Wild Goose Chase 2015

Every February for the past few years we've had the tradition of going to Delta, Utah for the Snow Goose Festival. Thousands of snow geese are migrating, and this is one of their favorite stops. They hang out for weeks, finding food in the fields and resting on the nearby lakes and reservoirs. Delta has made the event an occasion for a festival with many events. Our favorite event is the Wild Goose Chase, a 5k/10k with kids' races.

My husband and I ran the 5k and both were pretty happy with our results, especially with the very limited training we've gotten in.

Then it was time for the kids. Desert Girl was all ready for the 1/4 mile run.

It was a very wet snow coming down with a slight wind, which made it hard to stay warm. The kids lined up at the starting line. Desert Girl isn't too aggressive, so she hung out in the back.

Ready, set, go! She took a few steps and one of her shoes fell off. Oh no! I helped her get it back on and secured the other one. She was crying, so I held her hand and we ran the race together.


Once she got close to the finish line, she felt better and raced ahead of me, finishing dead last in three minutes and something. She got a medal, so she was happy.


Then it was Desert Boy's turn for the one-mile race. Except they made it a little shorter, which kind of surprised the race director.

Desert Boy did a great job, with dad running with him for a good part of the race. He finished and was also very happy with the medal.

We were all quite cold, so we decided to forego other outside activities and had a lunch of champions. Then we went to the swimming pool and had a great time.  We went to the grocery store and got a couple weeks worth of groceries. Finally it was time to head home. 

But I still hadn't seen any snow geese, and since this was the Snow Goose Festival, I thought we really needed to see some snow geese. My husband rolled his eyes but managed to find some. I took photos and was happy.

Quick Run in Cathedral Gorge State Park

 On our way to Las Vegas, my husband and I stopped at Miller Point, part of Cathedral Gorge State Park. It was a lovely February day, and we needed to stretch our legs. So I challenged my husband to a little run.

The badlands scenery made it extra enjoyable.

From Miller Point we entered the badlands, descending numerous stairs and running on a faint trail.

It was pretty easy to tell where we were going. Plus I kept slowing down to take photos. Fortunately with all the light the shutter speed was fast so they didn't turn out too blurry!

I could spend so much time here, looking at all the erosion patterns.

Soon we were out of the badlands and things were flattening out.

We reached a trail junction in just over four minutes.

 Then it was time to turn around and run back up hill!

That was quite a bit harder, as I panted up the stairs. Nevertheless, I was so glad to get my blood flowing and wake up a bit. From here it's 2.5 hours to Las Vegas if you head south. And if you head north, it's 2.5 hours to Great Basin National Park or Ely. So this is a perfectly timed diversion.

In the summer it can get really hot. But in the other seasons it's fantastic. We've added it to our camping list, and hopefully we can explore the state park more thoroughly soon! As an added bonus, they have some pipe caves eroded into the badlands.

Till next time!

Desert Boy's First Triathlon

Delta, Utah, had its first ever triathlon yesterday, including a kids event. Earlier in the year I had asked Desert Boy if he wanted to do a triathlon (thinking that might help him improve his swimming), and he answered an enthusiastic "Yes!" So we registered him and took him to the Delta swimming pool for the start. Adults had to swim 300 m, bike 6 miles, and run 1.6 miles. Kids swam 100 m, biked 1.5 miles, and ran .25 miles. Desert Boy had never swam that far before, so I was eager to see how he would do.

He quickly flipped on his back and did his version of elementary backstroke, which actually propelled him fairly rapidly through the water. At age 7, he was the youngest contestant of the eight kids competing.

As soon as he finished swimming, he ran out to the transition zone and quickly got stuck trying to put his shirt on. Transitions are never easy!

Once he started riding, he was stoked. He said there were people at the corners pointing which way to go. We had also driven the bike route right before the race so he knew where to go.

When he got to the track, a helpful bystander grabbed his bike so he could do his lap around the track. He didn't even bother to take off his helmet.

He liked the cheering section.

And then he was across the finish line! It took him about 20 minutes to do the whole race, and he was beyond delighted that he had finished it. Even better were the free swimming pass and drink coupon he got for participating, both of which he used later that day.

When I asked him at the end of our busy day (which also included flu shots, caving, a special lunch out, swimming, and more) what his favorite part was, he said the triathlon, and specifically swimming in the triathlon. So hopefully we'll be doing more of these races!

The organizer said they're planning to do the triathlon again next year, probably at the end of May or beginning of June so it doesn't interfere with school activities. If you're interested, check out Ready, Set, Tri on Facebook.

Take It to the Lake - 2014 Race

On Saturday the kids and I headed to Cave Lake for the third annual Take It to the Lake Race sponsored by the Ely Outdoor Enthusiasts. This was my third time to race; in 2012 I did the half marathon, last year the 10k, and this year the 10k. The kids were there for the Kids Fun Run, a mile-long race. Overall there were many more participants this year than last.

The race course changed from the previous years; instead of getting bussed to a starting point and running nearly the entire race uphill, we started at the lake and ran downhill and then turned around and back uphill. I liked that better.

The 10k race started at 8:30 am and my goal was to be back in time for the kids run at 9:30. However, due to a serious lack of training (my longest run was 3 miles, and I didn't even run the whole thing), I finished in 1:04, so missed the start of the kids run. However, that time was good enough to put me in third place for the female finishers. And our friend Clint won the overall 10k! Way to go!

After the run, I "took it to the lake" and plunged myself into Cave Lake to cool off (I had been wanting to do that the past two years and finally worked up the courage to do it this year and it felt so good!). Then I went in search of the kids.

Desert Boy was running well.

He had quite a determined look on his face for this photo!

I had to go quite a bit farther to find Desert Girl, who was hanging out with friends and alternating walking and running. Some year they won't be last. But they're having fun, and that's what matters!

And they all got medals a the finish line, which they treasured.

Perhaps their favorite part was the mud foot bath after the race.

Some of the kids took a full plunge, although the lake was on the cold side.

We all had a good time and enjoyed the BBQ lunch and raffle afterwards. Maybe next year I will find the time to train a little better. At least I'm now trained up for a race I just heard about--a triathlon in Delta, Utah on October 4. Desert Boy will give it a go as his first triathlon--stay tuned to see how that goes!

Desert Destination: Antelope Island

 We visited Antelope Island over Memorial Day weekend, and it blew away my expectations. Anyone visiting the Salt Lake City area should take a trip out here. Antelope Island is one of ten islands in the Great Salt Lake, and it's the largest, covering about 42 square miles.

 To reach it you cross a seven-mile causeway. During really low water years, the island becomes a peninsula. During really high water years (like in the early 80's), the road was inundated and the island closed for many years until funding could be found to rebuild.

 Once we got to the island, we went to the visitor center and checked out some interesting exhibits, picked up a junior ranger booklet, and watched the park film. Then we decided to head out and check out a trail.

We chose the Buffalo Point Trail, 0.3 miles long but a little steep and rocky. The kids thought we were hiking to the moon, they weren't very cooperative.

For those a little more enthusiastic about hiking, Antelope Island has about 20 miles of trails. It also has trail runs! I might have to come back for one of those! Some of the trails are open to horseback riding and mountain biking. (Another good reason to return!)

 The views were great. The Great Salt Lake is so large you can almost feel like you're at the ocean. And the high salt content (about 25% at times) makes it even smell a little like the ocean, although it's too salty for fish to survive in the lake.

 Birdwatching is a major attraction on Antelope Island. We had closeup views of some chukar. (Here's a bird list for Antelope Island.)

 At the top of the trail were some really cool rocks, Cambrian Tintic Quartzite. These rocks are old (550 million years old), but there are even older rocks on the island. Precambrian rocks (Farmington Canyon Complex, 1.7 billion years old) are found in the park, and they're as old as the rocks at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. (You can download a geology map of the island here.)

 It was a little windy, but oh, so beautiful. Sitting up there on the rocks, looking out over the Great Salt Lake made me feel quite serene. It's a little piece of peace so close to the hustle and bustle of the Wasatch Front.

 We saw quite a few bison as we drove and stopped to take a few photos. The island was settled in the late 1840s, with the LDS Church controlling the ranch, which ran cattle and sheep on the island, until 1870. Then John Dooly, Sr. purchased the island. He set up the Island Improvement Company, which ran the ranches and managed the island for almost a century, from 1884 until 1981.  The State of Utah purchased the northern part of the island in 1969 and the southern part, including the historic Fielding Garr Ranch, in 1881, and removed the cattle and sheep. (Source)

Twelve bison were taken to Antelope Island in 1893 (or 1897--I saw both dates listed). This was the start of a herd that became the largest in the United States for a time (despite an attempt to hunt them all in 1926). Today, with a herd of 550-700 bison, it's one of the largest publicly owned bison herds in the nation.

Every October, they hold a bison roundup--and they let the public participate! If you'd like to round up bison, you can, with your own horse or a concessionaire horse (check out the Antelope Island State Park website for details).  Sounds like fun!

By the way, if you're like us and wonder how could animals survive on a desert island surrounded by water that is too salty to drink, there are several freshwater springs on the island that wildlife use. Other wildlife on the island include mule deer, pronghorn (the 'antelope' for which the island is named), bighorn sheep, bobcats, and porcupine.

We couldn't stay long, but we'll be back, just like the California gulls. Antelope Island has a couple campgrounds, and that would be a great way to experience the island. There's also swimming in summer and showers to rinse off the salt and sand.

If you do visit, remember insect repellent. This can be a buggy place!


To see posts about other great spots to visit in northern Utah, check out:
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Hill Aerospace Museum
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Utah State Railroad Museum

Take It to the Lake 10K and Kids Fun Run

 Last year I ran a the Take It to the Lake Half-Marathon near Ely, Nevada sponsored by the Ely Outdoor Enthusiasts. It was a difficult course, with 800 feet elevation gain starting at 6,600 feet. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it (despite being sore for quite awhile afterwards!). I put the 2014 race date on my calendar, but as the race got closer, I realized I didn't have the time to do the proper training for a half-marathon. Fortunately this year they had a 10k option, and I trained for that. Not only did I train, but I trained to do really well (by my standards!), including lots of hill workouts and long runs.

The 10k was scheduled to start at 9am, and the weather was supposed to be pleasant, so we decided to camp at Cave Lake the night before. They have two campgrounds, and we found a spot at the Lake View campground. The campsite was nice, and we quickly set up the tent and had a simple dinner. We checked out the flush toilet bathrooms and hot showers (wow!). Then we walked down to the lake to enjoy the almost full moon reflecting in the peaceful setting. Nobody else was down there, and it was great.

After an okay night's sleep (Desert Girl wiggled out of her sleeping bag multiple times and then woke up), we got up, had a big breakfast, and were nice and close to all the race activity. I took the shuttle to the start of the 10k.

 My husband took the kids fishing and then to the Kids Fun Run. Yonder Yoga from Ely led the kids in pre-race stretches, and my husband got great photos. My kids love doing Cosmic Kids Yoga (we've already tried out a couple new episodes!), so they were into the stretches.

 Well, at least Desert Girl was into the stretches! Like her running outfit? She's so stylish!

 Finally it was time to start. The kids lined up...

...and then were off to run a mile.

 Desert Girl ran most of the race with her friend Rose.

 What a great morning activity in the fall!

 Desert Boy did really well, coming in fifth or maybe better. We weren't certain. The race was untimed and we made sure he knew that it was called a fun run, and as long as he had fun and finished, we were happy.

 Desert Girl did such a good job!

 She may not have always run the straightest line, but that's okay. She finished under her own power and got a medal, and by golly, she's been showing that medal to everyone.

 Meanwhile I was out at the windy flat (or sort of flat, flatter than the canyon anyway). Colorful flags marked our starting line, and we cheered the half-marathoners as they came through.

 Then it was our starting time, and we got a gun start to send us on our way. Ely's cool like that.

 I had a goal for the race of 65 minutes or less. That probably doesn't sound very fast to you runners out there, and it isn't. But for me, running uphill at elevation, it was a goal that would push me but doable. I wanted to be at mile marker one by 10:00, but it was 10:20. I wanted to be at mile marker two by 19:00 (it was not as steep), but didn't make it until 20:00. I wasn't so sure I was going to make my goal, because I figured I would get slower as the road got steeper and I got more tired.

 To my great surprise, I was able to stay at 10 minute miles even as the road got steeper. (The tail wind was much appreciated!) I was ecstatic, and feeling really good as I slowly caught up to half-marathoners. Finally I got to the steep hill at mile six and had to walk up it, totally messing with my time. But at the top it was only a short distance to the finish line, and I finished in less than 65 minutes. Yippee!


It turned out that I was the first 10k finisher, male or female. I have many friends who can beat my time, so if you're one of them, you should enter next year! I felt a little bit like an imposter coming in first, knowing that there are so many faster people than me. Ah well, I guess I'll enjoy it while I can!

 The kids showed me their medals and their goodie bags. (The goodie bags rock at this race!)


Desert Girl and I went and cheered on more runners, then took a little walk by the lake. It was cold water but so beautiful.

 In a little while the post-race BBQ started. Yum! That's another thing I love about this race.

 I tried to get a photo of the kids with all our medals under the finish line, but they were feeling a little tired and uncooperative by this time.

 Nancy, the race director. Thanks for such a great race! And many thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors helping with the race. It's so nice to have a local race where you know the terrain and know more of the runners.

My trophy! Super cool.