Little Bear Aid Station - Cascade Crest 100

We had the great pleasure of volunteering at the Cascade Crest 100 miler this weekend. My good friends BJ and Erica did a bang up job of taking care of all the logistics, and so were just there to help as we can, and spend the afternoon with friends. Mike, Aly Deb, and I made up the rest of the crew. The aid station captain was Killer, BJ and Erica's fierce pooch.

This is a new aid station, sitting right on the Pacific Crest Trail, at Mile 19.7.  It's an interesting point in the race, as the runners have already made it up the Goat Peak climb, as well as a new pull up Blowout Mountain, the second highest point on the course, at 5750 feet. Most looked fresh; some were showing signs of fatigue. With 80 more miles to go, things are just getting interesting here.

Great to see Rich making the run. He did so awesome, finishing fast, in addition to leading the effort to put on such a great event! So many other long-time friends, both at the start and through the aid station.

The drive out to this aid station is more than an hour, over some rocky, dirt roads. Beautiful setting. The nice thing about this aid station is we were able to watch the start of the race, and then get to the aid station for the first runners, who came through sometime around noon-thirty, I think.

The best part of the day was hanging with good friends, and seeing so many peeps I haven't seen in so long. I felt very inspired. I've done this race a couple times, but it has been several years now. I'm still young enough to get out and toe the line again, so that's something to move forward towards. Finishing Cascade Crest is such an accomplishment, and its always great to see everyone's immense and justified pride in making this journey.

Weather-wise, it was a little cooler than expected on the ridge. I wish we brought warmer clothes. Weather conditions cannot be assumed when it comes to this course. The microclimates can vary significantly.

The course re-route takes you around Blowout Mountain. At the end of the day, I walked up to the top of Blowout Mountain, and along the way said hi to friend Glenn, who was taking his great photos, as usual. Unfortunately, my view was obscured by clouds, but it's clearly a 360 view with Mount Rainier figuring prominently.

One more bonus for the day was meeting a number of thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. Most were headed northbound ("Nobos"), and were excited to find our "trail magic" of an aid station. "Yes, we'll take your garbage and lighten your load! Sure have a ho-ho!" Some delighted trekkers there! Another inspiring group. I studied their packs, and listened to their stories. Maybe someday, I'll be making this journey as well.

Chinook Pass Loop

I completed the Chinook Pass Loop, down by Mount Rainier National Park yesterday.  The route is approximately 32 miles, and starts and ends at Chinook Pass. You can go clockwise or counter-clockwise, though I'd recommend counter-clockwise, because the final 5 miles on the clockwise route are tough uphill miles.

The basic route begins from the Chinook Pass parking lot, where you want to head towards the pedestrian bridge, pictured below. The clockwise route launches off onto the Pacific Crest Trail through the William O. Douglas Wilderness. To make this a loop, you then turn off onto the Laughingwater Creek Trail, and then come back via the Eastside Trail.

I was inspired to do this by friends Kathy and Ras Jahson, as part of their UltraPedestrian Wilderness Challenge. Thank you! You two got me out there, testing my limits--as I really wasn't in shape for this--and now here I sit reflecting back fondly on the day. Thanks too to friend Seth for giving me pointers on the loop the day before, having already run it a week or two before. Good memories, all--thanks!

I like that this adventure was in the William O. Douglas Wilderness. William O. Douglas grew up in Yakima, attended Whitman, and later went on to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court for several decades in the middle 20th century. He also wrote about the outdoors, and was quite an interesting character. In one famous decision, he argued unsuccessfully that trees should have standing in court. I have heard him called "Gooseberry Douglas".

I drove down the night before, arriving at 11:30 PM, and napped in the car until about 3 AM. I took an hour-plus figuring out where the trailhead was, and then getting my stuff ready. I locked the car at 4:21 AM, with the full moon still riding the sky.  I wanted to start even earlier, because I knew it was going to be a 90 degree day, and I melt in the sun. A night hike on the PCT on a warm summer night sounded classic. I settled for a pre-dawn start, which was great.

The PCT section is in full wildflower bloom right now. The trail is lined with wild blue lupine and Indian paintbrush, and their are fields of these everywhere. It's world class beautiful. The trail is easy running, with views of various lakes and hillscapes.  Mount Rainier pops out magnificently in certain sections, and Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens were also clear in the distance. I had the whole PCT to myself--early morning solitude, I suppose.

The Laughingwater Creek section of the trail is delightful, if you're headed down. It's easy and fast running, with just roots to look out for.  There's probably a loss of 3000 feet on the way down. I didn't see a lot of the Laughingwater Creek, but the area is well-shaded, and includes several little lakes. I ran into Jon headed the counterclockwise direction, also pursuing the challenge. Well-met, we were both enjoying empty trails and world-class views.

The Eastside Trail portion begins at beautiful Silver Falls, and soon thereafter the Grove of the Patriarchs. I stopped at the Grove to check out the old growth cedars and Douglas firs. The Eastside Trail is quiet and does not seem well-traveled by tourists, except near the Grove. Crystal clear water runs atop well rounded river rock in Chinook Creek, which parallels the trail. I didn't see Chinook salmon in the creek, but they may be running now.

The 90 degree afternoon sun was tough for me. I wore long sleeves and a hat with flaps, and the Eastside Trail was shaded, but it still got through, sapping me each time I walked through an unshaded area. I'm not in the shape for a distance like this, too. So, I had to sit on and off, taking my time, and listening to my body. Some of the pitches on the last 3 mile section to Cayuse Pass are miner type trails, going straight up the slope. For a bit there, I was contemplating sleeping on the hill. Even after Cayuse, there's still more climbing to be done to get to Chinook Pass, though not quite as steep. Fair warning to those who choose clockwise.

It was a monumental struggle for me, but I finally made it, happily climbing that last stretch, and coming out to Tipsoo Lake, circled in lupine, with couples and families strolling, taking pictures.

Stehekin Run

Stehekin is a town on the north end of Lake Chelan, accessible only by boat, plane or trail. No roads in. It is known for its remote mountain bakery, the Stehekin Pastry Company, and as a place to truly get away from it all. I’ve always wanted to run there, and on Saturday I finally made it happen, with a 36 mile Pacific Crest Trail run.

I met my friend Craig at 4:40 AM in Burlington, and we drove up to the Bridge Creek trailhead together, where we met up with Heather, Brian and Catherine. Heather had originally suggested the run, and was a rockstar, managing to fit in an extra 14 miles for a cool 50 on the day. Brian and Catherine made a weekend of the run, coming out on Sunday after a night in Stehekin. Good plan.

As far as backcountry runs go, this one is pretty different. We had to make it 18 miles down the trail to the remote High Bridge campground by 12 noon, so that we could then catch the North Cascades shuttle bus down to the Bakery and the lake. After a few hours in the area, the plan was to catch the return shuttle back to High Bridge, and run it back out. So—basically, long trail run, a sweet intermission for pastries, and then another long trail run.

It was cold at the start of the day, mist and rain. The forecasts said showers, but in the North Cascades, you never know, as there are all sorts of microclimates and rainshadows. It turned out to be a great day, with increasingly improving weather as we approached Stehekin. I think it rained all day back home.

There are many trails into the town of Stehekin. We took the Pacific Crest Trail, which is a relatively easy route. Our path was broken into two segments: the Bridge Creek Trail, and the Old Wagon Trail. The Bridge Creek trail travels through subalpine forest and open slopes, and crosses the creek at a junction with the North Fork. Parts of this run seemed very backcountry.

After roughly 13 miles, the PCT trail converges with the Stehekin Valley trail, at Bridge Creek Camp. This section is called the Old Wagon Trail, and it is gorgeous in the fall, reminding me of the east coast this time of year, with its mix of deciduous and coniferous trees, changing colors. The trail continues to parallel Bridge Creek.

One of the coolest things about this run was seeing the recent burn from the Rainbow Bridge fire, which has shut down many trails on this side of the park this summer. I didn’t like seeing burnt old growth per se, but you could smell the fire, see the charred trees, and then you could also see the new bushes, ferns and other growth turning color with the fall. A striking dichotomy. I have a good friend who used to study fire ecology—it is really fascinating stuff.

We indeed made it to High Bridge by 11:15, and it was actually pretty easy. We slowed down quite a bit towards the end, talking with thru-hikers on the PCT, near their finish, and kicking around. The gorge at High Bridge is killer, with 100s of kokanees visible swimming in the water, and the river rocky and wild. The charming old shuttle bus arrived on time, and we drove down into the valley, first visiting the Stehekin Valley Ranch, and then the bakery, and then finally Lake Chelan and the Landing.

The Bakery may be the best aid station of all time, ever. After running 18 miles on mountain trail, in the mist, corn chowder and a gooey cinnamon roll were just the ticket. I ate way too much, throwing down a piece of pizza and a mountain bar on the way out, and suffered for it on the return. The Landing was a pleasant spot, where taking a nap seemed just right. We ran into more PCT thru-hikers, and I checked out the National Park Visitor Center.

Getting going again on the way back was tough, after roughly a 3 hour break. But we did, and soon we were motoring uphill, hiking when necessary, running when able. It did get tough towards the end—it just was a long day, but we stayed steady, and were back at the car by 7:45, and home for Saturday Night Live.

Some pics below, more pics here.