Alarm set, pre-dawn start. Not just any morning run – Franz Josef Glacier.
Woke north of town, Alpine Glacier Motel off State Highway 6. Half-mile trek to Glacier Access Road – [Catholic] Lady of the Alps on the left, [Anglican] St. James on the right. Good omen 🙂
Quick left off Hwy 6, crossed the Waiho River via Bailey Bridge. Bounced over the wooden pedestrian plank, alongside this one-lane country bridge, to a dirt access road. 4 miles to Franz Josef trailhead.
Westland Tai Poutini Nat’l Park. Scary dark trail run thru giant ferns & tropical vegetation. [NOTE to self: BUY A FLASHLIGHT!] Darkness soon gave way to pale-pink sunrise. Trail-ran DOWN to a murky silt-choked river. Rock hopped across, spun ‘round & glacier gawked — Franz Josef straight ahead/high above. Popped over boulders, trekked UP, UP, UP. Snow-melt waterfalls littered the mountain’s jagged rock walls. UP, UP, UP. Nearing the glacier base, read a Park placard detailing the death of multiple adventurists, following an earthquake initiated rock slide. Ok, enough – but jeez, it’s beautiful here. When it’s my time, let it happen quick…somewhere high in elevation, surrounded by snow (my humble Alpinist prayer ❤).
Waterfall-played on the return trek to town. 5 hour drive ahead, heading East now. Tonite’s destination: Queenstown, NZ’s hippie-happy Boulder. Ski town built on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.
Close 30 minutes from Franz Josef, River Walk hiked. Bright morning sun poured over Fox Glacier (popular heli tours buzzed overhead). WOW, whatta view! Lunched an hour later in Haast, before travelling a narrow rocky stretch – ‘The Neck’ – between lakes Wanaka & Hāwea. Foothills of the surrounding Southern Alps mirrored off these glacier-fed waters. Stunning.
Apartment dwelling 3-nights in Queenstown. Tomorrow morning: touring Doubtful Sound – 2 buses, 2 boats. But first, burger & a pint in Queenstown Gardens. One week down, one week to go…vacations go so fast.
-
- mountain sunrise
-
- glacier gawking – WOW!
-
- fave New Zealand sign
-
- snow-melt spillway
-
- glaciers, boulders, waterfalls & altitude — fave NZ run, nothing better!
-
- return trek over Bailey Bridge
-
- Yikes!
-
- River Walk hike
-
- Southern Alps mirror off these glacier-fed waters
-
- Lake Wakatipu
-
- burger & a pint in Queenstown Gardens
…meanwhile, far far away — the Colorado Marathon…me [Captain America] in the upper right promo ad 🙂
Franz Josef Glacier
Signed up for today’s trail run almost a year ago. Sells out every year, marked my calendar.
Why Death Valley? Fave of my 50 State runs: Crater Lake [Oregon]. fave Half: Rocky Mountain [Colorado]. Opportunities to race in a National Park come far & few between. Not letting this opportunity pass.
biggest concern? Intense HEAT. Cracked dirt, sand, salt flats & record 130+ degree summer highs. Ya’ll know I’m not a hot weather runner…but the quest to ‘park-run’ overruled any worry. It’s December, how hot could it be?
Chilly morning wake-up. Ironic, huh? Cap, gloves, hydration pack. Hydration pack? Yep, trail run. Park rangers trucked in water at miles 7, 15 & 23. Oatmeal breakfast; backpacked Fritos & an apple.
Race Director provided last minute instructions (& a few laughs), then boarded chartered buses to the Start. Probably a 60/40 split marathoners/halfers. Hour-15 minute drive; soaked in the desert landscape. Lucky in life.
Steady climb in elevation, steady drop in temps. Folks piled off the bus, I stayed behind. Not leaving ‘til I’m forced outside. 33 degrees & blowing wind. Over the next half hour, bus slowly refilled with weather-beaten runners. Not my first rodeo 🙂
8:30am start. Popped off the bus & trekked dirt road for 4 miles. Sand, gusting wind. Kept my head down while I pushed thru the long stretch of flat. Neck gaiter pulled over my mouth. Adapted well.
Looped thru Titus Canyon, would spend remainder of the day here. Tall canyon walls provided protection from the wind. Shade (gloves on), sunshine (gloves off). Desert climate created insta- 10-15 degree temp swings.
Miles 8-10: WOW whatta climb! 1700ft to 5400ft elevation. Didn’t even attempt to maintain pace. Unpacked Fritos, slow-ate my Gala [apple], and hiked UP a series of switchbacks…Colorado style. Whatta view! LOVE LOVE our National Parks!
Posted a 2:47 first Half – maybe an all-time worst. But then…I grew STRONG. Down, down, down multiple miles of dirt & boulders – felt like home. Runner ahead, I’d lock him/her in, match pace, speed up, barrel by. Began passing tens of runners.
Refueled at mile 15. Popped 2 anti-nausea pills & quickly re-tagged 3 runners who caught me at the water stop.
At mile 17, passed my first Halfer. Entered the most memorable stretch of course in many a month. Trail no more than 20 feet wide, path’d thru high rock 6 continuous miles. Canyon exited at 23; met rangers equipped with water & a porta-john (first all race).
Stopped, regrouped. Restarted slow, last 2 miles re-upped my pace. Caught sight of the Finish & kept pushing. Marathon #77, just under 5 hours – my 2nd best trail time. Hour later, back in Furnace Creek: shower, dunes & dinner.
One more Nat’l Park day & maybe Hoover Dam 🙂 #noregretlife
2016 Death Valley Trail Start List
Saturday, December 3, 2016 8:29 AM (GMT-8) – Final results
Bib Racer name Finish time
204 K R HAGA, Louisville CO 4:56:28.3
-
- pre-race JOY
-
- cap, gloves & hydration pack — ready, ready to run!
-
- Titus Canyon
-
- STRONG 2nd Half FINISH
-
- marathon #77, 3rd in California
Death Valley (Race Director quip)
Long 7-hour haul from yesterday’s trail marathon in Nebraska. Fitting I had tickets the following nite to this year’s Trail Running Film Festival in Boulder. My 2nd year attending, 4th year festival has been in existence.
Back at the Dairy Arts Center, arrived to a sold-out event. Guess word’s got out – HA!
12 films, 3+ hours of sit-down. Sat 2nd row – packed, crazy full auditorium. Festival organized by runners, for folks who appreciate trail running & adventure. Well done. Tough to pick ONE fave film this year.
All 4 feature documentaries were unique in their storytelling. “One step at a Time” followed 3 ultra runners as they attempted the FKT (fastest known time) on the Oregon section of the PCT. “Outside Voices” featured outspoken runner Jenn Shelton, an entertaining, train wreck of a gal. “2016 Orcas Island 100” documented a 100-mile ultra-race on Washington’s scenic San Juan Islands.
…but for me, this year’s fave: “The Hard Way”
inspirational story of Bob Hayes, an 89-year-old who runs 30 races each year, cuts his firewood by hand & does things the hard way to remain active and alive. The film takes us on a journey that’s about more than running, it teaches us to live life with purpose and momentum.
LOVE LOVED this guy’s determination. Absolute anything is possible…at an age.
-
- Boulder’s Dairy Arts Center
The Hard Way (2016) by Jeremy Lurgio & Erik Petersen
