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For warm, cozy fun, swim in an outdoor heated pool in winter

For warm, cozy fun, swim in an outdoor heated pool in winter

by | Feb 11, 2021 | Blog

Jennifer Reinhardt stands atop the starting blocks of an Austin swimming pool during a 2013 cold snap. Pam LeBlanc photo

It’s what I call swimming-in-a-warm-cauldron weather, and yes, people, this makes me extremely happy.

People always seem shocked when I tell them I still swim when temperatures outside drop into the 30s. Even when I explain that the water in Western Hills Athletic Club, which is outdoors, is heated to a balmy 80 or 82 degrees, they look at me like I’m nuts. And while I may be nuts, the swimming outdoors part in January has nothing to do with it.

Take this morning. When I arrived at the pool, the thermometer in the truck read 32 degrees. A thick steam rose off the surface of the pool, which is perched atop a hill on Rollingwood Drive in West Austin.

I shivered as I peeled off my plush-lined, over-sized deck jacket and stepped out of my sandals onto cold concrete. But jumping into a heated pool in the middle of winter in Texas feels like diving under the covers of a bed pre-warmed by a three snoozing Labradors – it’s cozy as heck. After the first five minutes, it’s no different than any other swim practice, except that the clouds of steam blowing over the water make it hard to see.

The person who does suffer during these cold-weather practices? The coach standing on deck. Today, that was coach Cheryl Ridout. (Thanks Cheryl!)

The forecast looks chilly for the next five days, and I’m looking forward to more swimming, as long as the roads stay ice free. We’re a hardy group here at the pool. I snapped the above picture of Jennifer Reinhardt’s feet during swim practice in 2013.

While I love swimming in a heated pool, I do draw the line someplace. Another friend invited me for a pre-dawn, naked mile swim at Barton Springs Pool. I’m all for the naked swim, which I’ve done before (it’s fantastic, and nobody can see in the dark), but not when temps are below freezing. That’ll have to wait a week or two.

On a related note, the Austin Parks & Recreation Department sent out a press release earlier today, noting that all year-round swimming pools, tennis centers and golf courses are closed. Schedules for tomorrow are pending weather conditions, and it doesn’t look much better. Check austintexas.gov/parks to check status.

About Pam

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This year’s Banff Film Fest is going virtual

This year’s Banff Film Fest is going virtual

by | Feb 10, 2021 | Blog

One of the films featured in the Sapphire collection is about a piano tuner who delivers a 100-year-old upright piano to a remote mountain village. Photo courtesy Banff Mountain Film Fest

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is going virtual in 2021.

That means instead of putting on my best hiking boots and pants and hanging out at the Paramount Theater with my hiking, biking and paddling pals for two consecutive nights in April, I’ll be curled up on my couch at home, watching the year’s best outdoorsy films from a nest of blankets on my sofa.

The Virtual Banff World Tour is offering four, two-hour collections of films. It costs $15 to rent a single collection for three nights, or $28 to access two collections for 14 days.

I’ve been attending the festival since it first came to Austin, and while I love the adrenalin-fueled films about extreme kayaking, cycling, skiing and mountaineering, my favorites are usually the less heart-pounding ones. This year’s selection includes a film called “Piano to Zanskar,” about a 65-year-old piano tuner faced with the task of transporting a 100-year-old upright piano from downtown London to the heart of the Indian Himalayas. Other films focus on the art of aerial silk performance, 10-time world dogsled racer George Attla, a mountain bike race in Bhutan, and one-star reviews of national parks.

To read more about what films each two-hour collection (titled Ruby, Sapphire, Amber and Onyx) features, or to rent the films, go here.

Me? I think I’m ordering two – Sapphire and Onyx. I’ll miss seeing my friends at the Paramount, but look forward to sharing thoughts on this year’s films right here.

About Pam

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Spider Mountain celebrates its anniversary with free chairlift rides, a ride clinic and a cold forecast

Spider Mountain celebrates its anniversary with free chairlift rides, a ride clinic and a cold forecast

by | Feb 9, 2021 | Blog

A cyclist rides the lift to the top of Spider Mountain on Feb. 9, 2019. Pam LeBlanc photo

When the chairlifts started cranking on opening day at Spider Mountain bike park in Burnet almost two years ago, snowflakes sifted from the sky.

It seemed appropriate then, since the chairlift at the country’s only year-round, lift-served mountain bike park had once whisked snow skiers up the mountain at Taos Ski Resort in New Mexico. And it seems appropriate that snow is once again in the forecast here in Texas as Spider Mountain celebrates its second anniversary this weekend.

Besides free scenic chairlift rides all weekend, Pro XC bike racer, Enduro champion and Youtube cycling star Rich Drew will lead a clinic focusing on how to ride berms and hit jumps, then take anyone willing to brave the cold on some “party laps” down the Texas-sized mountain. That event is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sunday; live music is planned for 1-3 p.m. at the base area.

A polar plunge scheduled to take place in the swimming pool at neighboring Thunderbird Lodge has been put on hold (on ice?) due to the chilly forecast.

I’ve ridden at Spider Mountain twice. I’m not an aggressive rider, but swooping downhill and around banked corners made my tongue dangle out of my mouth in puppy-like happiness. More advanced riders can geek out on the steeper, faster, and more obstacle-laden expert runs.

And stay tuned – a new intermediate trail dubbed Sidewinder is scheduled to open later this spring. I’m already planning a visit.

Onetime Austin resident and overgrown-kid-in-disguise James Coleman, managing partner of Mountain Capital Partners, which owns six ski resorts around the country, owns the park, which is located at 200 Greenwood Hills Trail near Burnet, 60 miles northwest of Austin.

Lift tickets are $59 for adults (discounts for youth and seniors; free for kids 10 and under. Women ride for $40 on Fridays.)

Go to  SpiderMountain.com for more information.

About Pam

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Vote for the Butler Trail in this poll

Vote for the Butler Trail in this poll

by | Feb 4, 2021 | Blog

The boardwalk is part of the 10-mile loop of the Ann and Roy Butler Trail in downtown Austin. Pam LeBlanc photo

If you’re a regular on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail that loops around Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, you know it’s much more than a path – it’s like the city’s collective family room.

Walk or run the 10-mile trail and you’ll get views of rowers on the Colorado River, towering cypress trees that shade its northern side, Barton Creek, and the sleek metal and glass outline of the city’s core. You’ll also probably run into a friend or two.

Now the trail has been nominated as one of the country’s best recreational trails in the USA Today 10 Best Reader’s Choice Travel Awards.

Trees arch over a section of the Butler Trail near Zilker Park. Pam LeBlanc photo

When I checked today, the trail was holding third place of the 20 nominated trails. Voting is open through Feb. 15, and you can vote once per day.

At the moment, the 130-mile Chuck Huckelberry Loop in Tucson, which is open to pedestrians, equestrians, cyclists and skaters, was at the top of the list. The 19-mile Swamp Rabbit Trail that follows an old railroad bed along the Reedy River in Greenville, South Carolina, was in second.

Also on the list of nominees? Buffalo Bayou in Houston, the Atlanta Beltline, the High Line in New York City, the Katy Trail in Missouri, the Rio Grande Trail in Colorado and the Maricopa Trail in Phoenix.

Want to see our local trail win? Go here to vote.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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Cap 10K goes virtual in 2021, marking third consecutive year without in-person race

Cap 10K goes virtual in 2021, marking third consecutive year without in-person race

by | Feb 1, 2021 | Blog

This year’s Statesman Capitol 10,000 will go virtual. Chris LeBlanc photo

The 2021 Statesman Capitol 10,000 is going virtual once again.

It will mark the third year in a row that the in-person race has been cancelled. A strong storm swept through on race day in 2019, forcing organizers to call it off, and the pandemic spurred cancellation of the popular spring event in 2020.

“Both in the interest of the health and safety of our participants and in anticipation of the city of Austin significantly modifying or canceling our large-scale in-person event, we are moving our 2021 Cap10K race to a virtual format,” said Jeff Simecek, Statesman Cap10K race director. “We are grateful for our running community’s continued understanding, as well as their support of our race and beneficiary, Marathon Kids.”

The race, the largest 10K in Texas and the sixth largest in the nation, was scheduled for April. 1. Now participants can run any of 10 different routes between April 11 and 30.

Contactless drive-through packet pickup is planned for April 9 and 10. That event will feature live music, giveaways and more. Packet mail delivery is also available for $11, which will cover the cost of postage.

The Cap10K’s training program, Austin’s Coffee House 10K Sunrise Coffee, is under way and features new training routes  and helps support local businesses.

Registration is $40 for adults. One dollar from every 2021 Cap10K registration goes to Marathon Kids, which helps elementary students run a cumulative marathon spread out during the school semester. Participants can also make an additional donation when registering, which the Statesman will match up to $10,000, at Cap10K.com. For more information go to Cap10K.com/virtualrace.

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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Thinking of hitting the slopes? Check Covid protocols before you go

Thinking of hitting the slopes? Check Covid protocols before you go

by | Feb 1, 2021 | Blog

Chris LeBlanc skis Monarch Mountain near Salida, Colorado, in January 2020. Pam LeBlanc photo

Hankering to hit the slopes in 2021 but not sure if it’s safe during a pandemic?

You’re probably more at risk traveling to a ski resort or eating in a restaurant once you’re there than you are actually skiing or snowboarding, according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The health agency notes that “outdoors is the safer choice if you want to spend time with people you don’t live with.” It recommends staying at least 6 feet apart from people you don’t live with, bringing a mask to wear when you encounter others, and avoiding crowds and poorly vented indoor spaces. That’s all doable, thanks to protocols in place at Colorado ski slopes to minimize risk of spreading Covid-19.

Most Colorado resorts require advance reservations made online to get lift tickets or parking places. Visitors must wear masks on lifts and in lines.

“We know people want to be outdoors, and they feel relatively safe outdoors,” said Chris Linsmayer, public affairs director of Colorado Ski Country, which represents 22 ski resorts in the state.

He reminds visitors to check with their destination before heading out to know the rules and to reserve lift tickets or book ski lessons (group size is limited.) Check to see if your resort has an ap you can download, like Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort.

“Things are going to look different,” said Olivia Butrymovich, public relations coordinator at Copper Mountain Resort.

Most food service has shifted outdoors to limit indoor gatherings, so grab-and-go offerings or creative options like yurts or gondolas have popped up.

“There are no walkup ticket purchases,” says Jen Miller at Winter Park Ski Resort, who also recommends planning a mid-week trip, to avoid peak weekend days. “You buy in advance, including lessons and rentals.”

It’s easy to stay socially distant while skiing in Colorado. Here, Chris LeBlanc enjoys a deserted run at Copper Mountain in January 2020. Pam LeBlanc photo

Here are some ways to make your trip safer:

  1. Rent a condo, rental house or room with a full kitchen, so you can cook your meals instead of going out. Some hotels, including the newResidence Inn by Marriott in Steamboat Springs, offer a ski valet, grocery deliver and suites with full kitchens.
  2. Book through a management company with safety protocols and social distancing amenities in place. Moving Mountains, which offers luxury rentals in Beaver Creek, Vail and Steamboat Springs, follows CDC and Vacation Rental Management Association Safe Home Guidelines.
  3. Avoid standing in line at a rental shop. Bring your own gear or take advantage of companies like Black Tie Ski Rental Deliverythat offer contactless or minimal contact delivery of skis, boots and poles to wherever you are staying.
  4. Avoid crowded restaurants. Either cook in, or take advantage of options like the eight-person yurts operated by Aurum Food & Wine in Breckenridge and Steamboat. You can dine in a refurbished gondola car in Telluride, or buy takeaway from a snowcat in Snowmass and other resorts.

For more information, go to the Covid page on Coloradoski.com.

The back bowls at Copper Mountain offer plenty of terrain to explore. Pam LeBlanc photo

 

 

 

 

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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