RunSueRun

Skyline to the Sea

2012-02-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

Chris has a gig in San Francisco for the next couple of weeks, so with some free days, we seized the opportunity to leisurely drive up gorgeous Highway 1. After dinner with friends in Pismo Beach, we spent Thursday night camping at San Simeon State Park - in the back of the Honda Element of course. Friday morning we checked out the amazing elephant seals nearby, then continued up the coast.

Our destination was Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a nice base for my run the next day. Yep, I was able to do it just four days after gashing my knee... "it" being the ~28 mile long Skyline to the Sea Trail. What a trail runner's dream trail !!

The weather was stellar for running - sunny and 50s mostly. Chris was able to meet me in three spots and got in a few miles himself. I was very careful not to fall - opening the stitches would have been very ugly. Surprisingly, the knee didn't hurt a bit.

The trail climbs about 700 feet total, descends about 3800, and goes through some stunning redwood forests. At times it felt more like I was running in the Pacific Northwest than Coastal California. (Portland's Wildwood Trail came to mind a few times.) Just a lovely trail.

Made it!

Stitches

2012-02-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I was thinking how long it had been since I'd tripped and fallen while trail running. Three years? Four? My luck ran out yesterday. I was flying (for me) down Ray Miller with my music probably too loud, feeling great, when all of a sudden I caught a toe and went airborne for what seemed like 30 seconds of slow motion as my brain registered the inevitable. Crap, this is gonna hurt! The left knee took the brunt of the impact, with a chunk of soft tissue left on the trail, but my right elbow and hands were both a bit scraped. No biggie there; however, the knee kinda bled a lot (don't worry: no photos), and the wound was very irregular and jagged. The weird thing was that it really didn't hurt at all. ???

My next-door neighbor is a nurse, so I had her look at it when we got home. "Uh, this needs to be really cleaned out, and you're gonna need stitches." Crap again.

After finding an urgent care clinic that my insurance would cover, I was seen by a very nice older doctor who had been a medic in Vietnam many years ago. Cool. He numbed it up, scrubbed it out, and then proceeded with the stitches. After a few minutes I asked him HOW MANY STITCHES ARE YOU PUTTING IN ANYWAY?! He replied that he'd lost count. I think there were about 20. After that came injections of an antibiotic (in the butt - haha) and a tetanus shot. Good grief.

So I am a bit gimpy and taking it easy today. I have a big run planned for Saturday and hope to still be able to do it. Of course, I won't tell the doctor. A funny juxtaposition: Ten years ago tomorrow (2/02/02!) I ran my 100-mile PR at Rocky Racoon (16:51). Still not sure how I pulled that one off running only ~30 miles/week! Oh to be 10 years younger...

7 Days in Sedona

2012-01-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

We had a fun week playing in/on the Red Rocks of Sedona. Broke up the drive by spending a night camping in Joshua Tree National Park. Stayed in a sweet cabin, cooked some good food, and got lots of sleep--sun rises late in these parts this time of year. Got in some good running and hiking miles but must admit to skepticism re the vortex phenomena: no particular surge of energy or clarity of thought. Hmm...

1/7: Wilson Peak, 9 miles
1/8: Coxcomb Loop, 8 miles
1/9: Tuzigoot, Montezuma's Castle and Well. Bear Mountain for sunset and full moon, 6 1/2 miles
1/10: Airport Mesa for sunrise, then Chimney Rock, 7 1/2 miles
1/11: Sedona Circumnavigation on trails, 50k'ish
1/12: Cathedral Rock, 2 miles
1/13: Fear and Loathing Loop w/Sedona Running Co. locals, 8 miles

Broke up the drive home as well--spent some time playing with the burros in Oatman and the night camping in Mohave National Preserve near Kelso Sand Dunes. Wicked fun.

Your guess is as good as mine.

Montezuma's Well

First full moon hike of 2012, from Bear Mountain

Sedona Circumnavigation on Trail

Looking up near Cathedral Rock, a Vortex

Hero shot

On the way home

Oatman Welcoming Committee

Are these cute, or what?

Ooh, that feels gooood...

Kelso Sand Dunes...

That's a person on the summit for sunrise.

A very cool place

We climbed the tallest one and a couple adjacent...

Mojave Desert was C-O-L-D

Time flies

2012-01-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

They say time flies when you’re having fun. I agree and will add that time also flies when you’re trying to keep up with Chris Scott …as I sit here staring at my computer screen, trying to remember all that has transpired since my last blog post almost two months ago. However, since the reason for keeping this blog is that of a personal journal, I put no pressure on myself for being a bad blogger.

Cajun Coyote was a success, and it will be fun to watch the event grow in the coming years. Next year’s Cajun will be under the direction of Louisiana local and ultrarunner Edie Reidel of Geaux Run along with Mark Wieneke of course. As with some other events--Bull Run Run and the VHTRC Women’s Half Marathon to name just a couple--Chris’s creative brain conceives of--along with Mark in Cajun’s case--and realizes that conception through to reality before turning over the reigns and moving on. Pretty though not “spectacular” in a Hardrock/UTMB sense, the Cajun course is stellar, appealing especially to those looking for a runner's course as opposed to the more difficult events where one ends up walking much more than actually running. Like Rocky Racoon but a little bit slower perhaps, the entire 20-mile loop is run-able, and being a 20-mile loop, a crew is unnecessary. It would also make for a nice intro to the 100 mile distance. As I said, it’ll be fun to watch this event evolve. Given the opportunity (as in two extra days) to get in my 50 trail miles in Mississippi, I opted not to run Cajun this year.

(Tetsuro resting up for Cajun)

Fifty trail miles in Mississippi?? Yep, on the Black Creek and Tuxachanie Trails in DeSoto National Forest which lies between the Gulf Coast and Hattiesburg. The Black Creek Trail is 41 miles point-to-point, so I made up the 9-mile difference on the Tuxachanie, a lovely converted rail-trail just a few miles down the road. The Black Creek is one of the oddest trails I’ve ever traversed. The Trail suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Katrina back in 2005--and in light of that fact, it’s amazing that it was ever reopened (thank you, thank you!). However, in reopening the Trail the Forest Service apparently drove a bulldozer over many, many miles of the pathway, and they regularly bush-hog most of the trail. The upside of this is that the trail was very run-able and I could spend a lot of time looking around. Except for a few miles that go through Designated Wilderness, where the trail was somewhat of a meandering obstacle course of blowdowns (but fun), the Black Creek Trail reminded me of a Nordic ski trail in the off season, the irony of course being that this was Mississippi where it never snows enough to ski. While following the grassy/piney "hiking trail" throughout the day, I found myself repeatedly laughing at the irony. This is not to say the Trail was boring or visually unappealing. There were a surprising number of up-and-down roller coasters, and the trees--especially the long leaf pine and palmettos--were stunningly unique for me. Not surprisingly, I encountered not a soul on either of the Trails. There were quite a few road crossings which enabled Chris and our friend Tetsuro to crew me and run short sections (Tetsuro went on to win the inaugural Cajun 100 in 18:38!). I was extremely grateful for their help. So, Mississippi is done… which leaves 15 more States and DC to go in my 50 Project (see sidebar). This has been a lot of fun.

(It was hunting season, hence the red & orange.)

We wanted Tetsuro to get the full, er, "flavor" of the Deep South, so we visited Cracker Barrel, Piggly Wiggly, and Waffle House before hightailing it to Cajun Country.

(Cooking potatoes and burritoes for Cajun Coyote with Wild Bill.)

After Louisiana we had an unusual lull in travel and were actually home for a whole month. Kind of novel to get into a regular routine for a change: YMCA Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings for spinning, elliptical, and yoga, trail runs in the Santa Monica Mountains most of the other days. (Yes, I love my life.) I also did some mountain biking at Point Mugu State Park and finally rode--down the moderately technical Guadalasca and Multi-Purpose and up the very, very steep Hell Hill--clean, i.e. no dabbing, stopping, or falling! We also tackled some home improvement projects including painting the dining room a vibrant red (we love it--no boring white/beige walls in our house!), getting some new window blinds in the kitchen and dining room (yay, the neighbors can no longer watch us walking around in our skivvies!), and deck furniture (finally--the deck was built over the summer of 2010 and has been sitting empty all that time), and finally--hopefully you are sitting down--a new vacuum cleaner. Exciting, huh?! Understand that, other than the XX chromosomes, Martha Stewart and I have absolutely nothing in common--home decorating not being of even remote interest to me--so I see these projects as major accomplishments.

The year ended with the Winter Solstice, my Birthday, Christmas, and our Anniversary (four years already!) falling within a week, shortly followed by New Year’s and a little Fat-Ass “24 Hours of Ray” running event (above photo). This was my brainchild--or, more accurately, one of my many flippant “Hey, we should do THIS for an event…”remarks--that Chris made happen. The idea was to see how many 7.3 mile La Jolla-Ray Miller loops one could do in a 24-hour period, from 8 a.m. on 12/31 to 8 a.m. on 1/1. Surprisingly, we had almost 40 crazies show up to run but probably half of them did just one or two loops. Wild Bill collected the most loops at 11; I’d had enough after 7 but then walked a final loop with Chris and Manley in order to be at “the Loge” at midnight for a bad rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Almost 60 miles, not a bad way to close out 2011.

That almost brings this little journal up to date, but the last week deserves its own posting.

Coyote Las Vegas

2011-11-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

After last year's Coyote Moab--and continuing with the theme of changing venues annually--Chris and I decided that the next "C4P" would be in Vegas. About 25 of us came, ran, played, and partied this year. The only bummer of the weekend was being unable to do Mt. Charleston due to the amount of snow--we opted for an extra day at Red Rocks instead.

Some highlights:

~ Thursday's sunset hike/run up Turtlehead Peak, elev. 6323 ft. Almost made it down by closing time!

~ Friday's (11/11/11) run on the Bootleg Canyon trails in Boulder City. Must have been the Vegas, good-intentions-out-the-window effect: not one ultrarunner did more than 20 miles. Indeed, this one turned out to be a more laid-back C4P in terms of mileage.

~ Seeing Barry Manilow (yes, Barry Manilow) at the Paris! Among others, he "sang" (??--more likely lip synced) Daybreak, I Write the Songs, This One's For You, Mandy, and Copacabana. Freaking awesome!

~ Mustaches. What happens in Vegas...

~ Saturday's loop in stunningly colorful Red Rock Canyon, 20'ish miles for the "long" folks.

~ Riding in Karen and Pat's Mustang convertible rental with the top down and the heat on full blast.

~ Soaking and drinking in the Tuscany's hot tub.

~ An Elvis sighting.

~ Bowling at Gold Coast Casino. This place was HUGE--70 lanes! At around 10 p.m. they turned off the big lights and turned on the black lights and the hip hop'in DJ. Cool.

~ Watching Chris B. and Allen get down. Those two can DANCE.

~ The Sunday 6 a.m. group run down the Strip, led by "Elvis." We even got a couple of drunks to run with us for a bit.

Fun times! After a hot tub brainstorming session, plans are already in the works for next year's event. Hmm... where will it be???

(Photos 2, 4, 5 by Tetsuro O., #3 by Mike E.)

Many more photos by Tetsuro here, here, and here.

And Chad Brackelsberg's video...

Cajun Coyote Ultras

2011-10-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun in the Louisiana swamplands last December that we're going back for a second running of the Cajun Coyote Ultras. This year's events will take place over the December 3-4 weekend at Chicot State Park in Ville Platte. New this year is the 100 miler (check out that belt buckle, eh?!) as well as the 100 km. and 20 mile distances. Much more info on the website.

The course is a slightly rolling loop of 20 miles, almost entirely singletrack, around Lake Chicot. Think Rocky Racoon but perhaps a little bit slower... to say, if your only 100 mile experience is that of tougher events, you could definitely PR here. And the course is beautiful to boot. No 'gators were spotted last year, but at night you will see and hear lots of armadillos. Including the start/finish area, there are four aid stations staffed by the usual Coyote Crazies offering up the usual - and, uh, not so usual - fare. (I'm going to politick for fresh cracklins.) Entry also gets the runner a spiff Patagonia Cap 2 long-sleeve zip in a choice of colors. Click on the "melange" tab on the website.

My original plan was to work this year's event, but now I'm reconsidering... that buckle is looking mighty tempting!

Click here to read my last year's Top 10.

Vermont 50k in 10 Photos

2011-09-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Chris and I "ran" the Vermont 50k entirely together. We stopped in Bradford for lunch and coffee - and some impromptu cider pressing - on the drive down Saturday afternoon. Chris is obviously amazed by cider technology.

For the first time ever in a "race," I toted the camera and filled a memory card. Just enjoying the day, the miles, and the beautiful scenery was a joy.

We had lots of time to chat with the locals...

And hang out at aid stations. This was Margaritaville, a blatant misnomer since there were no margaritas and no 'villes. Boo!

They did have rum-rats though.

The race was huge this year, with something like 700 mtn. bikers and 550 runners! The course is a mix of dirt road and trail. Early on there were some nice quiet moments where we enjoyed virtual solitude on the trail.

Then there were other sections where the cluster**** factor was pretty high. This race has grown so much in popularity since its humble beginnings in 1993. The event has always been both a running and mountain biking race and is the major fundraiser for Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. Everyone was very cordial and friendly, but the constant back-and-forth was annoying at times to both runner and biker. Of course, this was more of a factor for the 50k runner vs. the 50m. (And if I do this race again, it will probably be the mtn. bike race vs. the run.)

More chatting with the locals...

Chris's favorite moment of the day was coming across a woman in the middle of the woods with a cooler full of beer... and she was sharing! Trail magic! Trail magic! It was a very warm day for late September (low 80s!) so the beer was awesome.

Mt. Ascutney. The end in sight! Sort of. There were still a few miles of mud, ups 'n downs, helping a biker who'd badly crashed, and slogging through the last three miles.

I have run the VT 50 miler 11 times, biked it twice, and now done the 50k and have never felt better at the finish. Running with my honey rocks. :)

A Great North Woods Trifecta

2011-09-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

Back in lovely Vermont visiting my folks, I had the opportunity to string together some seriously rewarding trail mileage in the North Country of New Hampshire and Maine over the past three days. Uninspired by the thought of doing some of the same old peaks, loops and traverses in the White Mountains, this time I decided do something a little different and stay north of US Route 2, where the trails tend to be even more rugged and where solitude is guaranteed.

Day 1:

The first, "warmup" leg was on Sunday, the 18th - New Hampshire's Kilkenny Ridge, a lightly traveled 25-mile traverse of the entire range from the town of Jefferson to South Lake Recreation Area. En route, the trail passes over or very near a total of 11 summits, including two 4000 footers, Mts. Waumbek and Cabot. My last full Kilkenny traverse was in the late 1990s, although a small group of us had made a solid attempt at a north-to-south traverse last January. We were thwarted - as anticipated actually - by deep, unbroken snow a little shy of 2/3 the way through, at which point we bailed out to the York Pond Fish Hatchery. Save for Mt. Cabot, very few people venture into the Kilkenny in winter, so it made for a challenging but gorgeous snowshoe through a stunningly beautiful winter wonderland.

The terrain on Sunday was, as expected, rather unimproved, rough and muddy (reminiscent of the Long Trail last summer), with many blowdowns and frequent signs of moose... though, alas, no sightings. After depositing me at the Starr King trailhead in Jefferson, Chris drove around to the Fish Hatchery and joined me for the inner loop over Cabot, The Bulge and The Horn. (Chris's 4000 footer count is now up to 10; of course, he couldn't care less if he ever finishes...) The Horn is reached via a 3/10 mile spur trail, and I believe I last stood atop it 13-14 years ago. A cool summit indeed. At Unknown Pond we split up, Chris descending back to the car, me continuing on to South Lake. The leaves are just starting to change color here in northern New England, and the yellows were particularly beautiful on this day. I'd encountered only eight hikers to this point and met only two more on the way out, backpackers carrying HUGE packs... like ~70 lbs. huge. Confused and awed, I inquired as to their itinerary. "We have until Friday to do the entire trail." Wow. Upon reaching South Lake, it was evident that the road was already gated for the year (??!!), as the parking lot - on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in September (??!!) - was completely empty and the place was deserted. Oh well, what's another mile to the gate. Chris's timing was perfect - he had arrived only minutes before and had started walking up the road to meet me. We retired to, in order - Dunky Donuts, Mr. Pizza, and finally, Altopia.

Atop Mt. Cabot with the funnest and funniest person I know.

Halfway through the Kilkenny traverse, I came up with the bright idea (?) of a "Great North Woods Trifecta." The Grafton Loop in western Maine has been on my New England bucket list for a couple of years, and the Mahoosuc Traverse, part of the Appalachian Trail, lies in between, so... the "logical" thing seemed to do all three. "Great North Woods" is what the New Hampshire Dept. of Tourism has dubbed the northern part of the state. Voila! A silly name for a crazy adventure.

Day 2:
We began the 30-mile Mahoosuc traverse the next day, Monday, just before daybreak at the Centennial/AT trailhead, "we" being myself and my good pal Al. As with the Kilkenny, I had done the one-day Mahoosuc traverse a couple of times before but never in the south-to-north direction save for my AT thru-hike, when I schlepped a very heavy and full backpack and required 2+ days for the traverse. For those who have never been there, the Mahoosucs are extremely rugged and slow and include the notorious "most difficult mile of the Appalachian Trail," Mahoosuc Notch. Going in the southbound direction, the final ~10 miles tend to drag at the end of a long, gnarly day so I was curious as to how the Gorham-to-Grafton Notch direction would play out, with Mahoosuc Notch, Mahoosuc Arm, and Old Speck to negotiate at the end of the day. The early miles with Al seemed to pass quickly with nonstop conversation and laughter. We parted ways at Dream Lake as Al descended the Peabody Brook Trail. I was on my own from there.

No apologies, the Mahoosucs are a range deserving of hyperbole: Gorgeous! Spectacular! Awesome! I love this place, so diverse and unlike any other area of the Whites, with its extensive views, boggy "tundra" and nary a road crossing. The icing on the cake this day was perfect late summer weather, and the only other hikers out on a Monday this time of year were AT thru- and section hikers. Yippee! Up and over Mt. Success I went, up 'n down, up 'n down, arriving at the NH/ME border and its "Welcome to Maine - The Way Life Should Be" sign, stumbling through Carlo Col, climbing the crazy little "via ferrata" on Goose Eye, slippin 'n slidin up 'n down North Peak, and finally taking a short break at Full Goose Shelter. I flipped open the register and cracked up at some of the entries. A sampling:

"Welcome to Maine - the way trails SHOULDN'T be."
"One mile in TWO HOURS? What the...?!"
"Oh... I'm bleeding."
"I wanna go back to New Hampshire."
"New Hampshire is for pussies."

But I couldn't hang around for long because it was time to descend into the abyss and negotiate Mahoosuc Notch, a car- and house-sized boulder-filled defile, full of deep holes, a hidden water course, and ice sometimes lasting through the summer (though none seen this day). Requiring the use of upper body muscles as well as balance and flexibility, the Notch is a virtual jungle gym for big kids. It is *wicked fun*!!! Thirty-eight minutes of acrobatics later, I was through. Mahoosuc Arm wasn't nearly as bad as I'd remembered; carrying approximately 35 lbs. less compared to my thru-hike made a big difference! At Speck Pond I stopped to chat with five thru-hikers (dang but they looked happy) before heading up Old Speck and then down to Hwy. 26 where Chris waited, pleased to finish before having to pull out the headlamp.

(BTW, I ultimately enjoyed doing the Mahoosuc Traverse in the northbound direction because it seemed the last few miles didn't drag on and on.) We hit the Sunday River Brewery for a very yummy and satisfying dinner. I'd contemplated taking some ibuprofen but decided on a pint of Black Bear Porter instead.

A smooth section of trail

Day 3:
Tuesday's forecast wasn't exactly appealing: 90% chance of showers with temps in the 50s. But I was already there and wasn't about to throw in the towel so easily. Mainly a woods walk, at times also reminiscent of the Long Trail, the Grafton Loop was constructed just a few years ago. It is 38.6 miles in length. I went clockwise and started on the southern end so as to be generally climbing for the first segment and generally descending for the second part. After two very light and brief showers around 8 a.m., I crossed what was the highlight of the day for me - a mountain called Sunday River Whitecap. Views encompassed 360 degrees, and the surrounding undercast gave the impression of water, the hill and mountaintops virtual islands in a sea. Truly spectacular, it ranks as one of my favorite mountaintops in New England. From there, the trail continued north and back up to Old Speck, from whence I descended the same gnarly 3 1/2 miles back to Grafton Notch as the previous day. This was my one and only aid station - and potential bailout point - of the day. While confirming whether I was willing to commit myself to the remaining 21 miles with no bailout options (this trail is remote!), Chris served soup, potato chips, cookies, and DD's coffee. I still felt great and since it hadn't been raining, decided to go for it.

Pausing for a photo op at Grafton Notch before heading out for the final segment.

With its steep and wet rock, the Baldpates seemed more daunting than I'd remembered; then again, it had been some years since I'd last climbed these peaks. After carefully negotiating the tricky terrain and summiting both 'pates, I located the Grafton Loop turnoff on top of East Baldpate and started down the comparatively gushy, needly trail. Wow, all of a sudden it felt like I was walking on Spenco insoles. About 2 1/2 miles from the summit, I encountered the Blowdown Patch from Hell and lost about 25 minutes trying to find the correct route. A bit rattled but finally back on course and jacked up on adrenaline, I made quick work of Lightning Ledge and, a few miles later, Long Mountain. With about a dozen miles to go, three backpackers raised eyebrows when I confirmed that yes, I was going all the way to the highway that night. They were the only other hikers I encountered on the non-AT portion of the Grafton Loop.

The segment between Long and Puzzle Mountains is kind of a woodsy blur because, having never been on this trail, I was pushing to make it to the top of ledgy Puzzle before being benighted. Even with good lights, it can be difficult to locate the trail on an open, ledgy peak in the dark, especially if there is a misty fog, especially if one has never before set foot on said mountain! Additionally, the fact that the mountain is named "Puzzle" didn't give me warm fuzzies either. Ultimately there was only one confusing area, where I resorted to going from LED headlamp to Big Girl Flashlight and shortly found the correct route. About five minutes later, I heard Fun Guy calling my name. Yay, Chris had hiked up to meet me! The final three miles went quickly, each of us sharing stories of our day's adventures; his involved Errol NH, the Moose Cave, and Screw Auger Falls and were especially titillating. And then... it was over. Three days, three awesome trails, 93 total miles.

(Think I'll be sweeping the VT 50k.)

A New Addition: EARL !!

2011-09-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

We experienced some cat drama this summer when a feral cat delivered four kittens in the crawl space under the house. Mama cat became very protective and aggressive, terrorizing our three outside kitties (ferals that I have caught and gotten altered) to the extent that, sadly, I had to trap her and call animal control. There are way too many feral cats in our town -- grrr! We heard not a peep out of the kittens, and various friends, neighbors and even an exterminator (!) assured me that the kittens were most likely dead, but... a part of me wasn't totally convinced. Three whole days later, I finally heard a faint "mew," and my neighbor Joe (he is small in size) crawled under the house and pulled out one... two... three... FOUR dirty, flea infested, starving, pathetic little 3-4 week old kittens! (Note to self: Always listen to one's own intuition!)

(Post feeding, pre bath)

I rushed to PetSmart and bought kitten formula and a couple of bottles -- Chris and I bottle fed the little furballs, he much better at it than I. They had gone three whole days without eating/drinking. We were amazed that they had managed to survive. Next, it was bathtime. Our animal lover neighbor Bonnie brought over some Dawn dish detergent which apparently is the stuff to use (?). I washed them one by one and was shocked at the amount of fleas, dirt and dried blood (from the fleas) coming off the poor things.

Thankfully, Bonnie agreed to keep the kittens while we were out of town (as in, most of the time!). What a great neighbor! The kittens were thriving and eating/drinking on their own within a few short days.

Bonnie fell in love with the gray 'n white one ("Peanut") and -- yay! -- found a home for the white ("Queen Wilhelmina") and one of the black 'n white ones ("Speeder"). Fillmore, our only indoor kitty, was NOT pleased by the invasion.

We asked everyone we know... and asked 'n begged 'n pleaded... to no avail. No one wanted "Earl," but we were not about to bring him to the shelter, where he would probably be euthanized. Anyway, he was starting to grow on us.

A few more days of being together...

...with Earl trying his hardest to win us over.

The paper recycling box, a favorite play area...

Files are pretty fun too...

Cats are amazing: they immediately took to the SuperScratcher... thankfully, the litter box as well.

And Earl succeeded in winning our hearts... unquestionably.

He's staying!

Five Days in the Range of Light

2011-09-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

Chris and I spent 5 blissful days last week backpacking in the southwestern Sierras. While we live in California, it seems we don't spend nearly enough time in our "local" high peaks so we have vowed to make it into these beautiful mountains more frequently. We have both done the John Muir Trail, the High Sierra Trail, the Evolution Valley Loop, and a bit in Yosemite, but that is just a sampling of what is available in the Sierras! With no clear destination or goals this trip, we simply loaded the packs up with 5 days of food plus all the usual stuff, procured the requisite permit (with what ultimately turned out to be a rather bogus itinerary), and set off from the Wolverton Trailhead in Sequoia National Park.

Our first night's campsite was at Hamilton Lakes. Since it is on the High Sierra Trail, we had both been there before, but I'd forgotten exactly HOW impressive was the trail to/from there, blasted into miles of rock and even tunneled at one point! A bold deer and her twin fawns passed through the campsite a few times. On her final pass, undoubtedly attracted to the salt deposits, she grabbed Chris's shorts which were drying on a branch. She dropped 'em after I chased her down. :)

Below, Hamilton Lake campsite. That's a food storage box on the right. Most heavier used campsites in the Sierras have them although backpackers are still supposed to have bear-resistant food cans as well. (We brought our Bearikade cannister.)

The next morning we made our way up to Kaweah Gap and were suprised to find this amount of ice and snow still on the higher lakes and trails.

Queen of a very small snowfield...

At Kaweah Gap we gazed down into the spectacular Nine Lakes Basin vowing to someday do some cross-country exploring here.

At Big Arroyo we decided to diverge from the HST and head into new territory. We'd intended to hike farther, but upon seeing the first of the Little Five Lakes, we were captivated by the beauty and solitude of the lake and the perfect campsite to be had. We ended up spending a good chunk of the afternoon reading our books and sunning ourselves on rocks. :)

The view near our campsite...

On Day 3 we decided to do a little cross-country route from Big Five Lakes back to Little Five Lakes Basin. The area was loaded with awesome bristlecone pines, and the lakes were incredibly beautiful and clear, with trout visible just below the surface.

One of the Big Five Lakes...

...and the descent back to Little Five Lakes Basin. This was an easy off-trail route of a little over a mile.

Approaching Black Rock Pass, we met our second hiker in two whole days. (Apparently the week before Labor Day is the time to be out here.) The view from Black Rock Pass rivals anything we have seen anywhere else in the Sierras so far. Of course, a photo cannot do it justice! From top to bottom, that's Columbine, Cyclamen, and Spring Lakes. Just beautiful.

From Black Rock Pass, we had a long descent to our night's destination near Pinto Lake. Unfortunately, the camera took a little dip during a slippery stream ford, so our photos end here!

Day 4's route brought us back down to the elevation of the giant sequoias, and we went through a lovely grove just filled with the monsters! The trail through this section was smooth and serpentine; we kept thinking how much fun it would be to run. A short climb brought us full circle to Bearpaw Meadow which we'd passed on Day 1. We set up camp about a mile below Bearpaw and settled in. As a 3 foot rattler passed near the campsite -- and then didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave -- I insisted we move the tent to a different campsite a few yards away. (I like snakes, but I don't LIKE snakes.)

On the final day, which was the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, we had just 10 miles to hike out. Whereas we'd seen just a handful of hikers the previous 4 days, this day we must have passed over 100 hiking in for the weekend. Time to go home! We'd had a blast, really enjoying this mellow hike, staying flexible and covering only about 100 km. total. And, being the Sierras, the weather was perfect. We can't wait to go back...!!

Colorado 14er Fini

2011-08-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

Snowmass Mtn., August 1996

On July 22 I completed what turned out to be a project lasting almost two decades, that of climbing all of Colorado's ranked peaks over 14,000 feet. Using Gerry Roach's Colorado's Fourteeners, from Hikes to Climbs almost exclusively, I picked away at the list over the years, initially not attempting to climb them all. My 14er quest was inexorably tied to running the Hardrock 100. Were it not for the annual Tour de San Juans, I likely would never have climbed all the 14ers. This post is on the long side, but it covers 54 peaks and 18 years!
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My first 14er was Quandary Peak in 1993. Mostly a mountain biking trip to Moab, Telluride, and Crested Butte, Mike and I threw in a hike up Quandary, one of the easiest 14ers, on our way back to Denver's Stapleton International Airport (before DIA even!). Thrilled to have reached a new elevation PR by around 8,000 feet on this easier peak, I had absolutely no aspirations of climbing them all, especially after reading some of Roach's intimidating route descriptions: "A fall here would be fatal." "The rock is loose, rotten, and dangerous." "Some parties choose to rope up here." And other scary stuff like that.

Quandary Peak - my first 14er (1993)

In 1996 I ran the Leadville 100 for the first and only time. Hiker friends Andy and Tom joined me on some acclimatization hikes and introduced me to my first Class 3 peaks: Longs, Snowmass, and Kelso Ridge on Torreys. Perhaps a brief description of classification is in order. A recent issue of Backpacker magazine offered the following explanation:
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Class 1: Walking easily navigable trails
Class 2: Hiking cross-country across rough terrain, occasionally using hands for balance
Class 3: Scrambling steep terrain (roughly 35 degrees and higher), using hands for support
Class 4: Simple climbing (think ladder) with potentially significant exposure. A fall would result in serious injury or even death; many parties use a rope to belay the toughest sections.
Class 5: Technical rock climbing requiring a rope and safety hardware
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As with gear and tech talk, classification of routes can be overanalyzed, discussed and argued ad nauseum. Ultimately what became patently clear to me is that the classification of the route was a general guideline and didn't mean much until I was actually ON the route. To say, I've been freaked out on Class 2+ and felt totally comfortable on Class 4. Also, the more I was "exposed to exposure," the more comfortable I was with it.
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Kelso Ridge freaked me out back in 1996. On the more exposed sections I remember my legs shaking uncontrollably, coincident with my stomach churning uncomfortably. Just as I thought I would certainly throw up, we skittered across the last narrow catwalk and stood atop Torrey's summit, huge smiles all around. Encountering mountain goats on the descent of Grays Peak was the icing on the cake.

Descending Grays Peak and encountering my first mountain goats (1996)

We also bagged the foursome of Democrat, Lincoln, Bross, and Cameron that summer, along with Longs Peak, a repeat of Quandary, and a one-day Snowmass epic. Since it is well over 20 miles round trip, most people do Snowmass as an overnighter, but Tom and I somehow talked Andy into starting very early and doing it as a dayhike. I remember our argument going something like "We'll actually expend less energy because we won't have to carry in all that gear" (tents, sleeping bags, pads, food, stove, etc.). Andy finally gave in, and Snowmass ended up being one of my favorite 14ers. In a bookstore a few days later, the three of us cracked up when we read in another guidebook something along the lines of "Only the hiking gods and goddesses attempt Snowmass in a day."

A hiking goddess?? (Hah!)

Again I waited three years before returning to Colorado in 1999. This time it was for my first crack at the Hardrock 100 and the first of many ascents of Handies Peak -- the HRH course goes right over the summit. Since I spent most of the pre-race days acclimatizing on the course, the only other 14ers I climbed that year were Sunshine and Redcloud. Hardrock went well: I finished 2nd woman, top 10, and broke the previous women's course record by 5 hours.
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I returned to Silverton the following year. Unlike today's entry process with its huge number of applicants, this was back in the good 'ol days of Hardrock, when nearly everyone who applied and qualified got in. That year -- some solo, some with friends -- I climbed Sherman, Massive, La Plata, Huron, Shavano, Tabeguache, San Luis, and Colorado's highest peak, Mt. Elbert. A friend and I also reclimbed Democrat, Lincoln, Bross, and Cameron. At Hardrock I struggled through some very rough patches but prevailed in the end: I was first woman!

Marmot sighting #4,327

Alas, any Hardrock fun came to an abrupt end in 2001 as I DNF'd at Grouse Gulch after barfing my way up Engineer Pass, the one and only time in over 100 ultras that this has ever happened. However, it was another good year for picking away at the 14ers as I stood atop the remaining Sawatch (and the crazy Nolan's 14 [RIP]) peaks: Missouri, Oxford, Belford, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Antero, and Holy Cross, as well as Uncompahgre in the San Juans and Challenger Peak in the Sangres. A fast approaching storm prevented the traverse from Challenger to Kit Carson that year, and I also got turned back on Ellingwood/Blanca after hiking all the way up the horrible Lake Como Road on a hot day -- ugh. No worries, the mountains weren't going anywhere in my lifetime.

Chicago Basin (2006)

Four years passed before I decided to give Hardrock another shot. With successful hikes of Bierstadt, Evans, and Pikes Peak, the Front Range was now complete. Memorable were sightings of a nude male hiker on Bierstadt (!) and a requisite mountain goat and her kid on Evans -- apparently not seeing goats on Evans is the exception. Pikes Peak was a blast: I did the "marathon," the entire Barr Trail up and down from Manitou Springs, and enjoyed a freshly made donut on the summit before running back down the easy 13-mile trail. I finished off acclimatizing for the race by climbing Wetterhorn (marmot PR on the approach) and Sneffels back in the San Juans. One unfortunate memory of Sneffels was meeting a trio from Texas -- two guys and a teenage boy -- on the final Class 2+ snow-filled chute to the summit, the boy visibly scared. I passed the group again on my way down, they making very slow progress. Laughing out loud, I did a controlled glissade about 1000 feet down the mountain. It wasn't until the next day that I learned the teenager had taken a terrible fall in the upper chute, sustaining compound fractures of his femur and requiring a complicated rescue and helicopter ride out. As for Hardrock, I had a great time that year and was thrilled to win for a second time. :)

Some peak... somewhere

Back for my fifth and final Hardrock 100 in 2006, I'd allowed myself to think that maybe, just maybe, I could climb all but the hardest of 14ers. That year I schlepped my overnight gear back up the horrible Lake Como Road and, with enough time to do so, successfully climbed Ellingwood and Blanca. I decided to go as far as I was comfortable on Little Bear, my first Class 4 peak (!), but before I knew it, was standing on the summit. It seemed easy! Little Bear is one of those peaks with a lot of loose rock, but since I was the only person on the peak that day, rockfall was not of huge concern. I did repeats of Grays, Torreys, Elbert and Holy Cross that year, literally running off the latter due to some sneaky weather accompanied by a scary degree of electricity. I heard a strange pinging, sort of a "zzzzztt..." sound and the hair sticking out from underneath my hat was standing on end! Still early in the season and without an ice ax, a half-hearted Capitol attempt was thwarted at Daly Saddle: there was just too much steep snow. However, with growing confidence for climbing the harder peaks, I backpacked to South Colony Lakes and nabbed Humboldt and Crestone Peak. Alas, mental fatigue prevented getting Crestone Needle safely on this day, so a straggler was left behind. My Hardrock run royally sucked this year and I DNF'd at Grouse Gulch, but I "redeemed" myself by thru-hiking the entire fantastic 480-mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango in 14 days. That year's Colorado trip finally came to a close with a three-day backpack into Chicago Basin, dodging mountain goats as pesky as squirrels and summitting Windom, Sunlight, and Eolus.

Capitol attempt (2006)

Atop Humboldt w/Crestone Needle and Peak in background

Taking the DandSNGR to Needleton

Chicago Basin Welcoming Committee

By August 2009 I had climbed Denali (most of it) as well as Rainier, Hood, Granite and Gannett Peaks, the high points of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming respectively. To say, I did some pretty gnarly, scrambly sh*t, making the rest of the Colorado 14ers now seem reasonably attainable. Since Chris wasn't keen on anything beyond Class 2, I tackled the notoriously "loose and rotten" Elk Range mostly solo, Chris accompanying me on some of the approaches. First up was Castle and Conundrum, the easiest of the Elks. They, however, weren't going to give up their summits so easily. We were about halfway up Castle when a torrential downpour forced us to postpone the summits until the next day. I wasn't so sure about Capitol. What I'd read -- and, stupidly, You-Tubed (yikes) -- had me pretty sketched out, but I took the same "I'll see how far I can get" approach that I'd taken on Little Bear 3 years earlier. Chris and I were almost to Capitol Lake when we came across a dead cow... with FIVE bears surrounding it. THAT was scary but not as scary as traversing "K2" and straddling the infamous Capitol Knife Edge. I met about a half dozen climbers that day, including one being short roped by his Aspen guide! (How much did that cost?? I wondered...) After the Knife Edge, it wasn't so bad... although, of course, I still had to go back down the same way!

Capitol Peak in early morning light (2009)

Capitol peak summit register! (That's sunscreen embedded in my ring.)

Next up were Pyramid and the Maroon Bells which I did separately. All three peaks were indeed loose and rotten, but I took it slow and found the best and safest ways to go. The mountain goats on Pyramid and Maroon were unbelievable as they nonchalantly hopped from exposed rock to exposed rock.

Maroon Peak (2009)

The Pharaoh of Pyramid (2009)

I finished off the 2009 trip in the Sangre de Cristo Range by reclimbing Challenger and finally making it across the awesome "Kit Carson Avenue" and up to the summit of Kit Carson. Repeatedly weathered out atop Challenger Peak, it took four tries to finally get Kit Carson!

Chris and I had attempted to get to the Mt. Lindsey trailhead a few years previously, but our 2WD vehicle couldn't quite make it up the long, very wet and rutted-out road. In July 2011 the road was in better condition, and we were able to make it all the way to the 2WD trailhead, where we set up camp for the next two nights. As with many 14ers, Lindsey seemed more difficult than advertised: the route I took was definitely not Class 2+ (I think the earth has moved quite a bit since Gerry Roach last climbed Mt. Lindsey), but I made it to the top, the only one to do so that day. (On my descent I crossed paths with a woman and her husband, both surprised by the difficulty of the peak and, disappointed, that they opted to turn around.) I tagged the summit of easy Huerfano Peak on the way back down and the next day climbed California Peak, both peaks being Centennial 13ers. (A wise sage once advised *Leave no Stragglers* and since I may end up attempting Colorado's 100 Highest eventually...). Crestone Needle the next day was a blast! Doing the peak as a day hike via South Colony 2WD Trailhead, I got a very early start and was lucky enough to hook up with three very enjoyable and funny guys from Arkansas. Together, the four of us found the correct route both up and down (people often get screwed up on the Needle's descent), nervously laughing at the "death falls" surrounding us as we clambered up the conglomerate knobs. The summit was spectacular, and we were greeted by a fat marmot yogi'ing for handouts.

All that was left were the Wilsons, the Mt. and the Peak, and they proved to be the most technical of all the 14ers for me. Chip, a running friend from back East who now lives in the Four Corners area, agreed to accompany me. We got a 4 a.m. start and made it all the way to Navajo Lake by headlamp. With significant exposure and constant use of handholds on the final stretch, Wilson Peak was fun but a tad sketchy to me, but it was only a warmup for Mt. Wilson, the latter being very steep and very, very loose. Probably two out of every three rocks moved under our feet, and I couldn't shake the feeling that the whole mountain was going to come down! After what seemed like a long, long time, diverting around a steep snowfield and picking our way up through the rocks, we finally made it to the gnarly summit ridge. I was a little taken aback by what we had to climb over to get there -- a couple of extreme Class 4 moves with significant exposure, where a slip would really ruin the day -- but Chip talked me over them. And just like that, I was done!

A compulsive peakbagger, of course, is never really done climbing mountains. There will always be more mountains to climb and different seasons in which to climb the same mountains. Colorado alone has more 13,000 foot mountains than I will ever have the time or inclination to climb; however, I did pick up the Roaches' Colorado Thirteener book, sooo...

Woad Twip - Summer 2011

2011-08-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Chris and I are back in CA after 6 fun-filled weeks on the road. We left home June 20, en route to the Black Hills of South Dakota, via Tonopah (home of world-famous Clown Motel... and yes, we actually stayed there a few years back!) and other weird but cool places in the land of basin and range. Most nights were spent camping out in the middle of nowhere in the back of the Honda Element. Chris has an obsession with photodocumenting each and every campsite, but they all kinda looked like this:

Key is keeping most stuff in plastic tubs, the contents of which stay dry even if it rains.

We speed toured through Yellowstone, the Bighorn Mtns., and Devil's Tower...

...and did a cool little trail with super views of the Tower but no other tourists. They were all hiking around the Tower.

We tried to eat well. (Please disregard dirty fingernails.)

On June 25 we both ran in the inaugural Black Hills ultras, both rather happily DNF'ing. I made it to the halfway point (52-53 miles) and, at this stage in my ultra "career" and since the course was an out-and-back, I honestly couldn't think of a good enough reason to continue. The Centennial Trail was beautiful and challenging, however, and I was content getting in my 50 trail miles for South Dakota.

Next up, I somehow talked Chris into indulging my 50 Project goal further by completing Nebraska on our way to Colorado. Finding 50 honest trail miles in Nebraska was the first challenge. Procuring maps of Pine Ridge, Chadron State Park, and historic Fort Robinson, all in the northwestern corner of the state, I found enough "trails" that enabled me to traverse a grand total of 50: 7 in Chadron, 12 on Pine Ridge, 18 at Fort Robinson, and the rest at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument and Scott's Bluff. The word "trails" is in quotation marks because a few of them existed only as lines on the map, seemingly not maintained for many years. For the last few miles I cheated a bit as the trails at Scott's Bluff were paved (!), but hey, I was desperate. With temps in the upper 90s, rattlesnakes lurking in the tall grass along with ticks and poison ivy, I recalled again and again an excerpt from the excellent dust-bowl tome The Worst Hard Time: "WHEN YOU LIVE IN NEBRASKA, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIE TO GO TO HELL."

With 50 miles in "Hell" behind us, we made a beeline for the mtns. of Colorado. Yippee! Our first night in Colorado was spent near a deserted farmhouse in the flat plains east of Denver, and we were treated to a spectacular sunrise the next morning.

Next on the agenda was a 5-day backpack of the Hardrock course in the days leading up to the race. Since we carried full packs, including tent, sleeping bags, pads, stove, food, etc., etc., we dubbed our little adventure "HardWalk" (as opposed to "SoftRock" which some others were doing). I had been wanting to do this backpack for years (ever since running the race 5 times and always being in such a damn hurry!). Chris got to see the course, really, for the first time. Starting at the Bear Creek Trail outside of Ouray on July 1, we were able to take our time and enjoy the course and scenery all the way to Silverton, arriving in time for the awesome fireworks display (and party at the Avon) on the 4th. First trail marker...!

There was quite a bit of snow still, making for high water crossings and a coupla sketchy traverses. This is the view from Engineer Pass.

Our first night's camp (below) was at a small lake near American-Grouse Pass, elevation 12,600 ft. As my not-at-all acclimated head throbbed, I tried to remember everything I'd ever read about high-altitude cerebral edema. Fortunately, a couple of aspirin took care of the headache.

The second night we spent with a herd of 100+ elk at the site of the Pole Creek aid station. We'd intended to take the new, improved, almost entirely above treeline (12-13,000 ft.) Colorado Trail that parallels the lower elevation Pole Creek section of the Hardrock course, but afternoon storms squelched that idea. (We ended up doing that CT section a few weeks later.)

After celebrating the 4th in Silverton, our friend Robert, now a 5-time HRH finisher!, gave us a ride up to the Ice Lake Trail. We wanted to complete our hike on the 6th and didn't want to kill ourselves getting there so skipped the Putnam Basin Section.

With two big climbs this day, Grant-Swamp and Oscar's Passes, we hoped to make it to Telluride for the night. There was LOTS of snow going up to Grant-Swamp and, uh, no swimming in Island Lake today...

The aspens were SO beautiful coming into Chapman...

On our way up Oscar's, we opted to wait out a nasty little storm for about an hour. As the rain let up, down came HRH's very own Charlie Thorn, the main person in charge of marking the course (who had just hiked through the lightning, hail, and cold rain). Charlie had marked La Junta Basin, one of two proposed substitutes for the Wasatch Trail which was closed this year due to some landowner conflict.

The La Junta route was spectacular... and challenging! Alas, the powers that be decided to go with the longer--and more roadie--Bridal Veil Basin. We felt privileged to have been able to see the LJ route. It was way cool. That's Telluride visible in the background.

The markers had been up only a couple of hours, and some of the ribbons had already been chewed off by curious marmots!

We made it to Telluride just before dark and just as it began to rain, so opted to spend the night on the performing stage in the city park (heehee). There is a bit more to the story--and it is a good one!--involving a drunken, raving lunatic, but it is better told in person as I cannot possibly do it justice here. We finished our HardWalk adventure the next day, spent the night at Rick and Nancy's (first women's winner of HRH back in the early 90s) in Ouray, then drove to Silverton to meet our friend Jay, whom we crewed in the race.

Jay is from the SoCal lowlands and had arrived only a couple of days before. He had also never stepped foot on the course! I paced a bit, from Ouray to Telluride, the highlight being a 7:30 a.m. margarita atop Virginius Pass. What a fun crew up there!

The weather was testy this year, with 3-4 nasty thunderstorms with which to contend. Jay did great and finished what perennial finisher Kirk Apt proclaimed to be "the hardest Hardrock."

Do these two have the same smile, or what? That's Dale Garland, the RD, and Jay at the finish.

After another coupla days hanging, hiking, and soaking in the hot springs in Ouray, we headed off to climb remaining Colorado 14ers, Lindsey and Crestone Needle. Since they are so close to Lindsey and such a PITA to access, I snagged Centennial 13ers Huerfano and California Peaks as well. Crestone Needle was fun, exciting, and kinda freaking scary--I am not a rock climber!--but I hooked up with three young guys from Arkansas and together we found the correct route. The conglomerate knobs were a blast to climb... as long as I continued to look at where I wanted to go as opposed to where I didn't want to go! What an awesome summit!!!

We took a breather (ha) in Leadville and visited our good friends Eddie, who rents a house there every summer, and Chris M. It was Silver Rush 50 weekend--the mtn. bike race on Saturday, the run on Sunday. Chris M. finished the mtn. bike race for the 5th time.

The next day we hiked Mt. Massive, the 2nd highest peak in Colorado. Someday I want to traverse the whole ridge, but weather didn't allow such fun on this day.

On July 19 we did the Four Passes Loop near Aspen, what a friend of mine has called the most beautiful trail run he's ever done. It is 28 miles of spectacular mountains, snow-filled basins, rushing streams, and wildfllowers (over 30 varieties in bloom by my count). Below are the Maroon Bells at dawn, which the loop circumvents.

With the previous night's downpour, in addition to the snowpack, this stream crossing was a bit tricky.

We had some rain on our way up the third pass, but it was short lived and without lightning. (Yes Goofball, it was coming from up there.)

The final pass, Buckskin, was our favorite!

On our way down the second pass, Frigid Air, AND down Buckskin, we met our friends from Georgia, Liz and Scott, who were out for a 5-day backpack and incorporated the Four Passes Loop in reverse. Wicked cool and completely unexpected. This shot was taken just below Buckskin Pass, below a HUGE cornice.

We made our way back to Telluride so I could climb my last 14ers, the Wilsons, and were again pleasantly surprised to meet some of our "Coyote" friends in the town park, Liz and Rick Hodges and my idol, the amazing and beautiful Pat DeVita.

Unfortunately, I did not bring the camera (doh!) so have no photos of my last 14er, Mt. Wilson, but I was so very grateful that an old running buddy, Chip Tuthill, was able to accompany me on the Wilsons. They, too, were freaking scary, especially the Class 4 crux moves near the summit of Mt. Wilson. Holy schnikees! To give some indication of technicality/difficulty, we covered 19 miles in 14 hours...

Our final days in Colorado were spent back in Silverton, where our friend Tom allowed us complete run of the groovy Avon, a hotel he opens up only for Hardrock runners nowadays. As it was packed full the days leading up to Hardrock, it felt strange--but nice and quiet--to be the only ones there for 3 nights.

We finally did the new Cataract Ridge section of the Colorado/Continental Divide Trail, and man, was it ever spectacular... I'd have to say even more beautiful than the Four Passes Loop. Wildflowers everywhere!

Domestic sheep, too!

Rosy lupines...

Purples, pinks, yellows, reds, blues...

This area is awesome! The lakes below are located on a bench just before the CT drops into the Elk Creek drainage. A person could run for many, many miles above treeline here.

I am always sad to leave Silverton, but it was time to head home. :(

We picked a now favorite route through the canyonlands of Utah via Natural Bridges National Monument, Escalante NM, Kodachrome State Park, Bryce Canyon (more speed touring due to density of tourists), Zion, and St. George.

Kodachrome formations...

Descending to Sipapu Bridge...

Last campsite near Lake Mead. It was HOT!

Seattle - 5/30 - 6/13

2011-06-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

Tiger Mtn... Cougar Mtn... Dash Point.

Weyerhaeuser... Chuckanut... Deception Pass.

Anacortes... Ebey's Bluff... Mt. Si.

116 miles of twisty trail fun.

Hot yoga... Y yoga... Marlene's.

Pho King... Pho Hung... Fried Oysters.

Bald Eagles... A Spotted Owl... Wow!

Rain... Drizzle... Overcast...

Then... SUN... then... Mt. Rainier!

Home again and Coming up for air.

But off again Lickity Split.

Jemez Top 10

2011-05-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

We had a great time running the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs on Saturday! My Top 10 list:

1.  Feeling like we were running a "mini-Hardrock"
2.  Truly enjoying the day without concern for time or placement
3.  The views from 10,000+ feet x 3 -- Caballo Mountain, Cerro Grande, and Pajarito Mtn.
4.  Running with Diana -- 40 miles of Girl Talk   :)
5.  Popsicles at miles 32 and 39, tofu (TOFU!) at mile 36.
6.  Deb's awesome potato soup at the mile 48 "Last Chance Saloon" aid station
7.  Blake's breaking 10 hours and beating lots of young guns
8.  One more state completed in my 50 Project
9.  Catching Chris, who was running the 50k, a quarter mile from the end and finishing together, hand in hand!
10. Soaking in Spence Hot Springs on Sunday afternoon w/Chris and "the girls." Aaaaah....!!

Photo by Steve Pero @ Last Chance Saloon

Born to Run Ultras

2011-05-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

I have been a bad blogger of late because we have been very busy enjoying life! However, I did want to put up a few photos from our friend Luis's 'Born to Run Ultras' last weekend. We are running Jemez this weekend, so I opted to volunteer while Chris ran the 10 miler. We had an awesome time at this inaugural event! Think I'll put the 100 km. on my race calendar next year. There is also a 100 miler and a 50 km., with options for barefoot or "minimal footwear" divisions. The races are held on an 8000+ acre, privately owned, absolutely beautiful cattle ranch in the Central Coast Wine Country.

"Frau Kriegenfrassenspitzer" didn't get enough mascot'ing at C2M, so she showed up to cheer on the B2R folks, too. (She's a barefoot runner.)

Chris lent Luis his chicken suit...

Friday night's marshmallow stuffing contest...

Others employed different prerace loading...

These deer wandered by just before the start to check out the scene.

Chris ran the entire 10 miler in his cow suit, thereby winning the Bovine Division. I'm so proud of him! Our buddy Mike finished his first 100 km. Congrats Mike!

We spent the past four days driving across the Southwest en route to Los Alamos, New Mexico (for the Jemez races) and visited some new places--the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Lee's Ferry and Page Arizona, and Hilldale Utah, polygamy capitol of the US (totally freaky!)... also Zion National Park again. Unfortunately, the weather was cold, snowy and rainy, so we opted against Angel's Landing this time.

Grand Canyon R2R2R #4

2011-04-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, April 23, I had the opportunity to once again do the Grand Canyon double crossing. This was my 4th Rim to Rim to Rim in as many years, but this adventure run never gets old. I have always descended the South Kaibab but on the return ascend the Bright Angel if only to see a different trail, one that is a few miles longer but with more shade and lots of water. Having never climbed up the South Kaibab before, this year I elected to do that trail both ways.

Chris had a work gig in Durango, and since we were driving, decided to squeeze in a R2R2R. With hardly more than a week's lead time, there was little time for planning, but spontaneous adventures are the best kinds anyway! Being Easter weekend, every room on the South Rim had been booked well in advance. I called a couple of times for last-minute cancellations without any luck. Mather Campground it would be.

Another twist this year was that we waited for light before starting; other times I've started around 4 a.m.in order to both watch the sun rise over the Canyon and to have plenty of time to complete the trek. I have never been able to post a fast time on the R2R2R, partly because I find the surrounding so incredibly awesome and have to stop and gawk, oh, about every 5 minutes. (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

Chris joined me for the descent and is the reason there are photos... to the River at least. 5:10 a.m. and we're off... by the looks of my eyes not really awake yet, however.

Soft early morning light with interesting cloud cover that would hang over the Canyon all day. This made for perfect conditions. I don't think it got much above 70 degrees in the inner Canyon.

Crazy switchbacks leading down the South Kaibab...

Spring flowers in full bloom. I have no idea what these are, but they were on one particular stretch about halfway down the South Kaibab. The prickly pear cacti were starting to come out, too. Very lovely. :)

I will find this trail a bit more challenging in about 9 hours...

...especially on the crazy switchback sections. (That's me standing down there on the corner waiting for Ansel Adams to catch up.)

About a half mile above the River, 3 runners came *flying* down the trail from above. Turns out it was Darcy Africa, her husband Bob, and their friend Dan. Darcy went on to crush the 4-day-old women's record (or FKT) for the R2R2R, finishing in 8:25!! I think we may have cost Darcy about 10 seconds because she stopped to give Chris and me each a hug as we wished her well.

We finally reached the River and Phantom Ranch after a leisurely 2 hours. Chris and I parted ways - he (and the camera) up the Bright Angel and me continuing up the North Kaibab solo. There were about a dozen runners doing the double crossing this day. I made good time to Roaring Springs (last water), then continued power walking up to the North Rim. About 1/4 mile above the bridge, Darcy & Co. came screaming down the trail. No hugs this time - they were on a mission!! The North Rim was snowy and cold, so I stuck around only long enough to throw away my garbage.

Upon reaching Roaring Springs for the second time, I caught up to two other runners who were refilling their bottles. I'd met them near the top and thought they looked somewhat familiar. Then again, I find that most runners look "familiar" to me. Turns out, though, that I'd met one of the guys, Mike Frazier, on my fastpack of the Long Trail last summer. He and his bro Dave were thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail southbound, and we had met on the flanks of Killington Peak... and here our paths crossed again. Wicked cool! The other guy, Phil Turk, is also an AT thru-hiker (!) from the Class of 2005 and put up an awesome video on his blog. Mike, Phil, and I ran most of the way back down to Phantom Ranch together before parting company as they ascended Bright Angel.

The climb back up South Kaibab was a butt kicker and I power walked 95% of it. I was thankful for the cloud cover and cool temps since there is no water on the entire 7-mile stretch. Along the way I encountered many backpackers carrying huge packs thinking wow, they are going to s-u-f-f-e-r climbing out of here. Of all the hiking trails that I can think of, the South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails have probably seen more suffering than any other. (Only other one I can think of that might come close is the Amicalola Falls/AT approach trail to Springer Mountain.)

With 1.5 miles to go, a man and his teenage son kept me entertained by trying to race me back up to the Rim. The son would run as hard as he could, then plop down on a rock to catch his breath. Dad was better at pacing, but it became patently clear that there were some testosterone issues going on here, and they DID NOT want to be passed by a woman. Oh well. They should be thankful that, after much back and forth, when I passed them for good, I didn't tell them how many miles I'd done. Heh, heh...

Chris was waiting at the trailhead and took a couple of finishing shots. Final time was 11:50, 5:10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. My times are getting faster, but there is still SO much to stop and look at!

*One last thing I want to say is that I wore my Salomon Speedcross II's which have been my favorite trail runners for the past couple of years (fave running shoes ever, actually) and which I run in almost exclusively. I LOVE these shoes and can't say enough about them. I suffered no blisters or foot issues at all and never had to stop to fiddle with my feet, socks, etc. (Dirty Girl gaiters helped keep the dirt out.) As far as my feet went, I could've turned around and done another R2R2R (hmm... there's a thought...); the legs had other ideas involving a shower and sleeping bag.

Sespe Overnight

2011-04-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

Last week I talked my Sweetie into loading up the packs for an overnight and checking out a new-to-us trail. From the Piedra Blanca trailhead in the Los Padres National Forest/Sespe Wilderness, about an hour from home, our destination was Pine Mtn. and the Fish Bowls. The Piedra Blanca trail gains over 3,000 feet in 6 miles. About 3/4 of the way up is this lovely spring. Here I am checking for Giardia.... Nope, don't see any.

We found a nice sheltered spot near a little stream and set up our groovy super lightweight Black Diamond tent. Once the sun started to set, the temp dropped to probably around 40. There were patches of snow here 'n there on the trail at this elevation - 6,000+ ft.

Next morning we packed up and stashed our gear for the 8-mile out 'n back to Fish Bowls. Apparently we'd had a visitor stroll by as we snoozed through the night. She appeared to be a rather healthy gal. We saw a lot of bear tracks and one set of mountain lion tracks.

En route to the Fish Bowls, we explored some of the amazingly cool rock formations along the way. There are A LOT of 'em, and a person could spend weeks up here playing on the rocks.

After 4 smooth, pine-needle-covered, Grade A+ trail miles (definitely coming back here for a long run!!) we finally made it to the Fish Bowls. You cannot tell from the photo, but this bowl was well over my head, maybe 15 feet deep? We even saw a couple of fishies in there! Still a bit chilly to jump in on this day but felt good on the feet.

We retraced our steps, played on the rocks some more, picked up our gear, and slogged back down Piedra Blanca, the temp rising as we descended. Along the way, we came across this awesome fossilized rock with a beautiful design that we'd somehow missed the day before.

I have been lax in the blogging department lately, but life is no less busy and adventurous. After C2M we had another two-week gig in Missoula, but due a nasty cold (after spending several wet and hypothermic hours at C2M coupled with nasty/germy airplane rides in a depleted state?), I didn't/couldn't do any big mileage there. In retrospect, picking up a bug probably helped WRT recovery. Instead it was lots of yoga, some nice shorter trail runs, and we drove up to Glacier National Park over the weekend. (April is not the time of year to visit Glacier--doh!) Post Montana and mostly recovered, I got in a decent 85-mile week with three 20 milers just because it felt good, the weather on the CA coast being warm, sunny, and perfect. Nice. :)

C2M Happy Wanderers

2011-04-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Ventura County Star did a nice front-page story on Coyote Two Moon in last Sunday's edition. If you hover over some of the "photos," you will find that they are actually videos, the first one being the Two Moon Buffoon explaining his philosophy on C2M specifically and ultrarunning in general. :)

We cracked up at the first reader comment - gotta love local newspapers and the people who comment!

"Let's call this what it is - a mental disorder. These people need therapy, not press coverage. This is not healthy."

I don't know what he is talking about. These people all look perfectly normal to me:

The Happy Wanderers/Coyote Two Moon from Catherine Mataisz on Vimeo.
C2M pre-run lunch @ Boccali's, starring Jeff Browning, Wild Bill Kee, Roch Horton, Team Patagonia (Ty Draney, Justin Angle, Jamie Gifford, Scott Wolfe, Andy Jones-Wilkins, and Clark Zealand), and some dude with an alligator on his head. Thanks Catherine. :)

Coyote Two Moon Recap

2011-03-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Four days later, we are still drying tarps, mailing back abandoned drop bags, cleaning up and reorganizing post-C2M, but I wanted to post a quick something before heading back out to the garage. Going through all the wonderful emails the Buffoon has received, I decided to copy and paste snippets of a few of them... much to the Buffoon's embarrassment; they are posted below. Everyone has been so gracious and sweet and kind with regard to Chris's having to call off the event just before midnight on Saturday due to very nasty and deteriorating weather conditions. We are thankful for attracting (mostly) a caliber of runner, volunteer, and radio operator who not only "get" the spirit of C2M but who also appreciate both the peculiarities of staging an event in these mountains and the disappointing decision with which the Buffoon was faced.

I stand by my previous assertion that we have some of the best band of volunteers and radio guys an RD could ever hope for, but I don't even want to start listing them for fear of leaving somebody out. They are appreciated more than they know!!

As for my own run, I was having a grand time until midway back up the Pratt Trail (mile 70ish). But then the rain began to fall, and as I neared Ridge Road the wind picked up markedly. By the time I reached Gridley Top, I was nearing popsicle status. Having spent way more time in my life being cold than any human being should, I knew that these were the most dangerous of conditions: rain/sleet, strong winds, exposure (on the ridge), subfreezing temps, and runners in a depleted physical state. Although a kind volunteer (thanks Gretchen!) lent me her ski parka (!) for the descent to Gridley Botton, I could not get warm and knew that my run was over. Upon reaching GB, fellow M3 start grouper Bruce G. - with a smile on his face, I might add - informed me that the run had been cancelled.

The anxiety-filled post cancellation hours consitute another couple of blog posts (including, among other mishaps, the radio antenna being blown down at Cozy Dell, elev. 920 ft., effectively cutting off communication), but without further ado (I have work to do!), here are those snippets...
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Just a short note to give you my heartfelt thanks for all you did for the runners and volunteers at Coyote Two Moon. Whatever anyone says about the course or the weather, it was the finest example I've yet experienced of good, big-hearted people stepping up to take charge of fast moving conditions to avert a potential calamity. It was truly awe-inspiring to watch from a runner's point of view. I have attended three years of post-incident wilderness emergency seminars through NOLS, but learned more watching you and the good folks at Gridley Top, and I know I only saw a tiny slice of what went on. I kept telling myself "this is my tribe". I was very proud of everyone, and you in particular. (JR)
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I'm from Minnesota. I thought, "Show me your 'weather.'" Fortunately I didn't say anything about how I was from Minnesota and there was no weather out on the left coast that could stop me. I might have been thinking that, in my addled and spacey brain. (RC)
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In spite of my disappointment at not having the opportunity to finish this course, I wouldn’t have missed the adventure of this past weekend for the world. It’s the stuff that makes for great stories.   (PV)
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For the next C2M I think I would bring some expedition gear for the South Pole or the Everest area. (UH)
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I used to think the "Hardly-Walk" was the tuffest ultra. After the last two years of the Coyote, HR is #2. (BP)
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Absolutely loved the course and I will have to tell you my cousin Hannah Roberts said it was way more difficult than HURT, and she loved it.   (JG)
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You along with your pal Mother Nature provided us with another set of memories to last a lifetime. (PM)
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Thanks for an amazing time! You and your crew are truly top notch!!!   I wanna come back every year -if you'll have me. (KL)
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From the bottom of my heart, a HUGE THANKS to you and the uber first class volunteers who put C2M on top of the ultra world! I sincerely had one of the best weekend of my life out there. I've learned so much about myself, others, and always humbled. Thank you for making the smartest decision last Saturday night....one of the most memorable, fantastic, awesomeness adventures of my running career. Yes, I loved every second, step, wind, snow, wet, rain, hail....as I never really got to run that far before on the actual course....81 miles!!   (CL)
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All the volunteers were so awesome and you are so very special Chris :) You rock! My only complaint is my cheeks are still sore from laughing!! Maybe warn people of that on the web! Get those smiley cheeks in shape:)   (BN)
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It's time to recognize you as the greatest RD ever.... I am so thankful to forever be able to say, pound my chest, thump my missle, and facecrack the world that you fucking created the best "event" I have ever been associated with. Whatever I need to do to help you keep this Coyote Two Moon "fun run" moon'in, well I am here to help.   (GL)
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This total story will be one for the ages. Other races may cancel in a drizzle just to compare themselves to C2M. We all know there is and cannot be any worthy copycats. (EO)
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Instead of a run, we were treated to the giving and sharing that is really the spirit of trail running... This event will endure into trail running history as one of the great survival stories. (MB)
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Behind all those nasty dark curtains of wind driven rain and snow, there still shined a brilliant moon…Vicki would be proud. (RH)
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Amen!

Almost Ready for Coyote Two Moon

2011-03-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

The Two Moon Buffoon has been keeping us busy in preparation for the C2M festivities which will commence in one short week. Check out the website! Chris is quite imaginative and verbose, so there is a lot of info there. (Might want to grab a glass of wine or a beer before settling in.) I would be surprised if there is an RD out there who pours more heart and soul--and hours!--into their events than Chris does, but of course I am kind of partial. :) Before Chris and I got together, I had no clue what went into making a running event of this magnitude happen. I would pay my entry fee, show up, run, and go home with not a whole lot of thought regarding all the hard work necessary. NOW I have some idea!

There is the permitting process with the US Forest Service...

The many planning meetings at Charlie's Patio on PCH...

Lots of hours of trail work in four organized outings by C2M'ers...

Procurement of really, really groovy prizes...

Pancake runs in Point Mugu State Park...

Followed by more pre-race "meetings"...

Bringing fluids up to the three on-ridge aid stations and making sure the approach roads are passable...

Mark (above) is station chief at Ridge Jct., while Wild Bill (below) mans both Sisar and Gridley Bottom...

This rock was thankfully on the trail and not in the road...

Training runs on the C2M course, some in snow even!

Still more planning meetings...

And more trail work. Ooh, I wanna run down this trail...

Time out to enjoy the lovely views of the ocean and Channel Islands from the C2M Ridge...

Some course scouting runs for the Buffoon...

...et moi. Oh, how I love running amongst the sea dahlias this time of year. :)

Since I am actually entered in the 100 miler this year, I was very happy to have done the old C4P 40 miler, including Butt-Crack Rock, as my last long training run a couple of weeks ago...

Views into Serrano Canyon were awesome...

The weather has been grand for running. Yippee, yippee, yippee! I love living here.

Then back to work in the garage. This is only a small portion of the "stuff." The mannequin has been with us for a couple of years now, but it's time for her to go! For what performance shall this be a prize? Hmm...

There is a lot left to do: picking up the Patagonia shirts and puff pullovers from the stitchers (got a sneak preview and they look great!), stuffing the runners' bags, getting some aid station boxes ready, sorting prizes, etc., etc.

We are looking forward to a fun party next week!!

Today's run in 6 photos

2011-03-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

11 Miles in Point Mugu State Park - Happy spring!!

Missoula Top Ten

2011-02-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

Our time in Missoula is coming to a close. Winter is not our preferred season to be here, but we made the best of it. And anyplace is fun with Chris. :) Here is my Top 10 list:

The Missoula YMCA - It is a large facility, complete with pool, dozens of treadmills and ellipticals, and an extensive group fitness/yoga schedule. Each of the yoga classes I did was very good. Thanks to Colleen, Missy, Carmen, and Youngee!
The Good Food Store - Locally owned. Awesome bulk food section, produce, and deli.
Big Sky Brewery - Makers of popular Moose Drool Brown ale. Free tastings in their taproom! For those of us who like their beer dark and substantial, the Slow Elk Oatmeal Stout and, especially, the Cowboy Coffee Porter were very good. I am no beer expert; I just know what I like.
Kettle House Brewing - Smaller but with no less tasty offerings. We tried all the darker ones, with Slow Ride Stout being my fave. The Bongwater Hemp Porter was good, too, but I couldn't stop imagining that it was really made out of bongwater. Ick.
Trailhead outdoor gear store - 'Cuz they had skinny ski rentals; I spent a nice morning skiing the groomed Pattee Canyon trails.
The dogs - Missoulians seem to have a healthy, laid-back attitude toward dogs. Most of the dogs we encountered on the trails were well behaved, happy, and seemingly well socialized. Each trailhead had doggie bags and leashes available to borrow.
Doublefront Cafe - Fried chicken in the Rockies? Yep. It was darn good. So were the onion rings.
City of Missoula Parks and Recreation - They put out a wonderful map of parks, open space, and trails. It would be great if more cities did this.
North Hills Trails - Other than the extensive multi-use paths, the North Hills Trails seem to be the first to melt out. Yippee, we actually got to run a bit on dirt singletrack.
Black Cat Bakery - Sticky buns to die for.......................!

We will be back in Missoula in another couple of months, when most of the snow should be gone in the lower elevations so hopefully will get more trail time in then. We are looking forward to getting back home to the land of dry trails and bare limbs tomorrow!!

From Brrr...mont to Brrr...soula

2011-02-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

Aaah... Four glorious days of sun, warmth and bare-legged and armed trail time at home in California. Got in 30 wonderful miles on the PMSP trails before filling my luggage with tights (boo), jackets (boo), hats, mittens, woolies (boo, boo, and boo). We are now in Missoula, Montana, where Chris is working for the next 2 weeks. A foot of new snow fell within 24 hours of our arrival; then temps took a nosedive with subzero windchills. Last night we attempted to run a few miles on one of the bike paths: We made it exactly 10 steps into the blustery gale before doing an about-face back to our Subaru rental's heated seats, opting for the elliptical machines at the YMCA instead. Hah! Call us wimps, but we did notice that we were not the only ones there...

I do not mean to diss Missoula. There seem to be some good eateries and breweries in town, and the landscape is lovely. It would just be more enjoyable during the summer months. However, the sun is shining brightly today, so we will try for another run this afternoon.

Today I created a page dedicated to my ongoing 50 Project. For those who are interested, click on the link under the Coyote Two Moon logo.

Stay warm!

Brrr...mont, Week #2

2011-01-31T17:43:00.000-08:00

Second of two weeks in Vermont...
1/25 - Short run of 3.5 miles, dirt road and snowmobile trail by headlamp.
1/26 - Greenbanks Hollow-VAST loop in Danville, 8 miles. Much warmer today, temps 32F +/-.
1/27 - Rest day.
1/28 - 10 miles on beautiful, quiet dirt roads in Barnet Center. No cars the entire time. :)
1/29 - 18 miles of Kilkenny Ridge in 12.5 hours(!) breaking trail on snowshoes. Winter Wonderland!
1/30 - 4 miles on dirt roads and snowmobile trails.
1/31 - 9 miles of snow covered dirt in Barnet Center, single digits but sunny. Bye-bye Vermont - I love you in summer but only kind of like you in winter.
2/1 - Hopefully back to Tan Land. Currently on hold, trying to reroute flights through blizzard... ai yi yi!

Update: Persistence (~3 hours) and assertiveness ("No, I will NOT be routed through O'Hare you idiots!!") hopefully will get me to LAX, via Atlanta, today...

Brrr...mont

2011-01-21T16:36:00.001-08:00

We're getting some decent mileage in while visiting my folks in Vermont. I'm having fun showing Chris some of my old dirt road routes. The one above is in Barnet. It has been COLD though!! The blood has definitely thinned since living in coastal California. ;-)

1/19 - 9 miles on quiet, snowy dirt roads in Barnet Center.
1/20 - 7 miles of same in North Danville. Shoveled my parents' roof.
1/21 - 8 miles on McLaren & Somers Hill Roads in West Barnet.
1/22 - 8.5 miles snowshoeing on the Rattle River Trail (AT) in the White Mtns. Getting colder...
1/23 - Cold. We're taking the day off! Went out for a nice breakfast in Gorham.
1/24 - Minus 20 this morning. Waited until it "warmed up" to minus 4 before setting out on a 7-mile loop in Danville - down a dirt road, through a covered bridge, and back on hardpacked snowmobile trails. Beautiful, crystal clear views of the Whites ~40 miles away - Moosilauke, Franconia Ridge & Twin Range, all the way up to the Presidentials. Haven't been in temps this cold since Denali '08 & haven't run with a face mask in, oh... about 10 years. Nuts!

Looking ahead & My new 50 Project

2011-01-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

Although I am not much of a planner preferring to live life more spontaneously, I do have some plans and ideas shaping up for the coming year. Some are firm, some are still in the idea stage:

March: Coyote Two Moon 100 mile (finally going to run the thing!)
May: Jemez 50 mile
June: Black Hills 100 mile (inaugural event!)
July: Finally finish the Colorado 14ers (6 left) & Hike the Hardrock course w/Chris (4 days)
August: Sierras! Probable combo of peakbagging and long trail miles... TBD.
September: Vermont 50 (a maybe)
November: Coyote Vegas
December: Cajun Coyote

Yes, there are actually three 100 miles there! After a four-year break from the distance, finishing The Bear last September was a positive enough experience that I want to do a few more. :)

I also have created a new 5-year project for myself--that of doing a minimum of 50 trail miles in all 50 states, along with the already completed 50 high points by the time I'm 50 (hence my choice of races in New Mexico and South Dakota). It is my belief that there are beautiful and interesting trails to be run and hiked in each of the 50 states. Upon realizing that I was already over halfway there--and with the ability to combine some trail bagging with business travel--the project seemed to be a no brainer. Miles can be either run or hiked, and both race and solo nonrace miles can be counted, as can multi-loop (Rocky Racoon, Cajun Coyote) courses although my preference is for 50 unique miles. In some states--e.g. Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia, Colorado, California--the criteria has been met multifold. I am planning to create a separate page documenting trails/ultras completed in each state (click on link under C2M logo). This project will take awhile and that's a good thing. I think it'll be super fun!

Year-End Review

2011-01-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

It's already the 11th day of the New Year, so I'm a little overdue on my annual review.  I love lists and love documenting this kind of stuff, my excuse being that I'm half German. :) It's fun and interesting to reflect on the adventures, trips, and goals of the year just passed before looking ahead to the next 12 months. So here goes a short & sweet list of my highlights for 2010:

January: Quad State Quad Buster
February: 100 Miles on the Arizona Trail
March: Winter NH48 FKT 8d4h2m & Coyote Two Moon
April:  Georgia's 54m. Duncan Ridge Loop, Crewing Chris at LD50
June: Laurel Highlands #3
July: Cross-country road trip to Vermont, Fastpacking the Long Trail (my #1 highlight!)
August: NH48 in 4d20h, Road trip back to California
September: Bear 100
October: Coyote Moab, Knobstone Trail in a day
November: 100-Mile week in the Shenandoahs
December: Cajun Coyote

Miles for the year totalled just under 3000, almost exclusively on trail.  I did 70 yoga classes, mountain biked only twice, skied once, and according to Plus 3 stats raised over $525 for The Conservation Alliance. Alas, I slacked in the book department averaging little better than one a month but definitely plan to remedy that in '11. Constants include seeking new and creative endurance-related adventures, continuing to find ways of challenging myself, an intense love of the natural world and spending as much time as possible in it, and most importantly, sharing all of it with Chris.

Next post: goals for the coming year!

Playin' in the Snow

2010-12-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

Chris, Mark, and I decided to venture up to Pine Mountain today. Those who follow the news know that we have had a lot (A LOT!) of rain here in Coastal California over the past couple of weeks. (No major issues at our house except for an invasion of ants, they surely just looking for some dry turf to set up camp -- sorry kids.) Between storms, snow has been visible on Pine Mountain on and off for the past few days. A little over an hour's drive away, Pine Mountain is the long ridge behind the Coyote Two Moon (Ojai) Ridge and rises to over 7000 feet, so while the C2M Ridge was only slightly dusted, Pine Mountain received a few inches of the beautiful white stuff.

It was cold and blustery up there but fun to experience the novelty of "winter-like conditions" so near an otherwise Mediterranean climate.

Mark & I at our turnaround point, about 5 miles and 3000 feet up from the trailhead.

The Santa Monica Mtns., where we spend most of our local trail time, are visible far off in the distance. Pacific Ocean is off the photo to the right. Most of the Channel Islands were visible today.

Ours were the only human tracks on this day, but we saw lots of little critters and this set of a BIG critter. By the freshness of the prints, we didn't miss the bruin by much.

Goofing off on the rocks on the way down, out of the snow.

Thanks for the great day, Mark, and for the snow acclimatization: we have some cold travel plans in the near future! :)

C2M Trail Work/Run

2010-12-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

Saturday was the first of our usual 3 annual trail work trips pre-Coyote Two Moon. Our goal was treadwork and brush clipping on Pratt Trail, and we had a great turnout. 14 people x 6-7 hours can get a lot done. Trail work is definitely not my favorite activity (it's hard!), but I feel strongly that as users of the trails, we have an obligation to help maintain them.

^ Chaparral is a pain. I was making the trail W-I-D-E !! ^

We are trying to get every C2M trail to look like this (haha), but I think it will take awhile...

On Sunday morning, 7 of us did Sisar/White Ledge to the top of Topa and back. Weather was gorgeous, with temps topping out at 82 degrees. (In December!) This is the same peak that was covered in snow 3 weeks earlier. In my quest to run up all the C2M trails to the Ridge Road, I am now down 4 trails, with 3 to go. Sisar/White Ledge was ~3500 feet of vert in ~6.5 miles, with another 1000 feet and 1.3 miles to the summit -- not easy after running 100 km. last weekend! I did stop to rest "a few" times and wasn't exactly banging out 7 minute miles, but I didn't walk any of it. What does this mean for race day? Absolutely nothing! :)

Cajun Coyote Top 10

2010-12-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

We had a total blast at Mark's and Chris's Cajun Coyote last weekend. I'm always impressed by those who have the ability to write long, detailed race reports because mine are usually of the "I came, I ran, I was happy... The End" variety. The best I could come up with this time is a Top 10 list, a pathetic attempt to encapsulate the weekend's fun. Here goes, in no particular order:

1. Very lovely, runnable, rolling singletrack around Lake Chicot. (Louisiana?... Who knew?). However, I should qualify the "runnable" part: the first 20-mile loop was runnable, the second was hilly, and somehow by the third loop those hills had turned into little mountains that necessitated walking up... hmm.

2. Perfect weather: mostly sunny, a few clouds, temps in the 70s.

3. Quite impressive and aggressive mosquitoes... in December! This is a good thing only because the little b*stards kept us moving.

4. Cypress trees, armadillos, and really cool swamp bridges (like bog bridges but about a mile long)

5. A sweet--and flashy!--gift from Japan (thanks Tetsuro!!). Love these shoes. :-)

(Chris-red, Sue-blue, Tetsuro-orange)

6. Sharing a 'deluxe' cabin pre- and post-run with 10 unique and special people.

7. A new nickname: "Full Throttle." (Everyone had one; check out the results.)

8. Live music at the Cajun Smokehouse in Ville Platte. 'Shrimp Inez' at Prejeans. Gumbo, boudin, and chitlins everywhere. (And I do know what chitlins are: they are damn yummy.)

9. "Winning" the 100 km!

Full Throttle w/coyote puppet award (and for some reason, a bunch of coffee cups) and 'n Buford, first in the 100 km.

(Photo by Mark Wieneke)

10. Realizing yet again that there is interesting and beautiful running to be had in all corners of the country! (I'll say it again: Louisiana? Who knew?) Cajun Coyote is a great race to put on your calendars next year. We'll be ba-a-a-ack!

Cajun Coyote Weekend

2010-12-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

(Tetsuro, Mark, et moi as apparel models too early this morning)

Nifty Ts, eh?! We are super excited to be runnin' with the Cajuns this weekend! I won't embarrass myself by trying to explain this weekend's craziness, the latest installment in Coyote Cohort fun, so I refer you to the Cajun Coyote website. In our attempt to one-up the North Face's purse in San Fran this weekend, whoever breaks the 100K world record at Cajun wins a brand new Peugeot or Citreon!

Coyote Two Moon training run

2010-11-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, six of us ran the 18+ mile Lion Canyon - Topa Topa - Chip Seal loop on the C2M course... in a bit of SNOW! We began by running all the way up Lion Canyon from Rose Valley. Wild Bill has tagged me to run the C2M 100 miler (help), and I have challenged myself to a little goal of running UP all the side trails to the Ridge Road in training. (Of course, I use the word "run" in the ultraunner's sense of the word, and rest breaks are allowed... but no walking!) I am now three trails down (the easy ones--Lion Canyon, Howard Creek, Gridley), with four to go (Horn Canyon, Sisar/White Ledge, Chip Seal, Pratt). During C2M I will most likely run up none of these trails; it's just a fun little goal to have set for myself.

In Southern California the presence of snow doesn't necessarily require the covering of one's legs (yesss!) although it was a bit chilly if we stopped for very long. These beautiful grasses on Topa Topa were frozen stiff. A highlight of the day was coming across fresh bear tracks on the LCT!

Seven miles on the Ridge Road... Topa as backdrop... then a knee & quad pounder down Chip Seal. A nice run with great company. :)

(All photos by H'ard.)

A Week in Shenandoah National Park

2010-11-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Tuesday: Austin Mtn., AT, Blackrock, Paine Run, Trayfoot, Furnace Mtn. - 21 miles

Wednesday: Big Run, Madison Run, AT, Jones & Doyles Falls - 11 miles

Thursday: Big Run, Big Run Portal, Brown Mtn., AT - 21 miles
Friday: Wildcat Ridge, AT, Riprap - 12 miles

Saturday: Patterson Ridge, Rocky Top, AT - 15.5 miles

Sunday: Catlett Spur, Hazel Mtn., AT, Byrds Nest #3 - 7.5 miles

Monday: Knob Mtn., AT, Neighbor Mtn. - 18 miles

Lots of leaves, one bear, a few deer, & an unintentional big mileage week.

Congratulations to my Sweetie for getting in >100 miles during his 100k b'day week!! So proud. :)

Knobstone Trail

2010-11-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

I spent Halloween running 50 miles through southeastern Indiana on the Knobstone Trail. With an Indianapolis business trip in store this week, we arrived a day early in order to traverse what Backpacker magazine has dubbed the Hoosier state's best hiking trail. From what I'd read about this trail, I realized the need to rethink any misconceptions I had about Indiana and flat cornfields. This trail is gnarly, with somewhere between 10,000 to 11,000 feet of climb! But here's the thing: the highest ridges top out at just over 1000 feet, so you are constantly roller coastering 100 to 400 feet over and over and over again. Take a look at the profile:

Looks like fun, eh? IT WAS!! :)
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With temps hovering around 40 degrees, we started at the southerly Deam Lake Trailhead at 5 a.m. The first 3 hours were done by headlamp; sunrise comes very late to the area this time of year. Chris again selflessly crewed--thanks Honey!--and was able to meet me a bunch, at roughly miles 5, 9, 11, 17, 24, 31, 37, 39, and 47. Plus, he ran back to intercept me on the trail a few times, getting in about 17 miles himself. The day was bright and sunny, but since the temps struggled to reach 60 degrees, I was able to go light with just one water bottle. Perfect running weather!
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Impeding progress a bit was the leafy trail surface--would've made better time a few weeks ago before the leaves fell! However, the footing was pretty good, with few rocks to maneuver, and almost totally singletrack. Woohoo! I met about a dozen other hikers this day, including a few backpackers. The Indiana DNR puts out a nice map for a whopping $4 and does a superb job with trail signage, blazing, and marking; in fact, there are mile markers for every mile. To say, there were absolutely no confusing, "oh sh*t" moments as I've found on some other, less well marked trails.
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Throughout the day the Knobstone Trail triggered memories of other trails:
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-- Ouachita Trail (Oklahoma & Arkansas) probably the most because of the overall feel, the views, and the lack of water. In fact, thru-hikers are advised to cache water along the way.
-- Wild Oak Trail (Virginia) because of the solitude, quiet, and gnarly steep climbs--admittedly not nearly as long but a lot more of 'em.
-- Appalachian Trail because of the many so-called PUDs (pointless ups & downs)
-- Laurel Highlands Trail (Pennsylvania) because of the mile markers.
-- Massanutten (Virginia) because the pre-sunrise views of twinkling lights in the valleys reminded me of the Edinburg-to-Woodstock Tower section of MMT.
-- Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway (southern New Hampshire) because of the 3 lakes the trail skirts.
-- Barkley (Tennessee) because there were oodles of sawbriars on the sides of the trail (thankfully, unlike the Barkley course, none of which required maneuvering through).
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Nearing the northerly terminus of the KT around mile 40.5, you can elect to go directly to Spurgeon Lake for a total of ~43.5 miles or Delaney Lake for 45.5; you can take the Spurgeon Hollow Loop for a couple miles more; OR you can take the Delaney Park Loop to Delaney Lake, then Spurgeon Lake for a full 50. I chose the latter and got in at 7 p.m. 50 miles in 14 hours?? See, told ya it was gnarly! (And, okay, maybe I still felt last week's 115 miles...)
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This Knobstone Trail surpassed my expectations: I loved it and highly recommend the KT if ever you get the opportunity.

Coyote Moab ?

2010-10-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Rumor has it there will be an accidental gathering of Coyotes in the Moab environs this week... different trails for very different folks, nighttime play included (bowling! full moon!). A couple of rogue Coyotes were on a reconnaissance mission to the colorful La Sal Mountains this afternoon and managed to circumnavigate 11,642 ft. Haystack Mountain.

We were even entertained at one juncture by a large, waddling porcupine. :) Ironically, on yesterday's Porcupine Rim foray the porkie count was a big fat zero.

More Facebook-style (I'm feeling rather ADHD) posts to follow in this blog entry as the week progresses...

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10/20/10... First ones on Slickrock Loop this morning: Goofball on foot, me on bike, going about the same pace. Last time I rode Slickrock was 17 years ago - yikes! Good news is it felt easier this time. What a freaking blast!! Fell only once. :)

Afternoon adventure in Hidden Valley. Petroglyphs galore!

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10/21/10... Depending on whose gadget you believe, the Long Group did somewhere between 30 & 34 beautiful miles around Upheaval Dome in Canyonlands National Park.

Some runnable trail (above)... and some not so runnable (below).

Post-run dinner 'n liquid refreshment at Eddie McStiff's.

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10/22/10... 15 miles in the rain and SNOW in the LaSals -- quite a different scene than just 3 days prior. We intended to go further but cut it short in order to avoid hypothermia and to save ourselves for tomorrow's run and tonight's bowling! To give some idea of the "talent," the highest score of our entire crew is 138. I bowl a 122. :)

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10/23/10... The best day! Sun came out for ~36 miles of Pritchett Canyon, Kane Creek Road, Hurrah Pass, and Amasa Back. Tetsuro, Kathleen, Walter, Emily and I ran together all day and had fun bombing down Amasa Back, passing Jeeps and mountain bikers (ooh, they were not happy to be passed by runners!). :) Evening's entertainment--dinner, boat ride on the Colorado and light show--was a friggin' hoot. Day ended with a visit to the Moab Brewery followed by a 2-mile moonlight hike of the Slickrock Practice Loop. Ow-WOOOoooo...!

10/24/10... Final miles up Moab Rim Road, en route to Hidden Valley petroglyphs. What a fun time with some awesome people in incredible surroundings! Sad to say goodbye. :( Until next time...

The Bear

2010-09-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

Entering the Bear 100 wasn't really my idea but rather one of Chris's many brainstorms that I absent mindedly agreed to a few months back. With the opportunity to spend the previous week in the Wasatch Mountains--ooh, altitude training!--capping off the week with a 100 miler sounded like a cool thing to do... last spring. The reality is that while I spent a lot of time on my feet over the summer, most of those were walking as opposed to running miles. (And guess what the body wants to do if it's been walking all summer?) Looking through my journal just now, I laughed to see that since finishing Laurel Highlands in mid June, my "long runs" consisted of a couple of 12 milers. Not exactly an optimal training program going on here, folks. I hoped, however, that the endurance base and muscle memory -- 25 hundred finishes from 1995-2006 -- were enough to pull me through this beast.

I'd heard mostly positive things about The Bear: beautiful fall foliage, mountain scenery, challenging but not all-out ridiculous terrain, and an especially appealing low-key atmosphere. I was also warned about course marking: "It's not if you get off course but when," hot midday temps, and probable sub-freezing nighttime conditions. Accordingly, I carried the course directions and had plenty of cold weather gear both in my drop bags and with Chris, who did an excellent job of crewing and, I think, entertaining all the aid station volunteers.

The early miles were a joy: I loved the first long climb out of Logan and spent parts of the first 30 running with fellow Coyote Cohort, H'ard Cohen, followed by two new friends, "the Larrys"--Hall and King--who were great fun with whom to pass the miles. Somewhere around Mile 30 my usual iron stomach started rebelling, so the next 20 were passed babying it with mostly ice water.

Thus I became locked in the cycle of food = nausea, nausea = no calories, no calories = no energy, no energy = I don't want to do this anymore! Upon reaching the halfway point at Tony Grove, I announced my intention of stopping. I was having a meltdown. Chris wisely accepted my decision without trying to talk me into continuing--he knows me well--while waiting a few minutes, then plying me with instant mashed potatoes. "Hey, those actually look pretty good..." I love runny instant mashed potatoes! After successfully downing 3 bowlsful and some soup over 2 1/2 hours (!) total at the aid station, and realizing that only my stomach was giving me issues--everything else (legs, feet, etc.) was fine--I decided that maybe I'd wait for my buddies Deb and Steve Pero and see about continuing on with them. Upon their arrival, they annouced "We feel awesome!" so Team BL was born. :) Here we are, plus Sandy Sanger, about to leave Tony Grove. (Yes, the Californian was cold.)

The night was lo-o-o-ng. We walked and walked and walked and ogled the incredible full moon and walked and talked and laughed and told pirate jokes and walked and giggled and talked and laughed and spent waaay too long at the aid stations and laughed at Chris's jokes and moo'd at the cows and got off course for about 20 minutes and walked and walked and tried to keep warm and stayed together and had a grand old time. Oh, and got off course another time and walked some more. At Beaver Lodge we caught C2M'er (and TRT co-RD) George Ruiz, who joined our merry team. At long last the sun rose, a welcome sight after enduring some hollows in the 20-30 degree range! At Beaver Creek, mile 85, it was finally warm enough to shed some layers. Yippee ki yi yippee yay!

There was only one more aid station at mile 92, the one with the best name: Ranger Dip. Deb is trying to get some calories into Steve; I am having no such problems now. :)

Although I was tired and ready to be done, it really was fun and relaxing to complete a 100 miler this way. No pressure, no hurry, just takin' it all in... Thanks Deb and Steve!

...but the quads still hurt this late into the run--ouch!

Chris spotted this guy at Bear Lake en route to the finish! He's been working on his moose karma.

With about a mile to go, George and I attempted to break 32 hours. We didn't quite make it (32:01), but at least I beat my best Hardrock time (gulp) by 6 minutes. I wore the same shoes and socks the entire race and didn't get any blisters or foot issues. I LOVE, Love, love my Salomon.Speedcross-2's!!

Deb and Steve weren't far behind. This is the first 100 they've run completely together!

I stopped doing 100's a few years ago, mostly because of race burnout and an increasing desire to concoct my own trail adventures (fastpacking/running the Colorado, John Muir, Wonderland, Tuscarora, Ouachita, & Long Trails among other endeavors). The Bear was my first 100 mile finish since the 2006 Heartland Hundred, and it was a great experience. :) I just may have to get back into doing these crazy things again!! Ah-Ooooooo!!

The Long Way Home

2010-09-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

We decided to return home via the northerly route through Quebec and Ontario. Sure, gas prices are higher, but Canadian money is so much prettier, AND they have Tim Hortons. Being a coffee junkie, I just love Tims. :) We dropped back down into the US at Sault Ste. Marie and drove across Michigan's Upper Penninsula, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Most nights we camped in the Honda...

...But one night we stayed in a "covered wagon," enclosed in quotation marks because it had a hard top and electricity. ;-) There was just something not quite right about blow drying my hair in a covered wagon. This was at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead in De Smet, South Dakota, and was way cool! Wilder authored the "Little House" series, and I was a hard-core LIW geek in 5th and 6th grade. It was really neat to be in De Smet, site of the "Little Town on the Prairie" and some of the other later books.

From there, it was down to Badlands and Wind Cave National Park, where we had a PR run for wildlife sightings: in 5 miles we saw pronghorn antelope, deer, a huge (close to 200) herd of elk, prairie dogs, and a buffalo! Later that afternoon we hiked up Scotts Bluff in Nebraska. Northwestern Nebraska was a pleasant surprise. There are actually some hills there and we are definitely going back.

A fierce little storm blew through but didn't produce much rain.

After a couple of days visiting Chris's pop in Rifle and a couple of days running the North Fruita Trails (including Zippity Do Dah and Chutes 'n Ladders) in Colorado, we blitzed across Utah and spent the night in Great Basin National Park.

I don't get up before my coffee...

We climbed Wheeler Peak which was super awesome. It's over 13,000 feet and the 2nd highest in Nevada!

We made it! I always have to check the summit register for people I know. Didn't see any familiar names this time but usually do. Not surprising since Great Basin is pretty out there.

We spent the night at Valley of Fire State Park and the next day climbed Mt. Charleston, north of Vegas. It now ranks as one of my favorite mountains. We did the 18-mile loop. Had we known how runnable the trail was--and had we been better acclimatized--we would have been running instead of hiking! Bristlecone pines, the oldest living things on Earth, were all over the place. The photo below was taken just off the summit.

Finally made it home just before Labor Day weekend -- 2 months, 10,000 miles & lots of great memories.

NH48 in Under 5 Days

2010-09-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

I had two trail/endurance-related goals for back East this summer, a thru-hike of the Long Trail and a fast’ish ramble of, again, the 48 New Hampshire 4000 footers. It may seem odd that while I now live in California, I am still drawn to the White Mountains. My folks are still in Vermont so I get back there quite often, and I LOVE these mountains... but still! Indeed, during the most recent effort I wondered why I didn’t more persistently attempt a fast 48 when I lived there. The reality is that during my last 10 years there I was focused on racing 100 milers and so was always either training for or recovering from one or another and had a hard time fitting in an obscure mountain speed record.
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I did, however, actually attempt one speedy 48 in 2004, a few weeks after running and winning a fast (for me) sub 18-hour Vermont 100. Beginning on August 11 that year, I bagged all 14 of what I call the Pemi Peaks--Flume, Liberty, Lincoln, Lafayette, Owls Head, Garfield, Galehead, the Twins, the Bonds, Zealand, and Hale--45+ miles in 18 hours 26 minutes. The next day I climbed the 3 peaks of the Willey Range along with Carrigain, Cannon and the Kinsmans, 30+ miles in about 14 hours. Things were going well for me physically. Meteorologically, however, conditions were bad: that night it poured down rain… intense T’storm after intense T’storm continuing into the next day. I got rained out. I probably should’ve squeezed in another attempt back then, but isn’t human nature such that we oftentimes don’t seize an opportunity that’s staring us in the face, finding reasons why we can’t do something instead of why we should actually just go for it? Perhaps that is a reason why there was no women’s non-winter NH 48 fastest known time (FKT) until August 20 of this year.
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I was pretty fatigued after the LT effort in late July and had decided to bail on the peakbagging idea. It wasn’t until the drive back from Maine on August 12 that I started having thoughts like “Maybe I should give it a shot… What have I got to lose?… May as well… Um, Honey…?”
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Chris agrees to crew--I am a lucky woman! I decide to do it relatively fast but not all-out. As with all of my adventures, first and foremost, this is to be FUN, and I know that without enough sleep, it will not be. Ergo, I shoot for a modest goal of under 5 days. I do not have a tight schedule but will take the Forrest Gump approach: when I’m tired, I’ll sleep, when I’m hungry, I’ll eat... Since we want to be back home before Labor Day weekend and don’t want to have to rush, we decide that I should start on August 15 in order to give us a reasonable window. The weather forecast for the 16th calls for rain most of the day, but we don’t have the luxury of cherry-picking our days at this point.
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Apart from buying some trail food, there really isn’t much else to do in preparation. Having climbed these peaks dozens of times, I know good combinations to string together and the basic order that I want to climb them. This isn’t rocket science after all. Not one who enjoys or needs an entourage, I tell only my parents, my good buddy Al… and my friend "Neighbor Dave" squeezes it out of me, too. That’s it. Both Al and Neighbor offer to help, but I will do 45 out of 48 peaks solo. There will be no muling, no pacing, and no food or water caches.

Ready to go!

8/15 Presi Traverse & Isolation, Waumbek, & Cabot ~44 miles
It is 3:55 a.m. I am fixing to get out of the car at the Webster-Jackson Trailhead to begin the south-to-north Presidential Traverse. However, there are two little foxes running around looking for handouts. We don’t give them any food but do take a few photos and that costs me a minute. :) I hit the trail at 4:01 a.m. This particular Presi Traverse has a bit of a twist: it includes the 5-mile out & back to Isolation. I top out on Jackson in just over an hour, Pierce, Eisenhower, and Monroe in another couple of hours, and reach Lakes of the Clouds Hut just as people are dispersing after breakfast. I fill my water bladder and make my way over to the Camel Trail and Davis Path. Even though it means losing many hundreds of feet in elevation, I love this trail. The Davis Path is much less trodden than the main routes to 4000 footers and reminds me of the Long Trail. By 9:30 I’m standing on the summit of Mt. Isolation gazing up at the distance between me and Mt. Washington. It looks like a long way! Two hours later I’m ordering chicken ’n dumpling soup in the summit cafeteria and spend a leisurely 20 minutes eating and chatting with a family who has ridden the Cog Railway up the mountain. The rest of the afternoon goes well. I summit Jefferson and Adams and make my way down to Madison Hut for some more water before climbing the final peak of the range and heading down Valley Way. After climbing George via the Ammonoosuc-Jewell loop this morning, Chris is waiting for me at Appalachia.
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Next stop is the Starr King Trailhead. I bring my headlamp just in case but am happy to do the entire hike before dark (and sadly notice, by the way, that the view from Mt. Starr King is getting more and more shut out by tree growth). I feel pretty good and prefer to do Mt. Cabot in the dark anyway so decide to do one more peak for the day. Nearing the old firewardens cabin, I see light inside and turn mine off as I sneak by so as to not freak anyone out. I’m up and down in just under 3 hours, finishing at 11:10 p.m. We retire to that famous 5-star resort in Randolph--yes, that would be Altopia.
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8/16 Wildcats/Carters/Mariah & Tom/Field/Willey ~28 miles
It is 5 a.m., and we are eating a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast prepared by our fabulous host. We are also listening to a steady downpour outside. It has been raining for 2 hours. “I am NOT going out in that!!” I proclaim, producing laughter all around. I truly dislike hiking for hours in a steady rain. This is the bad weather that was forecast 2 days earlier. No sooner do I make the decision to bail on the whole attempt than the rain stops and I decide to press on. Chris deposits me at the Wildcat Ski Area, and I head up the Polecat Trail, umbrella in hand, at 6 a.m. I discover that the Wildman Biathlon was held the previous day--the race signs and 3 aid stations have not yet been broken down. Cool--aid stations! I chug a bit of water at each station conserving my own. The poor, neglected Wildcat Ridge Trail is in need of some TLC, specifically a good brushing out, and I grumble my way across the lower extremity “carwash” that is the passageway. The trail is muddy, slippery, rocky, and rooty. (Hey, this looks like the Long Trail, too!) With all the slime, I just can’t seem to get a rhythm going and resort to the lunge-and-lurch mode so common in the White Mountains. I pick my way steeply down to Carter Notch but actually make pretty good time going up the Dome. By this time of day, I begin to meet normal hikers. Everyone seems to be wet and sorry looking today, not excluding the crazy lady with the umbrella. One young woman is near tears on the ridiculously steep and rough descent of North Carter. She is carrying a full backpack and clearly not having fun (and so neither is the boyfriend). I try to give some encouragement “You’re almost done with the hardest section!” She kind of glares at me. Oh well... The weather actually turns out not as bad as was predicted; I open the umbrella just 3 times and then for just brief 10-minute showers. By the time I reach Mt. Moriah the sun is shining and I am happy to finally descend the Carter-Moriah Trail and be done with this Range. My total time for this leg is an embarrassing 8h40m!

Chris and I waste a bit of time here due to a miscommunication which is totally my fault but no biggie; since I am channeling Forrest Gump, I am pretty relaxed about this whole thing. We return to Altopia to pick up our stuff and head down to Crawford Depot. Al decides to hike the Willey Range with me but starts a few minutes later so skips Mt. Tom. We talk nonstop across Field and Willey and crack up at the crazy steep “trail” on the southeast side of Willey. We’ve both been here many times, but it seems steeper and rougher than ever. At the Ethan Pond Trailhead Chris is waiting for us, having spent some time checking out Ripley Falls. We give Al a ride back to his car and proceed to the Signal Ridge trailhead while I silently argue with myself: “You should really climb Carrigain tonight.” “But I don’t want to. I want to relax and get some good sleep.” “But it’s not even 8 o’clock yet. Wimp.” “Hey, this is MY hike, and I want to have fun, and Mr. Gump wouldn’t do anymore today either. So there.” Chris makes us a yummy dinner while I use the solar shower and organize the Honda Element for the night. We are asleep by 9:30.
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8/17 Carrigain, Passaconaway/Whiteface/Tripyramids, & Hancocks ~36 miles
At 3:17 a.m. I throw on my clothes, down a Starbucks Doubleshot, and proceed up the trail while Mr. Goofball gets a few more hours of sleep. I feel good this morning and make it to Signal Ridge just in time for a beautiful sunrise! I climb the tower on this, one of my favorite White Mountain peaks, and have a long look around before turning around and heading back down. Just under 4 hours total for this peak, Chris has the car packed up and ready to go when I arrive. He hands me a steaming mug of brewed coffee with real half ’n half. Aah! I am spoiled and happy. :)
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We cruise over Bear Notch Road, pass Jigger Johnston Campground, and reach the trailhead just before 8 a.m. I am taking the old Downes Brook/Passaconaway Slide Trail up Passaconaway, in my opinion the best--most fun, scenic and to-the-point route up this peak. (Style points do matter after all.) After crossing the top of the slide, I have a bit of trouble finding the correct route but shortly am back on track and stand on the summit 2 hours after leaving the car. For some reason I have never been a fan of the Rollins Trail so just put my head down and go... Whiteface doesn’t warrant more than a pause, and I happily scoot across the Kate Sleeper Trail. Even though it is littered with 49 blowdowns (I counted) it is another favorite for its beauty, ease, and solitude. The South Tripyramid Slide is always fun, but I decide that the Farmer Direct route (see my winter record report from March) straight up to the summit from the KST is even better. The Tripyramids are closer together than I remembered. Yippee ki yi, that must mean I’m feeling really, really good! I turn on my tunes for the first time of this adventure and bee-bop down the Pine Bend Brook Trail, feeling happy and content.
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As we drive to the Hancock Overlook, Chris tells me about his hike of the Hedgehog loop and also of visiting the lovely Sabbaday Falls--Chris loves waterfalls and I'd told him not to miss Sabbaday. I describe the approach to the Hancocks, and--what a treat!--he decides to do the lower 2½ miles with me. I opt for a counter-clockwise loop only because last time here during the winter record, Farmer, Frodo and I went clockwise. (Although it would‘ve earned style points, I stay off Arrow Slide this time.) Jogging the last couple of miles--the only time I really approach anything simulating running during this entire thing is here and a bit coming down Mt. Waumbek; most of these trails are, and have always been, virtually unrunnable for me--I reach Chris at 6:25 p.m. and call it a day. We get a room at one of North Woodstock’s many funky establishments, inhale a surprisingly tasty pizza, shower, and hit the rack by 9.
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8/18 Tecumseh, Osceolas, Moosilauke, Cannon/Kinsmans ~31.5 miles
Mt. Tecumseh is rather a blur because I am not really awake yet. I do know that I start at 4:12 a.m. and am done exactly 2 hours later. 15 Minutes later I start up the Mt. Osceola Trail from Tripoli Road. Wow, it’s been years since I’ve been on this side of the Osceola--SO nice to do the traverse instead of the usual out & back! Goofball picks me up on the Kanc 2h43m later, and we zoom off for Ravine Lodge after the requisite DD’s coffee stop in Lincoln. The ascent of Moosilauke via Gorge Brook feels easy, and I pass many hikers today, giving them a smile and a quick, cheery “Hello!” I LOVE Mt. Moosilauke and hang out on the summit a few minutes to have a look around. This whole thing is so much fun! :)
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By 1:30 p.m. Goofball and I commence up the Kinsman Ridge Trail from the Tram parking lot. I regale him with stories of my first ever White Mountain hike, up this very trail with my dad on Father’s Day 1986! He is impressed that my dad hiked this very steep, ridiculously eroded trail. (Yay Dad!) We part ways at the ledge spur, Chris to check out the view, me to soldier on over Cannon and the balls. And then a weird thing happens: I remember there being just 3 Cannonballs, but there are now 7 or 8! (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!) I finally reach Kinsman Junction and, while lamenting the absence of the old “THIS IS KINSMAN JUNCTION” sign, am happy because the Kinsmans are easy from here. The out & back to the Kinsmans is, indeed, a cinch and soon I am descending the Mt. Kinsman Trail. I have always liked this trail and am impressed by the lovely relo of serpentine singletrack at its lower end. I am done by 6:40 p.m. today. This evening we want to get as close to tomorrow’s start as possible. Parker’s Motel it is!
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8/19 Franconia Ridge/Owls Head/Garfield/Galehead/Twins/Bonds/Zealand/Hale ~42 miles
Chris deposits me at the AT crossing of I-93 at 3:55 a.m., and I groggily (too much sleep?) head up the Flume Slide Trail. My buddy Neighbor Dave is to meet me up on the ridge, somewhere between Little Haystack and Lafayette. Finally, around 8 o’clock (obviously not exactly blitzing), I spot him near the summit of Lincoln. Yippee! I drop my pack and do the short out ‘n back to Lafayette, then we head down Lincoln Slide which I haven't been on in many years. I like this route! At the first possible spot, I refill the 2 bladders that I carry this day, a total capacity of about 4 liters. Today, because it is a longer schlep of over 40 miles with no aid save for Galehead Hut, I am carrying my Osprey Talon 33 pack with extra clothing, 2 headlamps, extra batteries just in case, enough food, and all the extra water--to say, not exactly super-lightweight. (The previous 4 days I wore either a Nathan Intensity or Nathan Elite waist pack.) Neighbor and I perfectly execute the lower part of the Lincoln Slide ‘whack, coming out exactly where we intend. But instead of taking a right and heading down to the slide (the normal route), we cross the trail and head straight up the open hardwoods to the ridge. This is a nice route, one that I’ve never done before! We hit the ridge, take a right, and within a few minutes are standing on the summit. At this point we have options: we can descend the way we came up, via the slide route (lots more trail), OR we can bushwhack the entire ridge, “mostly open hardwoods” toward 13 Falls. Feeling adventurous, and because I always wanted to do that ‘whack, I opt for the latter! Although we don’t get, err, quite the open hardwoods we hope for, the route is pretty good and gets even better once we hit a really cool J.E. Henry tote road, following it all the way to the Lincoln Brook Trail and popping out about a mile west of 13 Falls. In the end, we do less mileage than if we'd taken the slide-trail route, but I think it costs us some time since bushwhacking is rarely faster than trail walking. Well, that was fun but I’m ready to get some miles in!
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Reaching the 13 Falls area, oh my, the clear pools beckon, but we march on. For the same reasons I like the Davis Path and the Kate Sleeper Trail, I have always enjoyed the upper Franconia Brook Trail--because it is lightly traveled and feels more "wild." It is now past noon and the temperature is rising. Since I like the heat and Neighbor doesn’t, he urges me to go ahead. I know I will see him again on the return from Mt. Garfield, so I forge upward to the ridge. Chris said he might hike Garfield but is not there when I arrive. I turn on my phone and, oh no, there are 7 messages! I sit down and spend ~10 minutes listening to all of them and another 5 actually talking to him. In a nutshell, because of the bridge construction--and never having been there before and not knowing the status of trailhead signage--poor Chris gets screwed up on the location of the Mt. Garfield Trail and takes one of the USFS “foot travel welcome“ trails instead. Neighbor plans to descend the Mt. Garfield Trail, and Chris assures me that he is down there waiting to give him a ride. Neighbor and I say goodbye for the last time, and I continue over the bumps to Galehead Hut.
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An hour and a half later I refill my empty bladders at the hut. Scarfing down a Hershey bar, I do the quick out-and-back to lowly Galehead Mountain. I feel good as I climb steeply up to South Twin and on the out-and-back to North (SO much easier than last winter!!). Along the Twinway I meet the final normal hiker of the day, who asks how much farther it is to Galehead. Up and over Guyot… I decide to tag Bondcliff before West Bond and drop my pack just below the summit of Bond for the 2½ mile round trip. Atop West Bond I sit for a few minutes happily mesmerized as the last light of the day fades over Franconia Ridge. As I make my way back over Guyot, it’s time for the headlamp. All that’s left is Zealand to Zeacliff to Hale! Off in the distance I hear rumblings of thunder, then see numerous strikes of lightning many miles to the north. As long as it doesn’t get closer, awesome! The descent from Zeacliff is annoying: I have had enough of the freaking White Mountain rocks and think about the smooth, runnable trails back in the Santa Monica Mountains. My feet have fared very well throughout this adventure in, once again, my favorite trail runners, but the knees begin to ache a bit. However, I haven’t yet taken any pain killers on this journey and won't start now. At long last I reach the Lend-A-Hand Trail and see that my Sweetie has hiked in the Zealand Trail and left a Starbucks Doubleshot on the signpost! The caffeine kicks in within a few minutes, and I enjoy my very last easy climb to the top of Mt. Hale. I pause for a moment on the summit, then continue walking down the Mt. Hale Trail humming happily. I reach the trailhead “finish line” and my sleeping husband, sans any fanfare but with the contentedness that comes with having met my goal: I did the NH48 in under 5 days and had a blast doing it.
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The next morning we sleep in and pig out at breakfast. :) The end.

48 Summit Times

2010-09-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

High-tech record keeping

Those are the scraps of paper on which I kept track of my summit times. Until I pulled these papers out and did the math yesterday, I didn't realize how much I really slacked on this little adventure! From start to finish, 116h 32m passed (4d 20h 32m). Of that time, I was on the trail 77h 43m and not exactly pushing hard as evidenced by times recorded below. This means that 38h 49m--almost exactly one-third of the time--were spent off trail, either finished for the day or driving between peaks. By my calculations--and if you're still with me here and actually give a rat's patootie about any of this, then I am impressed--the current FKT'er spent 73h 25m on trail (but, as per the male NH48 tradition, his clock stopped at the top of the final summit while mine stopped at the last trailhead) and 14h 26m off trail. What does all of this mean? It means there is a lot of room for improvement for someone who cares more about their total time than about enjoying the experience. If nothing else, perhaps it will provide some food for thought for the next man or woman who attempts this...

8/15/10
0401     Webster-Jackson TH
0511     Jackson
0608     Pierce
0641     Eisenhower
0732     Monroe
0928     Isolation
1133     Washington
1308     Jefferson
1412     Adams
1500     Madison
1635     Appalachia
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1700     Starr King TH
1833     Waumbek
1935     Starr King TH
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2013     Heath's Gate
2150     Cabot
2310     Heath's Gate
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8/16/10
0600     Wildcat Ski Area parking
0712     Wildcat D
0814     Wildcat A
0929     Carter Dome
1023     South Carter
1055     Middle Carter
1311     Moriah
1440     Carter-Moriah TH
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1610     Crawford Depot
1725     Tom
1801     Field
1838     Willey
1949     Ethan Pond TH
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8/17/10
0312     Signal Ridge TH
0526     Carrigain
0708     Signal Ridge TH
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0752     Downes Brook TH
0956     Passaconaway
1109     Whiteface
1232     South Tripyramid
1243     Middle Tripyramid
1302     North Tripyramid
1420     Pine Bend Brook TH
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1448     Hancock Overlook
1628     South Hancock
1658     North Hancock
1825     Hancock Overlook
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8/18/10
0412     Mt. Tecumseh TH
0520     Tecumseh
0612     Mt. Tecumseh TH
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0630     Mt. Osceola TH
0742     Osceola
0812     East Osceola
0913     Greeley Ponds TH
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0952     Ravine Lodge Road
1121     Moosilauke
1238     Ravine Lodge Road
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1330     Cannon Tram parking
1449     Cannon
1632     North Kinsman
1655     South Kinsman
1716     North Kinsman
1840     Mt. Kinsman TH
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8/19/10
0355     Whitehouse Bridge
0608     Flume
0642     Liberty
0759     Lincoln
0820     Lafayette
1111     Owls Head
1358     Garfield
1546     Galehead
1630     South Twin
1654     North Twin
1720     South Twin
1837     Bond
1905     Bondcliff
1934     Bond
2000     West Bond
2112     Zealand
2340     Hale
0033     Hale Brook TH

Maine: Deer Isle & Acadia

2010-09-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Goofin' off in front of our weekend digs. ;-)

Next up was a few days at our friends' home on a quiet little penninsula near Deer Isle, Maine. They had the coolest guest quarters: a circa early 1970s Airstream! Since we were so close, we spent an all-too-short half day at Acadia National Park. Chris had never been there before, and I insisted it was a must-see. We did squeeze in the super-fun Precipice Trail, about the closest to a European via ferrata here in the USA. Apparently we lucked out, with the trail being opened to hikers just a day or two before; it is closed much of the spring and summer due to the resident peregrine falcons. (We even saw one from the road!)

We are definitely coming back here for more serious trail time. Think I hear coyotes howling. ;-)

An Acadia tradition is to have popovers at the Jordon Pond House. They were served warm -- delectable!

A quick drive up to ANP's high point Cadillac Mountain, then back to Vermont...

A Presi Traverse

2010-09-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

It took the lure of a Presidential Traverse on August 8 to reunite with our buddy Ultra Steve P. whom we had not seen since the 2007 Zane Grey 50 miler in Arizona! Chris's only prior NH 4000 footer had been humble little Mt. Waumbek on snowshoes a year and a half ago. He liked the looks of the Pemi Loop on the map, but I knew he'd enjoy the above-treeline views--but maybe not the rocks--of the Presidentials more. Below, Steve and me on the lovely Brookside Trail--we ascended via Valley Way, Brookside, & Watson Path.

Here we are atop Mt. Jefferson with a fellow ultrarunner. I never got his name, but Steve talked him up. :)

Waving to the Mt.Washington "Cog" Railway, summit buildings in background. This is actually one of the newer diesel trains. They are still running one coal-burning train, according to their website, "for those who want the nostalgia of an antique steam train." Ugh. There is also a toll road to the summit. To say, it can be quite a zoo up there at times... on the other hand, they have PIZZA in the cafeteria!

The requisite summit photo, after eating our pizza. Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the Northeast but not the highest on the East Coast; that would be Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina (with several other NC peaks over 6288 ft.)

We didn't break any speed records today. Since it was Chris's first time up here, he took lots of photos. That's Lakes of the Clouds Hut, about 1.5 miles below Washington. Steve was being very patient!

We debated whether or not to include Mt. Jackson at the end of the Traverse. Since it is a 4000 footer, I always lean toward doing it. Then again, it was not named after President Andrew Jackson but rather geologist Charles Thomas Jackson. Steve opted to hike down after reaching Mizpah Hut in order to retrieve the car, thus saving us about 1/2 mile of road walking, while Mr. Goofball and I continued on to "CTJ." He's so happy here, he could just...

We had enough energy to check out the view down to Crawford Notch at Bugle Cliff, but I couldn't talk him into Elephant's Head.

The next day our feet hurt. The end.

Golden Anniversary!

2010-09-08T17:44:00.000-07:00

Two days after I finished the LT was my folks' 50th wedding anniversary. They were married on a very hot July 30, 1960, in New Athens, Illinois, where my mother was born and raised. My dad had just returned from serving 13 months in Saudi Arabia while in the Air Force. I think they are adorable in this photo. :)

The Long Trail in ~9 days

2010-09-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

This story really begins in the summer of 1989 when I was 23, not yet a runner, and setting out on the first big backpacking adventure of my life: an intended thru-hike of Vermont’s 272-mile Long Trail, the oldest--and, some say, mile-for-mile the toughest--long distance hiking trail in the USA, running along the spine of the Green Mountains from Massachusetts to Quebec. Not having much of a clue what I was undertaking and making a few rookie mistakes, I called it quits after 100 miles, rescued by my fiance at Killington ski area. However, the seed had been planted: I loved being outside in nature 24/7, loved the simplicity of the trail, and loved the idea of completing an entire long-distance trail. I finished the LT the following summer by doing a series of section hikes, mostly long weekends where I’d tackle a 40-60 mile stretch at a time. I so enjoyed the long distance trail life enough that 5 years after that initial experience on the LT, I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

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Fast forward 20 (!) years. It is the 100th anniversary of the Green Mountain Club, and we will be in Vermont for part of the summer. I am homesick for the green hills of my home state and think it would be super cool to overdose on Vermont by thru hiking the Long Trail. With a few other obligations on the calendar, and because I enjoy doing big miles, my idea is to do the Trail fast. Not record-setting fast but comfortable, self-supported (mostly), ultra-lightweight fast. With nearly 6 dozen shelters along the route, I can go without carrying a tent. Since temps are relatively warm, I decide to get by with a light emergency bivy sack instead of a sleeping bag, and is a pad really necessary for a hardcore mountain girl? No, it is not! I do decide to splurge and bring the stove; a hot meal once a day is a luxury I’m willing to carry. With raingear (this ain’t the Sierras), extra layers, hat, gloves (I have Raynaud‘s - yuck), headlamp, food, water, and cell phone (so I can call my Sweetie every night) my pack ends up weighing around 15 lbs., give or take, but I never weigh it so don’t really know for certain. Because of the pack weight and the gnarliness of the trail, I will strictly be walking as opposed to running save for 3 road miles going into Jonesville. From Lowes I purchase a few 5-gallon buckets w/lids, hoping they’re animal proof. In each bucket is food, soymilk (crave the stuff!), Starbucks Doubleshots, clean clothes, toiletries, bug repellent (never used), batteries, and a gallon of water. I stash one about every 40 trail miles.
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Saturday, July 17... County Road, first crossing of the LT… After 6.2 miles round trip to the Mass. border and back, Chris sees me off on my adventure before leaving to catch a flight to DC. He gets to work this week while I get to walk many, many miles through these beautiful woods. I pass Congdon Camp, Glastenbury Mountain, Story Spring Shelter… and flash back to those early years on this section of Trail. This flashing back will be a constant recurrence as I happily reminisce, thinking of the friends with whom I shared miles, that particular stage of my life, and how certain things change but others remain constants in our lives. I relish the contemplative time alone, all the while getting in some serious mileage on Day 1. While I don’t have a set-in-stone schedule, I don’t want to run out of sustenance before my next food cache. Fortunately this is never a problem because as usual, I packed way too much food. By late afternoon I make it to my first cache at Kelly Stand Road, exactly 40 miles since leaving County Road 14 hours or so earlier. The bugs are bad here and I feel good so decide to continue another 7 miles up and over Stratton Mountain and down to the pond, where there is a shelter. About a half mile below the summit, my progress is stalled by a moose and her two calves, she on one side of the trail, they on the other. This is really awesome but I also just really want to get to the pond! “HEY MOOSE… PLEASE MOVE!” These huge creatures are often as docile as cattle--I’ve had many encounters--but I am cautious about walking between a mama anything and her babies. After a few minutes the calves cross the trail, and I can finally proceed. As I near Stratton Pond, I hear rumblings of thunder in the distance. It is almost dark as I say hello to the GMC caretaker, Meredith. She informs me that the shelter is almost full but that I’m welcome to share her tent platform if I’d like. Yippee! Meredith is an ‘08 AT thru-hiker and an aspiring ‘11 PCT’er. Confused by the small size of my pack, she asks if I‘m thru-hiking the LT. Usually hesitant to offer up such information, I answer her questions about ultrarunning, fueling and the like. She seems genuinely interested and stokes my ego with incredulous “wows.” The thunder and lightening storm that night is multi-cycled and intense. Thanking Meredith profusely for the shelter, I offer to help her out on the PCT in California next year and we exchange email addresses. 47.5 miles of walking today. I am tired.
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July 18... 4 a.m.… I quietly depart Stratton Pond before the songbirds awaken. Not being exactly a morning person, I am surprised that this becomes my favorite time of day during this trek. The first bird begins singing just before sunrise, others quickly chime in. What a wonderful serenade! The mostly flat 10 miles to Route 11/30 pass quickly. I climb Bromley Mountain and take a break in the ski hut which is generously left open for hikers. Mad Tom Notch… Styles and Peru Peaks… Griffith Lake… My feet are starting to really ache and I pop a couple of ibuprofen tabs. I usually prefer to remain completely drug free during these types of things but decide that the temporary numbing sensation and resulting attitude adjustment are worth it. (One mistake I made was in choosing an old pair of trailrunners, ones I was hoping to finally "kill" on the Long Trail. It worked. I definitively killed them. Unfortunately, they also did a job on my feet.) I am very happy to be out here, hiking through the Vermont mountains and forests, this place where I feel the most comfortable in the world. Shortly after Griffith Lake are signs directing hikers to use a bypass route due to replacement of the Big Branch bridge. The bypass adds 3+ miles, and south bounders report no problems with the river crossing: “Rockhopped it with dry feet!” is the common response to my query. Great! I don’t take the bypass and don’t regret it because it means I get to climb over rocky Baker Peak, one of the gems of the southern LT. Sure enough, Big Branch is running low and the crossing is a lark today. Little Rock Pond is next and is as lovely as I remember. The weather has been beautiful and I am full of gratitude as I traverse White Rocks, smiling at all the weird cairns and rock art. Upon reaching my second food cache at Rt. 140, I notice that the container is missing--oh no!--but then chuckle with relief as I see that it has been dragged just a few feet, the plastic unsuccessfully chewed on by some hungry critter. The last 3.5 miles to Minerva Hinchey Shelter are through beautiful hardwoods, but after just over 40 miles for the day, I am ready for some rest. There is a nice young couple and their black lab sharing the shelter tonight. They are taking a month to thru-hike the Trail and having a blast.
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July 19... Once again I depart by headlamp, cross the Clarendon Gorge bridge, and reach the Lookout just as the sun starts to rise. As is the case with all the early morning hours, the miles pass quickly and smoothly. Morning is when I feel the best and make the best time. I easily ascend the flanks of Killington Peak and reach Cooper Lodge just as the skies open up with another thunderstorm. Perfect timing! As I sit in the shelter waiting out the storm while watching a chubby chipmunk scurry about scrounging for crumbs, I find it increasingly difficult to ignore what I know awaits at the next road crossing: the Inn at the Long Trail and McGrath’s Irish pub! I start rationalizing and making deals with myself as I fantasize about crashing there for the night even though it means only 22.5 miles for the day. My feet hurt and I’m hungry, dammit, and a Guinness sure would be tasty, and, oh my gosh, a shower would be heavenly, and isn’t this adventure first and foremost about having FUN? Screw it, I’m going! The rain stops and I continue past another moose, this one quite drenched, and down the new-to-me section of LT--the one that’s pretty but takes the hiker through chest high stinging nettles, the one that deposits the hiker a whole mile from the Inn at the Long Trail (as contrasted with the old route, whereby hikers passed right by it). Grrr! As was my experience on the AT, some relo’s seem to make very little sense. But enough whining. Shortly I’m there, I get a room, I take a shower, I eat (a burger, apple crisp, and a beer), and I call Chris who laughs when I tell him where I’m staying. I am happy. If only our everyday wants could be so simple.
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July 20... It rains through the night. Heavily. I am SO content snuggled up in my warm bed--a REAL bed--and am almost sorry that the rain stops before my self-imposed 4 a.m. departure time. I remember the next 20-mile section of Trail well even though it’s been many years since I last hiked it. It is known by some to be the most “boring” stretch, with limited views save those of Chittenden Reservoir. Twenty years ago I found this to be the case; today I do not. Based out of arid southern California for the past 4 years, I am in awe of all the plant life, all the green, the water running everywhere, and the mushrooms which are freaking amazing!! Within a few hours I am sitting next to the kiosk at Brandon Gap, picking through Cache #3 before tackling the Great Cliffs of Mt. Horrid. It’s a bit of a misnomer; the climb isn’t difficult but is followed by Cape Lookoff Mountain, Gillespie Peak, and Worth Mountain.--the Trail is getting more up-and-downy. I cross Middlebury Gap and do the last few climbs of the day: Burnt Hill, Kirby Peak, Mt. Boyce (where I see yet another moose), Battell Mountain, and finally, Breadloaf Mountain. I am psyched to reach both the halfway point AND Emily Proctor Shelter because I stayed here 20 years ago and have fond memories of watching a spectacular sunset from the shelter. The sun is going down as I reach the empty shelter, but where is the view? To my dismay, it is obscured by a thick wall of tall evergreens. Lamenting the loss of the sunset view, I think “if this were my adopted shelter, I’d go nuts with a saw…” 37.1 miles for the day.
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July 21... I sleep badly. Without a pad, the shelter floors are hard, and my bivy bag doesn’t breathe very well: every night I awaken multiple times sweaty and clammy. The tradeoff is that I’m much more comfortable on the Trail during the long days. Still, my feet continue to hurt, and there are many, many wet and muddy spots, some of which cannot be avoided. The worst section seems to be in the so-called Vermont Presidentials over Mts. Roosevelt, Cleveland, and Grant. Good grief, no wonder this Trail is jokingly referred to as “a footBATH in the wilderness.” After Lincoln Gap the drainage and my attitude both improve as I traverse the lovely Mts. Abraham and Ellen. As with Bromley Mountain, Mad River Glen allows hikers to use their warming hut, Starks Nest, a large, warm, enclosed cabin. My intention is to pop in for a short midafternoon break, especially since it has just begun to sprinkle. I no sooner step inside than the sprinkle turns in to a deluge, complete with thunder and lightening. Hmm, perfect timing yet again! Four rounds and an hour later, I somewhat reluctantly opt to crash here for the night after only 19.5 miles for the day. A few more rather exciting (read: lightening strikes) rounds throughout the night convince me this was the right choice. Realizing that the footing is going to royally suck for a couple of days, and that my feet really, really hurt--and will only continue to hurt if they remain wet and rotting (trench foot anyone?) the next few days--I decide to call my folks to see if they’ll come rescue me. They are both retired and live only about 90 minutes away so are sweet enough to pick up their crazy daughter. The next morning I descend 2.5 miles to Appalachian Gap and soon am happily whisked back to Mom and Dad’s.
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July 22-24... Chris returns from DC. We hang out at my folks’, get in a couple of short runs, eat, drink coffee, rest. It would be easy to stay here, but I am determined to finish the Trail.
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July 25... Chris brings me back to Appalachian Gap--this time with my favorite Salomon trailrunners--then drives around to the west side of the ridge, hikes up the Forest City Trail, and we meet at Montclair Glen Lodge. We climb one of Vermont’s most well known mountains Camel’s Hump together, but the summit is completely socked in so there is to be no view over 25 feet today. The trail is rocky, rooty, and wet. I say “This is what the White Mountains are like” to which he responds “This sucks!” so spoiled is he by smooth trails. Chris descends the Burrows Trail, then drives around to meet me at the foot of Camel’s Hump on Duxbury Road. I throw my pack in the car and run the 3-mile road section to Jonesville. Oh, the luxury of being crewed! After doing 5 more to Bolton Notch Road, I call it a day at 30 miles, and we retire to a neat little rental cabin named “Moose” at Little River State Park in Waterbury.
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July 26... 3 a.m. arrives too quickly. Chris has to catch another early plane, this time to Dallas, so drops me off back at Bolton Notch Road to begin one of the most difficult days of the trek: over Bolton Mountain, Mts. Mayo and Clark, Vermont’s high point Mt. Mansfield, down to Route 108 where I have a food cache, steeply up Spruce Peak, Madonna Peak, Morse and Whiteface Mountains, and finally to Bear Hollow Shelter, my destination for the night. My pack is a little bit heavier: my sleep has been utterly insufficient due to the hardness of the shelter floors, so I schlep a Thermarest this time. (Not such a hardcore mountain girl after all?) The wind on Mansfield Ridge is cold and brisk and knocks me around a bit, but I am happy that overall the weather is very good. The trail both up to and down from the main ridge is even gnarlier than I remember: I would go so far as to call them Class 3 scrambles, but it is great fun! At Sterling Pond I meet a young orthodox Jewish couple, both too clean and dressed too formally for hiking; they must have taken a chairlift up. He asks where the Trail goes and is not amused when I answer “Canada.” He rolls his eyes. “No really, I‘m serious. It’s 272 miles long and starts in Massachusetts.” The woman’s eyes light up and she seems intrigued. I spend the next mile or so wondering whether a long-distance hike is an option for someone like her, what her life is like. At long last I reach Bear Hollow and meet my shelter mates for the night, a couple about my age who are section hiking the LT. Like Meredith at Stratton Pond, the woman is curious about my hike and asks many questions to which, in my depleted state, I try my best to answer thoughtfully. She tells me she runs 3 miles a day and wants to know how to run further. It turns out all 3 of us graduated from Burlington’s Champlain College in the 80s and we laugh about the “Champlain Beavers,” perhaps not the best choice of mascot for a predominantly female school. We also discuss our favorite bars--anyone remember Rasputin’s? To think the drinking age was only 18 then! Total for the day is 30 miles (but felt like 40).
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July 27... I try to be very quiet and whisper my apologies for leaving the shelter so early, but my Champlain comrades are very understanding. Since last passing through these parts, the Green Mountain Club has constructed a beautiful bridge over the Lamoille River necessitating a relo that eliminates a bit of road walking along Highway 15. Now this relo makes sense! I pass by the new-to-me Roundtop Shelter and appreciate the sparkling clear water from a water pump! This particular day turns out to be my favorite. The weather is absolutely perfect, I feel good, the surroundings are peaceful and beautiful, and there are very few people on the trail. I particularly enjoy the stretch from Corliss Camp to Devil’s Gulch--just a very lovely stretch of trail. “I could spend the rest of my life doing exactly this,” I think. My final food stash is at the Rt. 118 crossing, and then all I have to do is climb Belvidere Mountain and go 2.8 more miles to Tillotson Camp… but not without working for it. The section of Trail between Belvidere and Tillotson is the most in need of TLC; it looks like this stretch hasn’t been brushed out in years. In sharp contrast to every other night on the Trail, Tillotson Camp is FULL. Dang. Looks like I might be sleeping under the stars. As it turns out, though, some of the hikers are tenting, so there is a spot for me inside. Yay! 30.6 awesome miles today.
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July 28... Today is my last day on the Trail which makes me mostly happy but also a bit sad. Because of big, aggressive mice making a racket trying to get into food bags, I don’t sleep well and end up departing even earlier than 4 a.m. I gather all my stuff very quietly and walk up the Trail a bit to load my pack without waking anyone. This final day on the Trail doesn’t go quite as smoothly as the previous one. The trail is rough, and there are numerous small mountains to traverse: Haystack, Bruce, Buchanan, Domey’s Dome, Gilpin, Jay, Doll, North Jay, Burnt, and finally Carleton. In between are extra rocks, roots, mud, and moose droppings over endless steep little ups and downs. Aah, the wild and wonderful northern end of the Long Trail. I call my folks from the top of Jay Peak and tell them I’ll be done around 7 p.m. They have agreed to pick me up at the end of Journey’s End Road. I cross the last road, climb the last mountain, pass a sign marking the 45th parallel, and finally reach Line Post 592, the northern terminus of the Long Trail, exactly the way I started: completely and happily alone. I don’t linger, however; it begins to rain immediately after I reach the border, as if to say “Your luck’s run out, lady!” I giggle and hustle the last 1.3 miles to my parents’ waiting vehicle.
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I am so thankful to have been able to thru-hike the Long Trail 20 years after completing it for the first time. I did end up experiencing Vermont in a most wonderfully intense way: on the Long Trail, to quote the plaque on Springer Mountain, “A footpath for those seeking fellowship with the wilderness.” This Trail is very special to me, perhaps the most special of them all. A huge thank you and happy 100th birthday to the Green Mountain Club! My plan is to thru-hike the Long Trail again in another 20 years. But I plan to take a month to do it.

Road trip - Summer 2010

2010-09-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Amarillo, Texas

Chris and I had a great summer!! We're finally back home after two months, 25 states, ~10,000 miles, and the best summer road trip ever. Our destination was Vermont, the main occasions being my folks' 50th anniversary and my stepson's wedding. Leaving California on July 5, we stopped that afternoon for a nice hike up Bill Williams Mountain in Williams, Arizona, before spending the night at our buddy Ian’s place in Flagstaff. At Amarillo, we got off I-40 and onto secondary highways, angling down to Lafayette, then New Orleans, Louisiana. Admittedly Louisiana usually isn’t a normal midsummer vacation destination--as expected, the weather was incredibly hot and humid (and when have we ever been accused of normalcy?)--but we got to visit our good friend Mark as well as Chris’s daughter Meghan.

A seven-mile “death run” (both temperature and humidity levels around 100F--ugh) with Mark in Chicot State Park inspired the creation of the Cajun Coyote to be held on December 4, with event distances of 100K, 67.293K, and 34.917K (roughly 60, 40, and 20 miles). Check it out! As with all Coyote events, this one is sure to be a fun time for all. Don't worry: it won't be that hot in December.

Mark and me at Avery Island, home of Tabasco sauce. The sheen is due to the incredibly humid air!

After four days in Louisiana, we hightailed it up to New England stopping for a leg stretcher on the C&O Canal Towpath in Williamsport, Maryland. Arriving in Vermont July 14, I performed a quick gathering of supplies for Part 1 of the summer’s goals: the Long Trail…

A month later... Laurel Highlands

2010-06-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

I finally logged into my blog this afternoon and saw that an entire month has passed since my last post. Somehow, life has gotten in the way of blogging... and that is a very good thing. I would much rather be outside playing on the trails, climbing mountains, going to yoga class, reading books, and drinking good coffee than spending time plugged in to this other, time-consuming virtual world.
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My buddy Al came out Memorial Day week, and the three of us made a little dent in the Sierra Club's Hundred Peak list, climbing Mts. Haddock, Pinos, Grouse, Sawmill, Baldy, Thunder, Telegraph, and Timber. Having admitted obsessive-compulsive tendencies, I'm a bit wary of getting too committed to this peak list. After all, this is the same woman who eventually climbed all 48 of New Hampshire's 4000 footers in every month of the year. What can I say? I like lists. The original plan was to backpack 100 or so miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, but with a major upcoming road trip this summer, Chris and I just had too much stuff going on at home that required our attention.
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Currently we are in Washington DC for work but flew out a few days early in order to once again run one of the best and oldest ultras in the country--not just the East Coast--the 31st continuous running of Laurel Highlands. This was my 3rd time and Chris’s 10th or 11th! In a blog post after last year’s run, I sang the praises of this stellar, low-key, never-sold-out ultra, waxing on about the lovely ferns, the songbirds, and the gorgeous singletrack. This year’s race had all of those things, plus mountain laurel in full bloom (breathtaking!) and--due to the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s footbridge being out of commission--an extra 7 road miles in case one has forgotten how much one loves and prefers the forgiving surface of trails. Yes, this year’s race was the entire Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, plus the road section, for a grand total of 77 miles. Gulp. I had not done a race of that length in almost 4 years.
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Since we were both running this year, we didn’t have the benefit of sleeping in at the start but rather awoke at 2am (yes, 2 o’clock in the morning… no, this is not the Vermont 100) in order to meet the bus at the finish line which took us to the start line in Ohiopyle. The ride was unremarkable save for the big mouth sitting behind us who, although given very little encouragement by his seatmate, would NOT SHUT UP and digressed to a LOUD play-by-play of his entire race and injury history. Good grief. I remarked to Chris how some ultrarunners are the most tedious bores, but admittedly I was grumpy because I’d hoped to catch a few more Z’s on the bus.
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The first few miles passed happily but damply. It was hot--I heard 89 degrees--and extremely humid. From the first mile I was drenched in sweat only to remain in that icky, drippy state for another 18 hours. My friend Diana and I ran together on and off as I tried to stay with her. Alas, after the marathon point she was gone and I never saw her again. She had a great race, finishing second woman. I had merely a good race, with a low point about 2/3 of the way through, the thought of moving for 25 more miles being both overwhelming and repulsive. Upon seeing Chris--who, along with exactly 50% of the entrants had wisely dropped out--at the next aid station, I got weak and whiny but then put on the Big Girl Pants and got down to business. The next section is my favorite (run it next year and find out why!), and it helped that Chris joined me for the last 13 miles. It didn’t help that those miles were entirely in the dark due to this year’s extra mileage and my slower legs, but those slow legs were energized by passing two women in the last third of the race.
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Out of 117 starters attempting to go the whole distance (there was a concurrent relay race as well as a 50k) I finished 14th overall and 3rd woman and received a very special finishers award. The LHHT has mile markers every mile, and normally finishers receive a wooden “trail marker” with a 70 engraved. This year’s trophies were appropriately engraved with 77. Way cool.

Finally, in light of the depressing catastrophe in the Gulf right now, I wanted to pass along a bit of good news for lovers of mountains and the outdoors. Check it out here. Now get offline, go outside, and PLAY!!

Bishop High Sierra races

2010-05-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

What to do if you're signed up to run 50 hot, dry miles with a bit of altitude thrown in to make it all a challenge, but the week before the race you come down with a nasty cold and cough and feel like something the cat dragged in? Settle for 20 and spend the rest of the day--and part of the night--at an aid station!

Hanging out with these crazies was more fun anyway, but part of me wished I'd brought along boots, snowshoes, etc., and spent the day playing up in the mountains. We were treated to a long-lasting sundog:

We were stationed at Sage Summit, where only the 100 k'ers passed through. (Our motto was: "You've been to the rest... Welcome to the BEST!") Although the weather was cooler with some cloud cover, times at most events--20 mile, 50k, 50 mile, and 100k--were slower this year.

Special congratulations to all the hardy ones who did the full 100k distance. Having run it last year, I know it's a lot more than just 12 more miles...

Weekend in the North Georgia Mountains

2010-04-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

We spent an awesome weekend in the North Georgia mountains--what a treat! In the mid 90s I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 146 days, an adventure I still consider to be THE single best, most epiphanous experience of my life so far. Unlike most aspiring thru-hikers who begin their treks at Amicalola Falls State Park, my own hike began by doing an out 'n back to Springer Mtn., the southern terminus, sans backpack, from the nearest forest service road... and suffered much good-natured ribbing by the other thru-hikers by not taking the standard route. (Me: "It's not the AT; it's BLUE blazed!")

Now, 16 years later, I finally got the opportunity to do the AT Approach Trail! We started at the Visitors Center, oohing and aahing our way up the 600+ stairs next to the waterfalls. The tread was smooth and runnable, with spring blooms and carpets of lovely Mayapples flanking the trail.. On top of Springer we encountered the summit volunteer, an amazing 78-year-old gentleman who thru-hiked the Colorado Trail last year! We also met "Three Dollar Rob" from Minnesota just setting off on his GA-ME adventure. (He found $3 on the trail earlier in the day, so we gave him a trail name.) The route Chris and I took totalled about 19 miles, returning from Springer Mtn. via the Hike Inn, where the caretakers kindly let us take a warm & dry break next to their woodstove. Except for the first hour, it rained steadily the entire time so we were thankful for the breather.

The next morning at Woody Gap, we joined running buddy Scott, along with Liz and Phil, for the Appalachian - Benton MacKaye - Duncan Ridge loop, the so-called "toughest backpack in Georgia." All told, we did about 54 miles, climbed close to 18,000 feet, and spent just over 16 hours playing in the woods. On the 23-mile DRT alone I counted 17 individual climbs and descents, including Akin Peak and Payne Knob (ha). Unlike many southern trails, the DRT went straight up and straight down--one guidebook refers to "kamikaze descents"--with only a couple of switchbacks on the entire trail. None of the climbs was particularly long; there were just a lot of them! Except for one tiny streamlet from which we refilled bottles and bladders, there was no water on the ridge; however, there are also a few off-ridge water sources marked by "W" signs. The Appalachian and Benton MacKaye sections were much mellower with plenty of water sources. Chris generously crewed us while getting in a good number of miles himself. Thanks Chris!! :) In contrast to the day before, Sunday's weather was blissfully perfect! We had a great time--this loop ROCKS and I highly recommend running it if you get the chance.

I also learned something new after our runs this weekend: Waffle House is open 24 hours!!

Georgia's Yellow River Park

2010-04-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

Before the weekend's adventures, I wanted to post a quick shout out--and huge thank you--to Gwinnett County, Georgia's Yellow River Park trails. Chris is working outside Atlanta this week and next. Frankly, we weren't hopeful of finding good trail running this close to the city. Happily, we were wrong! The fine folks at Tri Your Best steered us 3 miles down the road to some of the most enjoyable single- and doubletrack on which we've ever run. The trails are not particularly technically or aerobically challenging, with just a few little rollers, but they are just lovely, zigging and zagging through a forest of mostly open hardwoods and southern pine. The spring flowers are in full bloom, the birdies are singing merrily, and there's been hardly anyone else on the trails when we've been out there--really a total pleasant surprise. :) We've seen deer there on most every outing, and one morning I spotted 3 piliated woodpeckers at once!

If ever you find yourself in the Atlanta area looking for a place to run/hike/mountain bike, check out these trails. These YouTube videos give an idea of what the trails are like: Lynyrd Skynyrd option (we ARE in the South after all) or if Peter Tosh is more to your liking...

Garbonzo does Leona!!

2010-04-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Looking great and oh-so-stylish all day and almost an hour faster than last year - I'm so proud of him!!

I had utterly no desire to run the race myself so spent the day crewing and getting in almost 22 quality miles on my own, running from aid station 3 to 2 and back, then from 3 to 5 and back. This section of the PCT is mostly smooth singletrack and very runable.

Garbonzo contemplating the final 8 miles...

And coming around the final curve to the finish line!

It was also awesome to reconnect with some faces of the past and meet a few new ones. You know who you are, Cool People! ;-) We had driven directly to Palmdale after a week in Las Vegas. Post-race, we drove ~90 min. back to Oxnard, were home for approximately 6 hours, then zipped down to LAX to catch a plane to Atlanta. Have I ever mentioned that life with this man is never boring?! Not-Boring-Guy at Gate 51, really early Sunday morning:

Oh yeah, Vegas... I RODE THE ROLLER COASTER!! It was fun albeit way too short at only a couple of minutes. We ran trails at Bootleg, Cottonwood, and Redrock Canyons, and lower elevation trails in the Mt. Charleston area but couldn't do the peak because of too much snow. We also had dinner atop the Stratosphere which was pretty cool. Dessert--a chocolate turtle flanked by two different types of creme brulee--was sinfully yummy but surpassed the following night by tiramisu at Sergio's Italian Gardens...

Good miles

2010-04-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Ken Hughes)

Recovery post-W48 has gone nicely, and I've run 60'ish miles for each of the past couple of weeks--rather on the high side for me. More importantly, each and every run was a joy, the weather has been great for it, and I got to check out some new-to-me trailrunning areas.

Chris had a short work gig in San Diego the week of the 29th, so I made my way over to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park about 45 minutes east of the city for a spectacular, runable yet challenging 12 miler. With about 100 miles of singletrack, doubletrack, and fire road, there's a lot more to explore there so I'll definitely be back. The YMCA was literally a one-minute walk from our hotel, so I got in a couple days of back-to-back yoga classes--a first for me--four different instructors/four completely different classes. Fun!

We did a nice, almost 20-mile loop on the Ojai Ridge on Easter Sunday: Cozy Dell to Gridley bottom to Gridley top and down Pratt. It was a near perfect day for running--cool but quite breezy on the ridgetop. We cracked up at the now hardened C2M runners' skid marks on lower Cozy Dell; if you were there, you know what I'm talking about!

This past Saturday the group pictured below did 40 "on-the-epic-side" miles in the Santa Barbara backcountry to celebrate Sandee's 40th birthday. The views and wildflowers were lovely, and we experienced quite a bit more "adventure" than I think any of us had anticipated, but that just means we had more fun. Sandwiched between nicely groomed, sissy trail, the middle section of "trail" existed only in the cartographer's imagination. To spice things up further, we waded through jungles of poison oak and mean spiny/prickly plants (the legs are just now starting to itch). Such is trailrunning through burnt areas, in this case the 2007 Zaca Fire. With all the route finding and slow going, it took us nearly 12 hours to go 40 miles! I told everyone it would've been good training for Barkley. :)

(Me, H'ard, Ken, Sandee, Maria, & Gretchen at the finish)

This week we are in Sin City, both working and playing... but not the kind of playing one usually associates with Vegas. There is great trail running here!, and we intend to revisit Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, Red Rock Canyon, Blue Diamond, and possibly still snow-covered Mt. Charleston. And, okay, I'll admit it: I'm an overgrown 12 year old and do intend to ride the New York New York roller coaster this time!! :-)

W48 Top 10

2010-04-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

(The merry trio at the start of the last day)

I always dread the inevitable letdown once a big adventure, race, vacation, or what-have-you is over. It's the same feeling a child experiences the day after Christmas. Now what? Having been there many, many times, I know what to expect and know that the post-race blahs will soon dissipate as plans are formulated for the next big adventure. That said, this week was a teeny bit of a downer, but I found myself smiling with contented happiness--and sometimes outright laughter--when reflecting upon the W48 journey and came up with a W48 Top Ten list, in no particular order:

1. Unplugging and focusing. I got online just once or twice in 8 days and then for just a couple of minutes to check weather and trail conditions. As well, most of the time my phone didn't work in the wilds of Northern NH. Some people would likely panic at the mere thought of being unable to log into Facebook, email, etc.--the lack of connection with the outside world. I loved it. As one who is rather multi-task challenged, the ability to relax and focus with minimal distraction equaled nirvana. What happened in the rest of the world during that week? Who cared?

2. Reclimbing old, familiar mountains. The White Mountains of NH are where I first hit the trail, where I first got hooked on peakbagging, where confidence and comfort in the outdoors first took root. To say, I cut my eyeteeth in the Whites. I have done each of these mountains in every month of the year, some approaching 50 ascents. These mountains are really, really special to me! Some of them I had not climbed since 2004. To do them all again rocked.

3. Muscle memory. It's a wonderful thing. As mentioned in the previous post, I did no special training for this little snowshoe adventure, so I can attribute the relative ease and lack of suffering to the phenomenon of "muscle memory."

4. Having fun. I think I did not articulate well enough in the last post exactly how much freaking FUN this whole thing was. Except for climbing Tecumseh in the rain and dragging the "cement blocks" across the Sleepers and Twinway, it never felt like toil because we were having such a good time. :)

5. Playing in the snow but not living in it. Snowshoeing, skiing, sledding are fun. Living in snow/cold day to day, week to week, month to month--shoveling, layering up, freezing one's arse off October to May--to me, is not. I know this because I lived in Vermont x 30 years.

6. Seeing stars in the night sky. You realize how incredibly cool this is when you no longer have easy, quick access to it.

7. Making new friends. The adventure/event/trail is the great equalizer; the diversity of backgrounds loses much meaning once on the trail. Goals are common, differences obscured. I am fortunate to have crossed paths with Ryan and Jason. They are super cool people. ;-)

8. Dunkin Donuts. I love their coffee and egg 'n cheese bagel sandwiches, and there aren't any in California!! One appreciates what one cannot have...

9. Returning to California. There's something decadant about spending all that time in the snow, then flying into a land of palm trees, sunshine, and 75 degrees. Such is winter in southern California.

10. Yoga after 3 weeks off. It felt really, really goooood. :)

(Atop Mt. Liberty, peak #46, in the wee hours of the morning)