Five Chair Challenge

Completed my own little made-up skinning challenge at Loveland after work yesterday. Decided to skin to the tops of chairs 1 to 6 to 2 to 4 to 8.

I didn't go all the way to the base area each time because I wanted to maximize the vert and eliminate the flats. Also, that would be stupid.

Here's a GPS profile:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/458311376

I made a pretty conservative time estimate beforehand and that came out to a 3hr30min finish, but I was actually able to complete it in 2hr53min..... didn't even need the headlamp.

Felt kindof slow and crappy as I took off from the base area to the top of 1. I ascended Richards Run and took the Catwalk around to the top of 1. I had budgeted a very easy pace of 38min to the top, and despite feeling a little sluggish I still got up there in 32:25. I estimated 10 minute transitions for changing skins, skiing to the next start point, and reapplying skins. This one took 8:30, so I was already 7.5 minutes ahead of the plan. 1000' vert in the books.

Chair 6 was next and I started from the bottom of the lift and ascended Keno to Blackjack. I was starting to feel stronger, but maybe that's because chair 6 is so easy. Reached the top in 21:20 which was about what I thought it would take. Next transition to mid-way chair 2 was 8:08 so I was about 9 minutes ahead of plan now. Chair 6 is a 650' chair so total vert at 1650'.

Ate a couple Honey Stingers and headed up Drifter to the top of Chair 2.... starting to feel really good now, but I was not really pushing the pace very hard. I had guessed 30 minutes for this ascent to factor in some fatigue, but I got to the highest drop-in for South Chutes in a hair under 23min. Mid-way 2 to top is about 750' so my total was 2400'. Next transition was down the South Chutes to a big tree I like to change over at just above the bottom of chair 9.

I'd never skinned to the top of 4 before so I guessed it would take 30min from that point, but I was still feeling good and reached the top in 23:30. I was starting to think I could finish under 3 hours and get by without using the headlamp. Skiing was pretty shitty as the slush from the warm day had now frozen into death cookies, but this was more about the workout anyways. Transition to bottom chair 8 was 8:00. Lap vert was 750' for a total of 3150'.

I felt like I was just putting up Chair 8. It is pretty steep the whole way, but especially at the start. Still made it up in less than 30min and caught a spectacular sunset over the continental divide. Counted my blessings, changed my skins, and skied back down to the office to break 3 hours by a safe margin. Chair 8 is 878', so that's why I put my total vert at 4000'.

I'll give it a week or so and try this again with a little more urgency and see what I can do.