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Mothers Day snow & 8,000ft day hikes

Published May 17, 2015

Flying home from Fargo, arrived in Denver to near white-out conditions. SNOW.

Woke Sunday – everything blanketed white, temps in the upper 30’s & SUNSHINE. Happy Mother’s Day 2015 🙂

Spring snow – especially precip received in mid-May – never hangs around long. Enjoyed a long walk with the dogs around Waneka, best way to start a day. Sno’ Ro couldn’t have been happier, burying his face multiple times, coming up bearded white. Amazing skyline – night’s storm cleared all sky clutter – local Flatirons spired majestically through the low hanging clouds. SPECTACULAR!

surprise snow, temps in the upper 30’s – pretty much perfect

Flatirons blanketed white over Waneka Lake

Royal Arch, Boulder (6,915ft) – Sunday May 10th

Generally I laze around after marathoning but with fresh snow wanted to get out & get my hike on. The Rockies have gotten socked with heavy Spring snow for the past two weeks (high avalanche danger), so settled on a local day hike in Boulder – one of my faves, Royal Arch. Gloves, boots, snow pants & a tee – typical Spring hiking attire in Colorado.

[Things can change fast in the mountains – although I hike light, always pack a jacket.]

NCAR to Chautauqua, Chautauqua UP to Royal Arch. Good to get some altitude. Hiked Royal Arch in 2012 & 2013. Missed last year – trail closed due to Flood Damage. No better way to celebrate 7 weekends marathoning.

“In God’s wildness lies the hope of the world – the great fresh unblighted, unredeemed wilderness. The galling harness of civilization drops off, and wounds heal ere we are aware.” – John Muir

gloves, boots & a tee – typical Spring hiking attire in Colorado

Bear Peak, Boulder (8,461ft) – Sunday May 17th

Week ago I arrived in North Dakota, mentally dragging – travel fatigued, burnt-out. 4-mile hike to Royal Arch, got some altitude & started the process of healing. Bouncing back, finding balance. In the gym Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

Whenever not marathoning, I’ll be in the mountains – hiking, climbing, trail running, backpacking. Mind’s more alert, no ‘zone out’ option or risk injury falling over rocks/exposed roots. My quads ache, steadily climbing/pushing UP. The unevenness of bouldering & trail running is the antithesis of repetitious road running. Good for the soul.

Finished front porch Spring planting yesterday – first step in re-imagining my home after Ash & Tom’s move next month. Change.

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” – John Muir

Drove to Boulder to hike Devils Thumb with my friend Cliff. Departed Shanahan Trailhead in South Boulder, hiked Mesa Trail to Shadow Canyon, then UP UP UP more than 2,000ft vertical. Popped up on the saddle between South Boulder & Bear Peaks. 15 minutes north thru charred forest (Flagstaff fire 2013), short boulder incline & a rock scramble, summitted Bear Peak – first time since Thanksgiving 2012.

Downed half a turkey-cheese sub & took in the scenery, Longs Peak shrouded heavy white. Crazy beautiful. Caught some rain AND some sunshine on the hike return – just short of 10 miles total, 2,900ft+ vertical 🙂

Hot shower & Chinese take-out (broccoli/garlic sauce). Good day. LOVE LOVE my Colorado life!

: Shanahan trail

: Shadow Canyon – over 2,000ft vertical

: SUMMIT SUCCESS!

: Longs Peak shrouded heavy white

: when not marathoning, summit selfies

Posted in Boulder County | Tagged hiking, holidays | Leave a comment

chicken swap & spring planting

Published May 16, 2015

Memorial Day is traditionally the unofficial start of Summer. Knowing I would be in Vermont this year, did my Spring planting a weekend early – first choosing to spruce up the porch in my 6-month home renovation project.

Kicked off Saturday at a local Chicken Swap with my friend Cliff. Goal today: purchase 6 hens (legal limit for Lafayette residents – only hens, no roosters). 20 minutes away in Wheat Ridge, local farmers show all varieties of chickens (plus ducks, turkeys & even goats).

Settled on 6 Ameraucanas. Fun morning – who knew buying chickens would be so interesting 🙂

The Ameraucana is an American breed of domestic chicken developed in the United States in the 1970s. It was derived from chickens brought from South America that carried the blue egg gene, and was bred to maintain the blue egg color of that breed while eliminating the lethal recessive gene.

The Ameraucana lays about 250 blue eggs of various shades per year. It has an unusually long laying season. Birds start laying at about 5 or 6 months old.

After getting the girls settled in their new coop, hit Home Depot & Jax to purchase plants, shrubs, potting soil AND a wind chime.

In addition to planting annuals, this year’s goal was to take control of the giant evergreen mess near my fence. Sheared off all bottom limbs, then pruned & pruned & pruned – until the ground below was visible. Added volcanic rock around its base & bags of potting soil where I later planted holly bushes. Lotta work but lovin’ the results – so much colour.

While putting up the wind chime, torn down bee hives from years past – home improvement projects are truly a labour of love.

Woke Sunday, threw on a blanket & took my morning cocoa outside. Watched the sunrise over snow-covered Longs. Totally worth it 🙂

: chickens, ducks, turkeys & a couple goats too

: hen haggling

: settled on 6 Ameraucanas – these girls will ultimately lay coloured eggs

: holly bushes — lovin’ the results, so much new colour

Home Improvement Update – Sun May 31st

Weekend off from marathoning & the high mountains still unpassable (54” of new snow this May – crazy accumulation), so started painting. Goal: create a home gym by July 1^st. With Ash & Tom gone in three weeks, needing to find balance/make more time for Ro (he’s losing his bro Marty). 4 add’l hours of dad time will help keep my pup healthy & happy.

Went thru 3 tester cans before deciding on the right shade of yellow. Roller brushes & pans, tape, edger brushes – and 2 gallons of Sunshine. 2 ½ days of sweat equity later – bam…walls done. 2 week plan: an electrician, a ceiling fan & a new TV.

goal: a home gym by July 1st

Posted in Life | Tagged home-hearth | Leave a comment

Fargo Marathon

Published May 9, 2015

Barreled out of work half-day Friday – destination: Fargo ND.

Chose not to run all week, resting a strained calf muscle – tricky strategy. Feeling tired/looking haggard, arrived in North Dakota for my 7^th consecutive marathon weekend. Met my marathon room-share, Randy, for the first time. Gotta say, sharing space with another runner was HUGE – saved $$ but more importantly, talking marathons was super motivational.

Bib pick-up at the FargoDome, Fargo’s largest landmark – we’d start & finish tomorrow’s race from NDSU’s arena stadium. Randy inquired ‘bout pace groups – whether they’d have a 3-fifteen group. 3:15. Way faster pace than I can ever hope to generate.

Foot-long sub & quick trip to the grocery store where Randy introduced me to Pedialyte. Not tasty (not even a little) but chock full of electrolytes. AND this guy runs like the wind so I too purchased a liter bottle from the Baby section.

Up early Saturday, had already scoped a parking spot the night before. Thanks Buffalo Wild Wings – ideal location 🙂

Cool sub-30 temps & sunshine. More perfect? Today’s run started inside the heated FargoDome. FAAANNNNTASTIC!

Hats off for the National Anthem. Kinda confused, looked around, removed my hand from my heart – Oh Canada? In hind sight, it’s a pretty anthem – don’t know if I’d ever heard the words. Just came as a surprise, running in North Dakota. No worries; soon after ensued “The Star Spangled Banner” – Go USA!

Fargo Marathon Start! Gun start reverberated inside the arena.

Exited the heated Dome, greeted by wind – initially took one’s breathe, woke the soul 🙂 Marathoned thru neighborhoods, greeted by residents sitting in lawn chairs, warmed by fire pits.

Lotta crowd support throughout the entire race – Fargo or Grandma’s (Duluth MN) rank as #1 in this category on my Quest. Lotta Norwegian pride too – several homes flew native flags, immigrant farmers settled this area more than a hundred years ago.

Crossed into neighboring Minnesota near mile 9. Ran thru Moorhead, university home of the Dragons. Again, lotta music, lotta crowd support. Beautiful campus. Mile 15, passed back in North Dakota; fatigue hit 2 miles later. Generally don’t hit the Wall ‘til miles 20 or 21, but hadn’t run in 7 days so struggled early.

Local bands were now playing at each mile marker. Pulled out my buds & took in the day. Sure, crazy tired but no shooting pain like last Saturday in Wisconsin – I could do this, one mile at a time. Ran mile 25 thru North Dakota State (home of the Bison).

FargoDome finish. FAN-FRICKIN-TASTIC! 29^th state, end of my 7 week challenge – PLUS pizza & free showers 🙂

Race Directors: If you’re looking to increase participant numbers, look to Fargo. Well organized event – beginning to end, a runner’s race. Awesome crowd support. Only have good things to say ‘bout North Dakota.

Dear K R Haga,
Thanks for competing in the Fargo Marathon, you finished in a time of 4:33:31