Elk Mountain Grand Traverse Tips

Elk Mountain Grand Traverse Tips – As per 5 Time Winner
Kloser
Mike
Okay, you might find some of this obvious or maybe even a bit crazy, but I bet you will find
something useful from all this. Anyway, here’s a few tips and a bit of advice that I’ve put down
here based on the decade of racing in this crazy but intriguing race though some of Colorado’s
amazing backcountry. As I have made a habit of doing in life with advice I’ve been given over the
years, take the bits you find of use, make a mental note and store it in your long term memory
bank.
Here’s some FAQs
How do you pick your teammate and what factors would you use when considering a good one?
MK. I try to find someone compatible to my skill level with the same or at least similar goal.
You need to be able to communicate well, even when the weather, conditions or circumstances
deteriorate (these are probably the most critical times when communication is of the utmost). Be
prepared as best as possible leading up to the race, training, looking after your health, gear etc., as
well as during the race with all the little details that you might encounter. Then, being a supportive
team player when the going gets tough. You would want the same of your teammate if you found
you were the one in need…
What type of skis would you recommend?
MK. I recommend using either a light weight Alpine Touring/Randonee ski and boot setup or a set
of classic racing skis with a relatively flexible skate skiing boot. I would suggest using the
AT/Rando gear if the conditions are firm or transformed snow in the higher elevations.
How about skis with fish scales instead of kick wax able skis?
MK. I would avoid fish scales at all cost, they are just not good enough for gripping on the steeper
slopes and are very slow for gliding when needed and even worse if you attempt to skate with
them, which we find we often are doing in the race.
What about metal edge back country skis and light weight back country boots?
MK. If you want metal edges, go with the lightweight AT/Rando setup, you’ll get much better
stability and performance from them and with some good fast skins, you’ll go up like a rock star.
For kick wax skis, will the wax work for the whole course?
MK. No there are a few sections like up Star and Taylor passes which are just too steep for wax
even in ideal waxing conditions. Plan on bringing some skins that will cover at least ¾ of you ski
length for these sections.
How do you wax for the varied terrain and snow conditions that the race offers?
MK. That’s the real challenge, pick a wax that works for the snow conditions at the start of the race
and bring along some other waxes for colder or warmer snow. The best tip I can give you on this
is to wax a larger kick zone, maybe up to 20% longer.
Would you wax or have skins on for the start in the town of Crested Butte?
MK. Waxing or skins will be far slower than skating out of the start unless the temps are sub zero.
If you choose to wax, it’s probably best to only wax a standard kick zone for the start so you can
still opt to skate if you like. The hills out of town are typically a bit too steep for waxing, even with
a larger kick zone and you will likely be better off to put on skins at the hill.
How many pair of skins do you recommend for our team?
MK. Plan on bringing along at least one extra set of skins for your team, better yet an extra pair
each to be on the safe side.
What kind and length of poles do you use?
MK. We use adjustable carbon fiber Leki Nordic poles (these have been awesome!) and we set
them to a similar length as you would for classic skiing, maybe a bit longer for the skating
segments.
How about clothing, I know it can get very cold, especially at higher elevations?
MK. Start the race with minimal breathable layers, you’ll be toasty within minutes of the start.
Once you get to higher elevations if the temps drop, prepare to layer up. We usually put on a
warmer hat, gloves and shell once we hit the Friends hut, as we will be heading above tree line at
that point. (note, I hardly remember a year that it wasn’t blowing sideways and near sub zero
temps on the way up Star Pass) There’s a minimum clothing list that’s required and that is usually
sufficient. That said, throw on an extra base layer if really cold temps are in store.
How do you prevent frost bite, I hear it’s a big concern?
MK. I’ve had my share of it on this course! Bring along layers to cover your skin, especially your
face. A buff or similar seems to work quite well, but you have to deal with icing up, a balaclava
works quite well also. Put on a good layer of skin cream on your face to prevent wind and sun
burn.
What do you wear for gloves?
MK. I get quite warm while racing, so like the hat I wear which is very thin, I start out with a thin
pair of wind resistant gloves and change out or layer up with another heavier pair for the high
elevations as needed.
How do you prevent frozen feet?
MK. I make sure my boots have sufficient space for circulation and wear a good pair of wool
socks, nothing too thick to make the boots too tight fitting though.
What about preventing blisters?
MK. I rely on three things with this. One, make sure to test and break in your boots well prior to
the race. Two, I use a healthy layer of SportSlick (www.SportSlick.com) on my feet, anywhere
that I may likely blister. Three, as I mentioned, get a good fitting pair of wool socks on your feet, I
prefer DeFeet socks they are tried and true!
What do you eat out on course?
MK. I make sure of two things when packing food for this race, one is food that is easy to eat and
two, pack food that you like know you will like the taste of 6 or 8 hours into the race. My
favorites are Gu gels, nut mixes, chocolate chip cookies or brownies, some sort of salty chips or
crackers and an ensure type drink.
What do you drink on the course?
MK. I fill a good size bladder with Gu2o www.GuEnergy.com and hot water (it helps prevent
freezing for a good while). I also bring along at least one water bottle filled with hot water that I
keep in my pack in case my bladder freezes up (which can happen all too often).
How do you keep your water or drinks from freezing?
MK. As I mentioned I put hot liquids in my pack at the start, keep them insulated from the cold by
putting them on the inside behind some insulated gear and to keep my hydration hose from
freezing, I wrap the tube with some pipe insulation and I will often blow the fluids back into the
pack between drinks.
How about heating snow into water on the course?
MK. Well it’s required that we have an operable stove and a cooking pot to melt snow into
MK. Well it’s required that we have an operable stove and a cooking pot to melt snow into
drinking water should we get stranded in a storm and run out of water. Personally I find this a bit
much, since in all the years that this race has been going on, I can’t say I’ve ever heard of anyone
needing to do so. If it came down to it, I would more likely benefit from the heat the stove puts out
in a snow cave, but hey, I’ve never got stranded out there yet either… Anyway, find a good light
weight stove and aluminum or titanium pot, pack it away and hope you never have to use it in this
race!
What kind of pack do you recommend?
MK. Well this one is a No-Brainer for me, I wouldn’t be caught OutThere! without one of the
OutThere! AS-1 packs www.OutThereUSA.com I spent a good number of years trying to find
just the right pack for this. Finally after a half dozen years racing this race, I designed my own
pack. Seriously, during my Adventure Racing days, I spent more than a decade helping design
racing packs for the likes of North Face, Golite, Salomon and Nike. I took all the best features we
came up with and designed what many claim to be the best racing pack they have ever used!
When you’re in a race like this, you want to have your gear as accessible as possible. Some
examples of this are, your food, we put numerous zipper and mesh pockets on the hip belt and
shoulder straps so you can simply reach and eat. For items like spare gloves, hats and clothing
layers, skins, etc., there are mesh and zipper pockets on the sides and front of the pack. The hood
has two zipper compartments which are great for items like your GPS, Spot, spare headlamp, etc.
Your sleeping mat can fit inside the main compartment or be attached externally to either the side
compression straps or to the tabs on the bottom of the pack. Your avalanche shovel fits snugly in
the front mesh compartment. There’s an external zip hydration compartment for quick access to
your hydration bladder, as well as a side zip to access the main compartment of your pack with out
having to undo the packs hood. This pack is designed with races like the Elk Mtn. in mind. If you
are interested in discounted pricing on the packs for your team, go to the website and send me an
email, we’ll get you sorted.
How do you pack your pack?
MK. As mentioned above, I load my pack with accessibility in mind. I load up the easily
accessible pockets with items like food and lip and face cream, gloves, Buff, etc. I put the items
like mandatory extra clothing in the main compartment and I put other items like maps, spare skins
and headlamp on the other front compartments so my team mate can easily access these if needed
without having to take my pack off.
How do you set up a toeing system?
MK. I make sure that both of us have a towing system in place that is easily accessible should we
need it. Yes we are all susceptible to needing a tow at some time or another. The AS-1 pack has a
tow line attachment point built into the lower zip pocket on the pack. Use about a 5 to 7 foot long
1/8” bungee with a carabineer attached on the end for your team mate to clip on to his or her pack
strap.
What do you eat before the race?
MK. I usually eat the pasta meal that they supply at the race briefing during the early afternoon, it’s
always been a tasty meal. For the evening meal, I will eat another meal high in carbs, making sure
to have some protein with it as well, for me it’s either chicken or beef.
Do you sleep prior to the race?
MK. Yes, I try to get a good bit of sleep in the afternoon/evening prior to the race. I make sure to
have all my gear in order before hand and then allow enough time to make final preparations prior
to heading to the start.
How much do you drink?
MK. I usually go through about 2 to 3 litters from my hydration bladder by the time we get to the
Barnard Hut. I will refill about half full to get me to the finish. I often pack a coke or something in
my pack to drink later in the race for a little boost.
my pack to drink later in the race for a little boost.
How do you pace yourself/team?
MK. I have had a few years experience at these types of races and so I kind of have a good feel for
what kind of pace I can sustain for a race of this duration. I try not to get too caught up in the
action up front too early on in the race and manage a reasonable pace with my partner. I make sure
to communicate on this matter regularly throughout the race. There’s inevitably going to be times
when one or the other of us aren’t feeling at our best, so you need to be aware of this and either
back down the pace, boost up the energy levels with food and drink or hook on the tow line.
What kind of light setup do you use?
MK. I have always used Princeton Tec lights, www.Princetontec.com they make some very bright
and reliable lights. My favorite as of late is the Apex Pro. They now have an Apex Rechargeable
as well, (Awesome)!
What gear do you take that is not mandatory gear?
MK. I like to make sure to have a complete base layer change from head to toes, including undies.
I realize that most of these are mandatory, but a must in my book if you were to get stuck out there
for the night or longer. I also like to have a down jacket with a hood, the hood can make all the
difference out there!
What do you do about open river crossings?
MK. Well if I can recall correctly, there was only one year that this was a real issue. The year was
a lower than average snow year with quite warm temps leading up to the race. The East River was
a shallow (boot top) crossing. To make matters worse, a storm rolled in that evening (if my
memory serves me well, most of the race nights are stormy) and the temps dropped below zero. I
got my boots wet in the crossing even though I had some silicon sealed nylon bags to put over
them, the rocks tore into the bags. My recommendation would be to get some thin small trash
liners to put on inside your boots and tape them up around your calves. This will do the trick, but
beware, your feet will get very moist from sweat, you may want to rip them off after the crossing?
Should we plan on training in elements similar to what you might encounter?
MK. It’s always a good idea to try and replicate the race environment when training if possible, but
its not often the case that you can. If possible, try to build up for the duration expected to complete
the event, and incorporate using your gear you will be racing with and carrying. Make sure not to
over do it, especially too close to the race. You want to come into the race prepared and rested.
What clothing tips might you suggest, socks, base-layers, pants, outer-layers?
MK. I mentioned earlier having a complete backup base-layer set for the race, I make sure it’s
something that I have trained with in similar conditions, as well as warm and functional. Don’t
over dress and cause excessive perspiration. Always a good rule of thumb in my book, start out
feeling like you’re a bit underdressed, as once the gun goes off, you’re going to be working hard
and as you know, that generates body heat. I make a point to wear quite breathable clothing and
for me, that’s not a Gortex type outer layer, they just don’t work for me when I’m putting out the
BTUs. Socks are probably one of the most important items you need to have dialed in, if you trash
your feet with blisters, it’s game over! It’s hard to go wrong with wool, if you find some that
work well for you, stick with them. The pants that I find have worked best for me are a basic nylon
full zip pant, one that is wind resistant, yet breaths relatively well and the full side zips allow me to
regulate the temps if I get warm. If it’s expected to be a cold and windy night, I would warn
against pants with breathable fabric panels on the back side like you would find in some Nordic
Ski pants. I found these a bit on the chilly side when I used them one year.
How about eyewear, we’re required to have sunglasses and goggles?
MK. This is one of those items that I have always found very essential, especially for the night
time hours. Over the years I have used a number of Oakley models www.Oakley.com, but I have
to say that their Transition lenses (clear smoke), in their Jawbone frames are by far the most
amazing eyewear technology I’ve ever used. They are essentially clear for the night time hours and
when the skies brighten up, the lenses darken up. I find this simply amazing technology! For
when the skies brighten up, the lenses darken up. I find this simply amazing technology! For
goggles, I simply use the one of their clear double lens goggles. They make some great fog
resistant lenses, that really work when you are battling the elements.
I hope you find some of this information useful. I had to refine this over the years and hopefully
you can benefit from my experience without having to go through the trial and error process.
OutThere! AS-1