Mountain Sense

Check out Meghan's alpine catering service: Alpine Provisions More on Evan at Zenith Guides Valkyr Adventures LQ Outpost 

 Post-interview notes from Kel:Specific: Not sure if it was mentioned during the conversation, but a statistic that seems particularly applicable given the current political discussion/climate: As of July 2018 there were 50,600 jobs in the US coal industry. There are 73,200 jobs in the ski industry. So, it is useful to put "coal jobs" into perspective as a front burner political talking point and to realize that even an industry as small as skiing eclipses coal jobs. And prioritizing coal jobs is as close to killing the goose that lays the golden egg as it gets. I realize that this is discussing skiing versus mountain guiding, but since skiing is a much larger force, things related to mountain guiding must be extrapolated from the ski industry and ski income is central to the economics of the mountain culture guides live within and, lastly, many mountain guides seasonally work in the ski industry, so the ability to continue guiding is predicated on a healthy ski economy.Specific: I believe we did mention it at the outset of the conversation, but it could make for useful verbage in a written intro: A May 2013 issue of Nat Geo said "guides are portals to the outdoor world".Specific: The average American spends $4614 annually on outdoor recreation. By 2018 the combined impact is projected to be 5.8 billion.Specific: According to "Impacts on the Ski Industry" (Wobus, et al, 2017), virtually all ski locations will be seeing declines in season length by 2050. This figure easily translates into a picture of a much shortened income season for mountain guides.General: In our conversation, I think we were focused primarily on economic impacts. One other very important, very relevant aspect that should be highlighted is guide (and by extension, client) safety in the mountains. As mountain conditions continue to deteriorate there will be increased glacial navigation hazards and increased rockfall. Additionally, fluctuating weather creates more challenging ice conditions for guiding and also creates more wet loose and wet slab problems for those in avalanche terrain. General: In our conversation, I believe we were focusing primarily on the problem and building a case for G4G. I'm hoping in the intro you could include some action steps (Taylor please chime in): Guides--particularly those in larger operations like Exum, CMS, AAI, etc--consult with the management of your guide service to promote the creation of a page on the company website that discusses how climate change is affecting the terrain that the service guides in.Guides--particularly those in larger operations like Exum, CMS, AAI, etc--consult with the management of your guide service to create a program similar to the "Kayak-Pick-Give" program featured through THIS KAYAK COMPANY. Basically, it's a program whereby clients enrolling for an adventure get to donate a portion ($2 in this case) of their enrollment fee to their selection from a portfolio of companies engaged in positive environmental work relevant to sea kayaking in Alaska. In doing so, it 1) raises funds, 2) allows clients to educate themselves more about the organizations and the issues, and 3) connects those companies with these clients. Full Embarrassing disclosure: The above are still "to-do" items for my own operation.Guides--particularly those in larger operations like Exum, CMS, AAI, etc--consult with the management of your guide service to create develop a sustainability plan the organization will follow to hit self-decided targets for climate neutral/positive operations by target dates. Investigate building that into their permit proposals. Both of these actions could help raise the bar for guide operations overall and influence other operators.(Lastly) Guides--particularly those in larger operations like Exum, CMS, AAI, etc--consult with the management of your guide service to encourage clients to participate in carbon offset programs. Carbon offsets are a challenging topic, as there is discussion about the "buying of indulgences" kind of spirit it evokes and each company suggesting them should thoroughly review the market to suggest well-rated options, but in any case it is a useful and necessary step.  Additional resources courtesy of TK and Taylor: AMGA state of the guiding agency: https://amga.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/FINALsoi_OR_07-28.pdf Climate Impacts on the Winter Tourism Economy:https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/climate-impacts-winter-tourism-report.pdfNote: I believe I may have incorrectly pronounced Elizabeth Burkowski's last name, which is a shame as I never do that and it' important that she gets credit for the hard and valuable work that she's done.  Yale Program on Climate Change Communication:Partisan Climate Opinion Maps 2016:http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/partisan-maps-2016/?est=happening&group=dem&type=value&geo=cd James Balog TED Talk: Time Lapse Proof of extreme ice losthttps://www.ted.com/talks/james_balog_time_lapse_proof_of_extreme_ice_loss Last Ascents: Kitty Calhoun TED Talk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNb74q8cBJA Betts, Allan. Climate Change in Vermont. 2011.http://alanbetts.com/workspace/uploads/vtccadaptclimatechangevtbetts-1323872366.pdf Guides For Glaciers on Mammut Athlete Blog:http://www.mammutathleteteam.com/2017/05/guides-for-glaciers.html Outdoor Industry Association: The Outdoor Recreation Economyhttps://outdoorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/OIA_RecEconomy_FINAL_Single.pdf Outdoor Industry Association's position on Climate Change:https://outdoorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/OIA-POSITION-STATEMENT-ON-CLIMATE-CHANGE.pdf   

In episode 02 I sit down with Connie Sciolino, head coach and founder of Boulder's notorious Alpine Training Center. For mountain professionals, fitness is a crucial attribute when it comes to getting our job done safely and effectively. There is a lot of misunderstanding within our community when it comes to training, especially on the DIY side. Connie has worked with athletes like Aaron Mulkey, Conrad Anker, and many of Boulder's humblest, under-the-radar mountain sport crushers. As Connie alludes to, her objective is not to create future olympic athletes. The demographic of her athletes is mostly 30+, working professionals, who have a serious dedication to their sport. Be it Skimo racers, endurance runners, mountain bikers, or guides the community of athletes you will find at the ATC all possess a common attitude. Humble, yet confident. Committed to their sports, but almost all juggling a demanding professional life which leaves little time to waste. Looking to perform at the top of their game, while preventing or dealing with injuries that are a reality for anyone continually pushing their body to its limits. At the core of it all, Connie wants her athletes to be able to play in their sports as long as possible. The age range of athletes who show up to the ATC on a daily basis is a huge testament to that. I am continually humbled and inspired by fellow ATC athletes, some nearly twice my age, who are continually kicking my ass in the workouts. If this doesn't sound like the type of training you need, then I wouldn't bother listening to this one. If you are looking to increase your durability, resistance to injury, and want to do your job day in and day out and still have enough energy in reserve should you be faced with a worst case scenario, or just to come home and spend quality time with your loved ones after a long stretch of days in the mountains, then this is worth your time. My favorite quote from Connie in this one is that "It doesn't matter how fast you can go if you can't get back home." If you only have an hour to spend at the gym, there are some subtle but critical adjustments you can likely focus on that could make a world of difference in the long run. Taking a strategic approach to your limited training time is one of the best investments you can make in your longevity, safety, and fun factor in the mountains. Find out more about Connie and the ATC:http://thealpinetrainingcenter.com/Try out Connie's foundational strength and sport specific programs on the Train Heroic app:https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/#/org/AlpineTrainingCenterI have personally used Connie's programming on this app during times of the year when I can't make it into the gym consistently. These programs are designed to give the same results as training in-person at the ATC, but with the equipment found in a typical commercial gym (ie, Planet Fitness, Life Time, hotels, etc). Once you purchase a program, most of which are six-weeks in length, you have access for one year. I often go back and cherry pick workouts when I am traveling short-term and need a quick fix. Find the Alpine Training Center on facebook, Connie often posts workouts on the gym's facebook page as well which is another resource I commonly use when I am away from Boulder and need to get a quick workout in.

Sheldon Kerr is a AMGA certified Ski Guide and making her way toward full IFMGA/AMGA certification. She currently works in the Tetons for Exum. Sheldon is a prominent voice in the fight for gender equity in the guiding profession and has been a strong advocate for increasing the diversity and inclusivity in the mountains. In this episode we discuss the challenges that women and other underrepresented groups face in the guiding profession and talk about some of the solutions that are currently underway.