petroglyphs

Morning Snorkel & Sail

Published January 7, 2018

Saturday: road warrior. Sunday: ocean explorer.

Ok ok not so much exploring, as adventuring under the sea – SNORKEL Day. Christmas present from Ash & Tom 🙂

Sunday a.m. start, 30-minute drive to Kona, party of 6 reservation. Only my 2^nd time snorkeling – both times in Hawaii. Lucky in life. Boarded a small catamaran from the pier. Laid-back island adventure, entirely on Hawaiian time now 🌺

Air temp: low 70’s. Water temp: the same. Sunshine. Pretty much perfect.

Things to Note: Pawai Bay has an excellent variety of tropical reef fish and dramatic terrain, with ledges, caves, shallow shelves and steep drop-offs; and all coral encrusted lava formations. Depths vary from 3-4 feet on the shallow ledges to blue water where the bottom disappears at 100 feet. Average is about 18 feet.

Our crew, Anglo & Hawaiian, bantered back-n-forth but both had a great knowledge of the reef.

Lotta talk ’bout ‘Tonys’ – local term for tiger sharks (as in Frosted Flakes’ mascot: Tony the Tiger). More sharks off the Big Island than others in the Hawaiian chain. Who knew? Luckily, no fins this day.

Triggerfish, Yellow tang, Parrotfish, Bannerfish, Hawaiian Sergeant Fish, Cauliflower Coral – but NO sharks (or eels or barracuda…or anything else with teeth – LOL>). 3 hours, 2 reefs, FRESH PINEAPPLE snack break. FAAANNNTASTIC!

Late lunch at Kona Brewing Company. Taste highlight: Sweet Potato Pie. 2^nd purple vegetable I’d eaten this trip (Sis ordered Poi the night before). HUGE fan of purple Okinawan sweet potato (not so much for pasty Poi).

: Kona, Hawaii ☼

: Hawaiian time 🌺

: Wonder Twins snorkeling adventure

: Pawai Bay

: DOLPHINS!

: Sweet Potato SPLURGE

Solo evening plans.

Local trail, petroglyphs, Hawaiian ocean sunset. Otherwise known as: ”lost at night on a lava field”. 2-mile jog morphed into a 6-mile night hike – with only an iPhone for light. Dropped a pin on my Google map, jumped a rock fence off the 7^th green on a ritzy golf course, bushwhacked quarter-mile to a residential road. Phone-a-friend rescue, Foodland-rendezvoused in nearby Puako (thanks Stephen).

Hiking Captain Cook in the a.m. – 2 miles/2000ft down, 2 miles/2000ft UP. Just another Big Island Day 🌺

: Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve

: rough lava-rock trek

: lights OUT

Posted in Alaska/Hawaii, Family | Tagged hiking, petroglyphs, watercraft | Leave a comment

Rock Scramble Sunday

Published September 11, 2016

Driving 4 hours post-marathon can be rough (body gets mighty stiff), scheduling a massage at 6pm – pretty sweet idea 🙂 Passed entrances to both Canyonlands & Arches National Park(s). Giddy feeling, LOVE LOVE the massive towering rock. Hotel check-in, Spa Moab on Main Street, Thai dinner. Early to bed, early to rise.

Not early enough to catch sunrise, but still able to secure parking at Devils Garden Trailhead, far edge of Arches. Backpack heavy with water. Perfect post-marathon therapy: 4.2 mile desert hike, up & over boulders, dense sand, landscaped by tall canyon walls. Panorama more reminiscent of New Mexico than neighboring Colorado.

Under a mile to Landscape Arch, longest of the Park’s natural sandstone arches. Photo stop, long drag on my CamelBak, hike terrain shifted from ‘easy’ to ‘Difficult’. Brochure description: ‘Requires rock scrambling, climbing, and descending steep slopes near drop-offs.’ Marathon Saturday, Rock Scramble Sunday – heck yeah, count me in!

Scaled large sandstone boulders, UP UP UP – uneven arid terrain, but not 14er hike difficult. Cactus, sage, whole lotta SAND & lizards. Amazing vista, landscape opened for miles. Trekked another mile to today’s hike destination: Double O Arch. Brochure description: ‘Sandstone fin, reached via a challenging hike, with a large upper & a smaller lower opening.’ What they didn’t mention? You can actually climb thru the lower arch opening. FAAANNNTASTIC!

Mercury struck 90; car returned for lunch (ice-chest’d turkey/avocado wraps). 4-5 drive hour from home, work day tomorrow, what to do? Refilled my (CamelBak) bladder & started the 3.2 mile hike to Delicate Arch (Park’s most infamous landmark) 🙂

65-foot-tall freestanding natural arch…most widely recognized landmark in Arches National Park and is depicted on Utah license plates and on a postage stamp commemorating Utah’s centennial anniversary of admission to the Union in 1996. The Olympic torch relay for the 2002 Winter Olympics passed through the arch.

…formed of Entrada Sandstone. The original sandstone fin was gradually worn away by weathering and erosion, leaving the arch. Other arches in the park were formed the same way but, due to placement and less dramatic shape, are not as famous.

UP, down, UP down, UP UP UP – temps now soared above 100. Crazy hot. Body bypassed sweating, [went] straight to secreting salt – human salt caked ’round my eyes, sides of my face. …but that view. Yea, it was worth it.

Native American petroglyphs on the hike return. WOW!

my 10 day future: enjoying a marathon mini-break. Next up: R-U-S-S-I-A #noregretlife

: desert hike Sunday

: Landscape Arch

: Double O Arch

: Delicate Arch

: today’s WOW shot!

: Native American petroglyphs

Arches National Park (Moab UT)

Posted in Rocky Mtn West | Tagged hiking, nat'l-park, petroglyphs, wildlife | Leave a comment

Dust Bowl Series, Clayton NM

Published March 27, 2016

Quick shower at the Cow Palace in Lamar. 2 hour drive ‘cross the Oklahoma Panhandle, diner dinner in New Mexico. Big thanks to my co-pilot Dave – talk about Sports Trivia…today I chauffeured the King. Completely took my mind off the blowing snow.

2 days, 2 states, 2 marathons — my first DOUBLE!

Met up with Dave’s friend, Cindy, another Colorado 50 Stater – unloaded, snapped a few pics, then diner dined at the Rabbit Ear Cafe (it was this or Pizza Hut – HA!) Our small group of Dust Bowl runners were greeted by the local Chamber of Commerce – super nice – yep, we’re kinda a big deal in Clayton. Ya’ll know that’s how I roll. LOL>

Head hit the pillow early – although tomorrow’s marathon day…so was today 🙂

Doubled our drive time next morning – no more snow but woke to a quarter-inch of ice. Inched down curvy canyon roads into Clayton Lake State Park, no drama…took it slow & easy.

18 degrees. Coldest start of my New Mexico marathons (3^rd run this year). Borrowed layers for the Start – had packed short-sleeves & shorts this day.

My legs woke slow – still stiff from Saturday’s marathon…but my head was a go. Cold temps, snow on the ground & SUNSHINE. Days like this, I run with a perma-smile.

AND the view – WOW! Take poor little Lamar Colorado & up the panorama 10x. Course hugged scenic Lake Clayton. Proudly collected 9 rubber bands today – 5 on my left arm, 4 on my right.

Only one small stretch on pavement…all coated in ice. Down to a crawl, still landed on my backside. Luckily sensed it was happening & went down pretty graceful.

Received good advice from a fellow marathoner on running my first DOUBLE. Took my first 2 laps at a slow 12-minute slog. AND she was right! 6-7 miles in the day’s run, my body DID adjust. Warmed up, legs moving, did another 2 laps with Greg & Barbara, a couple from Ames Iowa…then picked up pace – goal to lap them by loop 7 or 8 & finish last lap(s) together.

Trail turned to sloppy thick mud in sections. Not my first rodeo – jumped in both feet & tread thru the middle. No real avoiding it…best to embrace & enjoy the experience. Sunshine, antelope grazed nearby. Temps topped 40, turned into a beautiful day.

Today was about the journey – and training my body to marathon multiple days. 3 miles to go, legs stiffened again, struggled with left knee pain. Different from runner’s wall – today wasn’t mental, first time pushing my body 50+ miles over 2 days. Walked the next mile with a lady from Vegas. Karen, a cancer survivor, had lived a wild early life. Awesome stories – good therapy, body & soul.

Greg & Barbara tagged me as I slipped on rubber band #9 – one short loop ‘round the Dam to go. No concern ‘bout finish time so the 3 of us took a short detour to view the lake’s infamous dinosaur tracks. Far-out experience DURING a marathon 🙂

Marathon/ultra #59. FINISHED an hour slower than yesterday’s 26.2 urban-trail in Lamar – but no regrets. My first ever DOUBLE – two marathons, two days, two different states. FAAANNNTASTIC!

2016 Dust Bowl Day 5 – Full Marathon – March 27, 2016 – Clayton, NM
KR Haga Louisville CO 06:06:15

free State Park shower (AWESOME), then schlepped 6 ½ hours home. Weekend over? Heck no – it’s Easter.

Easter Sunday in March caught me by surprise (honestly, would have never scheduled a marathon run). Barreled home to share holiday tradition with Ash & Tom – our 3^rd Easter pilgrimage to Casa Alegre. Mexican fiesta, olé! LOL>