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Show March Cross Currents Page 6 1, 1996 THE WAY OF FITNESS Back pain responds to lift self-heali-ng By Steve Ilg It estimated that impairment of the back is the most frequent of activity limitation in than 45 years old. Low less persons back pain disables an estimated 5.4 million Americans and costs at least SI6 billion each year. Impressive statistics. is Now the kicker: Low back pain is d extremely responsive to the most fitness art of personal training - low backs, it develops postural integrity, lumbar flexibility, hamstring elasticity, and vertebral expansion. The latter benefit I've found to be profound since it is vertebral compression which is a leading cause of low back pain. My own success in using the SLD supports a study of 928 Denmark inhabitants that showed men with good isometric endurance of the back muscles were less under-practice- -- j e occurrence of likely to have a low back trouble. I write from experience. Early winter, first-tim- self-healin- The proper execution of The Stiff Leg Deadlift (SLD) not only strengthens 1979. 1 was leading a pilch on The Longs Peak in Diamond on 14,255-foo- l Park. National Mountain Rocky last above well piece of my Climbing vertical on good protection about cliff the off chunk I a rock, pulled the size of Rush Limbaugh. I went w ith it. Dow nward. Very fast. Two hig water bottles, attached to the exterior of my climbing pack, saved my life. Upon impact, they exploded like high-- ! pressure water hoses ... but my spine would never be the same. j Months of medical doctors and physical therapists accomplished little. My fifth lumbar vertebra refused to release the nerve root entrapment caused by crashing into The Diamond at 32 feet per second. The doctors in-- ! formed me not to even think about running again or performing other concussivc activity." Before the accident I was a competitive mountain and runner. I remember sensing ultra-distan- innate healing power well up inside me. The experts negative input became FRESH TRACKS Signs of spring mean backcountry skiers go higher By Bob Berwyn Winter drips into spring like the faucet on the shady of the cabin, which begins to trickle only when the sun climbs far enough north to directly warm the copper fitting with vernal infrared. ORTHOPEDIC & SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY 0& Physical Therapy & Fitness Center Annette Mullikin, (303) 2121 565-638- P.T. 0 E. Main Suite 100 Cortez, Co. (HOLIDAY INN COMPLEX) ShaTip!ioi3ummeCvithfifflertificate THE NORTH FACE SIERRA DESIGNS VASQUE Specializing in the finest equipment and outdoor clothing. SIERRA DESIGNS DESIGN Lowe z Dine CZ3 O 73 H DIAMOND EQUIPMENT, r LTD. (A w PINE NEEDLE r n mountaineering 118 B3S duranflo, main Colorado (3031 Tiaaaaw . SNnaaon nvAoa 01 301 347 8728 vinoo vi va S o z , The approaching equinox notes an exact point on the celestial calendar, and marks the beginning of the end of another season for many skiers and snowboarders. We smell the scent of pine again, along the lower mountain slopes, where the resinous cone clusters in the tips of the evergreens begin to melt under blue skies. Creatures are reanimated. Nutcrackers and chickadees screech at each other, and bands of small mammals appear, leaving sets of tracks in the softening snow. A bear stalks the deep drifts in the the is hungry, but still a side canyons-h- e few months early for spring pickins. But he is awake. And alive! And just like that bear, we know that no matter how much snow falls, the world will turn green again under a strengthening sun. So wait, dont put away those skis and boards yet. Theres a new season beginning, the backcountry season. Stubborn snow sliders hike up, away from the highways and byways, on melting fingers of snow, only to give themselves over to the inevitable. Then suddenly, after a few turns, winter is but a memory, a ragged patch of white, fading away to fields of glacier lilies and lupines. Theres plenty of good backcountry skiing left this year, and nows the time to do it. Hit the highway for some roadside turns. Red Mountain Pass is still the locals favorite area for this type of skiing. The terrain is varied and extensive, and some classic San Juan summits arc within striking distance. Another option is to visit one of the regions hut-to-h- skiing venues. In the western San Juans, theres the San Juan Hut System, run by Joe Ryan. The ' 111 k backcountry shelters are spread along the Dallas Divide between Telluridc and Ouray and between, Ouray and Ridgway, and the skiing and scenery arc world-clasThe terrain around these huts is mostly suited for strong intermediate and advanced skiers. Call for rates and reservations. At the other end of the San Juans, youll find the Hinsdale Haute Route, operated by Jerry Gray out of Lake City. Three yurts, all equipped with cooking facilities, cots, and woodstoves, await adventurous ski tourers. The terrain around the yurts is ideal for intermedis. ate skiers. Call If you do travel in the backcountry, follow the standard precautions. You should always travel with a partner. You 9. terrain, must recogniz.e avalanche-pron- e and you must be able to evaluate potential haz.ards on that terrain. Map and compass skills are essential, as is at least a basic knowledge of first aid. Your pack should include a shovel and a simple repair kit (with extra screws), a spare bale, wire, and duct tape. Avalanche beacons are a neccessity if you are travel in avalanche country. Its not enough to carry such a radio transceiver. All members of your party must be trained in its proper use. Be aware that as of this year, transceivers that transmit at the old frequency of 2,275 Hertz arc officially obsolete. From now on, only transceivers will be sold. transmit at the international They standard of 475 Hertz. Be sure that all single-frequen- transceivers in your party arc compat- ible. (Bob Berwyn is a skier and writer who lives at Mayday, which is at La Plata Canyon in southwest Colorado ) |