Yesterday in the high Sierras, today on scenic Lake Tahoe.
Sunrise woke in South Lake Tahoe, circled the lake northward – day’s first stop: Emerald Bay. Mix of tall redwood & pine – HUGE evergreen – line California’s largest freshwater lake. Bay tinted green (emerald green) where it hugs shore.
$10 to the Park Ranger. Successfully secured parking (kinda a big deal in California). Stared long/hard at the Lake horizon, before starting the short steep hike DOWN to Vikingsholm on tourist-heavy Tahoe – HIKE day ❤
Vikingsholm…this magnificent “castle” is a unique blend of nature’s spectacular beauty and man’s architectural ingenuity.
The Vikingsholm foundation was laid in 1928, but the building was constructed in 1929 by 200 workers. Vikingsholm was built by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home. Before starting construction, Mrs. Knight and her architect traveled to Scandinavia to gather ideas for the construction of the house. Some parts of the structure contain no nails or spikes, as a result of old-fashioned construction methods. Most of the building was made from materials found at Lake Tahoe.
Mrs. Knight is best known for building Vikingsholm, but she and her husband Harry, a businessman were primary backers of Charles Lindbergh’s non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927.
Followed the steep one-mile path DOWN DOWN DOWN to Vikingsholm.
White granite canyons, HUGE forest’d trees. Snagged 2 enormous pine cone for my Colorado mantel.
Interesting well-preserved residence, Vikingsholm, but didn’t purchased a ticket to tour inside. I trail-hiked DOWN to see California redwood, to enjoy the all-consuming scent of pine. Not disappointed, WOW!
Dipped both hands into Lake Tahoe before trekking back UP. UP UP to Hwy 89, the local northbound highway I’d travel lake-circumference. Tahoma, Tahoe City, then lunch. 3 more hours to play ‘til my return flight home from Reno.
89 North to Truckee, diverted left on Squaw Valley Road.
Squaw Valley, California – site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Gotta/hafta/must STOP, right? Team USA won first-ever hockey GOLD; Americans [David Jenkins & Carol Heiss] topped both figure skating podiums.
The Games’ spirit, the OLYMPIC FLAME stays lit 24/7, 365 days/year. Pretty neat. I was here.
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- Emerald Bay State Park
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- Hwy 89 North to Truckee
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- marathon’d near snowline yesterday, BEAUTIFUL August landscape!
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- California’s largest freshwater lake
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- ’emerald’ green Emerald Bay
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- steep yet MUCH shorter than yesterday’s 30.5-mile trek
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- HUGE evergreen
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- HIKE ❤
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- California REDWOOD
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- Vikingsholm (Scandinavian architecture, circa 1929)
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- 1960 Winter Olympics
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- flame burns 24/7
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- HOME, sweet Colorado HOME 🙂
After a weekend off from marathoning, back on the trail – literally.
Friday a.m. flight to Reno, scenic hour-half drive to South Lake Tahoe. Running on 2 historic trail systems tomorrow – the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) & XP (Pony Express) trails in California’s Sierra Nevadas.
Easy laid-back drive, radio set to classic 70’s – never turned the dial, all weekend.
Hotel check-in, then a rural 45 minutes on US 50 West to Kyburz (bib pickup). Located tomorrow’s trail Start at Echo Summit (1968 US Olympic high-altitude training center). Quick hello/goodbye. Back in the morning California redwood, Ponderosa pine ❤
First year event – read & re-read the course description PLUS snapped a shot of the map itself (nothing left to chance). More concerned being lost in the high Sierras than any wildlife encounters (only bear I saw/stuffed at Strawberry Lodge).
RACE DAY, SATURDAY: Cool & overcast. Mix of HIGH CLOUDS & MASSIVE TREES. Super thankful, appreciated the cover.
Most of the day, focused/eyes alert for PINK ribbons. 13.8 miles in, started the climb UP. Two HUGE hikes, over 4000ft vertical gain. Lovers Leap Trail: let’s just say, I know why they leaped. Crazy difficult hike.
but…the Panorama? (like being) Wrapped inside an Ansel Adams photograph. Just WOW! Every north-facing tree blanketed in vibrant green moss. Yellow-green: closest colour match in my Crayola box. That’s the memory I’ll take home to Colorado.
Only negative? Course went long. I know, I know, it’s trail. Folks: this course went long. My watch (& Strava app) died somewhere after 30.5 miles – my first ultra finish of 2017. (I say first ‘cause I haven’t yet given up on running a 50-miler this year.)
#94 in the books. 2nd longest [amount of time] I’ve been on my feet (behind 2013’s Barr Trail hike UP Pike’s Peak).
TROY’S CALIFORNIA TRAIL RUNS
Echo Summit Trail Challenge – August 5, 2017
Trail Marathon Jude Archie M 06:40:28 1
Trail Marathon HAGA K R M 07:51:36 2
HIKE DAY tomorrow ‘round tourist-friendly paradiso, Lake Tahoe. Living well, lucky in life 🙂
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- road-trippin’: Reno to Tahoe
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- tomorrow’s trail Start
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- Ponderosa pine
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- marathon bib pickup: Strawberry Lodge, Kyburz CA
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- bucket-list hike, California to Canada
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- like an Ansel Adams photograph
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- focused/eyes alert for PINK ribbons
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- every north-facing tree covered in vibrant green moss
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- yellow-green: closest colour match in my Crayola box
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- FAAANNNNTASTIC!
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- crazy difficult climb: let’s just say, I know why they leaped
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- watch died somewhere after 30.5 miles – my first ultra of 2017
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- marathon #94
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- over 4000ft vertical gain
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- 30.5 miles of TRAIL
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- 2nd longest I’ve been on my feet
road-trippin’: Reno to Tahoe
Run the Year Motto: EVERY day’s a run day, 2017 miles in 2017
July 2017 update: Back on track, another 200+ mile month (6 of 7 months in 2017), keeping me safely ahead of goal. Smack in the middle of HEAT SEASON, but continued my marathoning streak – adding 2 more to the tally, closing in on #100.
All ’bout adjusting summer-month expectations. Pace, attitude, hydration AND gotta finish – preferably, with a smile 🙂
August focus: TRAIL
Ended July, running & (video-tagging) one of my favourite local trail runs – NCAR to Chautauqua in Boulder. This 7.2 mile trek has everything: rolling hills, switchbacks, elevation, red rock, Ponderosa pine AND a stair climb.
Next month I’m only marathoning trail. 2 tough runs, 8 days apart – each sporting 4,000ft vertical gain.
Race ReCap: 2 waterside marathons on hot July days – U of Okoboji Marathon ‘round Northern Iowa’s West Okoboji Lake & the Nova Scotia Marathon ‘round Cape Sable Island in Barrington Passage, NS.
Streaks: ‘Every day’ run streak ended at 212 days, July 24th in Toronto-Pearson airport. FULL day delay after Air Canada oversold my flight. $400 compensation/long Monday. words of South Park: Blame Canada – that said, really good to have rest days back 🙂
Marathoning Streak: 44 months
Mileage ReCap: back on track, my sixth 200+ mile month, ended July at 1,412 miles (235 miles ahead of goal)
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- ended July at 1,412 miles
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- Boulder HIKE surprise
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- Milestone 1300
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- Milestone 1400
Thirsty?
by Paul McGowan
No problem, turn on the tap and quench that thirst. In my home, the water tastes a little funny so I installed a filter that is said to remove 99.9% of impurities. Water tastes better.
Stay hydrated. It’s important to your health.
We don’t think much about clean water. At least I don’t. I take it for granted. It’s always been there. That’s not the case for much of the world and that brings me to the point of this post.
I want to ask you for a favor. Go here and donate a few bucks. Doesn’t have to be a lot. The price of a CD or two. And, if you’re like me, sign up for a monthly contribution. $60 a month provides fresh, clean water for 24 people a year.
Donate something if you can. Anything. You’ll feel good.
Thanks for caring.
