Carve - January 2014

CARVE january 2014

Y o u r g u i d e to s k i i n g a n d s n o w b o a r d i n g i n s o u t h w e s t m o n ta n a

Winter

Bucket list t

ski adventure roundup for 2014

PLUS

sidecountry survival: avalanche danger beyond the ropeline t Classic line: Last call on buck’s run t friendly competition: cross-country skiers test their mettle on the Highland glen trail t

a s p e c i a l p u b l i c at i o n o f t h e b o z e m a n d a i ly c h r o n i c l e

Skier: mike jones Photo: chris Kerr Location: Bridger Ridge

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Big Sky Publishing, january 17, 2014

Going for gold

Story By Terry Cunningham Photos by Chris kerr

Friendly competition highlights the expansive terrain of Highland Glen trail system John Banta has gold in his sights as he nears the finish line while skiing the Highland Glen trail system on Dec. 20.

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he days leading up to the Highland Glen Invitational World Championship Nordic Ski Race™ this past December were filled with trash-talking, gamesmanship and sandbagging. Pre-race penalties were assessed, injuries were feigned and there were scurrilous whispers of possible racer collusion. But as I slid my ski tips toward the starting line and the official starter (my wife Laura) began the race

countdown, I could practically feel the chunky heft of the gold medal around my neck.

“Go!” Eight ski poles stabbed at the snow, bindings creaked and elbows collided. I jockeyed for position on the downhill start against my three opponents.

At the first opportunity, I swerved to the left margin of the trail and with a solid “thunk,” my Nordic skis slapped snugly into the deep parallel grooves etched

by the PistenBully grooming machine the night before.

As the ski trail climbed and dipped roller-coasterstyle through a series of hills peppered with sagebrush, I settled into the metronomic kick and glide motion that I was sure would propel me to victory.

But as I crested a steep hill a quarter-mile into the race, I saw that John Banta was already two hills ahead of me — his wife Shelley hot on his heels.

introducing The field

1st Place 23:04 John banta Claim to fame: Double-knee replacement recipient

2nd Place 25:05 Shelley banta Claim to fame: Former pro basketball star

3rd Place 31:49 terry cunningham Claim to fame: Race course designer

4th Place 35:47 david cook Claim to fame: Retired brain surgeon

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The author takes the competition in stride on the Highland Glen trail system.

I was a distant third and losing ground with every stride. My carefully crafted race plan was vaporizing but, for the moment, I was still in bronze medal position. I just had to beat the 72-year-old retired brain surgeon 50 yards behind me.

Nothing is ever simple with my Nordic skiing buddies. When we heard rave reviews about the Highland Glen Nordic ski trails on the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital property, we decided that a ski race would be our best introduction to the course.

To add spice and consequence, the third and fourth place finishers would buy a Community Nordic Trail Pass ($50, available at www.bridgerskifoundation.org/trail-passes) for the top two finishers.

The Bridger Ski Foundation expertly grooms our favorite Nordic ski destinations and we always support its efforts by buying an annual trail pass. You should too.

I volunteered to layout the racecourse — hoping to gain an advantage — and discovered why the facility has become so popular. The five-mile trail system features remarkably varied terrain — rolling prairie hills, gently angled fields and a thickly wooded gully — that challenges skiers of all abilities. The sight of deer, rabbit and fox tracks crisscrossing the trail makes you forget that Highland Glen is minutes from downtown Bozeman.

I plotted and flagged a 3.5-mile figure-eight racecourse that contained steep climbs, deep dives and long straightaways. Now, halfway through

the actual race, I realized I’d made two key tactical blunders. The first was not fully appreciating the skill of Bozeman’s orthopedic surgeons. John Banta is the speed demon of our group, but I had assumed that the double knee replacement surgery he underwent this summer would slow him down considerably. The crew poses for a photo before hitting the brewpub.

Skiing faster than ever, he zipped past me on the opposite side of a field fence and shouted, “I’m having a heart attack!” Obviously, his Recreation & Parks Advisory Board, David was knees were the least of his worries. instrumental in helping make the Highland Glen My second miscalculation was mathematical. multi-use trail system a reality.

Shelly Banta is the best athlete of the group, havA half-hour after starting the race, I double-poled ing played professional basketball internationally furiously down the long straightaway leading to in her 20s. When she announced that she would the finish line, glancing back to make sure Dabe racing using skate-skiing equipment, I insisted vid wasn’t mounting a stretch drive in his onesie. that she accept a 20 percent time penalty, claiming John and Shelley greeted me at the finish line with that skate-skiing is 20 percent more efficient than high-fives and hugs. Shelley’s finishing time was so classic Nordic skiing. In truth, the online consenmuch faster than mine, she won the silver medal sus is that it only provides a 10 percent advantage. even with the 20 percent penalty, in a rare display As I watched Shelley disappear in the distance, I of magnanimity, it was agreed that the official race estimated that she was skiing 24 percent faster than results wouldn’t contain an asterisk.

I was. Dumb old math.

A few minutes later, David appeared on the far Although he’s 18 years my senior, Dr. David side of the pasture fence, skiing through a stand of Cook was directly behind me throughout the race. tall prairie grass. He stopped to chat with a friend, Furthermore, he didn’t appear to be taking the missed a key race course direction flag (which he contest very seriously. He arrived for the race in a accused me of swiping) and still arrived within black one-piece Jean-Claude Killy Alpine ski suit scant minutes of me. The medal ceremony was with pink and teal highlights that must’ve been emotional, heartfelt and brief. It was time to hit the all the rage in 1968. As chairman of the Bozeman local brewpub and re-litigate the outcome. t

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Big Sky Publishing, january 17, 2014

Sidecountry 101

Avalanche lessons learned while stepping out of bounds The third week of December provided watches from a safe zone out of the some valuable avalanche lessons when potential avalanche path. Only after the three people in two separate incidents skier exits the path does the next one triggered and were caught in avalanches descend. This practice is difficult and near the Bridger Bowl boundary. In both sometimes impossible in areas adjacent cases the parties exited the ski area to the ski areas, which we term “sideinto the backcountry. The first incident country.” Sidecountry is backcountry involved two highly experienced skiers terrain that can be easily accessed from on Saddle Peak. Like they have done for ski lifts. One-at-a-time is hard to do years, they rode the Schlasman’s lift and because other skiers can overcrowd and hiked to the top of the peak. The skied stack up above you. This is a dangerous at the same time, but had some distance situation because a stranger can put between them. A few hundred feet off you at risk by triggering an avalanche the top one skier triggered a slide on a that sweeps you to your death. They’ll thinly covered, rocky area likely be infinitely sorry, but and was caught. Luckily he you’ll be dead. was able to grab a small tree The avalanche danger on and hold on for dear life. both days was quite serious.

His partner was not caught.

Our avalanche advisory gives The avalanche went over a broad-brush danger rating cliffs and would have been for each mountain range with unsurvivable. They both slope specific assessment left skied away unscathed, but up to the individual skiers. shaken by the near-death The goal of the advisory is to experience. The next week give you relevant informaa couple was near the north tion in order to make good boundary of the ski area decisions about whether to By doug chabot near the top of a small bowl ski a particular run or not. The when an avalanche broke avalanche danger on the day of and carried them both more than 1,000 the Saddle Peak slide was rated “considfeet down slope. No one was buried but erable” and three days later when the one skier had a serious leg fracture. Galcouple was caught it was rated “high.” In latin County Search and Rescue, with the other words, human-triggered avahelp of Bridger Bowl, responded quickly lanches were either likely or very likely. and rescued them both.

Avalanches were expected. It is very The lessons from each are varied, possible to ski in the backcountry during but worth mentioning. Avalanches are a heightened danger, but it requires unforgiving and have unpredictable careful snowpack assessment and a outcomes. Sometimes people survive conservative approach. You are poking long, dangerous slides while other the avalanche dragon after all. In both times small, innocuous slides are killers. instances new snow and wind-loading The bottom line is that survival is not added weight onto a weak snowpack. guaranteed.

This combination is never good.

Anytime two people are caught, or alSkiing the sidecountry is fun and can most caught in the same avalanche we be done safely. We must never forget can deduce that they were on the slope that sidecountry is backcountry. The terat the same time. This was the case in rain within ski area boundaries is closely both these instances. “Going one-atmonitored and controlled with exploa-time” is a mantra we repeat in our sives. The snow on the other side of the classes and advisories, but is sometimes boundary is not. It may be easy to get misunderstood. When we say “one at a to, but that ease is not a reflection on its time” we mean that in the literal sense. safety. A skier doing laps within sight of One person skis down while a partner the ski area is no safer from an avalanche

Chris Kerr

Skiers hike toward the summit of Saddle Peak after leaving the Bridger Bowl ski area. than someone deep in the backcountry.

The snowpack does not know about the ski area; it’s either stable or unstable with similar odds of triggering an avalanche no matter how far away the ropeline is.

In these two incidents, one party needed a rescue while the other did not. Rescues are tricky and risky. Here in Bozeman we rely on Gallatin County Search and Rescue (GCSAR), which is run by the Sheriff’s department. They have a roster of professional quality volunteers who are willing to risk their lives to aid a victim. The skier with the broken leg was rescued by GCSAR volunteers who had to make a serious decision on whether to launch the rescue or not. The avalanche danger was bad and the rescuer was going to be exposed to slides. It

was decided that the exposure could be kept to an acceptable level, but it’s risky nonetheless. The rescuer who went out there was taking a calculated, but personal risk to help someone in need.

It easy to imagine a situation where the risk is too great and rescuers cannot enter the scene, even within sight of a ski area. Personal responsibility, doing your homework on snowpack stability and practicing safe travel protocols will keep the odds of safe winter skiing stacked in your favor. t

Doug Chabot is the director of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. He can be reached at dchabot@fs.fed.us.com.

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Text By Kim Ibes

The B cket List

Don’t let these winter ski adventures pass you by

Garrett Grove/photo

A skier revels in a glorious run at Revelstoke Mountain in British Columbia.

As the New Year embarks, the Rocky Mountains’ snow-encased peaks create a blank canvas upon which all, truly meaningful, adventures begin.

With the season well under way, your quiver of gear is already overflowing. Down jackets layered upon more down jackets, hats, gloves, and mittens create a colorful foundation blanketing the mudroom, while a multitude of skis — short ones, fat ones, shaped, rocker, skinny and skate, along with a miscellaneous multitude of traction devices — those that go on shoes, over shoes, in place of shoes, lie idling by, anxious for their turn in the barrel.

This site alone, this joyful jumble of winter’s paraphernalia, kindles the imagination sending shivers down your spine, stirring pleasant memories of last year’s outdoors adventures and those yet to come.

Lo! A tiny sliver of doubt slips in, furrowing your ice-encrusted brow causing a pit to grow in your growling stomach, and your pleasantly chilled toes to curl. A sly thought slips in. Could it be! Is there really only four more months of this glorious season left to enjoy? You put pen to paper, your frosty ideas begins to materialize and a winter adventure bucket list is born. Not to add to your Arctic frenzy, but rather to help crystallize it, here are a few nippy undertakings worthy of consideration.

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January Jonesing Saturday, Jan. 18 through Sunday, Jan. 19: Grab the skinny skis and head to the historic Izaak Walton Inn just outside Glacier Park in Essex. It’s the perfect place to participate in and celebrate their annual Ski Fest. Bring the kids, the grandparents, and first time cross-country skiers. While you glide away, through their 33K trail system or embark on an epic back country adventure (either guided or solo) along the Continental Divide, they can learn how to ski, enjoy free sleigh rides, vote on Izaak’s employee ice-sculpture contest, and in general keep themselves covered in snow. www. izaakwaltoninn.com

Kat green/photo

Saturday, Jan. 24: Hey, you’re already more than halfway to Big Mountain. Hope you brought your downhills and while you’re there watch the World Ski Jouring Championship in Whitefish. In the world of ski jouring, where crazy skiers trust their ponies to pull them, this is the premiere event featuring the largest cash purse with over $20,000 in awards—as they say, ‘it’s the biggest party on snow!’ www. whitefishskijoring.com Saturday, Jan. 25: Bohart Cross-Country Center hosts the 2014 Nordic ‘Senior’ Olympics. Don’t let the word ‘senior’ scare you. If you’re 45 or older you can participate in either a 5K or 10K classic or freestyle race. Competition is fierce, it’s a great way to test your mettle and come on, it is the Olympics. www.montanaseniorolympics.org Saturday, Jan. 25: This day just doesn’t quit. After you’ve left your all at Bohart, grab your best gal (or guy) and head south to Big Sky. Hang at the ice-encased SnoBar from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. just behind the Huntley. The dance floor and stage are all made of snow. If you arrive a little early get a bird’s-eye view of the SnoBar from their new adventure zip lines—fly over the Snobar at over 30 mph. After you’ve found your feet and quenched your thirst, head back to the meadow and the newly built Warren Miller Performing Arts Center to enjoy the Portland Cello Project — their fusion of punk, rock, and classical music is a perfect capper to this crazy day. Got to bigskyresort.com.

Cap January off with an outdoor snowshoe adventure at the Refuge Point Snowshoe/Ski Trail. This 4K trail is marked, though not groomed. Located 23 miles north and west of West Yellowstone, its historic trails gently roll through aspen,

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Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, with stellar views of Earthquake Lake and the Madison Range.

Fantastic Winter February Fun Yeah, this one’s a little off the beaten path, and not even in Montana, but it’s close — and it’s guaranteed to amp up the winter punch list. One word: Revelstoke. Sure, it’s noted as the ‘global capital’ of heli-skiing, but it also boasts North America’s longest lift-accessed vertical of over 5600 feet (Lone Peak Tram’s vertical drop is 4350 feet). Located deep within the Selkirk Range, there’s no shortage of powder. The quaint small town of Revelstoke, with its Victorian, Queen Anne and Dutch Revival buildings complete the package. www.revelstokemountainresort.com Saturday, Feb. 8 and Sunday, Feb. 9: OK, spending a lot of time in northwestern Montana. You’re on your way back from British Columbia anyway, so pull over in Whitefish for its legendary Winter Carnival. No other town in Montana celebrates its winter carnival the way Whitefish does—these guys are certifiable and fun. Yes, lots of skiing at Whitefish Resort with a Rail Jam, Torchlight Parade, fireworks and smokin’ great bands on the hill. But peel yourself away for a few hours to watch the parade in Whitefish—they bring a whole new meaning to the word ‘spectator’. Way too much fun. www.whitefishwintercarnival.com or www.skiwhitefish. com.

Sunday, Feb. 16: Load up the snowmobile and head to White Sulphur Springs for the annual 100-Mile Snowmobile Fun Run. Ride through marked and groom trails under the beautiful Little Belt Mountains. It’s $10 per poker hand — no limits. Silly fun for the family. clgkrg@mtintouch.net Phone: 406-547-2298 Saturday, Feb. 22 and Sunday, Feb. 23: Keep those skis in the rack. Snowbowl hosts its annual Snowbowl Cup Gelande Championships. Daredevils on alpine skis fly between two cliffs onto a narrow drop above the Grizzly Lift, some catching more than 200 feet of air. With a prize purse of over $8,000 it attracts the best around the U.S. While in the area check out the Travelers’ Rest Preservation and Heritage Association’s Winter Storytelling Series. The evening of Feb. 22 features Phillip Burgis, a poet from UM. www.montanasnowbowl.com or www.travelersrest.org Magnificently Merry March Saturday, March 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: A benefit for the Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter, the 10th annual Snowshoe Shuffle. The torch-lit snowshoe hike heads up the slopes of Big Sky Resort, both owners and their beloved pooches partake in the outing followed by a chili dinner, music and raffle. www.bigskyresort.com Saturday, March 8: Cowboy Up! It’s time for the Montana SnowRodeo at the Great Divide ski area. Professional rodeo folks from the U.S. and Canada compete on skis, but I’m not sure you’d call it skiing. These folks are mighty comfortable on a 2000-pound bull but not so much on two skinny sticks.

While they’re T.j. Crawford

busy navigating obstacles and roping fake cattle on their downhill course you get to eat barbeque, listen to country music, and put a few runs in yourself. www.skigd.com

Sunday, March 9: Lone Mountain Ranch hosts the Glide and Gorge. Skate, classic or snowshoe your way through a bevy of gourmet appetizers, entrees, and desserts all made from scratch in its well-known and respected kitchen. This event is a great way to explore the ranch’s spectacular cross-country trail system, which boasts more than 85K of groomed skiing. www.lonemountainranch.com March is the perfect month to book a backcountry ski adventure into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with Yellowstone Expeditions. Book your trip before the second Sunday of March, when the camp shuts down for the season.

With a 1:4 guide to guest ratio your sure to get the most out of your Yellowstone experience. Each guest or family lodges in individual mini-yurts. There’s also a shower yurt and ‘spa yurt’ (sauna), while all meals and get-togethers take place in the main dining yurt. Lots of wildlife viewing, moonlight ski adventures on the rim of the Grand Canyon, and a chance to experience the beauty and solitude of Yellowstone in the winter. Not to be missed. www.www.yellowstoneexpeditions.com Arctic April The last couple of the weeks of the season leave many searching high and higher to eke out the last of winter’s magical moments. If you haven’t been to Fawn Pass or Bighorn Pass this winter now is definitely the time to do so. Crust cruising is a stand-a-lone experience and one that should be added to any snow-sport schedule. Don’t ask, just do. Now that you’re ready, what are you waiting for? Grab the gear and go—winter won’t be passing you by. t

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Feeling weak in the knee

Treatment options abound for skiers, snowboarders who suffer knee injuries An unfortunately large segment of the skiing comACL reconstructions have not been shown to premunity can relate quite well to the following story. vent arthritis, so the best argument for surgery is that Cruising down a run toward the end of the day you with a good result, a patient will be more likely to get spot a small riser, the kind you have been hitting all sea- back to their previous level of activity. With non-operason. A quick check to make sure the zone is clear, then tive care, a patient tries to strengthen their leg muscles hit it, nice hop. Nothing flashy but then the landing, flat. to compensate for the missing ACL, sometimes in conPOP. One knee doesn’t feel quite right but not horrible, junction with an ACL brace. Successful non-operative Skis put back on, time to cruise down, meet up with the patients often restrict their activities and avoid high-risk family. First turn to the left, OK. Next turn sports (football, soccer, basketball and to the right, wipeout. Next try, same result. aggressive skiing). The advantage of non15 minutes later, an evaluation, followed operative care is an earlier return to some acby a toboggan ride down by ski patrol. By tivities, avoiding potential surgical complicathe time you are in the first aid room, that tions and the cost of surgery. Although there knee looks remarkably like the basketball is certainly a meaningful up front cost to ACL you saw on TV the night before and you reconstruction, a recent analysis showed the are struggling to walk. Not good, you have lifetime cost of ACL reconstruction of $38,121 just popped your ACL. versus $88,538 for lifetime costs associated Across the U.S., thousands of skiers and with non-operative treatment. Often, an a lesser number of boarders tear their ACLs orthopedic surgeon can help determine if (anterior cruciate ligament) on the slopes. operative or non-operative treatment is best It is such a common occurrence that on a for you. One of my favorite patients was a By dr. alex Legrand recent work trip to Beaver Creek, I heard man in his late 30s who popped his ACL skithe patrollers refer to it as AFK (another F ing for the very first time. His stated goal was knee). The classic story is a missed jump or turn, a crash to be able to sit on a bar stool, drink beer and watch and a pop. Typically the skier is unable to continue and golf on TV. Despite the long odds, we were able to get has significant swelling inside the knee joint with the him back without surgical intervention. first 24 hours. These injuries often occur later in the day If a surgical option is chosen, the next decision point when legs are tired and muscles are no longer in a good is timing. Once symmetric motion has been achieved, position to pick up the slack. The question is, what hapsurgery is more of an elective issue. Although propens next? longed non-operative care may result in further damThe first step in treatment is diagnosis. Sometimes age to the knee (typically cartilage and meniscal injuthe knee will hurt enough that care is sought in the ries), there is no medical rush to proceed with surgery. emergency department of a hospital or in one of the The typical return to all activities after ACL reconstrucarea urgent cares. In such settings more significant inju- tion is 6-9 months so rarely does a week or three delay ries (fractures, multiple ligament injuries) can be ruled make a large difference. In general, it is reasonable to out and the diagnosis of an ACL injury may be made. wait until a convenient time (school breaks, slow work Often evaluation is deferred until an appointment times, after the honeymoon) to proceed with surgery. with an orthopedic surgeon can be made. In clinic, Unfortunately, it is typically not possible to repair the the diagnosis of an ACL injury is usually pretty straight native ACL and thus a reconstruction is the treatment of forward and can be made based on history, negative choice. This involves using some other tissue to reconradiographs (x-rays) and a careful exam. An MRI can be struct the ACL. Although in Europe an artificial ligament helpful for difficult exams or in the case of multiple liga- (LARS) may be used, it is not currently approved for use ments being injured. in the US. Similarly while quad tendon grafts are often Once the diagnosis is made, treatment can begin. For used in Europe, they are decidedly uncommon in the all comers, initial treatment is ice, rest and to regain mo- US for primary reconstructions. In the U.S., reconstruction. Neither operative nor non-operative treatments tions are done using autograft (patient’s own tissue) or are likely to be successful until motion is symmetric allograft (cadaver or donor tissue) with the other knee, a process that often takes 1-2 The gold standard for ACL reconstructions in the weeks. This process can often be facilitated by working US has long been the patella tendon autograft. This with an experienced physical therapist. When symmetinvolves harvesting the central 1/3 of the patella ric motion has been obtained, the patient is then faced tendon along with bone plugs from the patella (knee with the first big question, operative or non-operative cap) and tibia (shin bone) and using this tissue to make management. a new ACL. This technique has the lowest failure rate

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but is accompanied by a higher rate of anterior knee pain with kneeling. In addition, this technique is more technically demanding and the post-operative therapy is even more essential than usual to reduce long-term complications. If the decision is made to use a patella tendon autograft, using an experienced surgeon and therapy team is important.

Hamstring autograft has become one of the most common ways to reconstruct the ACL in the U.S. It involves harvesting two of the hamstring tendons and using them to make a new ACL. Although historically this has shown a higher failure rate than patella tendon grafts, more current studies suggest the failure rate may be about the same.

Drawbacks of this graft type include permanent hamstring weakness (3-33 percent depending on the study) and inconsistency on graft size (tendon size varies and may be too small for a good ACL result).

The final way to reconstruct the ACL in the US is with allograft. This option can be quite attractive in that there is no harm to the patient from taking tissue. There are several studies however that suggest a higher failure rate in allograft reconstructions in patients younger than 30 or 40. For that reason, in uncomplicated cases, allograft is probably best suited to older patients desiring ACL reconstruction.

This article is meant to provide an overview of ACL treatment and should in no way take the place of a meaningful discussion between the patient with an ACL tear and their orthopedic surgeon. Treatment is typically individualized to the situation and your surgeon can best guide you through the decision making of operative versus non-operative treatment, timing of possible surgery and graft choice. t

Dr. LeGrand is a board certified fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. He is Assistant Director of the Montana State University Athletic Department and is a US Ski Team Physician.

CARVE Your guide to southwest montana skiing and snowboarding

Editor/design Chris Kerr Contributing writers Doug Chabot, Terry Cunningham, Sean Forbes, Kim Ibes, Karin Kirk, Dr. Alex LeGrand

Carve is published monthly from December to March

by Big Sky Publishing.

For advertising information contact the Bozeman Daily Chronicle at 587-4491.

Editorial submissions can be submitted to Chris Kerr at 582-2643 or carve@dailychronicle.com

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Classic Line

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Buck’s Run

Bridger Bowl’s Alpine area Length: About 15-20 powdery turns Text and photos by chris kerr

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A young skier takes the forested trail to Buck’s Run.

ventually all good things, powder days included, must come to an end. For Bridger Bowl skiers and snowboarders, there’s no better way to finish off a great day then with a trip off the beaten path down Buck’s Run. This last-call classic is named after Buck Anderson, the former owner of the Bridger Canyon Stallion Station, said Doug Wales, Bridger Bowl’s director of marketing.

Anderson, who passed away about two years ago, was a long-time supporter of Bridger Bowl and the Bridger Ski Club.

Riders of all ages looking for one last hurrah won’t be disappointed after hitting the varied terrain on Buck’s.

The run begins in an open meadow — at the future site of the Alpine Cabin — then quickly traverses through forested hills before topping out on a nicely pitched open slope.

From here, riders can snag 15-20 more turns before officially calling it a powder day. t

A skier blasts through the fresh snow on Buck’s Run at Bridger Bowl on Jan. 9.

Upper portion of Buck’s.

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