Girls Gone Wildwood

Daydreaming in Patagonia

2026-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

Ann and I headed down to Tucson for our annual visit with Amber and David. David had discovered the Daydreamer in tiny Patagonia, Arizona—about an hour south—and we all signed up for the 30k.

There was just one small problem: I had foot surgery in mid-December and couldn't run for a month. I'd only been back at it for a few weeks, with a week off in there for a trip and a cold. So I was way undertrained and hoping for the best. Whoops.

David ended up hurting his foot last minute and dropped to the 10k, being extra cautious since he finally got in to Western States this year. We could tell he's already started training—he was way faster than the last time we ran together.

We arrived in Arizona on Thursday night and squeezed in a Friday morning run at Sabino Canyon. This made me nervous since I've had pretty spectacular falls there our previous two visits. Somehow, I managed not to eat rocks, sand, and cactus this time.

Friday afternoon we drove down to Patagonia and immediately fell in love with this adorable little town. Race packet pickup was an event, with a locals market with vintage clothing, jewelry, treats, and other treasures. We chatted with a winery owner who was selling vintage housewares, then headed to her place—Queen of Cups winery—for a lovely wine tasting. The race brought in Las Vigas, a Sonoran food cart, for race eve dinner. They ran out of the vegan option early, but made me a special plate.

Race morning started at 6:45 am with a pre-race briefing that began with a sound bath. The race director played a singing bowl. A first for both of us, and I have video. Then at 7 am, we were off.

The first three miles were on the road before turning onto what the race director warned was the toughest, roughest section of the whole course. The trail was rutted and littered with rocks—big enough you wouldn't want to step on them, but too small to push off from. You had to pick your way carefully through.

Between my history of Arizona faceplants, my recent loss of fitness, the super dry air, and the 4,000-foot altitude, I was slow and cautious. Ann practiced her patience and waited for me regularly, just like Cedar does (sometimes).

Once we crested the big hill in the middle, the trail smoothed out into sandy grit and we could finally run together. It felt good.

There was an aid station at mile 3 when we turned off the road, but then nothing until mile 15. Boy, were we excited to see that one. It was under an overpass, so there was shade, and they had pickles and Skratch powder so you could customize your electrolytes. Then another station right away at mile 17, complete with two dogs.

The last few miles paralleled the road. A bit boring, but we enjoyed running together. We did get slightly off-course at one intersection where the pink ribbons seemed to point one direction and the GPX track showed another. We chose wrong, but met back up with the official course soon enough.

We crossed the line together, and Ann came in 4th in her new age group. She thought she might have placed if she wasn't waiting for me, but when we checked results, the third-place woman beat her by more than an hour. Those Arizona trail runners are no joke.

We celebrated with smoothies at the Covey in town, then headed back to Tucson for lunch and showers.

The next day, Ann and I went for a slower run in Sabino Canyon. And I successfully did not fall this trip. That's the real victory here.

Patagonia is a gem, the Daydreamer 30k was beautifully organized and full of its promised good vibes, and running in the desert without face-planting? Type 1 fun all the way.

Galbraith Mountain Community Race Series (Or: The Art of Showing Up)

2026-01-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

Mt. Baker

Back in Portland, I never ran races on Forest Park trails. Why would I pay to run trails I already ran every day? Plus, I had plenty of running friends to explore with.

Bellingham is different. I moved here in February 2025, and I'm still figuring out the trails. And I don't really have running friends yet. So when I saw the Galbraith Mountain Trail Series — three races on the 2nd Saturday of November, December, and January — I thought: maybe this is how I do both. Learn the trails AND meet people. Due to my schedule, I was able to partake in the last race in the series. I picked the long course: 15.6 miles, about 2,600 feet of climbing (according to my Strava). Classic PNW winter conditions — cloudy, 43 degrees, muddy.

Me at the start

The long race was tiny, maybe 15-20 people. Most of them took off at the start, and I never saw them again. Things spread out fast. So I didn't really get a chance to chat with anyone during the race, but honestly? It was nice to run Galbraith without having to think about where to turn. I just followed the flags and let my legs do their thing.

The course itself was a blast — good climbs and the downhills were super runnable.

When I finished, there were maybe 3-4 people left at the finish area, already starting to break things down. But I got some hot apple crumble (!) and cheered on the last few runners who came in shortly after me. Oh, and I am pretty sure I came first in my age group. I might have been the only one in it!

So did I make trail friends? Not really. But I had a good day and was happy with my time — 3:23 for 15.6 miles and a good amount of climbing. I just have to keep showing up. The trail buddies will happen.

Next up: trying out the Bellingham Trail Running Club and volunteering at some local races.

Stay tuned.

Hello, is this thing on? Looking back on 2025.

2026-01-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

Well hello there — is anyone still reading this thing? Despite not really blogging at all in the last two years, we are still running and having lots of adventures. And, unsurprisingly, a lot has happened in that time.

Torres del Paine

Susan got divorced, is solo parenting, adopted a few new cats, lost her job at Nike, and is leaning into some much-needed “me” time. We sold our house in Portland and moved to Bellingham in February (2025). I quit my very stable job and joined a startup. I had a birthday and officially aged into a new race category. I also started outrigger canoeing.

Susan, Cedar, and I also welcomed a few more humans and dogs into our pack — Billy (dog), his human Rachael, Miriam, and Kellen. How we all met and became friends definitely deserves its own blog post.

To keep this post to something I might actually finish, I’m going to stick to monthly highlights from 2025. And without further ado…

January

My sister Courtney, Susan, and I traveled to Chile and Argentina, where we did a lot of hiking and trail running. The highlight of the trip was finally doing the W Trek, which had been on our bucket list for a long time. We lucked out with the weather and met some incredible people. This also deserves its own blog post.

Finishing the W trek

February

In February, we traveled to Tucson to visit our friends Amber and David. Rachael and Kellen happened to be there the same weekend, and Kellen’s brother G$ (who’s local) took us on some excellent trail runs.

I also moved from Portland to Bellingham. Leaving Portland wasn’t hard. Leaving my friends was.

March

Susan came to visit me in Bellingham, and we got to explore more of the trails around where I live. There are some absolutely wild mountain bike trails around Galbraith Mountain.

April

I headed back to Oregon, where we raced one of our favorite community races: the Peterson Ridge Rumble. Rachael, Kellen, Miriam, and Billy all joined us. It was the first time we all raced together — and the first time Susan, Cedar, and I raced with other people and dogs.

Peterson Ridge Rumble

May

In May, I ran off to Hawaii and started outrigger canoeing with my (other) best friend, Chris. After returning to Bellingham, John and I joined a local club (BBOP), and just like that, we had a new hobby.

Not running with Chris

June

Rachael, Kellen, Susan, and I traveled to Orcas Island for Rainshadow Running’s Orcas Island 50K. The course was slightly different from when we ran it in 2020 — which, ironically, Kellen also ran that year. I much prefer running this race in June rather than February. We had near-perfect weather.

Later in the month, Susan and I went to Michigan to visit my dad and family, where we managed to get some solid heat training in on the North Country Trail for our big race in July.

Pre-race in our Yum's of PDX swag

July

Earlier in the year, Kellen casually mentioned that she had signed up for the Devil’s Gulch 50-miler in Wenatchee, WA. For reasons still unclear, I decided this sounded fun and signed up too. And of course, if I was doing it, Susan was doing it.

I did not look at the course. Or the weather. Turns out mid-July in Wenatchee is usually well over 95°F, with an even higher heat index. Race day did not disappoint. The course has ~11,000 feet of elevation gain, including a brutal ~12-mile climb at the end.

Despite all of that, Kellen and I had excellent races — I honestly enjoyed almost every minute. Susan, on the other hand, had foot issues early and doesn’t handle heat as well as I do, so she dropped at mile 36. I ran the entire race in a Rabbit sun shirt, which became my default adventure shirt for the rest of the summer. (I should really write a proper race report.)

Cedar and I also took several van trips around Washington and BC, enjoying shorter runs while I recovered.

The start of Devil's Gulch

Kellen and me in our wet shirts trying to cool off

Me & Cedar

August

August was all about fastpacking and running adventures. Susan and I took Rachael and Kellen on their first fastpacking trip around the Three Sisters. We did it in 3 days / 2 nights — a route Susan and I had done in one day about ten years earlier. Turns out you move a lot slower with 20 pounds on your back.

Susan and I also took a van trip exploring new trails in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and North Cascades National Park.

We wrapped up the month with another fastpacking trip that ended at what is probably the most beautiful alpine lake I’ve ever seen: Spectacle Lake.

September

In September, I met up with my friend Jed, who now lives in Squamish, and he took me on a running adventure to Garibaldi Lake. The color of that lake is unreal. While I miss having Susan nearby, it’s been really nice getting to explore new mountains and trails.

October & November

I’m grouping October and November together because Kellen, Rachael, Susan, and I traveled to South Korea and Thailand to celebrate my and Rachael’s birthdays. While it wasn’t really a running trip, we did sneak in a few runs. We were especially impressed by the trails around Seoul. Kellen and I also found some… interesting trails in Thailand.
Mostly, though, we spent a lot of time in and around water, just relaxing.

I spent my actual birthday (November 23) in Kauai, where I snorkeled and ran on trails that somehow felt even crazier than Thailand.

We wrapped up November with a Forest Park run for Susan’s birthday.

Susan's birthday run

Seoul running

Thailand

Seoul running

Not running

Kauai snorkeling

Trails in Kauai

December

We ended the year with some of our annual traditions: running Wildwood end-to-end for mine and Susan’s birthdays (I think this was our 15th year), and of course, the annual Santa Hat Run.

Start of Wildwood end to ehd

Santa hat run

Every year I wonder how we’re going to top the year before, and somehow we do. In 2026, we’ll keep having adventures — though they may look a little different with me living in Bellingham (and hopefully finding some trail friends here) and Susan solo parenting full-time while finding a new job.

I’d like to say I’m going to blog more, but maybe it’s time to transition to a podcast or more social media… which sounds like a lot of work and cuts into adventure planning. So we’ll see you when we see you.

Thanks for reading all these years — whoever you are. (Hi Courtney!)

Previous year recaps:

2024 -- didn't do one

2025 so far

2025-09-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

Best campsite ever, Alpine Lakes Wilderness

It's been a while, but don't worry-- we're still running!

Our big event for 2025 was Devil's Gulch 50 miler on 12 July in Wenatchee, WA. To train for this longer distance, we did our traditional Peterson Ridge Rumble 20 miler on 13 April in Sisters, OR, then Orcas Island 50k on its brand new date in June (rather than the end of January). We were diligent with our speedwork, heat training, back-to-back longer runs, and LOTS of elevation.

Sasquatch sighting before Peterson Ridge Rumble

Rachael at the top of Mt Constitution, Orcas Island

When it came time for our big race, Ann and Kellen finished strong, Rachael rocked her half marathon, and I had a DNF after getting hot spots early and visiting the aid station medics for the first time ever (at two of the aid stations).

Top of Mission Peak, Devil's Gulch 50 miler

With that accomplished, we moved on to the adventure portion of the summer. Fastpacking 50 miles around Three Sisters, a plan B C D E van trip running in North Cascades and up to fire lookouts, and a backpacking trip with the most perfect alpine lake camps.

Three Sisters fastpacking

Ross Lake from Pierce Mountain, North Cascades National Park

We have so many adventures planned for the rest of 2025, and we're already daydreaming about 2026. How has your summer been?

Spectacle Lake, Alpine Lakes Wilderness

24 for 2024

2024-01-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

Top of Saltzman 2024

Susan and I decided to run 24 miles to kick off 2024. As I was looking through our previous routes, I found one called '24 mile taper run', which seemed perfect - how hard can a taper run be? I didn't scrutinize the route closely. Nine miles in, I realized we had to run from the bottom to the very top of Saltzman. Who does that as part of a taper? Apparently, we did, ten years ago. Upon reaching the summit, I had Susan take a photo in the same spot as before. It felt great to push ourselves, which we plan to continue in 2024.

Same route, different year -- 2014

Honesty, I love that we are still running routes we created 10 years ago, may be a bit slower though but who cares. I love that for us!

2023 - The Year of Type 2 Fun

2024-01-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

Before we dive in let's level-set on the fun scale. Many outdoor enthusiasts use it to measure the type of fun they have or have had. Here are the different levels of fun (borrowed from REI):

Type 1 Fun: Enjoyable while it's happening. It's straightforwardly fun and pleasurable.

Type 2 Fun: Not necessarily enjoyable in the moment but becomes fun in retrospect or when sharing the story with others.

Type 3 Fun: Not fun at the time and not fun in retrospect, but often leads to personal growth or a sense of achievement.

2023 started as type 3 fun for me. I was dealing with the loss of my mom, working for a toxic, gaslighting boss, and then losing my job at the end of January. I wasn’t upset about losing my job– it was an awful situation– but that is a story for another time. I was not excited about looking for a job when almost every tech company laid off folks. But this is a running blog, not my life story blog (though sometimes these things are very intertwined).

Some people say that folks run long distances/ultramarathons because their life isn’t hard enough or they need something to challenge themselves. For me at the start of 2023, running was what brought me calm, helped my mental health, and gave me a sense of control of something when everything else felt a bit out of my control. I/we didn’t run any races or do any crazy adventures in the first half of 2023, but Susan & I ran together, I ran with Cedar; I simply kept going, and it kept me going.

Despite the Type 3 start of 2023, a lot of Type 2 & 1 fun was thrown in, especially in the second half of the year. Even though we didn’t blog at all this year, we were still having adventures, albeit mostly smaller. So all in all I would say 2023 turned out to be Type 2 fun!

Here are some of our Type 2 & 1 fun highlights:

Favorite new route - Sudden Nut I created a route in Bellingham that links Chuckanut to Sudden Valley

Best Campsite - Suttle Lake (not going to say which one)

Kayaking with Cedar, this did not last long

The campsite with its own beach

Type 3 run - PCT mosquitoes, snow, and blown-down trees. I can deal with snow and blow-downs, but swarms of mosquitoes are a no-go!

This photo was taken after we turned around and lost the mosquitoes

Best adventure weekend - Pamelia & Broken Top

Best new gear - Cedar’s Trail Dog Running Vest -- Cedar really should be an ambassador for Ruffwear

Favorite new race - Deception Pass 25k

Favorite new city to run in - Bellingham! I need to do a separate write-up on B'ham. I probably spent half of the year there.

Old Dog New Trick - Cedar riding the Gondola in Squamish

Island Time - running in Hawaii, summiting Ben Nevis (Scottish Hebrides), kayak-camping in the San Juans

Hawaii

San Juan sunset smiles

Previous year recaps:

Deception Pass 25k: Race Review

2023-12-30T16:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to our blog and our only race review of 2023! This time, we're sharing our experience at the Deception Pass 25k – a true PNW trail runner's dream in the heart of Deception Pass State Park.

A Weather Miracle!

We feel incredibly fortunate about the weather during the race. Having known the 50k runners battled through some pretty tough conditions the day before, we geared up for the worst. But, as luck would have it, we were greeted with near-perfect weather on race day. Clear skies, gentle breezes, and just the right amount of sunshine made our run more enjoyable than we could have hoped for.

Lollipop Loops: A Sweet Surprise

One of the most exciting aspects of the Deception Pass 25k is its infamous 'lollipop loops'.

These trails, winding and unpredictable, add an element of surprise and fun that you don't often find in other races. Every twist and turn brought a new landscape into view; we ran through rocky trails, dense forest and a seaweed laden beach. The unpredictability of the trail added an element of surprise and joy, transforming our race into a bit of a fun adventure.

Embracing a Comfortable Challenge

Running a 25k, especially when our normal distance is 50k, might seem less daunting in terms of distance. But, here's the thing – it's not always about pushing your limits to the extreme. Sometimes, it's about enjoying the journey, and that's exactly what the Deception Pass 25k offered. It was a perfect blend of challenge and comfort, allowing us to relish the experience without the overwhelming exhaustion that longer distances can bring. But don't worry James Varner throws in the hardest climb at the very end -- it's a true Rainshadow event.

Final Thoughts

As we crossed the finish line, we couldn't help but feel a sense of deep satisfaction and gratitude. The Deception Pass 25k was not just a race; it was an experience that blended the thrill of the unknown with the comfort of a manageable distance. It was a day where the weather smiled upon us, the trails challenged us playfully, and the trail community we ran with uplifted us.

Pamelia, Finally

2023-10-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Life got in the way of our usual summer of adventures, but we made time in early September for two nights camping AND RUNNING in central Oregon. The second day, we decided to do a loop near Mt Jefferson to Pamelia Lake and Hunts Cove. I had still never been to Pamelia Lake, despite trying for YEARS-- between permits, wildfires, and other disasters, we always had to change those plans.

Our happy place

We got to the trailhead in the evening and settled in to eat dinner, relax, and enjoy the company of a family of deer who came to hang out. It was peaceful and perfect. We made a tentative plan to head out in a clockwise direction to get Jefferson views first, in case we didn't feel up to the full 17 mile loop after the previous day's run.

Cedar explores a creek

Spoiler alert: the day was perfect and we did the whole loop. It was absolutely magical, with glorious weather, perfect conditions, and the absolute joy of spending time together. I hope this becomes a September tradition for us.

Sun rising over Pamelia Lake

Morning peaks

Pamelia Lake from above

Mt Jefferson peeking through

Mt Jefferson selfie

Shale Lake reflections

Hunts Lake from above

Where we finished the PCT section of our loop

Rave run!

Cedar and Jefferson

An amanita erupting

No huckleberries on the PCT, but lots on the other trails

Cedar at Hanks Lake

Little fluffy clouds

Cedar investigates this very large mushroom

Ann & Cedar cross a creek

More fun fungus

So many beautiful, ethereal creeks

A doe hanging out at the trailhead

Reflecting on 2022

2023-04-11T17:25:00.008-07:00

mom & me - Maui 2022

I can’t believe it is already April 2023 and I haven’t written the 2022 recap blog post. The year end recap blog posts are always my favorite to write. We always have so many adventures that it’s a lot of fun to remember everything we did and accomplished. 2022, isn't different in that regard but what is different is how 2022 ended for me. My mom passed away at the end of 2022, which made it hard for me to do much more than get through each day and reflecting on the year was the last thing I wanted to do. She has only been gone 7 months and it is still hard for me to think back to last year and write this.

Six years ago my mom was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult. The doctor told her she had 3-5 years to live, well she showed them wrong. Despite the diagnosis and outlook, she remained one of the most positive people I knew, even up to her last day.

Susan, me & Mom

My mom was not a runner, but she was one of my biggest fans. When I ran my first marathon with Susan in 2009, my mom ordered all the race photos and displayed them in her house. She loved to hear all our running adventures and see our pictures. When Susan was a new mom, she babysat Leif so Susan and I could go on a long run near Mt Hood.

When I herniated a disc in my back and couldn't run, it was my mom who came and took care of me.

Angie, me & mom - Whidbey Island 2022

My mom lived at the base of Mt Hood, Susan and I took advantage of her location plenty of times for our adventure runs. Her and Angie shuttled us to countless number of trailheads around Mt Hood. Our first attempt of running around Mt Hood, we stayed at her house the night before and told her we would call if anything happened, but reassured her nothing would happen. Well as it happened something did happen, we lost the trail and got behind schedule. Somehow we managed to get enough cell reception to make our SOS call to her and Angie. They gladly picked us up at Ramona Falls but did make sure to tell us how badly we smelled.

Mom & Cedar

In 2022 my mom was on oxygen most of the time and couldn’t walk very far but despite that we all went to Maui, Manzanita and Whidbey Island. In each of these places, every time I went on a run she wanted to hear about it.

Susan, my nephew and I ran around Mont Blanc in July and everyday I was texting my mom pictures on the mountains and wine. She loved it and always made funny comments. I know it was hard for her, she loved to travel but she made the best of a shitty situation.

I think that ultrarunning has made me mentally tough but my mom had more mental toughness than I have ever had.

I miss her every day.

I love you mom.

Me and mom 1980?

Previous year recaps:

New trails, even in Portland

2023-03-11T15:01:00.005-08:00

At the top of Council Crest

We had big plans for 25 miles, but sometimes you don't sleep well and need to change it up last minute. Instead of the route I picked out last week, Ann chose a 22 miler as a guideline.

Cedar at Pittock Mansion

But when we got to Pittock Mansion, we decided to continue south on Wildwood for a bit... which turned into going to the end (technically the start). We even walked into the Vietnam Memorial, and, looking at the map, decided to check out the Marquam Trail that connects Washington Park across Highway 26 to the Marquam Nature Park.

Vietnam Memorial in Washington Park

Neither of us had ever been on that section of trail before, and it was really neat to discover something new to us after more than 20 years of living here and more than 10 years of running long distances on these trails. We saw a sign that showed a little more than a mile to Council Crest-- the highest point in Portland-- so we decided to run to it.

Marquam Trail sign

At the top, we had beautiful views and 10 miles logged, so we turned around and headed back. It was really fun and different to head out with no real plan, no place either of us needed to be at a specific time, and to try some new trails.

Did someone put this plaque here for us to see today?

Happy holidays from Girls Gone Wildwood!

2022-12-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season approaches, we wanted to take a moment to wish all of our readers a happy and healthy holiday season. Whether you're spending the holidays with friends and family, or taking some time to relax and recharge, we hope that you have a wonderful time.

The holiday season can be a busy and stressful time for many of us, but it's also a time to come together with loved ones and celebrate all that we have to be grateful for. We encourage you to take some time for yourself and do something that brings you joy and relaxation. Go for a run in Forest Park, take a yoga class, or simply curl up with a good book and a warm cup of cocoa.

At Girls Gone Wildwood, we believe in the power of nature and outdoor adventure to nourish the mind, body, and soul. We hope that you will join us in embracing the beauty of the natural world this holiday season and throughout the year.

From all of us at Girls Gone (and Dog) Wildwood, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Summer days driftin' away

2022-09-18T15:21:00.005-07:00

Hi! We are still here and running but we haven't been writing about it the last few months, obviously. I have so many blog post in my mind about our summer adventures, but when I think about writing about them I get overwhelmed and find other things to do. So instead of abandoning the blog, I am going to do a quick blog post on all our summer adventures.

Ramona Falls FKT

We started the summer with setting a few Fastest Known Times (FKT) as part of Women Who FKT project. The majority of FKT records are held by men, the idea behind Women Who FKT was to get more women to set FKTs to flips the stats. Susan, Cedar and I set the FKT at Ramona Falls. Cedar and I set the out and back FKT on Surveyor's Ridge Trail. Hopefully they will have a Dogs Who FKT soon.

Surveyor's Rige FKT

I spent a few weekends in June on Orcas Island running and kayaking. Every time I go to Orcas Island I say the next time I go to the San Juan Island I will go to a different Island, but I don't. I love all the trails on Orcas, lakes and of course the sea.

Cedar and took several van trips where we ran on several different new to us sections of the PCT.

Orcas Island sunset

Leading up to our big summer adventure, Susan, Cedar and I did a couple of day off runs. The first one was Surveyor's Ridge, because Susan had never been there and I enjoyed it so much with Cedar. The second run was in Badger Creek Wilderness, one of our favorite areas near Mount Hood and Hood River.

Cedar and Mt. Hood

Cedar watching wildlife from the van

Our big adventure of the summer we called ATMB - Alex Tour du Mont Blanc. Alex is my nephew who graduated from high school in 2020, but due to the pandemic I had to delay his graduate present a year. His graduate present was a trip to Europe to run around Mont Blanc, isn't that what al high school grads want? Well the do if they come from a crazy running family.

The start of ATMB

This part of the summer, definitely deserves it's own blog post. But the short version is we ran around Mont Blanc in 6 days starting in Chamonix with a rest day in Courmayeur. It was such an amazing trip and I think life changing for Alex. I promise we will do a full post on this.

Mountain Alex

After Susan and Alex left, I stayed an extra week and hiked all over Switzerland with my husband John.

us and the Matterhorn

By the time I got back from Europe it was the first week of August and it felt like the summer had gone by so quickly. I used every minute I was not working to enjoy and explore.

Cedar and I went running all over Washington and Oregon the first 2 weeks of August. We went to Bellingham, ran new section of the PCT near Timothy Lake (Oregon) and the Kendall Katwalk and explored Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island.

Bellingham Bay

PCT Humor

Our good friend David was running the Oregon Cascades 100 at the end of August, Susan and I were helping our friend Amber crew him and pace him. We went down a day early and circumnavigated Three Fingered Jack. We had hoped to SUP at Suttle Lake but the water was way to chopping, so we settled for fancy cocktails at the lodge and stole a shower at the bath house.

Kendall Katwalk

This was the first race we ever crewed our paced someone, it was quite the experience and a ton of fun. Having the van certainly helped, so we had somewhere to sleep and make food. It was also a lot of fun being on the other side of the race -- not racing but cheering folks on.

Three Fingered Jack

Sunset & Mt Washington

We wrapped up the last days of the summer in Manzanita for my annual family & dog trip. Susan was also in town with her family, so we got to do a longish run on the beach. It was the first time I ran to the end of beach in Manzanita. Cedar definitely loves long runs on the beach.

As sad as I am to have such an amazing summer come to a close, I am looking forward to the fall and yes rain. I am looking forward to all our upcoming adventures in the snow and mud.

Here's to an amazing summer

Gorge Waterfalls 50k 2022

2022-05-13T16:28:00.009-07:00

Gorge Waterfalls 2013 courtesy @stevenmortinson

Gorge Waterfalls 2022 courtesy @stevenmortinson

When we ran the Gorge Waterfalls 50k nine years ago, in 2013, we were still new to the sport. It was a big deal for us to run the distance, and we had some good luck superstitions like wearing our Performance Enhancing Kokopellis (PEKs). The course was out-and-back, which isn't normally a favorite, but allowed us to be a bit starstruck seeing some of our favorite runners as they ran back past us. While we enjoyed the route, there was a sizable amount of painful road, and since we already run in the Columbia River Gorge regularly, we didn't consider the race again for a while.

Selfie at the finish line while waiting for the shuttle

The massive Eagle Creek fire destroyed much of Gorge in 2017, and the race was cancelled for a few years. Then, of course, the COVID pandemic put a halt to all events. So when we learned the event would be held this year, in 2022, on a modified course with only a little* out and back, we were excited to sign up.

Selfie in front of Wahkeena Falls, the first on the route

Saturday evening before the race, we drove out to Cascade Locks and spent the night in Ann's van so we'd be close to the start. Ann made dinner and discovered that the van's water tank was empty; luckily we both had our full two-liter hydration bladders as well as water bottle for after the race. We had enough water for dinner, teeth-brushing, and washing our hands, knowing we'd be able to fill up before, during, and after the event. Ultrarunners are nothing if not well prepared!

Susan on Larch Mt Trail, courtesy @somerrunner

Ann on Larch Mt Trail, courtesy @somerrunner

Sunday morning we arrived at the finish line to take shuttles to the start. It was very strange to be on a school bus full of people, and with the mask mandate recently lifted, most folks didn't bother with masks. It definitely felt like the first day of school, with many people participating in their first group event IRL since the before the pandemic.

Wiesendanger Falls

Once at Benson State Park, we all gathered for the race director's talk and a Native blessing, then took off in a wide arc around Benson Lake, along the highway, to the parking lot of Multnomah Falls and onto trail #442. The first few miles were the major climb, switchbacks up Wahkeena Trail past Wahkeena and Fairy Falls. Finally at the top, we cruised down Larch Mountain trail past lovely falls in Multnomah Creek, skirting around the top of grand Multnomah Falls to turn off the main trail and out on Gorge Trail #400.

Ann & Susan clowning on the trail

Now we were settled in, often within sight and sound of Interstate 84, a few times running some miles on the Historic Columbia River Highway. Finally, we got to the out-and-back section, eager to get to the last aid station-- hosted by Wy'East Wolfpack, hands down the best at it-- that we'd be passing through twice. It felt interminable, and we were thrilled to come upon them, dressed up with a prom theme. Yassine wore a tux, and served us cola in champagne flutes. It doesn't get much better than that!

Selfie at Oneonta Falls

Our spirits lifted, we shuffled on, up and down rolling hills, until we reached a card table with a tote bag full of tokens, each grabbing one to prove we made it to the turnaround point. We made it back to the prom aid station, excited now that we knew just how far until we could turn off the out-and-back section and onto the final push.

Susan and Ann have had enough of this pavement

And that final part was all paved-- ouch. Under the highway, and then alongside, we sloped gently down back up on a wooded blacktop path which let us out onto sidewalk in Cascade Locks. We plodded past people waiting in line for burgers and ice cream at the vintage Eastwind Drive-In, and suddenly there was our turn into Marine Park, where we had started that morning. It was uplifting to be cheered in by runners and their friends & family who were hanging out in the grass around the finish line.

We got our turnaround tokens

We checked the prize boards (you never know, but neither of us won anything), grabbed some delicious kombucha, and headed to the van to change clothes and eat snacks on the way back to Portland. We agreed that we enjoyed our day and the camaraderie of the event, but there was more road than we would've liked on the route, and the last half was harder than we expected. This would be a great race at which to volunteer.

Getting silly near the end of the race

Beacon Rock State Park

2022-04-30T17:15:00.005-07:00

near the top of Phlox Point

We took last Friday off to have a long over due running adventure. We knew we didn't want to run in Forest Park, we do that ever weekend, and we didn't want to run on the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge. With the snow levels still pretty low that only left a few other options. We had our mind set on the Oregon Coast trail around Manzanita. But as it got closer to Friday the weather forecast for the coast was 100% chance of rain. We debated a few other options and landed on Beacon Rock State Park.

racing Cedar at the Saddle

I decided to combine two classic routes in the park Hamilton Mountain and Hardy Ridge to Phlox Point. We started at the equestrian trailhead, which is the starting area for Hardy Ridge. We decided to run up to Hamilton Mountain first knowing it's a more popular route and thought we could avoid some of the crowds. No matter how many times I run up Hamilton Mountain I get fooled by a few almost false summits. Susan actually did this time. I had Cedar pulling me up the hill so she was a bit behind me and took a fake trail to one of the false summits and had to scramble back to the real trail. Do not do this.

Cedar on a false summit

After reaching Hamilton Mountain we headed along the ridge to the saddle, where we decided to continue on the Upper Hardy Creek Trail which eventually led us to Bridge Trail. There is quite an impressive bridge on Bridge Trail. From there we followed the normal Hard Ridge loop. We were awarded awesome views at the top of Phlox Point, which is the highest point on the route at ~3000 feet. Phlox Point is called that because the summit is capped with pink phlox blooms in late spring / early summer, but we were a little bit early for that. From there we continued back to the car.

It was another near perfect day off run, well except for Cedar and the horses, but that is another post (which will probably never happen).

My strava of the route.

2 medium runs equal 1 long run?

2022-03-27T11:47:00.003-07:00

Susan has been gone the last 2 weekends and for whatever reason I find it hard mentally to run more than 3 hours by myself. Physically I know I can, because I do it almost every weekend with Susan but I have a real mental block doing long runs solo. Some would say forcing myself to do this is good mental toughness training and I don't disagree and I have done it plenty of times. But after 2+ years of covid, 4 years of Trump, and all the other awful things that have been going on in the world recently, I don't feel like I need more mental toughness training. So I have broken my long weekend run into 2 medium size runs on Saturday and Sunday.

Only running a few hours on both days still gives me the better part of both days to do non-running things. I have also been able to avoid a lot of the crowds since I start super early and end when most people are starting their runs. Though when I have looked on the blog for routes we don't have a lot of routes that are less than 15 miles, so I decided to add a few. Both of these runs I improvised while running but since they are short enough it was easy to look back on Strava and figure the route out.

Saturday:

Park at NW 53rd

Keil - Wild Cherry: .20
Wild Cherry - Leif: .87

Leif - Maple: 4.72

Maple - Firelane 4: .97

FL 4 - Leif: .21

Leif - Koenig: .55

Koenig - Wildwood: .14

Wildwood - Maple: .76

Maple - Leif: .34

Leif - Nature: .81

Nature - Firelane 1: .93

Firelane 1 - Morak: .32

Morak - Wildwood: .10

Wildwood to Car /NW 53rd: 1.48

Total: 12.38

Sunday:

Firelane 1 - Morak: .08

Morak - Wildwood: .10

Wildwood - Saltzman: 5.25

Saltzman - Quarry: .50

Quarry - Maple: .15

Maple - Leif: 2.45

Leif - Nature: .81

Nature - Firelane 1: .93

Firelane 1 - Wildwood: .07

Wildwood - Morak: .52

Morak - Firelane 1: .10

Firelane 1 - Car: .08

Total: 11.05

Run more than Ann

2022-03-13T16:11:00.004-07:00

My co-workers decided to create a challenge to see if they could collectively run more than me in a week. I consistently run 50 miles a week, but I thought for the challenge I should add a few more miles. Since most of my co-workers are Canadian and the challenge is in kilometers, I decided 100km was a nice number and archivable in a week. Doing some math, I decide to make this work I should probably run 30 miles / ~50km for my long run on Saturday. I texted Susan and of course she was game.

I decided to create a new route for us instead of doing an end to end on Wildwood. This also helps me achieve my goal of create 1 new route each month this year, even if I am a few weeks behind in posting it. The route was also good training for the Gorge Waterfall 50km in April, since we were both gone several weekends in March.

I just knew I was going to beat my co-workers, but what I didn't know is they got a few extra people to join the cause right before the weekend. They even created a slack channel and an emoji for this. The tally on Monday was 8 people vs. me, they had ~135km and I had 101km. Not sure I could have pulled off another 35km in that week, but who knows. Next time.

Route:

Holman - WW : .76

WW- Aspen: .43

Aspen - Road: .32

Road - Leif: .50

Leif - Wild Cherry: .26

WC - Dogwood: .87

Dogwood - WW: .66

WW - Firelane 1: 2.71

FL1 - Leif: .53

Leif - Nature: .28

Nature - WW: 1

WW - Maple: 2.03

Maple - Leif (end of Maple): 3.55

Leif - Wiregate: .68

Wiregate - WW: .31

WW - Trillium: .36

Trillium - FL7/Oil line: .25

FL7 - WW: .83

WW - FL5: 2.73

Top of FL5 - Saltzman: .87

Saltzman - WW: 1.20

WW - Nature: 4.10

Nature - Leif: .28

Leif - Alder: 1.9

Alder - WW: .84

WW - Birch: 1.94

Birch - Car: .25

Total 30.44

22 for 2022

2022-01-15T06:17:00.002-08:00

I originally started this blog 10 years ago to record our different routes in Forest Park, because I needed a better way to organize all my scraps of paper with routes and ideas. We have done such a good job of capturing our routes that we have slacked off in the last few years in creating new routes. I have a new years resolution to create at least 1 new route a month and revisit and update existing routes. We know Forest Park so well that include directions (turn right or left) in our route descriptions. In some cases it is obvious and other times, like when you turn on Wildwood or Leif Erickson, it's not. We even get confused on which way to go at times and we are the one writing the routes!

For January I decided to create a 22 mile route for 2022. I did not include left and right, but I will go back and update this route.

New year, new route!

Route

wild cherry - ww: .31

ww - birch: .39

birch - 53rd: . 25

53rd - holman: .10

holman - ww: .76

ww - aspen: .43

aspen - road: .23

road - leif: .25

leif - wild cherry: .26

wc - ww: .56

ww - dogwood: .59

dogwood - keil: .66

keil - ww: .17

ww - alder: .22

alder - leif: .84

leif - nature: 1.82

nature - ww: 1.00

ww - fl 2: 1.55 (total 10.39)

fl 2 - leif: .46

leif - cleator: 1.77

cleator - ww: .24

ww - fl 5: 1.22

fl 5 - leif: .23

leif - maple: .15

maple - ww: 3.55 (total 18.01)

ww - chestnut: .61

chestnut - leif: .49

leif - alder: 1.9

alder - ww: .84

ww - keil: .22

keil - car: .20

total : 22.27

2021 - 10 years of Girls Gone Wildwood

2022-01-10T15:07:00.004-08:00

Looking back on what we have done and accomplished each year, and summarizing it in a blog post is always my favorite thing to write. This year is even more special: it's our 10 year anniversary of trail & ultra running. So for this year's recap I want to highlight some of the fun stuff for 2021, and some of our favorite memories and adventures from the past 10 years.

2021 almost felt like we got back to normal racing, albeit with masks, staggered start times and regulated aid stations. Honestly I didn't mind the changes at the races, especially the staggered times; it makes things a lot less congested. We must have been so eager for some sense of normalcy, because we toed the line at FIVE different races this year.

But really the best part of the last 10 years has been our friendship and our love of running in the mountains and going on crazy adventures together. There is no one I would rather have type 2+ fun with, than Susan.

We hope you have enjoyed following our adventures over the last 10 years too!

With out further ado and in no particular order, here are our 2021 highlights and some of our favorite things / memories from the last 10 years.

Best Race (2021)

Backcountry Rise

Best DNF (2021)

Lithia Loop

Best adventure run (2021)

Enchantments

Favorite 10 year tradition

Birthday Wildwood end to end

Favorite addition to the team

Cedar Sunbeam, of course

Favorite race we do again and again

Peterson Ridge 20/40

Favorite circumnavigation

Wonderland (Rainier)

Close runners-up for circumnavigations:

Mt. Hood

Three Sisters

Favorite Adventure Runs

Mt. Rainier Northern Loop

The Enchantments

Salmon River

Badger Creek Wilderness

Favorite races from over the years

CCC (aka Best DNF)

Tarawera (aka Best Melodrama Due to Weather)

Favorite RD

James from Rainshadow Running

Favorite Long Run Fuel

Higher Taste Breakfast Wrap (in vegan and vegetarian!). After trying so many options over the past ten years, we have settled on these for the last few. Easy, filling, savory, and always tasty.

Runners-up: Petunia's salted caramel cookie bar, Gem's coconut caramel brownie, and Justin's peanut butter cups

Previous year recaps:

10th Annual Wildwood End-to-End

2021-12-20T08:00:00.001-08:00

In 2011 we ran the Lithia Loop Marathon, our first trail race, and fell head over heels in love with trail running. We decided that since we were all trained up and our birthdays were both just a few weeks later, we would run the longest trail in Forest Park, Wildwood, from end-to-end to celebrate. An annual tradition was born, one that we both look forward to, no matter the weather. It has become a day to slow down, enjoy the journey, and spend time together reflecting on our closing year of adventures.

At the Newberry end, our finish

This year, Ann picked the Sunday at the end of the US Thanksgiving holiday. Well she might have a future career as a weather forecaster, because it was perfect: partly sunny, surprisingly warm, and starting with a gorgeous sunrise.

Every year we do this, I feel awe at how fortunate I am. I have the health, fitness, and time to spend the day running. I have a best friend I look forward to spending time with, week after week, who shares so many of my type 2 interests, and plans the most amazing adventures and invites me along. Despite two years of a global pandemic, despite the gloomy news cycle and everything else going on, it felt like a whole day of lightness and joy.

I love our traditional Wildwood end-to-end run, closing out the calendar year with the pure happiness of running together.

Enchanté

2021-12-18T18:20:00.003-08:00

We haven't been quite as scheduled as pre-pandemic times, but back in July, the week before Cascade Lakes Relay, we drove up to Leavenworth for an epic day-off adventure run.

Colchuck Lake selfie

I had never been to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and I was in for a treat. We stayed the night at the Snow Lakes Trailhead, and caught an early shuttle to the Colchuck Lake Trailhead.

Enchantments map

It's a good 4 miles to Colchuck Lake, getting a feel for the elevation, with the massive payoff of seeing the shockingly bright blue water. We got a little lost at one point, trying to follow the trail over big boulders, but figured it out and made the boulder-hopping journey over to Aasgard Pass.

Sunrise morning view from Snow Creek Trailhead

Just a note here: I'm so glad I knew absolutely nothing about this trail and Aasgard Pass. When Ann pointed it out across the lake, I thought she was just pointing out a feature; I had no idea that it was the trail.

Bridge to... a bunch of boulders

Aasgard Pass is a 4,400 ft climb to a high point of 7,800 ft. It's steep, all rocky, and sometimes quite a scramble. Ann was in her element, so I mostly tried to keep her in sight and stay in motion. The views, especially of Colchuck Lake directly below, were astounding. At times, mountain goats kept us company. And then, when we finally reached the top, we had arrived into a world of snow and rocky spires and the most stunning mountain lakes I can imagine.

Colchuck gorgeousness

It was a slow, leisurely run through the Core Enchantments Zone, passing lake after unbelievable lake, baby goats with their parents, alpine flowers, and amazing snow formations. I took hundreds of photos.

Fireweed on Aasgard Pass

Finally, we got to the last zone-- the Snow Zone-- and past the slew of lakes into the dry, forested and granite-bouldered slopes. The scenery was so different, and even though it was downhill now, it wasn't much faster than the previous miles. The final 5.6 mile segment didn't have the same wow-factor, but it was nice to get moving a bit faster, as it was quite hot and sunny by this point.

Colchuck from Aasgard Pass

We finally made it back to the car, hot, dirty, and so full of joy from the dazzle of our adventure. We high-tailed it to Seattle, where Ann's sister graciously let us shower and eat. Running the Enchantments end-to-end was an absolute highlight of the year.

Cedar the Reindeer

2021-12-11T14:49:00.001-08:00

Last year Cedar ditched his antlers somewhere in Forest Park, much to his displeasure I was able get him a new pair just in time for our annual Santa Hat run.

A week ago we took the advantage of nice weather the week after to run around NW Portland in Santa hats and ugly sweater running shirts with Cedar the Reindeer. Cedar actually didn't seem to mind the antlers this time, I think it was because there were so many new smells and things in the city that he didn't get in Forest Park. Almost everyone we passed loved seeing Cedar in his antler, spreading Christmas cheer on the all the trees and fire hydrants.

The Santa hat run has become one of our favorite holiday traditions.

The route on Strava (thanks to Wy'east Wolfpack)

Lithia Loop Trail Marathon -- 10 years later

2021-11-13T16:12:00.008-08:00

The start of the race

The first trail race we ever ran was the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon in 2011. We were such trail running noobs, we didn't have running vests and thought that 3700 feet over 26 miles was a lot of vert. Despite our inexperience I have fond memories of the race. I do remember the race feeling hard since you covered most of the elevation gain in the first 8 miles and that it snowed for 22 of the 26.2 miles. And when I say snow, I mean snow not just a dusting, my eyelashes had snow sticking to them. I also remember fun aid stations and a glorious downhill single track at the end. And of course Hal gave everyone high-fives as we crossed the finish line.

Because we had such an amazing time running Lithia Loop we decided to run all of Wildwood for our birthdays a few weeks later, which is something we have done every year since.We have done a lot of races and adventures in the last 10 years and are a lot more experienced but we are also 10 years older and maybe a wee bit slower. Regardless we thought it would be fun to sign up for the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon and rerun it 10 years later.

John and I headed down to Ashland early on Friday so I would have enough time to pick up our race stuff and have dinner at a decent time. I picked up our race shirts and numbers at Rogue Valley Runners but did not spot anyone I knew. We had dinner at the Brickroom and despite being vaccinated for months and traveling it still feels weird to eat indoors, but the Brickroom did a great job distancing folks. We had a decent dinner and some fun drinks, it felt nice to hangout at a bar like the before times.

Look we are running a race!

I met Susan race morning at the start line. I did not sleep very well the night before but I was still excited about the race. Come to find out she didn't sleep that well either. The forecast called for rain all day, but Hal (RD) promised us all that it wasn't going to rain and right after that we were off. The race was a lot smaller than when we ran it 10 years ago, I think there were around 60 folks signed up. I am not sure if it has to do with covid or the fact that there are so many more races now.

As we started running uphill for the next 8 miles we weren't talking a lot. The one thing that I was wondering was if we really ran the whole 8 miles uphill 10 years ago and I am pretty sure we did. We have gotten a little soft since then and walk more hills than we should, this probably has a lot to do with our slower race times. I did say to Susan we could walk if she wanted, she replied that we had to run if we wanted to make the 6 hour cut off. I wasn't that worried about the cutoff but she was right.

Around mile 2 Susan said she needed to walk a little to catch her breath. We walked and chatted a bit but not for too long and started running again, we kept this routine up for the next 4 miles. Around mile 6 the dirt road we had been running on intersected with a trail that had blue and orange ribbons on the ground, which were the colors for the race but no other indication that it was the turn off and there were no other runners in view. We both looked at our Strava routes and the trail was the part of the race course. We were probably only a couple yards down the trail when we saw a runner coming down the road telling us we were going the wrong way.

views of trees

Very confused, we ran back to the road to show her that we were on the route according to Strava. She said that a woman at the aid station 2 miles back told her and other runners to stay on the road. She said that she ran these trails all the time and that the road did meet up with the race course. She took off and Susan and I debated what to do. We didn't stop at the aid station and didn't really pay attention to what the volunteer was saying. We also both wondered if there had been a change in the route Hal (RD) had said something at the start. But the lack of markings and the confidence in the other runner made us doubt our instinct to keep following the Strava race route. So we continued to follow the road, probably 20 minutes later 15-20 running came running towards us saying that they had gone the wrong way and that the road was a dead end.

We both stopped and were like WTAF? Everyone said that they were told to stay on the road, a few folks were pretty pissed, other runners were laughing off the mishap saying well I guess we are running an ultra now. After they passed us Susan just stopped and almost started to cry. She was upset and didn't want to run back just to run back up the trail we turned away from. I told her it would be ok, we would make it even if we didn't make the cut off. I gave her a moment and she said she was fine. We probably ran for 5ish minutes and then I stopped and I said I was pissed too and didn't want to finish the race, that I was pissed with myself for not going with my gut and staying on the course. I think the breakdowns had a lot to do with both of us being tired. But we continued back to the turn off to the course discussing our options.

Our options were to run back to the start the way we came, to finish the race which would be a 50k at this point or to drop and run the trails DIY style. We were conflicted between the last 2 options. This was our 10 year anniversary of the race but at the same time I am not sure either of us mentally had it in us to run 30 miles. I also forgot to mention that I had just gotten over a 2.5 week cold and was still coughing a bit, so that didn't help either. We did decide that we should run to the next aid station and decide there, so at least we could let the race know we were dropping. Luckily the next aid station was only 2 miles up the trail from the junction with the road, it is also almost the top of the 8 mile climb.

Views of Ashland

As we made our way to the aid station we passed another runner who looked like he was struggling. He said he had also gone the wrong way and was thinking of dropping. Normally I would have tried to encourage him to not drop and just make it to the aid station, but I was feeling the exact same way and could only commiserate.

When we got to the aid station the 2 volunteers asked if we had gone the wrong way and we said we had, they apologized. We said it wasn't their fault and it was ok, shit happens. We both grabbed some snacks and chatted about what we wanted to do. One of the volunteers was talking to another runner and said there was another route down that was about 10 miles. Once we heard that we decided we were going to drop and just run on some (new to us) trails.

The woman who was sweeping the race tried to encourage us not to drop and told us we didn't have to worry about the cut off times. We let her know that it's ok, we run a lot of races and were ok to drop and just do our own thing. Ironically the aid station volunteer for the first aid station that had told everyone to stay on the road was with her. She said that Hal had told her to tell everyone to stay on the road, she didn't know the trails around Ashland and felt really bad. We reassured her it wasn't her fault, we hadn't even heard her and we turned around because of a very confident local runner.

Lynn the volunteer from the first aid station was running back to her car and was heading in the same direction as us. We had a very pleasant ~3 mile run with her chatting about running, races, camper vans, etc. After she turned off we continued to weave our back through trails and forest roads to Lithia Park where the race ended. We had a ton of fun because at the end of the day we only run these crazy distances so we can spend time together.

It wasn't the 10 year anniversary race we had planned but honestly I think it turned out better this way and really reflected more on how our running has evolved over the last 10 years. And we did get to run a Lithia Loop, just a 20 mile Lithia Loop.

Maybe we will be back next year to try it again, or maybe Lithia Loop is better left as a pleasant memory as our first trail run and really the race that started it all for us.

PS - Thanks Hal, you were right the weather was great and it didn't rain.

The Amazing Canadian Rockies

2021-10-24T08:52:00.003-07:00

Four years ago I bought the Lonely Planet book on Banff and Jasper, but with other trips planned and then covid we never made it. Well in August I decided quit my job and take few months off and with the US & Canadian border I thought it was a perfect time to explore the Canadian Rockies. The nice thing about the Canadian national parks is you can have dogs on the trail (on leash) so we were able to bring Cedar with us.

I have to say I was blown away by the Canadian Rockies, every hike we went on I said was my new favorite hike. We have spent the last decade plus vacationing in the European Alps, which are amazing and I have to say the Canadian Rockies are on par with the Alps.

Below are all the hikes we went on with a brief description and photo highlights. I picked my hikes mainly using Alltrails.com and the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide. I also have to say I found the Moon Canadian Rockies more useful than my original Lonely Planet guide. My full photo dump of the trip.

Hike 1 - Bourgeau Lake

It was raining in the morning, so we took it easy until the weather cleared. We decided to Bourgeau Lake and were not disappointed and because of the weather we were one of the only people on the hike. It was sunny when we started and snowing when we got to the lake. Always be prepared for changing weather in the mountains!

The trail is pretty easy to follow and has a moderate uphill grade to the lake.

Hike 2 - Lake Louise and Plain of the Six Glaciers

It was super cold when we got to Lake Louise but we layered up. When we started it wasn't very crowed around Lake Louise and were were actually able to snap some photos with out folks blocking the view of the lake. We decided to hike up to the Plain of the Six Glaciers. This is probably one of the more famous hikes in Banff, partly because of Lake Louise and partly because of the actual glaciers. Once the trail leaves the lake it is a steady uphill climb to the glaciers. Parts of the trail were challenging with Cedar on a leash due to loose rocks, scree and narrow trails, but he is part mountain goat and made it just fine.

There are 2 alpine tea houses on trails above Lake Louise. We had lunch at one of them on our way down, the tea house at 5000+ feet. It reminded me a lot of being in the Alps.

Hike 3 - Cory Pass

Cory Pass reminded me a lot of the Alps. The top of the pass was covered in snow and coming down the other side was pretty icy. It was beautiful nonetheless and the views are amazing. If we didn't have Cedar with us we might have attempted to summit Mount Edith.

Hike 4 - Iceline Trail

We had originally planned on going to Moraine Lake and we got to the turn off to the parking lot at 6:30 am but it was already full. Luckily I had a plan B. Plan B was the Iceline Trail in Yoho and it did not disappoint. Once you are above the tree line you get mountain and glacier views for days, seriously. This hike should be a bucket list hike for the Canadian Rockies.

Hike 5 - Moraine Lake and Larch Valley & Sentinel Pass

After our 3rd attempt we got a parking spot at 5:45am at Moraine Lake. We hiked to Larch Valley & Sentinel Pass. Well I made it to the pass it was too icy for John with Cedar on leash. My new favorite hike. The Larches were on point and more epic mountain views.

Hike 6 - Bald Hill

This was our first day in Jasper National Park. We hiked to the top of Bald Hill and at almost 8000 feet it felt more like a mountain than a hill. There was probably 2 feet of snow at the top and the wind was relentless but once again we had 360 degree views of mountains. Cedar wasn’t allowed on this trail due to Caribou.

Hike 7 - Edith Cavell Meadows

It was rainy this morning, but luckily we had planned a shorter hike for the day. The weather cleared just as we started the hike up to Edith Cavell Meadows which overlooks Angel Glacier and the north wall of Mount Edith Cavell. We even got a rainbow over the valley. It was a short but steep hike.

Hike 8 - Kinney Lake

Our last hike in the Rockies was Kinney Lake Mount Robson Provincial Park. It’s an actual rainforest in the Rockies. Felt very much like the PNW.

Hike 9 - Flatiron Peak

This hike isn't in the Rockies but I thought it was worth mentioning. We found a random hike outside of Hope, BC and it did not disappoint. We hiked to the top of Flatiron Peak where there were alpine lakes was a green radio tower that looked like a rocket ship.

Day off run: Angel's Rest Gorge loop

2021-10-15T05:00:00.001-07:00

For our day-off run in April, we decided to run Angel's Rest in the Columbia River Gorge. It was a lovely day, with views you don't often get to see this time of year. We ran into several patches of snow, but also wildflowers beginning to peek through the early spring mud and moss. The waterfalls were full and majestic, and Cedar enjoyed himself immensely (as he always does!).

Once past Angel's Rest, we headed toward Multnomah Falls, cutting down from the top on the main, paved tourist trail. We used the old highway to connect back up to the trails and made a figure eight back to Angel's Rest, where we retraced out steps. See my Strava map here. It was great to be out on a sunny, early spring day and get some good elevation in!

Autumn on the North Country Trail

2021-10-08T04:00:00.094-07:00

Changing colors on the Thornapple River

Visiting western Michigan as we transition to fall has made for a great week of running. For our last long run here, Ann's dad dropped us off in Middleville and we ran back to his house on the North Country Trail, which traverses 4,700 miles from North Dakota to Vermont.

Nice canoe/kayak put-in in Middleville

The North Country Trail is the longest in the National Trail System, but it feels very different from the Pacific Crest and Appalachian trails; distinct sections pieced together along short stretches of road. Our first stretch, the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail through Middleville, wound along the Thornapple River, through a marsh, and under a tunnel of trees.

We're on a giant chair!

Trail distances-- we're in staunchly in the middle

Tunnel of trees

Mile markers and exercises to do along the way (no, we didn't do them)

This section ends at a small road, to a bigger one, and then back onto a dirt road before getting back onto trail. Different parts of the trail have distinct feelings-- sandy pine groves, riparian forests, spent soybean fields, boardwalks along marshes. After a week of becoming familiar with the trails in Yankee Springs Recreation Area, it was a fun change to run point-to-point.

Peets Road, connecting trail segments

Go straight

Go left

Go right

Signage along the North Country Trail is pretty great-- there are blue blazes on trees to mark the trail and whether to go left, right or straight ahead. A few sections are public hunting grounds, with signs marking the seasons. Some areas are more developed than others, with lots of informative signs, lovely benches, and brand-new boardwalks.

Brand new boardwalk

Neat benches

A soybean field post-harvest

How to read NCT signage

After crossing a couple of familiarly-named roads (Chief Noonday and Gun Lake), we were back in familiar territory: Yankee Springs Recreation Area, where we've run every day we've been in Michigan. Finally, we split from the North Country Trail to follow the Hall Lake Trail out to the road and back to Ann's dad's house. Next time I'd like to try more of the North Country Trail, from the opposite side.

Tiny mushrooms

Neat pink fungus

Great signage

Autumn colors starting

Stella and Fred came to cheer us on at the end