Month: March 2023

On The Road To A Renaissance Here In The Heart Of The California Alps

JT Chevalier (Alpine County’s PIO and Econ. Dev. Advisory Committee Chair) and I were yakking a couple weeks ago about the vibe in town due to the many new things that are happening here in Alpine County lately, and he suggested that we’re kicking off somewhat of a renaissance in the least populated county in California.

AS we like to say “One person per square mile, and you!”

MRS. California Alps and I, and Momma CA Alps (that’s her on the left), tend to agree!

NOW that spring is beginning to actually spring (after one or two more – knocky-knocky – doses of the white stuff), and knowing that some of you may already have planned your visit, or might do so after reading this post, let me whet your appetite and regale you with a list of things-a-happenin’ here from the East Slope (Woodfords and Markleeville) to the West Slope (Bear Valley and Kirkwood).

The Alpine County Resource Advisory Committee

THE renewed (there was one back in 2010 or so) Alpine County Resource Advisory Committee, “the RAC”, held its second meeting last month, and representatives, including yours truly, spent about three (3) hours reviewing six (6) projects, and I’m thrilled to say, approving five (5) of them!

  • Camp Like a Pro Program
  • Forest Service Recreation Technician
  • Scotts Lake Dispersed Campground Vault Restroom
  • Scotts Lake/Faith Valley Kiosks
  • Woodfords Visitor Information Kiosk

WITH approximately $115,000 available now, and more funding to follow, we voted to fully fund these projects, with priority given to the first four (4). Expect to see them bearing fruit starting in 2024.

LEARN more about the RAC here and read this post for some additional context.

Arts And Culture Alpine County

CHECK out this post from last month for more info. Suffice it to say things are moving along nicely. It’s getting closer to being an official entity with a brick & mortar location! Soon a name will be selected. IMHO it doesn’t matter a whole lot what it’s called yet some of us have our preferences. A rose by any other name, right?

MORE importantly, the group already has some event and gallery ideas in the works.

ALPINE County will likely see the fruits of their labor this summer or early fall, so stay tuned!

Markleeville Farmer’s Market

zucchinis and artichoke in plastic crates

SPEAKING of fruits (okay, those are veggies but we’ll have fruit, too), the county has put out an RFQ for a farmer’s market manager and we hope to see our first “fruit, veggie and crafts (including local artists) expo” in June.

COMING our way this summer…Woo, hoo!

FINGERS crossed, there might even be a market around the Deathride weekend.

Alpine County Chamber Of Commerce And Visitor’s Center

MEGHAN Wolff, Manager, has really taken charge of things since she came aboard in the fall of last year. She’s got a couple marketing professionals (one for the Chamber/VC and one for the Deathride) already hard at work, and with the help of two part-time employees, Graham and Virginia, both locals, is staffing the Visitor’s Center seven (7) days a week.

SHE and her team (that’s Meghan talking up the crowd) held an amazing mixer the Thursday before last at the Outwest Cafe (thank you Danelle and Joey) and we had the highest attendance (about 30) that a Chamber event has had since I can remember.

JT commented that it was about half the population. 🙂

Not too far off, JT!

CHECK out the newly revamped events page for some upcoming adventures from Kirkwood to Bear Valley and points in between. I hope to see you at one or more of them in the coming weeks and do stay tuned for more exciting things to come from the “ACCOC & VC.”

New Look And Feel

THE Chamber and the County have been working closely together on some re-branding efforts, including new logos and some fantastically produced videos (think “Are You Alpine?”), and those in attendance at that mixer got an early preview.

WHILE the new logo(s) haven’t been finalized, in fact we’ve got another version in the works with a Washoe artist, here’s a glimpse at one option, side-by-side with our current logo on the left. What do you think?

Renaissance Indeed!

THESE are just the new things. We’ve still got fishing (Fishmas is next month), the Bear Valley Music Festival, Hermitfest West, and East, the Deathride, Sierra Stargazing, and more. There’s so much going on this summer and fall that I’ve likely missed something. The Chamber’s Events page will capture it, though, so bookmark that sucker and make plans to be in Alpine County, and take in the Alpine-vibe, soon.

WILDFLOWER season is approaching too!

ONCE the snow melts we’re sure to see some good color. Don’t miss it!

Marooned in Markleeville – Seven Trainer-Related Things I’ve Learned

OUR wild and wooly winter continues here in the California Alps. We were given some space between storms by Ma’ Nature since my last weather related update but we’re back into the wintry cycle now, this time with rain.

WEATHER related shipping delays (whine – first world problem) have prevented me from finishing up Farley’s tubeless set up. Got ‘im taped and ready but that old trick of using a CO2 cartridge to quickly pop those beads in place DOES NOT WORK for those humongous fat bike tires, and so the weekend before last I ordered the digital inflator and presta air chuck for my compressor.

It’s still not here and so I patiently wait for UPS.

FRANKLY, though, all this adversity has allowed me to stay focused on my training plan; Sunday was the last day of that four-week foray.

THAT brings me finally to the point of this post.

HAVING grown up in San Jose, I was able to ride all year long. Sure, sometimes in the rain, but for the most part the weather wasn’t that impactful.

HERE in the heart of the California Alps, though, things can be different. Haha. This year, I’ve ridden almost 900 miles, with all but 75 of that on the trainer. With plenty of time to ruminate during those many miles inside, I’ve listed below what I consider some brilliant bits that have helped me get through all of that time focused on a screen rather than the road ahead.

I herewith share them with you with the hope that they’ll help ease some of your pain, or at least distract you from it, so you can get the most out of your indoor sessions. And for those of you who are pain cave professionals, and mayhaps have some tips of your own to share, please feel free to comment away.

Have A Plan

TRAININGPEAKS is my application of choice in this regard. I’ve been using it for over two years and I really like the daily feedback and data tracking. You can also buy plans for various endeavors. Once you do, that plan stays in your library for future use. So, with the Ride and Walk4Art coming up I resurrected the plan I had purchased a couple years back and added it to my TP calendar.

PLANS are perfect for the pain cave. I’m not sure about other applications but TrainingPeaks syncs with Zwift so you can throw the workout up on the screen, turn on the tunes and just do what the screen “tells you” to do. Zwift has some good plans and workouts as well, so give those a try, too.

Use More Than One App

FULGAZ is my other app. of choice and I particularly like the contrast of Zwift’s animation and crowds with Fulgaz’s (FG) scenery and lack thereof (crowds, that is). I’m still surprised at how many riders I talk to don’t know about FG. “Less Virtual, More Reality” is its very apropo slogan. Check out the AMAZING SIGHTS post at the top of this page for more on Fulgaz. This post from the winter of 2021 is also worth a gander.

FRIEND and local, Graham F., made this comment recently on Strava, referring to the “Going to the Sun Road Glacier National Park 2020” ride (15.77 miles; 3238 elevation gain) he had just done on Fulgaz: “The scenery is good enough to make you ignore some of the suffering.” Exactly.

Focus On The Thing

SPEAKING of suffering…On whatever app. it is that you use, (my example here is of Zwift) focus your riding on the thing the interval is about. In other words, if it’s about leg speed, then get the leg speed where it needs to be and let the watts sort themselves out. On the other hand, if the interval is watts-related, focus on those watts and let your leg speed get to where you feel most comfortable. Zwift will adjust accordingly and get your watts, or your cadence, where they belong.

Music Is Your Friend

USE headphones, they eliminate distractions from fan noise to door bells. Rather than focusing on the time left in the interval, or the data on the screen, for example, you can instead focus on the song. “Get through the song then look at the screen, Mark.” “One song at a time, dude.” Set up a playlist timed for your efforts – easy listening for the warm up and cool down phases, and something more pulse-pounding for those hard bits. I’ve got specific playlists for TTs, big climbs, endurance days and more.

WHILE it’s admittedly not music, I’ve found that CBD helps me listen better to the music and “get out of my own way.” It lessons that monkey-brain and increases focus. Something to consider perhaps? Do of course consult your medical professional, or make your own decision, though. Really that advice applies to this entire post!

Put It On The Big Screen – And Use Companion

IF you can have a big screen set up in your cave, it’s worth the effort and IMHO, the expense. It’s so much more immersive and that matters especially if you’re putting in many miles en su casa. And, if you are a Zwifter and you don’t use the Companion app., you should. That little helper makes things easier to control and gives you another data set to help distract you from the monotony of miles and miles with no movement.

Focus On Your Form

THE trainer is the best place to focus on your form. Circles they say. Wipe mud off your shoe, I’ve heard. Drive your knees to the bar. All of the above, IMHO. For me, though, it’s the knee-drive that seems to give the most gains on the pedaling efficiency front. Power meter data is key here so take advantage of those metrics. E.G., what was your left-to-right ratio? Knowing you put too much emphasis on one side of the stroke will help you adjust next time.

IT’S not just about the legs, either. Elbows bent? Shoulders not at your ears? Check. Or, not. In addition to their intrinsic value, I have found these little check-ins also help distract me from the grind. Like meditation, keep coming back to those things.

WHY not stretch a little while you’re at it, too? Another advantage of the trainer.

The Proof Is In The Pudding

MEASURE your success. For those of you who’ve been following this blog you know I do like the data. What better way to validate your approach then through testing?

BE sure, though, that it’s “apples to apples.” I was reminded of this recently, hence the mention here, via a comment by Coach Ozier (Peaks Coaching Group) in a post I wrote in the spring of 2021. Suffice it to say that this time I made sure that I ran the same test I ran previously.

I ran the 1 hour 13 minute Zwift FTP test and I did the last test in January of this year. Note: Per Coach O, go all out on the five-minute section before the actual test for a true representation of your FTP.

From 246 to 267 since January…

A 21 point gain from my last test; that’s what I’m talking about! I’m on the upswing and gaining back fitness after last year’s prostate surgery. Prior to that surgery my FTP was 297. Still some work to do.

NOT a watt nerd? Don’t have a power meter? No problemo. These 7 tips will serve you well too, I think.

TRY ‘em out. Add your own suggestions and comment on this post. Share the knowledge!

AND don’t forget to make time for a cool down spin and a bit of stretching post-workout.

THIS weekend’s Ride and Walk4Art will help me determine if all my bitchin’ advice translates to the road.

I hope to see you there. I can already taste that chicken in a barrel that Rob’s wife is cooking up!