Yukon Summer

The Yukon is known for its long winters, less is known of our hot, dry, and sunny summers. The Yukon Elite Squad is now only Colin and myself but we've been putting in long hours under the midnight sun. Early in the Summer we'll do tons of hiking, canoeing, road biking and running. Its seems like the only time I'm roller skiing is when I'm pushing out intervals or a double pole workout. Later in the Summer we'll get more specific (roller skiing, and skiing on glaciers).

Here I am on top of a mountain. Many more to conquer.

Colin has been away for the past 2 weeks in Canmore. I almost followed him down there to do a training camp, but am I ever glad i didn't. Not only would I have been stranded in Canmore's flood water state of emergency but I would of also missed some of the best Yukon June weather ever. So far I've been able to drag people along to the gym to replace Colin but I have been doing some long, lonely roller ski workouts.

I dont tend to take pictures on lonely roller ski workouts but heres a picture David Greer took of me on a lonely road bike ride in the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay… close enough

Our team came first in the 4 person category and 3rd overall. It was an awesome weekend with temperatures pushing 30 degrees. I cooled off after the race by going for a really long swim in the ocean.

I've been working hard in the gym and on my woodskis but I also been working hard making money. trying to sell myself to sponsors wasn't working out for me so between training I'm working construction about 20 hours a week, building a big timber frame pavilion. Mostly its to pay for food that I can't kill or pick myself. As long as I'm in the Yukon, all my meals have wild meat or fish. recovery drink is a steak and smoked fish and jerky are my gels and bars.

Heres Fabian grilling a typical lunch on the job site, moose roast and fish with a grilled cheese.

 Carpentry tools are great in the kitchen

Other than that I've been getting ready for hunting season by shooting my compound bow quite a bit and can now shoot a 4 shot, 3 inch group at 50yrds. I went white water rafting for the first time with my girlfriend Erin who is a guide for Tatshenshini Expediting. I'm doing some yard work like tending to the garden and hopefully building a new shed soon. It seems like I'm super busy with everything from work to training but I'm feeling great in every workout and have shattered my last years time trial results. I'm trying to not get too exited like I did last year in the fall and still take it easy when I feel the need to. Better to under do it a little than to over do it a little.

Looking to August I'll be joining the APU ski team again this year on the Eagle Glacier. Big thanks to Eric Flora making it happen for the second year in a row!

Heres some random GoPro clips of some Yukon powder, canoeing, fishing, and sliding down mountains.