Scottish Highland Festival

Published September 8, 2018

Haggis & Chips

50/50 mix of guys sporting their family tartans. Might have been outnumbered today. Whole lotta man skirts. Folk music, Highland dance, Scottish sports & FOOD.

Walked thru the crowded Clan tent, to find out EVERYONE is Scottish this day. 23andme must have missed my Highland ancestry. Guy opened his secret Harry Potter Book of Tartans & revealed I am Family Dundee. Good to be Scot – if only a day 🙂

Mesmerized, stood/gawked watching two of the Games’ early sporting events. Stone throw & Sheaf toss (hay bale pitch). BIG guys; BIG guys in kilts.

FOOD. Bellied a plate of traditional haggis & Chips then jockeyed for a seat in Estes Park’s Fairgrounds arena. Opening Ceremonies.

Family Clan march, multiple troops of bagpipers, festival Speeches & a military flyover.

Day’s WOW moment. Military trumpet, first line of ‘Amazing Grace’. Moments later its single voice accompanied by tens of bagpipes. Backdrop: our Colorado Rockies. Magic. Found myself holding my breath. Life imprint, moment memorized.

: Opening Ceremony

: hundreds of bagpipers

: Scot for a day: Clan Dundee

: festival FOOD ❤️

Festival & Highland Games

Opening Ceremonies

Amazing Grace

men in KILTS

Published September 8, 2018

Estes Park, Colorado

Who doesn’t love a parade? Friend invited [me] to tag along Saturday.

Scottish Highland Festival? ABSOLUTELY.

Neighbor Larry arrived in native Scot regalia. You think you know a guy. Man skirt?

Estes Park Fairgrounds, festival gates open at 11. PARADE MARCH down Elkhorn an hour-half earlier. Closest I personally come to being Scottish: wearing PLAID the next THREE seasons. Probably more BRAWNY MAN than BRAVEHEART. LOL>

Bring on the BAGPIPES! Show me some KILTS! LOVE LOVE a parade.

Each clan sported their own unique FAMILY plaid.

SCOTLAND the BRAVE played — over & over & over ♪ ♫ ♬

GREAT weather, GREAT energy, GREAT time!

Thanks neighbor 🌞

Every man dies, but not every man really lives – Braveheart 🏹

: gateway to the Rockies

: Estes’ Elkhorn Ave

: men in KILTS

: unique FAMILY PLAID

: BAGPIPES ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

: parade LOVE ❤️

Scottish Highland Parade (Part I)

Scottish Highland Parade (same song/one song mix)

Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival

SEPTEMBER 6-9, 2018

For more than three decades, Estes Park has been the backdrop for one of the nation’s largest celebrations of the heritage, the sounds, the tastes, and the arts of the Scottish and Irish cultures.

Held annually the weekend after Labor Day, Estes Park’s Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival is the largest gathering of its kind between the Mississippi River and California, and traditionally hosts bands – from the marching kind to the rocking kind and everything in-between – hailing from Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and, of course, the United States.

With jousting knights, dancing girls, hoisting athletes and calling bagpipes, groups and families of all ages will catch the Celtic spirit at this festival – surrounded by the scenic peaks of Estes Park!

One of the weekend highlights is the free hour-long parade on Elkhorn Avenue, Estes Park’s main street. Bagpipes, drummers, dancers, clans in tartan, Dogs of the British Isles, brass military bands and precision drill teams give a preview of what can be seen on the festival grounds.

Huffin’ Puffin Marathon

Published September 3, 2018

Woke tired, head-zonked from time change. Only person rumbling early in my B&B digs. Holiday weekend, right? 😊

Rental ride from Stephen to Bowring Park (marathon Start/Finish). Morning lawn busy with ducks & geese. Beautiful well-maintained city green. Runner drop-off, early breakfast then he’d hike the island’s high historic overhang, Signal Hill. BIG miss on my end/super envious/lack o’ time. View from yesterday’s boat tour would have to suffice, be memory enough.

Gonna be a HILLY one today – why they call it the HUFFIN’ Puffin 🐧 Small race, mostly Halfers.

21.1k loop, 2 times around
twice past Quidi Vidi Village, two times thru Downtown, 1500ft elevation gain
two big hills, 5-mile marker & mile 8. Steady climb mile 11 thru the first Half.
big hills repeated, 18-mile marker & mile 21. Steady push mile 24 thru the Finish.

Comfortable temp, grey overcast skies (‘cept near end/sunshine for pics). Breezy downtown stretch (both loops). Totally lucked out. Never assured of weather, least of all September. Toughest month for unknowns. Rain, early snow, piercing sun, balmy humid heat.

Ran a strong first Half. Dropped pace at mile 12, second loop a full 2 minute/mile off target. Steady jogged ‘til the long grind at 24. Walk/run finish. HILL-Y course, I’ll take it. Mental-drag running 5-hour marathons (hour slower than last year). Outside longer, tougher on the body, concentration struggle/head demons. Right path though. Another FINISH, another medal & FREE race pics.

Newfoundland, my 5^th Canadian province. Stunning, MUST-SEE part of the world.

North American cousins, US & Canada. Distinct Atlantic/Pacific coastline cultures, farmer-heavy Plains, hiker-populated Rockies, an Arctic North & a couple major cities. Cousins. Québec, ugh, forgot about the French. Suppose we have Hawai’i 🌺

Next month: PEI, Prince Edward Island. Birthplace of Canada, smallest of the Provinces. Anne of Green Gables lore.

Subaru Huffin’ Puffin Marathon

Marathon Results

September 03, 2018

Timing & Results by Athletics NorthEAST

Name Bib 11 km 21.1 km 33.1 km Gun Time Chip Time Gender

Keenan Haga 25 59:50 2:07:58 3:33:13 5:05:04 5:04:59 M