Sourdough Mountain

 

Mike and I made a go at Sourdough Mountain this morning, getting up to about 4400 feet before turning around due to snow.  Rainy morning, rain like a rain forest, where the rain is everywhere, but not pounding, with birds still chirping.  But lots of rain.  It was one of those days—rains all day, until you get back to the car.   

The first three miles up were as steep as ever, forcing me to catch my breath a number of times, but ultimately a very good climb.  It seems I don’t really have downhill muscles either these days.  It was a good workout—just what I needed.

We got an early start, leaving Mount Vernon at 6 AM, and were first to the trailhead, but we never saw anyone all day anyway.  I’m sure it’s possible to get up to the top now with the right equipment, but the trail looks to be about three weeks away still.

Stopped for honey in Marblemount, purchased on the honor system!, and then Annie’s flying chicken pizza in Concrete.  

For past reports about Sourdough Mountain, a favorite of mine, click here, here, or here. On a good day, the views from the top are some of the best around. It's also a mountain with some history.

King Tut

In the 1970s, King Tut toured the U.S. courtesy of Egypt. Steve Martin made a lot of moolah with his song King Tut, and the exhibit was a bit of a sensation. As a kid, I always wanted to go, sort of, but it never happened.

Fast forward to 2012. An even bigger King Tut display is in Seattle, perhaps for the last time. Really recommend checking it out. The sheer age of all the exhibits is staggering. Everything is 3500 years old, and yet the workmanship is so impressive. I thought it was very worthwhile. I landed tickets through my alumni association--there are ways to get discounts. Recommend paying the $5 extra for the handheld self-tour recording--lots of extra info.

Scribes below in the stone. Pic above is Tut, and is a stopper for a container which contained one of his organs. Statue below is another ancient king. Below that is a cat sarcophagus, made of stone. Plus some more pics.

Nashville

I went to Nashville for a professional conference a week or so ago. Six days, five nights in the south, in June. Wasn't as humid as it could be, but the thunder rolled a few days. Gully washers. I ran a bit, but mostly I worked sun up to sun down, afterwards making it downtown a few times.

Nashville is a blast. Calling itself Music City, the bands there play all sorts of stuff, though mostly country and whatever will earn a tip. I suspect they'll never get too far from the Appalachian roots. I think I heard seven different versions of Old Crow Medicine Show's Wagon Wheel. Alabama's Mountain Music, Devil Went Down to Georgia, and anything by Jason Aldean seemed en vogue. I realize some would call this the fourth circle of Hell. They'll sing about that too. For a tip.

I'm told the Red, White and Blue trails at Percy-Warner Park are the place to run. Didn't get out there, regrettably, but I'll blog about them anyway. The terrain and flora seem similar to Virginia and the mid-Atlantic, though warmer. I thought the country was beautiful. Really regret not having a car, as I wanted to run the RC/Moon Pie Festival 10 miler, but it was some 50 miles away on a day where I had to be in conference. There is a local running club, for group runs.

Everyone recommends Jack's Bar B Q downtown for eats, and a trip through Robert's Western World and Tootsies Lounge are said mandatory. Learned a lot about barbq on this trip--hit Jack's twice, favor the Carolina Sauce. Toured the Ryman, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and wandered the streets. Popped into Gruhn's Guitars, a favorite of musicians. Caught a night at the Grand Ol Opry, with Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan and Craig Morgan, contemporary stars.

Max's Shortcut

 

Usually June brings warmer days, but the rain makes everything in the wood glow in green.  My Achilles doesn’t really allow me to run, and with gas prices as they are, I didn’t feel like going too far.  So this weekend I wandered around my favorite mountain again.

Max’s Shortcut is a 2.6 mile trail connecting Lilly Lake and a connector trail to the Blanchard overlook.  I don’t get on this trail enough, as it is perfect for running.  Switchbacks, gradual ups and downs, soft trail.  The trail is part of the Pacific Northwest Trail, a West to East trail stretching from Washington to some part of Montana, I believe.  White blazes on trees mark the way.

As I said, I couldn’t really run, but I could kind of meander, and smell, listen, feel the outdoors.  Saturday was a wet day, with periodic rains, water dripping off ferns.  I took my time, looking at moss, watching a squirrel, snapping photos, most of which were fails.  I will not run forever.  But I will walk in the woods as long as this body permits.

Good to see so many volunteers on Blanchard Mountain, improving trail and road, for National Trails Day. Thank you.

Mazama 10k

I found myself on Friday night trying to figure out what to do with this Memorial Day weekend.  On a whim, I threw a sleeping bag in the car, grabbed some Springsteen cds, and set out on Highway 20 for the Mazama 10k and a night under the stars. The 10k is put on by the Methow Valley Trails Association and has been around a long time.

  

Two months, it seems, is is too long to taper for a 10k.  I wheezed, and then my Achilles issue started acting up, and that’s enough about how I did.

The course is slow for a 10k, with a few climbs on cross country ski trails, sans the snow. You feel the 2000 feet elevation a bit, if you’re me. Very cool to run around the Methow Valley this time of year, with a variety of blue, yellow and orange wildflowers growing, and the clear snowmelt running fast in the creeks.  I missed out on last week’s Sun Mountain haps, so I suppose this was a nice fill in.   

Afterwards, a pancake breakfast and the traditional MVSTA awards and raffle ceremony by the red community center.  A latte at the Mazama store, and then back home.  The drive over Highway 20 is beautiful right now, with snow banks melting fast.  

Blanchard Mountain

Trotted around Blanchard Mountain this morning, as well as last Sunday. Blanchard is probably my favorite place to run locally. Can't say I ran hard or well, but there was some running.

Department of Natural Resources has invested some time and money on Blanchard. There's a lot of new signage, the road in has seen some maintenance, and the Samish Overlook got a full makeover. Paragliders were launching as I ran by.

The biggest surprise of the day was finding a new set of switchbacks on the second climb of Kill Bill Hill, otherwise known as the Oyster Dome trail. Basically, the second vertical pitch is no more. The new trail work looks great, and probably is a good idea in light of erosion concerns. However, I've come to appreciate that straight climb over the years, where you grab a root or two to make it up to the top.

The former climb was a great part of training for some high mountain ultras, as well as a tough part of the old Blanchard Mountain Ultra and near the end of the North Face 50 miler. Those who have ran it will probably know what I'm talking about. The last climb is still there, steep as ever.

Pic above of the new switchback, and right below of the filled in Kill Bill.

RIP.

Heather Lake

Mike and I hiked up to Heather Lake this morning. We arrived early, meeting in Smokey Point at 7 AM, but three cars beat us to the trailhead. People are getting out there. We watched five cars come into the lot, in a line, when we returned. Heather Lake is not a secret. I came away thinking this might be a really good one to snowshoe in February or March, as it is not too steep, the distance is moderate for snowshoeing, and the destination is gorgeous.

I have done this hike before--I recognized certain turns of the trail--but it's probably been 15 years, as I can't recall further details. The age goonies got my memory.

The trailhead is on the Mt. Pilchuk road, which is one mile past the Verlot Ranger Station on the Mountain Loop Highway. The trip was less than 100 miles roundtrip from my doorstep. The hike itself turned out to be shorter than I thought too--2 miles in and out, with climbing, but nothing too steep. So, an easy day.

As the pictures show here, the lake is still frozen, but the melt is on. We didn't hit serious snow until about 3/4 of the way in, and it was all easily navigable, though we made one brief wrong turn. There is a lot of water on the trail going up, with a couple minor stream crossings. We were not punching through the snow all that much.

Upon return, Mike and I discussed the possibility of connecting Lake Twenty-Two and Heather Lake, by breaking a bit of trail, as it were.

Heather Lake is beautiful in its frozen state. We heard, then saw one minor avalanche, up high. We also hiked over avalanche debris, and studied the ice melt holes, but chose not to circle the whole lake. Snowshoes would be helpful for that. Some odd sort of flea filled our snowy footprints. There is old growth on the way up, though not as much as on the Lake Twenty-Two trail.

Good day.