apAdventures

Here is a nice video and slideshow that April put together documenting our amazing trip to Colorado for the Imogene Pass Trail run. Check it out…

Click here to play the video

“Due to excessive snow on the Imogene Pass the race will start and finish in Ouray. The course will go past the Lower Camp Bird aid station, up to the point where the private road meets the public road and then turn Right. It will continue along the public road toward the Yankee Boy Basin and then proceed back down to the Lower Camp bird aid station and follow the road back to Ouray. The race will finish in the park next to the Ouray Hot Spring pools. The modified course will be approx 14 miles. PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED OVER THE SUMMIT AS THERE WILL BE NO SUPPORT PAST THE LOWER CAMP BIRD AID STATION. There is about 6 miles of the most aggressive part of the course that is covered in SNOW. It is for the security of the racers and our course volunteers that we have made this decision. We are sorry that we cannot offer the traditional race this year but due to the weather it is impossible to service the course as we originally planned. Thank you for your understanding.”
– Imogene Pass Run Coordinator

“I don’t know about you guys, but I came here to run the Pass.”
– Paul, April, Courtney & Linda (aka “Team Tucson”)

Pictures and summary coming soon.

All systems go. Less than 2 days until we stare up at the Imogene Pass and go for it. I did a short “test” run for my knee last Sunday and things went well. It was a short 4 mile run on flat trails. I can only laugh because that was my last “training” run before the race and I haven’t been able to run since I messed up my MCL on August 5th. I don’t know if I can even keep up with April…

Wish us luck…

This evening’s run stats:

*2 rattlesnakes
*1 big, black, scary looking black-necked garter snake…I think?
*4 deer
*and one HUGE fuzzy green catapillar that was about as big a round as my thumb and as long as my hand. I’m totally not kidding!

Training continues…

Click on the photo to see the collection of photos that I took while hiking to the summit of Mt. Humphreys (12,633 ft) near Flagstaff Arizona. April is only in the first few pictures because I dropped her off so she could continue with Imogene training. She ran a nice 17 mile loop with several thousand feet of elevation gain, while I hiked. We met near a trail junction below the summit and hiked the final decent together.

I know we’ve been slacking when it comes to updating our site but don’t think April and I are sitting on the couch eating pizza and drinking beer everyday. That’s just every other day because we are getting in tip top shape for the Imogene run coming up in 22 days 23 hours and 53 minutes(at the time of this entry).

WAIT! Actually, I’m not. On August 5th I tore my MCL, climbing! You can read up on what the MCL is but it made a similar noise when tearing, as my finger did back in December. Luckily the tear is minor (can you believe that from the clearly audible sound it made when ripping?). Minor? What does that really mean. Well, last week I couldn’t make right turns when walking because the pain was pretty intense. As long as I go straight it’s all good and as long as I make left turns I’m cool. If I want to go right I’ll just make a 270 degree turn to the left. Overall, I can tell it’s getting better.

22 days 23 hours and 51 minutes: That’s how long I have to recover and blast out the Imogene race…

And now for the trip report of our 10-day vacation in the Canadian Rockies with Paul’s parents, Marian and Regis. The idea of doing this trip with family originated back when Paul and I were on our honeymoon in the Canadian Rockies. This area of Canada was so amazing to us that we just had to share it with both our families. Unfortunately, my family was unable to join us on this occasion, so it ended up just Regis, Marian, Paul and myself. Overall, the trip was stellar. Traveling with Paul’s parents was a blast and the scenery in the mountains of Canada is, of course, absolutely breathtaking. The four of us hiked up some really incredible (and really strenuous!) terrain. To write about all the fun would take me a week, so I’ll share with you just some of the highlights:

Our trip started off in Seattle, Washington. From there we made our way up to Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Our first hike of the trip was the Iceline Trail. The trail starts off with a pretty steep grade, switchbacking up an avalanche slope and then into an old-growth forest. Immediately, we had fine views of the Yoho Valley, the impressive 833 ft Takakkaw Falls, and the Daly Glacier which feeds the Takakkaw Falls (Takakkaw is Cree for “It is magnificent!”). After the switchbacks, we were above treeline and traversing through rocky, unvegetated landscape. At about 2.5 miles we reached the Emerald Glacier. Paul and I ran ahead a bit to get a closer glimpse of the glacier while Regis and Marian took in the views from the glacier’s forefield. After a rest and some snacks, we turned around and headed back down the same way we came up. Stats: 5 miles, 1815 feet elevation gain, 4 hours.

Our next big hike was in Banff National Park at Lake Louise. Lake Louise is one of the most popular areas in all of the Canadian Rockies. The Lake Louise Chateau is situated right on the lakefront, providing stunning views of the turquoise blue Lake Louise and the massive glaciers above it. We came up with a perfect hiking day plan that allowed Paul and I to get some trail running in while still getting to meet up and hike with Regis and Marian later in the day. Paul and I took off running toward the Plain of the Six Glaciers. The trail runs along the side of Lake Louise and then gains elevation to the glaciers behind it. The end of the trail brings you to the exposed crest of a lateral moraine that overlooks the Lower Victoria Glacier. Above us, we had views of Abbot Pass separating Mt. Lefroy (11,230 feet) and Mt. Victoria (11,364 ft), which marks the Continental Divide. Far below us, we could see the entire Lake Louise and the Bow Valley. From here, Paul and I ran the Highline Junction trail that took us up and over the Big Beehive (steep!) and down to Lake Agnes. Meanwhile, Regis and Marian hiked the Lake Agnes trail up to Lake Agnes and we all rendezvoused at the Lake Agnes Teahouse. Perfect timing! Stats: 11.6 miles, 2243 ft elevation gain (twice, due to having to run up and over the Big Beehive), 6 hours (including a stop at the teahouse for lunch).

Probably our most favorite hike of the trip was this next one. Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park. Lake O’Hara is THE MOST popular hiking destination in Yoho National Park. And it only takes a quick glance at these photos to figure out why. The area is so popular, in fact, that access is limited to visitors. To get into Lake O’Hara, you have two options: Reserve a seat on one of the 6 buses that travel up there each day (for a *very* pricey fee), or hike the 7 miles up/in. Or, well I suppose there’s a 3rd option: RUN the 7 miles. 😉 Paul and I laced up our running shoes, reserved 2 bus seats for Regis and Marian, and said “see you at the top!” The run in was awesome. The air was cool and crisp and the morning light was casting deep blue shadows across the snow-covered peaks around us. Soon we arrived at Lake O’Hara and met up with Regis and Marian. From here, we walked along the lake together and then split again, planning to reconvene later on the trails. Paul and I decided to take the All Souls’ Alpine Route. Wow, was that trail EXPOSED!!! The trail pushes up through scree and boulder fields to some pretty airy ledges, a couple of which you actually have to do 1 or 2 moves of scrambling (hands & feet) – a few moments of glee for these two rock climbers. 🙂 From the All Souls’ Prospect (the summit point of the trail at 7380 feet) we traversed a couple of small snowfields and then headed over to Opabin Lake where we met up with Regis and Marian again. From here, we all hiked together back down to Lake O’Hara, passing a family of mountain goats along the way. Regis and Marian then boarded the bus, while Paul and I downed a couple sticks of beef jerky and then ran the 7 miles back down to the car. A satisfying day indeed. Stats: 19.5 miles, 2131 ft elevation gain, 7 hours.

After our Lake O’Hara hike, we drove north on the Icefield Parkway toward Jasper, Alberta. Here are a couple of the many, many glaciers and icefields along the way:

The final hiking day of the trip involved a little jaunt out to Maligne Lake and then a walk along Maligne Canyon. Maligne Canyon is an impressive “must-see” for Jasper. It’s a slot canyon and at its deepest is 180 feet, at it’s narrowest only 3 feet!! Stats: 2.6 miles, 345 ft elevation, 2 hours.

From Jasper, we said good-bye to the magnificent Rockies and traveled west toward Whistler, Biritish Columbia. We checked out the ski slopes at Whistler-Blackcomb. The place was packed with outdoor enthusiasts: mountain bikers, snowboarders/skiers (you can ski on the glacier in the summer!), climbers, hikers, zip-liners,….pretty much any nutty sport you can think of….it was there. After Whistler, the highway took us right by Squamish. So of course, as climbers, Paul and I couldn’t resist the urge to stop at look at the rock wall and touch the boulders. It didn’t take us long to regret not bringing our climbing gear, so we high-tailed it out of there ASAP.

Once back in Seattle, we spent a couple days with Paul’s Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Bob, and cousin Chris. The weather was beautiful. Marilyn and Bob gave us a tour of the city…by boat! They also filled our ears with story after amazing story of the incredible skiing and snowboarding up at Whistler-Blackcomb, tempting us to consider a trip up for a visit this winter. Perhaps we will be back in Canada sooner than we think. 🙂

Paul and I are sitting in the Phoenix airport right now. (Free airport internet! Cool!) We’re awaiting our flight to Seattle. In Seattle, we will meet up with Paul’s parents and then spend the next week driving, hiking, and running through the Canadian Rockies: Yoho, Banff and Jasper National Parks.

We sit here in the airport, our bellies full from nasty airport sandwiches and LOTS of water, and our legs aching. We look at each other with distant stares…exhausted. We cherish every second of sitting, simply sitting, on our tired butts and doing absolutely nothing besides waiting. What the heck? Why?

Because the Imogene training continues and boy are we dedicated. This morning we rolled out of bed at 4:45am just so we could squeeze in a run before catching our Phoenix flight at 3pm. And not only are we psyched about our dedication, but we have an exciting accomplishment to report: This morning, Paul and I finally conquered (or as we like to say, “redpointed”) the Douglas Springs Trail all the way to Douglas Springs Camp and back. A grand total of 12 miles and 2000 feet gain with NO WALKING. It took us 3 hours. The trail starts at the end of Speedway Blvd and runs up into the Rincon Mountains on the east side of town. The beginning is probably the steepest section, but it’s a reasonable enough grade that one can run it continuously (well, amatures like ourselves, anyway). We’ve been getting up early on weekdays and tackling this trail before work for the last 3 weeks; each run getting a little further up the trail then the last. Today we pushed hard. Whew, we’re beat!

I’ve been a runner for the last 16 years. I’ve been a “trail” runner for the last 6 months. And as I trudged my way back to the car (with Paul dry-heaving behind me, haha), I realized that I had never run so far with no stops….ever. What the hell have I been waiting for?! 🙂

On the way home from work today April and I finally managed to find some time to stop at Fleet Feet, to get some expert advice about running shoes. Pete, the owner, happily greeted us and quickly went to work. He measured my feet, made me run on the treadmill, video taped my motion from several angles, analyzed my style, and recommended several shoes to try out. Believe me, I give this guy a lot of credit because my warped climber toes are not that appealing to deal with. Pete was very polite and even recommended socks that at least made my toes look somewhat normal. I tried several pairs of shoes on but I knew as soon as I slipped on a pair of the Montrail Hardrocks that I found what I was looking for. Finally, I think I have a good pair of shoes to tear it up on the trails. I can’t wait to head out for a run Wednesday morning and test them out…

This weekend Paul, myself, my sis Holly, her boyfriend Joe, lil Morgie and our friend Matt headed up to Flagstaff, AZ for some fun in the cooler temps. We camped at the campground on Upper Lake Mary and bouldered Friday and Saturday at Priest Draw. The beginner duo (Holly and Joe) is climbing strong, I must say. We showed them the classics and they ate them up, one by one, until the skin on their fingers was toast. Paul is currently working The Receptionist, v10, and making strong links (falling while “answering the phone” – for all you familiar with the climb). I’m working Anorexic, v6, and slowly sussing out the moves. Paul and I have a trip to Canada coming up soon so unfortunately we may not be back to the Draw for a little while. No biggie, our projects will be waiting when we return.

Sunday, Holly and Joe sped off with their mountain bikes to the Mt. Eldon trails, Matt sped off with his bike to Sedona, and Paul, Morgan and I headed up to Mt. Humphrey for some Imogene training. So far in our training, our runs have been successes. We’ve completed every trail run that we’ve set off to do and have loved every second. Well, today’s run was a bit less of a “success”. We hit the trail this morning at 9:30am. Way, way, WAY too late. We had planned to run a 12 mile loop that included the high point of Mt. Humphrey at 12, 000+ feet. About 6 miles in, however, as we stared up and up and up at the peaks above, we made the decision to bail. Yes, BAIL. Believe it. To sum up our position: we were low on water and hot as hell. Running above treeline in this kind of heat would be too much for little brown dog Morgie, and us too I suppose. So we turned around and ran/walked the 6 miles back to the car. Out-and-back runs = blah. 90+ degrees when your psyched to bag a 12,000+ footer = blah. A tired dog with tired legs and that oh-so-pitiful look of “take me home please” = blah. But, knowing that this stellar loop with amazing views exists and is only a short 4 hour drive away = CAN’T WAIT TO COME BACK AND TRY AGAIN!!!! 😀