way of being, of thinking, of seeing. My rowing has taken me north and pushed me to explore my own horizons. In the process, rowing has evolved from something I do to some way that I am." -- Jill Fredston in her book, "Rowing to Latitude".

For me, cross-country skiing has been the sport which has helped me explore my own horizons and evolve into the way I am.

Here is an example of a recent epic day I had with Holly Brooks in the Alaskan wilderness. Days like this one rejuvenate my soul and make me appreciate the the fitness and freedom that nordic skiing provides me. We found a map, figured out where we wanted to go, and used our abilities to make a self-powered exploration which covered terrain that was unknown to us.
Heading out from the South Fork of Eagle River, not long after the Saturday morning sunrise.
Pulling out the map to figure out where we are exactly... and more importantly, where we are going.
How about up?
Ronsse on a ridge and just about as happy as could be. Cantana peak is behind me.
Our direction of travel...now we need to find a way with the least amount of bush whacking! Holly scoping out a river crossing. I jumped it, punched right through the berm, and ended up splashing around in the water with my ski boots. I was lucky that it was such a spectacular and warm day.
AK crust cruising at its finest.
Katie Ronsse in praise of the sunshine!
Holly Brooks in her element. About 19 miles and 6.5hrs fabulous hours of skiing, bush whacking, navigating, and mountain running later we made it to Glenn Alps! What should we do now?
We decided that making a 9 miles run down into town with our gear seemed more appealing than hitchhiking or calling someone to pick us up all the way up Glenn Alps. We fit in, right?
We decided to stop for some food when we came across an Anchorage pub. The mountains we came from are in the distance. What a day!

These types of trip on any level -- from getting myself temporarily "lost" and "un-lost" on a city's trail system, to learning about massive treks, such as Fredston's 20,000+ miles of self-powered exploration through the Arctic wilderness, make me realize that there are so many interesting places out there that I have yet to explore.

Many of my favorite trips have been spin offs or inspired by treks of others, including accounts from friends and crust skiing extraordinaires, Tim Kelley and Cory Smith. I get inspired hearing about how others have made it possible to enjoy remote areas, especially in places that have not been traveled frequently but are accessible from our back door. If you have any favorite treks that you have done or are planning, I'd love to hear about them!

Feeling Well Supported

Our APU Elite Team fundraiser was an absolute success-- THANK YOU to everyone who donated their time, money, and/or goods which helped us surpass our fundraising goals! We raised over $65,000 including the generous match from the University. We will use this money wisely when traveling to competitions and for costs associated with making sure the Thomas Training Center on Eagle Glacier will be up and running for on-snow training camps again this summer.We are happy athletes who feel well supported by friends, family, and the community. We are looking forward to sharing our skiing dream with you again this season!

APU Nordic Ski Center's Elite Team Fundraiser

You're invited to the APU Nordic Ski Center Celebration & Fundraiser benefitting the Competition Fund May 4th, 2010 7-9p.m. APU Atwood Center Hors d’oeuvres, desserts, drinks will be provided. If possible, please RSVP to Phyllis Gross at pgross@alaskapacific.edu or at (907) 564.8250.This is a free event. Your donations are tax exempt and we hope you'll consider joining us and contributing to our travel fund. If you are unable to make it but would like to make a donation anyway, please let us know. Additionally, the APU Board of Trustees will be MATCHING EACH DONATION AT 100%!

Here's a sneak peak into some of the live and silent auction items:
-Weekend stay at Alaska’s Fishing Unlimited Lodge on Lake Clark
-Weekday Powder Passes for 2 at Alyeska Ski Resort
-A flightseeing trip/glacier landing for 2 in the Alaska Range with Talkeetna Air Taxi and lodging at the Talkeetna Roadhouse
-Nordic ski packages (including boots, bindings, and skis) from Rossignol, Salomon, and Atomic
-Helicopter ride with Alpine Air to meet us for one of our summer skiing training camps on Eagle Glacier
-Cat skiing for two with Chugach Powder Guides
-Airplane tickets for 2 from Alaska to Bend, Oregon and private ski lessons with Olympian Lars Flora
-Various types of art, including prints, pottery, and jewelry, by several local artists
-Additional donations from The Physical Therapy Place, Chain Reaction Cycles, Kaladi Brother Coffee, the AK Walking Store, The Double Musky, Skinny Raven, Masters Catering, Alaska Sea Kayakers, Great Harvest Bread Co, Gardening Goods by Annie/Dennis Ronsse, Babysitting/Mentoring by Katie, Ski lessons from APU Olympians, Training consulting and coaching with Coaches Eric and Dylan, Michael Hendrick's Massage, Bilan Chiropractic, Yoga in the Valley, Blush Botique, Snow City, Cafe, The Womens Sport Shop, and more!

Hope to see you there!

Spring Skiing Glamour Shots

April is here! In Alaska, this means blissful, scenic skiing of all types if you're a skiing fanatic and just can't get enough... Kikkan gets after it on Alpine skis too. This woman was destined to win World Cup medals on skis, no matter the variety she would've chosen. Matt Johnson, my childhood ski buddy and lifelong friend, about to make a descent of the "Headwall" look smooth and easy.
It's true, I'm a free heeler.
Callie, eager to cross country ski up "the biggest hills" in the park so we could fly down them together. There was plenty of pink, hot chocolate, giggling and screaming "lets do that AGAIN!" and "FASTER, FASTER!" at this 4th Birthday ski date. Idyllic spring xc skiing at Kincaid...except for the moose that's just about to charge me through the bushes and around some trees. Traversing with Joe. River crossings with Dad.Railroad crossings with Mom.Powder shredding with Lars.
Straight lining and "racing" with Kikkan, Kian, and Finnigan. If there are skis by my side and snow on the ground, there is a smile on my face.
Find what you like to do, and do what you love!

The Season Finale

The 2009/2010 racing season concluded with 3 back-to-back races in the Supertour Finals in one of the most northern areas of Maine. Since I had been living and racing on the road for the past 4+ months I knew I would be best prepared to race well if I went into the final races mentally and physically fresh. So, in my time between the European circuit and heading to the racing venue, I got a chance to step out of the normal on-snow training routine and soak up the scene in southern Maine. Here's Sylvan Ellofsen (an OPA teammate and friend) on our run around the Wolfneck trails near Freeport, ME. Sylvan, a Bates College grad, was the perfect travel buddy because in addition to being one of the most easy going guys out there, he introduced me to the greatest places to explore, dine, and fascinating people to meet.

Once I made my way up to "the county" (thanks, Martin, for the ride!) I met up with my Alaskan teammates and we were greeted with clear cold nights and sunny days, making the perfect recipe for "crust cruising". This type of skiing gives you the freedom to skate effortlessly without a groomed track anywhere you choose. We accompanied some local junior girls for their first crust skiing experience. Crust skiing happens to be one of my all time favorite activities, but it was my first cruising on potato fields and my first time riding a tractor mid-ski! This photo is posted for my relatives in Kansas so you know I haven't lost my farming roots... The snow was so solid that we even did a little "crust running"....if that sport even exists. Becca Rorabaugh showing our confusion over this mailbox with no signs of a mailperson's tracks or an accompanying home.

Another one of my favorite things about being up in the county was seeing the enthusiasm the locals had for cross country skiing, especially the young kids. And these girls are talented! I joined up with a bunch of other elite racers who were there to compete and be an instructor/mentor for another very successful "Fast and Female" event. Here we are practicing a proper arrow dynamic tuck before going down a hill and through some tunnels (thanks to MWSC for the pictures). There were some very creative stations-- the homemade tails for the tail tag game and the speed guns for measuring our downhill speed were used in activities that I hope to try with the AK juniors next winter. A huge thanks to everyone who donated their time and money to make this event so successful-- especially Eileen Carey and crew for organizing the event, and to Becky and Reno Dupree-- APU masters and former county residents-- for their financial donation to make it possible for over 120 young girls to have a memorable day skiing. One girl told me that it was her "favorite day in the whole world!" On the competition side of things the racing went well. I was mentally excited to push myself in the racing and finished in the top-15 in each event that was stacked with the top skiers and biathletes, including the athletes who were fresh off the Olympics. For the mass start classic race we raced on relatively icy conditions on a narrow, curvy and fast course, so expectedly there was plenty of carnaige and tangle-ups in the pack. It was important to be very agile on skis to avoid crashing. I think that spending time on snow through the summer months, having experience in road racing (on bikes), and the balance and agility practice I have done with unicycling, slack lining, and agility ladders has helped my ski skills significantly because I almost always fare well in mass start races. In the sprint I made it past the quarter and semi finals and finished 5th place overall in the women's A-final. The skate hill climb race up the alpine hill was the last race of the season, and was a pursuit style start. Despite feeling sluggish in the warm-up my body was comfortable with race pace and I felt strong during the majority of the climb. Here's Lars Flora (APU teammate) hanging onto Ivan Babikov (CAN National team) who is the best in the world at this event (as Tour de Ski World Cup winner). These guys are impressive and it was exciting to watch them climb and pick up a few technical tips before we went out on course.

If you've raced before, you probably are familiar with the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction after you've pushed yourself to the best of your ability. This feeling was amplified after the final race because it also signified the last race of the past 11 months focused training for this particular 4.5 month season and it was the end of 2 months since my last time home! Before actually getting home I did have 23 hours of airport time to get home to AK, which was preceded by a drive from the county and night in a Quebec City hostel.
Here's Brooke Gosling of the Alberta World Cup Academy in front of "the wall" in the old part of Quebec City. Quebec was magnifique-- I loved checking out the chateaus, eating in the creperies, and taking in the French-Canadian culture.

Travelling and racing around the North American and European continents has been a challenging and rewarding journey. I could not have done it without the support of my sponsors, community, coaches, wax techs, teammates, and friends. Thank you for making my dreams become a reality.

The Land of Oz

Jumping between hay bales, catching fireflies with cousins, and going on hay-rack-rides fill my childhood memories in the great state of Kansas. My mom, dad, brother and I used to road trip in a VW van from Alaska to Kansas in the summer to spend time with my extended family. Visits back have become less frequent in recent years but FINALLY this spring I got the chance to spend time to make it out-- it was super nice to be back and see most everyone.

OK, I have to brag about my Grandma Doris. If you get a chance you should really read this article below from the front page of the paper (click on image to enlarge).
She's a truly an inspiration. She has found something she loves to do (namely canning and cooking), works hard it to the point of mastery, joyfully shares her passion, and is constantly giving. I only hope I can be as generous, healthy, and young at heart when I'm 89 going on 90 years old!
Anything that could possibly go into a can and is edible, she's canned. Above is part of her supply of fruits, vegetables, salsas, jams which she has picked locally from gardens/trees, prepared, canned. The supply is considered to be "low" because it is spring and harvest season is ahead and she freely gives these canned treasures to everyone who visits. And the taste of her canned goods, picked and shelled walnuts, jams/jellies, etc are out of this world... especially knowing how much care and work went into the production.
We got to help in the yard a bit. Luckily, Grandma has my Aunt Monica and family as one neighbor, and my Aunt Donna and her family as the other neighbor-- so even though she doesn't often ask for help, two of her daughters and family is a hop, skip, and a jump away.

Here we are visiting the farm where my Mom grew up. My Mom and Dad enjoyed the farm and originally planed to return to buy it after teaching school in the Yup'ik villages of AK... but they fell in love with Alaska and never moved back. Fortunately, the farm is still in the family with my cousin, Daniel, and his wife, Rachelle, taking fantastic care of the place.

Mom still loves farm animals and is working on convincing my Dad that they need chickens in their back yard in Alaska.

Jus and G'ma

Here's Jus and I at my parents' first house they bought together after they got married. My mom was happy to leave this fix-er up-er house as it was struck by lightening numerous times.  And that part is another story....

Anyway, thanks for reading and for sharing in my family story!

Katrina Foster Ronsse