Excelsior and Canyon Ridges

On Saturday I volunteered with the Washington Trails Association to work on the Canyon Ridge Trail up by Mount Baker. I’ve never been here before. Our mission was to be safe, have fun, and repair a trail damaged by an avalanche. We got a lot done, but we also had to go to war with biting flies. Keep moving. It’s interesting who shows up for these work parties—there was a high school student fulfilling his culminating project responsibility, an unemployed Glacier 19 year old trying to get on with the Forest Service, a few 9 to 5ers, a foster parent with some kids, and an ultrarunner. I’ve written this before, but I think the world of WTA, and am a member—check them out at http://www.wta.org/. Trail reports are free.
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After the work party, I wanted to check out the area some more, while getting some high trail miles in. So, I ran/hiked to the tiny Damfino Lakes, up to Excelsior Ridge, and then over High Divide towards Welcome Pass. The guide books rate this one as easy, particularly from the Damfino Lakes side, where I started. There are loop trail possibilities. Excelsior Ridge caps out at about 6000 feet, but most of the gains for me were on the drive in—a 14.6 miles and 40 minute drive on a dicey road. The trail itself is very runnable and quite worthy. Ups and downs on a ridge above tree line. Wildflowers everywhere. A sea of mountains and ridges in view, with Baker and Shuksan in the foreground. This would be great place to catch a sunset. I stayed in the hills all day, but finally got chased off the high ridge by an approaching lightning storm, pretty rare around these parts. I had to hurry off—the storm moved in quick.
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Wildflowers---these were the real story of the day for me. Maybe the best I’ve ever seen, with just about all types representing. Lupines, tiger lilies, columbine, paintbrush, heather, thistles….I’ll pretend like I know what I was seeing. Not really--I’m botanically challenged. Every year I seem to forget and then have to go up high to re-learn. Some challenges are worth a lifetime of trying. Click on a field photo--they jump out more in the photos when blown up.
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Driving home, I happened upon a grand opening festival for a new artist’s co-op in Glacier Washington. Good music, coffee, and an old train car full of “Glacier Creations.” I’m partial to good coffee, art, and banjos. I did miss not doing White River, which was Saturday. I’m sure it was great. Just not the right weekend for me.
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Ptarmigan Ridge

I left the office early on Friday and headed up to Artist Point, above the Mount Baker ski area. Artist Point opened very early this year due to the good weather we've been having. It was evening, but I got a chance to hike out to Ptarmigan Ridge and a bit of the Chain Lakes trail. This is a spectacular location, as gorgeous as anywhere. I pretended to run, but I didn't have it. The Chain Lakes loop would make a great run. I haven't had it all week--I've felt a bit off/ill since coming back from the Rockies. I think it's part fatigue from last weekend's effort, but more the switch in altitude again.
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I was often reminded of the North Cascades when I was in Colorado. We have more snow and glaciers, even if we're several thousand feet lower. Also, the occasional volcano. Otherwise, many of the high elevation valleys looked similar. I spotted 30 goats on Friday about a half mile away coming back on Ptarmigan Ridge. I think I've seen them there before, but its been a few years. Hike about a half mile in, before the trail junction for the Ridge and Chain Lakes, and look to the left across the valley on the hillsides. They looked like snow patches at first. I think they're regulars.
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I'm doubtful for White River, unless I get inspired mid-week. In fact, I'm not sure how my running is going to go over the next month, as I have several weekend things, but Cascade Crest is looming out there, and I'd like to finish that one. But, I need balance, not burn out--just chill, I suppose. I'm thinking of possibly doing Devil's Dome-42 miles--in the North Cascades in a couple weeks, or maybe Stormy up in Squamish. I also have to fit trail work in the next few weekends.

Junction

Mount Shuksan

HRDNF

I didn’t finish Hardrock. It just plain sucks, especially with it being such an anticipated event. I only made it to Grouse Gulch, mile 42. Wimp. I got there at midnight, zombie dead, having been a little lost and spacey coming off the 14k Handies Peak and 13k American Basin, not to mention all the other high points previous to these. I couldn’t eat anything--I felt deathly ill, unmotivated, and yes, short on good cheer. Pulling out was legit, considering the next aid station for doing so was 16 miles off, I was flailing, two hours behind the published 48 hour pace, and I felt like I was a health risk.
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So of course now I’m home and going through all sorts of second guessing. Probably natural, and admittedly, it's easy to lose track of how pathetic I actually felt in the moment. Still, I now think I could’ve rallied. At least I’d like to think I could’ve. Though behind the published 48 hour pace, I was still two hours ahead of the cutoff, and a few others finished who arrived later at Grouse. I think I just had a human moment, and although truly wasted, I think the right motivation could've got me going. In short, I could’ve wanted it more. It sucks to say that, but I know I had way too many anxieties about this race beforehand, because I really did want it, to the point that I wasn't enjoying or anticipating the race in the same way that I have with the other 100s I've done.
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I just didn't know what I was getting into--it was just stress, stress, stress--way disproportionate to what it should've been in the grand scheme of things. There was altitude, weather, navigation, agoraphobia, fitness, socks, shoes, poles or no poles, attack marmots. By the time the gun sounded, I just wanted to get it over with, which is not a winning mental posture when you actually hit the wall with such a difficult race. I think for 100s you have to make the decision before the gun goes that nothing--nothing--is going to stop you, and yes, that can end up making things a bit crazy, but that's the nature of the beast.
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Now that I have a better feel for Hardrock, I wish I wish I wish I had figured me out. I didn’t. So, as one friend said, I have “unfinished business.” I like that. I’ll finish this one eventually, though it may take me a few years to get back in. When I do, it'll probably be miserable conditions--unlike last weekend--but still, I'll figure it out. Unless I give up this whole ultra thing in the meantime, and take up another hobby, like model airplanes or stamps. I don't really think that will happen--I'll be back. (That's a quote from The Terminator, in case you never saw it.)
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The event itself was incredible, and the trip was a sweet vacation. I did in fact catch 42 miles of one of the toughest and most beautiful courses out there, and I also got out on other portions of the course, like Virginius Pass (above and below) and the cliffs above Ouray (below). I suspect the elevation for the portion I did averaged 12k. Make no mistake--this is indeed a very very hard race---I was wheezing frequently, walking much of the time, with wet feet from the streams. There were cliffs with hundred foot falls. There were creek crossings. There was the Continental Divide Trail. There were marmots, lightning in the high mountain valleys, and the best wildflowers I’ve ever seen. This is a one of a kind experience.
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I showed up a week early to acclimate. The race more or less took over the small town of Silverton, with runners everywhere. Acclimating includes movie night, trail marking parties, and scouting trips. There was one very awful evening at 11k feet in a six dollar tube tent. Elk burgers. Fake gun fights. A 1800s style parade, and the best fireworks I’ve ever seen on the fourth of July. Things that go boom. I met all sorts of most excellent people, some runners, and some not. The race organization was a marvel. All in all, it was a great time, and a world class vacation, at least to my tastes. My camera isn’t working so well--it has a glare thing going on---but here are a few photos.

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T.S. Eliot

Every day is a gift.

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Rock and Roll Seattle

I got a good deal on the Inaugural Rock and Roll Marathon Seattle, roughly 8 months ago, and the weekend finally came around. I was a little hesitant to do this one with HR two week away, but I think most HR people are putting in 25ers in the mountains, and so an easy paced marathon should be about right. Plus, I talked a friend into running this months ago, and so I couldn't rightly bail. I'm glad I didn't--I really really had a great time, checking out Seattle and the bands, on a crystal clear day. It doesn't get much better than the Northwest in the summer when the weather is right.
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I did the inaugural Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego in 1998, the very first of this series, and so this was a bit of a throwback. The '98 run was a rough day for me, and it was a rough day for the organizers too, as they frequently ran out of water. The organization has come a long way since, expanding all over the place, and finally getting to Seattle. The R&R people really should've just started here in the first place--Seattle sucks at sports, but we do rock. Duh.
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The course was exceptionally well organized---there were drink stations and portly potties everywhere. I've never had so much Cytomax in my life. The volunteers were phenomenal, everywhere, with smiles all the time. Nice technical shirt--a black concert sort of shirt with pics of the Needle, guitars, Rainier and such. Nice "heavy" medal. The finish line was stacked with food and other good things. I thought the full price was expensive, but early registration augments that, and really, with a concert ticket and all the help on the course, the price is fine. It's ok to charge a pretty penny if you truly deliver. This marathon delivered more than most.
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I didn't see this as a run to race, unless you start way up front. Too many people, and not particularly flat. It was more fun to just trot along and check out the bands, take pictures, hang out. My favorite band was around Mile 18, with a gal lead singer going on about a big shot of whiskey and a bucket of tears, or something. Carrie Clark at Mile 4 was cool too, as were the Exodus, movement of the Jah people band at Mile 20. There were also high school cheer squads every mile--a lot of moral support out there. I was cracking up over some of the strained voices, screaming, "You CAN DOOOOO it, Everyone!"
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The expo was solid--I dropped a bunch of cash on "necessities". Lots of purchasing opportunities to enhance my running experience. (That is a line a car salesman recently used on me, for real.) They really should have an Expo that runs later than 7 on Friday night--this was TERRIBLE scheduling for people coming after work from outside Seattle. I am bitter and I will not let it go. In fact, the whole timing of the race was a logistical pain--I had to leave work Friday at 4 to go to the Expo, and then get up at 3:45 AM just to make it down to Seattle to catch the bus that was forty minutes late to the starting line, because of crazy Tukwila traffic. It was all worth it after the fact, but questionable at the time.
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These concerns aside, this was a great marathon event such as Seattle has never seen, with 25,000 participants--if you build it, people will come. It's a real destination marathon--I read 40% of the participants were from out of state. The course layout is drop dead gorgeous. We went along Lake Washington, on the viaduct, through tunnels, and by all the major Seattle landmarks, like the Needle, Safeco and Qwest, the ferries and waterline, and even over the Aurora Bridge. The weather was 70 and clear--I got sunburned, and Mount Rainier was prominent in the skyline all day.
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Off to Silverton this Friday!
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Lost Lake

Lost Lake

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Geez Louise, the Lost Lake 50k is tough. It seems like I’ve been saying that a lot lately. But IT WAS. The course is actually 33 miles and has an advertised 8200 feet of climbing. It is gorgeous, and we had great weather. I ran purposely slow today, but even so, my finish time was 8:48 or so, which is slow slow. No worries—I had a good time and am not wrecked, which were the goals of the day. Alvin C.---organizer, designer, svengali---has apparently been studying course design with James V. I’d say Orcas is the only 50k locally that’s in the same ballpark in terms of difficulty.
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I tried something new—running with hiking sticks. Call me Sticks. Or Styx. I used to like Styx a lot---when I was a kid. (Now I listen to manly music.) I had a t-shirt I got at the Ocean City boardwalk, with Styx written in big glitter colors, on light blue, with dark blue cuffs. I loved that shirt. I also got one for Zeppelin—the one with the dude with wings. I wore them a lot. Anyway, for the race, I also carried a belt full of stuff, and a jacket, and some other stuff, so my point is, I was sort of loaded down. I wanted this to be a gear test run, while getting in some good slow miles with climbing—mission accomplished. I spent a lot of time adjusting things—I really do not like camelbacks, or camels for that matter—they are creepy. After 33 miles, I’m still not sure if I like using the sticks or not.
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My favorite part of the race was probably the secret trail behind Lost Lake. It’s a bit of a surprise—you’re ready to be done by then, having worked your way through a number of challenging climbs, including Fragrance, Chinscraper, Raptor, and Pine/Cedar, but there's a secret--you've got more to do. Rather than pass above Lost Lake like on the C-nut course, you go down to the lake, and then take a little known trail which skirts steep cliffs above the lake, doling out views the length of the lake. Towards the end of the race, I opted for a cool swim in Fragrance Lake---so much for a finishing kick, I suppose, but it felt really really good, and it wasn't like I was getting any hardware, with my sub 9 hour time. A little mavericky, maybe, but the right call for today.
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Great volunteers—mostly Skagit Runners people (Terry/Delores, Rob/Sue, Stan, Dean), and Skagit Search and Rescue, some of who were there just two weeks ago at North Face. Burgers at the finish, with fixings and vege alternatives. Good company. Mugs for finishers, nice shirt. I recommend the early start, unless you’re fast, and maybe even then—this is a good one to do slow regardless. Special props to Alvin—great job!
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Stan & Dean, manning the Pine/Cedar aid station

Post-race hangout

Read the sign

Matt and I ran together maybe 10 miles early on

Trail snail--big one too

Sourdough

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Early Saturday AM trip up to Sourdough Mountain, in Diablo. I did this one last year--it's good if you want a really steep five mile climb, with rocks in the trail and snow up the way. The views are amazing, and the wildflowers are rich. The good stuff. But it's hard--roughly 6000 feet of climb in 5 miles. Sounded perfect today, with sunny skies and coming off a long one last weekend. I wanted something sort of tough, but not too tough--semi-tough, and also to do a gear check in snow.
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There's a really cool fire lookout up top, but I didn't make it that far. I came to a big snowfield and I lost the trail. Try and try, but I couldn't find it. The snowfield was like walking in a slurpee, with the sun melting the snow and water flowing underneath. I did a couple crazy spinouts, and after 45 minutes I finally said enough is enough, I won't be a story. I saw a marmot! I tried my new yaktrax out--discounted in the summertime---but hard to say if they helped. I also gave my Spot satellite tracker another go, and it was more or less a failure once I got under the trees, but it showed where I parked. Oh well. My mule camelback worked pretty good. I drank untreated water. I also accidentally came across the black and white feature on my camera, and so I went with it.

North Face 50

5 AM Start at the North Face 50

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The North Face 50 miler starts at 5 AM. Ouch. I got up at 3:30 for this race! The printed materials say that there is 6700 feet in elevation gain. More like 10,500, according to post-race reports. This is a very hard course, harder than White River I’d say, though WR has more sun exposure. The course goes up, down, up, down, up, like a Dr. Seuss story, with big ferns, roots, and trees everywhere. It is an absolutely beautiful course though, and very well chosen---it’s an all you can eat buffet of the C-nuts and Blanchard. Also, the race is exceptionally well organized--great markings, great aid stations, great finish line. Credit the organizers, and the volunteers, especially Skagit Rescue who were at every aid station, it seemed.
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The weather was perfect—overcast and cooler than earlier in the week. By and large, my spirits were good, and I kept a steady pace throughout. 11:16 finish time—signs of improvement for me. I did have some stomach issues towards the end. There were some climbs in the second 25 miles I did not expect—real grinds—especially the English Army Trail—the English Army OFFICIALLY sucks---and then at about Mile 43 the Oyster Dome is a real bear, but I just kept moving, knowing the finish line is coming. The final 5 miles are pretty fast, downhill.
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My friend BJ was up from San Diego and we ran on and off together early in the race. Having him and Erika up was terrific. We got to hang out for a few days. Rick H. of B’ham was doing his first 50, and we were in the same neighborhood the entire day, trading places, but never racing. During the race, I saw friends Andy, Erika, Jody, Al and Polly and others at different points of the day, on the course trails. Pretty cool. One lady did the event with a prosthetic leg—amazing. Many of the other usual suspects showed up—good to hang out after the race, at the picnic tables near quiet Lake Samish.

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Skagit People

Drop bags, barf bags, what's the dif?

Rick and I--50 mile smiles