2019 Recounted

As I like to do, here is a year-end list for 2019--

1.              Arlington National Cemetery and Gettysburg

We laid my Dad to rest in Arlington Cemetery, and visited the Gettysburg to honor his memory. 2019 will always be the year I lost my Dad, and everything else was second, and so I have to have this slotted up top. Arlington is haunting, with its fields of white tombstones. Gettysburg too, standing by rocks on Devil's Den, knowing the close quarters combat that happened there, less than two lifetimes ago.

2.              Monogram Lake

            Mike and I had  a nice, hard hike up to Monogram Lake in the North Cascades, right outside of Marblemount. Be warned: this is a climb! Maybe 5k up, but it felt like more--it felt like we’d never get there. Round trip was over 10 miles. We made it, finally, and found a gorgeous  mid-sized alpine lake, sitting beneath a cirque of cliffs. We tried to catch fish—it was a way to honor my Dad, who loved to fish—but the best I could do was lose a lure and bobber, forcing me to go for an impromptu swim. Fishing is reportedly good here--I'm just not. Great blueberries and wildflowers (lupine, astors, heather) along the way. Bear country.

3.              The Big Island

            Deborah and I visited the Big Island again, and I am sold—I could live there. Our condo was right on the water—so close, I could throw a baseball and bounce it off a sea turtle, probably. We visited Hilo and the Merrie Monarch Festival, Hawaii’s celebration of hula. This is a beloved festival for Hawaiians. I went for a pre-sunrise walk eight mornings in a row, which allowed me to see a quiet Kona and get coffee to start the day. No races this year., but a bit of running by the water. We toured a chocolate farm, visited Hawi and the north end, and attended my first luau, long overdue after many trips to the Hawaii. Aloha is a state of mind, which needs regular updating.

4.              Chuckanut 50k

            This year's Chuckanut 50k was probably not a good idea for me, but I finished, for the seventy time, fifteen yeas after my first. I am a not a good example on how to approach this though. I got up in the C-nuts before the race to train, but not nearly enough. This was a serious snow year. RD Krissy put in an early start and added an hour to the finish. I needed most of that time to get it done. I was passed by runners and walkers all day, and it got to be funny hearing how people addressed me:  “Thank you boss!” “Thank you sir!” “”Looking good!”(No.)   Great job as always by Krissy, Kevin, Gretchen, and everyone. So good to see many friends. Due to peer pressure, I am scheduled again for this event this coming March. We'll see.

5.              March Point Half Marathon

            This local course out by Anacortes is so beautiful, circling March Point and then traveling over saltwater on the Tommy Thompson Trail. I saw some seals, eagles, and herons. A small crowd for the half, but plenty of support, and a great barbq at the end. I love all the local options for events around here. Annually, there are probably a dozen half marathons within a half hour or so of home, if I start counting them up. This is one of the best.

6.              Sourdough Mountain

            My friend Craig and I both list Sourdough Mountain as one of our very favorite hikes around Washington State. It is a hard climb, but the views up top are outstanding, and it has great history and character. We finally got to cover the loop together. I was a little nervous, wondering if I was up for the distance, but it all went fine, and the hike was beautiful as always.  The back side seemed longer than ever though, with no water from the top down, and a barely cared for trail. The back side gives an entirely different view. Craig’s company made this day, as we chatted quietly about everything from John Muir to current events.

7.              Lookout Mountain

 After reading a great book on lookouts in Washington, I wanted to start tagging some of the ones I haven’t. This was a wonderful quiet morning in the early fall,  alone, This is a tough climb, and I didn’t get much in the way of views, but the Lookout was really cool.. I loved the quiet alone time on trail. The first half of the hike is the same route as Monogram. Love the North Cascades, and this one is a great trail for the hard workout and proximity to home.

8.              Monterey Bay, California and Big Sur

            I made the most of a work trip, visiting Monterey, Point Lobos Nature Reserve, Big Sur, Cannery Row, and the Salinas Valley. The clam chowder on the wharf is memorable. I also threw in a 5k—the only open race—on a beautiful out and back course in Pacific Grove.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium is really worth visiting—very educational on conservation issues, and downright stunning  aquatic viewing. 

9.              New York City- Global Citizen and Central Park

            We attended the Global Citizen Festival again, on the Great Lawn in Central Park, which was incredible. My favorite was Alicia Keys, especially her New York song. Queen was great too, and Carole King. The passion of the kids and celebrities supporting great causes was inspiring. I also got out one morning and ran the full 6 mile loop of Central Park. Crazy to see commuters on skate boards cutting through the Park. We visited Liberty Island and Ellis Island, Little Italy, and Chinatown.  We also walked through the Park to go to The Met, and I got my fill of Van Gogh and Rothko.  The Play It Loud exhibit, filled with instruments from all the legends, was terrific. A really great trip.  Now, every time when we see we the Big Apple on a TV or a movie, which is just about every day,  we say, “We were there!”

10.       Packrafting the Sauk River

Seth and I got out twice this year, as I recall.  The first was a very pleasant walk in the snow on the Cascade Trail for the Woolley Half Marathon. We walked most of the way, and the conversation was good. Terry joined us for a bit. Later in the year, I tried "packrafting" with him and Ellen on the Sauk, a tributary of the Skagit.  I was a complete and total disaster on the river, and we had to walk me out after I got hung up and later dumped. Alive and well, it makes for a funny story now. This will always be a favorite memory of mine for this past year, due to the adventure of it, and thepure beauty of the Sauk River. 

The year was filled with many other great experiences. I think one of my favorite moments was attending the Rolling Stones concert with Deb in Seattle. They were outstanding, and a band I always wanted to see. Giddy. We also saw Queen and Adam Lambert in Tacoma with Dan and Heidi, in addition to at Global Citizen. Mike and I caught The Who at T-Mobile not too much later, with a guest appearance from Eddie Vedder. Deb and I saw the Mariners and the Aquasox a few times, always a summer joy. There were local birding trips. I rekindled my joy for reading books, opting for books over other forms of entertainment often. 

There were a number of other races. I finished my 16^th Baker Lake 50k. Another Nookachamps Half in the books, slow if I recall correctly. I also completed the 50^th edition of the Seattle Marathon, on a chilly day. Another Skagit Flats half, and some  volunteering with Skagit Runners. I also volunteered at Cascade Crest 100 at Little Bear, visiting with many old friends. It wouldn’t be the Fourth without a Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace. Mike and I also ran the Labor Day Half, a race I PRed in back in the late '90s, on a Redmond trail I've biked, hiked, and ran on since the early '80s. Who says you can't go back?

In between football games on Sunday, I put down a beautiful 10k on Little Mountain, to support local trail work efforts. Also, so great to hike the back end of the Baker Lake Trail one rainy Saturday with Deb, Carrie, and Brad. Going slow here opened up new sights to me, and it was the company that made the day special. There was a crazy night, where I got up at 12 AM and drove out to Samish Island, to look for the aurora borealis. I saw a few columns, standing in a spooky field. Early in the year, I ran most of the Cascade River Trail by myself, to join Skagit Runners for pizza at Annie's. This is a club tradition.

Today is the start of a new decade. New goals, new hopes, new adventures. Thanks to all who check in here, and for your continuing friendship. All my best wishes for the new year and decade to you and yours.

Big Island

I'm running behind, but running on. We went to the Big Island a few weeks ago to celebrate five years. I walked every morning, and ran a bit, but it was really a vacation--and a terrific one at that. We went to our first luau, in Kona. We drove to Hilo for the Merrie Monarch Festival, the Hawaiian Islands celebration of all things hula. A visit to the Tsunami Museum, of all places. We went to the top of the island, to Hawi and the Pololu Valley Lookout, pictured below. The Sweet Potato Kitchen was sweet. We toured a chocolate farm, in addition to visiting fruit stands and coffee farms. We watched eight sunsets over water, and left longing for more.
 

Pololu Lookout

Hilo Farmers Market

 

Buried pig, unbured pig, at the Luau

Chocolate Pods

King Kamahala Statue - near Hawi

The Painted Church

Best of 2018

This was a year to remember, like few others. I won't capture it all here, but as I do every year, here are some highlights from running, trails and travel for 2018.  

1.             New York City Marathon

I was thrilled to receive the news early this year that I lotteried into the New York City Marathon. I have wanted to run this marathon since I was a teenager, when I watched the now legendary finish where Rod Dixon passed Geoff Smith in the final half mile for the win. There's only one New York, and running the five burroughs in a day is a great way to see the city. I was just one of 50,000+ runners, making my way through town. 

The best part of the day was finding my wife Deborah at the finish line. It has been an eventful year for us. Her excitement and joy for me in this simple accomplishment warmed my heart in the best way possible. Just being able to get to New York to do this trip together was a mission extraordinaire, and one which had our focus until the week before. The race and trip were also special because my sweet sweet AC and her husband Dave joined us. Seeing them at Mile 16 was a highlight, as was attending the Lion King on Broadway with them. Throw in a visit to MoMA (Starry Night! Warhol!), some Bolivian after-race food, Central Park, and everything else NYC, and it was one amazing trip.

2.             The Fowl Run 10k

I run the Fowl Run in Mount Vernon most years, in early November. The race is so well organized, and is minutes from home. The course is flat, on a familiar route, passing through neighborhoods and fields, with swans usually somewhere along the way. I'm putting this event near the top of my highlights for the year because I ran the race in under an hour. I set this 10k goal at the start of the year, and here I met it. While not an extraordinary time, it reflect that this was my best year in running in the past five years.  Something to build on.

3.             The Big Island

 We went back to the Big Island! Aloha! The trip was spectacular. Several months later, I think maybe our favorite part was seeing the star show up on Mauna Kea. It was a cloudy, cold day up high, and we didn’t have much hope of seeing stars. But once the sun went down, the sky cleared and the universe opened up to us. Astronomers had their big telescopes out, and with their laser pointers they directed us around the Zodiac, the Pleiadies, and the Milky Way.  I've seen stars from high altitude before, but I think this was a first for Deborah. The rest of the trip was great of course too—when is it not great in Hawaii? Highlights included the Botanical Garden (amazing plant biodiversity), the Hilo Farmer’s Market, touring coffee farms, a horse ride on the range, and watching the Hawaii morning news with coffee. I managed to also fit in the Run for the Hops 5k, which is a well organized event, with the fruits of Hawaii at the finish line.

4.             The Woolley Runs Marathon

So, I did this event again, and not well. I really like it--flat, quiet, and a time to meditate on trail. This event ranks here, in a kind of infamy,  because I did the whole thing with an umbrella, in classic ultrarunner style. It wasn’t pretty, but it was pretty special in its own way--wind coming in hard, umbrella collapsing, a few chipper words from Stan as his tent blew over--just that kind of day.

5.             Nookachamps Half Marathon

 This one wasn’t pretty either, but it makes the list because Mike and Rich came up, and afterwards we had a full day of breakfast and birdwatching in the Skagit Flats. Just good to spend time with friends outside.

6.             Mercer Island Half Marathon

The only special thing about this one is that I did it,, for the first time, after knowing about the event for 30+ years. I've done most of the major, long-time events in Western Washington--probably Eastern Washington too. For me, this has been a glaring omission, especially since in my late teens, or so, I worked on Mercer Island. This is another terrific event, on a beautiful rolling course, with views of beautiful houses and Lake Washington. Hopefully I get back sooner than later.

7.             The Seattle Marathon

 
For the first time in a few years, I went ahead and did the full marathon. I used to have an annual streak on this race that was double digits. The course changed this year, and there seems to be fewer runners than in the past. I feel like the event needs a recharge. Still, I really enjoyed my day, and especially running the first half with Rob and logging some miles on the Burke-Gillman. 

8.            Spokane River Run 25k

I made the journey east to Spokane for the first time in probably a decade, to visit a good friend and his family, and then to run the Spokane River Run 25k. I managed to listen to all of Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology on the way. The Spokane River Run rolls through Riverside Park, mostly on soft trail through lodgepole pine. It is not technical, but it is beautiful eastern Washington running and supports a good cause. I sort of wish I had just done the 50k. Cause to return, I suppose.

9.            Washington D.C.

 I had to visit DC for a conference in December, and fit in some meaningful family time in the process. A brief window opened up, and so I laced up and ran the monuments, including the National Christmas tree. Washington D.C. is a great town for workout runs, because you can pass iconic site after site. My favorite discovery on this run was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, above the reflecting pool, where MLK's spot for his "I have a dream" speech is marked.

10.         Skagit Runs

OK, this is not an event either, but I had some downright terrific runs from our doorstep this year. I stretched things out a bit, going 10, 12, up to 14 miles. These runs quickly got me out into the corn fields of the Skagit flats, running by barns and farm equipment, as well as along the Skagit River, and into other quiet country places. My focus was to just maintain a pace, and these runs became valuable escapes for me on Saturday mornings. I made a conscious shift to focus on running a steady pace, as opposed to the run/walk pace that trails sometimes demand. We live in a beautiful part of the world, and there is a lot to be seen, right here in the valley. I feel like these runs, even more than the events, helped me get a little more back into the flow of running. 

The year was full, with many more events and runs.  As typical, I ran the Berry Dairy Days Half, the Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace, and the March Point 10k.  I ran my 15^thconsecutive Baker Lake 50k, on a beautiful day.  There was a Skagit Flats Half—a new tradition, I ‘m thinking; and a Padden Relays. 

I didn’t spend much time in the high country—hopefully I’ll make up for that this year. There was a day where Seth and I tried rockhounding, visiting the Walker Valley site in Skagit Valley looking for geodes. Pretty funny, the two of us pounding rocks with ordinary hammers, with motorcycles buzzing around. Found one, which though small, sits in my office. There were also numerous drives around the valley with Deb, including one memorable drive out to the Farmhouse. 

There were also some high quality shows. A Pearl Jam show with Seth F., albeit a tough one for me, though it was said to be one of their best. Deb and I saw the incomparable Angelique Kidjo cover the Talking Heads Remain in the Light album at Benaroya. We also saw the Lion King on Broadway with AC and Dave. And perhaps my favorite: Hamilton at the Paramount with Deb in February, a show to remember.

The Big Island 2018

We had a wonderful week this year in our return to the Big Island of Hawaii.  We missed sharing the experience with our family and friends, but we made great use of our time.

On our first full morning, we went horseback riding at Dahana Ranch outside of Waimea. What a great experience! Our guide was terrific, and we had the ranch to ourselves for a couple hours. I am not a skilled rider, but I hope to do this again. Years ago, I went with family in Maui through a preserve--this was more of an open range type ride. My horse's name was Beachbum.

We stayed in Kona, and visited the farm market, beaches and restaurants. We cooked for ourselves mostly in our rented condo. One day, we took a tour of Greenwell Farms, a coffee farm established in the 1800s. We visited macadamia nut farms and the Big Island Bess honey operation. We also visited the town of Hawi on the north side.

Mid-week, we drove north, again through Waimea, and then went down the Hilo Coast to Hilo. We visited Akaka Falls and hiked the loop. Then, we visited the Wednesday Hilo Farmer's Market, which is fantastic.  I ate a lot of varieties of poke on this trip, including at Hilo's Farmer's Market. We also visited the Hawaiian Botanical Gardens, outside of Hilo, which is spectacular. Plants from all over, of all sorts--cacao, orchids, bird of paradise, and so on. Very worthwhile--I could've spent all day there.

That evening, we went up to Mauna Kea, to the 9200 foot Visitor Center.  The peak itself is above 13,000 feet, but was closed to private drivers due to 80 mph winds. I climbed a ridge above the Visitor Center, hoping to see the sunset, but the clouds were coming through strong. We were there to see the stars--this is one of the best places in the world for stargazing. Things didn't look promising, but once the sun set, the clouds dropped below us, and the stars and milky way came out.  The Center turns off all white lights--using only red lights--and brings out some heavy duty telescopes. We saw Pleiades and the Orion Nebula through the telescope. Two astronomers then gave a star show, using a laser pointer to point out constellations and tell stories about them. This was a pretty special night.

We visited Pu'uhonua O Honohnau Nationa Park, a beautiful old Hawaiian village which served as a place of refuge for warriors during conflicts. Next door, some of the best snoring on the island is at the renowned "Two Step", so named because there is a two step ledge you use to launch into swim-only snorkeling. We then discovered another beach, Honolei, just cruising around. A great day was completed with island fresh smoothies at the South Kona Fruit Stand.

On the morning of our departure, I once again ran the Kona Brewer's Festival Run for the Hops. This year, I only did the 5k, because I wanted to get back quick to pack, but this is a terrific local race. The shirt has a manta ray on it--cool!---and the finish line had all sorts of fresh fruit.

Hopefully we get back soon! Mahalo, Big Island!

Seriously

It's not all surf and sand

Greenwell Farms, founded in 1850s, specializing in Kona's coffee

Akaka Falls--beautiful short hike, tall falls

Bird of Paradise--Hawaiian Botanical Gardens

Hilo Farmer's Market

Poi

 Telescope on Mauna Kea-- in the day, on the sun--best look at the sun, ever

Tiki Gods

Run for the Hops

Our Last Breakfast

The Big Island

We had an amazing trip to the Big Island. We spent time with family and friends, and were there for just over a week. Highlights included hiking through a live crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, snorkeling with manta rays, whale watching off the Kona Coast, and lots of good fishy eats.

Here are a few pictures. The picture above is the manta ray experience, which I'd recommend to all friends who go there. You float, hanging on to a surfboard, with snorkel and goggles, and then they turn on an LED light. This is at night. The light attracts phytoplankton, which is dinner for the manta rays. They come up and do somersaults with their mouth wide open, taking in the phytoplankton. The mantas are 8 to 16 feet wide. Big. And they come up right next to you. Totally amazing experience, like nothing I've ever done. My sweet wife surprised me with this as a gift.

Whale watching was nice. Humpback whales, swimming in pairs. March is still Hawaii whale season, and I really wanted to get out there, at least once, to watch. We saw a bunch. My photography skills are lacking.

Our condo was terrific. We stayed at the Kona Reef. The photo right below is the view from our lanai. We were walking distance to town, which made it really fun.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park included a hike through a lava tube! Short, but how often do you get to do that? We didn't see hot, red lava--maybe we should've tried harder. We did hike across a crater, and visit the main volcano. We also went down to Hilo, and had a wonderful lunch, and visited the local stores.

Friends Mike and Fran were there for part of the time. So awesome! I hiked with them to the supposedly green sands beach. There's a picture or two below. We have lots of green algae beaches in the northwest that are much greener, so consider me unimpressed. My favorite part of this was sharing the walk with Mike and Fran, which had a sort of desolate, bottom of the world kind of feel, looking out at the blue sea.  On their final day, we also got to visit a Kona Coffee Farm and a Macadamia Nut Farm.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I ran the Brewfest 10k in Kona. Gosh, that was hot, and I was slow.

What more to say?  This was one of my favorite vacations ever, and I want to go back, because there is much left to explore, and because it's Hawai'i.