Snowman Rises

Snowman headed out the door about 15 minutes ago for a 12 mile run. (I couldn't go with him due to work commitments, so I'll be doing the same run tomorrow morning, which is too bad, as it would have been more fun to do the run together.) As Snowman is known to be very cranky early in the morning, I'm really impressed he got up and out the door, especially as we seem to have lost power briefly during the night and the alarm didn't go off as planned. Now I just have to hope he doesn't decide to just curl up on the side of the road for a nap while he's out there :-)

Five Plus Blueberries in the Commons

They were calling for "unhealthy air" today. Doesn't that just make you think that as humans we're doing something seriously wrong to the world around us? Yikes! Needless to say, it was hot and humid and around 70 degrees when I headed out at 7am for a run in the Commons.

They're constructing a new hockey arena next to the Bowdoin field house, and they've already blocked off a lot of access to the fields. But this morning, even the narrow strip of gravel between the field house and the construction zone was blocked off. Crap! Around I went. The long way. Tack on another 1/4 mile to the out-and-back.

My legs felt pretty good, considering we'd spent the last two days backpacking. Of course, neither of those days were marathon hikes, but still solid days out in the woods. The downside of the run was the deer flies, which buzzed around continually, and the fact that the grasses towards the end of the Commons have started to get pretty tall and make the path really narrow. Nothing like high grass to make my legs itchy! Silly allergies...

But, the flies and grass were forgotten when I realized that the blueberries were starting to ripen! There is one stretch that gets great sun, out in the pine barrens, and the blueberries were everywhere along the trail. I couldn't resist stopping to pick a few :-) A nice refreshing boost mid-run!

Snowman Says: On the AT, Rt. 27 to East Flagstaff Rd.

July 6, 2008 | Miles: 8.0
Start: Rt. 27, Stratton
End: Avery Campsite

I hate, hate, hate getting up early. My body just doesn't respond. It's not pretty. So, I started off the day before six really, really cranky. As I slowly wake up, I become more human and palatable. By the time we drove the 2.25 hours to the trailhead, I was ready to go. We drove to the end of the hike to leave our car for the end of the trip and met Sue from the Stratton Motel who had agreed to give us a ride to the beginning of the hike on Route 27.

We started hiking just after 9:30 and things were fairly uneventful. We had a steady 2800' or so climb on the menu for the morning, but it was fairly easy. Sure, we were sweaty and working, but what else would you expect. We stopped for lunch at Horns Pond Shelter and ate on the shore of its namesake. One of the many camp/kid groups we would see on this trip had stop at the Pond for a swim and while they more than altered the tranquil setting, they certainly provided entertainment. Picture 14 year-old boys swimming and you get the idea.

After lunch, we climbed some more and took the side trail to North Horn. Great views and well worth it. The main trail goes over South Horn, which also provides great views. Needless to say, great rewards for the morning's climb. The trail descended from South Horn, meandered along the ridge and eventually climbed West Peak. (None of the peaks have Bigelow in their name, the ridge itself is just called Bigelow Mountain.) Once again, terrific views from what would be the high point of this trip, 4145'. Above treeline, the wildflowers were all in bloom: mountain azalea, labrador tea, diapensia and others. Good stuff.

We descended West Peak to Avery Memorial Campsite and set up shop for the night. It was only 3:30 and we could have continued a few miles to another campsite, but for some reason it never really occurred to us. Besides, the setting was pretty nice at 3800'. The water situation wasn't so nice, as D had to squeeze in between two rocks in order to pump the water. I took a shift, but it was tricky since I'm not 4'6". The real issue with the campsite was the bugs. The black flies were among the worst I have seen, and we spent as much time as possible hiding in the tent. Luckily, the temperatures were relatively cool, so we didn't sweat to death. We also had to eat dinner in the tent. We had Backpackers' Pantry meals: Wild West Chili with Beans. Let's just say that being trapped in the tent after Wild West Chili with Beans is potentially life threatening.

At about 8:00 we were finally able to be outside to "get some fresh air" without getting eaten alive thanks to cooler temps, and we headed north on the AT on the side of Avery Peak to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous, and we show you if we hadn't forgotten the camera. By 9:00 we were in the tent and sleeping thanks to the earplugs I found in my pack...we were sharing the campsite with another group of 10 teenage boys.

July 7, 2008 | Miles: 8.7
Start: Avery Campsite
End: East Flagstaff Rd.

Teenage boys don't get up early. In fact, when we left camp at 7:30, there still wasn't any movement from their tents. The temps had dropped overnight and we had a cool and breezy ascent to Avery Peak, which was beautiful first thing in the morning. Despite the gusty winds, we hung out on top for a while, and I took about 4,000 pictures before we started our descent. Since most of yesterday was up, most of today was down. What was up from yesterday were the heat and humidity. Not unbearable, like our death hike in the Mahoosucs, but definitely noticeable. I noticed because I was completely drenched with sweat.

Eventually, we reached Safford Notch for a snack break at around 9:15. We didn't stay long as the mosquitoes had replaced the black flies as the blood sucking machines of the day. BTW, do not purchase Cutter Skinsations insect repellant. It's gross. The smell is just awful. It smelled worse that I did. Oh, and it doesn't really work. Other than that, it's a great product.

After our break we began the meandering climb to the ridge of Little Bigelow Mountain. It was only about 1,000 feet up and fairly mellow, but less than an hour after our snack break I had to stop. I totally bonked. It was strange. I sat on a log, ate a couple fig newtons and pumpkin seeds, and then we started again. I guess I had expended all the "fuel" from the Wild West Chili with Beans.

We wandered along the top of Little Bigelow for about 3 decades. It went on forever...and ever...and ever. Eventually, we reached the "summit." which is really the north end of the ridge. (Based on my altimeter, I'm pretty sure it's not even the high point.) We stopped here for lunch. We could look back at the entire length of hike, which was a great way to wrap up the trip.

It was all downhill from here, as we dropped of the ridge towards Flagstaff Lake, which was ever-present in the views both days, and our car. We stopped briefly at Little Bigelow Shelter for water and a privy break, but cruised for the most part. After passing a group of 15 or so French teenage girls, who laughed at my skirt...um, kilt, we reached the car at about 1:30.

We headed up the road to Round Barn Campsite to cool off in Flagstaff Lake before hitting the road for the 2.5 hours home. All in all, a great trip. Mellow, great views, good times. Definitely a place we'll get back to...well, once this whole AT thing is done. Just a couple more trips left this summer.

On the AT - Rt. 27 to East Flagstaff Rd.

Photos:
Page #1
Page #2

July 6, 2008 | Miles: 8.0
Start: Rt. 27, Stratton
End: Avery Campsite


The day started with a 2-hour drive in the fog, but by the time Sue from Stratton Motel met us at East Flagstaff Road for our shuttle to Rt. 27, the skies had cleared and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. We hit the trail at 9:30 and enjoyed the first few miles of nice, mellow woodland walking. Snowman was a bit grumpy, as he doesn't like that we're always up early for these adventures and the bugs were biting him, and I told him I was happy to continue on and finish up our remaining AT miles without him. He then reminded me that I don't know how to use our stove (which is, sadly, true) so we had a good laugh and got back into the swing of things :-)

This was a great section of trail. Very scenic. A few hours into the hike, we descended to Horns Pond for lunch. This pretty glacial tairn seemed to be the perfect tranquil spot for lunch, until a group of teenage boys came down to jump in the water and laugh and tell dirty jokes. Actually, it was quite entertaining!

From Horns Pond, we hiked up over the Horns, taking the side trail out to North Horn, with beautiful views of Sugarloaf in one direction and Flagstaff Lake in the other. The ridge meandered along, taking us over West Peak, which is in the alpine zone and has some of the same wonderful alpine flowers found around Mt. Washington and the Presidentials. Gorgeous!

From there, we descended into the col and arrived at Avery Campsite around 3:30. Not a super fast hike, but a good one. We chose what looked like the best tent platform and went to get water. There was not much, and the pool was in between two big rock slabs. I had to work my way up onto a ledge to sit and pump the water. Awkward, but it worked. The campsite appeared a bit forgotten and overgrown, but it was a decent spot, except for all the bugs! The black flies were relentless. We had to set up the tent fast and get into it to hide! It made for a bit of a long afternoon but we rested and looked at the maps and schemed for our upcoming trips. After dinner, we decided to walk a ways up the trail to see if we could see the sunset. We didn't have to go too far up the side of Avery Peak to get a beautiful view of the sun setting over Flagstaff Lake. It looked like a sunset you'd see in a poster. Brilliant orange and pinks. A great end to a nice day!

Flora and fauna report: There was common wood sorrel everywhere! Also a wonderful alpine display up on West Peak and Avery Peak - mountain azalea, labrador tea, diapensia. Also saw sheep laurel, bunchberry, blue bead lily, goldthread. On the fauna side of things, the toads were abundant, with lots of tiny ones the size of my thumb nail hopping about, as were the birds. Saw a number of juncos, chickadees, a Yellow-Rumped Warbler and a White Throated Sparrow, while Snowman saw a Black and White Warbler. Nice!

July 7, 2008 | Miles: 8.7
Start: Avery Campsite
End: East Flagstaff Rd.

We were up and out of camp at 7:30am, making the summit of Avery around 8am. A gorgeous morning with a brisk wind and wonderful light. We soaked up the views from Avery, and I couldn't help but think that times like this are why I like to hike. Gorgeous views. Good company. A nice brisk wind. Alpine flowers. What more could you ask for? From Avery we descended into Safford Notch, where the trail wandered alongside some very large erratics. Neat. The trail then took us up onto the ridgeline of Little Bigelow. There were some nice views from various outlooks and rock ledges, and we enjoyed lunch at the far end of the ridge, with views looking back at the whole Bigelow range. The day was heating up, and it was getting pretty warm as we descended to East Flagstaff Road. Luckily the descent was pretty quick and mellower than expected. We took a water break at Little Bigelow Lean-to and then boogied through the remaining mile. We hit the road at 1:30, and drove up to Round Barn to stick our feet in Flagstaff Lake and wash off a bit. The water was a bit too cold for me to do much more than that, but it felt good!

This was a great weekend of hiking. Beautiful terrain and much more manageable heat-wise than our trip around the GooseEyes. I've been wanting to hike the Bigelows since seeing them from the chairlift on Sugarloaf 8 or 9 years ago, and they did not disappoint!

10 on the 4th

I know it's supposed to be 4 on the 4th, but why not do more?

After a restless night, with Snowman arriving home around midnight and Ronnie the cat waking me up at 3:30, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30 and 7:30, we had a leisurely breakfast at Broadway Deli this morning. Strawberry and blueberry pancakes with one egg scrambled on the side ("I don't want to get into a semantic argument, I just want the protein") for me. Yum. Then we headed to Bradbury for a nice 10 mile run. The parking lot wasn't full, but there were a fair number of people out enjoying the nice day. The humidity seemed to have died down during the night (finally!), and it was quite pleasant out. Perfect for a run. We headed up the Northern Loop Trail to do one lap of the Bradbury Breaker course. As Snowman noted while we were running along, there are a fair number of ups and downs on this course and the second lap is likely going to be fairly brutal. Still, it was good to get one more round in on the course to get a feel for it. There were lots of walkers out on the trails, and we got a few good looks as we ran by. Yup, we were those "crazy runner types" :-)

After a quick stop to use the bathrooms and grab our extra fuel bottles when we finally looped back to the parking lot at 49 minutes, we headed across the street to do a lap on the Scuffle course. These trails tend to be lesser used, except by the mountain bikers who love the constant twists and turns of the single track. Over there, you get the feeling you're way out in the middle of nowhere as you weave through the woods. We ran into a foursome of bikers along the trail in the middle of the run but that was about it. I felt pretty good for most of the run, but was happy to reach the Snowmobile Trail and know we had only a mile or so back to the parking lot. To keep the run at 10 miles, we cut off the end of the Scuffle course and headed back in on the Link Trail.

This is a nice wide trail, and we were surprised to see the same foursome of bikers near the end of the trail along with one of the ranger's souped-up ATV/golf cart. One of the guys, who looked like a pretty competent biker, had tried to navigate over a rock on this flat stretch and went over the handlebars. His arm was in a make-shift splint. Poor guy. We helped one of the women walk his bike back to the parking lot, and she mentioned that he was probably trying not to do a shoulder roll as he had broken his collar bone in a road bike accident a few years ago. Man, I think I'll stick with running! I'd like to keep up my streak of no broken bones!

Total run time: 1:48:38. And now it's time to relax. Happy 4th of July everyone!

A few more miles...

Another mellow run this morning. Our regular 3-mile loop in the Commons is getting a bit overgrown, but there were no bugs, which was nice. I felt good, and am looking forward to a good 10-miler at Bradbury with Snowman tomorrow. An extra day off - hurray! :-)

Mellow Start to the Week

Got out the door yesterday for a quick 3-miler on the powerlines. It was super humid, and my legs were feeling a bit heavy from the race on Saturday. Still, it was nice to get out and loosen things up a bit.

I had contemplated doing a longer run this morning, but just didn't quite feel it when I got up, so decided to just take it easy and went across the street for 4 miles. For a change of pace, I went up and over the Mt. Ararat hill and down the back way into Highland Green. From there I went across onto the dirt road out toward the Cathance River Preserve trails, turned around and headed back home. I am definitely looking forward to getting out on the Preserve trails soon. Perhaps during one of my longer runs next week.

Flora and fauna report: The pink mountain laurel (or perhaps it is sheep laurel) are blooming along the powerlines. Very pretty. Also saw the mallard and towhee yesterday again, as well as many sparrows and robins. Not to mention the deer flies! The woods are definitely alive at this time of year.

From a Spectator's Point of View: Cranmore Mountain Hill Climb

Another foggy, low cloud start to the morning when I looked out the window this morning. But that was how yesterday had started, so maybe things would clear for the 9am start of the Cranmore Mountain Hill Climb, which Snowman was running. We headed down to North Conway and found the Cranmore lodge filled with runners. We ran into our friend Dan, who made a funny comment about all the serious, skinny mountain runners around. Yup, it was a serious looking crew, and Snowman was wondering where all the more casual runners were so he could have someone to beat... somehow the words "Hill Climb" and casual runner don't seem to jive.... :-)

As we were chatting and Snowman was stretching, the skies opened up. It was pouring like crazy. Puddles were forming fast and rain was streaming off the lodge roof. Runners were huddled in the entry way, under the Inov-8 tent, under the timing tent. With a few minutes to start, I sent Snowman off into the rain, and stayed in the lodge. I didn't have any rain gear, and besides, I would have a great view of the runners as they came through the end of the first lap from the lodge deck. Perfect. I could stay dry and still be able to do some good cheering. It was once again odd to be a spectator at a running event, when I'm used to participating in the events I attend. I could have signed up this morning, but after yesterday's run, I might have been out there for a solid three hours. The Hill climb course was two 5k laps, up, up, up the ski trails and down. Not very kind of the body. So I accepted my fate as support crew, and chatted with a few other spouses and parents in the lodge.

I watched as the group of runners wound their way up the ski slopes, moving forward in a long colorful string up the mountain, until they were finally hidden from view by the low clouds and the trees. 25 minutes or so later, the lead runners started to come through. Our friend Kevin was in the front with one other runner, looking great. Others began to pass by the lodge, and the rain was letting up. It was a fun spot, as we were all along the railing cheering everyone on. When Snowman came through, he yelled up, "This is nuts. No one should be doing this." I yelled back, "You're the one that signed up for it!" This exchange got a good chuckle from my fellow deck mates.

As the last runners came through on their first lap, the rain had finally stopped, so I made my way down onto the grass to watch the finish from the ground. Kevin came in second, and Dan had an awesome finish too, looking strong. Snowman came in at 1:16, looking tired but still putting forth a good kick when I informed him that he had someone right on his tail. I still can't believe he wanted to run this race, which looked brutal, but I'm proud of him for a great race, especially given that he just did Mt. Washington last weekend!

There's a Black Fly in My Eye 15k

Ronnie the cat woke me up before 6am, so I had no trouble getting over to Great Glen for the 10am start. The lodge was jumping when I walked in with lots of people signing up and getting their goodie bags. (Dad, if you're reading this, I got a large t-shirt so you could have it!) The weather on the drive over made me wonder if I should have brought my rain gear - very misty with lots of low clouds - but the skies began to clear and it really was a nice morning for the race. A bit humid, but with a good breeze and only a few bugs.

At 10am sharp, we were off... It was a pretty good-sized field, with lots of faces I didn't recognize. I hung back a bit at the start, not wanting to go out too fast on lap 1, which is definitely the easiest. The course goes down into the main field at Great Glen, which was in full bloom - purple lupine, indian paint brushes, daisies and a pretty deep pink flower which I didn't recognize - and then into the woods. The first loop is mostly on the wide level carriage roads. I came through the exchange area (there are teams of 2 and 3 people competing, as well as solo runners) in around 27:00, and then was onto the Aquaduct loop. This is my least favorite of the three loops, as it is the most rugged with lots of slippery rocks on the steep uphill. I admit to walking a bit, but was able to pick it back up as the trail mellowed out a bit before the big downhill. This lap was the slowest, with me coming in over 32:00. Yikes! Time to pick it up!

Somehow, on the final lap, I got into a pace where I was alone, and couldn't even see the runner ahead of me, or hear anyone behind me. How does this happen? Oh well, I just kept on chugging. Up Libby. Up Dugway. Weaving through Wilding, and then down Grumpy. Although this is a tough loop with a pretty good uphill on Dugway, it is probably my favorite. It's a nice mix of carriage roads and single track, and allows you to get into a good groove.

Not the mention the finish! In the final 100 yards, you have to cross the East Branch of the Peabody River, and then climb up a short, almost vertical grassy hill to hit the finish line. Where else do you get to do that in a race?! :-) I finished unofficially in 1:29:19, which is nowhere near my time last year, but oh well... Perhaps it is lack of speed work? Regardless, it was a great race and a good workout!

Thanks to Amy, Mary and all the staff at Great Glen for putting this race on. It's tough but fun, and it's already on my calendar for next summer :-)

UPDATE - Official Results

Photos used above courtesy of Great Glen Trails.

Easy 3

Went for an easy 3-mile run this morning in preparation for tomorrow's "There's a Black Fly in My Eye" 15k race up at Great Glen. It was a bit heavy out, but it is summer after all... I'm looking forward to tomorrow's race. It's always a fun, pretty laid-back, atmosphere and the course is a good one. Year #1 was run in 1:29; last year in 1:26. Think I can continue my string of bettering my course record this year?! :-) We'll just have to see...

In other news, Snowman has decided he is going to run the Cranmore Hill Climb on Sunday, so I will once again act as support crew as he does the 2-loop 10k course up and over Cranmore Mountain on the ski trails. Somehow he seems to have gotten this idea that he's a mountain goat! :-)

Cedar Waxwings and Deer Flies

Up early and out the door by 6:30am for a run along the powerlines from home. The air is cool (59 degrees) and most of the route is still in the shade. A heavy dew coats the grasses along the side of the powerlines and the birds are singing like crazy. Most of the deer flies seem to still be asleep, as I am only chased by a few along the way and those seem to disappear as the breeze kicks up a bit. Can't complain about that! A nice morning to be out running.

The flora and fauna highlight of the run this morning was the sighting of two cedar waxwings. Snowman had seen a pair at home yesterday morning while I was out running in the Commons, and I was feeling sad to have missed them. But I got good looks at two separate birds today, one near the Highland Green Road, and one farther down the lines. Beautiful birds. Also seen were one towhee, a mallard, lots of sparrows. Chickadees and phoebes heard calling along the way, but not seen.

Indiana Jones and Bambi

We don't go to the movies all that often, saving our theater visits for when there is something we really want to see on the big screen. I figured we had to see the new Indiana Jones movie, as we've watched the original trilogy millions of times. So, last night, Snowman made dinner (I know, breakfast and dinner! wow!) so we could get to the 6:45 showing. Let's just say we came out of the show disappointed. The movie was cheesy and predictable, and well, just not good. I think we need to watch the originals so we can redeem ourselves. This one was just not in the same class.

Even though the movie wasn't good, I still managed to have the Indiana Jones theme song in my head this morning as I headed out for a run in the Commons.

I always see lots of deer tracks in the Commons, but had yet to see a deer, until today. A young doe bounded across the trail into the woods. Neat. Otherwise, the run was good but again uneventful. Even though I started before 7am, it was humid. I guess summer has arrived!

Work, Work and More Work

After a fun day off Saturday on the rockpile, it was back to work for me yesterday. I got in a mellow 3 mile run in the Commons in the morning, which was nice but uneventful. This morning was a lazy one with no running, and Snowman was nice enough to make me a yummy mushroom, spinach and goat cheese omelette for breakfast! Unfortunately I'm working today too (Sunday and Monday are our "normal" days off), which isn't much fun... Oh well. I'll be off again this coming Saturday so I can head up to Great Glen for my 3rd running of the "There's a Black Fly in My Eye" 15k trail race. Should be fun!

Mt. Washington Road Race and the Alpine Garden

Normally I get nervous for races I'm running in. I was not running in the Mt. Washington Road Race, but I was very nervous. Perhaps not as much as Snowman, who called it "terror," but nervous. I wanted to make sure Snowman was OK. I knew I couldn't see him start. Would his calf be OK? Would he be able to make it? All these thoughts raced through my head. In my heart, I knew he could do it, but there was a lot of uncertainty...I dropped Snowman off at the starting area at the base of the road around 8am, and headed up the mountain. It was odd that I wouldn't be able to see the start and finish, but such is the life of a spectator at a point-to-point race. I was bummed to be leaving Snowman so early, but I wanted to have time to get up the road, do a bit of hiking and still be able to watch the race. Besides, leaving early meant I had more time to drive up, which is another thing I was nervous about. I am not super good with exposure, and there are definitely points on this road that are exposed! However, it was a beautiful day, and the drive up went well. I took my time, and enjoyed the views and the wildflowers along the roadside, including blue bead lilies, false lily of the valley, goldthread and bunchberries. The sky was clear until around 7 miles up the road, when the clouds we had seen sitting on the summit earlier began to engulf the car. Still, hard to ask for a better day. Not too hot. Not too cold. Not windy. Not rainy. A bit overcast and in the clouds, but otherwise perfect.

After parking, I set off into the mist down the Nelson Crag Trail to the junction with the Alpine Garden Trail. There was no one around, and I had the trails to myself. The Alpine Garden Trail is a beautiful trail, running relatively level for about 1 mile on a plateau below the summit. The flowers weren't superb, but I still enjoyed having the chance to see the diapensia, labrador tea and alpine azalea, along with the typical bluets and bunchberries. There were numerous springs and small streams as well, along with some great views as the clouds lifted. Once I junctioned with the Lion Head Trail, I had a bit of a stiff climb back up to the summit, where lots of people had gathered to cheer on the runners. It was a fun atmosphere, with a good announcer and music.

The winner finished in a little over an hour, and after that, a steady stream of runners ran, walked and gritted their way up the mountain. The last pitch before the finish is something like 20% grade! A mean final stretch... It was fun to see everyone really cheering the runners on here as they were almost done!


As the clock neared 1:30, I kept hoping to see Snowman coming around the bend.... being a spectator is brutal! But finally, at 1:42:40, he crossed the finish line, putting in an awesome effort and a great race! Congrats go to Kevin and Stephen too, along with all the other runners. Good job! I was hurting just watching :-) Also fun to meet Jamie, who was Stephen's driver.

We drove two other runners down, Nancy and Art, who have done the race several times. They were super nice, and the conversation helped me to not be too nervous about driving down the mountain! Snowman and I enjoyed the food served up by the race organizers, watched the awards and enjoyed a chat with Ian of Trail Monsters who was volunteering at the race along with doing a big hike/run up and down Mt. Washington as training for the VT 100 mile race next month. The day ended with us heading into town for a well-deserved beer at Moat!

Photos here.

Commons and Mt. Washington

Got in a nice 6 miles in the Commons this morning. Not much to report, but a nice morning to be out.

Tomorrow is a day off from running, and I head up to Great Glen to cheer on Snowman and Kevin and Stephen and all the other runners in the upcoming Mt. Washington Road Race. I think the best things about this race are that the race website says "Only One Hill," and as a runner you get one of those cool "The driver of this car ran Mt. Washington" bumper stickers. Of course, I am not crazy enough to want to run it myself... But I am looking forward to getting in a bit of hiking in the Alpine Garden and watching the finish!

Keep your fingers crossed that Snowman's calf is feeling better so he can run and run well!