hiking

Echo Summit Trail Challenge

Published August 5, 2017

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. 2^nd 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 🙂

: road-trippin’: Reno to Tahoe

: tomorrow’s trail Start

: Ponderosa pine

: marathon bib pickup: Strawberry Lodge, Kyburz CA

: bucket-list hike, California to Canada

: like an Ansel Adams photograph

: focused/eyes alert for PINK ribbons

: every north-facing tree covered in vibrant green moss

: yellow-green: closest colour match in my Crayola box

: FAAANNNNTASTIC!

: crazy difficult climb: let’s just say, I know why they leaped

: watch died somewhere after 30.5 miles – my first ultra of 2017

: marathon #94

: over 4000ft vertical gain

: 30.5 miles of TRAIL

: 2nd longest I’ve been on my feet

road-trippin’: Reno to Tahoe

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, Pacific/Desert | Tagged bear, hiking, trail-running | Leave a comment

Cape Split, NS

Published July 21, 2017

Marathon all 10 Canadian provinces in 5 years — that’s the plan. Opportunity knocked. Got to tagalong Stephen & Sheila’s family gathering in Nova Scotia. They arrived the weekend prior, sight-seeing the easternmost portion of the province, Cape Breton.

I landed Thursday evening: (Air Canada) Denver to Toronto, Toronto to Halifax. What a greeting – welcomed by the entire Cavanaugh clan! Easy dinner nearby then an hour north to Wolfville. Stayed with Lynne & Andy; beautiful home, gracious people.

Early to bed, early to rise. Andy had coordinated a 15K trail run with his daughter Kyla, a 2018 Boston Marathon qualifier. Super personality – a mile downtown, past Acadia University, left at the ice rink (home of hockey’s Axemen), then the next hour entirely on trail. Rolling farmland levied from the Bay, 2 centuries ago by the island’s French Acadians.

Quick pace – this gal wasn’t even breathing hard. Ran alongside Minas Basin ’til we hit our target distance, then turned back toward town. 15K, sub-9/minute pace. Whew – welcome to Canada! GREAT 6 a.m. morning run! 🙂

: my 4th Canadian province

: trail run along farmland dredged from the Bay, 2 centuries ago by the island’s French Acadians

: MATCHING uniforms 🙂

Shower, 2 packets of instant oatmeal – back to adventuring. Hiking the outer tip past Scots Bay, to Cape Split on the Bay of Fundy. 4 miles out-n-back. Lynne’s sister Jade volunteered today’s hike. Cool misty morning, had the trail almost entirely to ourselves. Green, leafy trees completely canopied our trek. Few ups-n-downs, steady even trail, near PERFECT conditions – (skill level) overrated as moderate…absolutely stunning views. Landscape reminiscent of ‘Last of the Mohicans’, similar to our East Coast Alleghenies.

Hike end: tip of the island, Cape Split – completely obscured by dense fog. ARGH! Sea gull cries pierced the all consuming cloud, their bodies darting in & out as they plunged off nearby cliffs, riding the Bay’s blustery current.

Backpack lunch, then the skies opened. 20 minutes of sunshine. What once was shrouded by thick clinging fog, now exposed multi-coloured rock, high canyon walls & a shark-fin island – Cape Split – pounded by ocean waves in the Bay of Fundy. WOW, WOW, WOW!

Drove home via Scots Bay. Stopped at the [Blomidon] Look Off, soaked in a scenic/panoramic view of Annapolis Valley. “On a clear day you can see five counties.” Fail – Kings County, the only one [of 5] I can remember (sorry Jade).

Sandwich & an hour nap, more than enough. Attending my first Cèilidh tonite!

: ‘Last of the Mohicans’ reminiscent, like our Alleghenies

: thanks Jade — BEAUTIFUL hike!

: LONG LONG way down!

: sea gull cries pierced the all consuming cloud

: eerie, yet MAGICAL

: SUNSHINE!

: jutting UP from the Bay of Fundy

: FAAANNNTASTIC!

: 4 mile out-n-back

: scenic/panoramic view of Annapolis Valley

Cape Split, NS

Posted in Canada | Tagged beachcombing, hiking | Leave a comment

Aspen to Crested Butte

Published July 2, 2017

Holiday weekend. Add Monday as a vacation day & suddenly you’re 4 days from the office. Mentally scheduled this weekend’s trek a year ago, when PS’ CEO (my employer) made the journey. Hotels in two towns – both sides of this epic mountain crossing adventure.

Aspen to Crested Butte.

By car it’s a 3 ½ hour drive. On foot, one can be there in under 8. Waist-high fields of wildflower. Hike start at Maroon Bells, Colorado’s most photographed peak. Sign me up!

Lazy morning start, couldn’t drop Pup at the kennel ‘til 9am. Lunch in Georgetown, Hwy 24 south to Leadville, west over Independence Pass (open ‘til October or first snow). Late afternoon arrival in Snowmass Village, 20 minutes from downtown Aspen (& much better on the pocket book). Carb- loaded for dinner. Hiking all day tomorrow, why not? 🙂

Sunday morning. What I didn’t know? Only access to Maroon Bells trailhead [in summer] is by bus. No cars allowed. No drama, surprises happen…but later trail start than expected.

Maroon Bells. Never been in summer. Trees all leafed out, lush meadow undergrowth – whole lotta green. Maroon-Snowmass Trail #1975 to Crater Lake, 1.4 miles. Busy hike path. Trek canopied in Colorado Aspen. BEAUTIFUL!

Snapped photos & snacked at Crater Lake. Couple of hikers shared their topo map (thanks!) – soon after, switched trails. Next landmark: West Maroon Pass. Path broke from rock to mud. Long patches of pack snow. Continued to lose trail, backtrack, regain trail. Snow-melt waterfalls, beautiful landscape though sometimes frustrating process to maintain forward momentum.

Biggest trail miss? Came across a large swath of glacier remnant & fresh snow. Fast-moving water rushed underneath weakening the base, making it precarious to cross. Trail couldn’t be on the other side, right? Bush-whacked 45 minutes (half-mile) UP UP thru dense willow & snow-covered pine. Zero path, nada. Continued to push thru thicket, trek UP/over, listening for human sound. SUCCESS! Group of 6 hikers stopped for lunch high ‘bove a scenic glacier – unfortunately not trekking to Crested Butte, not on trail. ARGH! Obliged to snap a group photo, then far far in the distance saw 2 hikers snow-crossing. TRAIL! Backtrack, restart.

Most harrowing water crossing? Used a fallen pine to ford West Maroon Creek. Fast-moving waist-deep water. How cold would a complete submersion be? Yep, that thought entered the brain. Slow & steady. Luckily, no drama 🙂

Elevation increased, temps dropped. Deep shoe-sucking mud, emptied into seasonal streams, trail ultimately lost under pack snow. Snaked thru a large boulder field, cairn-marked between competing 13- & 14er peaks. Less than a mile UP to West Maroon Pass, then another 4 [miles] down to the trailhead. Transport on the other side leaves at 4pm – mighty tight timing. Yikes!

Dark clouds from the West. Weather change.

Passed a guided group of climbers; they had turned back. 20 feet of snow at West Maroon Pass. IMPASSABLE.

15 minute discussion with my hiking mate. [good/bad trait] I’m a determined, focused individual – not easy to redirect once I’ve got a game plan cemented in the head. Lost the battle today; turned around we did. In hindsight OF COURSE we had no choice…but at the time, disappointment overwhelmed any happy endorphins. Hiked a good 2 miles in silence.

This too shall pass. AND it did ‘bout the time we reached Crater Lake.

Caught the return bus back from Maroon Bells, headed back to my Snowmass digs – hoping to find a spot in the Inn. 3-day holiday weekend, not a chance. Nor another hotel in Aspen…or Snowmass Village…or Carbondale…or Glenwood Springs (an hour out).

Of course I DID have a hotel reservation tonite – in Crested Butte, 3 ½ hours away by car. Fueled up, purchased a bag of gas station snacks. All part of the journey. 9:30pm rolled into my HIKE destination.

New town, new adventure awaits in the morning 🙂