road-signs

the Teton sneak

Published July 24, 2016

2 days in Yellowstone, day plan to finish our Montana summer vacation in the Grand Tetons.

Checked out of our Ennis MT digs & started the journey south, ‘cross the Continental Divide, thru Idaho – in particular: Ashton, Idaho. Trip wouldn’t have been complete without visiting our country’s Seed Potato capitol. HA! True dat – but Ashton visiting Ashton [Idaho] was more the prime motive 🙂

Ashton ID: population 1127. Photo shot ‘round every local sign – then plotted east. Dropped off any/all major roads & unexpectedly trekked 32 miles on dirt. Stopped 7 miles in; wide expanse of lily pads & pine. Quiet, peaceful. Just dragonflies & forest.

2 hours in Targhee National Forest, popped up on Flagg Ranch, inside Grand Teton Nat’l Park. Never saw a ranger, never passed a booth. Score! (reality is: I carry an annual park pass anyway)

Scrapped plans to hike Jenny Lake & travelled south & east another hour to Moran Junction (the Park’s East entrance), past Jackson Lake Lodge, up Pacific Creek Road & 5 miles of gravel.

Destination: Teton Horseback Adventures

Ash mentioned 2 days earlier…wouldn’t it be great to horseback ride in the mountains? Heck yeah. Multiple water crossings, spectacular high peak backdrop. GREAT idea!

Gazed ‘cross Jenny Lake – all vacations come to an end – then dined BIG, 20 minutes south in Jackson [Wyoming]. Air bnb fail in Driggs [Idaho] but luckily Ash secured a last-minute room locally. [The digs in Driggs, a youth hostel bunk bed share – wee bit old to share a room with teens.]

Long ride home across Wyoming on I-80, 10 hour drive (thanks Tom). Back to work in the a.m.

Summer time fun – 2^nd family trip of July. FAAANNNTASTIC!

: hearty Montana breakfast

: Ash in Ashton [Idaho]

: 32 mile trek over dirt road

: lily pads & pine

: Teton Horseback Adventures

: 2-hour trail ride

: today’s WOW pic — whatta view!

: Jenny Lake

: goodbye Tetons, last day vacation

Yellowstone: Part 3 – the Tetons

Posted in Rocky Mtn West | Tagged horses, nat'l-park, rivers-lakes, road-signs | Leave a comment

Run the Year 2016 (June edition)

Published June 30, 2016

Run the Year Motto: Run, Crawl, Walk, Conquer, Dominate 2,016 miles in 2016

June 2016 update: COMEBACK month x2! Second month of consistent training, multiple day run streaks & 3 more marathons – including my first 2 Canadian provinces (five-year goal to run all 10).

Positives? Over the past 2 months, buckled down & caught up a 71 mile deficient (April injury fail).

2 month focus (July & August): ENDURANCE

Never been a summer runner – completing my miles, just getting it done in July & August will be a personal victory.

Race ReCap: 3 marathons – 2 at altitude (Steamboat & Banff), 2 in Canada (Alberta & New Brunswick) – including my first in kilometers (had never previously seen a ‘40’ marathon marker). Highlight: BANFF. Bucket list hike destination – Lake Louise, WOW!

Mileage ReCap: HUGE – 2^nd straight month, 200+ miles; ended June at 1,008 miles (half-way thru 2016).

31^st consecutive month marathoning. Streak started with my second 26.2, December 2013 in Tucson.

: half-way mark: ended June at 1008 miles

: Milestone 900

: Milestone 1000

Run the Year – July Newsletter

Hey 2016ers. Did you know this challenge is supposed to be difficult??

If this challenge were easy it would not hold the same appeal. Taking on a challenge where there is a real possibility of failure is exciting and terrifying and nerve-wracking. The desire to face our own limitations, to overcome obstacles, and finally accomplish what we could not manage previously, is what makes a challenge like this so enticing. That’s what makes this challenge, and you, special.

No matter where you are on your journey, commit to going extra hard this month. Commit to getting in more miles in the next 31 days that you have all year. Embrace the difficulty of the task you have chosen and know that the more obstacles you have to face, the greater the feeling of personal satisfaction and fulfillment you get from each milestone. Keep rocking the miles!

Posted in Run Challenges | Tagged road-signs | 6 Comments

Campobello Island, New Brunswick

Published June 25, 2016

Campobello Island – pretty exotic name for an island settled by Brits, huh?

Another after-work Friday nite flight. Early a.m. in Manchester NH, grabbed 5 hours sleep, then hit the highway with my friend Stephen – destination: New Brunswick, Canada.

5+ hour trek across all of Maine. Sunny skies, warm summer temps.

Arrived in Lubec – quick pic at the easternmost town in the US – then 2 miles to FDR Memorial Bridge, our border crossing into Canada. 2 provinces in 2 weeks: Rocky Mtn west [last Sunday], now Atlantic Ocean east. Big grin.

Campobello Island is located in the Bay of Fundy, known for having the highest tidal range in the world. Top of today’s sightseeing list: an ocean walk to Head Harbour Lightstation.

Campobello Island is an island located at the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay, adjacent to the entrance to Cobscook Bay, and within the Bay of Fundy. The island is one of the Fundy Islands and is part of Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada.

The greatest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundy…. Burntcoat Head in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, has the greatest mean spring range with 14.5 metres (47.5 feet) and an extreme range of 16.3 metres (53.5 feet).

sleeping in US (Eastern), marathoning in Canada (Atlantic)

Visitors Center (maps, restaurant info & sightseeing musts), marathon bib pick-up upon entering New Brunswick & my 2^nd Canadian National Park (ya’ll know I’m a FAN).

Roosevelt Campobello International Park was created as a memorial to US President Franklin D Roosevelt – whose family built a summer home on the Island. Who knew, right? During my 50 State Quest, visited the homes of Thomas Jefferson & Abraham Lincoln PLUS the Clinton Presidential Library. Never expected to be touring another American president’s home…while in Canada. HA!

Roosevelt Cottage was over-the-top staffed; knowledgeable guides spouting Roosevelt facts on each floor, in each room. Coming from a middle-class upbringing, didn’t leave feeling a close kinship with Roosevelts – interesting exploring their era though. Talk ’bout lifestyles of the rich & famous. Kinda like the mansion walk in Newport RI; same time period, same old $$.

…it was a nationalistic movement in the 1880’s that turned wealthy visitors away from Europe to spend summers in America. Wealthy people with extensive leisure time flocked to resorts like Newport, Bar Harbor, St. Andrews, and Campobello.

Snagged an oceanview lunch, then travelled to the eastern edge of Campobello — to Head Harbour Lightstation. Unfortunately, missed low tide by several hours. No worries. Soaked in the ocean smell, gazed out across the water. Beautiful day. Lucky in life.

All essential to-do’s checked off the list. I’d see this lighthouse again during tomorrow’s 42.2 🙂

Dinner & lodging accommodations in Maine. Short return drive; east-west only 10 miles of road on this Fundy isle. Snapped a pic at the International Boundary Line.

Sunshine & warm ocean breezes ALL DAY — good one to be a tourist.