Late Friday night flight to Vegas with Ash & Tom, where we met up with Stephen (in from New Hampshire). Luxor Hotel check-in, sleep, breakfast, van pickup at 8am. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…
Heck NO — who takes a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon & keeps that a secret? LOL>
The most spectacular Grand Canyon helicopter floor landing experience with an exclusive landing on the canyon floor and extended canyon viewing time! Embark on an unforgettable narrated flight from fabulous Las Vegas area, see majestic views of Lake Mead, the magnificent Hoover Dam, Grapevine Mesa, Grand Wash Cliffs, Fortification Hill and Extinct Volcanoes. View rugged southwest desert wilderness en route to America’s most spectacular natural wonder, the Grand Canyon.
Safety talk (check), belted in (check), headset on (check) & we’re up fast – hovering over the Nevadan desert. I LOVE geology & rock formations so the volcanic landscape in route to Hoover Dam was right up my alley. Hoover Dam, which holds back the waters of Lake Mead, is crazy massive. Seeing this man-made structure by air is pretty spectacular. Just the sheer size — WOW!
Soon the landscape opened & we dipped over the Rim of the Grand Canyon — used my WOW early. Double WOW!
Nothing like seeing this Wonder of the World via ‘copter, maneuvering around massive rock walls — dropping down, landing 4,000ft below on the floor of the Grand Canyon. Shot 100 near identical pics & a short video — couldn’t capture the experience.
Just an hour earlier we were in Vegas — now surrounded by cacti, red rock cliffs & the iconic Colorado River.
If you wanna create magic, treat family & friends to a heli trip – an experience you’ll never forget. SPECTACULAR!
Back in Vegas, took in a show (Olivia Newton John – ok I admitted it), casinos, roulette & some sports betting.
Ash & Tom treated with tickets Sunday morning to Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. Sharks, rays, lizards, snakes, piranha — well done, Vegas. Living B-I-G, crazy FULL 36 hours – friendly warning: Vegas can be hard on the wallet 🙂
Lunch, an hour down time, then BAM — marathoning down the Las Vegas Strip.
Grand Canyon Heli Adventure
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- thumbs up, let’s roll
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- volcanic landscape
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- Hoover Dam
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- first pass over the Rim – WOW!
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- Canyon floor landing – 4,000ft below the Rim
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- today’s WOW pic – Canyon, cacti & the iconic Colorado River
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- goodbye Grand Canyon – whatta adventure!
Viva Las Vegas
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- bib pickup chaos – HUGE race!
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- our 3-night Vegas home
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- Shark Reef Aquarium/Mandalay Bay
Hypnotically watched buffalo run in waves over the open prairie, toured the world’s 6th longest cavern at Wind Cave National Park – so what next? Marathon #11 – in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
Arrived in Scottsbluff late – just enough time to pick up my race bib & head over to the pre-race pasta dinner in Gering. Listened to high school football over the radio – Scottsbluff on one station, neighboring Gering on another. LOVE small town America.
Actually slept in. 8 a.m. marathon start on a unseasonably hot 90-degree day on the Great American Plains (i.e. no trees). Not ideal K* conditions…but it is what it is – can’t change the weather.
Would love to blame hot temps for my worst-ever marathon performance, but if I wanna stay honest to the process – gotta call myself out. Reality is, I’ve dropped both intensity & dedication since Ironman.
you’ve run 10 marathons, why do you still train so much?
truth is: since evening temps dipped last month, I’ve skipped a lotta early morning runs – opting to sleep late.
you can eat whatever you want, you’re gonna run it all off anyway
Up 11 lbs since July, this boy can put away a meal – and then some. ALSO haven’t made the best food choices…pizza, spaghetti, mac n cheese & bread have all crept back into the diet. Comfort food – a sign something’s gone awry.
Soooo…no negativity directed toward this well-run Western Nebraska marathon – I sabotaged today’s results all on my own.
Positive – scenic run thru Scotts Bluff National Park & miles of Nebraska corn fields
Negative – roadside rattlesnake at mile 2
Negative – crazy HOT temps; 2nd to Montana but tough to acclimate after the prior week’s snow
Negative – hit rock bottom as a runner; surprised/shocked how my body shut down
Positive – race volunteer Ali who kept me iced & coherent from mile 15 to the Finish
Negative – walked for miles; it’s a marathon – not a walk-a-thon
Positive – NEVER considered quitting: 8 miles to go; only 5 miles then you can stop; come on, anyone can walk 3 miles!
Positive – short stretch of trees by the cemetery at mile 25, possibly the only trees in all of Western Nebraska
Positive – military lady who screamed lotta positive comments ¾ mile from the Finish
Positive – ugly ending but I did not quit, I FINISHED my 11th state marathon
Positive – Zofran (shot in the rump, wait 15 minutes, then BAM…ready for fluids)
Positive – met 3 Marathon Maniacs, first time I’ve connected with athletes outside of hiking/14er community
Chin up cowboy – positives far outweigh the Negative.
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will — Mahatma Gandhi
After brushing off my bruised ego, gonna remember what a charmed life I lead. Truly blessed. Running oceanside in scenic Newport, Rhode Island in 15 days 🙂
1048 K R Haga 77/106 5:36:29
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- livin’ the good life
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- Nebraska corn
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- prairie rattlesnake – mile 2
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- crazy HOT day – how I felt at mile 25
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- FINISH pic w/ new Maniac friends
After exiting SD’s Custer State Park, drove 20 minutes south to Wind Cave National Park.
Just enough time for a quick stop before bib pick-up in Nebraska. Had never previously heard of this Park but researched online [that] park rangers provided guided cave tours almost year-round. Bought my $12 ticket, then caught a historical film at the Visitors Center bringing me up-to-speed on everything Wind Cave.
Several mining claims were established at Wind Cave, but the most noteworthy one was by the South Dakota Mining Company in 1890. J.D. McDonald was hired to manage the claim. The mining was unsuccessful, but McDonald and his family realized they could make money by giving cave tours and selling formations from the cave. They filed a homestead claim over the opening and worked on improving a manmade entrance and enlarging passageways for tours.
One of J.D.’s sons, Alvin, spent much of his time exploring and mapping the cave, faithfully keeping a diary and making a map of his findings. On January 23, 1891, Alvin wrote that he had “given up finding the end of Wind Cave”.
The work of one young man – Alvin McDonald – was the inspiration for Wind Cave National Park. From age 16 Alvin explored & mapped 142 miles (yeah, miles) of tunnels. Sadly, Alvin died at age 20 from typhoid fever.
Sharing a lotta history – apologies. Just super impressed that such a young individual could create interest that would result in forming a National Park – ultimately sharing his love of caving with generations of people 125 years later.
So easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day & forget how to dream out loud. Go Alvin!
LOVED the tour – highly recommended.
In addition to cool 50 degree temps, saw 90% of the world’s boxwork or speleogen deposits.
Boxwork is made of thin blades of calcite that project from cave walls and ceilings, forming a honeycomb pattern. The fins intersect one another at various angles, forming “boxes” on all cave surfaces. Boxwork is largely confined to dolomite layers in the middle and lower levels of Wind Cave.
Crazy full day – no regrets. 2 hours 50 to Scottsbluff.
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- cave entrance – wind clocked at 30MPH
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- down, down, down — 190 feet below the surface
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- boxwork or speleogen deposits
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- fins intersect at angles, forming “boxes” on all cave surfaces
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- world’s 6th longest cave – 142 miles+
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- caving selfie – highly recommended
