28.6 miles

Well, I did it! Today's Triathlon Eugene started at 7:05 a.m. for me and I was happy to have been part of this inaugural event. My wife, son, & I arrived a little after 6:00 a.m. where we found about 150 other racers who were prepping their bikes, clothes and themselves for the early start. The sun was just coming up in the east, revealing light cloud cover. We started the race near 55 degrees and the water temp was about 74. Needless to say, it was warmer in the water than on the shore!

Pre-race jitters

 The short course consisted of a .5 mile swim, a 25 mile bike ride, and a 3.1 mile run. I'd been training for this event since March so I knew what I had coming as far as effort and distances, but having said that I hadn't done all three events in a single day before. I also hadn't practiced my transitions (called T1 and T2), the parts of the race where I would go from swim to bike and from bike to run.

Lining up for the swim start

I started in the back of the pack on the swim and more or less stayed there. The long course racers, who started five minutes before my wave and were swimming twice as far as me, began passing me about halfway through my swim. I was far from being shocked, but maintained my pace and perseverance as best I could.

We're off!

Coming out of the water was fun because I was in a group with what were apparently three popular racers, which made me swim harder to the transition (I was pretending they were cheering for me). The transition zone was crowded but I made relatively quick work of donning my helmet, gloves, sunglasses and shoes after ditching the swim cap and goggles.

Coming in to T1

The road ride was tough, for sure, but I kept my pace (about 18 mph for those keeping track) here too and only let a handful of riders pass me. I felt like I was losing ground to a lot of racers, but it turns out now that I look at the results I actually passed 10 people during the 1.5 hour ride.

Coming in to T2

 Back now at the second transition area and dreading my run (exhaustion was setting in here) I took a break after putting on my running shoes to go give my wife and son a kiss for luck. I shot out of T2 and started out on the run, making a 8:00/mile pace.

Changing at T2

Off for the final leg!

I wrapped up my first triathlon with a final time of 2:12:35 and I've got to say I couldn't be happier with the result. After a nice lunch with my friends who came to cheer me on, the three of us went home for what ended up being a two hour nap! Well deserved I believe!

PS- Thanks a ton to Jamie for taking these photos!

Tahkenitch Lake Backpacking Adventure!

Anson wasn't afraid of the dark woods, thankfully.

My wife, son, and I went just south of Florence this weekend for our first backpacking trip as a family. As you might remember we tried backyard camping a few months ago with great success so it seemed we should be able to manage a more adventurous outing now that the little man is four months old. We were very lucky in many ways this weekend and fulfilled our goal of getting out in nature, seeing something new, and having some time alone to reconnect with one another.


We got a late start (what else is new?) to our trip and arrived at Tahkenitch Campground & Trailhead around 7:30p.m. We knew we had about an hour and a half of daylight left so we got moving quickly and were on our way to Threemile Lake which was, you guessed it, three miles from the trailhead.

We didn't know what the trail would have in store for us becuase we'd never been there, but were pleasantly surprised that there weren't many hills or difficult sections. We didn't know if we'd find a flat spot for our tent, but were delighted to find a great forested area next to the dunes that was very flat and protected from the wind.

About two miles from our destination the light had diminished so much that hiking through the thickly-covered forest required a headlamp. The dogs, as well as Claire and I, were ambitious about hiking regardless of the time of day so we made good time getting to Threemile Lake, having taken just about 1.5 hours.

We pitched the tent and cooked our dinner before I went out with the doggers to explore our campsite. We were on a tall bluff about 50-75 feet above sea level and therefore had a commanding view of the coast and dunes to the south. The night sky yielded a full moon, the Perseids meteor shower, and the occasional wisp of clouds moving across the horizon. After putting the young one to sleep, we enjoyed a relaxing light show, trying to find meteors racing across the sky.

What a campsite!

After a good nights' sleep (with a four month old that is a very relative term!), we awoke to the now-familiar sound of crashing waves. A light breeze and the low sun kept us cool as we began our hike, meandering through the sand on our way to the ocean. 

The dogs enjoyed a quick dip in Threemile Lake as we made our way to the shoreline. We were smart and only put waterproof items in their dog packs, knowing how much they like to swim.

Wet dogs=happy dogs

Threemile Lake

 Once we arrived at the beach I was pleasantly surprised to find many animals, although most of them ravaged by seabirds, washed up along the shore. We saw numerous crabs, starfish, and jellyfish.

Seashell carnage

As we walked further along we looked for our trail back to the car to complete our six mile loop. We came across people hiking on the beach, backpackers like us, heading home from their own adventures. The whole time we were backpacking we saw only 13 people. It was refreshing to be in such solitude along the coast.

A great Oregon memory

We were approaching noon about the time we left the seaside, and the sun was high in the mostly cloudless sky. The breeze was virtually non-existent and made for a hot walk back the last 1.5 miles to the car. We were happy to have found the shady trail again and get off the sand, which made for hot and difficult hiking.

Shade from the surprisingly hot sun

All in all, we know that we are very lucky for many reasons, not the least of which is to live in such a wonderful place like Oregon. Anson is lucky to have been born here, and we are lucky to be able to take him on such beautiful hiking adventures.

Success!

Until next time...

Triathlon Training Update

So I've been really pushing hard to get out running, swimming, and biking during the past few weeks to prep for Triathlon Eugene on August 28th. My friends have been great workout buddies, and I seem to have a partner to go with anytime I want one, which is great for motivation!

The latest adventure involved going with a coworker Thursday afternoon to Fern Ridge Reservoir, located just northwest of Eugene and the location of this month's triathlon. For those of you who came to my wedding, it's the same location where Claire & I were wed.

We didn't know what to expect when we stuck our toes in the water, as Oregon lakes and rivers can vary dramatically depending on location, elevation, and time of year. We were pleasantly surprised to find the water to be very nice, not too cold and not too warm for a great swim. We started out and my wife stayed along the shore for moral support and to measure our distance. We made a bee line for the buoys, which are roughly 150 feet from shore and then turned to swim alongside them from one edge of the swimming area to the other. We made one full lap (down and back) and got out of the water about 35 minutes later, having covered a choppy, current-filled .4 miles and being proud of ourselves for doing the swim. I was especially proud because it was my first open-water swim!

More to come soon. Until then, I'll be training!

Weekend Awesomeness, Bend edition

My wife and child went out of town at the end of June, so I decided to make the most of my bachelor-dom and head to central Oregon for a camping trip and reunion with some friends. My Eugene friends were all competing in the Oyster Racing Series Bend event so that made going to the "dry side" of the Cascades even easier, as I could camp with old friends while meeting up with new ones in town.

Jana & Kohl prepping for their race

Approaching Bend

 The doggers were my sole responsibility for the weekend and we arrived at Tumalo State Park just northwest of Bend about dinner time. I had made plans to grab a pint with my Wanderlust Tours comrades in town that night, so I quickly unpacked my camping gear, fed the dogs, and loaded them back in the car to drive to town.

The evening went too quickly catching up with Jack, Jeff & Dave and I soon found myself driving back to camp shortly after midnight. I knew that the Oyster racers would all be waking at 5:00 a.m. to prep for their completion so I made short work of falling asleep. Sure enough, daybreak came quickly and I was being trampled by Graham & Jake dogs. If you've never camped with dogs in a tent, consider yourself lucky. We packed our gear back into the car, still unsure of where we'd sleep that night, and headed into town for the days' activities.

Graham & Jake doggers enjoying the dog park

My schedule is such that I often don't know what I have planned until the day before it will be happening. That was certainly the case on this trip, so I didn't have time to sign up for the Oyster Race. I was able, however, to register for The Bite of Bend's annual Beer Run. This 3-mile run starts and finishes downtown at a food festival, and incorporates one of my favorite activities, beer, with one of my favorite activities, running. Needless to say, I had a great time! The views of the Sisters mountains were second-to-none, and the air was warm, crisp, and clean. I finished in the top 20%, so I was  very happy with the days' activity.

After running the race and hanging out with a buddy from Bend it was time to hit the road and start toward home. My Eugene friends decided to go camping in another spot for Saturday night, so I met up with them and we headed down the Cascade slope toward Ice Cap Campground, in the Willamette (Wil-am-it) National Forest.

The campground was very nice, secluded and quiet save for the stream that passed just below us, about 50 feet from our tents. We had a relaxing evening playing stump (see photo at left), drinking a few select beers, and telling stories about our races from that day. The night came slowly and we headed to bed as our bodies began to stiffen up from the days' efforts.

Very relaxing fire

The next morning, we packed up camp at a leisurely pace and headed downriver to Eugene. The weekend was a memorable one for all the right reasons; great scenery, exercise, friends and beer!

Koosah Falls, just above our campsite on the McKenzie River

Newborn + Outdoor Lovers = Backyard Camping Trial

So my wife and I had a discussion the other day about our newborn son, Anson. To say the two of us enjoy the outdoors is an understatement, for sure, so when the topic of Anson's ability to go camping came up, we knew we needed to figure out a plan to get him outdoors for his first overnight camping trip- and soon.

We decided that although we're both good planners and we've yet to have a "bad" camping experience, or maybe because of those things, we needed to do a dry-run with the little one before heading out 50 miles from home only to find that it just wouldn't work. We settled on a spot very familiar to us and one that would lend itself to trial and error; our backyard!

One night after work I rushed home, picked up all the landmines from Jake & Graham that had accumulated in the grass, mowed the lawn short, and got the camping gear ready. I have a pretty good system in place for gathering camping gear, so after the yardwork was done I made quick work of setting up our campsite. We didn't need much; a tent, sleeping pads and bags, flashlights, our normal pillows from inside (just like car camping!), and the dog beds. After about 30 minutes or so the camp was ready for business, and just in time too as the sun was quickly setting. We tried our best to simulate the real camping experience we'd soon have with Anson by setting a few rules:

1- Anson cannot go inside the house until at least 7 a.m.
2- Neither parent can go inside the house to do anything but retrieve forgotten items (like extra clothes or water) or use the restroom.
3- The dogs must stay outside until 7 a.m. also, but they should be vigorously exercised before getting in the tent.
4- If these rules are broken, the camping trip will be considered a failure and we will not go camping until a backyard overnight is successfully completed.

Knowing what we had at stake, Claire & I prepared for the night by thinking about how to do things a little differently in a tent than we'd been doing in our home for the previous two months. For starters, breast feeding wouldn't be as easy because Claire would be doing it with a headlamp on. Secondly, she wouldn't have the luxury of having a headboard to lean against while sitting up with Anson, either. For both Claire & I there was the lack of separation between the little one and the dogs, and finally there was the dilemma of clothing for Anson. How do you ensure that a baby stays warm enough on a camping trip?

That question was answered soon enough by this superb find at a local thrift store:

As you can see it's far too big. We paid $4 for it. No one complained.

After making sure we had everything; diapers, diaper covers, wipes, extra rags for spit-up, extra cothes for all, water bottles, camera, and all the above-mentioned items, we headed out the door of our house and into the wild expanse of our backyard. A quick four seconds later (BEST HIKE EVER!) we arrived at camp and plodded into the tent.

The dogs found their side of the sleeping area and Claire & I laid Anson between us on the other side. He looked quite a bit like Ralphie from A Christmas Story in his little snow suit but not one of us in that tent cared, so long as he was sleeping. I'm happy to report that Anson did splendidly in his temporary bedroom and by 8 a.m. the next morning he'd only awaken twice to feed, and both times slept again quickly thereafter. Our campground became noisier and nosier as the sun rose, bringing with it the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood getting off to work and school. We didn't mind too much, though- we'd survived together in the tent and could now celebrate our successful camping trip!

Now the next question...where will we take Anson for his first real camping trip? Any ideas? I'd love to hear them. Write a comment below and leave a suggestion!

Mountain Biking Goodness

Hanging out at the top of the ridge

So two of my buddies came along with me tonight for a mountain bike outing near Eugene and I've got to say; it was GREAT! I hadn't been out mountain biking for about 3 months so I was eager to get back on my Iron Horse (that's really the brand, I'm not joking) and head out into the wooded hills.

Scott

Kohl

My friends Scott & Kohl have been outdoor enthusiasts for their whole lives and share my need to get out of town and explore all that makes Oregon so great. Today we drove a quick thirty minutes to a semi-secret spot and had a blast bombing down trails and huffing up hills. Graham dog and Jake dog both joined us as well. We parked the car at the trailhead about 6 p.m. or so and headed up, up, up to the top of the ridge where we were to ride. After about a mile, we came across a fresh clear-cut that offered our first vista, and with the sunshine-filled view came the wildflowers, wild irises being the most prevalent among them.

Wild Iris lining the road

On we continued, making quick motions along the singletrack trail and making sure not to run into the dogs as they weaved in and out amongst our tires. Jake tends to like being in the lead, but this usually proves problematic after about a mile or so when he tires slightly and slows down. Graham will happily fall in two or three deep and observe a tire at his nose and another at his tail. All that dog between all those moving wheels seems dangerous to the outside world, but we have all proven ourselves thus-far to be a fluid caravan. Thus-far.

Kohl learns how to water Jake & Graham

             The evening came on as we traveled, changing the light overhead slightly and gently reminding us that we'd have to come back down soon enough, destined for Eugene and our partners and families once more. We relished the ride, took plenty of breaks to witness the views and enjoyed one another's company. Around 7:30 p.m., after about 7 or 8 miles of riding, we called it a night and drove back to town. All said, a great ride with some great buddies.

May recap and exciting news!

Well, it's been a long time since I've updated the blog and I apologize. I have been keeping very busy with work, home life, and the 5ks! I'll recap some highlights from the past month:

I am now up to about 40% completion on the 5k challenge! For those of you just joining check out the details of that challenge here. I began running in a different location for most of my runs at the beginning of May. Klamath Falls, OR is my layover city for work now, so I take that opportunity and make the most of it by running each day that I'm away from home. I also got a smartphone recently and began tracking my runs via a GPS app on my phone. It's been very nice to have here because I can take it along and know exactly how far I've ran at any given point. Since I don't know the town very well, I have been able to just start my run and not worry about how to make a loop that is an appropriate length. When I hit 1.5k on the distance meter, I simply turn around to head back to the hotel.

Klamath Falls is a medium-sized city on the eastern crest of the Cascades, about 200 miles from Eugene to the south and east. The elevation is about 4200' so it's usually colder than Eugene, but drier as well (which I am LOVING so far). There isn't a lot of outdoor recreation here other than hunting and fishing as the city is in a very agricultural area and flanked by the Upper Klamath Lake to the west.

 

Upper Klamath Lake as seen from my office

Klamath Falls has quite a railroading history, and to this day I would call it a railroad town, but I'm probably biased. One great thing the city and county have done is create the O, C & E Trail State Park. This rails-to-trails park starts near the current railyard and continues east and then north for 100 miles. The first 10 of that are paved and I've been taking full advantage of the park since my runs began down here. The trail is a nice wide (4'8 1/2", to be exact), paved path that is oh-so-level and makes for a quick 5k run.

Trail sign near the hotel

Also, I've been swimming a lot more in the last month (reason why in the next paragraph) than I ever have before. When I get the chance at home I go for a 1/2 mile swim at the gym (gasp!) with a coworker. The swimming, I have to say, is even more enjoyable than the runs because I don't get sore feet or knees from doing it!

One last piece of EXCITING NEWS: I'm pleased to tell you all that I recently signed up for the Eugene Triathlon which takes place August 28th! I'm going to do the short course, which is a .5 mile swim, followed by a 24 mile bike ride, and finally a 5k run. I'm VERY excited about the event and have used it to keep up my motivation for the 5k challenge, in addition to my all-around fitness goals. I'll fill you in on my workout schedule and progress next time, but for now I can tell you that I haven't been on a road bike to train- ever. I've got some work to do!

That's it for now...hope you all have a great day!

5k Challenge update: 26% finished!!!!!

Well, April 5th rolled around and brought Claire and I an expected surprise: our son, Anson, was born at 10:03 a.m. two weeks ago Tuesday! I had of course known for quite a while that a baby was on the way to our home, but was unsure as to what that would mean in regard to this blog and more specifically my 5k Challenge.

That being the case, I say now to all those who have uttered the words, "you won't finish" or "we'll see about that" in regard to my completion of this challenge with a baby in the house, "WATCH THIS!" I am a remarkably stubborn person, to a fault for sure, but that stubbornness can lead me to do some pretty awesome things. Those things include running 74 more 5ks in 2011.

I don't know that the runs will be as easy as they have been and that they're likely to become more difficult. I can only imagine with less sleep that they will be harder to start and harder to keep my normal pace, but the pace isn't the point. The point, as it always has been, is simply to run 100 5ks this year. I ran a really nice 5k today (more on that in the next paragraphs) and wondered aloud to the doggers if we'd be able to get out with such regularity in the coming months. This of course depends on my fortitude along with my wife's blessing, both of which are required for most everything I do in life as it is.

About that run I mentioned earlier: it was one of the best I've had in a while! My wife and the newborn were trying to take a nap at home and the dogs weren't having it. To alleviate stress for all of us, I decided a run was in order for the dogs and I. I took Graham dog and Jake dog to Dorris Ranch and found the parking lot empty when we arrived. It usually takes foul weather or an odd time of day to ensure that there isn't anyone else at this particular park, and today I had both factors working for me.

I checked the clock on the car before I shut the door and noticed that it was 6:25 p.m. I headed off down the gravel road to start the loop, Graham and Jake running circles around me and one another. Graham stopped briefly to sniff a few clumps of grass, no doubt getting subtle signals from other dogs who'd visited the same spot before. As we entered the main trail, the dogs and I turned on the afterburners and picked up the pace. I was determined to make good time today, despite forgetting my iPod (shame!) at home.

The run was quick and clean (as in straightforward and even; it WAS muddy. The lack of music and people allowed my mind to work on one thing and one thing only- my breathing. We made great time, stopping on occasion to take in a view of the Willamette River, observe an open meadow, or to let the dogs fetch a stick in the canal.

Running back toward the car, Graham and Jake could sense the speed I was trying to maintain and quickened their pace to match mine. The three of us huffed and puffed our way up the last 100 yards or so and stopped the makeshift timer at 6:52! I was very happy with the result of our efforts and rewarded the dogs with an extra long belly rub.

Arriving home, I found my lovely bride well-rested and preparing dinner. Days like this make me think that this challenge really will work, and it's for the best as well. Anson greeted his smelly dad and the smelly dogs and life went on. To be continued...

5k Challenge update: April Fool's Day run

Well, I had been sick the past two weeks so I hadn't been running lately. I hadn't planned on taking two weeks from my routine but this body of mine was not giving up the sore throat/stuffy nose/achy body very easily. Anyhow, I finally felt good enough to get out this afternoon with Graham & Jake doggers and we went to Dorris Ranch, a local Filbert (hazelnut) Orchard near the house. Running at the Ranch is always fun for the three of us; I like the soft, crunchy leaves that insulate my footsteps and Graham & Jake like chasing the gray squirrels that run through the orchard.

Today was the 23rd run of the year for me and boy was it overdue...the running felt easy, fast and relaxed. For me I think it was the perfect combination of feelings to make a really enjoyable run. More to come this weekend, though I don't plan on bringing the dogs again soon...they're still panting from this run!

Until next time...

Oregon coast getaway/5k challenge update

So the Mrs. and I took the dogs to the coast this weekend for a getaway trip. We spent two nights along the OUTRAGEOUSLY beautiful Oregon coast so you know what that means; two mornings to run 5ks! I got up at around 6 the first morning, fed the doggers and took them out. We stayed at an Inn just about 200 yards from the beach so we made quick time to the sand. After we hit the beach I let the boys off leash and we RAN. I am really starting to enjoy running more and more as this year has gone by, but let me tell you, running next to the incoming waves and with such a magnificent view, I felt like I could run for miles further than just 3.1!

Graham & Jake really enjoyed running next to me, weaving in and out of the water as the tide came in and also running through the multiple shallow streams that we crossed on our run. I was very content to be fulfilling my challenge. It was a nice break from the tedium of running that comes and goes over time.

The second day I left the dogs with Claire, as they were plenty tired from the previous days' play time. I did bring the iPod on both runs, though, and took some videos. Here they are:

Snow Day at Olallie Creek

Well, it's been a weird winter, but this past week we finally got enough new powder in the Cascades to warrant a trip up to the snow. A few friends and their dog, along with Graham, Jake, Claire & I all loaded in the car packed full with snowshoes, tire chains, hot chocolate, and all the mittens, gloves, and scarves a person would ever need to be comfortable in the very cold air. Yesterday and the day before were chilly in the mountains, and when we arrived at the Forest Service road to park we saw the temperature was about 25 degrees, about 10 degrees cooler than it had been the previous few days.

Graham, Jake, and Guiness all piled out of the car and of course played fast and hard, running around like furry little lunatics for the remainder of the outing. Claire and I followed our friends up the hill away from the highway near Olallie Creek, named after the Chinook word for "berry". We certainly weren't seeing any berries this time of year, though we were surprised to see the younger trees and bushes beginning their springtime growth. Many of the Vine Maple and Rhododendrons were sprouting new branches and gave signs of life in an otherwise cold, quiet environment.

After a short hike we came to the top of a hill and played around for an hour or so. Graham and Jake played fetch while the four of us watched Guiness try to pry the packed snow away from his undercoat. He looked rather desperate to remove the snow from his paws but he never whined. Graham could learn a few things from this Irish Setter.

We made our way back down the hill, content with our day of play in the snowy woods, jo-jos from the gas station, and fun friends to spend time with. All in all, a great Saturday!

5k challenge continues

Well, I'm officially 13% of the way through my 2011 5k challenge! It's still fun so far but getting a bit trickier to keep up my schedule. For the first six weeks of the year, we didn't see rain very often so when I felt like running it was simple to walk out the door and do it. Last week I ran in the rain for the first, and undoubtedly not the last time. If goal is made, it shouldn't be easy to achieve or else why set it in the first place? I feel a bit of suffering is in order to really gain something (besides a ravenous appetite) during this resolution.

So far I've ran two days/week, mostly running on Mondays and then again later in the week, anytime between Thursday and Saturday. I built in two "off" weeks into my resolution, 50 weeks of two runs and two weeks without runs, but I haven't been tempted to use them yet. I am hoping to save them for late in the year, when I speculate that my motivation will wane.

The dogs have been on about 10 of the runs with me so far, and I expect we'll go together about once a week now. They really enjoy getting out of the house and off-leash to play, but 5k is a bit challenging for them I think.

Time to get ready for work- happy running!

5k challenge

As a 27 year old, I've had many chances to create (and subsequently break) New Year's resolutions. Because of that, for the last 5 years or so, I've avoided making any at all so as not to be disappointed in the outcome when I fail to succeed. This has worked, but I have to admit I'm certainly not a better person because of it. Knowing all of that, let me tell you about 2011 and why it's a banner year for me.

I've taken a personal challenge (a resolution, if you must) to run 100-5ks this year. If you do the simple math, that's averaging two-5ks a week for 50 weeks, with two weeks off at some point during the year (Thanksgiving slump, anyone?). So far, I've made it 9% of the way through my goal, but it's been hard already!

These aren't official 5ks, mind you, because I'm not made of money ($15 entry fee x 100= too much of my hard-earned money!) and because most races don't allow dogs...Graham & Jake would be very disappointed if I ran so often without ever inviting them, so they've become my new running buddies. They seem to really enjoy the route I've chosen, as about half of it allows them to be off-leash and run at their own pace.

I will post more on the challenge as time goes, so wish me luck!

Snow Day Adventure

Graham, Jake, & I went up Wednesday afternoon to play in the snow and enjoy the winter season. The weather at the house was quite odd yesterday, as it went from rain to snow, back to rain again, then more snow, then just blustery, on and on in period of about 5 hours. By noon, the snow had fallen so hard and steadily that it stuck, but only for a few minutes. We left Springfield after quite a bit of procrastination (I had planned on going up with my brother Lee but he was unable to come along at the last minute) and headed east of town, toward the Cascades and the Santiam Pass.

Soon after getting on the road, the snow returned again, this time with a vengeance. The fact that it wasn't sticking made me feel more confident, as I knew I would be driving about 60 miles in order to reach the area where I wanted to go. Usually, the snow level is far above the elevation of Eugene/Springfield, but yesterday was an exception as it crept down to about 500 feet.

We made great time up to McKenzie Bridge, about 50 miles upriver from my house. The snow was now stuck to the Douglas Firs that lined the highway and the road was becoming more slick. Here's a video to show the snow as it appeared there:

After stopping for Jo-jos at the gas station in McKenzie Bridge, the dogs were getting pretty antsy. They always seem to know when it's the type of trip that's for them, like yesterday was, versus the types of trips where we are really trying to log the miles and get somewhere. The road continued to get more and more sketchy as we went up toward the Santiam Pass, and I knew at some point I was going to have to chain up. Tire chains aren't the easiest things to put on your tires, if nothing else then for the fact that you are going to have to get dirty and/or wet to attach them to your tires. It is a fact of life though in mountainous areas- to have a safe trip (and at times to avoid a traffic ticket) you must use them.

We went to our usual SnoPark this time, reasons why being time and road conditions. I determined that yes, the snow would be deeper at a higher elevation, but it wasn't worth me spending an extra hour driving the VERY snowy road to access the summit of the pass. We pulled into Ikenick SnoPark at two o'clock and I was quick to put on my snowshoes. It was snowing a lot when I arrived, and the parking lot already had about 10 inches of snow in it. Walking around without gaiters and snowshoes would have been foolish, to say the least:

The dogs quickly found their bathroom spots and we got out of the parking lot, exploring around nearby in the trees for things to crawl around, over, and through. The snow was deep for me, up to my mid-thigh, and the dogs would have been swimming if the water in these woods wasn't frozen. I took too many photos to illustrate this point, but here are a few of my favorites:

Graham & Jake blazing the trail

Graham being Graham

Jake exploring the snowy woods

The dogs and I ran about for nearly an hour, taking a break to remove my soft-shell but otherwise zigzagging all over the hillside exploring. It was a truly enjoyable experience, and I would love to go again soon. Hopefully next time Claire will join me :)

It's the little things in life that make me happy.

Something new to view

Hello all!

I'm changing up the game this week so hope you are up for something new!  I'm a pretty big fan of writing my blog as it provides an effective way to share a story with many people in a way that doesn't require a large time commitment on their behalf.  To that end, I also enjoy reading them.  Today I'll point out a few of my favorites and the reason I love them:

http://www.pacificcrest2010.blogspot.com/
This blog covers the Pacific Crest Trail hike by two men from Florida, Randy Fitch and Jason Jorge.  As of Monday, October 11, the two were finished hiking all 2,663 miles of the trail from southern California to Vancouver, BC.  The trip, like many before and many to come, likely tested the will power, fortitude, and patience of the men, but no doubt provided them with something I have only experienced to date in small amounts...total and utter elation at the chance to see mother nature in a very intimate way.  Someday...someday.

The next blog, Divide by 1, showcases another outdoor-enthusiast doing something similar to Randy and Jason, but with a twist.  Gracie Sorbello, along with a friend, UNI-CYCLED the Continental Divide from the northern Rockies to Antelope Wells, New Mexico in 2009.  Gracies' perseverance (and thrill of doing the unthinkable) was a true inspiration to me.  I am very happy to say that I know Gracie from having worked with her here in Eugene earlier this year.  She's since gone on to work at McMurdo Station in Antrarctica.  That's right, Antarctica.  This girl knows how to live.

This blog, Gear Junkie, has a multitude of reports written that showcase a TON of different outdoor activities.  They range from snowkiting to cyclocross to marathon running.  These reports are usually first-hand encounters by folks who have tried the given activity, with varying degrees of success. 

The Outdoorzy Blog provides a great resource for outdoor recreation news, events, and more.  There are quite a few entries on this blog that caught my eye, including an article about a bear that was killed in Denali National Park over Memorial Day of this year, just months after the decision to allow handguns in National Parks was approved.

Those are just a handful of blogs that I have found in the last year.  Keep exploring and if you find any you enjoy post them here as a comment.  I always love to read new and interesting stories.

-Andy

Ikenick SnoPark Adventure

Claire & I took the doggers yesterday to play in the snow on the Santiam Pass. We drove about 70 miles before we came to the first SnoPark, an ODOT parking lot that is plowed so people like us can park off the road and play safely away from the traffic. We really like Ikenick as it's the closest SnoPark to our house and it's never very busy. When we arrived it was about 30 degrees and the snow was just starting to come down.

We got dressed and tromped around for about an hour and a half, enjoying the first heavy snowfall in the Cascades of the year. We loved checking out the dogs' athleticism as they cruised around the trees and over big snow piles. They were definitely having a great time playing in the cold stuff.


I'll let the video describe the rest of the trip...


If you like this video and this blog entry (or ANY of my others!) I encourage you to leave a comment letting me know. Thanks, Andy.


Have you enjoyed the outdoors today?

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Gold Lake snow backpacking trip

This week my brother Lee and I went to the Cascades to do some cold-weather camping.  It had been a LOT of years since I'd pitched a tent on the snow and I wanted to remind myself what it felt like.

Lee and I met around 11:00 a.m. on Monday morning and loaded up both our packs and the dogs.  We made good time to Oakridge and had a quick bite to eat before heading into the woods.  The area where we went was very near Gold Lake, just west of Willamette Pass ski area.  The parking lot we parked in is an ODOT SnoPark, meaning that certain times of the year a permit is required to park.  Being that we were so early in the season (permits aren't required until Nov. 15th) we were happy to avoid the fee and assembled our gear for the hike.

 We didn't have any real agenda, save that I was interested in seeing Maiden Peak, about 8 miles away from the car.  I let Lee know the rough itinerary and we headed across the highway and onto a seasonally-closed Forest Service Road.  As we hiked the sun came out and let the blue sky provide a beautiful contrast to the snow-laden trees.  I was very impressed at the serenity that was afforded to us almost immediately into our journey, as there were no other tracks in the snow indicating that we were the first folks on the road for at least a day or two.  We watched the dogs run back and forth (and back and forth again), playing in the snow they love so much.
 

 

After about two miles on the road, we came to a trailhead that led to the PCT, then on to Maiden Peak to our East.  We opted to take this route knowing that there were no lakes on this segment of trail that we would pass.  A note about my dogs; despite all common sense, they absolutely LOVE playing in the water, even in November, even when it's snowing, even when they are sleeping in a tent with me.  Knowing this, it was silly for us to continue on to Gold Lake where the dogs would inevitably go swimming.

We huffed up the trail (it was moderately steep) for an hour or so and then took a break, shedding layers and snacking on granola bars.  Lee and I decided to make a camp sooner than later, as we knew by this time (nearly 3 p.m.) we wouldn't make Maiden Peak on this excursion.  We donned our packs once more and hiked a short half-hour to our campsite, a wonderfully level tree-free area just about 100' off of the trail.

We decided although the sun was still shining that putting up the tent first would be a good idea.  This was fortuitous for sure as soon after erecting the tent it began to spit ice pellets.  They were very small and not long in falling so we continued to stay out of the tent, hours of daylight left before we wanted to head inside.  Lee had a strong urge to build a fire (and I did not) so he began to scout for firewood among the snowy branches.  The amount of snow on the ground was minimal, maybe two to four inches, so there were many canopies that had protected their undergrowth from the wet weather.  Lee quickly found several dry twigs, but it was apparent that I would be a big jerk if I didn't help him find debris.  We spent about half an hour looking, looking, looking for firewood to burn and finally amassed a small cache to get us started.  Although I was initially against the fire in the first place, I long ago learned that a good fire is the centerpiece for a decent camp, and that things just seem nicer when a soft glowing flame is warming your fingers and toes.

We had the fire going after one match, be it a VERY large match, and we quickly smelled of smoke and began to warm up.  After stopping our body temperatures quickly dropped so it was nice to have another heat source to keep us warm.  Lee put a can of soup on the coals to warm up and I cooked some ground beef and combined it with a container of leftover rice from home.  Soon enough, we had dinner and a couple beers, as well, provided by yours truly as a special treat.

We ended up going to the tent around 7:30 or so due to the darkness and the timidity of the fire.  We were sharing a four-person tent with the dogs, but they both insisted on sleeping ON our sleeping bags instead of next to us.  This made for a headache as neither of us could roll over or move our legs due to 65 pounds of yellow lab laying on us.  I slept poorly, on account of both being smashed and the cold air that crept into the tent when the wind blew.

 

Morning came eventually and I was the first one up.  My toes had been cold all night, but even with my thick wool socks (thank you in-laws) putting my feet in my frozen boots when I woke proved to be too much for me to cope with.  I couldn't feel my toes after about half an hour so I decided to revive our fire to help warm me up.  I worked for an hour or so on gathering more wood, then finally warmed back up once the flames were going.  Lee awoke and joined me, his boots frozen so solid that he couldn't lace them up, nor fit his feet in until thawing them near the flames.  I guess that it was about 25 degrees when we awoke, and it wasn't getting any warming as the morning wore on.

Lee and I then decided it was time to head back to civilization so we packed the tent, gear, and extinguished the fire.  We made good time heading back to the FS road that we came in on, and the snow was nearly constant.  It was wonderful to see the car at the parking lot and warm up our bodies again.  All in all, I had a wonderful time with Lee and was really glad he was able to join me on this trip.  Having done snow camping before I knew we'd have a few challenges, but we managed them well and neither of us got frostbite.  Next time, more warm clothes will be a necessity.