Good by my digital friend

It's been a long and brutal Journey. this is the camera I've taken on all my epic trail runs. It's survived -30 at Arrowhead and 122 at badwater. It's been from 300ft below sea level to 14,000ft above. From the Grand Canyon to Western States. it's captured all the photo's you've seen in my blog. It's been ill for several months and during one of my recent outings in the cold it froze to death. the screen froze and the battery door broke off. Amazingly it does still take pictures but is pretty useless. So if you don't see any more pictures up here this is the reason. Good by my digital friend.

Two deep to run but still a lot of fun

This is the picture the camera took as it nose dived off the post while trying to get a starter photo. The rest of the pictures turned out like the one below. to bad because running in two feet of snow was a hilarious site to see.

Barbara wanted to do a 20 mile Christmas eve run. The plan was to run in Chuckanuts but when I called her in the morning she informed me it was raining outside. So instead of running in a foot of slushy snow and rain we headed over to Stewart mtn. where it was still snowing. At first things looked good. There was only about 10 inches of snow on the ground but once we reached the trail head a few hundred feet up there was a foot and a half of snow. When we reached 3000ft the snow was two to two and a half feet deep and did I mention I was wearing shorts. We didn't stay long at the top and decided to make our way back down. Barbara didn't have a problem following me back down since all she had to do was follow the trail of blood that was dripping from my legs on the nice white snow. After getting lost trying to navigate a different trail down we finally found the right one and managed to make it back to the truck dodging falling snow filled limbs the whole way. We didn't end up running twenty miles but still managed to get in 4hrs of fun in the snow. Looks like we won't be running Stewart anytime soon.

Think it's cold out?

This is what I looked like after a day of running through the snow at the 2007 Rock and Ice Ultra where temps dropped to -40F to see more pictures from the race

Click

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2008 Galbraith mtn tour

My Cold ass Club Fatass event

For more pictures click HERE

and run Report

We've been elf'd

The Fairhaven Mountain runners gang has been elf'd. Complements of Barbara

Sorry guys

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/Z7tsYOvEOgRvINOJB2GA

More snow running heaven

This Wednesday when most people were trying to keep warm and stay inside the Fairhaven mountain runner gang were itching to run in the fresh snow.

Galbraith / Lookout Snow run

Somehow my well made plans to run Anderson in the snow last Saturday turned into a Galbraith lookout run. I was running 15mins late and had to pick up Chuck in ferdale and then Amites on the way back. I had my 4x4 truck and Morris had his go anywhere bus. But when I showed up and the Park they had already got there coffee and donuts and had come together and agreed to mutiny. I spent half the run trying to figure out what happened to my well made plans. But after I got over it I enjoyed an amazing snowy run with a hearty group of runners. the weather was close to perfect for a snowy winter day. the wind kept it's distance and the sun even made a few appearances. After the run Barbara, Chuck, Amites and Ron crashed at my house, taking turns warming up by the fire and stuffing there face with pizza and beer. the run lasted five hours and we covered a little over 20 miles. to see the rest of the pictures click Here.

Trying to keep warm

After I found out our furnace is not working I lugged the computer downstairs and set up by the fire.

Strange days ( Warning contains Violence )

the day started out to be normal enough. My brother offered to put me to work helping him wash windows and since I'm dead broke I agreed. we were washing the inside windows in a new shopping complex. If you didn't know how cold it was out today let me tell you. when i went to wash the glass door the water froze to it instantly. Then I went to wash the double pain glass and the instant the water dripped onto the window sill it froze solid and when I ran my towel over the window frame the towel froze to it. ( it was very comical ) When I got home later this afternoon I checked my messages and Barbara and Amites where waiting for me to join them at the bar just down the road. I'm not the bar type but there was a free dinner involved and I couldn't pass that up. I suppose the company was good too. which brings me to more strangeness. Barbara Emailed me a few weeks back after running across my blog while searching for the race results for the Padden mud fest. ( At least that's what she says ) ( Her favorate line) Since then she's become a regular on Wednesday nights and has happily joined us on our crazy snowy adventure runs. I could probably write a book on what I've learned about her in just these few weeks. To say the least she's an interesting and talented women. I'm going to have to get her to do a bio for my blog. Anyway she's a strange addition to my world. Feels very much like an episode of the Twilight Zone. More on this later. So after dinner I drove home and was greeted by my brother who told me he had been eyeing a rat under the couch. Oh great. Well there was nothing to do but go after the damn thing. We've had so many problems before we have cardboard in the front room for just such occasions. so I maid a castle wall around the couch and sent my brother in after him with a stick. We weren't messing around this time. We put the couch up on it's end and flushed him out. thankfully I couldn't see the floor behind the couch but I did see a stick rapidly swinging back and forth. And after a few thumps my brother jumped over the cardboard wall and said " Quick do something with it" So I grabbed a shoe box and scooped up the still twitching rat. I then placed him out side to freeze to death in peace. Nice story isn't it. My brother then commented " I hope I don't have nightmares" then went off to check his email. And what do you know the Internet was down after last nights brownout. Well after a half hour of unplugging and replugging the router a hundred times it finally started working again, go figure. So I went to check my email and saw that I had two emails sent from Steve that read " I found your new Job" well the only Steve I know is Steve the owner of fairhaven runners. So with some excitement I opened the email. And What do you know It was Spaaaaaaaammmmmm!!!!!!!!!! : ( that's the nice ending for my day ( now 3:09am ) and tomorrow I have to go job hunting then figure out how to pay rent, insurance, the cable bill, the phone bill and then file for bankruptcy. Good night! and sweet dreams!

Wed's full moon run & cupcake surprise!

This week we headed up to Galbraith and attempted the Lunar eclipse run. We got off to a bad start when my light burnt out the second I turned it on. Ron's battery hadn't held it's charge and was dead. then there was the new guy Rick with a sub standard light. I thought I would make the night more interesting by just running without a light. the moon was out and every once and a while you could see it clearly through the fog. Which got so bad at the top of Galbraith you couldn't see anything, even on the trail it was hard to see. we all survived the run but were running late for burgers so Chuck and Morris kindly ran ahead and drove the bus back to pick us up making it to Beer and burgers just in time. Where Barbara Had a surprise for us " cupcakes " yummy! It wasn't even anyones birthday. All we gave her in return was a night of running in the dark and some muddy squishy shoes. Thank you Barbara! I even got one to take home.

Me

So I hate writing stuff about myself for many reasons even running related. I've kept to mostly posting on run reports and running info. but over the last few months I've read a few blogs that all talk about what running means to there life and have found them very interesting and real. My thoughts on life and running aren't as deep as most and will surely not be as eloquent but maybe they will be real. I bring this up because I find that I am in some kind of turning point
in my life and my running. Unfortunately brought about by my bad choices in life. No I'm not addicted to drugs or alcohol ( Ok maybe running) but I've been living beyond my means for many years and with the addiction of Ultra running the last few years I've dug a very nice hole. I've truly enjoyed every minute of it but yes would have surely enjoyed even more if I could have afforded it. Lately I've heard similar story's from more runners then just myself. Though they're being wise and cutting back before they become like me. I started off in a hole. Well that's enough for this morning.

New running video

Ferg Hawk White Rock BC resident ( just across the border) and crazy Badwater runner has a new running movie out "The distance of Truth" I've only met Ferg twice once at Fairhaven runners at his Badwater slide show and the other time at Badwater this year where I bumped into him at our hotel. I haven't seen the movie yet but can't wait. Not sure on the title though and I'm an ultra runner. Anyway check it out http://www.thedistanceoftruth.com/ and if you get it invite me over to watch.

Pine and Cedar lakes run to the infamous "ropes course"

Barbara joined me in finding the rope on the far side of Pine lake. Click picture for more

Wednesday's night run up ------------------ "Retarded Awesome"

GPS blue, batteries went dead rest of the route in red

Park butte route

Total distance 18 miles

Scooting across the log

Check out these videos of (Amites) and( Chuck )crossing the log. Click on there names to see the video.

Gear Check after Park butte run - Pictures and story below

The following day I did a gear check and found I was missing a small Ziploc with the lighter, esbit tablet, caffeine, Advil and salt pills. I think it's at the Elbow lake junction. good thing we didn't need to use any of it. As you can see I was prepared for at least a few more days. the most I've ever packed for a run.

Park butte pictures / Story below

Pictures are not all in order I gave up.

Park butte Adventure run

My account of our day of route finding, log crossing, cold foot snow running.

The forecast called for 30% chance of rain at 5,000ft. The Mt.Baker weather station reported there was 12inches of snow at 4,000ft. Chuck of Ferndale, Barbara the newbie and surprisingly Amites all agreed to join me for a winter adventure run. The goal was to find the abandoned ridley creek trail and follow it to Mazama camp, then make the 1.5 mile out and back to the Park butte lookout tower and return via Bell pass / Elbow lake trail. The ridley creek trial head is well marked with no warnings of trail conditions. We start off down the trail and within a quarter mile hit the upper arm of the Middle Fork river, our first obstacle. We find a log crossing up stream and scramble out onto the river bed and start searching for the trail on the other side. With no sign of the trail we just pick a spot and head into the woods hoping to stumble upon it. Chuck had a “DETAILED” description of how to find the trail sourced from the internet and I had a GPS track but no trace of the trail was found. We spend an hour or so crossing back and forth over Ridley creek scrambling up and down banks lined with Devil’s club. Which Chuck later commented was the highlight of his day. We finally opted to head back into the woods where upon I started jumping up and down after discovering the "trail!" The trail wasn’t as bad as I had imagined and someone had actually done some trail maintenance. The sun was shining as we made our way up the switch backs. At 3,500ft we hit snow and followed foot prints until abruptly ending in a snow covered meadow. From here we could see the pass and just made a bee line in that direction. Making for good entertainment as we spent a lot of time on our asses siding down several ravines. Now at what we thought was Mazama camp we searched for the shelter hoping to pick up the trail. Amites shouts out “there it is!” to which I reply “What that rock over there?” which upon further inspection turned out to be just a rock. Giving up we scrambled to the pass and resume the search for the trail. From the saddle I recognized railroad grade to the east but with clouds rolling in we couldn’t quite make out our location and the trail was non existent under the snow. The GPS and map didn’t help much either. Barbara suggests we skip the Lookout and go search for the trail leading to elbow lake. Standing around in cold wet shoes we quickly agree and head back down. Now finding the trail to the Mazama camp shelter. Thinking the route finding might be behind us we leave the shelter and head down the snow covered trail only a hundred yards before losing it again in a ravine. Suspecting the trail is on the other side we make the sketchy crossing and pick up the trail on the opposite side. This time being able to follow it down past the snow line and all the way to the elbow lake junction. We snap a group picture, eat, drink, pee and head on our way to the lake. To pass the time we make bets on weather or no we will finish in the dark, I bet no and lose. After the lake there’s one last climb and then it’s a speedy run down to the middle fork river. I especially enjoyed running through the giant old growth cedars and taking in the view of the northern sister, now up close. At the river we confront our last obstacle, another log crossing. I shimmy across first to take pictures and enjoy the comical moment. Which came close to tragic as the log slid part way down the bank with all three on it. Danger being short lived we make our way across and follow the remainder of the trail to the road. Barbara and I run/walk the mile or so up the road to the truck where we then drove back and retrieved Chuck and Amites. Our adventure lasted 7hrs 15mins finishing in the light. To top it off we headed to the legendary Beer shrine where we reminisced on the days hilarities and highlights. I was especially impressed with everyone’s attitude even with cold numb feet I didn’t hear one complaint. I’m happy to announce Barbara has successfully completed her hazing.