The Birds Are Back In Town

I went for a run this morning and the geese and the swans were going nuts. Skagit County is phenomenal for birds, and we get a lot of migratory birds in the winter, including eagles, big geese, big swans, snow owls, and probably a lifetime of other birds to figure out. Many of the birds go to the far north in the summer, and then travel down to our somewhat warmer climes in the winter. So, when they return, it marks the change of the seasons.
-
I hesitate to say what I was seeing this morning, as I’ve come to realize that I don’t know the difference between a goose and a swan. I just went to the Skagit Audubon Society site, and I learned that we have all sorts of big white birds that come here around this time, like Snow Geese, Canadian Geese, Trumpeter Swans, and Tundra Swans.
-
As such, I will just write that I saw at least 500 large birds feeding in a Nookachamps field. They were having a convention, coming, going, just hanging out. They'd fly in threes, sevens, twelves, all sorts of formations---probably swans, with their long necks and loud honks, flying low above the fields. I ran near the Skagit River, alongside stripped corn fields. Skies were pink, sun rising, 32 degrees. Around one turn, I kicked up a heron. Around another, an owl took off and flew alone towards Clear Lake. At the top of a hill, there a were a thousand pipers, on the wires, on the fence, lifting off, coming back, as I stirred them up.
-
I got charged by two dogs, no leashes--a golden retriever and later some sort of black retriever. Friendly doges, no problems, but there was contact with the golden retriever. Then a young cow cantered or loped or ran however young cows do, from halfway across a field, and paced me alongside a fence as I turned up another road. I think it thought I was going to feed it.
-
Then---and this is sort of classic---a car full of Jehovah Witnesses pulled over, stopped me, and gave me some Watchtower literature. I was like, ok. I thought the guy who stepped out was going to ask me for directions. Not so. This is a first for me. I suppose he’s shining his light on a hill.
-
After running, I did a brief volunteer stint at the Turkey Trot. Lots of great folks running and volunteering. Then yardwork. Swept my roof. Then work work. A comfortably ordinary weekend. So far.

In Re Running

The pictures here are of Great Falls National Park in Northern Virginia. The Park is very near downtown DC, and is also near where my folks live. The river is the Potomac River, which is one of the biggest rivers in the east. While visiting this past week, I twice ran the River Trail along the river from a neighboring park to the west. I think the fall colors make this the best time of year to be in Virginia. The River Trail is noted for its wildlife, with all sorts of birds visible along the way, as well as the occasional deer and who knows what else. The trail is pretty easy to run, except that it gets a bit rocky in an east coast old rock sort of way. There are many sections of the trail which traverse cliffs above the river gorge. One of my favorite stories about this area is how I foolishly swam across the river to Maryland a couple times when I was in high school. I say foolishly, because people frequently die in the river here. It is a favorite spot for competitive white water kayaking. Still, it was a rush, as the current just whipped me across to the other side.
-
So today I went out and ran the Ron Herzog 50k+ out by Granite Falls. DFL. I ran about as horribly as I can ever remember. My hips would not engage for the whole 6.5 hours, my feet felt swollen and my big toenails seemed to want to come off. And it rained. And rained. And rained. I'm not sure what to make of my day, except not to read too much into it, coming off the travel and all. I probably should not have watched the vampire movie the night before and ate so much popcorn and spaghetti. To some degree, I'll try to use this as motivation to get constructive this winter in my training. I want to be in better shape come February than I was last year.
-
I do know that TC and Shawn did a wonderful job in keeping this run alive, and the peeps that showed up today were awesome. In particular it was really cool to see so many friends waiting for the final finisher, namely me, and giving me the good cheer at the end. That's really cool.

Why Go Home

This last weekend I went home, or to my roots, I should say, and visited the family in Virginia. Ostensibly, the purpose of the visit was to attend a conference in DC, but really I was all about seeing the fam, and heading up to Philadelphia with my brother to see Pearl Jam play the last ever concert at the Spectrum.
-
The Philly Spectrum is a historic building, having hosted many great athletic and music events over the last forty years, like Laettner’s shot, Dr. J and Charles Barkley, Joe Frazier, Jerry Garcia, and Bobby Clarke and the Flyers. Pearl Jam was scheduled to play the final four shows in the building before it is shut down, and the buzz was large. The “Wreckin’ the Spectrum” shows. To make things even larger, it turns out the Phillies were playing the Yankees next door in the World Series at the same time. Crazy.
-
My brother Will and I went up early, parked the car, and hit the subway for Philly. It was great to spend time with him. We did a bit of "speed work", checking out the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Reading Station, all in the afternoon. Reading Station is sort of like Pike Place Market, with a crazy assortment of eating options and ethnic markets. Highly recommended. We rode the subway back, which was packed with folks in Phillies jerseys and Pearl Jam shirts.
-
Pearl Jam came on-stage to the theme song of Rocky, as 40 years of sports clips from the Spectrum played on the two big screens. Eddie Vedder in boxing gloves. First song: Why Go (home!). The crowd went absolutely nuts, everyone on their feet, bouncing, singing, yelling. It was Halloween, so lots of people were in costumes, and I’m guessing the majority of the audience were Ten Club members. The show never stopped. 3.5 hours, 41 songs, a completely over the top, amazing tribute to the Spectrum. I'm proud to be a fan of this band--they do it right.
-
Highlights included PJ coming out dressed as Devo for the first encore, and doing a full cover of Whip It, whip it real good. All the “hits” were played—Jeremy, Alive, Small Town, Black—it’s a long list. Several had extended guitar solos and even one or two drum solos. Daughter merged into Another Brick in the Wall ("Leave this builidng aone!"). Die hard fans were stoked to see the band play Bugs, with Ed on the accordion. Rats. Pilate. Sweet Lew. Out of My Mind. Many rarities. This is a big deal for the fanatics, who go to show after show hoping to check certain songs off their list.
-
And let me tell you, there were fanatics—folks who know every word to every song. I thought I knew PJ, but no way. Happy to be there, just the same. The predominantly Ten Club audience made the show so much better---the band seemed to feed off it all. Ed put the mic out and let the audience sing parts of several familiar songs--Betterman, Daughter, Small Town. The Ten Club is not just a music club--it's an advocacy group of sorts. For picking up my tickets early, I scored a free DVD of Food Inc., a food activism documentary featuring Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (Omnivore's Dilemma).
-
The show finished with Alive, Rocking in the Free World, and then the usual coda of Yellow Ledbetter, with a Mike McCready guitar solo of the full Star Spangled Banner thrown in at the very end, balloons falling from the rafters and confetti cannons filling the Spectrum.
-
The rest of the weekend was relatively low key. I knocked off a few two hour run/hikes in Great Falls National Park, site of the Mid-Atlantic North Face 50. Right now I just seem to be maintaining sort of. I need to settle on some winter running/fitness goals, and start thinking about next year. I’ll probably throw a few photos up of the Park later—it’s pretty special in its own right.
-

Phillies in the World Series!

50 Types of Butter at Reading Terminal

Liberty Bell

Declaration of Independence and Constitution were agreed upon in this room-George Washington sat in the chair in the front

Will and I

International Rescue Committee

I am running the Seattle Marathon this year in support of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a refugee resettlement agency located in Seattle since 1976. The IRC Seattle has resettled about 20,000 refugees in the King County area and continues to resettle roughly 450 a year. I think this is an absolutely terrific organization. It was founded in the early 1930s, at the suggestion of Albert Einstein of all people, to help people fleeing Nazi persecution. Since that time, the IRC has rescued refugees from some of the most hostile conflicts around the world and has helped them start anew in communities such as our own.
-
For just one of the many refugee stories in Seattle, please read Maggi Little’s story below. Maggi is working this year as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with Seattle IRC, and has personally experienced fleeing one country to resettle in another.
-
In early 1999 my family and I were resettled in the US as refugees from Kosova. The oppressive regime under which I grew up forced most Kosovars to lead a life without an education or understanding of the world outside of their city or town. For me, amongst other things, this meant that I would be tear-gassed on my first day to school, not be allowed to learn about our history, and that I would have no chance of learning another language or studying outside of my small town, Dobercan.
-
Upon our arrival in Seattle our hope to finally live a peaceful and prosperous life was great, but there were times when the fear of not making it overwhelmed me. When I first entered an American school, at the age of 14, I was given a placement test. It was written with letters that I recognized, but the words made no sense to me. I returned the piece of paper, and had to have an instructor come back to my desk and help me fill in my name under “Name”. I remember a deep sense of trepidation and frustration that set in when I could not convince myself that I would ever be able to compete with American students.
-
Ten years later I look back realizing that my chances of making it this far by myself were very slim. I am forever indebted to my community and all those around me who helped me get on my feet and make the best of my opportunities. My American friends and family have enabled me to graduate from a great university and to continue dreaming of opportunities that I could not have imagined before. I share these experiences with the refugees whose lives are just beginning to unfold in Seattle. Their prosperity-like mine did not too long ago- depends on people who are willing to provide them with the means to make the most of opportunities that come before them. I am pleased now to be in a position where I can do my part to give back to the community that has enriched my life beyond my expectations. I hope that you can be a part of helping me reach my goal of supporting me and the IRC in raising funds for refugees recently resettled in Seattle. Any amount that you can donate will go a long way in helping people who are restarting their lives in our community.
-
The IRC received an A+ rating from the American Institute for Philanthropy, and was awarded a 4 star rating by Charity Navigator. Funds donated to this charity find their way to people truly in need. Please consider donating. Donations are tax-deductible, and no amount is too small. Also, if you're interested in joining Team IRC (and getting the early bird entry rate!), or if you just want to learn more about the organization, shoot me an email. I think the world of this organization. And I’m happy to run the miles!

Sauk Mountain

I sort of sucked at running this weekend. On Saturday I went up to Sauk Mountain, near Rockport. It was a monsoon. Heavy, heavy rain, coming down sideways, not too cold, but it was absolutely nonstop. Monsoons are interesting, sort of. There was a truck at the trailhead with some hunters—this is the trail where the unfortunate shooting occurred last year. They took off, probably because of the rain. I hiked to the top, fast. Running wasn't happening--I was tight, the trail steep, and there was the rain. My time out was more about seeing if I could stay dry and happy. This is supposed to be a good place for a quick view of the valley.
-
On the drive up, I saw a herd of elk outside of Lyman. Roughly 25 elk, with four or five bulls. I tried taking pictures, but the pictures didn't turn out well, because it was still dark and it was raining hard. There was a monsoon. A Sasquatch type shot is below.
-
Today I sort of ran around Blanchard Mountain. Really, I walked quite a bunch again, but there was some trotting. It was nice—no rain today, just wet. A spooky fog drifted through the trees on the frontside of the loop. Creeks, previously dry, ran fast and filled pools with yesterday’s rain. Some crazy beaver is going to town on a tree by Lilly Lake. Wood chips everywhere, tree about to fall. I keep hoping to see the beaver--it previously took a chunk out of a boardwalk.

The View from Sauk During a Monsoon

Elk herd

Easy Pass-Fischer Basin-Thunder Creek

Dan, Linda, and I did the Easy Pass-Fischer Basin-Thunder Creek trail in the North Cascades National Park on Sunday. We lucked into a bluebird of a day, and some of the very best the North Cascades has to offer.
-
Our route was approximately 28 miles, a point-to-point trail, which we covered very casually in eight hours. There is a rather steady 3.5 mile climb at the start, over Easy Pass and up to 6500 feet, followed by 24 miles of gradual descent. Distance, time, and effort are not good measures of the day—the run is sort of a cupcake. Better measures are the sights and the experience, as the trail travels through the heart of the Park, with several glaciers to see up high, old growth forests to run through down low, and a host of goodies in between.
-
The autumn colors made it easy to forget the early morning cold as we ascended Easy Pass. Brilliant red, maroon, and burgundy fields of dying huckleberry bushes. A dusting of last week's snow hanging on mountain faces. The rare subalpine larches I've been hoping to see, in full autumn gold, perched on cliffs above.
-
This was my first time on top of Easy Pass with unclouded views, and I counted a semi-circle of 9 peaks crowning the Fischer Basin, with glaciers hanging on the opposite slopes, and the creekline descent into the Basin visible for miles, through open meadows.
-
After a good twenty minutes roaming the Pass, we dropped into the Fischer Basin, initially descending relatively steep switchbacks, and soon hitting the Basin, as the trail parallels Fischer Creek. I stopped at Fischer Creek to refill, and had to break ice to fill my bottle.
-
Downward. Eventually the high bush turns to forest. Mushrooms start popping out, in all sorts of varieties. Purple was my favorite of the day. Ferns. Downed logs, nursing moss, young trees, and all sorts of fungi, as they decay. Dan pointed out Devil’s Club, a thorny bush, which could do a number on a shin. The trail is fully clear, due to the hard work of trail crews.
-
Later, we came across technical stream crossings, cedar plank boardwalks, the periodic huge glacier high in the distance, grove after grove of big trees, and always a clear stream nearby. The trail was magical, cutting for miles through bright green moss. Think Lord of the Rings.
-
Roughly 18 miles in, we hit Junction, an important trail intersection within the heart of the park. We turned northwest down the Thunder Creek Valley, nine or ten miles to go. We weren’t really that tired, and it was still early afternoon. We sat at the campground for a bit, and talked about walking it out, just to take things in better.
-
We ran. More big trees. Cedars a thousand years old. For most of the day, I trailed Dan and Linda, which was kind of cool because I would watch them curl around these giants, giving the trees increased perspective.
-
Thunder Creek feeds the emerald green Diablo Lake, and you can see the green water at McCallister Creek, a glacier fed creek which drains into Thunder. The green has to do with mineral content. Log bridges. As we neared the end of the trail, ever lower, more and more deciduous trees—maples, poplars, alders—in fall colors. The trail widens, and in the last mile we saw some of our biggest cedars of the day.
-
A few photos of our adventure are below, and I’ve put up another gallery here. The photos are nice, but they do not do justice to the trip. This is one of the better trails I've run, perhaps because of the fall colors, or maybe it was the moss. We were fortunate--this was probably the last weekend of the year in the high country, and the sky was blue.

Baker Lake 50k

The Baker Lake report, circa 2009:

Sunshine, all day long
Fresh snow on the hills
The blood red harvest moon
Best shirt of the year, with a bear on it, even
The milky turquoise color of the lake--see above
Mount Baker, the volcano, in full view-see below
Snow on Baker’s flanks
The blog report which manages to say “milky turquoise,” “blood red,” and “flanks” in the first few bullet points
Volunteers risking their lives and their limbs at “bridge out” Hidden Creek
The impromptu all you can eat spaghetti dinner at the Skagit Co-op on Friday night
Friends everywhere, all day, coming, going--it's an out and back
Mike decided to run the night before, and ran well
Moss, draping limbs, covering logs, rocks—very mossy
Terry and Shawna won, a week after Hood.
6:47 for me. Probably should’ve stayed out longer.
A parade of mushrooms: big, small, red, yellow, two tones. Made me think of the Legend of Wooley Swamp.
Subway Sandwiches and coffee for all finishers! And cake too!
Stanley’s “garden” vegetables
Prizes! I won a Nathan pack!

Shorter, twitter report---WOW!!

Really, the weather was really really good this year. Maybe better than really good, since I packed for rain. We were fortunate. Everyone was happy, and many hung around a long time afterwards. Baker Lake is my favorite ultra, period. I’ve done it more than any other, and I expect I’ll be back most years, even if I need a cane. Thank you Shawn M. and Company!