From the coastal highway, we could already see it. Many miles inland, up to 1,000 feet, we
stared up at it shining brightly in the sun: SNOW. It had finally come to our part of California.
It was playtime.
About 8" of fresh snow atop Berry Summit on Hwy 299.
We decided on an easy trail called Shasta Springs. Out for just ninety minutes, we chatted about
the scenery and our summer goals. This
morning, we signed up for one of our summer races: the Siskyou Out and Back
50K, the SOB, near Ashland,
Oregon. We heard that it fills quickly and we wanted
to guarantee our spot.
Matt and I stomped along in the sticky snow. Did we want to run a 50 miler this year? We talked about why we like to run long. It’s not about reducing ourselves to nothing
and operating in survival mode. Some people
say our lives are too easy compared to our ancestors and we somehow feel a need
to do something really really hard.
Honestly, I don’t feel that at all.
In fact, I spent eleven months weakly subsisting in that raw survival
mode, the only difference is that I had the added fear of ACTUALLY DYING. That is a place I have no desire to return
and it terrifies me to even think about.
I have locked those memories away for a reason, man. I have gained plenty of mental power from my
cancer treatment experiences that I don’t think I need to bank any more in a
similar fashion.
Not surprisingly, Matt and I seem to enjoy running long for
the same reasons:
- We enjoy scenic runs that cover many beautiful miles in a single day.
- It is better than backpacking because we don’t have to take our shelter and a bunch of stuff that just slows us down.
- We get a shower at the end.
- Oh, and a comfy bed to sleep on. Unless it is mud or alpine tundra, it just ain’t as comfy as my bed.
- We can cover more ground, and venture deeper into the wild at a running pace.
Staring across the valley towards Weaver Bally and the White
Trinities, we agreed: going long is fun because we can see so much more than if
we’re walking. We are currently shopping
for 50 milers between October 2012 and February 2013. If you have suggestions, please share!
Here are a few options:
Le Grizz: We have to find out if Glacier Park
and Going to the Sun Road are accessible this time of year. I’ve never been there and would like to
conquer both goals at once in a week long trip.
Rim-To-Rim-To-Rim: Grand Canyon. It
doesn’t have to be a race, just an adventure.
This is the alternate plan.
Some sort of red rock ultra, with features like Zion National
Park. Do
these even exist? I have never seen this
kind of landscape and it would be so cool to do a race through such foreign
terrain.
Trinity River from Hwy 299
Autumn Leaves 50 near Portland,
OR. We’ve got a few friends living here and it
would be fun to meet up with them again. (If you’re reading, I’m talking about
YOU Brittany and Oliver!!!)
We went only a few miles through the snow but it was a nice
outing. Barely enough snow to need
snowshoes, but we couldn’t resist playing in it. “California
isn’t so bad, hey? Snowshoeing without
freezing my face off? That is pretty
awesome!!”
Sunset over Whiskeytown Lake.
3 comments:
GTTS Road is usually closed between Avalanche and Logan in October but you can still access pretty much all the trails and bike it if it's not snowy. You just can't drive over Logan Pass. You can still often get to the Pass or close from the east side though.
I like backpacking because I love waking up at a beautiful lake. I don't like running long because I am a wimp.
You often cover in one day or running what takes me several days to hike with a pack.
Love the snowy scenery. Somehow mountains without snow do not look like real mountains to me.
Post a Comment