I started this week with trail running. On Monday I did an approximately 5.5 mile hilly loop at Iller Creek. I was still tired from that on Tuesday, so I did a shorter and slower loop in the Dishman Hills. The Dishman Hills never cease to amaze me; despite nearly fifteen years of exploring those trails, I found a new-to-me trail on this run. It was beautiful, mainly due to all of the spring flowers that are just starting to bloom right now. I'm hoping that I can get back to hike this with my camera in the next week or so.
On Wednesday I finally managed to get up to Mount Spokane to ski. This is my favorite time of the year to ski up there--there were a few snowboarders hanging out near lodge one, but I was the only one going to the top tonight. The snow is wet, sloppy, and dirty; it was a little like skiing through mashed potatoes, but it's April and therefore fabulous. I hope I can do it again next week.
On Thursday I returned to Iller Creek for a trail run. I managed to get a huge blister after skiing and it was still bothering me tonight, so I cut the run pretty short.
On Friday I had students in doing makeup work fairly late, so I didn't have enough time to run before backpack school.
Saturday I left early for a camping trip to my favorite morel-hunting grounds. It has been cold enough that the morels are late this year. I only found about two pounds, but I got a nice long hike in, most of it cross-country. I also found three ticks during the course of the day, but fortunately I found all of them before they found a place to bite. I didn't find any more morels Sunday morning, so I came home early to get a little gardening done in the afternoon.
Mileage for April 23-29: running = 11 miles; hiking = approximately 10 miles (most off-trail)
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
April 16-22: Earth Day, etc.
I managed to run a couple days this week anyhow. On Wednesday I got in a nice 3 mile loop in the Dishman Hills after work and before the final service project meeting at REI. On Thursday I went back to the Dishman Hills, but this time to hike part of my assigned zone to look for places for my group to pick up trash during the service project. Friday it was back to running again, and again in the Dishman Hills. I've been hanging out there a lot lately!
I spent my Saturday working in the garden--working a little too hard in the garden as it turns out. I ended up with tendinitis in my wrist, which I didn't even know could happen after one nine-hour day of weeding and shoveling and raking! If I hadn't known better, I would have thought it was broken with the way it was swollen and sticking out at a funny angle.
That made Sunday interesting, since it was the service day project. I did most everything left handed, and relied heavily on vitamin-I for the rest. There were so many people there, and the weather was so fabulous! I'm pretty sure the service project was a great success. I didn't do much more than lead people to our work site and then lead them back afterwards (with a side-trip through the hinterlands to look for the trash that I'd GPS'd, only to discover that one of the other teams found it before we got there). All in all, it was a good day. Then I got to spend the afternoon in the hammock, reading and grading papers.
Running = 7 miles; hiking = 8 miles
I spent my Saturday working in the garden--working a little too hard in the garden as it turns out. I ended up with tendinitis in my wrist, which I didn't even know could happen after one nine-hour day of weeding and shoveling and raking! If I hadn't known better, I would have thought it was broken with the way it was swollen and sticking out at a funny angle.
That made Sunday interesting, since it was the service day project. I did most everything left handed, and relied heavily on vitamin-I for the rest. There were so many people there, and the weather was so fabulous! I'm pretty sure the service project was a great success. I didn't do much more than lead people to our work site and then lead them back afterwards (with a side-trip through the hinterlands to look for the trash that I'd GPS'd, only to discover that one of the other teams found it before we got there). All in all, it was a good day. Then I got to spend the afternoon in the hammock, reading and grading papers.
Running = 7 miles; hiking = 8 miles
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Running again!
I'm able to run again (albeit slowly and painfully). I ran Centennial Trail on Monday (3.5 miles) and the Saltese Loop on Tuesday (3 miles). Then I needed to take Wednesday and Thursday off to recover. At least it was just extreme soreness, not re-injury. By Friday I was ready to tackle a 3 mile trail run in the Dishman Hills, and then I had to take Saturday off to recover. I made great progress in the garden, though! Today I went out to Riverside State Park for one of my favorite 5.5 mile loops. It was beautiful, and I felt great at first--then my calves and hamstrings tightened up and made for a rough last couple of miles, but I finished it!
Mileage, week of April 9-15, 2012 = 15 miles
Mileage, week of April 9-15, 2012 = 15 miles
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Spring Break!
April 2-8, 2012:
I stayed close to home on Monday and Tuesday, but I left for another backpack trip Wednesday through Friday! I left home during a snow storm that turned to rain the farther north I got, and finally cleared up entirely by the time I got to my intended hiking destination at Thirteen Mile trail. We had a couple wildlife cameras there, and I needed to pull them. I hiked the trail to the first camera, then cut cross country to the second camera to see if I could find any shed antlers in the woods. I didn't find any, but I did find a fairly large pond--unusual in this dry area. It's probably seasonal, but on the other hand, there isn't any vegetation in the middle and it's ringed by aspen, so it must stay wet enough even into late summer.
I also made rookie mistake #1 at Thirteen Mile: I had two pairs of gaiters in the car, but did I put either of them on? Of course not! So my shoes got soaked and my feet got cold. Maybe someday I'll learn.
I got the cameras without any problem, though. We didn't get much of interest, although there are some funny blurry deer photos that we are calling the "Ghost Deer." The second camera had somehow been knocked off the tree it was attached to, and the bungee that we had used to place it was on the ground in four pieces. I'm not quite sure how that could have happened--unless it was the Ghost Deer in action, angry at having been photographed.
After Thirteen Mile I drove on to Oroville. The original plan was to locate Whistler Canyon, car camp at the trail head, and then go for the backpack on Thursday after Aaron arrived from Spokane. The only problem was that I got completely lost. The guidebook directions were off, the USGS map wasn't particularly helpful (not even when I took it to the ranger office on Thursday seeking their help), and there was no sign anywhere. I tried everything except for the correct entrance, as it turns out, and then looped around the backside to see if I could find the old USFS road 100/converted to trail 100 described in the Pacific Northwest Trail Guide. No luck. Then it was practically dark and I couldn't figure out a place to camp. I probably should have had a better plan to begin with (rookie mistake #2?) but I ended up back at Bonaparte Lake before I found a place I was willing to camp, and even that didn't feel particularly safe (I could see houses from the campground--I hate it when I can see houses from the campground!).
When I woke up Thursday morning I debated just heading back toward home, as I wasn't sure I'd ever locate that trail head. However, I hate to give up on anything (ok, I'm super stubborn). I stopped by the ranger station for directions that weren't particularly helpful, I took two or three wrong turns, I chatted with a nice local man who said he'd been there before but couldn't remember how to get to the trail head, and finally decided I'd try just one more turn before I gave up--and that was finally the correct one!
Of course, even when I was there I wasn't positive it was the right spot. It didn't look anything like the picture I had seen of the trail head that the Backcountry Horsemen had constructed, and I had specifically asked the FS people if I would see the trail head sign when I got there (they said I would). I got my backpack in order and hoped that Aaron didn't get as hopelessly lost as I had. Just as I got everything packed a local woman drove up to take her dog for a walk. When I asked if I was in the right spot, she confirmed that I was and then took me down to the future trail head where the big trail sign was located. No wonder I couldn't find it before--the official parking lot isn't coming until later this summer.
Then came the cool part--the part that made getting lost (almost) worth it--the local woman showed me where the Whistler Canyon Pictographs were located! I later got lots of great pictures of them. It was very cool indeed to be able to see that!
Just as the woman and I walked back to the cars I saw that Aaron had arrived, apparently without getting too lost. Then came rookie mistake--what am I up to now?--number 3. We hiked down to take pictures of the pictographs, and as I moved to get at the right angle for a good picture I glanced to my right and noticed some poison ivy growing right next to me--touching my pant leg, in fact. Aaron had been standing in the same spot not thirty seconds earlier. So...I changed my hiking pants as soon as I got back to the car, but I still kept imagining that I was getting itchy for the rest of the backpack. We dodged a bullet, though--no hives!
We were almost ready to leave when we met some more people who had driven up to the trail head. One of the guys apparently worked for either the forest service or BLM; he gave us a tip about another hike we could check out on our way out of town: McLaughlin Canyon, just south of Tonasket. Then we started our hike.
We didn't hike in very far before we set up a camp with a nice view and easy access to water. Then we went for a nice long hike, some of it on trail and some of it cross country. We never did see the bighorn sheep, but we did see plenty of wildflowers. The day stayed mostly warm and sunny, although the wind picked up quite a bit after dinner. In fact, we expected to wake up to snow-covered tents, but Friday was nice, too.
We decided to see McLaughlin Canyon after the hike out of Whistler Canyon, and that's when we made rookie mistake #4 and #5. First, we assumed that the trail was on the same side of the road as the trail head. Next, we didn't bother to stick the map back in the backpack before we started hiking. In my defense, most of my belongings were strewn all over the back of the car since I didn't want to carry tent and sleeping bag and stove, etc. with me for a short hike. The mistake led to a nice view from the top of the wrong hillside before we returned to the car to get the map.
McLaughlin is a pretty hike, but there are so many trees down across the trail! There was a fire there a few years ago, and now a lot of the dead trees are falling. It made me a little nervous when the wind picked up on our way back out. It's BLM land, and a historical site where Native Americans once ambushed some miners. I think it would be the perfect place for a trail project and eventually an interpretive hike. In the meantime, the place is in serious need of a cleanup project--not the trail itself (although cleaning the deadfall would be a nice touch), but the trail head. It is apparently the local dumping ground/shooting site, despite shot up signs telling people not to do so.
After that I continued on home, happily exhausted! I returned to a snow-covered front lawn & news from my mom that it had snowed several inches after I left on Wednesday; it was good timing for my escape from town!
Saturday was the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Community Center, and I only did some gardening in the afternoon.
I spent a lot of my Easter trying to get caught up on the grading I was supposed to have done earlier in the week, but I managed to escape for an afternoon hike at McKenzie Conservation Area. Since my last visit they have installed trail signs indicating a nice long loop around the perimeter of the property, plus they have planted a native plant garden along the beach! I think there is enough trail there now to run it; I didn't even take all of the marked routes today, but I think I covered about four miles.
Weekly mileage: approximately 14 miles, hiking; still no running.
I stayed close to home on Monday and Tuesday, but I left for another backpack trip Wednesday through Friday! I left home during a snow storm that turned to rain the farther north I got, and finally cleared up entirely by the time I got to my intended hiking destination at Thirteen Mile trail. We had a couple wildlife cameras there, and I needed to pull them. I hiked the trail to the first camera, then cut cross country to the second camera to see if I could find any shed antlers in the woods. I didn't find any, but I did find a fairly large pond--unusual in this dry area. It's probably seasonal, but on the other hand, there isn't any vegetation in the middle and it's ringed by aspen, so it must stay wet enough even into late summer.
I also made rookie mistake #1 at Thirteen Mile: I had two pairs of gaiters in the car, but did I put either of them on? Of course not! So my shoes got soaked and my feet got cold. Maybe someday I'll learn.
I got the cameras without any problem, though. We didn't get much of interest, although there are some funny blurry deer photos that we are calling the "Ghost Deer." The second camera had somehow been knocked off the tree it was attached to, and the bungee that we had used to place it was on the ground in four pieces. I'm not quite sure how that could have happened--unless it was the Ghost Deer in action, angry at having been photographed.
After Thirteen Mile I drove on to Oroville. The original plan was to locate Whistler Canyon, car camp at the trail head, and then go for the backpack on Thursday after Aaron arrived from Spokane. The only problem was that I got completely lost. The guidebook directions were off, the USGS map wasn't particularly helpful (not even when I took it to the ranger office on Thursday seeking their help), and there was no sign anywhere. I tried everything except for the correct entrance, as it turns out, and then looped around the backside to see if I could find the old USFS road 100/converted to trail 100 described in the Pacific Northwest Trail Guide. No luck. Then it was practically dark and I couldn't figure out a place to camp. I probably should have had a better plan to begin with (rookie mistake #2?) but I ended up back at Bonaparte Lake before I found a place I was willing to camp, and even that didn't feel particularly safe (I could see houses from the campground--I hate it when I can see houses from the campground!).
When I woke up Thursday morning I debated just heading back toward home, as I wasn't sure I'd ever locate that trail head. However, I hate to give up on anything (ok, I'm super stubborn). I stopped by the ranger station for directions that weren't particularly helpful, I took two or three wrong turns, I chatted with a nice local man who said he'd been there before but couldn't remember how to get to the trail head, and finally decided I'd try just one more turn before I gave up--and that was finally the correct one!
Of course, even when I was there I wasn't positive it was the right spot. It didn't look anything like the picture I had seen of the trail head that the Backcountry Horsemen had constructed, and I had specifically asked the FS people if I would see the trail head sign when I got there (they said I would). I got my backpack in order and hoped that Aaron didn't get as hopelessly lost as I had. Just as I got everything packed a local woman drove up to take her dog for a walk. When I asked if I was in the right spot, she confirmed that I was and then took me down to the future trail head where the big trail sign was located. No wonder I couldn't find it before--the official parking lot isn't coming until later this summer.
Then came the cool part--the part that made getting lost (almost) worth it--the local woman showed me where the Whistler Canyon Pictographs were located! I later got lots of great pictures of them. It was very cool indeed to be able to see that!
Just as the woman and I walked back to the cars I saw that Aaron had arrived, apparently without getting too lost. Then came rookie mistake--what am I up to now?--number 3. We hiked down to take pictures of the pictographs, and as I moved to get at the right angle for a good picture I glanced to my right and noticed some poison ivy growing right next to me--touching my pant leg, in fact. Aaron had been standing in the same spot not thirty seconds earlier. So...I changed my hiking pants as soon as I got back to the car, but I still kept imagining that I was getting itchy for the rest of the backpack. We dodged a bullet, though--no hives!
We were almost ready to leave when we met some more people who had driven up to the trail head. One of the guys apparently worked for either the forest service or BLM; he gave us a tip about another hike we could check out on our way out of town: McLaughlin Canyon, just south of Tonasket. Then we started our hike.
We didn't hike in very far before we set up a camp with a nice view and easy access to water. Then we went for a nice long hike, some of it on trail and some of it cross country. We never did see the bighorn sheep, but we did see plenty of wildflowers. The day stayed mostly warm and sunny, although the wind picked up quite a bit after dinner. In fact, we expected to wake up to snow-covered tents, but Friday was nice, too.
We decided to see McLaughlin Canyon after the hike out of Whistler Canyon, and that's when we made rookie mistake #4 and #5. First, we assumed that the trail was on the same side of the road as the trail head. Next, we didn't bother to stick the map back in the backpack before we started hiking. In my defense, most of my belongings were strewn all over the back of the car since I didn't want to carry tent and sleeping bag and stove, etc. with me for a short hike. The mistake led to a nice view from the top of the wrong hillside before we returned to the car to get the map.
McLaughlin is a pretty hike, but there are so many trees down across the trail! There was a fire there a few years ago, and now a lot of the dead trees are falling. It made me a little nervous when the wind picked up on our way back out. It's BLM land, and a historical site where Native Americans once ambushed some miners. I think it would be the perfect place for a trail project and eventually an interpretive hike. In the meantime, the place is in serious need of a cleanup project--not the trail itself (although cleaning the deadfall would be a nice touch), but the trail head. It is apparently the local dumping ground/shooting site, despite shot up signs telling people not to do so.
After that I continued on home, happily exhausted! I returned to a snow-covered front lawn & news from my mom that it had snowed several inches after I left on Wednesday; it was good timing for my escape from town!
Saturday was the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Community Center, and I only did some gardening in the afternoon.
I spent a lot of my Easter trying to get caught up on the grading I was supposed to have done earlier in the week, but I managed to escape for an afternoon hike at McKenzie Conservation Area. Since my last visit they have installed trail signs indicating a nice long loop around the perimeter of the property, plus they have planted a native plant garden along the beach! I think there is enough trail there now to run it; I didn't even take all of the marked routes today, but I think I covered about four miles.
Weekly mileage: approximately 14 miles, hiking; still no running.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
March 26-April 1
At the beginning of the week I was fairly sure that my calf injury was healed, but on Tuesday I found out that it was not the case. I knew enough to find something flat for a "test run," so I went to Centennial Trail on my way home from work. I made it six minutes pain-free, then it started to tighten up; I turned back and ran another four minutes, and finally decided I'd better just walk the rest of the way back to the car.
That was the only run for the week. It wasn't too painful on Wednesday, but I decided to err on the side of caution, and besides, I was plenty busy with work.
Then spring break started! I rushed home after work on Friday to pack my bags, left again for the first night of Backpack School, then came home and finished packing for the weekend backpack to Hell's Canyon.
We got a semi-early start on Saturday morning to drive to Pittsburgh Landing; I have never done this trip before and had no idea how long a drive it was to the trail head! We didn't get started on the trail until around noon, but it's only a six mile hike to Kirkwood Ranch. We saw a group of boy scouts at the trail head, and when we got to the ranch we found that there were two other boy scout troops already camped; it's a very popular location for boy scout troops! I also discovered that I seriously underestimated how warm it would be in Hell's Canyon; I only packed long pants and long-sleeve shirts, but it was warm! In the late afternoon it did start to rain, but I could have done with some shorts and a tee-shirt for the hike in. One of the boy scout leaders later told us that he'd only packed heavy wool clothing, so I'm sure he was extra miserable! The wind was fierce, though, despite the sunny skies. I later heard that another hiker on the way in was hit by a gust that knocked her down and that she fell a good ways down below the trail; in some areas that could have been a lethal fall, so I guess in a sense she was lucky that it happened where it did.
After we arrived we quickly set up camp and then took off for farther up-trail: We hike to Suicide Point about two miles beyond the ranch. On the way back I found a nice mule deer shed along the trail. I was also thrilled to get lots of wildflower pictures; I got several of buttercups blooming inside cactus fortresses!
Sunday morning started rainy, then got sunny, then got rainy, then got sunny again. We checked out the museum and then did the side hike up the canyon to the old bootlegger's mansion (it, along with the bunkhouse, are on the National Historic Register). Then we packed up and hiked out and started the long drive home.
Weekly totals: running = about 1.5; hiking = about 18
That was the only run for the week. It wasn't too painful on Wednesday, but I decided to err on the side of caution, and besides, I was plenty busy with work.
Then spring break started! I rushed home after work on Friday to pack my bags, left again for the first night of Backpack School, then came home and finished packing for the weekend backpack to Hell's Canyon.
We got a semi-early start on Saturday morning to drive to Pittsburgh Landing; I have never done this trip before and had no idea how long a drive it was to the trail head! We didn't get started on the trail until around noon, but it's only a six mile hike to Kirkwood Ranch. We saw a group of boy scouts at the trail head, and when we got to the ranch we found that there were two other boy scout troops already camped; it's a very popular location for boy scout troops! I also discovered that I seriously underestimated how warm it would be in Hell's Canyon; I only packed long pants and long-sleeve shirts, but it was warm! In the late afternoon it did start to rain, but I could have done with some shorts and a tee-shirt for the hike in. One of the boy scout leaders later told us that he'd only packed heavy wool clothing, so I'm sure he was extra miserable! The wind was fierce, though, despite the sunny skies. I later heard that another hiker on the way in was hit by a gust that knocked her down and that she fell a good ways down below the trail; in some areas that could have been a lethal fall, so I guess in a sense she was lucky that it happened where it did.
After we arrived we quickly set up camp and then took off for farther up-trail: We hike to Suicide Point about two miles beyond the ranch. On the way back I found a nice mule deer shed along the trail. I was also thrilled to get lots of wildflower pictures; I got several of buttercups blooming inside cactus fortresses!
Sunday morning started rainy, then got sunny, then got rainy, then got sunny again. We checked out the museum and then did the side hike up the canyon to the old bootlegger's mansion (it, along with the bunkhouse, are on the National Historic Register). Then we packed up and hiked out and started the long drive home.
Weekly totals: running = about 1.5; hiking = about 18
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