Some photos from Isle Royale

Pictoral essay:


Leaving Hat Point Marina, Grand Portage, MN on the Voyageur II


Moskey Basin Junction - day after getting soaked (camping haircut in evidence - no hat hair for me!)


First sign of wolves! (click to embiggen)


Moskey Basin shelter.


Mt. Siskiwit, looking south over Isle Royale and out to Lake Superior; right before we put the camera away, donned our packs, and saw the first two wolves ;->


Pumping water at sunset from Lake Desor.


Moonset, ~6:00 am Lake Desor


"Happy hikers" - who can't remember how long we have been on the island


Overlook on Red Oak Ridge, Island Mine trail


Rock of Ages Lighthouse (click to embiggen), outside Washington Harbor, Isle Royale. On the way home.

Isle Royale 2008

I am back and surviving re-entry. Mind is clear, body is stronger, no serious aches and pains lingering.

This year my hiking partner and I planned a trip from Rock Harbor to Windigo. Now, the guidebooks say you can do this in 4-5 days, but why? We had planned out a much more leisurely route. Regular life is so fast paced, why bring it on vacation with you?

After finishing up packing at home - and wondering how everything was going to really fit into my pack once the food was added - running a couple of errands, getting my hair cut (no worries about hat hair for me), and voting in the primary we headed to Grand Marais to pick up the rest of the food for our trip. We had ordered 4 meals from Packlite Foods and were stopping by their storefront to get them. In the process we added on a 5th meal. Ran a few errands in Grand Marais and then headed further up the shore to the Outpost Motel.

The ferry to Isle Royale leaves Grand Portage at 8:00 am. You need to be there 45 minutes before hand to check in and load your gear. Grand Portage is about 40+ miles north of Grand Marais.... The hotel is a convenient stopping point and allows us to spread out and finalize our packing with the comforts of modern conveniences like lights. Also allowed me to find out the primary results ;->

We did fit all of the gear into - or on - our packs and could still lift them ;-> Ultralight http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif we are not, but compared to some packs we saw out there we did quite well for 9 days. I do have to say that this is as long of a trip as I could do with the set-up I currently have (Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki, 3900 cu in - internal lid removed for this trip ). I maxed out the pack and did attach a day pack and a stuff sack with my raingear/outerwear to the outside. Not the best set-up but I couldn't leave anything else behind. Pack weight at the end of the trip = 35 lbs. That said, I had less of the food and more of the "group gear" (4-person tent body, large bottles of stove fuel, stove, water filter, etc). Obviously need a smaller tent one of these days, but there are advantages to the Eureka Alpine Meadows tent that I have that make it worth it's weight:
- room for you and your gear when the weather turns cruddy or the foxes are being bad
- can drop the body and leave the fly standing for weather protection while packing up


Day 1: Grand Portage to Rock Harbor.
We boarded the Voyageur II ferry Wednesday 9/10 and headed out to the island. Two hours later, after a brief stop at Windigo to register our itinerary we hopped back on the ferry for the 5 hour trip to Rock Harbor on the other end of the island. I had managed to fit a knitting project into my pack and the ferry ride was a perfect opportunity to work on it (Ribbed hat in Jamieson's Shetland sportweight yarn, sz 2 needles)

Arrived in Rock Harbor and were greeted by a ranger who spotted a handknit hat tucked inside my fanny pack. This lead to a discussion of knitting and an invitation to come up to her house and see the sweater she was working on. She had designed the pattern which included moose, wolves, pine trees, twinflower and bunchberry motifs. Knit in scandinavian style. It was amazing! I kept trying to figure out how to get the charts from her ;->

Opted to hike to Three Mile Campground that afternoon. Despite copious hints from the ranger we took the Rock Harbor trail vs the Tobin Harbor trail. Yup, it was really rocky, rooty and hilly! Found a shelter to our liking and settled in. There was a beautiful moon that night peeking through the clouds.

Day 2: Three Mile to Daisy Farm.
Woke up to overcast and a prediction of storms. Could hear the wind and waves and see that the Lake looked rough. Chose to hike in rain gear as the skies looked pretty threatening. Today was another short day, only 4.4 miles, but in that time we got saturated! When it started raining it just came down hard and steady. By the time we made it to Daisy Farm our priorities in a shelter were that it, and at least part of the picnic table, were dry. We set up camp, hung the clothes lines, spread out the wet gear and settled down to wait out the rain. By evening it had stopped and on our last trip to pump water we stood on the dock in the fog watching a family of mergansers swimming around.

Day 3: Daisy Farm to Moskey Basin.
Woke to sunshine and rapidly warming temperatures. Our original plan was to hike to Lake Richey but we had heard that Moskey Basin was beautiful so that was the destination for today. Only 3.9 miles, but it was the perfect choice. Saw 4 or 5 garter snakes on the way. The shelters are located on the water and we chose one whose "front yard" was a sloping rock. Perfect place to spread out all of our wet gear and get really dried out. The temperature had to be in the low 70's at least and we just hung out in camp, exploring and soaking up the sunshine. Experienced an amazing moonrise and sunrise at that camp.

Day 4: Moskey Basin to W. Chickenbone.
It had gotten cold the night before, but I stayed nice and warm in my new sleeping bag. This was a longer hike - 6.3 miles - and took us across the width of the island which means lots of ups and downs. Still we got into camp early and got set up. This campground showed signs of lots of use. It sits at a middle point and is used by hikers and canoeist/kayakers. We had heard that there was a 'bad fox' here so pretty much everything went into the tent as soon as it was set up. On the hike saw tracks of moose and wolves and lots of wolf scat. In camp saw a lot of toads and picked up a couple of tiny leeches while pumping water. As the day progressed the skies clouded up and by the time we ate dinner it was drizzling. Rained hard through the night, ending early in the morning. Had a little water leak into the tent (note to self: remember to seam seal those corners when I get home). Hiking partner heard a male moose go by in the night.

Day 5: W. Chickenbone to Hatchet Lake.
Lots of climbing today. Up from the campground and then up to the Greenstone Ridge. It was overcast and windy! A gale had been predicted for today and it felt like it. We alternated between hiking along and stopping to take in the views which were incredible despite the weather. And we saw wolves!!!!!

I think there are about 24 wolves on Isle Royale right now, split amongst 4 packs. Last year we saw no signs of them. This year was different! We were just picking our packs up from a rest break when my partner saw a wolf. I just caught a glimpse of movement through the brush as it went by. About 5 minutes later as we were hiking down the trail I looked up to see a wolf coming towards me on the trail. It reacted exactly as the rangers want it to: saw me, turned around and took off. But not before we both got a nice look at it. Isle Royale wolves are not as large as their mainland counterparts - adaptation to island life. Sounds like the biggest one out there is about 85 lbs. That would match with what I observed. Having Porter around is useful for gauging size :->

So, having seen wolves in the wild do I think Porter looks like a wolf? Yes and no. He certainly has the markings, coloration and long legs. His head and body are 'blockier' though. The wolves we saw had a more pointed muzzle and lankier body.

This was the day we discovered how bad the blister on my partner's right heel was. Spent the time before dinner peeling off the blister pads that we had used the previous day, taking a lot of skin with them and then discussing how we were going to 'patch' her up for the next days long hike. We ended up just using gauze and tape overnight then applying a large bandage the next day and covering that with tape. The plan was to leave it in place for the rest of the trip unless there were problems. Over the past 6 months of 25k and marathon training I learned a lot about taping my feet for blister prevention/control. It came in handy on this trip. We are still working out why her foot blistered this year when she had no trouble last year. The combination of factors that are most likely: wet feet from the rain, changing foot size, and polypro liners.

Surprise of the trip: just ripening blueberries! We had been seeing some blueberries all along the way, mostly a bit past their prime but today we found a huge patch of them. It was only a few minutes after we left our lunch spot and I was still cold from that stop so we didn't settle in to pick a lot. I did manage to stoop down with my pack on and get a handful for each of us. We also transitioned from boreal forest to a more deciduous type forest during this hike.

Day 6: Hatchet Lake to S. Lake Desor.
There is a brutal climb out of the campsite at Hatchet Lake. Almost half a mile straight up a hill. It was also our longest day: 8.1 miles. But with a nice reward at the end - Lake Desor and a sand beach! This was the day that my right IT band started to act up on the down hills. Not good, but manageable with ibuprofen. Saw moose tracks on the beach, but unlike last year no moose. After dinner we took our hot chocolate down to the beach and watched the sunset. Incredible! Full moon(?). Heard a moose go by, grunting and thrashing, in the middle of the night. Sounded close, but not too close. Woke to an amazing moonset over the lake. Had two pileated woodpeckers playing around camp in the morning - pounding on trees and calling - and could hear a third off in the distance. Very entertaining. We theorized the two were this years offspring and mom was off in the woods a bit.

Day 7: S. Lake Desor to Island Mine.
This was a short day, only 5.5 miles with a more gradual climb out of Lake Desor. Got into camp early enough that I headed out for a 'day hike' to find the mine this campsite is named for. The Island Mine trail traverses the Red Oak Ridge - very steep ascent and descent. But the mine was a fun place to hang out for this rock hound. Found a broken tip from an iron tool (pry bar? drill?) and a few tiny pieces of native copper. Rock looked almost like a conglomerate - could see shapes within the rock. Other pieces had lots of vesicles filled with minerals. Views along this section of trail are nice. Most of the Greenstone trail at this point goes through stands of birch and maple with no views and little sunshine making its way through the canopy so it was nice to find a patch of sun to sit in.

One thing about this site - it is not located on a lake and you get your water from a tiny little stream. Made us wish we had a collapsible bucket for hauling water.

Spent a lot of today's hike looking at flowers plants - really their berries. Saw: rose twisted stalk; solomon's seal; false solomon's seal; red baneberry; white baneberry (both have berry color variations which is a whole 'nuther discussion) and rattlesnake plantain (an orchid sp) to name a few. Lots of mushrooms too.

When I got up in the middle of the night the sky was lit up by the moon and our campsite was mottled with patches of the deepest black and brightest white. No need for a flashlight to see, but impossible to tell what was in those black patches either. Tiptoed my way out, hoping not to trip over a moose on my way to the bathroom ;->


Day 8: Island Mine to Windigo.
As you come in to any of the campgrounds on Isle Royale one of the first things you see is a post with the campground map mounted on it. At Island Mine this post was very visible from our campsite (the whole site is under mature maples with little ground cover) and we could watch hikers stop, look at the map, look around and decide which campsite they wanted to head to first.

While we were eating breakfast I turned around towards the trail where the campground map was located. And there was a wolf just passing through! It stopped about where all the hikers do and looked around. My partner and I watched it, wondering if we dared make a move to get the camera as the wolf continued to amble down the trail. We spotted a radio collar on it's neck. As we considered if she could get the camera before it got too far away the wolf came abreast of a path that led into our campsite, stopped, and decided to head down that trail. Curious about our tent, it's open door and food? We didn't - and couldn't - wait to find out. One thing the rangers talk to all visitor's about is appropriate behavior of the wolves. They do not want them becoming comfortable around humans, so you are told to chase them off if they do not run off on their own. We had been watching this one, letting it be because it was continuing down the trail. With the turn towards camp came the need to scare it off. I got up and did so. And it ran off right away.

No pictures, but a wonderful chance to observe the wolf. When we got into Windigo that afternoon we had an opportunity to talk to Val, one of the rangers, and learn more about this particular wolf. A younger male, large for Isle Royale (about 85 lbs), they thought he may have been the alpha of a pack, but now think he is vying for that position. Is acting curious around humans despite the radio collar (which you would think would make him wary of humans after that experience).

The trail out of Island Mine involves a bit of uphill for the first half mile or so and then you begin the gradual and then steeper descent into Washington Creek and Windigo. While most of the hike went along quickly and easily, the descent involved a bit of maneuvering to protect my right knee. I ended up figuring out a way to avoid bending my knee on the steeper slopes and was able to end the hike in relative comfort, though dreaming of an ice pack or a dip in Lake Superior for that leg ;->

Unlike last year, the campground was almost empty and we had our pick of shelters. Found one to our liking, set-up camp and lounged. We lucked out and had a blueberry bush right in camp, so augmented our oatmeal the next morning. No mega fauna at this campground, though we heard rumors that the moose were hanging out. Did see the camp fox while out walking and stood around admiring it for awhile. Finished the ribbed hat that night. Managed to do all the decreasing and even finish the top all with only a 16 inch circular needle ;->

Day 9: Windigo to Grand Portage and on to Duluth.
It is hard to leave the island and return to the mainland. By the midpoint of the trip I could no longer remember what day we had arrived and did not know the date/day unless I checked my watch. When we met folks along the trail it was an effort to be able to tell them how long we had been out there, when we had arrived, etc. Most of my days were spent with an empty mind. Maybe noting what plants/wildlife/birds I was seeing, but often just clear of everything. Walking meditation. The great thing about my hiking partner is that she likes silence also. We often do not talk most of the day, an occasional conversation related to breaks, lunch, meals - but more often than not - silence. A perfect antidote to modern life.

Greeted at the mainland by a note on my car from a friend that was on the island earlier - made me laugh. Getting back into a car and driving is a bit weird after 9 days of moving at 1.5 miles/hour. Nice thing is there is very little traffic on the north shore. Eases the transition. No cell phone reception until you get close to Grand Marais, and pretty spotty after that, so another easing back into the modern world.

Wisely had the rest of the week off and spent yesterday puttering around, cleaning out my email, cleaning gear and doing laundry. Paid a visit to the chiropractor who worked on my IT band and I can now walk downhill pain free (good thing where I live, what with the 36 steps to the house). He thinks I can be back running very soon, which is better than I was thinking. I had resigned my self to no running for a while to let this heal. Did choose not to go out to Bangin' in the Brush today as it is a very hilly course. Have soccer tomorrow, will take this Wednesday off from the trail series and then see from there.

Pictures from the trip? I did not bring my camera, so am waiting to get some from my partner. Hope to have them soon and will post the best ones. Enjoy your weekend!

Isle Royale here we come!!!

Quick post as I really should be finishing up the packing!

Left to do:

- pack coffee and hot chocolate (vital, life sustaining fluids)
- pack clothes, repack clothes when I realize there is no room for food and other necessities in my pack
- put tent in car
- put boots in car
- put trekking poles in car
- put bag of food in car
- put stove, fuel bottles and water filter in car
- remember food for tomorrow morning's breakfast (plain yogurt, grapenuts)
- shop for last minute items (AAA batteries for headlamp; turkey jerky...)
- haircut (yeah, it is short already, but I am thinking a buzz would be nice for the trip - easier to wash if it ever warms up enough. Had very, very short hair for 6 months once - I loved it!)

Weather forecast is pretty good - may be warm out there this year. Looks like winds from the south/southwest tomorrow, gusting to 25 mph which could mean an interesting ferry ride! We leave Grand Portage at 8:00 am, heading for Washington Harbor and Windigo on the far western end of the island. Stop there for a talk from the ranger and registration then head out for Rock Harbor (far eastern end of the island). Due to arrive at Rock Harbor around 3:30 pm. There will be at least one stop on the way at McCargoe Cove to drop off campers.

Haven't decided yet if we will hike the first day or not, may depend on a couple of factors: what time we really get in to Rock Harbor; and how crowded that campsite is. At some point in the next 24 hours we need to decide a bit more about which of the 2.5 hiking options we are going to do. It only varies at the beginning of our trip (first three to four days). One option has us doing some very short days; Jon suggested I bring my running shoes along and go for a run if that is the case. Tempting, but for their weight! Though not a minimalist backpacker, 9 days is putting us at the max weight limit as is (what with that 4 person tent we bring). Too bad I can't run in something like Vibram's Five fingers ;->

Remember to vote in your local primary today, this is your chance to help determine who you get to vote for in November. Have a good couple of weeks!

NMTC Brown's Point Run

Race Report

Despite the IT band issues I lined up for the first race of the NMTC Fall Series. A lot of people turned out for this race - 80 to 90 I believe. I had brought along a high school runner I know to join in the fun. I reminded him of the race length - 5 miles - and that it was a very hilly course, but knowing he is much faster than I am told him to line up closer tot he front of the pack than I do.

As we waited to get started we chatted about the year the hornets were really bad on the course. I opted to bail out and run a "short course" that year, especially as we had seen people come flying back towards us batting at the insects. No thanks!

Headed out at what felt like an okay pace, but which rather too soon led to a bit of wheezing (something in the air? humidity?). Hung in there, counting the 'dips' along the way (each dip is bracketed by hills) in the hope that I would remember how many there were and could gauge my return trip by counting them down.

This course is run on one of the cross country ski trails in the Superior Municipal Forest. The trail was in great shape, mowed, and not too wet despite recent rains. It was a cool day (mid 60's) but humid and I figured hornets wouldn't be an issue. Hah!

By the time we were 4-5 dips in, and many of the lead runners had gone by, I was wondering where my young friend was. There had only been one side trail and I was pretty sure that he would remember to follow the pink ribbons, besides there were so many people out there that missing the proper trail would have been tough. We finally spied him walking back toward us. He had gone out way to fast, thinking it was a 5 K, charged all of the hills, and was wiped out. I shouted encouragement as I went by and then kept on going.

Made it to the turn around (at the top of a hill) and headed back, saying "hi" to folks along the way. Saw a friend who commented on her way by that "the bees are waiting for you". I thought she was making a joke. A few moments later I heard buzzing near my right ear and then... the sting! On the back of my right arm. Slapped the hornet away and tried to find a little extra speed to get away. Escaped with only one sting and no ill effects. Every time I get stung I wonder in the back of my mind if this time I will have an allergic reaction (okay - a little paranoid on my part, but I have more allergies now than when I was younger). Joked with Rick, the guy I was running with that if I started wheezing again to take off for the finish, find one of the 5 doctors that were at the race, and tell them to come back ready to insert a trach ;->

The rest of the race was pretty uneventful after that. Caught up with my friend (still walking), provided some encouragement and passed on by. I knew he would be okay in the long run, though he told me later that he "lost his lunch" out on the course. Led to a lively discussion on whether or not running at that effort is a good idea (he is planning on doing more of these). As with many of the NMTC races, this one finished uphill. By then I had slowed a bit (no negative splits for me) and was happy to finish with some spring in my step.

Got some water and headed back to cheer my friend in. He finished running, which was a great thing after a rocky middle of the race. I think he learned a lot about pacing that day. Oh yeah, counting the dips on the way back? I lost track (as usual). Too much conversation and other distractions ;-> I believe that there are 7 "dips" and 15 major hills on this course (maybe 18 counting the ones at the beginning/end and just before entering the ski trail). Good start to a cross-country season!

Next up:

Adult soccer league. Games start this Sunday.

Isle Royale for 9 days (leave Tuesday)

Bangin' in the Brush (race is two days after I get off Isle Royale - not sure about signing up for this due to the IT band issue, but maybe 9 days of backpacking will be the rest I need)

I will miss one soccer game and two NMTC runs while I am on vacation, but the trade-off is worth it.

Need to finish up trip preparations and make sure the bills are paid before I head out of town.

Found my book for the trip ( I have a very hard time sleeping without reading first - weight trade-off). Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Love her stuff! This one is over 500 pages so it should last me the whole trip.

What to do about trip knitting? I am leaving towards a project on circular needles again - less chance for disaster. Good way to while away the time on the ferry if nothing else.

OTN: a new hat (I haven't forgotten the mittens). "Turn a Square" by Jared Flood . haven't knit something in worsted weight in a long time. Depending on how the top shaping turns out I may want to adapt this to sport weight yarns (just a little math involved). Will try to post a picture before I head off on vacation.

Enjoy your weekend!

Knitting Update

Finished the Trekking socks



Not much yarn left over. Not sure if this skein would have been enough for a larger persons' foot. Jon wears a size 9 (I think). Materials: Trekking XXL color 108, lot 6728. 75% wool, 25% nylon. 100 grams = 420 m (459 yards).

Guess I can't avoid the bird mittens now ;-> What I need to figure out is how to combine the multiple charts into one so it is easier to just knit. Tape, larger magnetic board.... just not very portable. Suppose I could finish listening to that book I was in the middle of during my drive across Minnesota earlier this week.

On the other hand, it is nice out and there are so few days like this left. Much more appealing to be outdoors doing something. The wind is really picking up right now (S 17 G to 26 mph) so that affects choices of what to do. Sailed yesterday (anticipating these winds - these winds would make for a wild ride). Thought about running errands by bike, but biking into a headwind like this is not my favorite. Hiked earlier today (with Jon and Porter). Taking a day off from running as my right knee and thigh are feeling tight (dang ITB) plus it is in the low 80's here.

Off to Ashland tomorrow to watch Northland College Women's soccer.

Have a nice rest of the weekend!

Brief interlude at work and then...

it is off to Isle Royale for 9 days of 'bliss'.

Can you tell I am really looking forward to this trip?!? Last year was my first trip to the island. I spent 7 days out there, hiked around 30 odd miles, and fell in love. No phones, few humans, lots of moose all combined to outweigh the less than delightful weather we had on that trip (though I still hold that backpacking in 40 - 50 degree rainy weather is the best weight loss method I have come across ;->).

This year we are planning a bit more ambitious hike. From Rock Harbor to Windigo. Means spending most of one day on the Voyageur II ferry from Grand Portage, but will let us hike essentially the whole island. We will be in an area that sees more wolf activity. Last year I thought I heard wolves howling early one morning, hoping we hear them for sure this year.

We have planned a couple of options for our itinerary, one includes a "rest day" to coincide with a campsite near a sandy beach. that may change if the weather is cold and wet. Moving is better than sitting on a day like that. Very few campsites allow fires. Huddling around the camp stove is not the same, nor do I want to carry the extra fuel that would require.

Final preparations are in order. WE are not ultralight campers by any means, but do try to cut weight where possible. I will be packing the 4-person Eureka Alpine Meadows. Way too much if the weather is nice, but when a gale is howling off of the big lake it is nice to have the space. an added bonus is the ability to drop the tent body and leave the fly up - nice shelter on a rainy morning for packing up.


On the knitting front: didn't finish the bird mittens while out west, but did get this much (and a little more) done:


Driving through mountain passes and along interstates is - and isn't - good for knitting from a chart. Besides, there were interesting conversations to be had in those two days of driving.

Almost done with the trekking socks though. Noticed along the way that the Yarn Harlot was working on the same socks (actually socks using the same color). Just need to finish the toe decreases, kitchener those stitches together, weave in an end or two, and Jon has a new pair of socks. Then it is on to a pair for a gift. All very hush, hush right now. They may be the Isle Royale project, that is if I decide I want to mess with double points while hiking. If not, I am sure someone needs a new hat ;-> There are a few races that I could donate a hat to and some new patterns I wouldn't mind trying out.

Speaking of races....

Ran my first 5K yesterday of the fall season. Duluth-Superior Pride 5K Run, Walk and Roll. It was timed event, but only competitive if you wanted it to be. I have run in this race all 4 of it's years. The race organizers do a great job with this small event. Wonderful "goody bag", coffee, treats, lots of water. Gotta love the variety of folks that turn out. This year was a fast group! Competitive men's race, and pretty competitive women's. I ended up second woman overall, but struggled almost the whole time to maintain a under 9 minute mile pace. Lack of training shows. By the end I was wheezing so bad I think I drowned out the train passing by. Something about the Western Waterfront Trail always does me in. Toxic fumes off the bay???

Off to do a short hike along the SHT before the heat and humidity get too bad (and while the sourdough rests).

Road Trip Photos

I am back!

What fits in a Fit:


Hard to see the bike and rocket box on top. A goodly portion of our load on the way out was a 100-lb bass amp. Yes, we did make it through the mountain passes, but not very quickly. I did learn the value of shifting into D3 on the way back though.

Maud S Canyon - my first run:


This picture was taken the day after, when I went back to hike the trail I had run. We arrived in Butte on Thursday (Duluth to Billings, MT on day one, Billings to Butte on day two). Butte is at around 5400' elevation, quite a change for this flatlander from Minnesota. I decided to head out and run a trail in town as an antidote to two days of sitting in a car. The "kids" dropped me off at the trail head with the promise to come back in about an hour to pick me up (1 hour to run 5 miles seemed reasonable). It was kind of overcast, but no prediction of rain.....

I made it to the top of Maude S Canyon in about 35 minutes, with the skies getting darker and winds stronger the whole while. Made me think of what the folks at Leadville had gone through. Took a quick look around, then headed back down the trail the way I had come up. It is so much easier running down then up; though the switchbacks were tough in spots, no trees to grab on to and swing around on the way down. It started to rain as I was approaching the railroad track that bisects the hill, then it started to hail! Now I really felt close to the Leadville folks (minus 95 miles). Got to the bottom of the hill and no car, no kids. Took shelter from the wind and rain here:


Crouched behind this rock waiting for the kids to get back. There were two other cars in the lot - no one offered me shelter. Suppose I could have knocked and asked - and probably would have - if I 'd had to wait much longer.

My destination:



Off to the left are more hills and the (a) Continental Divide. Apparently, at some point in the future, this trail will connect with the Continental Divide trail (if it doesn't already).

View back down the canyon:



Despite growing up in Minnesota with it's dense greenery, I found this area beautiful. A bit barren, but I was fascinated by the plant life and the geology (Boulder Batholith, granite and who knows what else). Did get reassurance before heading out that there would be no rattlesnakes on this trail. Did see a snake though! Looked garter snake like, from what I saw of it.

I think going for a run the first day really helped me adjust to the altitude. Though I just about passed out in the first 5 minutes of the run. The trail did not look that steep, so off I went. I was walking pretty soon as the world started to look a little dark ;-> I ended up doing a mix of walking and running up the 1000 foot climb. But like I said, the run down was great! Took only 25 minutes, even with needing to slow way down to navigate the corners of the switchbacks.

On Saturday we headed to Toll Mountain (in the Highland Range) and a national forest campground. I sat in the back while Sarah drove up the very windy mountain road. Some of the highlights of that trip:


I loved the color of this lichen, so intense.

The view from atop a rock outcropping:


Got in another run on Sunday, despite the heat (mid - upper 90's). Waited until late in the evening and headed up to the "M" above the school to do a trail run. Erik and Sarah were on their mountain bikes. It was quite a few blocks of uphill running to reach the trail, then up the side of the hill to get to a trail that ran around the mountain. This was one of the first single-track rides for Sarah and it was a doozy. Tough stuff. She did well. I ended up running for about half an hour, mostly on trail with some roads as I headed back to campus. Got in at least 8 miles or so of trail running, plus another 5 or more miles of hiking all told. Think the 5 days of altitude training will show???

On the trip home I was by myself in an almost empty car. I planned on spending the night in Dickinson, ND, which is about the halfway point. It is about 30+ miles east of Medora, ND which is where the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located. Took some time to drive a loop road in the park as I really wanted to see the badlands. What I got a really close look at was bison:



On the way back out I came upon this scene:


All the park literature essentially says: "Do not piss off the bison. Do not startle the bison"

Wish I had a photo of the bison next to my car, but I can tell you, they are bigger than my car. I parked myself on the road and waited. I did not think it a wise idea to drive into the middle of a herd of bison.

These folks (with a little encouragement from a ranger) didn't seem to have any qualms:


After they drove through the bison gathered in the middle of the road. I don't know if you can see it, but there are two motorcyclists on the other side of that herd. They are responsible for finally clearing a path. Way braver than me!

Made it home this afternoon. I am off to bed soon, then a day off tomorrow to get caught up on a weeks' worth of stuff. Back to work Thursday, Friday and next week and then off to Isle Royale!

Oh yeah, there is a knitting store in Butte. Run by a great lady in her early 80's with ties to this area. Got some yarn for a secret project....

Road Trip!!!

Leaving for Butte, Montana in the morning.

Why Butte? Montana Tech. Daughter number two is heading off to college! Why yes, that means the wildknits household will be an empty nest!

"What will you do with all my time?" is one of the most frequently asked questions (followed by "will you cry"). Hmmmmm, after 20+ years of being a parent I think I can find a few things to do ;-> And, in general, I am not a cryer....

Not saying I won't miss the girls, I will. But I think I have enough interests to fill the gaps ;->

We are driving to Butte - two days there, three days in town, then two days back. I have packed only two knitting projectsfor the trip: the bird mittens (they are intended for this child so I NEED to finish them on the trip) and the trekking socks. There will be no time for knitting on the way back as I will be the only driver.

I am hoping to hook up with the Butte running club for their Saturday morning run. No luck contacting them by email through their website though. Love the name: Piss and Moan Running Club :->

The next four to five weeks are full of vacations. I will be back from Butte one and half weeks and then I head out for nine days on Isle Royale. Ah, quiet! The highest technology at our disposal will be our stove (MSR Whisperlite), sleeping bags (Montbell Stretch Burrow), backpacks (Granite Gear), and rain gear (Red Ledge). Cell phones do not work on the island (other than the one the rangers have at their headquarters).

So, goals for the next week: Stay healthy, safe travel, get the kid moved in and semi-settled at college, enjoy my first trip to Montana and it's mountains, and explore some new running trails during my travels.

IT band is doing much better - put the orthotics back in my motion control shoes. Porter is kindof doing better, but tomorrow will be a stressful day for him as we prepare to leave. I did speak with our Vet and have a 'script on hand in case he gets too anxious. Serious conditioning will have to wait until I am back.

The fall racing season is just around the corner and I need to get back into shape! First race will be the Duluth-Superior Pride Run 5K on August 30th. Then the NMTC Fall Series starts up on September 3rd with the Brown's Point Run in Superior.

Oh yeah, and I signed up for Fall Soccer, so Sunday's will be spent on the soccer field.

Will try to remember the camera and post some pics from the trip. See you in a week or so!

Not much...

going on around the wildknits household. Been taking a lot of time off from both running and biking due to the knee pain. Hoping rest, ice and ibuprofen would settle things down.

Promised a week off of biking and promptly rode my bike for three miles (hey, when your 17 yr old asks you to go for a ride, you do!). Did stay off the bike and out of my running shoes for most of the week, though got some walks in (mood stabilizer ;->).

Ran Saturday and Sunday at Piedmont with Gene. Nice and easy. No rolled ankles, moderate amount of hills, knee behaved itself till around 25 - 30 minutes. Did throw in a fast/hard bike ride Saturday afternoon when I checked my messages and heard that Porter had gotten loose! I was 4 miles from home and worried about where Porter was - and what he was doing to the house. The message was 2 hours old.... You would think that riding across town would be pretty flat and fast, I live near the top of the ridgeline and started out at about the same elevation on the east end of town. HAH! I like to say it is "uphill both ways". Others may call it rolling. Made it home in about 20 minutes to find Porter hiding out near the front porch. Looked pretty sheepish when he came out.

So, what was up with him? Separation anxiety. He doesn't have a terrible case of it, but when it flares....! His latest trick is to get into the neighbors' crawlspace through a window, slipping out of his collar in the process. Apparently he then went from door to doorof our house trying to get in. Our front door shows some evidence of his attempts. He has done worse in the past. The hard thing is that we work on the issue, it subsides, then it will flare again out of the blue.

Triggers: not enough exercise (isn't that true for many of us?!); hot summer days; and.... not entirely sure.

Solution: reconditioning Porter that being outside is where all good things happen - treats, kongs stuffed with goodies, mealtimes; ensuring that he has some shade; exercise; making sure he spends time outdoors in his house when we are around, not just when we are leaving. It is labor intensive. What doesn't work is getting mad at him.

I have also used Bach Rescue Remedy in the past, though not sure how successful it is - but that may be due to not dosing it right ;->

I am re-reading a book on separation anxiety, but welcome any tips.

Monday the 11th I got in a bike ride from work to the downtown library and then home (big uphill). Nothing Tuesday (work, then board meeting till late). Walk on Wednesday after the 7B legislative candidate forum (perfect 1.5 hours to knit on the socks). Ran on Thursday - 50 minutes- at Piedmont on the SHT. Boy am I out of shape. The hills felt much harder than they should have. Knee held up well. Wore new shoes, though I am thinking that it may be time to put the orthotics back in. My right leg was really overpronating and that may be what is at the root of the pain.

Today was a busy day: work till 1:30+. Met Larry and Dave to weedwhip my section of trail. Today instead of carrying the gas-powered string trimmer I carried gas, raked and lopped. Lots of work when your trail runs through a tansy meadow. The tansy was 5 feet tall in some spots and was leaning over the trail. 2.5 hours later we were done, sitting in the yard snacking on sugar snap peas, and looking over the Piedmont Mountain Bike trail map and discussing trail crossing issues with the SHT. There aren't too many and improved signage on both COGGS and SHT's parts should help clear things up.

Decided to move Porter's house away from the neighbors' and into a shadier part of the yard. Had him out during all of this and he was getting pretty anxious. After dinner took Porter and met some friends for a walk on the Lakewalk. Beautiful with the almost full moon rising over the Lake. Hoping the 4 mile walk will take the edge off and allow us to leave Porter for a few hours tomorrow while we go blueberry picking, otherwise not sure what the plan is. Hoping to get 20+ pounds of berries, that should see us through the winter ;->

Leaving next week for Butte. Never did get ahold of the running club out there (Piss and Moan Running Club), my emails kept bouncing back. Oh well, maybe I can track them down and get a trail run in while I am out there with folks who know the area.

Enjoy the weekend - weather looks perfect (at least up here)!

Voyageur sock

As promised:





Materials: Trekking XXL, 75% new wool, 25% nylon; Knit Picks 6" wooden double point needles, sz 2.25 mm (US 1)

Humidity is high today and the yarn feels pretty sticky on the needles, so progress is slow.

LOVE these needles. Normally I break wooden needles fairly easily. I have had these for quite some time (ordered this past winter) and have used them for numerous socks, mittens, hats with no problems. They aren't even bent! I am very impressed with their construction. Lamination seems to be the key. They are made in India, so I am hoping not in a way that will make me regret their purchase.

[From their website: "...Knit Picks has very high standards for the International manufacturers we
choose to work with. Executives from Knit Picks have visited each of our manufacturers’ factories personally to ensure that their facilities and labor practices are in linewith both Knit Picks’ and our customers’ expectations. Specifically, Knit Picks works only with manufacturers who:
Institute management practices that respect the rights of all employees
Provide a safe and healthy work place
Promote the health and well-being of all employees
Oppose the use of child labor
Have an active role in the positive development of their local community
We are so confident of these excellent conditions that we welcome any of our customers
to visit these sites personally if ever in the area. Please contact Customer
Service to get more information."]

Took so long to post this a thunderstorm made it to Duluth and I now have a perfect excuse to get the knitting back out rather than walking the dog.

A week off of running leads to....

a sore lower back and tight hamstrings ;->

Am I the only person who finds that running keeps my lower back in shape?

I decided to take some time off from running due to pain on the lateral aspect of my right knee. Reminded me too much of iliotibial band syndrome. Instead I biked. To work, home and beyond. By Wednesday my lower back was killing me and I was unable to touch my toes. Took me till Friday to figure out the cause: riding my bike and not running.

Today I ran. My back felt much better afterwards!! I was able to handle the almost 6 hours of driving to the Twin Cities and back for a wedding. Prior to this morning I wasn't able to sit in the car for very long at all.

Did roll my left ankle pretty badly this morning. Only 5 minutes into my run and a couple of miles from home. Felt okay after a minute or so, but did bring an ice pack along for the ride and am contemplating icing it again before bed.

The week of relative rest allowed me to do one of the things I feel pretty strongly about - donate blood. I believe this was my 35th pint with Memorial Blood Centers. Unlike others I know, I really do need at least 24 - 48 hours off after donating or I end up sick. I went in to the Center half-way expecting to be deferred as my hematocrit was borderline last time I was in. Figured after a marathon and other things it would be pretty low. Not so. 40% - highest I can remember in years. Must be doing something right with my diet ;->

What did my week look like?

Monday: bike to work and back = 4-5 miles round trip ( 1 mile downhill to work, 1 mile up to home, flat in between)
Tuesday: donated blood
Wednesday: biked to work, then to the East Hillside to pick up our CSA eggs and home = 10 miles
Thursday: biked to work via the bank and home = 5+ miles
Friday: biked to work = 2+ miles (didn't ride home as had errands and grocery shopping to do that required a car)
Saturday: RUN!!! 3 miles give or take. Had to cut it short to leave for the Cities.

One benefit of long car rides and teenage drivers is knitting time. I didn't pack the bird mittens (hard to keep my eye on the chart when on the freeway with a teen driver). Instead worked on the "voyageur socks". Had stalled out on the heel flap earlier this week, got through that, turned the heel, picked up stitches and am well on my way though the gusset. Still intrigued by this yarn, will try and post a picture soon.

Anyone have suggestions for running trails in Butte, Montana? I will be out there for a few days in a couple of weeks and want to do some exploring. Why Butte? Dropping a kid off at college. By the end of this month we will be "empty nesters"! What will I do with all my free time?

Sailing

But first - what aid station crews do while waiting for runners:



Taken after the Voyageur Ultra runners went through the Jay Cooke aid station in the morning and a few hours before they would be coming back through on their way to Carlton.

Not seen in this picture is the sock that I started yesterday. I made a mad dash to Yarn Harbor on Friday to get some sock yarn as the only knitting I had on hand were the bird mittens. Charted knitting is way too complicated for carrying along to a race (why yes, this does mean that both the bobble-cable hat and the baby surprise are done). Yarn: Trekking XXL. Color 108. Apparently I was working on socks last year too, as Eunice, the head ranger remembered that about me ;-> Got the sock cast on and a few inches knit during my time there. The best way to ensure a runner would come along in the afternoon was to sit down and pick up my knitting.

I managed to get a run in while hanging out. Only 45 minutes, but gave me a sense of how warm it already was at 9:00 am. Porter joined me around 11:00 am and was there to greet runners and their crew for the rest of the day. He is learning that hanging out at races is a good thing. Lots of attention and food. He especially liked the watermelon rinds.

What (some) aid station workers do the day after a race. Check out the horizon line...



We were heeled over at about 25 - 30 degrees. Going around 5 - 6 knots at the time. A few miles out on Lake Superior. Apparently this is nothing, and the real fun starts when the rail is in the water! (if you look closely at the picture you can see that there is cell coverage out on the Lake - teenagers!)

Some of the scenery:



You may - or may not - be able to make out the name of the ship if you click on the picture. If not, it is the Paul Tregurtha. A Laker (meaning it is too large to leave the Great Lakes - can't fit through the St. Lawrence Seaway canals. Different then a Saltie, which is an ocean-going vessel. If you live in Duluth, you learn the difference early in life ;-> ). The Tregurtha is a regular visitor to the Twin Ports. It was anchored pretty far out on the Lake. We were much closer to it then this picture shows. Close enough to see - and wave to - a person on the upper deck on the back of the boat. Looked like they had a passenger (wasn't dressed like crew). Shortly after we passed by the ship started up and headed into shore.

If you were in Canal Park or on Park Point today and got bridged around 1:30 and/or 4:30 pm.... Sorry, that was us. But, in all fairness we were not the only sailboat out there.

To all the Voyageur runners: GOOD JOB!! Impressive effort on a warm and humid day. It was great to see you all and to meet one of the people who's blog I read regularly.

Old Dog Run

The weather has been pretty cool in Duluth this week - until today. The highs have been in the low 60's with an east wind (off the Lake). Today it is 83 degrees and humid. July 26th is the Voyageur Ultra - 50 miles on trails from Carlton to Duluth and back. Essentially the marathon I did, twice (minus Jarrow's Beach). Today's temps are not conducive to running. Tomorrow they are predicting low 80's, clear skies and winds topping out at 15 mph. Repeat of today. Let's hope they are wrong and it is cooler.

Wednesday I wanted to get out for a run but I had Porter to contend with (seperation anxiety + 95lb dog = destruction if left alone too often). I have not run with him since sometime this winter when he seemed to be having troupble with arthritis. I thought our running days were over. Wednesday it was nice and cool so I thought I would head up to Piedmont and get out on the trails with Porter. No watch, no where to be - we would run at his pace.

The moment I got up over the hill the temperature jumped 5 - 10 degrees. Now it was in the 70's! Porter has never run well in the heat. Can you guess why?



He seemed pretty excited to be at the trail - tail was up and curled over his back - so I decided to head out and see how he would do. We plowed through the tall grass on the snowmobile trail (waist high on me, over Porter's back, all you could see was the tip of his tail) until we got to the big knob and the intersection with the SHT. Headed west on the SHT - lots of hills in this section - with the intention of running to Haines Road and then heading back, maybe exploring the newly built bike trails in the area.

Didn't quite work out that way. Porter was slowing down already and by the time we hit the ski trail overlook I was stopping frequently to wait for him and offer encouragement. It was warm enough that we stopped at every puddle and stream crossing and took breaks. Still by the time we got to the second ski trail crossing Porter looked at me, looked down the ski trail, looked at me.... we headed down the ski trail. Porter found his second wind at that point and I had to work hard for a while to keep up with him. By the end of the trail he was dragging, tongue hanging out, so I figured we were walking it in.

Then we passed another dog. Nothing like someone watching you to put a little spring in a tired runners' step. Porter managed to trot in from there. Pretty good for an old dog! I think we ended up running around 5K or so. No speed records were set. But Porter was not limping the next day and his energy level seems to be good.

It was good for me to be out there also - no watch, not time limits, just playing around. Can't remember the last time I did that on a run!

Good luck to all the folks running the Voyageur tomorrow. See you at the Jay Cooke Aid Station!

Silver Bay to Mt. Trudee

It was like a flashback to Jarrow's Beach and the Carlton Trail! ;->

Finished up with the group hike around 1:30 pm. No rain, no dire predictions for lightening, so changed into my running gear and headed out. I really wanted to get to Mt. Trudee as I have not been there in years, but figured I would not make a final decision til I got out on the trail and got a sense for how I felt.

As usual I had forgotten how rocky this section of trail is! Within the first mile the outside of my right knee started to hurt - especially on the downhills where my right leg was on the high side. Hmm. Wishing I had packed some ibuprofen. Continued on as the pain wasn't constant, though did attempt to avoid situations that aggravated it.

Lots to see on today's hike and the run. Passed through many areas with ripe blueberries. Snacked on some dewberries and juneberries also. Found a couple of pyrola species in bloom and lots of pale corydalis. The best find of the day though was the just emerging indian pipe/corpse plant (monotropa uniflora - love that name, so descriptive). Caught sight of it on my way back from Mt. Trudee. Ghostly white, flower tucked down, barely out of the soil.... who says you can't ID flowers on the run?!

I made it to Mt. Trudee, though I had begun to wonder when I would turn the final corner/run up the final hill. Stopped to gaze out over Tettagouche State Park and it's interior lakes, catching a glimpse of one of the cabins that you can rent. As I mentioned before, Mt. Trudee is made up of anorthosite ( a coarse-grained rock, typically light colored, composed entirely (or nearly so) of the mineral plagioclase feldspar. It formed deep beneath the Earth's surface by accumulation of plagioclase crystals from a gabbroic-composition magma - pg 64 Geology on Display by John C. Green). Gives it - and other knobs along the north shore - that characteristic white color. If you can find a 'fresh' piece of anorthosite (not weathered in other words), you may note its greenish hue. My solution to the lack of 'fresh' anorthosite today was to create some by breaking off a bit from a chunk on the ground. Anorthosite is very resistant to erosion - that's why the knobs remain after all the surrounding rock has been eroded away.

Other observations on my run:

- if you own an attack beagle and want to sit at an overlook and enjoy the view: DO NOT tie the thing out on a 12 foot line in the middle of the trail, sit there and watch it lunge at a passing runner, apologize about it, but do nothing to control your dog! (no flaming - I have a dog, I love dogs, just think that owners should be smarter than their dog and take responisbility for teaching them some manners, and/or controlling them). Luckily for me it did not bite - but it did follow me - with no intervention by its humans. I did take a moment to point out that they may want to move it off the trail.

- most of the people I encountered gave right of way to the runner. Kind of like boats on the water, least maneuverable has the right of way, though I think in this context - as with hiking in general - faster person gets right of way. What exactly is the etiquette on this? Notice I said "most". I passed one family twice, and one of the kids (12 yr old?) essentially froze in the middle of the trail. Interesting response. Other groups would split, half moving to the side of the trail, half continuing on forcing me to move to the side.

- if you are going to take a break while backpacking, DO NOT do so by sitting down in the middle of a bridge. I think trail etiquette is clear here - taking a break = move off the trail completely just in case someone comes along.

- the Superior Hiking Trail is very well-maintained. It was obvious that both the section I hiked with the group and the section I ran had been weed-whipped within the past week. Very few trees across the trail. A few of the steps in this section are showing their age and are disintergrating. This is why - if you use the SHT at all - you should be a member. Parts of the trail are in their 20's and will need rehabbing. Like everything else prices for lumber and building supplies are going up. The SHT is a member-supported organization.... Need I say more?

I had a blast today running, though was getting pretty tired on the way back and was very low on water too. It did start raining (right after Jon checked in to see if I was getting wet) but I got back to the car before it really let loose. The loose rock was a challenge and I found myself having to walk a few downhills as the footing was not good and I did not want to get hurt. May have pushed it a bit by doing 12+ miles on that terrain so soon after a marathon, but live and learn.

Glad my car has fold flat rear seats as I had a nice dry space for post-run stretching. I have learned the hard way never to attempt the drive back to Duluth without a good stretch.

For those running the Voyageur 50: tonights weather forecast is calling for increasing temps throughout the week and a high in the mid - 80's for Saturday. Let's hope its not true.

Week Off?

Legs have been feeling great this past week, but no running. Mondays are my usual day off anyway. Decided to ride to work. The only question in my mind was how the ride home (uphill x 1 mile) would go. Decided I wanted to get to the library downtown first, then talked Jon into dinner on the sailboat (and a sail) so got out of the uphill portion of my commute.

Tuesday I did not have to be to work until 11:30 am, though had scheduled a chiropractor appointment for 10:30. Perfect day to explore the "long route" to work. Rode up to Skyline (narrowly avoiding being hit by a garbage truck as I ground my way uphill) and headed west to Highland and Getchell. You may remember a mention about my downhill adventures on foot and bike on 40th Ave. W.? Highland is straighter and longer. I had cut the timing a bit close so had to pedal hard so that I would not be late to my appointment. Skyline has it's share of hills despite running across the hillside (one of the beaches of Glacial Lake Duluth).

By the time I hit Highland it was about 10:00 am. I knew the ride downhill would be fast and that I would come out within a half mile or so of my destination so did not have to rush at this point. I am guessing HIghland is about a mile long. It is bordered on one side by Keene Creek and on the other by the Oneota Cemetary. The creek side has a guardrail = not much shoulder. It is a lightly traveled road though and all cars encountered gave me plenty of space. What a blast to ride down!!! I think it took about 4 minutes from the top of the hill to my destination.

Again, that evening (I work until 8:30) I rode up the parkway to home. Wednesday was another day on the bike, with another ride up the hill. The great thing was I was able to pedal up in.... 2nd gear!!!! Yup - proof that I am getting stronger. Didn't feel any harder than the previous day's ride up in 1st either.

By Thursday I was ready for a day off and drove. Also drove Friday. I have been feeling very tired for the last couple of days - falling asleep before 9:00pm and dragging out of bed after 7:00 am.

Today I have a SHTA group hike to lead from Beaver Bay to Silver Bay. Only 4.7 miles so I am thinking I will throw my running stuff in the car and head out on the SHT towards Tettagouche after the group hike is over. Haven't decided yet what my turn around point will be. May not until I get out there. Forecast is for 20% chance of scattered thunderstorms and a lot of that section is on exposed ridges. They are also predicting strong winds off the Lake, so temps will be in the low 60's at best. I am kindof itching for a nice long run though. It is 10 miles to the trailhead in Tettagouche.... 20 miles may be a bit ambitious, especially on that section! But I am tempted to go for Mt. Trudee (at 6.3 miles) - an impressive anorthosite knob with spectacular views. I guess we shall see what the day brings. No pictures today as the camera is having it's own adventure with Jon in the Silver Bay area.

It has been quite a few years since I trotted out my naturalist spiel. I actually was not prepared to do so, thinking that just being the hike leader would be a nice change. Then I found out they don't "hire" a naturalist when the hike leader is one! Ah, but I am 'retired'. Oh well, for those who know me well, my pack is usually filled with field guides anyway. Maybe no one on this hike will remember me as one of the long-time SHT naturalists and I can go incognito as just a board member?

Enjoy the weather. Wild strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are ripe and/or ripening. Can the thimbleberries be far behind?

A few more photos

Photo by Ed and Linda Dallman

Peterson's Aid Station - about 8.5 more to go (though when I got to Forbay I thought I was told I had 8 more to go).






The Mug. Still having a hard time believing this. I can't wait to see the overall results for the race.

Legs feeling pretty good today. Got out on a 2-3 mile walk yesterday at a local ski trail and will be heading out at some point to get another walk in. Right knee is a little sore on the lateral side on stairs, but that is too be expected as it was none too happy with the canted bits of trail yesterday.

Did I mention the ticks? Didn't see any on me during the run, got home, showered the mud off, still no ticks. Then as I was drying between my toes I noticed there was a piece of dirt that just wouldn't wipe off. What the heck?! Tiny, tiny deer tick, attached between my toes! Determined little bugger, surprised it hadn't drowned in all the puddles, stream crossings and then the shower.

Half Voyageur Trail Marathon

Finished. 5:40 (by my watch). And the big surprise: 9th woman overall!!!!

I thought Gene was kidding when he said I finished in the top ten for women, then they handed me the mug with my place on it.

I still have a hard time believing it. First marathon ever, first Half Voyageur and in the top ten for my division (visualize me shaking my head).

The start was at 6:00 am and the weather was perfect. Chilly at the start due to the strong winds, but that is good on this course and in July. Left the parking lot at the Lake Superior Zoo and headed up hill towards Spirit Mountain. The grade is not too terrible and I was able to run it, then once we turned onto the DWP (abandoned railroad) it was easy going. The early morning light was beautiful over the St. Louis River Bay.

From the DWP onto Skyline for about 1 mile until Magney - Snively and the first aid station. Grabbed a cup of water (stopping long enough to dispose of it properly) and headed onto the ski trail. This trail gets a lot of use by horses and had the holes to show for it. Pretty dry for Magney though.

This year the course included Jarrow's Beach (the Full Voyageur is 50 miles, so they add on to the Half to get a full marathon distance). Yeah - beach, only in someone's nightmare! To start off I, and three guys, missed the turn into this section. I did notice the trampled grass, but didn't think much about it. Luckily the folks behind us, who caught the turn, included someone who knew me, otherwise we would have probably ignored the yelling and gone on our merry way. This section is almost entirely composed of lichen and moss covered stones. Large, small, medium; sharp; and mostly on their edge. Not runnable by us mere mortals. We got an inch of rain in Duluth last night so they were slick. I was not the only one who resorted to all fours to get through this section without breaking a leg.

Made it through that section and the rest of the additional loop was pretty easy going on an old railroad grade. Though there is a pretty sketchy bridge in that section. As I was nearing Skyline I caught sight of Jon and Porter. Porter is pretty entertaining when he greets his family - lots of "wooing" (does not howl, rarely barks); ears back, and the goofiest grin on his face. They joined me on the road until we got to the aid station at Beck's Road.

From there it was downhill towards Fond du Lac. Parts of this section are on abandoned bits of Skyline Parkway (road washed out years ago) and are pretty rutted and slanted. There are three creek crossings through here - shin deep, murky from the rain and runners, full of rocks... Did clean the mud out of my shoes though!

Fond du Lac is another aid station and the drop bag site. Stopped long enough to grab some Cliff Shot Blocks and headed back up the hill to Becks. It is about two miles of pretty steady uphill. All but the very beginning runnable. After reaching the Munger trail, seeing Jon and Porter again, it was off to the Powerlines.

This part of the course has changed a bit over the years and now starts off with a narrow winding trail before getting into the hilly section of trail. The rain swelled the rivers, but the clay wasn't too slick. Still, it is a challenge climbing these hills. Steep, steep, steep - only 300 feet or so, but did I mention steep? Another section where making it up requires using your hands. I ended up slipping early on and sliding down on my right side - marking me for the rest of the race ;->

There is a nice section in the middle of the hills that is pretty flat and fun to run, then two more steep hills and you are out on Hwy 210. Aid station here, then up onto the Grand Portage trail. Knowing this was essentially an uphill section I was prepared for a lot of walking, but the first part is pretty runnable and even downhill at times. The Grand Portage trail joins up with the Oak trail and after more uphill running takes a right turn(edit: apparently my mind was a bit addles yesterday - it is a left turn into Peterson's Aid station) to head back down and towards the Gill Creek trail. Peterson's aid station is in here, run by Ed and Linda. I have done a lot of running with Ed and he was one of the key people to convince me I could do this race. It was great to see them, stop, chat, and let my heart rate come down a bit.

I love single track trail and the Gill Creek trail gives you lots of it - narrow, twisty, lots of ups and downs. Connects up with the Triangle trail, which then connects to the Greely trail. The toughest part of this section is the part of the Greely that is shared with the Munger trail. Paved and flat. Felt awful! I was happy to get back onto trails and headed down to Forbay. Jon had missed me at the Grand Portage aid station and I had told him to skip Peterson's so I was really hoping to see him at Forbay. There he was - with Porter (who was being spoiled by some girls) holding out a bag of pretzels. Nice! Grabbed a few, drank a cup of water and headed out.



By now I knew a five hour finish was out of the question and was thinking six would be just fine. Seeing Jon and Porter, eating the pretzels, or the combination was just what I needed. I had hit that aid station with legs that were feeling pretty tired so a second wind was wonderful. I felt reenergized at that point and it lasted through the Jay Cooke Headquarters aid station and onto the Carlton Trail. Interesting to run across the swinging bridge along with families. Little kids are not the most reliable when you warn them with a "passing on your left" - they often just stretch their arms out to both sides ;->

The Carlton trail is very rooty and rocky and hilly. But also has blueberries - ripe even. What a gift! I grabbed two and kept on going. I was really feeling good at this point and took every opportunity to run. This trail ends on the Munger Trail and it is a quarter mile or so (less?) into the finish.

Did I mention the winds today? 15-20 mph gusting to 30. Out of the west. I turned onto the Munger and it was like hitting a wall. I felt like I had enough left to be able to run well into the finish, but the wind made it feel like I was hardly moving and it was a struggle to keep going. But I did. Finished. Jon and Porter were there to greet me (Porter even ran in with me a bit) as were some other friends who were in the area picking strawberries. They had just walked up minutes before I finished. Nice to see them and have so much support.



So - next year the route will not include Jarrow's Beach...

Less than two days from now....

is the Half Voyageur Trail Marathon.

My first marathon.

Ever.

I feel like I am pretty well trained for this. I am lucky in that I can run on the actual trails used in this race - demystifying things like the "powerlines". I am also fortunate in that the Superior Hiking Trail runs through town, feet behind my house, and if anything is tougher than the Voyageur course (at least some parts).

I am a bit nervous about the distance though. Similar to how I felt before my first 5k, 13 mile, or 25k race.

Now it is time to fine tune my plans for race day. How am I getting there? How am I getting home? What will I wear, how many Cliff Shot Blocks to carry, what about water vs other beverages? The weather forecast has been moving all over the place this week making it hard to decide what to plan for. I am putting it out to the universe/weather gods that cool weather with overcast skies would be appreciated - at least until after the race ;->

Typical pre-race jitters, right?

My goal for this race is to finish in 6 hours. A friend I saw yesterday predicted 5 - 5 1/2 hours. We shall see. Update sometime after Saturday July 12th.

See you out there?

Visits to the frog pond

The Bobble-cable hat is still a brim! Not due to lack of effort, mind you. I have picked-up and ripped out stitches countless times, even got so far as 6 rounds before I decided I could not live with the look of the hat.

What's the problem, you ask?

Gauge is part of it. The pattern originated as a baby hat (Interweave Knits, Summer 2004) which I adapted to adult size, twice, successfully. This time I am having trouble. In order to fit around the typical adult head (about 20 - 21 inches) I needed to knit 9 repeats of the cable pattern. 234 rows. My gauge is working out to be about 9 sts/inch. For an adult size hat that is around 180 - 189 stiches. (I am not great at math, but can manage the basics, so feel free to point out the error of my reasoning). If I pick up and knit in each edge stitch I get 118 sts (I slipped the first stitch). If I were to pick up one stitch in from the edge per pattern recommendation I would get 236 sts (setup row, bind off row are in there). See the problem?

I do not like the look when picking up and knitting one stitch in from the edge (did that on a past version), so tried picking up and knitting two stitches in each edge stitch. Ended up being a bit of a yarnover thing going on and, after 6 rounds, I realized I could not live with that look. Rip it, rip it, rip it.

Earlier I had just picked up sts, but wasn't sure that increasing would make a good fitting hat, so ripped that out too.

I think I am on my fourth or fifth do over. I am back to picking up and knitting 118 sts, will then increase the additional 58 sts (K2, M1 around) and see how that works. Wish me luck! Suggestions are welcome.

Have a happy fourth - may it be quiet after 11 pm (when most municipal fireworks shows end). I had to close up the windows last night as the neighborhood was setting off their own display most of the evening and I was getting up at 5:30 am.

The wildknits family is heading for the sailboat this morning - will it be a cruise in the bay or out on the big lake? The winds will determine that. Then a big meal (Jon should start a blog with all his recipes - he goes all out) and maybe hiking up the hill to watch the fireworks from the Enger Driving Range. The hill blocks some of the show, but we can also watch the Superior and Proctor displays from there and no driving is required.

Tomorrow I am heading out for the last long run before the race. The plan is to run the Powerlines section of the course. I haven't run this in years - last time was when the NMTC was still doing the Roughrider course in the Fall series. It will be good to experience it - on a warm day - before the race.

I have been doing a minimal amount of running the past week. Lots of biking and walking though. Today I got out for a hilly 5K on the Piedmont Ski Trail, but after tomorrow it is serious taper time, so doubt I will run very much, or bike much near the end of the week!

Good luck to those running Afton, the Duluth Duathalon, Tofte Trek and all other races this weekend!

Realities of biking in Duluth - or running

Hills are not an option!

I am trying to bike to work more often - and other places as well. I live about two miles from where I work, depending on which route you take. Silly to drive. Exactly how one would get the worst gas mileage possible out of their car!

One of the doctors at the clinic bikes most days - winter included. My inspiration. He has two small children, long hours, yet still manages - makes my excuses seem pretty lame. There are a few other diehard bike commuters in town, too.

Anyway, one of the "realities" of my commute is the hill. I live near the ridgeline. I work near the shoreline. There is about a 300 foot difference in elevation and it all occurs in less than a mile. Great when your commute involves heading down the hill, a bit of a trudge for the way back up. I have to admit that the ride home has been the issue for me. It is one I am attempting to conquer.

So far I have managed two consecutive days on my bike. This is following a 20+ long run on the SHT on Sunday. Talk about hills! Yesterday I rode to work, taking the short route (2.5 miles) through Lincoln Park. The parkway is a fun ride. Curves, woods, river. Nice way to start the day. Lincoln Park Drive is also my usual route home. I used to ride a different way, weaving my way up the hill and ending with a grind up two steep blocks before I hit the relative flatness of 10th St. I gave the Drive a try and found that it is much more rideable. It has several crests along that way that give you a break, but overall is one steady uphill. Thank goodness for really low gears!

I ride a Gary Fisher Marlin with some pretty aggressive, knobby tires. The guys at the local bike shop got a laugh out of trying to fit it with a rack. I believe it is an XS frame (14") and the geometry is a little different, so finding a rack that fit was a challenge. We ended up needing a new, longer seat post and attaching the rack to that (my old seat post was extended as far as it was safe to go already). It is a bit odd to see a mountain bike outfitted for commuting, but you ride what you have. I figure the knobby tires make for good resistance and provide me with the strength training I would never accomplish otherwise.

Today was very hot! Low to mid 70's by 9 or 10 am and predicted to hit the upper 80's. Would have been perfect heat training if I'd gone for a run. Instead I opted to stay at home, pay bills, take care of some phone calls and then head to work the long way. I headed out from the house on the usual route but instead of going downhill at Lincoln Park Drive I turned right and headed up - gaining 169 feet or so in the first mile (much of it all at once). Then it was on to the real fun for the day!

40th Ave W. It is one of only a few roads in Duluth that goes through the hills (think of a mountain pass). It is very curvy, has almost no shoulder to speak of, and is only two lanes. I have run it once - when the road was closed to traffic. Today I road down it! You lose 450 feet of elevation in less than a mile. I am not the bravest of souls so was on the brakes for most of the ride down, but still was going pretty fast. Not too many cars on the road due to the time of day (11:00 am) so safe in that respect. The scariest part was crossing the railroad tracks littered with spilled taconite pellets. Think smallish marbles. Had a pretty big grin on my face when I turned the corner onto 8th St and hit the flats. Took me a total of 20 minutes to get to work (4 miles) including a stop at Walgreens for snacks. I can hardly beat that in my car.

So, hill training.... ever present aspect of my life. Even when I am not running or biking I have the climb from the road to my house (100+ feet, 36 steps). I laughed years ago when an orthopedic doc told me to avoid steps and hills after diagnosing me with Illiotibial Band Syndrome.

Living on the hillside gives everyone in the family a base level of fitness flatlanders may never have. Plus the views are so worth it!

A bit of randomness:

We have a hop plant that grows on one side of our front porch. Hops are amazing! Each fall they die back to the ground and each spring they emerge and grow about a foot a day. Our hop plant would be past the front porch roof if we let it keep going up (the decking of our front porch is about 10-12 feet off the ground, the roof another 8 feet or so). It is the first week of July and the hops are up to the ceiling of the front porch and heading across to the other pillar. They are so thick that you can barely see through them and provide nice shade. We have harvested the hops in the past for brewing and medicinal uses (the flowers are supposed to be a good sleep aid). The vines are quite scratchy though and have been known to make some members of the family break out if they get scraped by them.

Yesterday a robin decided to build a nest on the pillar next to the front steps. This has happened once before. I end up feeling a bit guilty about using the front entrance as our presence tends to startle her off the nest - scary for all parties involved. On the other hand, if our presence was so disturbing you would think she wouldn't nest there. This robin is not quite as good an architect as our last one was. She is a bit messy in her technique and is leaving long trails of vegetation hanging over the edge.

Tomorrow I am taking time off to bring my eldest in to have four wisdom teeth pulled. Since I need to be there throughout the procedure I am planning on bringing my knitting and getting some progress made on that hat - or maybe it should be the bird mittens? Hmmm, decisions, decisions. I have a new pattern tempting me also. Someone posted a ribbed hat to KnitU and I am itching to give it a try. It takes a lot of discipline to finish what you have started and I am determined to get these two projects done before casting on anything new. Really I am!

Late night at wildknits

What do knitting, trailrunning, RN's do in their spare time?

Finish hat brims:



Finally! How long has it been since I cast on for this hat? I can't even remember. What?! Doesn't look like a hat to you? It will, in time. Now comes the easy, mindless part. I just need to pick up and knit 234 stitches, figure out what sort of gauge I am getting, figure out how many stitches to decrease away so that I come out with a hat that fits, then knit away mindlessly for 4 inches or so until it is time to decrease for the top. Ah, relaxing knitting with no charts to follow. Don't mind those mittens sitting in the bag on the floor....

If you look closely you will see my emac monitor and on it a photo of an owl. Yup, I took that photo. Off my front steps. Little guy (or gal) was sitting in the lilac in my front yard. Boreal or Saw-whet?? Can't remember now what the consensus was. At any rate, it hung around the yard for a couple of days and I have pictures of the marks it left on the snow when it had a chickadee snack courtesy of my birdfeeder.

Ran Tuesday morning before work on the Piedmont Ski Trails. It was already starting to warm up by 10:00 am, but I chalked it up to more heat training. Headed out knowing the city crew was there mowing and wondering if I would run into them on the trail. There is a big washout at one of the culverts - too big and deep for me to jump - and too big for the mower to get across, so the grass was a bit longer on the other side. I ended up catching up to, and passing, the mower guy on the expert loop (I had the downhill advantage at that point). Luckily he could hear me whistling at him over the machine and let me by. The cool thing was that he was wearing a NMTC tshirt from the Half Voyageur! Wondered if he would catch me on the uphills, but not to worry. I kept ahead, even though I took the long way, and eventually left him behind.

The run felt hard and slow to me, though I was happy with my ability to run all of the hills out there. The ones on the expert loop are steep (again, an area I will not ski). Didn't feel a huge need to push the pace, other than the need to get to work on time, so just ran. Ended up finishing the 5k (best estimate of distance) in 29:55. Not too slow after all.

No run Wednesday, but did get a three mile brisk walk in with Porter on the Lakewalk. It was in the 80's over the hill and 59 at the Lake. Nice day to go to the lake shore with a husky. I watched the sailboat race as we walked, took a break on the beach, and by the time we had made it back to the car the wind had switched and temps were up in the 70's. Got home and knit a few pattern repeats on the bobble-cable hat brim while sipping on a Summit Great Northern Porter. Summer in Duluth can be quite spectacular!

I was planning to run tonight and, due to the heat, thought the best place to run would be Park Point beyond Sky Harbor Airport (2+ miles of trails lead to the Superior entry). Post-run swims in Lake Superior are the best. Who needs an ice bath?!

Opted to ride my bike down there for a bit of cross-training. It is 7 miles from my house, but the first mile is all downhill so hardly counts on a bike ;-> Got to the airport to discover that Jon was closing up shop and didn't want to hang around while I ran. As he was my ride back up the hill, I decided to skip out on the run. Maybe tomorrow? Though I have a race on Saturday (Knife River Solstice Run, on of only three road/paved trail races I participate in) and a long run Sunday, so may bail on the run tomorrow.

While at the airport I got to see "my" new boat. Ahem - otherwise known as Jon's herring skiff. Picked it up last weekend, along with a bunch of nets, floats, a fish descaler and who knows what else from a retired fisherman up near Silver Bay. I hear it was quite an adventure. Know it involved three miles on Lake Superior in the skiff loaded with the fish scaler, powered by a motor that hadn't been used in a few years with a canoe paddle as back-up propulsion. It is the last big item needed for Jon to get his commercial fishing business going. He has his license (two year apprenticeship served) and can set nets anytime now. I think the herring run is pretty slow at this time of year, but fall is a busy time and they go out until the ice blocks the marina. In the past few years I have learned a bit about the herring fishery on Lake Superior - and about herring. They are NOT that nasty stuff that comes in a jar found in grocery stores. Fresh water herring is a different species. White, delicate, mild-flavored. Feed in the middle layers so don't pick up gunk from the lake bottom. Small enough not to bioaccumulate too many toxins, so safe for women and children to eat. And, the pickled herring made at home... well, even I like it! Not sure what the plan is for all that fish come fall. You may start seeing ads for fresh herring on the blog soon.