The HardHead Philosophy: What if I have a coach already?

I just updated my Coaching website to address these questions, and I thought I'd post the page here: what if I already have a coach? How do you work? What is HardHead anyway?

The HardHead Philosophy:

The idea is really simple. My job is to get you to perform to your absolute potential, no matter the pressure situation that you face.

I believe coaching is about the athlete. A coach is a person who exists to help an athlete achieve. This means that success in sport can never be about the coach. If a coach is taking credit for wins or success in sport, that coach is distracted by their own ego, and therefore can not be putting all of their energy into their client.

As a coach, I make a pact with an athlete: I will give you everything I have. I expect you to work at LEAST as hard as I am, because this is about you achieving your goals.

My greatest satisfaction as a coach is to watch an athlete make an enormous performance jump, be that in the ability to perform consistently, in breaking a performance plateau, or in suddenly being free from self sabotage and realizing their potential is limitless. I love to ask an athlete, when it is all said and done: “So, did you do what you came to do? Did you perform to your absolute potential?”

If you already have a coach, that’s even better. My job in this case is to make a bridge between technical performance and mental fitness. I work one on one with your coach, learning their coaching style, and listening carefully to their assessment of their athlete.

I then work individually with the athlete in a confidential setting to sus out distractions from ultimate performance. Together, we build a Performance Plan.

Ideally, I then work on and off snow with the athlete for two to four sessions, fine tuning the Performance Plan, which is then brought back to the regular coach.

In this manner, we build a working relationship which is inclusive of your current coaching, supports the athlete, unlocks new potential, and positions the current coach to propel their athlete even further.

After your on-site coaching session or seminar, I am additionally available on line and via phone for continued support for both coaches and their athletes.

Please feel free to comment, call or email at katehowe@mac.com for more information!

Blissful Breakfast at the Cateye Cafe in Bozeman

Breakfast at the cat eye cafe in Bozeman. Heaven!

Wall.E is the best medicine

Took Bodhi to see wall e He's feeling much better!

UPDATE: wow, I'm impressed, I took that shot with my camera phone in the theater! If you haven't seen this movie yet, go see it. I am so so so very grateful to John Lasseter for making this movie! It is really well done, timely, beautiful...it doesn't feel pedantic or preachy. Its just kind of... true. I especially like that WalMart owns the world, and that the president of WalMart is kind of the President of the World. Hmmm... more on this later. I'm beat! Bodhi, of course, is all better!

GREAT discounts at this cool online shop!

Check this online shop out for THIS YEAR's GEAR at up to 50% off! WoW!

Wow, that was scary!

Bodhi and I are going to stay home while Tom and Ethan go to City of Rocks. Bodhi had the highest fever I've ever seen in a kid last night, sweating even in the palms of his hands, he was so hot to the touch that he was burning me while sitting on my lap, I had to put towels down. He was hallucinating, had terrible frigtening vertigo, and then spent the rest of the night until about 11 this morning throwing up.

So... perhaps six hours in the car is a bad idea, although he really wants to go. Looks like two days of Power Rangers movies for us on the couch! Have fun Tom and Ethan, and...

Happy Birthday, Virginia! Sorry we missed it. xoxo

Someone STOLE John Faunce's Mtn Bike!!

PLEASE keep your eyes out for a Rocky Mountain Switch Full Suspension Mtn bike, stolen off John Faunce's porch last night. NEW Custom Long Board by Faunce as a reward!

His bike is Ammo Can Green with RED on the SIDEWALL of the tires. I'll get you a pic of the actual bike asap... but until then, it looks something like this!!

Off to City of Rocks!

Bye, guys! I'll do some mobile posts if I have any reception, if not, I'll catch up to y'all on Tuesday! The boys and I are meeting Virginia and Jesse at the City of Rocks for four days of climbing and camping! YAY!

The Evil Plan!!! (Or, what's up with Sponsorships?)

Well, the plain truth is that skiing and driving all over the place is really really expensive! And I'm kinda on the broke side, like we all are. So the concept was pretty simple, there is some gear that I just can't live without, that I love, and that makes it easier for me to do my job well.

I thought I'd ask those companies if they'd like to give me some of their gear in exchange for advertising, since I spend a lot of time gushing about them anyhow. I am lucky enough to have had a couple of companies welcome me into their family of athletes, and I'm psyched, because POC, Elan and Dalbello are all companies that I like to jump up and down about because I find their gear incomparable!

Because I have had some positive response with the inquiries regarding sponsorship, I came up with an evil plan to take over the universe. No, not really. I came up with an idea to make all the traveling (which, LUCKILY, is only going to increase this year as I travel ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, doing Hard Head coaching seminars and training for my own goals) more financially feasable, as right now its breaking the bank, with gas at over $4 a gallon and rising, and places to stay either being FANTASTIC friend's couches, or my truck parked at the ski hill.

I wrote a proposal for a mobile green command center for Hard Head, and sent it off. Cross your fingers, this could be TRULY revolutionary for my coaching business, and a GREAT way for me and my ski partners to go adventuring all over the country and skiing in new back country locations, for less money, able to keep and eat good food, tune our skis, and not have to pay for a hotel or camp out when we are in a new location. WOWEEE just thinking about it makes me crazy happy.

Here is the thought: picture this: A 16 - 29' gleeming Airstream trailer (which I chose because I've had a burning love for Airstream ever since I was five and slept in my first silver bullet), pulled EITHER by a Hybrid Tahoe or a truck which is converted to BioDisel (depending on the GVW of the Airstream, and how big a vehicle we need to tow it). Inside the Airstream are a laptop, imac, iphone with GPS, and an itunes dock for my ipod (iiiiiii), all powered by Brunton portable solar cells.

The outside of the Airstream would be graphic'd with the logos of the sponsors of this project on one side, and my new Hard Head logo on the other side, as well as some facts about gas consumption and life on the road in the current energy and economy.

Inside would be space for ski and boot storage, a tuning bench, and space for a group of athletes to gather and talk about skiing, do Movement Analysis, or have a Performance Plan meeting. The bigger Airstreams sleep several, so trips like Powder 8s could have several athletes all using Hard Head living together without having to pay an arm and a leg to get somewhere, and travel with their coach!

I wrote up the proposal and sent it to Apple, Airstream, Brunton and GM, so far, its been passed up the chain at Airstream, so keep your fingers crossed, this would be a HUGE step forward in making Hard Head a more mobile and therefore viable entity!

In Which Ethan finds his hero in Doug Coombs.

Tonight, I was watching my favorite movie, Steep, late at night (well, late for me, it was almost 11), when Ethan came wandering out from bed. He couldn't sleep. He didn't even say anything, just came walking out and climbed silently up into my lap and started watching.

He's seen clips before, but never really watched all the way through. As the movie went on, I could feel his vital, beautiful, athletic little body on my lap as he tensed before each cliff that Seth Morrison went off, and the sighs he had as he watched Doug Coombs ski down the curtains of the mountains in Valdez, Alaska.

He was completely taken in by Doug for some reason, and started whispering questions to me, trying not to interrupt the movie, but wanting to know more. We reached the part of the film where they reveal that Doug died in a skiing accident, and Ethan was so sad.

Here is what he told me: "The guy that died, Doug Coombs, he was like a hero. He is my hero. I want to ski like that, mom. Will you take me? Is it okay that Doug is my hero even though he died?"

I sat there for a moment, feeling so many things, so grateful to be able to share this moment with Ethan, to have him want to know more about something that is so full of joy, and so worried that I am exposing him to something that might be so dangerous for him.

And then I thought about some good friends, who are amazing living examples of the fact that while accidents happen in skiing, skiing is something that is so pure and so visceral, that its not something to be selfish about. Its not something for me to keep for me, that its alright for me to take risks and live my life completely, but not for Ethan.

"Yes, Ethan. Doug is a great hero, and I'm sure he'd be proud to be your hero." I told him. He squirmed with delight, and when the movie ended, he asked if we could watch the beginning, the part he'd missed. So at 11 at night, we started it over and watched it in the dark, together.

Alison Gannett: Extreme Skier of DOOOM and Superwoman of Planet Saving!

WOW, have you been to THIS website?? This woman is a Patagonia Ambassador and a pretty amazing person!! Check her out!

Angela skis Madman's Couloir!

Angela skis Madman's, originally uploaded by KateHowe.

What a beautiful day!! Chicks that rip, here she is playing "dodge that rock"!

WHOOPS! It's Madmans, not Hidden, which we did next. Sorry!

Wherein Amanda Climbs Her First Mountain

Greetings from the saddle at Sacajawea peak!

This was a mobile post from the top of the Bridger Ridge. As we were about 1/2 way up Sacajawea, the highest peak in the Bridger range, I found out that Amanda has never climbed a mountain before.

!!!!

Are you kidding me??!!! Welcome to Montana, honey, let's go HIKING! Sacajawea is a challenging, steep, scree filled hike, and the trail JUST opened up, and most of it is still covered with snow.

To gain the ridge and try for the summit of this little 9,660' peak, we had to put in a bootpack in our tennies. And she was game. She was hardly even breathing hard.

I was a bit worried about the ride back down the snowfield, but the plan was for her to slide on her pack or jacket and have a good time. I decided to glissade back down on my feet. I got about 1/2 way down and turned around to see how she was doing... and she was glissading down the same way!! She was on her feet, turning her legs under her in an amazing simile of parallel skiing.

I am telling you, this is one tough chick who was born to be in the mountains. She has no idea how strong she is, hiking up Kirk hill to the fire road one day and Sac on another, facing things that would freak most people out (and exposed, sliding scree field, anyone?)and just walking on by.

We had a lovely snack at the top, but due to loosing light decided to truck back down and get outa dodge. We left the actual summit of Sac for later this week, but I'm bringin' my skis!!!

Amanda Glissades Sac, originally uploaded by KateHowe.

Amanda, who has never climbed up a mountain before, goes on her second hike, to the ridge of the Bridger range, and then Glissades down the snow field in her tennis shoes!

This chick is gonna RIP on skis!!

Happy 4th Of July! We skied Hidden Couloir!

What an incredible day! Angela Patnode and I had plans to ski the Great One, a 4th of July tradition here in Bozeman, but it was thundering and lightening all night long (and the fireworks were going off, and Bodhi fell out of bed TWICE, and the cats were meeeooowing, and Wya was pacing around, scared of both the thunder and the fireworks...) so it was a really restful night.

Anyhow, we were worried that that amount of rain would make the snow rotten, so rather than riding our bikes up the Fairy Lake Road and then hiking up to the couloir, we decided to ski something closer. We drove out to Bridger at about 8 in the morning, a nice late start, and hiked up the Bronco Face to ski Madman.

Anglea is obviously familiar with summer skiing, I think my hiking for snow ended in June last year, so I showed up with my flip flops on, snowpants (oh MAN do I need some spring pants... these heavy, courdura, lined pants are killing me! They are great in the winter, but WOW are they HOT!) and my skins in my backpack.

I am not entirely sure what I was planing on skinning up, as the only snow anywhere was stuck in the north-facing couloirs like little mini glaciers. Angela, wisely, was in shorts and a tank top, good hiking tennies, and had all her gear (minus skins) in her big backpack. Man, I learn new stuff every single time I go skiing!! Angela loaned me a pair of tennis shoes and off we went.

It was an incredible hike, there was a thunder head coming in to the south of us, over the Saddle area of the ridge, but it curled around, dumping everywhere but on us, and providing us with some shade and a nice breeze, as it was already 80 degrees when we started hiking!

The first lap on Madmans was really fun, the snow was compacted from the summer melt, so we could actually push on it, and get our skis to do some fun stuff, and dodging the little rockfall that littered the chute was a bit like a high-speed video game with tuning bench consequences!

We skied as far down as the snow would let us, and then booted back up to the North Bowl road. At this point, I peeled off my shell, which was just soaked in sweat, and looked at Ange. "I am tempted to hike in my underwear, I kid you not!"

She laughed. "Do it! No one is here! I've hiked in my underwear, naked, whatever, do what you gotta do!"

So I stripped down to my Performance Panties and off we went again, this time to the top of the Bridger Ridge and then along the spine to the North until we got to Hidden Couloir. I couldn't figure out why the second lap was so much better, faster, and more fun... and then I realized, I wasn't wearing black snow pants!

We had a great hike up, ate lunch on the top, and then made a plan to ski Hidden, which can, at times, be 50 degrees at the top, depending on the snow pack. I am JUST NOW remembering that I have an inclinomiter in my beacon, I should have used it! Ah, well.

The snow was clinging to hidden like a solid slab just pasted on to the earth below, and I really wanted to ski it from the top. Angela has skied this line before, and she was deciding to go around the side, as in the pinch, there was only enough snow for about 1/2 of my ski to be in contact as I side slipped through the narrow portion.

We talked through the fall line, the consequences of falling, what it would be like to ski it from the top, and then she said, "You go ahead and ski it from the top if you want to, I'll stand here and support you!" So I gave her my camera and in I went!

I was nervous, but not out of my skin, I had been planing on making two small turns from the top, sideslipping the narrows, and then skiing out into the second section, but I ended up sidesliping the top two "turns" as well, as I didn't want to be off-line for the pinch and end up in the space between the snowpack and the rock wall!

As soon as I got through the narrows, I started skiing, and it was BLISS! I made a couple of turns out into the main chute, and then skied that chute out to a place clear from rock fall and hollered up to Angela.

She and Jake, her lovely golden retriever and ski companion, hiked around and dropped in. I have a great video of that portion of the ski, but its sideways, and I have to make lunch for the boys, so I'll post it in a bit. Jake was nervous to come down because it is very very steep, but she managed to encourage him to run down. The smart dog did a series of switchbacks to manage the pitch, and we skied out.

All in all, it was a glorious day, beautiful, warm, sunny, wildflowers and tall grass, good friends and skiing! Thanks for a great day, Angela!

Victories are everywhere

I have the enormous good fortune to have a new neighbor. Her name is Amanda. She and her husband, David, and their two beautiful children moved here from Atlanta to re imagine their lives.

Today, I was privileged to walk with Amanda while she worked the toxins of her old life out of her system and decided to begin becoming the person she truly is inside. She hiked, on her very first hike, all the way to the fire road on the Kirk Hill ridge. She is strong, beautiful, creative, and choosing to live her life in a way that will bring beauty into her kids lives.

I am absolutely astounded to be present while she chooses to be alive in this moment. Thank you for sharing with me, Amanda!!

Mobile Post: Amanda at the top of Kirk Hill

Amanda's first hike up kirk hill!

It's Official! Sponsored by Elan!

Oh, HAPPY DAY! I just got picked up officially by Elan/Dalbello. I am so very very excited about this, I love this gear like you wouldn't believe. I have officially fallen down the rabbit hole. Life. Is. Good!!! Thanks, Elan!

Did I put up enough links? Go ahead, click on one! The stuff is GREAT!

First mobile blogger post... we've got it figured out!

The wild roses are blooming on kirk hill!

Happy Birthday, Megan!!

Thanks for everything you do, you beautiful, fantastic, insane, inspiring, energizer bunny!! I hope you had a great b-day!!

They made it!

Summit achieved! In a miracle of perfect weather, Kurt and Mary summited Mt. Rainier yesterday. Bracketed on either side by thunderstorms, their weather window was perfect. They climbed about 8000 vertical feet, and then skied down about 4000 vertical feet. They were the only people out there with skis, everyone else was just climbing. Their guide had brought along a plastic sled in case they needed to carry anything extra, and at the top, they gave the sled to some climbers who sledded down Rainier! HOW FUN and INSANE is that???

Congratulations, Kurt and Mary!!! Well done!

1400 Days till 2012 National Teams Tryouts!

That means I've been watching my counter for over 300 days! Its goin' fast!