I posted some of my latest weekend workouts on Motion Based. Porcupine Rim, and two runs since then at Henry Coe State Park: Hat Rock and Vasquez Peak.
My total elevation gain so far (weekend workouts plus a few week day ones) is 86,189ft. I've been working on that since Christmas. Still have a few weeks to get to 100,000 ft (expected PQ elevation gain).
With no races coming up soon, now is a good time for me to build up mileage and endurance. The last couple weekends since Moab I have been taking on short but intense runs. Long enough to get me to the point where my legs are starting to hurt, but short enough that I can run most of it.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Pictures from PQ Certs
There were lots of great pictures taken at the certification camp.
Julie's are at
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=5cxxbgb.cgagir4n&x=0&y=9pofhf
Kent's are at
http://picasaweb.google.com/kryhorchuk/Camp_xstream?authkey=K4AB22OhNC4
Dom's are at
http://picasaweb.google.com/DomDrouin/MoabMarch2008
I blogged my story at http://eaglinar.blogspot.com/
it was a great time and really difficult to return to reality after such a fun week.
Julie's are at
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=5cxxbgb.cgagir4n&x=0&y=9pofhf
Kent's are at
http://picasaweb.google.com/kryhorchuk/Camp_xstream?authkey=K4AB22OhNC4
Dom's are at
http://picasaweb.google.com/DomDrouin/MoabMarch2008
I blogged my story at http://eaglinar.blogspot.com/
it was a great time and really difficult to return to reality after such a fun week.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Primal Quest Certifications
Julie, Kent, Dom and Ron
Team Blue met in Moab for the Gravity Play Camp Xtreme. We rode the Porcupine Trail and Slick Rock. Hiked a couple of canyons, kayaked in the very cold Colorado river and spent several hours practicing our ascending techniques. The camp was supported by Team Salomon/Crested Butte and Danny Sutter. Great athletes and really cool people. We really enjoyed our time there.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Heart Mountain (part2)
More pictures from my hike last weekend.
Clouds rooling in and out:
Nice view
You probably don't to deal with those conditions too often....
This is the furtest we went. In the summ er we want to go back and actually hike all the way to top peak that you see in the middle of the picture. The ridge to get there is compose of three "humps". the first two seem quite manageable but the third one will be a little more challenging. One thing is for sure, there will be lots of "exposure", i.e.: if you fall, you will probably die!
Clouds rooling in and out:
Nice view
You probably don't to deal with those conditions too often....
This is the furtest we went. In the summ er we want to go back and actually hike all the way to top peak that you see in the middle of the picture. The ridge to get there is compose of three "humps". the first two seem quite manageable but the third one will be a little more challenging. One thing is for sure, there will be lots of "exposure", i.e.: if you fall, you will probably die!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Bear Mountain Peak
I went for a 6 hour punishing run in Henry Coe State Park on Saturday. My loop took me from the headquarters out to Bear Mountain Peak and back. Any trip from Coe Headquarters is inevitably tough because of its geographic location. You start out at 2650 ft and have to drop down to 1100 ft to get anywhere. Thus you always have a 1500 ft climb waiting for you at the end.
Last fall a huge wildfire burnt up 70% of the park. The section I was planning to travel to today only reopened a couple weeks ago. Many of the roads in this area had been lost because of the overgrown conditions and I would not have bothered to try and get to them in the past. With the fire I had the opportunity to use these old roads and not have it be a miserable bushwhacking lost-fest.
I brought my camera and got some nice pictures to share. The roads near the headquarters are well maintained. My destination is shown: Bear Mountain. The park is very green at this time of the year. For the other 9 months, it is brown and dry.
Much of my route followed the bed of Coyote Creek. The canyon was very pretty and the creek was running cool and clear. Getting my feet wet was unavoidable.
Bear Mountain, shown here, was completely toasted by the fire. Nothing survived and no grass has grown in yet. Just a few weeds and some shoots from the root-crowns of the chamise. Prior to the fire this area was impenetrable brush.
Near the peak the burn was not as severe. I found a large patch of Shooting Stars by creek bed below the peak.
Coming back from the peak was a brutal rolling slog along a ridge top followed by a steep descent to canyon. The sun went down and I spent a couple hours of the return trip in the dark, including that 1500 ft climb that was waiting for me.
Last fall a huge wildfire burnt up 70% of the park. The section I was planning to travel to today only reopened a couple weeks ago. Many of the roads in this area had been lost because of the overgrown conditions and I would not have bothered to try and get to them in the past. With the fire I had the opportunity to use these old roads and not have it be a miserable bushwhacking lost-fest.
I brought my camera and got some nice pictures to share. The roads near the headquarters are well maintained. My destination is shown: Bear Mountain. The park is very green at this time of the year. For the other 9 months, it is brown and dry.
Much of my route followed the bed of Coyote Creek. The canyon was very pretty and the creek was running cool and clear. Getting my feet wet was unavoidable.
Bear Mountain, shown here, was completely toasted by the fire. Nothing survived and no grass has grown in yet. Just a few weeds and some shoots from the root-crowns of the chamise. Prior to the fire this area was impenetrable brush.
Near the peak the burn was not as severe. I found a large patch of Shooting Stars by creek bed below the peak.
Coming back from the peak was a brutal rolling slog along a ridge top followed by a steep descent to canyon. The sun went down and I spent a couple hours of the return trip in the dark, including that 1500 ft climb that was waiting for me.
My ropes kit & races
I've been trying my best to keep up with this blog. At the same time I have a group of folks who start emailing me if I don't keep my adventure blog up to date. So for those who want to read the lastest of the races - I've got the Swamp Stomp and the BOAR up at http://eaglinar.blogspot.com/.
In true adventure racer fashion I am taking pictures of my gear. This might be handy stuff for those who like climbing and ropes.
In true adventure racer fashion I am taking pictures of my gear. This might be handy stuff for those who like climbing and ropes.
Starting in the upper left corner here are the items row 1: Croll, 2 ascenders, 2 nonlocking biners, 3 locking biners, harness, row 2: 2 24" lanyards, 1 18" lanyard, 3 6-7 mm ropes (for prussik ties), helmet row 3: 1 etrier (I am going to get another to simplify my climbs for PQ), and last row 2 purple 48" lanyards, and 1 white 48" lanyard. I've got a few items I'll need to pick up before PQ - but I may just end up borrowing from one of my climbing buddies.
I am really excited about the camp where we will be certifying. One worry was getting my bike there. The last time I flew with it (USARA Nationals) the case came open and I nearly lost some bike parts. I checked the XStream web site and they had rental bikes for $45 - that was a no-brainer. I'll bring my seat (the most important part of the bike for me anyway and use a rental). I plan to have a full write-up of Camp XStream on my blog and there are quite a few folks waiting for that post as they are considering the camp (though not for PQ).
Heart Mountain
Yesterday I headed out to the mountains to get a little bit of uphill hicking training. I left with a friend of mine and we elected to go for a ridge walk at the edge of the mountains. With avalanche dangers concistenly rated as high or extreme these days, any valley-travel is too dangerous to even consider. Avalanches can be triggered kilometers away and come down to the valley and take you out. In many cases, they find the bodies in the spring! In fact, we now sit at 14 avalanche-related deaths this year in Canada.... an average year.
The trail to the top of Heart Mountain starts with a steep trail/scramble that takes you up 2500' over less than 1 mile. Then you get a nice walk on the horseshoe-shaped ridge for about 2-3 miles and then head back down on the next ridge.
Even with a distance total distance of only about 5-6 miles, it still took us 7 hours to complete. We had to deal with loose rocks, snow, and a lot of wind. For the majority of the hike, the wind was blowing ferociously at us keeping the progression slow and our faces frozen!
Here is a picture, I'll add more later when I get those of my trailmate
Dom
first pitch:
second pitch:
Top of second pitch:
Last pitch:
View from somewhere near the top:
The trail to the top of Heart Mountain starts with a steep trail/scramble that takes you up 2500' over less than 1 mile. Then you get a nice walk on the horseshoe-shaped ridge for about 2-3 miles and then head back down on the next ridge.
Even with a distance total distance of only about 5-6 miles, it still took us 7 hours to complete. We had to deal with loose rocks, snow, and a lot of wind. For the majority of the hike, the wind was blowing ferociously at us keeping the progression slow and our faces frozen!
Here is a picture, I'll add more later when I get those of my trailmate
Dom
first pitch:
second pitch:
Top of second pitch:
Last pitch:
View from somewhere near the top:
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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