Haulin' Aspen X 3

They say the third time's a charm.  Maybe that's true for other things, but I don't think it works for running races.  This was my third straight year finishing the Haulin' Aspen Half Marathon, and let me tell you, it doesn't get any easier.


Size matters!  Click on any photo to enjoy a larger image.

Starting line Mt. Bachelor view

This race is hands-down the toughest half I run.  The course is almost entirely on gravel roads, hiking, or mountain biking trails on the outskirts of Bend, OR.  Running on rocky, uneven surfaces is difficult.  One must be super-vigilant and watch their footing to avoid taking a tumble.  The weather is usually hot and the trails dusty.  Then there is the hill.  Ah yes, the "Hill from Hell."  Two and a half miles of climbing up a shadeless gravel road.

Gettin' ready to race in the hot sun

So why do I keep coming back?  Well, I like a challenge.  It's a great excuse to visit Bend in the summertime.  The swag is great - usually a hat and nice t-shirt.  And the post-race refreshments are amazing.  Lots of good food, and all the Deschutes beer you can drink!  (Did I mention there was beer?)

Mile four marker

Sunday's weather promised nice hot temps.  Our summer so far had been unseasonably cool, so I wasn't at all thrilled to be running in the heat.  Upon hearing the forecast, I pondered picking up my t-shirt and bagging out of the race.  But I'm not one to waste good money.  Or miss the opportunity to sweat in the dust and sun.  Besides, remember I said there was beer at the finish line?  In order to get the beer, you had to run the race.

We begin the "Hill from Hell"

It was already baking in the sun just before the race's 8:30 am start.  Bend is a huge outdoor sports town, and at the starting line I was surrounded by tons of super-fit hardbodied people - some quite a bit older than me.  Yes, mighty intimidating to this chunky, late-40's mom!  I was feeling tired from my hike the day before, and the heat was already zapping my energy.  As I lined up with the other runners, I wasn't feeling much excitement for this race. 

A couch - just in case you needed a break

 

But off we went - across the road and smack into the mountain biking trails.  The pounding from hundreds of feet made the dust fly.   I tried to keep my mouth shut, but when you're gasping for breath that's hard to do.  I didn't take long for grit to accumulate between my teeth.

 

Nice lady in red scooter cheering the runners

I'd long ago considered today's race to be my weekly marathon training long run.  So I gave myself permission to run at a slower pace.  It was a good thing, because right away I wasn't feelin' the urge to race at all.  Dogging along the dusty trail, I was passed by dozens of runners.  This wasn't always a bad thing.  I got passed by a couple of shirtless guys (nice eye candy!)  Focusing on the nice scenery (ahem, and I don't mean the trees) got me through the next couple of miles.

My brother caught me near mile 12

After four miles of dusty bike trails, the course emptied out onto a wide gravel road.  The runners were able to spread out, just in time for the killer hill.  And what a  hill it is!  Over two miles of solid climbing.  The past two times running this race I'd prided myself with running up the entire thing, no stopping.  But last year it about did me in, so today I decided there was no shame in walking.  Especially since the hill is almost entirely in the sun.

 

Headin' to the finish

Up I struggled.  About halfway, I spied an old couch on the side of the road.  Funny to see out in the middle of nowhere. Guess that was for any runner that needed a break!  Near the top of the steepest incline, a nice lady with a red scooter was ringing a cowbell and offering encouragement.  Much appreciated!

Around mile 5.5, in the throes of the heat and hill climbing, I thought to myself "This sucks!  What was I thinking?  Why do I run this race?  I'm not doing this again next year!"  (The very same things I muttered while running this hill last year)

Yahoo!  I survived!

After a few walk breaks, and running the absolute slowest pace ever, I finally reached the summit of "Hill from Hell."  Back on more trails, I was happy to see things were all downhill.  After sucking down a Gu near mile 8.5, I suddenly got a second wind.  Don't know if it was the wonderful downgrade or if my body finally woke up, but my groove came back in a big way.  I felt as if my feet had sprouted wings.  My pace increased and I screamed down the dusty path.  Now it was my turn to pass people.  And pass I did!

 

A well-earned medal

My competitive spirit restored, the rest of the race I concentrated on holding a fast pace.  Near mile 12, I burst out of the forest and onto Shevlin Park's access road.  I heard someone calling my name and looked up to see my brother Dale behind the lens of a camera.  So wonderful to see him!

Trail running = dirty legs & feet

 

I motored down the access road, the only pavement on the course.  It felt really weird to be running on asphalt again.  I passed a few more struggling people who seemed to be withering in the heat.  But I knew the faster I ran, the quicker I'd finish, and the faster I'd get that beer!  And about then I was mighty thirsty.

Jumping in the icy waters of Tumalo Creek

 

The final half mile of the course wound through Shevlin Park itself.  I kept hearing people cheering and many times thought the finish line was just around the bend.  The last 0.1 mile was the longest of my life!  But finally there it was, the finish arch.  I willed my legs to give a final burst of speed and crossed the timing mats.  Done!

Dale was there to congratulate me. After sucking down lots of water, I ambled over to the beer tent to retrieve my reward. And then I followed many other runners into the icy waters of Tumalo Creek to cool off my poor aching feet. The combination of beer and cold water did wonders to revive my tired body. 

I feel much better now!

I survived yet another running of the Haulin' Aspen.  Although my time was slower than last year's, I blame the heat and my hike the day before.  Will I run this race again?  Ask me again next spring when I've forgotten all about the hot sun and killer hill!

After spending the rest of the afternoon sprawled on the coach at Dale's house watching the Olympics, (those women marathoners were incredible - they ran the full as fast as I ran my half!) I recovered enough for one final hike on my way home the next day.  Be sure not to miss my next post, the most wonderful trail in my great Central Oregon weekend.

 

Back to Bend

I love to visit the outdoor recreation mecca of Bend, Oregon.  I'll find any excuse to plan a trip here, even going so far as to sign up for a tough trail half marathon in the middle of summer.  So last weekend found me journeying to Central Oregon to run a race.


Size matters!  Click on any photo to enjoy a larger version.

Finally I get in a trailhead photo

Another good thing about visiting Bend - my brother Dale lives there.  Not only do I get to enjoy a great area, I get to see family too!

Beautiful Fall Creek

Bend in the summer is such a wonderful place, I wanted to take full advantage of my weekend there.  So I told Dale I wanted to go on a hike Saturday.  Never mind that I had a race the next day!

Crossing the log footbridge

My trail of choice - the Green Lakes Trail.  This lovely path follows Fall Creek, a clear stunning mountain stream that flows through a narrow canyon, creating several waterfalls along the way.  After four miles the trail terminates at the Green Lakes Basin, a large meadow with three charming lakes and stupendous views of South Sister Mountain.

 

The flowers were out

 

It was mid afternoon by the time we reached the trailhead.  Of course, I picked one of the hottest days so far this year and set out in the height of the heat.  But luckily this trail was heavily forested and we stayed relatively cool in the shade of the trees.

Churning water far below

Dale and his wife Nancy were enjoying a kid-free week (their boys were visiting grandma).  They joined me, along with their dog Domino, for the hike.

 

Domino enjoys a cool roll in a snow patch

For the first two miles, we followed Fall Creek, oohing and ahhing over the frothy waterfalls, and enjoying the cool breezes from their spray.

One of the lovely falls

After a trail junction with the Moraine Lake trail, we hit a couple of snow patches across the trail.  Nothing too difficult.  As a matter of fact, had fun throwing snowballs and cooling our hands.  And Domino happily rolled in the chilly slush.

Dale and Nancy enjoying themselves

The contrast between bright sunlight and dark shade meant tough photographic conditions.  Most of my creek and watefall photos weren't good enough to post here.  So you'll have to take my word for it when I say the first two miles were very scenic indeed.

Trail junction

After the trail junction, we came upon a dazzling green meadow.  The creek spread out and created a marshy area.

Beautiful green meadow

And this marshy area was full of frogs!  Nancy managed to catch a couple.

Nancy catches a frog!

Continuing on, the forest began to open up.  The very tip tops of Broken Top and South Sister peeped out from gaps in the trees.

River bends

But the clearings meant full sun.  The temps were quite a bit higher here.  Dale and Nancy ran out of water and began to tire. 

More snow play

So the decision was made to turn around about mile three.  Hunger was gnawing at our stomachs.  The promise of a burger and fries was good motivation.

The lupine were out in force

Luckily our return trip was mostly downhill.  And being later in the day, temps were beginning to cool off.

Glimpse of South Sister summit

And on the way back, I noticed a couple of mountain views I'd missed.  Must've been too busy gawking at the creek and waterfalls!

Broken Top Mtn view

Back at the trailhead, the evening light illuminated Broken Top perfectly.

Snow-less Mt. Bachelor

As we started our drive back into Bend, I spied this great view of Mt. Bachelor.  Dale humored me and pulled over so I could take a couple of shots.  This mountain looks so different when it's not covered with snow!

Although the Green Lakes basin would have to wait for another day, I enjoyed getting out and hiking someplace new.  Now it was time to prepare for my race.  Stay tuned, I'll have a full report in the next post.

 

Lava Canyon

It's a special bonus edition of "New Hike Friday."  My son was home last week, his visit coinciding with my scheduled Friday off.  And you know what that means - time for a hike!  In keeping with my now-established tradition, our ramble had to be one of the trails I'd yet to explore from Sullivan's "100 Hikes" book.


Size matters!  Click on any photo to enjoy a larger version.


Upstream end of the canyon

And this week's choice was - Lava Canyon on the south side of Mt. St. Helens, a short hike through a stunning canyon carved into an ancient lava layer.  Even though I'd yet to visit, I already knew lots about the trail.  Apparently parts of the path are very close to cliff edges, and the rock extremely slippery.  Over the years, there have been fatalities from hikers getting too close to the edge, slipping, and falling into the raging creek and waterfalls below.  Along with perching on a cliff edge, hikers also get to traverse a shaky suspension bridge, and descend deep into the canyon via a long ladder.

Cody points out the warning sign

After giving Cody a heads up about what he was in for, we packed the car for the long drive to Mt. St. Helens.  In typical Northwest summer fashion, the day began cloudy and drizzly.  Arrghh - not again!  Was I ever going to get a sunny day to hike?  The cloudy skies meant no views of Mt. St. Helens as we drove by.

They mean business

At the trailhead, the moisture appeared to abate.  Starting down the path, Cody and I took in the numerous warning signs that seemed to be posted everywhere.  The National Volcanic Monument folks meant business!  The graphics on this sign made me chuckle.  However, I know slipping into a waterfall is not funny, and these signs did a good job of getting their message across.

 

Looking down the canyon near the trailhead

This place has a fascinating history.  The exposed basalt walls of the canyon are remnants of an ancient lava flow from a long-ago eruption.  This flow ran through the valley over 3500 years ago, hardening into pillar-like formations.  The Muddy River cut through the basalt, carving waterfall chutes and pillar-like lava towers.  Then stream debris buried all these cool formations. They remained hidden until that fateful day in 1980 when Mt. St. Helens erupted.

Water-scoured lava

The heat of the eruption instantly melted all of the glaciers on the mountain.  Although St. Helens blew out in the opposite direction of this area (the explosion went north and this canyon is on the south side of MSH), the large amount of water from vaporized glaciers created a enormous mudflow, called a lahar.  This lahar roared down the Muddy River, and washed Lava Canyon clean, exposing all the wonderful basalt formations once again.


Trail worn through the rocks

 

The first half mile of the trail was very nice indeed.  It alternated between a sturdy boardwalk and a wide, paved trail with many switchbacks.  The monument even provided a couple of benches along the way for folks who might need a rest.  We came upon an impressive wooden deck overlook (complete with more warning signs) that gave visitors a nice overview of the upper canyon.

Descending one of the many staircases

 

But a half mile into the hike, things began to change.  Our trail deteriorated to a slot worn between the rocks.  There was an impressive view of the water-scoured chutes above the first set of waterfalls.  The water was an interesting shade of gray-blue, no doubt due to glacial silt.  It was oh so tempting to venture out onto the rocks to get a better view of things.  But the monument folks had signs posted everywhere strongly warning of dire consequences.  Even though things were dry, the basalt was still mighty slippery.  I couldn't imagine what it must be like wet.  Taking the safe route, I stayed put on the trail.

The trail passed by a large basalt outcrop

Cody and I crossed a sturdy metal bridge over the roaring chasm.  Our path then wandered through a thick, green forest, anchored on one side by a huge basalt monolith.  We had occasional glimpses into the canyon below, the silty blue water churning frothy white.

 

Cool suspension bridge

Then we came upon the bridge.  The famous bridge.  One of the trail's attractions is a high, springy suspension bridge.  It's perched waayyy above the canyon's rocky chasm.  And it moves as you walk across.  Kind of unnerving.

Full bridge view

Cody went across first.  As he reached the bridge's center, I noticed he was hanging tightly onto the sides.  I watched the deck and cables sway with his footsteps.  Oh boy!

 

My turn!

Then it was my turn to cross.  Although standing on a moving bridge was a little spooky, it wasn't as bad as I thought.  I even stopped mid-span and snapped a couple shots of the waterfall and creek above.  What an adventure!  It's not every trail that one gets an opportunity to walk over such a bridge.  (I kinda felt like Indiana Jones!)

Tier of falls above the bridge

After surviving our crossing, Cody and I continued on the trail, following it steeply downhill, deeper into the canyon.  We passed a string of colossal waterfalls, all churning mightily.  And our path's tread started edging closer and closer to the steep canyon walls.  The trail in this area was crumbly loose rock, which made for dicey footing.  These conditions made the next section mighty exciting.

Heading deeper into the canyon

After a mile of descending and briefly traversing a boggy area, we came upon the ladder.  In order to reach the canyon's very bottom, one must climb down a steep 40-foot metal ladder.  Standing at the top, looking down, this ladder is intimidating.  But it was attached solidly to the canyon's wall, and had beefy handrails.  Once I swung myself onto it's rungs, I realized it was quite safe. 

Beyond the basalt, the river broadens out

About the time Cody and I reached the canyon bottom, the sun broke out from the clouds.  The sunshine was most welcome, but the hot temps were not.  Scrambling through the narrow canyon, the air seemed hot and stifling.

Barren riverbanks

A prominent formation in this lower canyon, "The Ship" is a 100-foot-tall block of lava that rises up from the river.  Cody found the sketchy scramble trail that took hikers to the monolith's very top.  Of course, we had to go and check it out.  It was quite a climb!  I was huffing and puffing in the hot sunshine.  But finally we arrived at the Ship's summit.  It had a nice viewpoint of a three-tiered cascade tumbling down the canyon.  A perfect lunch spot!

A sturdy bridge crossing

After a nice lunch, Cody and I decided to continue downstream and take in more of this wonderful place.  The trail weaved through dense forest, sometimes perched on the very edge of the canyon wall.  Finally, we left the rocky canyon behind.  The terrain flattened out and opened up into a broad plain of rock and flood debris.  Remnants of the great lahar from the 1980 eruption, it was sobering to view.  Another sturdy metal bridge traversed this rocky bank, and led hikers along the forested river's edge.

 

We even got to climb up a long ladder!

Curious to see where it went, Cody and I decided to follow the trail for a little while longer.  But after a half mile or so of thick forest and limited views, we turned around and headed back towards the canyon. 

Cody going up

Of course what goes down must come back up, and our return trip was a hot, tiring grind.  All those steep downhills we slid down became long, sweaty climbs.  The canyon walls prevented any air movement, so temps were stifling.

Wild strawberries along the trail

Finally we reached the ladder.  The climb up was much easier.  Arriving at the top, we were greeted with a cool puff of air.  It felt wonderful!

Stonecrop

Trudging back towards the suspension bridge, I was moving slow enough to notice the abundant plant life that I'd missed on the trip down.  Cody, having a botany degree, is a great person to hike with.  He notices all of the vegetation, and is happy to point unusual things out to me.  Cody spied a large patch of wild strawberries growing on the trail's edge.  He also identified the pretty yellow plant climbing the canyon walls as stonecrop.

In places the trail was right on the cliff's edge

We passed by the suspension bridge once again.  A young child was running across the bridge, stopping to breathlessly tell us it was his 35th crossing (his mother said it was a good way to help him conquer his fears).  Then we continued towards the trailhead, pausing to take in the view of the waterfalls continuing their journey through the rocky chutes.  I noticed a bunch of people on top of a basalt pillar, one of the restricted areas.  I guess some people think the signs don't apply to them!  I was especially disturbed to see a man with a child on his back walking along this pillar.  He strode right up to the cliff's very edge!  No wonder there are fatalities here - some people do very stupid things!  I now understood the reason for the large number of warning signs.

Roadside view of MSH and the lahar

 

Heading for home, I had to make one last stop.  Not far from the parking area, the road crosses a broad rock-strewn plain.  This is the Muddy River and the barren plain was created from the 1980 lahar.  It's a wide sterile area that even to this day, no vegetation has taken root.  If you follow the river upstream there is usually an excellent view of Mt. St. Helens.

But today the mountain was shy, peeping in and out of the clouds.  So no great volcano views for me this time!

What a great day.  I love hiking the trails around Mt. St. Helens - they are like no other.  The terrain and remnants of the eruption are fascinating.  Although heard-pounding at times, the Lava Canyon Trail was a fun adventure.  I now have a new favorite hike!