Best Runs of 2009

My running year started off with a bang, but I feel like one more big event in the later fall might’ve been good. I also think I got a little too worked up about the unknowns of Hardrock in the earlier part of the year, and this took away some of my fun. Looking back, what stands out most is my favorite, most memorable runs were the self-supported backcountry trail runs in the North Cascades. I wouldn’t give up the camaraderie of my peers for anything, so I’ll be doing events until I can’t. Still, the backcountry stuff was both edgy, fulfilling, and on a different scale of wonderment.
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The other thing that was particularly notable this past year is I really got into wildflowers, and Canyon Creek, the Sunflower, and the Colorado runs were amazing for these. The Audubon Society just put out an app for wildflowers, and while I’m mentioning them, their recent photo issue that I just received has some absolutely amazing shots. I think its $20 to join, and in the Skagit there’s a separate, active chapter which I plan to join one of these days. I have a link to their website here.
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It's hard to pick best runs. Some events are obvious, but some regular runs during the week and on the weekends had amazing moments. I remember one night running at Lake Padden in Bellingham and seeing 30 bats flying over the water chasing flies, as dark was falling. Another night early in the year I was run/hiking up Chinscraper, and a coyote barked at me from 50 yards or so in the pitch black. There were some amazing hikes, like the full moon snowshoe and a few different jaunts in the North Cascades and Virginia. Then there were runs with friends, which are always more memorable, like taking an afternoon run up on the Ridge with friend BJ from out of town, who wanted to scout the North Face course.
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That said, here’s the list of best runs for the year:
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10. Baker Lake 50k. A blood red, full harvest moon to start the day and announce fall. A downed bridge for a turnaround. No rain, crisp air.
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9. Sunflower Run. A 21 mile trail race put on by the Methow Valley Trails Association which I've always wanted to do, from Mazama to Twisp. Right towards the end, you descend into a field of sunflower-like plants, which seems like a scene from Alice in Wonderland. Many good GBRC and Methow friends there too.
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8. Big Beaver Valley, North Cascades National Park. If you like thousand year old trees and nature preserves 15 miles from the nearest road, this is a good place to check out. Easy 24 mile run on cush single track behind Ross Lake. I go there every year.
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7. Virginius Pass, Colorado. In the week leading up to Hardrock, I scouted portions of the course. This section was a pure delight, with a sketchy climb through snow, using a tent pole as an ice axe, to reach a 15 foot wide pass that serves as an aid station during the race. Kroger's Kanteen, its called. We glissaded back down.
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6. North Face 50m-Bellingham. BJ came up and ran it, and Rick W. and I traded places all day. Great weather, well organized, and I ran pretty well for me. Saltwater and volcano views.
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5. Hardrock. I’m disappointed with the DNF on this one, but I made it over Handies Peak, a fourteener, and that’s not small potatoes, and I saw a good portion of the course. It’s a remarkable part of the world, and the passion people hold for this race is phenomenal to experience. Unfinished business, as they say.
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4. Canyon Ridge-Damfino Lakes-Excelsior Mountain. Post WTA trail work party run in the Mount Baker Wilderness which turned into one of the most spectacular bursts of wildflowers I’ve ever seen. Mount Baker right in your living room. To top it off, I got chased off the mountains by a lightning storm, which at first I watched like a ding dong as it came down a valley towards me from Canada, and then realized, a little late, that I needed to get out of there fast. Sort of touchy there for a few miles. I've done dumber things.
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3. Cascade Crest 100. Any time you finish a 100 should be cause for celebration, and Cascade is really gorgeous, even though I sort of fell apart for the last 20. I probably should feel better about this one, because it is such an incredible experience, but I know I didn't run my best or smartest. So what? This is one of the best races, period. The whole event is increasingly a family affair, and the organizers and volunteers are just terrific. Rich W. was a huge help to me too, and friends were there throughout and after.
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2. Devil’s Dome-North Cascades. A 42 mile loop through the Pasayten Wilderness with friend Mike C. I think we went 25 miles without seeing a sign or a person. There was place called Devil's Park that was just downright spooky, with no noise except the buzz of birds and bees. There was a place called Devil's Pass that was one of the more remote places in Washington that I've been. There were wildflowers, and creeks spread out every five miles for the anticipated water stop. Devil's Dome gave a spectacular view to the east and west, with Jack Mountain in the foreground. An eight mile descent to Ross Lake, and then a gorgeous lakeside run on the East Bank Trail. Totally doable, but not to be underestimated, because aid is not near.
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1. Easy Pass-Fischer Basin, North Cascades. We hit the right place at the right time-- autumn-- and the payoff was all sorts of fall colors in the heart of the North Cascades. The trail was straight out of a fairy tale book--I knew it would be good, but I'd be lying if I said I knew it'd be that good. 28 miles of clear trail, golden larches, red huckleberries, purple mushrooms, snow and dustings of frost on mountains, frozen waterfalls. I love the Fischer Basin. The trail was three miles up, twenty five miles of gradual down, through two or three ecological zones.
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Au revoir 2009! You weren't as bad as they say.

Top 10 Movies of the Decade Vol. 1

It was a bad decade for movies. A limited amount of truly amazing movies. Art takes time, people. Or genius. Maybe luck too. I had a tough time remembering what I watched nine years ago, and so I got help at Metacritic. My list is heavy on movies which made a clear impression, even if they sort of sucked otherwise. If I still remember them, they have a shot at being on this most exclusive list. Sorry Lord of the Rings—you may be good, but the memories give me headaches. Orcs and wizards and such. But New Zealand, I want to visit you.

The Official Top 10 Movies of The Decade, Vol. 1:

10. Zoolander. Blue Steel.

9. The Valley of Elah. Get the troops home, soon.

8. Let The Right One In. Best Swedish vampire movie ever. What trips me out here is whether the older guy was Oskar once upon a time.

7. The Dark Knight. I didn’t really like this—when the hospital blows up, I felt like it celebrated terrorism a bit much. But this movie has wow factor through the roof.

6. Anchorman. Ron Burgundy, newsman.

5. Kill Bill Vol. 2. Women with swords.

4. No Country For Old Men. Mean people at the border.

3. Touching the Void. Two guys go out to climb a mountain and get into a scrape to end all scrapes.

2. Grizzly Man. Surfer guy hangs out with Alaskan grizzlies, eventually gets eaten.

1. Almost Famous. Best lines, hands down. “It’s all happening!” “I’m on drugs.” “I am a golden god!” “Call me if you need a rescue.”

Holiday Runs

The weather was great this holiday weekend, but I had some sort of cold that limited my running. Still, for purposes of later recollection....

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On Thursday, Christmas Eve, I knocked out a Chuckanut ridge run, starting at the Larrabee trail head, going up, and then looping around on the Interurban. It was a gorgeous day, and the view of Mount Baker and Shuksan was sharp, with the Coquahalla highway mountains visible in the distance, and a clear shot looking west over the bay. Good day.

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On Friday, I zipped around the Nookachamps before heading south. The birds are nuts right now. I scared a couple flocks off some telephone lines, and they would fly a 100 meters up the road, and we did this a few times. I'm not sure what they are, but "there's an app for that," I discovered, and have since downloaded some Audubon field guides on to my phone. This seems like a pretty good app to have, and so I mention it here. My cousin recommends Doodlebuddy.

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Saturday was a bust due to illness. Sunday wasn't much of an effort, but I went with some Skagit locals and did a short night run on the Baker Lake Trail. We only went for a bit more than an hour, but it was cool, and Baker really stands out at night, if you get the right clear view. The trail was pitch black, black as pitch, and I can't remember the last time I saw some pitch, but it was dark. The log crossing over Anderson Creek was really really sketchy, with a very slick covering of white frost, with the dangerously cold creek and rocks below. We lived.

Top Albums of the Decade Volume 1

So...time to do a best of the decade albums post. This is hard--hard to choose....and hard to remember. I scratched out some notes. Rankings are next to impossible, but it's easier if I don't take this too seriously, even though granted, this is a very serious matter. My ultimate standard will be to list that which I listened to a lot, which I suppose is a little different than something meaningful. My cousin Paul went out of his way to belittle my opinion on music yesterday at X-mas, so be warned, but then all he listens to is NIN, Jack Johnson, and that Donvan F. guy.
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After my first foray into a list, I looked around, and sure enough, others are out there publishing. Some lists are better than others, and I had a real hard time mining the country music scene, maybe because country music listeners are less concerned about such things, as opposed to the indie/alt/pop scene. Country and hip-hop had a big decade, and sold the most, if Itunes is any place to judge. The country awards shows are tops. But Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney don't make the list for me, and my respects to the Black Eyed Fleas and the well received Arcade Fire, but no dice here.
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Rolling Stone has a list--I do not like Radiohead, but they do. I have that one disc, and it just does not interest me. Paste Magazine has a really good list though. And I'd never heard of Glide, but their list is great too. Pitchfork is ok, but they're into Radiohead too, and I've totally given up on Pitchfork as a music reference. Country was less list-friendly, but there's Country Universe and No Depression, the latter of which is a little too Wilco crazy. I felt like I was reading a list from Stuff White People Like, but No Depression is a cool site and used to publish a great alt-country magazine.
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So, here's the OFFICIAL Before The Deluge Top 10 Albums of the DECADE:
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10. Mountain Soul by Patty Loveless. Somewhere around the time O Brother Where Art Thou and the whole bluegrass thing went big, this came out, and I listened to it a lot. If you're an Itunes person, I'd suggest You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive--you can feel that good ol' Appalachian destitution with every line. Brad Paisley does a nice version of this too, dedicated to the coal miner community.
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9. Twin Cinema-The New Pornographers. I got on a New P's kick for quite sometime, listening to KEXP for a while, and some friends and I caught them behind the Pyramid Brewery at a Surfrider benefit, and then later at the Nightlight. A bunch of Canadians and Neko. Every track grows on you. Start with The Bleeding Heart Show. Mass Romantic is good too.
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8. Rainy Day Music-The Jayhawks. Another favorite band, and this is pure alt-pop/country delight. Caught them at the Winery at a Costco managers only show. Ridiculous--about 500 people with a private show. Try Angelyne or Save It For A Rainy Day, or any of their older albums too, like Hollywood Town Hall or the album with Blue on it.
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7. Home-Dixie Chicks. Contemporary country radio stations never play the Dixie Chicks anymore, which is way overreacting. The Dixie Chicks got in a fight with Toby Keith, and made a whole movie out of the experience. This album predates all that, and has Travelin' Solider, Landslide and a bunch of others. (I'd favor the Mac on Landslide, and this video is weak.) They made some very smart albums this decade--not just pop-country hits, and I listened to them a lot for a while. I'm also partial to their later album Take The Long Way Home.
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6. Is This It-The Strokes. I might've been persuaded a bit by the critics on this one, but I know this album still sounds fresh as a daisy--this kid was playing it at the cleaners a month ago, and I was like, wow, that's the Strokes.
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5. Brighter Than Creation's Dark-Drive By Truckers. This is one of the coolest bands of the decade. They made a two disc rock opera about Lynyrd Skynyrd. Let There Be Rock is really worth checking out from Southern Rock Opera, or My Sweet Annette from Decoration Day. Creation's Dark is the album I listen to the most by DBT. That Man I Shot blew me away at the Showbox, and Three Dimes Down is another good one.
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4. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-WILCO. Love this album, and it tops a number of other lists too. My memory on this one is listening to it five times straight after taking a wrong turn and getting lost for a few hours on dirt roads in the Flathead Reservation in Montana, coming back from Glacier. The whole album is genius, as far as these things go, but Jesus, Etc. and Pot Kettle Black are the catchy tunes.
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3. Murray Street-Sonic Youth. A lot of attempts were made to address 9/11 through the arts in the ensuing years. 9/11 was such a huge deal for everyone, but it really hit me hard because of my immigraton work and the post-9/11 reports I was daily taking in related to immigrants, hate crimes, and government "busts." Don Delillo wrote a book--Falling Man--I didn't really take to that. Springsteen's The Rising is really good, but it seems a little forced sometimes. Thurston and company make a mournful noise with Murray Street, and yet it sounds great--I played this a lot for a year or two. No one song stands out--it's an album.
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2. The Woods-Sleater-Kinney. This one is a little hard to listen to, but it is an out and out rock record in the vintage of hard 70s punk meets Hendrix. Really tough. Pearl Jam started doing a couple covers from it immediately. Friend Steve and I caught them at the Nightlight before they broke up. Modern Girl is probably the typical one to look for, or the ripping Entertain, but this also is more of an album than just a bunch of Itunes releases. The eleven minute Let's Call It Love sounds like Led Zeppelin with Chrissie Hynde or Susie Sioux singing.
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1. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood-Neko Case.-A true American gothic. Very dark and windy. Reminds me of The Band or Dylan. I listen to it all the time.
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TTFN

Best Events of the Decade

One of my favorite websites is http://www.metacritic.com/. The site aggregates criticism, using some sort of proprietarial formula, and scores albums, movies, television shows, dvds, and games. For example, Avatar gets an 83, after scoring reviews by the NY Times, the Seattle Times, etc. Ninja Assasin gets a 34. (What????)
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If I’m bored, a good laugh is a sure thing by reading the bad reviews. Highly recommended. For example, “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” gets a 12. The critics say: “Eddie Murphy's latest comedy, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, takes place in the year 2087, which is about the earliest he can hope to be forgiven.” NY Daily News. “Cosmic slop.” Boston Globe. “So unremittingly awful that labeling it a dog probably constitutes cruelty to canines.” NY Post.
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Anyways, right now they’re putting up all sorts of Top 10s for the Decade. A few of my favorite bands scored very well, like Drive By Truckers, Neko Case, and Sleater Kinney in particular. No PJ though.
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All this got me thinking—I have a blog--why don't I try to figure out my favorite races of the decade? So, here’s a crack at it---my most memorable foot races of the decade. Not my fastest, not my best, necessarily, and definitely NONE of my Ski to Sea experiences, which are not fit for publication. Events only--just some of my favorite race memories:
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10. Silver Lake Cross Country 10k (2001). “The creators of “Lost” could not have written a better script.” I told some friends I knew of this great race up near Mt. Baker, got them to drive all the way up north, but I think somedoby pulled all the markings. I remember talking to someone in a field, “Which way is it?” and watching people criss-cross through trees and around hay bales without any assurance. The winning time I think was 46 minutes. Have you ever DNFed a 10k? I have.
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9. Cutthroat Classic (2003). I made it a half mile before taking my ankle out so bad that I was out for four or five months, I think. I crawled out. Not my finest hour--I learned a lot at this race. DNF.
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8. Seattle Marathon 2004. The green shirt year.
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7. Baker Lake 50k 2005. Rain, rain, rain. Sort of like Seattle, I had to pick one. I think I ran this one a little faster, but nothing to blog about. A lot of friends I came to know later were at this one.
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6. Rattler Half Marathon 2004. A near death experience, because I was in really bad shape. Friend Steve and I went over to Winthrop together, and he slept in the truck, and I slept outside next to a tumbleweed fire in really chilly weather before the race, because that sounded like a good idea, which it was not. In the morning, my internal organs felt like those blocks kids play with. I don’t remember sucking so bad in a race—I did have a pretty bad Turkey Trot once, but probably not as bad as this Rattler. Beautiful blue sage though, coming over the hill, which really made it worth it.
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5. Mount Masochist 2008. Dad crewed me, in my home state, Virginia, at the best time of year to be there, the fall. Maybe this should be number 1, but David Letterman never makes number 1 his best punch line. It’s usually four or five.
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4. Wasatch 2008. A hundred miles of heaven and hell. Amazing experience, and great summer of training and racing leading up to it. My friend BJ and I both won the lottery, trained, and both finished, which is all we cared about. Pretty cool. Plus Arches and Canyonlands the week before was pretty a dash ok.
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3. Cascade Crest 2007. I really wanted a buckle. First 100. Not fast, but steady enough. 18 hours of rain, and I cussed a few times.
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2. Whidbey Island 2002. Last time I ran a marathon with my friend Breean. It was the inaugural Whidbey—I was into inaugural stuff that year—also did North Olympic that year, I think.
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And the #1 event of the decade was:
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1. Chuckanut 50k 2004. My first ultra. Many friends showed and supported me. Holley ran the first eleven with me, which is probably illegal. Cousin Paul and Dave bought me my first DVD player while I was running, because they were very frustrated with how slow I was joining the DVD community. They also got me a Live Scorpions and a Scarface DVD to play in it. I ran horribly, awfully, with a sprained ankle the whole way, but I was determined I’d finish one of these things, after DNS’ing once or twice in the years before. Watersheds spring from humble streams.
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I’m forgetting something, many things, I'm sure. NB2V, Orcas, and USMC come to mind. I know my list doesn’t compare to others, but that’s ok. It’s still fun to mess with and reflect--it has been a good decade of running. I may toss a few more Best of Decade lists up if I get bored.
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Happy holidays, friends.

A Long December

It was not an exciting running weekend. I ran 17 miles on Blanchard yesterday, and then spent some time in a warm gym today, much like I did through the last week. A stick fell from a tree and hit me on the head. I don't think that's ever happened to me before. No injury. I ran into a couple sets of friends in the hills--fortuitous--probably because I ran in the middle of the day for once. It is pretty cold here right now, with temperatures rarely above 30 degrees for the last week. My friends said my hat had frost on it. There are big snow flakes dropping from the sky today.
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I have to say, a week later---I am really happy about my mental state with Western. I am already very focused, thinking about it. Thanks to everyone who called. It’s nice to have a race on the calendar to anticipate, to keep me from slacking during these cold months. Last winter I didn't have a real sense of anticipation of anything, and I felt it in my running come February. This year, because of Western, I find myself already going through that familiar mental process of thinking how can I be better, get ready, get more fit, make the most of my time? That’s so good for me, all around, and it is truly part of the “Why?” of why I do the whole ultras thing. Certain events really lend themselves to protracted favorable focus.
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So…last week I picked up a used copy of “The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging.” It cracks me up, because "Before The Deluge" is definitely not a “best practices” example, on so, so many counts. I do recommend the book. For example, here are the Huff's “Rules for Great Blogging”:
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1. Blog often
2. Perfect is the enemy of done
3. Write like you speak
4. Focus on specific details
5. Own your topic
6. Know your audience
7. Write short
8. Become part of the conversation
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Checking them off….I try to blog once a week. That's probably not a lot in a Twittering world, but I don't care. I'm all about delivering the substance. Clearly a lot of substance here. Substance all over the place. My blog posts aren’t perfect--that's obvious, but at least I don't go ALL CAPS. I probably use longer words when I talk than when I blog. The devil is in the details. Satan. My topic is running, sort of, but I’m not beyond blogging about a trip, a book, a traumatic experience from eighth grade that I just need to share about. I own my topic, whatever it is. I don’t know my audience, but I do have 1 Follower. For now. I’m holding off on the Follower picture block though, because it kind of makes me think of Jesus. I probably write too long. There is no conversation here.
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So, I started this thing as part of a New Year’s resolution to get more with it technologically. For a few months, I had Technology Tuesdays. Those who know me know I have a habit of dedicating a day a week to some self-improvement issue. Technology Tuesdays was much more successful than Wasted Wednesdays and Fiscal Fridays. I have to say, a couple years later, blogging has been good for training, and I enjoy tapping the keys and posting the pics. It’s nice to have a photo album of each year, and I’m not one to make it too personal a space, but it’s nice to share with friends. I also like having a page to update with links that interest me, my own little cause forum, and posting a calendar I can aspire towards. So it's ok.

Save Index Town Wall!

Index is awesome--Save The Wall!
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Dear Friends,

PLEASE HELP US SAVE INDEX TOWN WALL!
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On International Mountain Day, Friday, December 11, 2009, we will be holding a series of events to benefit the Index Climbing Fund. International Mountain Day was established by the United Nations as the day on which the world could focus on all the beauty and benefits provided by the mountains.
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The Index Climbing Fund was established earlier this year to purchase Index Town Wall, save it from destruction by quarrying, and give climbers access in perpetuity. What better way to celebrate all that mountains mean to us than by helping save Index Town Wall!
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During the day:

2-hour SELF-RESCUE CLINICS – FREE (but PLEASE donate!)
Whatcom YMCA Climbing Wall, Bellingham, WA
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
10:00 AM – 12 Noon
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

In the evening:

GIANT PARTY w/ Slideshows and Auctions – FREE
New York Pizza and Bar, Bellingham, WA 8:00 PM – 2:00 AM

10% of food & bar plus 100% of donation, raffle, and auction proceeds go to the Index Climbing Fund.For more information, and optional registration, please visit our website at http://aai.cc/imd.asp.
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Be sure to see the long list of GEAR, LIFT TICKETS, FREE TRIPS and other AMAZING stuff we'll be auctioning and raffling off. (Seriously ... Even we were shocked by our sponsors' generosity.) Sponsors include Black Diamond, Petzl, Kayland, Stevens Pass Ski Area, AlpineAire, the Access Fund, eGear, New York Pizza and Bar, Red Rock Rendezvous, Rock and Ice Magazine, the Whatcom YMCA, and the Washington Climbers Coalition.

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THE CHALLENGE: Save Index! Index has been Washington's premier granite crag for almost fifty years. Its steepness, the quality of its rock, and its clean, aesthetic lines are the stuff of legend. But it is located on private land, and in March the owner, under financial pressure, closed the land to climbers and began to seek buyers. A quarrying company expressed interest. Our beloved crag, apparently, would make fine building material.
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THE STRATEGY: Buy It.
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Enter the Washington Climbers Coalition. Moving quickly, in May the WCC negotiated an option to buy Index for the creation of a public park. The fund must raise $300,000; more than $100,000 has already been raised, and success is a realistic possibility.
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HOW YOU CAN HELP: Raise money and have a BLAST doing it! Come to our benefit events! The self-rescue clinics at the YMCA are FREE and open to the public, though pre-registration (at http://wire.mindfly.com/t/r/l/kjkyhl/jhmdrlid/y) is encouraged. The clinics are worth $80, and even if you donate just $25, you'll be providing BIG value to the fund and learning skills that might save your partner's life — or your own.
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At 8:00 PM, roll down to New York Pizza and Bar. You might win a free PETZL Nomad 9.8mm climbing rope FOR JUST WALKING IN THE DOOR! Once you're in, the first 50 people who buy raffle tickets will get a FREE night lift ticket to STEVENS PASS Ski Area.
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Alan Kearney and Alasdair Turner, guides extraordinaire and two of the best climbing photographers in the Northwest, will give slideshows.
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Then we'll auction off more gear from our sponsors, and we'll conclude by AUCTIONING OFF THREE OF OUR GUIDES! You could win a day in the mountains -- or a night on the town ;-) -- with an outstanding climber and teacher (worth $350). The party will go on until everyone's partied out, and the more you party, the more money we'll raise. So make sure you arrive hungry ... and thirsty!
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I don't know if I've reached you or not, so let me make one last personal appeal. First as a climber and then as a guide, I've known and loved Index since I was a child. My personal passion and professional life have been wrapped up in the Cascade Range for my entire life. Index is a gem, a place of perfect bliss and challenge. Losing it — permanently, irretrievably — is unthinkable to me. We are offering these events to express our commitment to our climbing community and to help protect the climbing way of life. American Alpine Institute and our guides personally are donating their time to help bring about a greater good for all of us. You are welcome to attend the Self-Rescue clinics free of charge and enjoy the party and slideshows for only the cost of food and beer. Even if all you give is your enthusiasm, PLEASE COME! Nothing builds a fundraising effort like enthusiasm. The magic will follow -- guaranteed.
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But if you do have some money to spare, PLEASE DONATE. You can donate either in person at our events, or by calling us with a credit card, or by visiting the WCC website. Please visit our website, http://wire.mindfly.com/t/r/l/kjkyhl/jhmdrlid/j, or call us at (360) 671-1505 for more information. Optional online pre-registration for the events is strongly encouraged.See you at the Y Climbing Wall, at New York Pizza, or in the mountains!
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Sincerely,
Dunham Gooding, Director
Jason Martin, Operations Manager and Senior Guide
and all the guides and staff of American Alpine Institute

Cascade River Road

I went for a Sunday drive today, up towards Cascade Pass on the Cascade River Road, east of Marblemount. I was hoping to get out in some backcountry snow but the road was gated 17 miles in, before it got high enough for any real snow. Great drive, just the same. The River Road had all sorts of old growth, right by the side of the road. I was hoping to see eagles on the way up, and they’re not here in droves yet, but I saw about fifteen. A few were in the river, feeding on steelhead, and then I saw a few pairs circling above. The picture above is of the Sedro-Woolley town Christmas tree.
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Fairhaven Frosty

25 degrees this morning in the Skagit. Brrrrrr. It took 15 minutes to warm up my truck, and I was slightly concerned about the water to antifreeze mix. I lost a $500 Peugeot for that reason years ago. So, I made a game-time decision this morning to do the Fairhaven Frosty. Love the Frosty. I do it most years. It’s a 10k put on by the Great Bellingham Running Club, with two loops for the 10k, one loop for 5. Lots of B'ham and Skagit friends I’ve been seeing at these events for years. The “race” starts at Fairhaven Park, the same place that C-nut starts, and the run then goes up C-nut Drive, take a left on Old Samish, left on the Interurban (trail that you finish C-nut on), and then loop back to the Park. I like the race because I always seem to do it with friends, usually at less than full speed. It's great to just hang out in the cold weather. Last year we were throwing snowballs. Also, the Frosty is a great bounce back run from the Seattle M, and I’m still a touch sore from that.
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Afterwards, it was lattes at Tony’s with friends. Of course I check my phone because I’m curious about Western States….and there’s an email from Alvin. Unbelievable....I got in! It's like a 17% chance. Completely unexpected, except that it was out there in a "you gotta play to win" sort of way. I'm excited, of course, and very surprised. It sure changes things for next summer, as I was beginning to put together plans to visit the ANWR in Alaska, which I still might do.
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So…here it is, reader(s)….the Top Secret key to winning ultra lotteries….the key is to hang out with Dean T. on the day of the lottery. Seriously. It’s worked every time. Same thing happened last year—we were running Alger Alp when the HR lottery went down. Dean’s the real deal. Also, I’m a Pisces. Someone was asking this week, so maybe that matters.
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Actually, my first reaction was to feel for those who didn’t get in. I don’t lead packs, I don’t run races every weekend, and I guess I'm a little self-conscious with regard to everyone else. I think of myself more as a trail guy who likes to run races because you don't have to pack a lot. I feel like there are others who would die for this, who are faster than me, that are more worthy. Make no mistake—I really want to run Western States. I love trails, I read Ultrarunning Mag cover to cover, and this is a granddaddy—that’s why I put in. Still, I really feel for those who did not get in. I guess I’m just very thankful for this terrific luck-out, and I’m going to make the most of it, especially as we sail through these winter months.
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Seattle Marathon

We had good marathon weather today. It was probably 45 degrees or so, overcast but temperate, little wind except heading west on the I-90 bridge, and no rain except on the drive down. I ran a 3:57. I seem to have a way with Seattle of just doing enough to come under four hours each year. Not particularly fast, but four hours is sort of a benchmark I like to keep up as the years go by. This was my seventh Seattle in a row, and ninth overall. I ran a 1:56 first half and a 2:01 second half, which is about even on this course, since the second half has many more hills. The pavement is not my thing, but I keep signing up. I did fine aerobically, rarely breathing hard, but the pounding was tough on me. I miss the Ivar's clam chowder afterwards.
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On to other adventures. I hope to stay busy this winter, maybe focus a bit more on fitness and diet, get out in the snow, and start next year better than this past year. I haven't been too happy with my running this year, even though I know I've done a lot of cool things. My favorite runs have been backcountry non-events. I'm hoping to pick an event or dream up an adventure that I can spend a few months training and looking forward to.

IRC on 60 Minutes Sunday

The International Rescue Committee is featured on 60 Minutes tomorrow, and coincidentally, I'm running the Seattle Marathon on their behalf the same day! Donations can be made here. The focus of the story is the Congo. It is absolutely horrific there right now, and the story is completely out of the news, as far as I can tell. 500,000 killed per year. Widespread rape. Emergency health conditions.

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Dear friends,

As you know, the International Rescue Committee is a lifeline to millions of people in Congo's violence-torn villages. This past summer, CBS' 60 Minutes traveled with the IRC to remote camps in North Kivu that shelter thousands of people displaced by recent fighting. With IRC's help, correspondent Scott Pelley and his crew were able to take a close look at one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and explore the root causes of Congo's chronic violence, including the illicit trade in conflict minerals.
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The segment is scheduled to air on CBS this Sunday, November 29. Please check local listings for broadcast times.
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IRC Fact Sheet on Congo Crisis:
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The Democratic Republic of Congo has been engulfed by conflict for over a decade and remains one of the world’s worst and most forsaken humanitarian crises. Following years of economic and political decline, the war of 1998-2002 led to extreme violence, massive population displacement, widespread rape, and the collapse of public health services. Despite the signing of a formal peace agreement in December 2002, the adoption of a new constitution in 2005, and national and local elections in 2006, conflict and eruptions of violence have persisted in the eastern provinces, causing extraordinary loss of life. Renewed violence in August 2008,
concentrated in North Kivu Province, and an escalation in LRA attacks in Orientale Province beginning in September 2008 led to wide-scale displacement. A resurgence in attacks against the civilian population occurred again during the joint military operations against the Hutu rebel force Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) throughout 2009.
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Amongst the deadliest conflicts in the world
An estimated 5.4 million people have died as a consequence of the war and its lingering effects since 1998. In spite of the official end of the war in December 2002, approximately 500,000 Congolese have continued to die each year.
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Civilians are the main victims
Over the past months, civilians have been carrying the burden of the UN supported Kimia II operations. Civilians have been caught in the middle of military attacks by the Congolese army and retaliation attacks by the rebels from the FDLR. Hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee, thousands of women and girls have been raped, and thousands of Congolese have lost their homes.
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One of the cruelest conflict zones for women and girls
Tens of thousands of women and girls have been raped, sexually assaulted, attacked and abducted in North and South Kivu, targeted by all armed groups with unparalleled levels of brutality.
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1/3 of the population in state of health emergency
DRC is in the bottom three nations in terms of life expectancy, education and standard of living, and these measures have declined by more than 10% over the past decade. Humanitarian agencies have identified 193 of the country’s 515 health zones as in a state of emergency; representing more than a third of the national population.
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The educational system is failing
An international group of donor nations recently concluded that the educational system in DRC is failing and that most rural children do not attend school. Lack of access to primary education, remains a major obstacle to forward momentum in DRC.
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The IRC in the Congo
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The International Rescue Committee is one of the largest providers of humanitarian aid in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since 1996, we have been working to save lives, revive communities and strengthen local capacity for recovery. IRC is a leader in providing critical health and emergency response services to those displaced by violence. We are also one of the most experienced organizations working to address the crisis of sexual violence in Congo. Operating with 750 staff members in seven of eleven provinces, our effective programs are designed to make a long-term impact–helping Congolese reclaim their future through education, training, and community development.
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IRC’s Emergency Response Team is helping thousands of people in need of emergency assistance in eastern Congo, providing medical equipment and drugs, emergency supplies, clean water, sanitation, educational programs, and aid for survivors of sexual violence.
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IRC also works on more long term solutions, bringing together over 1.7 million people in 1,250 wartorn villages, to help them address local needs, design their own recovery projects and ensure that the most marginalized and vulnerable have a voice in decisions and access to services.
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IRC works with thousands of people who have returned home after the conflict; providing medical care, drugs, re-building health centers and schools, providing educational programs, as well as aid delivery for rape survivors and vulnerable children according to the priorities of the communities.
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IRC has helped over 40,000 survivors of sexual violence and their families providing emergency care, counseling and other support services as well as seeking prevention measures and engaging in, advocacy to improve services and prevent violence nationally and internationally.
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IRC is working with the Ministry of Health to provide essential health care for 3.6 million people, constructing and repairing hospitals and clinics, supplying them with equipment and medicine, and training health workers.
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IRC increases access to education and forms community-based parent groups to support and strengthen schools and keep children learning, even during emergencies.

Thank You Anon!

Someone donated $250 on my page to the International Rescue Committee, for next Sunday's Seattle Marathon! That's so awesome! I guess this went down about a week ago, but I was slow to pick up on it. Many thank yous to you, Anon! You are amazing!
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Check out the link to the right. I am running the Seattle Marathon next weekend as part of Team IRC, which is a fundraising effort to benefit the International Rescue Committee in Seattle. The IRC is the perfect organization to support during this Thanksgiving season, as their mission is to help displaced refugees who've landed on our soil, after fleeing terrible situations around the world. Think Darfur, Rwanda, Burma, Somalia--bad things, really bad things. I think their work is the work of angels.
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"From harm to home," here's a brief summary from the IRC's site:
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"The IRC is one of the first to respond, one of the last to leave. For 75 years, the International Rescue Committee has been a leader in humanitarian relief. We mobilize quickly, bringing sustained support to regions torn apart by violence and deprivation. We provide a fresh start in the U.S. for refugees. And we advocate tirelessly on behalf of the displaced, addressing the root causes of violence and standing up for the world’s most vulnerable populations."
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Check out Maggi's story. She's team captain for our marathon effort.
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I'd like to rally a few more donors. The IRC is worth it. Any amount is great, and anonymous is just fine with me. Or email me and ask me about it. Donations are tax deductible, and the charity has the highest rating Charity Navigator gives. There's so much to be thankful for, really, and this is one great way to acknowledge it this time of year, while helping those who really need the help.
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Thanks Anon! And Happy Thanksgiving, all.

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!

Parks Are In This Week

National Parks are in this week. PBS is airing The National Parks: America's Best Idea in a six part series, starting Sunday at 8 PM. I went to a special preview last night at the Lincoln Theater in MV, sponsored by a number of local conservation groups. It looks really really good, particularly if you're into the history of conservation. Also, as a prequel, KCTS-9 is going to run a special episode tonight at 7:30 on Washington State National Parks. There's nothing quite like going out for a long day in the Olympics or the North Cascades, or something a little more distant like Yellowstone.

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Also, a special commission on national parks published a long anticipated report just yesterday, with specific recommendations to Congress and the President on steps to improve and expand the park system--and ideal---over the next century. The "National Parks Second Century Commission" includes such notables as Sandra Day O'Connor and E.O. Wilson, a famous biologist--the report has credibility. Their 52 page report is here-it's worth a skim.

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"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it very hard to plan the day."--E.B. White, taken from last night.

Easy Pass

It’s been a while since I spent four or five hours in the mountains in steady rain, but that’s what I got Saturday. My original plan was to do a 28 mile point to point, from Easy Pass to Colonial Creek in the North Cascades. I canned that on account of the rain and I suppose I had mixed feelings about going the whole distance anyway. Like Milli Vanilli, I'm going to blame it on the rain. (: Instead, I made it up to the Pass and then a bit into Fisher Basin, which was fine—actually, pretty cool, now that I’m back and dry. I do want to go back and see Fisher Basin, as that's pretty remote stuff.
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It wasn’t a hard rain but it wasn’t mist either—just a steady, 55 degree rain. I have a new gore-tex shell for outdoors stuff, and this was its first real test. Mostly, I walked slowly with the hood up, listening to the rain, checking out the ecology. It was very quiet, except for the pitter pat of rain on the hood. Nobody was on the trail, and all the wildlife seemed to have taken cover. I was really hoping to see some goats. I did not really run--this was more a hike.
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I chose Easy Pass for Saturday because I wanted to look for golden larches (actually “subalpine larches”), which are a conifer that turn gold in the fall, and are only found on the east side of the Cascades. I’ve been reading about them here and there lately. It’s easy for me to tail off on going up high this time of year, but this year I’d like to catch more of the fall color. I knew Easy Pass is a good place to look for the larches, and for the record, I believe the upper Enchantments are also good.
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Turns out I was a bit early, as the larches are just now starting to change colors, but you can see some change in their color if you click on the right picture below. There is also a lot of red color on this hike right now, with fireweed and heather dying off. Huckleberries are still out. Even if they aren't fully golden yet, the larches I found are spooky cool, with their weathered, twisted look, especially with the clouds passing through the Pass.
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The other thing I’d like to remember about this hike is the mushrooms at the lower elevations. I don’t know mushrooms for the life of me, but the ones on this trail are absolutely amazing—many are over a foot across, and they look like bird baths, with puddles of water in their tops. They come in all sorts of bright reds, yellows, and whites, matched against lush green moss on dead trees. It made me think of Alice in Wonderland—they were so big they seemed unreal.