Eating My Way up Right Fork Canyon, Ruby Mountains, Nevada

 Back in July (it sounds so long ago now!) we took a family trip to the Ruby Mountains near Elko, Nevada for some camping and mountain country. The Ruby Mountains receive the most precipitation of all the interior Great Basin ranges, about 40 inches a year at the higher elevations. That's quite a change from the six to seven inches we get on our desert ranch!

I'm a little behind blogging about the trip, but am finally getting to it. I'm going to start with the last day first--I got up and went for an early morning trail run. Of course I had managed to forget my running shoes, but I had some trusty sandals. I put some bandaids in my pocket (it's not the first time I've forgotten my running shoes, and I didn't want to get a blister!), and grabbed my camera and a water bottle. Then I was off.

The trail for the Right Fork Canyon (a tributary to the majestic Lamoille Canyon) starts at a cattleguard and sign by what is now called the Lions Camp (previously Boy Scout Camp and Lamoille Camp). I followed the road to its end, passing a lodge with the smell of bacon coming out of it, some tents, and some cabins. Then I followed a little marked trail to the edge of a slow-moving creek due to the presence of some beaver dams.

The trail was narrow but easily followable, and I made good time. It had rained the night before and some parts were quite muddy, and the vegetation was damp. I was glad I had on running shorts. Before long, the trail entered thicker brush. It was still easy to follow, but I got wetter.

I wasn't sure how far I was going to go, but planned a turnaround time in about 30 minutes. I figured that would give me enough time to see some of the canyon, but not too long to leave my family.

As I was closing in on that 30 minutes, I came out of the brush onto some wonderful rock. Hurray! The canyon beckoned me ahead. I so much wanted to see what else was up there. I decided to go just five minutes more.

 Except the trail got really narrow and eventually disappeared in an aspen grove! I didn't have the time to thoroughly scout it out, so I decided that was a good sign that it was time to turn around. And once I got back out to the big, flat rock place, I again had to stop to take some photos.

 I wandered over to the stream to look at a little waterfall. Then I decided I had better get going, so I took off running fast across the rock, and the next thing I knew I had landed hard on my side and ankle. Dang it. After a quick assessment I decided I was okay to continue. I was bleeding and bruised, but I could still move. Plus, I hadn't seen anyone else on the trail and I didn't know how I would get word to anyone if I was injured. (Note to self: maybe it would be a good idea to carry matches for a trail run in order to make a signal and/or warming fire if needed.) I wasn't all that far up the canyon and in fact could see the camp buildings, but I knew no one could see me.

So I gingerly started making my way back down the trail. And that's when I saw something that made me forget all my aches and pains:

 Thimbleberries! On the way up I had only seen the white ones, but on the way down I found luscious red ones, ripe and wonderful. They are related to raspberries, but even larger and sweeter.

 Then I saw what looked like blueberries. These aren't the sweet kind found in the Midwest and Alaska (and I'm sure other locales), this is a western version that grows on alkaline soil called Serviceberry. I picked some and ate them. They aren't very sweet, but they're okay.

 I saw these white berries, but they looked suspicious, and I wasn't sure what they were, so I didn't touch them.

 I also saw these alluring red berries, but they're baneberry and very poisonous. You really do need to know your berries before you eat them or you could be in a lot of trouble!

Not all red berries are bad. These currants were prime for the picking and delicious! I spent so much time eating my way back down the trail that my downhill return trip was only one minute faster than my uphill jog. It was worth it though, and I look forward to returning again. If you'd like to eat your way along the trail, late July is an ideal time.

Desert Boy's First 5K

 We had a great time at the Snake Valley Festival this past weekend. One of the events is the Snake Valley Slither, a 5K trail run/walk. Desert Boy decided he really wanted to do it. I wasn't so sure, as his longest race to date has been a 1 miler. But he seemed sure of himself, so I decided to let him give it a try.

He knew not to go too fast at the beginning, and he listened, doing a slow jog on gravel roads. Then we got to the trail section of the run.

 He ran short stretches, but walked quite a bit.

 He figured we had already passed the first mile back on the gravel roads (a little warning went off in my mind!). It was a bit later till we got to this really cute mile marker sign. Then everything started falling apart. His feet hurt (it didn't help that he had left his shoes out in the middle of the water fight field the day before and they were still wet!), then his legs hurt, then he asked what he got if he finished, and then he asked if someone came around to collect people who couldn't finish. Uh oh.

I encouraged him that soon we would be at the aid station and he could get a nice big drink. The last walkers caught up to us, and that was a good thing, as we could all talk together and Desert Boy was a bit more distracted.

Then we came into view of the aid station, and Desert Boy perked up. He got even happier when his friend Evan said he would walk the rest of the way with him. Suddenly it wasn't quite such a long race!

 It's always more fun to run and walk with friends!

An hour or so after he started, Desert Boy made it across the finish line. He had done it!

He got to have a smoothie as a treat. (The post-race smoothie and frappucino stand was awesome!)

The finishers and helpers. What a great way to start the morning!

And for Desert Boy, since he had done so well, he got to go to a friend's house for a few hours, making all post-race pains go away.

Moab Trip Day 2 - Adventure Races

 On the second day of our Moab trip, we got to sleep in a little. Hurray! Then we got ready and headed out to Kane Creek Road to join 999 other runners. This race was actually four races: the national championship trail marathon, a trail half-marathon, a 5K adventure race, and a kids 1K adventure run. I had signed up for the 5K, so was quite relaxed. I knew I wouldn't have a problem with the distance and I was really looking forward to the obstacles promised in the description: climbing a ladder, running through culverts and a cave, under an arch, up and down sliprock, rope assists, and more.

First we watched the first three waves start. Over 500 runners entered the half marathon and over 300 the full marathon. Within fifteen minutes over 800 people were off on the trail. Then it was time for the kids' run.

 The kids started lining up at the big starting line.

 Desert Girl looks a little uncertain at the start of her first race.

 Time for stretching, instructions (don't get ahead of the leader and stay on the course), and then it was time to go!

 Desert Girl knew what to do!


Before long I saw Desert Boy coming down the narrow trail section, a big smile on his face. He had already climbed the steep hill, gone under the arch and through the cave, and now was coming down a steep section (part of the same route as the 5K). He was loving it. I cheered him and he went on past while I waited for Desert Girl. My husband had gone to accompany her, and he said she did really well till she saw me.

 Here she is navigating the gully section that led to a huge culvert and down a ladder. I was worried about making it to the start of my 5K, which was a little down the road, but since the kids' run was on the 5K course, it had to be cleared first.

 They had three waves of starts for the 5K. I had estimated that I would be in the middle third of finishers, which put me in the second wave. I had considered asking to be moved up to the first wave, but then figured that despite doing some sprints in my runs lately, I probably wasn't really competitive with the Moab-area runners and the second wave would be fine. But I did go to the front of the pack so I could start out front. I figured that since it was a trail race, once we got on the trail it would be harder to pass. And it was. But it was still possible, like when we were running through the creek (twice!).

 I started catching up to the first wave by the time I got to the rope section. I had to wait for a couple people in front of me, but as I had been running rather fast, I didn't mind a chance to catch my breath. Sprinting and then resting was my strategy for the adventure race, and it worked well. My lungs burned as I continued running past the cacti, through the deep sand, across and down the slickrock, in gullies with loose rocks, but I knew I was doing well, so I pushed myself to continue. We ran through another culvert, traversed an obstacle course with balance boards, kids' tunnels (a tight fit!), hopping across lily pads, and even frisbee golf. Then it was a sprint to the end. When I finished, I had to sit for awhile just to catch my breath! My husband wasn't expecting me to finish as soon as I did, so he didn't have the camera ready.

 After I could breathe again, I saw the kids playing in the bounce house. I would like to tell the organizers what a brilliant idea that was! It kept the kids happy, occupied, and nearby. Desert Boy and Desert Girl jumped for over an hour.

The first half-marathon finishers came in shortly after I did. Wow! The winner finished in 1:30--on trails! I heard from a couple runners that it was an absolutely gorgeous course so am considering it for next year. The winner of the trail marathon finished in 3:03--a high school teacher from Fillmore, Utah who recently won the Spartan Ultrabeast, a marathon-length obstacle course. There are some really fit people out there! Fortunately most of the really fit people did the longer races, which meant that I won my age group. Yippee! I got a cool little trophy for my efforts, plus, more importantly, bragging rights!

After the race it was time to start on the rest of the day's activities...we had lots of fun things planned.

Ely Half-Marathon

 Since June I've been training for the Take It To The Lake Half Marathon near Ely, Nevada. I did a half marathon twelve years ago, but it was in Florida, where it was flat. And at about twelve feet elevation. I knew this half marathon would be substantially harder, as it started at 6600 feet elevation. Then it gained 800 feet elevation during the 13.1-mile course.

To make matters more difficult, I had two running injuries and a bad cold that impacted my training schedule. So my longest run ended up being 8 miles long, and I really wasn't too sure how well I was going to do. I decided my biggest goal was to finish. My secondary goal was to finish in less than 2:30. I figured that I would be doing really well if I could do that, given the course and my limited training.

 Three of us from our area signed up for the race: me, Chandra, and Clint. It was so nice having some people I knew in the race! We took a school bus out to the starting line, and I felt an ache in my left lower calf, similar to problems I had had previously. I was really concerned, as I sure wanted to finish!

We started off from the Ely Elk Viewing Area, and I was feeling really good. I ran with Chandra for the first half-mile, then looked at my pace and saw I was going too fast. I needed to slow down if I wanted to finish. So Chandra ran ahead, as did Clint and a few other people who passed me. I ran on the shoulder of the road for awhile, as I had done most of my training on dirt roads and I knew that the higher impact on pavement might not be so good for me. Fortunately, my leg wasn't hurting anymore, and my pace was right about where I wanted it to be. I felt good, and the miles started melting away.

 Meanwhile, the Kids Fun Run began. It included five kids from our valley, with Kara quickly taking the lead. It was Desert Boy's first official race, and he was excited. The fun run wasn't timed, so I tried to stress to Desert Boy that he didn't need to run fast, he just needed to finish.

My husband ran and walked with him for much of it and tried to give him some tips. The race course was supposed to be 1.1 miles along, but my husband said that most of the kids wanted to get a drink at the aid station that was just a little bit further away, so the run was a little longer for some of them.

 Here is Desert Boy running towards the finish line. When I downloaded these photos, I was so impressed at all the shots my husband had gotten! He took some photos, then left the camera in the van and ran, then picked it back up to record the grand finale. Bravo!

 Desert Boy wearing something other than cowboy boots.

 He finished! I was so glad that he made it.

Meanwhile, I found that I enjoyed picking people off in the race. I would see someone ahead of me and try to gradually catch up to them. I had trained some on hills, so I was ready for the gradual incline. It was warm, though, so when I got to an aid station I dumped a cup of water on my head and then drank one. I also started drinking gatorade around mile 6 and also had a Gu, which tasted better than I expected but made me really thirsty.

Up to mile 7 I was feeling like the run was pretty easy. After mile 7, I had to work for it. Fortunately there were people ahead of me that looked like they were getting a little tired, so I tried to catch up. Gradually I passed several people, and concentrating on catching them helped the miles go relatively quickly, although with more aches and pains. I had to frequently remind myself to relax and try to have a good running form (or at least as good as I could manage!).

 When I saw my husband about mile 10 1/2, I was so glad. I tried to smile (I always ran better when a camera was around). Then he started running with me. That made such a difference. He told me about the kids run and kept me distracted till I got to the Big Hill just after mile 11. I walked up the steepest part, and then he told me it was flat, so I better run some more. So I did. But miles 11-13 sucked.

 The girl in the green kept sneaking up on me, and I didn't realize how close she was.

 At the finish she was suddenly right there, and we both sprinted. She beat me by .1 second. Arghh! Oh well, I guess I learned my lesson! I still placed third in my age group.

Even better, my time was 2:18. I couldn't believe it! The run had turned out much better than I had hoped. Maybe wearing my Mr. Rogers "You are special" shirt helped. Or maybe it was my breakfast of champions: two hash browns from Old McDonalds (as my kids call it), a parfait, a large orange juice, and a banana.

Whatever the reason, I was very glad to be done. My legs had started cramping at the end, so I went in desperate search of a banana. Then I went over to the massage tent where Jenny worked her magic and I felt better.

It turned out to be a great race! They've already scheduled next year's: September 21. Will I do it? Will you?