Dawn - Sometimes An Ultrarunner

Spring Skiing in Snowbird, Utah

2013-05-19T07:31:00.000-06:00

Skiing was a big reason for moving back to Utah. After all, the license plates here say that Utah has "The Greatest Snow on Earth".

I've made it up to the slopes at Snowbird a couple of times so far. Fresh powder and sunshine is a hard combo to beat.

So it's getting pretty late in the season, I guess. By May, most of the locals have moved on to summer sports and the slopes are almost empty. But we had a couple of late snowfalls and my nephew convinced me to go skiing with him one more time.

So we had a blast. It was warm out, amazingly so, and by the afternoon we had stripped down to our t-shirts and were blasting down the ski slopes with bare arms and heads. The snow was actually great, it wasn't so warm that it turned to mush, just a nice soft top coating. We made the most of it, enjoying the great views and the perfect weather. But now, perhaps it's time to move on to summer and warmth!

A Waterfall Find!

2013-05-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Our new, somewhat temporary lodgings in Utah are close to the mountains! Yay! Yet I didn't realize just how close they were, until we went out the other evening and discovered a waterfall on a short trail up a canyon just 1 mile from our house. That's right, we could set out our front door, and 20 minutes later, be sitting next to a crashing waterfall, with rocks to play on and shady trees. I think it will be a great place to escape in the summer when it gets hot.

In my home state of Iowa, this would be a park...here it is just a short trail in a network of cool places. The waterfall is probably only a quarter mile from the main road, yet there are places to sit and enjoy the crashing water, and another trail going who-knows-where higher up the mountain. When my nephew got bored, he started climbing the rocks, and we ended up (via trail mostly) high above the waterfall looking down on everyone else.

A great little place to discover. Let the exploring continue!

Introducing (drumroll, please)....Tatori Health and Wellness!

2013-05-02T21:45:00.000-06:00

Wow, I've never been able to talk about my job before. ~~Perhaps that is because I used to work in a super-secret government facility which I can never talk about.~~ Whoops...forget you ever heard that. Anyway. New life, new job, new career. That's me. I've been studying nutrition and physical fitness for years, using myself as an experiment of one as I've been racing and enjoying my off-time in the outdoors all around the world.

Now it's time to start sharing my knowledge to help others. I'll be doing that as part of Tatori Health Retreat, as both a nutritional consultant and a personal trainer. I invite you all to explore Tatori's blog at www.tatorihealth.blogspot.com

Tatori's website is at www.tatori.com

Tatori is a destination wellness center. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, depression and many other health problems are a direct result of our poor eating and exercise habits over many years. We believe that great nutrition, fun outdoor activities and improved mental strength can heal most of the health problems out there. Tatori is located at Solitude, Utah. When the snow melts, the mountains of Utah are a beautiful place to find health again!

The good news? You CAN get back to optimal health by improving your lifestyle. Here at Tatori, we would love to help you start that process.

So the adventure continues, and I am excited to finally be doing what I love as a job rather than a hobby. I'm sure that I will continue to post my outdoors adventures here as well as health advice and nutrition info on Tatori's blog. Please follow along with me as my journey in life continues!

AXS Moab Adventure Race, 13 April 2013

2013-04-17T14:46:00.003-06:00

My first adventure race after moving back to the USA was the AXS Moab Adventure Race, part of the Adventure Xstream Race Series.

Although I am busy trying to start up a new business (more on that soon), I knew that this race in Moab was a must-do. Any excuse to visit Moab, really!

The race started from Red Cliffs Lodge, about 17 miles up the Colorado river from town. Just the drive up up the river was really scenic, with the towering cliffs on each side. It was a chilly morning as the race started at 730, although the sun was shining in a blue sky and the weather seemed perfect.

Mountain biking was the first stage, although for the first 20 miles, a road bike would have been a lot easier! Castleton Towers came and went, along with a few other standing stones. Racers struggled with the uphill section, which although was on smooth pavement, kept going and going ~~and going~~. In fact we climbed about 5,000 feet, almost a vertical mile in elevation. The La Sal Mountains kept getting closer and closer, and by the time we were gasping for air at 8500 feet, there were snowdrifts still left on the side of the road.

Despite having not ridden my bike since January ~~a mere oversight in my race trainin~~g, I felt good as we slowly climbed up to snow line. However, my chain was squeaking a little immediately, reminding me that I hadn't lubed it since cleaning my bike and having it shipped here from England. ~~Another oversight~~. About halfway up the climb, the derailleur stopped functioning correctly and when I would stop pedaling, the chain would wrap itself up into the derailleur. You can imagine that was not a good thing in a race.... Thinking it just needed some lube, I racked my brain to think of what I could put on the chain. Spit? Water? Aha! The tube of Neosporin from my first aid kit is greasy, I'll try that!

I imagine I looked pretty silly putting ointment on my chain, and got noticed by a few teams as they passed me. Unfortunately, it didn't help at all, so at least on the uphills, which went on for 3 consecutive hours, I just resolved to keep pedaling constantly. And worried about how I would ride down a hill. Any hill.

Finally I reached the first checkpoint at the highest point in the race. There I begged a truck full of guys with bike racks to lend me some real chain lube, which also did nothing to help the chain. They were curious and had a look at my bike, but nothing seemed to help. After a few minutes I had to say, "thanks, but I'm in a race and I'll just have to deal with it."

The downhill started fast and furious, by this time on gravel, and my attempts to keep pedaling to keep my chain moving was close to impossible. When I stopped pedaling, the chain flapped furiously against my spokes and I figured it would be a miracle if I made it down without breaking something. What followed was a lovely descent that literally went on for 20 miles, with only one significant uphill. ~~Every race needs at least one hike-a-bike section, right?~~ None of it was singletrack, just nice ridable swooping gravel, going down and down into the canyons on the other side of the plateau we had climbed. My chain kept flapping, making it hard to start pedaling again on the small uphills and generally slowing my speed a little. The lost time would come back to haunt me later...but the chain never broke.

At the bottom end of the road we entered Onion Creek Canyon, where our first special stage of the day came in the form of a rappel. I had been hoping it would be really high, but knowing that we had to hike up to the top of it, was glad it wasn't too tall. Even so, we lowered ourselves off the top of a cliff that must have been higher than I had ever rappeled before. At the bottom, my belay device attempted to leave burns in sensitive places, it was so hot! I dunked it in the creek before running back to my bike.

The rest of Onion Creek was a nice descent, going across the creek at least 20 times but nothing that wasn't ridable and the views were awesome. Let me just say I love the scenery here, it's amazing! Transition was in Onion Campground on the river, where we had dropped our running and paddling gear the night before. I had a quick change of shoes and was off to the canyoneering section, a 6 mile loop up to the bottom of Fisher Towers and back. A small drainage just off the road led into a nice little slot canyon, nothing spectacular but easily runnable and scenic. I guess a few people got lost on this loop, but in my naiveté, I just followed the drainage I had seen on the map and it led me right out again. Luck? Hmmm. I put some time into another solo runner behind me through the canyon, and hoped it would be enough to stay ahead of her on the river.

Another quick transition and I was on the water. The wind had picked up, yet it seemed warm enough not to need wetsuit or paddle jacket. I tried not to think about how cold I would get if I would fall in, and resolved not to do such a silly thing. It was my first time in a rubber Ducky raft, and I wouldn't call the river fast moving, so I wasn't moving terribly fast at times. The wind was the biggest factor, almost pushing me to a standstill on certain sections, where I would have to paddle like crazy just to not go backward!

After an hour or so, I turned a bend and could see the finish line way ahead of me. And unfortunately behind me, I could see another female solo, steadily catching me up with a faster sea kayak. Honestly she passed me like I was standing still on the water, and dwindled to a speck in the distance soon after as I struggled with my Ducky. Oh, well. The worst of the wind blew up within feet of the finish, and while I could see the finish dock, I was still going backwards at times. Demoralizing. I finally managed to touch the dock, carry my boat up the ramp, and run to the finish line. Which ironically had blown down from the wind gusts.

Rob and his mom, which had graciously cheered me on at the start of the race, spend the day exploring Arches National Park. Amazingly enough, they were back in time to cheer me on at the finish, too!

My final time was 9 hours 20 minutes, which was enough to earn me 3rd place in Women's Solo category. Final results are HERE. I ended up 22nd out of 109 teams, so quite happy with that!

At the start!

At the finish!

Colorado River, race morning

Rob and his mom visit Arches NP while I am racing!

Corona Arch, Moab, Utah

2013-04-09T12:48:00.001-06:00

Our last day of Spring Break, and what a streak of great weather we had! Nary a drop of rain, and mostly wandering around in shorts and t-shirts all week. In fact I had packed for much colder weather, so I ended up weather the same shorts and t-shirts over again. ~~That's cool when you're camping, right?~~

Last on the menu for our discoveries was Corona Arch, which has achieved some notoriety lately because of people jumping off the top of the 165 ft. arch and than swinging on a static rope. Sort of like bungee jumping without a bungee. There was a group set up to do just that when we visited, so we got to see the jumpers up close and personal. I must say that it looked a bit sketchy to me...more appealing was the set of rappel ropes on the other side of the arch. What a rappel that would be!

Our climbing gear was in the RV, but we gingerly climbed up to the top of the arch anyway, helpfully using a hand rope that one of the groups had set up. I must admit my legs were a bit jelly-like sitting on the Arch. It was safe enough to be up there but it took a while to convince my mind of that fact. In fact I didn't really get there before we headed back down, which was just fine with me!

That's us on top of the arch...and a lot of open space all around!

The hike itself up to the Arch and back is quite doable for anyone. There is a large parking lot at a big bend in the Colorado river west of Moab. The trail is well graded and only about a mile and a half to get to the Arch. Now climbing on top of it...that's not for beginners, but the views from underneath and around it are wonderful. Best of all, on a hot day there is still guarenteed to be shade under the arch, although you may have to follow it around to stay cool!

Bowtie Arch near Corona Arch

Slickrock MTB Trail, Moab

2013-04-08T19:10:00.000-06:00

Ah, slickrock. Where have you been all my life? I almost couldn't have imagined that there is a place in the world where biking can be so much fun. The Slickrock Trail above the town of Moab is rather appropriately named. The whole trail is rock. Smooth, slick, red and white rock. Aside from a few sandy slots, the WHOLE TRAIL IS ROCK. Amazing.

Luckily we had brought a couple of bikes down to Moab on the RV, I guess someone in our group knew that we would need them :) The trail above town has a couple of loops, one of them a short practice loop where Aidan, Nick and I tried out our moves. The rock got steep at times but wasn't technically difficult at all. In short, it was a heck of a lot of fun. ~~I will just ignore and not mention all of the times when I had to get off my bike to push up the short, steep hills.~~

I got a kick out of the trail markings...they were literally little stripes of white paint on the rock. I guess in the absence of paths, vegetation, tire marks, or other ways to naturally make trails in normal terrain...little strips of paint work perfectly. It was like following a little racecourse around the rock. It sounded a bit like a racecourse, too...we were sharing the space with a couple of motorcycles ~~having as much trouble as we were~~, and it was jeep weekend. So on the jeep trails, beer drinking spring breakers were driving their 4 wheeled vehicles up rocks than normally no one would want to get near. I was happy to be on my human-powered bike instead.

It was warm, it was sunny, it was dry ~~wow, I can't imagine ever riding this in wet weather~~. After the practice trail we set off on the longer loop, and made it about halfway before we had a snack and turned for home. After all, there is great rock climbing in Moab too, and a lotta day left for exploring!

Running 30 minutes for 30 days: Epic fail or wild success?

2013-04-07T18:26:00.003-06:00

It's been a month since our plane landed in Salt Lake City, Utah. The very next morning after we flew in, I went out for a sleep deprived 30 minute run at 5000 feet elevation and felt a little gaspy. I determined to get more running in...after all, I hadn't done a marathon length run since last October. Quite a long gap for me. So I determined to run 30 minutes a day for 30 days. I figured that would be enough to jump-start my fitness, help me discover the new neighborhood, and provide a positive habit for my new life.

Bryce Canyon NP on our road trip. Running down in the spires...on the bucket list!

Did I succeed? Well....I made it at least 14 days of running in a row....sometimes I had to fit in a run at 10:30 at night! But it was great to run under the stars, through a little snow, under the shadow of the mountains dominating the landscape here.

After that, I got a little less dedicated. I absolutely forgot a day ~~whoops~~, and then we went on a spring break trip down to southern Utah, where it was hard to find the time to get a run in. To tell the truth, I didn't try that hard. We were hiking and biking and running and playing and exploring, all of which meant more than a run against a clock down a highway or something.

And, I was getting into other activities during this month too. Bikram Yoga, I really love the hot sauna aspect of it. The indoor climbing wall is just down the street, and my nephews and old friends became instant partners. The Utah snow is still fluffy and powdery so we got a couple days of skiing in. Paragliding is close too, and kiting around on the training hill is some great exercise. We brought bikes down to Moab and just had to get some pedal turns on the slick rock. And at times I ran longer than 30 minutes, on trails near the house.

To tell the truth, 30 minutes is a boring length for me here. It's hardly worth getting dressed and out the door, and at the 15 minute turn around point, I am just getting to the trailheads to run off-road. So I might as well run an hour. I think an hour every other day would be a better fit. Or perhaps I'll just do whatever sounds good for the day. Biking, gardening, climbing, yoga, hiking, paragliding, skiing. Too many fun things to do, too little time.

One thing is for sure...the 30 minute runs did jump-start my exercise plan here, and I feel like I am in really great shape. Part of it was just the reminder that I needed to get moving...like an alarm clock to get me out of bed in the morning, that daily decision to run pushed me to be active.

So....success!

Paragliding Point of the Mountain, Utah; will it get bulldozed tomorrow?

2013-04-06T22:14:00.003-06:00

I've just moved to Utah, and a big part of the allure of living here is the great weather and the quality of the paragliding locations around the area. Just a few miles down the road from me is the site I learned on, love, and love to come back to for easy soaring and kiting practice.

The Point of the Mountain, with both morning and evening paragliding soaring sites, is one of the best locations to learn in the world. But it's under threat from a mining company, which in the past few weeks has been bulldozing away at the very ridgeline that we are soaring on. It's not tomorrow's problem, it's today's. Read more about it here;

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/03/showdown-in-utah-bulldozers-vs-paragliders/274051/

Help us tell the world that we want to keep this beautiful natural landscape not just for the paragliders and hangliders, but for the future. The Point of the Mountain is a a icon in the Salt Lake Valley and deserves to survive beyond the need for a few loads of cheap gravel. Please help by signing this petition https://www.change.org/petitions/salt-lake-county-government-save-steep-mountain

Thanks, and hope to see you out on the mountain!

Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon, San Rafael Swell

2013-04-05T21:39:00.002-06:00

After leaving the Escalante area, where there were lots of slot canyons but hard to get to in an RV, we headed for Moab. But first we scoured our book on slot canyons to see if there was anything along the way which we could get to. Our requirements were pretty strict. Dryish canyon, not too far from a main road, not to long of a hike in or out, and fun. Fun wasn't a category in the book but almost any slot canyon fits that description so we assumed that it was a yes.

In the end, only one canyon fit our needs, the Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon near Goblin Valley State Park. The road to the canyon had been recently paved, making it even easier for us. It was a nice day hike, up a narrow slot which never had any water holes, got too narrow or too difficult. In other words, everyone and their dog could get up this canyon. And there were plenty of them (and their dogs!) on this spring break week, this definitely isn't a secluded place to hike.

But it was plenty scenic and a lovely day hike. To make the slot more interesting, Randy, the boys and I all decided to avoid stepping on the sandy ground at all by traversing using the canyon walls and using our own ingenuity. The ground, which became "poison peanut butter", swallowed up plenty of unsuspecting other hikers, who passed sometimes underneath us as we straddled the narrow walls and jumped from side to side to continue our quest. Aidan, Randy and I all eventually fell into the poison and turned back into normal hikers, but Nick ended up making it all the way to where his mom was patiently waiting for us and enjoying the sunshine!

Rob had gone up ahead with his camera, and I caught up with him in a particularly nice section of the slot which meandered from side to side like a drunken sailor. The whole slot was really pretty, in an easy, "anyone could hike this" sort of way. Great for families...and so many dogs....

There were other slots in the area, which I assume we will come back and see someday. In fact a longer day hike could include Bell Canyon in a round trip instead of an out-and-back. So much fantastic scenery, so little time. Wait...I do have time...I live here now!

Upper Calf Creek Falls, Escalante, Utah

2013-04-03T20:51:00.001-06:00

Any whirlwind tour of southern Utah needs to include the Escalante area for its slot canyons and multitudes of lovely areas. Unfortunately our RV didn't feel like driving very far down the bumpy gravel roads which bring you to the really cool places, so we compromised. Highway 12 going East out of the small town of Escalante is a rollarcoater of wonderful views, including a drive along the edge of a ridge with views off both sides of the road.

We parked in a small lot along the ridge and packed for a lazy day hike on Calf Creek. I say lazy because we really were...the hike is only about a mile and a half, and ends at a small waterfall surrounded by slickrock. Can you tell I just love the word slickrock? It just denotes sunshine and warmth, beautiful scenery and sandals. The Upper Calf Creek trail featured lots of rock colors and layers, including round black volcanic rocks which just seemed to have rained down sometime in the past in a small area. And of course the slickrock was red and white, with some random iron ore rocks hanging around on the surface, too.

At the falls, we turned lazy...hanging out and sunbathing, with the most intrepid of us braving the cold water for a quick jump into the pool. And a quicker jump back out again to warm up! Of course the hike back out to the car was uphill...but it was gradual and short enough that anyone could do it. Worth it for some time at the waterfalls! Another place to visit in the heat of summer for a refreshing swim.

Keyhole Slot Canyon, Zion NP, Utah

2013-04-02T22:23:00.000-06:00

Zion National Park. Famous for its slot canyons. Except it was really early in the season and we didn't have wetsuits or drysuits. So we decide to just go look in the top of one, which turns into something of an epic adventure in itself. Our first stop above the tunnel in upper Zion is at the wrong place...we are navigating off Randy's memories of a quick stop here 5 years ago and my memories of looking it up on google earth the night before. Memories in this case appeared to be faulty, but we amused ourselves by running around on the slickrock. I climbed up to a small peak, and then found that everything looked really steep coming back down...luckily my sandals gripped the smooth rock better than my mind thought they should. And I made it down again, albeit not without spending some adrenaline.

A balancing act while in a dry section of the slot canyon

Our next stop was just down the road, in the right spot to go see the bottom of Keyhole Slot Canyon, which looked rather deep and cold. We grabbed a rope and some gear and attempted to navigate to the topside of the small slot, where I wanted to learn how to rappel and ascend, hopefully while staying dry! Our route choice left us high and dry on the slickrock, until we climbed down a gully to get into the canyon. Of course, it wasn't supposed to be possible to climb into Keyhole, so we must not be where we thought we were. We turned downstream, figuring we were only a short distance from the road, and how hard could it be to get there? ~~Besides, we had a rope!~~ The unknown slot canyon started immediately, and it was a quick learning curve for Aidan and I, as we hadn't done much of this. The goal was to keep Aidan's shoes dry and to not drop the backpack into the water. Operation "Save Aidan" ensued. So did much hysterical laughter, some splashing, and many awkward maneuvers on everyone's part to wiggle over and around the waist-deep water holes.

In the end, Aidan did stay dry by riding on mom's shoulders, with Lara nobly standing in the water to get him across. We were all mostly wet by then, and at the last curve of the slot, I picked a chunk of ice out of the water. COLD.

Definitely not dry anymore, Aidan!

Another few steps and we were looking deep into the real rappel of Keyhole. Guess we had been in upper Keyhole slot canyon. The water at the bottom of the rappel looked deep and cold, and no amount of bribes could tempt Nick and I into doing the deed. Luckily we found the trail to go out that we should have come in on, and made a quick descent to the RV. Then we (wet enough not to care) walked back up the bottom of Keyhole to see how far we could go before swimming.

Aidan immediately fell in, negating all our efforts to keep his shoes dry, but by then no one cared. Nick did go for a swim, and emerged really cold and grateful for the hot chocolate and dry towels we had brewed up while waiting for him to exit the slot again. The journey definitely whet my appetite for more slots, and when the weather gets hot that cold water is actually going to feel good!

Randy waits for Nick to get back from his "swim"

Rob and sister Lara

Angel's Landing Trail, Zion National Park

2013-04-01T21:06:00.003-06:00

Zion National Park.

One of my favorite places in the world, and a big reason why moving to Utah just sounded like such a great idea. So on our whirlwind spring break tour, we had to stop in Zion. When Rob and I were here a couple of years ago, we hiked up the creek into the Narrows, and had a blast. Unfortunately the water was a little too cold this early in the season, but luckily there are many, many hiking options in Zion and the surrounding area.

Aidan and Nick eating lunch atop Angel's Landing

To keep our feet dry, we went up instead of down, way up. The Angel's Landing trail started at the Virgin River, and then climbed and climbed until we reached a saddle between two slickrock hills. From there the trail got decidedly steeper and more exposed. At times there were even chains along the trail to help the less confident to safely reach the overlook without freezing in fear. Rob and I had to look at each other and wonder how we had missed this hike on our prior visit, it was so amazing. It reminded us of the via ferratas we had done in the Alps with the exposure and cable. Not that it should deter anyone from doing this trail, it's worth it!

We ate lunch on slickrock in the warm sun, with 360 degree views of the amazing scenery that is the Zion Valley.

The descent was quick as by now we had all found more confidence in our footing and had gotten used to the exposure factor. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we extended the hike by including a walk over to the Emerald Pools, just down the river a little from our trailhead.

The pools weren't really emerald. At all. So not sure how they got their name. Granted, it was late afternoon and the sun wasn't hitting the water anymore...but it was still a nice end to the hike. Above the upper pool, Randy showed us where he had done a 500 foot rappel down from Heaps Canyon, a very technical slot canyon in the upper reaches of Zion. ~~I started getting ideas of what to do on future visits...although I need a little bit more training first!~~

We had taken the shuttle in from our campground as cars are controlled inside the park. I decided to run back instead, and had a lovely downhill jog along the canyon floor. Bonus, I even beat the rest of the family home, as their wait for a crowded shuttle took a little while. Score!

Randy slides through a small slot beside the trail

Lara and Aidan enjoying the sunshine!

Snow Canyon State Park, Utah

2013-03-31T21:56:00.001-06:00

Just up the road from St. George, Utah is a hidden little gem called Snow Canyon State Park.   I am assuming that I will find lots of hidden little places to explore in Utah, given that there are twisty little canyons everywhere. But Snow Canyon was our first stop after leaving our new home on a spring break journey with Rob's sister and her family. By moving to Utah we have inherited more than a sunny place to live, we have gotten the chance to spend some quality time with family...time sorely lacking in the last 10 years as we have lived and traveled abroad.   The 6 of us piled loads of gear into the motorhome and hoped we had enough for a few adventures. So the spring break journey started with a long drive in the RV down from Salt Lake City, and we were glad to get out for a walk in the warmth of the desert sun.

Snow Canyon assuredly didn't have any snow or hint of it, but was named for the startlingly white rock filling the top end of the canyon. The bottom layers were red sandstone, and hanging out on the surface was black lava rock. I suppose the original settlers had to flip a coin to choose the name.   "Red canyon...no, black canyon...ok, white".   Anyway.

There were plenty of trails to choose from in the park, and we went with the Lava Trail.   Various lava tubes emerged from the ground, and intrepid hikers could squeeze down in them and explore. Which we did, somewhat carefully since we had left our 6 different headlamps all in the vehicle, and didn't feel like running back for them.   Oops.   Mostly we were happy to feel warm sunshine, and out came the sandals, shorts and sunglasses. Let the sunbathing begin.   We had been skiing in negative temps just the day before near the house...what a change.

When the dark lava tubes lost our interest, we headed to the nearest sandstone dune. I think they were actually petrified dunes...all I really know is that they are a blast to run around on. Luckily our travels for the week brought us to a lot more of them.   Lovely. The kids and I ran around to the tops of a few sandstone peaks.   Let the photos speak for themselves here.

Behind the Scenes: Yorkshire Dales Open 5, 3 Mar 2013

2013-03-30T21:17:00.001-06:00

The March 2013 Haglofs Open 5 was in my backyard. More or less. Or at least it was my backyard before I decided to change careers and move to Utah to pursue a job in nutrition. So I am writing this from thousands of miles away now and wish all of my friends in England a rather tearful goodbye.

But back to the race, or should I say race planning. Knowing that this would be my last event in the UK (almost literally as I flew out the next day) I volunteered to help Tom Needham with the planning of the race. As it turned out, Tom had other things come up and didn't have much time to plan, so I was happy to step up and do a bit more. My last tour of the local moors, I guess you could say.

I started with the run course, and with a blank map started wandering around the countryside looking for cool things to attach controls to. My map soon became littered with notes, cool places to attach controls, cool things to see, and I discovered much more about my lovely backyard than I had imagined.

After the notes came a few meetings with Nicki, more recce time, more revising, and finally the maps. There were some bumps in the road. Who knew I wasn't supposed to attach controls to things that weren't actually a feature on the map? ~~But that tree is out the middle of nowhere all by itself, and it's really cool, can't we use it anyway?!~~ We got creative with a few locations, and I sacrificed my favorite tree because there was absolutely nothing near it we could use. (Racers, you got lucky as that saved a bit of up and down on the run!). Our first bike recce was a muddy, snowy mess...it took us 5 hours to get around half of the course and it was very slow going. ~~Mentally I was saying YES!...no one is going to clear my course!~~

When the time came to put out the controls, it hadn't rained for a few days and the going was marginally better. But the winds were howling and we had two long days of fighting our way out onto the moors while attempting to drive to as many as we could. When we split up to do some of the run, I put out a couple of controls, then finally arrived at my final location. Doh! I had left all of my cables back at the last control! #$%@ Huffing back to get my supplies took the energy out of me, and I left the lone control for the next morning instead.

Race day was perfect. The weather had been dry for 2 weeks, the trails were super fast, it wasn't sunny but at least it wasn't cold or windy either. I enjoyed the day spent in transition checking all of the racers in and out and watching the smiles on their faces. A minor hiccup was in the form of a stolen control, near an intersection. A replacement was put out but that couldn't account for time lost searching for it, sorry. The leaders didn't seem to care, as they were on the way to clearing the course with time to spare...in perfect weather that's bound to happen. All in all, everything seemed to go smoothly, even the setup and teardown of the new yellow Haglofs sign.

So thanks everyone for coming to race in my old backyard. I miss you all, and you are welcome to come visit me in my new backyard, anytime!

Sarah finds my favorite tree!

Adrian on the limestone pavement

The cow "pandas" make a reappearance

Helvylln Summit in the Snow!

2013-03-04T11:45:00.001-07:00

I would have bet money on my last visit to the Lake District being last weekend during the Adventure Racing Ball, but when another chance came up, I took it!    My friend Andy wanted to do a recce of Legs 1 & 2 of the Bob Graham Round, as his attempt at the route will take place in May this year.   I hadn't been doing a lot of long stuff lately so both legs sounded a little too far for me. So I dropped Andy off at the start of Leg 1, and then drove to the end of Leg 2 at Dunmail Raise and started back the opposite way.

Honestly, though, I wasn't terribly motivated to do a big hike, so I figured I would just go up to Helvylln and back, maybe across Striding Edge which I had never gotten to do. I went quite slowly and just enjoyed the sun peeking out of the clouds and the nice weather.    The waterfalls were flowing strongly down Raise Beck, and a little ice and snow stuck to the trails even down low.   As I climbed higher, the snow and ice accumulated and often covered the trails, although I never needed cramptons to safely stick to the trail.

That is, until I got to the top of Helvylln and looked over the Swirral Edge trail down to Red Tarn. At least, I tried to look over the steep trail, and couldn't find it over the cornice of snow at first. I took a few tottering steps on the sloping snow, and realized that I would have to be mad to attempt going down the slope without crampons and an ice ax. Sure, it was only 50 feet down to the clear rocks, but it would only take one step to slip down far enough to donate some bright red blood to the white snow.   Striding Edge was the same, quite steep and slick, so I gave up any attempt to make an extra circle and started heading back again.

Although it had been windy on the summit, a short descent got me in sunny shelter, and I must confess....I took a nap. Hard to believe I could be (just) warm enough in wintry conditions on March 1, but it was beautiful and I just enjoyed sitting still...I really don't do that very often.   I had my GoPro camera with me, so I could use the stopped time to take a few time lapse sets.

So a few more naps on a casual afternoon while I was waiting for Andy to catch me up so we could finish the route.   I gradually kept wandering back to the car, and never saw Andy. The sun started going down and finally I could see the small figure heading down to the car, yay! Needless to say, he hadn't had the time to take any naps, while fording rivers and clamboring over a lot of icy trails. Luckily, there should be snow during his attempt at the Round in May. Good luck, Andy!

Adventure Racing Ball, 23-24 Feb 2013

2013-02-28T09:09:00.002-07:00

For at least the second year in a row (I wasn't around before that to really know) the Adventure Racing social weekend event was held at the Thurston Outdoor Education Center in Coniston, Lake District. Sarah had convinced me again that we had to go, and even came back early from her holiday in Spain to head up there for the weekend! Now that's dedication.

Photo courtesy of Kate McKerrow

After what seemed like 9 continuous months of rain, we finally had a dry week leading up to the Ball. Which meant that the trails were just normal muddy rather than in raging floods.   Rather suprisingly, I kept my feet dry on the Saturday social bike ride, where Sarah and I found ourselves at the slow end of the slow group while enjoying the scenery.   Or at least that's what we used as our excuse when the rest of the group had to wait up for us!

Saturday evening was the traditional ceilidh (pronounced kaylee), it's a Gaelic social evening.   Between sets of the band Striding Edge, we had the yearly awards presentation, with the announcers keeping the crowd in stitches. I think the the dancers were happy to get a break and cool off a little, too.   Even though all attempts to start a fire in the cold barn had failed, so it was pretty chilly in the building!

On Sunday morning everyone was feeling the effects of a late night, and after a slow breakfast, small groups of people heading out for walks, runs, rides or whatever took their fancy for the day.   Sarah and I headed off with Pete to take a nice hike up to the top of Old Man of Coniston.   I guess the snowy peak appealed to us. It was a beautiful day. Really, it was. At least, until we hit the snow line and wondered if we would need crampons to get to the summit.   We even got a little off trail and found a cave with some pretty cool icicles...amazing how much they look like stalagtites just inside the cave.   The rest of the way wasn't too slippery or icy, so we made it to the summit ok, with good views of the hills around us and just the peaks covered in snow.   We did take a different descent route to avoid a particularily steep and slippery section.   It was nice to see snow again, although now I'll say, I'm officially ready for spring again!

Canary Islands Time Lapse and Video!

2013-02-17T11:40:00.003-07:00

Wow, Rob has outdone himself artistically this time with his latest effort. We brought a new camera and video camera on our journeys to Tenerife and La Palma last month to try them out. So we've got some great footage, not to mention time lapse gems, hidden in this video. We hope you love it!

Canary Islands from Dawn Westrum on Vimeo.

Hoya de la Sima, La Palma

2013-02-08T02:00:00.000-07:00

Our final few days in the La Palma were marked with high winds, episodes of rain (really), and a lot of clouds. Our first attempt at this hike had us turning around while still on the drive up to the parking lot, discouraged by thick fog, cool temps, and strong winds.

Luckily for us, a little luck had us instead find a tucked away little beach where the sun kept shining and the strong northerly winds were blocked. Instead of walking in blustery fog, we spent the afternoon catching a day of sunshine and swimming on the black beach of Puerto Tazacorte. It seems that regardless of the weather elsewhere on the island, this corner at the bottom of Taburiente Crater manages to be sunny most of the time.

As we were driving back to our hotel from the beach, we saw that the clouds had thinned a little bit on the ridge, but it was too late in the day to go for a hike. The next day, we planned a little better. Rainshowers still fell on us on the eastern side of the island, so we drove west to Puerto Tazacorte again for some midday sun. Then when the clouds thinned a little, we finally geared up for our last hike. It took a bit of mental fortitude to dress in several layers (after being in swimming clothes on the beach!). And getting out of the car in strong winds and dense fog was even harder. In fact, it looked like a blizzard of fog blowing across the road. But once we turned a corner on the trail and walked a little ways, we came out of the fog again and had a pleasant walk through thick pines along a mostly level fire road. We also crossed one of the most recent lava flows, from 1949. The lava trail seemed to be heading right for a small town, then inexplicably diverted around it.

The far point of our walk was our destination. A deep hole in the ground known as Hoya de la Sima. The bottom was invisible in the black, and surely there must be caves leading out from it as well. There is quite a system of caves on La Palma, volcanic and otherwise. But we left speculation and the hole behind, and enjoyed the walk back even more, getting a last day's sniff of pine scent and blue skies, with just a tad of warmth.

Distance: 6 miles, 2 hrs, and 500 feet of elevation gain (and loss).

Walk #14 from the Walking on La Palma Cicerone Guide

Bivouac in Taburiente Crater, La Palma

2013-02-07T02:09:00.000-07:00

Stashed in my luggage in hopes of night under the stars was a bivy bag, sleeping bag, and minimal sleeping mat. A hike on La Palma that had eluded me the prior visit was a journey into the heart of Taburiente Crater. It can be done an a day hike via the use of a taxi, but I wanted to spend a night in the bowels of the island, and perhaps explore extra trails deep in the crater.

Day trippers find the crater a fairly easy hike, since the taxi drives them up most of the elevation, and they are left with a long steady downhill and then a rocky river descent to the finish.   Why I decided to go the other way I'm not quite sure, but I do like to start and finish hikes under my own steam. No taxis for me. Rob dropped me off at the river bed and my pack felt much heavier than usual, loaded up with extra food and sleeping gear. I could tell I was tired, too...the 2 weeks of steady long day hikes and beach walks were much more than even I was used to.

But the river was an amazing place and the variety of rocks in the flowing river kept me searching for new colors. It was another sunny, clear day, and I was lucky to be walking in such a place.   The river, flowing from springs deep in the crater, often colored the rocks orange from iron-ores. In other places the trail brought me high above the water looking down into narrow gorges.

A detour was a must to go up to see the Cascada de Colores, where the river bed got more and more orange from sediment until it was fairly glowing. The cascada wasn't really much, though, just a man-made dam with orange and green stains from the water flow.

From the riverbed up to the campground, the trail climbed steeply but was well groomed and smooth...probably the best maintained trail on the island, and that's saying a lot.   I was sweating but it felt great in the dry air by the time I arrived at the campground. Which was a ghost town. I dropped of my permit in a slot in the locked visitor center, then toured the area for the best locations. I didn't see any sign of life aside from an empty tent.   The deeply shaded grounds were lined with tall pines, but I could hear another river gurgling nearby.   In short, it was paradise. I found a spot where the sun shone down on a bed of pine needles, and proceeded to spend several hours reading and sunning, with the river a calming background trickle.

Near sunset, I moved out into the wide riverbed to catch a timelapse of shadows on the crater rim, and cooked supper on a rock. My bed for the night was on layers of thick pine needles which someone had helpfully gathered. As darkness settled in and I with it, I suddenly wondered where my walking pole was, as it was not near my sleeping bag. I found my flashlight and went looking for it in all the places I had visited, but saw no sign of it. I suddenly wondered if someone had taken it...unlikely given that I hadn't seen a single person all day, but the trees were thick. Could there be a thief? I couldn't believe it, yet where was my stick? (The short answer was no....I found my pole the next morning exactly where I had left it, somehow evading the dim light of my flashlight search the night before!)

I struggled to get much sleep that night, for some reason, and found that the light of the moon in my eyes was keeping me awake. Yet it was an absolutely perfect night, warm, calm, at times foggy and yet clear, with no hint of chill. The moon and the stars waded through the trees above me, and there were no sounds aside from flowing water. Well, aside from a really annoying rooster. What's a rooster doing up in the crater, anyway?!

I had planned on doing an extra hike up to a large waterfall in the morning, but in the end, just didn't really feel like it when I woke up. So I cooked breakfast in the warm air, and then slowly hiked up and out of the crater along another nicely graded path. And I do mean slowly....I could tell that the endless days of hiking were catching up with my legs. Fog shrouded the crater rim and it was kind of a grey day. At the end of the hiking path was the road descent down to the river where Rob was waiting for me. I suddenly realized that walking down the 10 miles of road switchbacks would take me forever (it seemed), so I took a few hiking trail shortcuts instead. These were really steep, and made me want to get back on the road and flag down a taxi, I was feeling that tired. The road went off somewhere else for a while, though, and I was stuck on the trail.

It was on a graveled path where my tired legs lost their footing and I went down hard on the rocks. Luckily the rocks were of the normal variety and not the sharp volcanic stuff. After a few whimpers, I realized that I hadn't done much damage besides small scrapes and what would turn out to be a softball-sized bruise on my thigh.   I continued on hoping to hear the sounds of a vehicle...I really wanted a ride down now. Nothing. I continued on, more trail shortcuts, and soon the river started to look larger...I realized I was getting a lot closer to it than I expected. I determined to finish the descent on my own steam (good choice...no vehicles ever did pass me), and soon I could see Rob at the river coming back from his own hike up into the barranco. It wasn't the strong finish I was hoping for, but it was an absolutely beautiful night out and so peaceful that I will remember that, rather than my crash!
Distance: 13 miles, 8 hrs, and 3500 feet of elevation gain (and loss).

Walk #17 from the Walking on La Palma Cicerone Guide

Cascada de Colores...clearly not the best time of day for photos of this

March Open 5 secret location is revealed!

2013-02-05T23:58:00.000-07:00

The next Haglofs Open 5 Adventure Race will take place in the Yorkshire Dales. Specifically, it will start at the the Upper Wharfdale School in Threshfield, which is practically my backyard.   Ok, backyard for an American anyway, as it's 15 miles from my house!

But anyway, this will be my last race in the UK, and almost my last day in the UK.  I'm moving back to the United States to pursue a career in nutrition, and will wave a tearful goodbye to all the good friends I've made in the three years that we've lived in England.

So, it's my last race...but I'm not racing it. It would be hard to do that without my bike and my gear, which has already been packed up and shipped over to the States. :(   Next best thing?  I'm helping to plan it. Mostly I just want to be there on the day, and see everyone for a last time. So please come on out, we promise the scenery will delight you, the hills may taunt you, and the descents should be ace.

Pico de La Nieve & Taburiente Crater Rim, La Palma

2013-02-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

Another day and another chance to evade the clouds in the ring around La Palma! This day we were looking for clouds and trying to capture some good photos of the fog by staying high. We took the long, winding, switchback road up to the very rim of the crater at 8000 feet. At such a height, the wind always seems to have a bite to it, even when it's warm enough to sunbathe down on the beach.

At the road overlook, the clouds were dancing with the wind, the fog, and the rainbows, and it was suprisingly warm. We stopped to capture a few time lapse sequences (hundreds of photos taken over 15-60 minutes with a camera on a tripod, then made into a fast-motion movie). I'll be posting a collection of our time lapse creations from the Canary Islands soon.

To get some hiking in, we drove to a lower part of the rim road to start a short hike up to Pico de la Nieve. It was rather blustery in the open, but the side trail joined the GR131 rim trail on the southern side of the peak. I wasn't feeling too energetic, so I paused on some warm rocks for another time lapse secquence while Rob headed up to the true peak. He was soon back down complaining of the winds. We stayed for a while in the sheltered spot enjoying the views of the crater rim, and contemplating walking more of the rim trail. In the end, we didn't, and had a slow enjoyable walk through more pines (yay!) back to the car.

Distance: 4 miles, 2 hrs, and 1000 feet of elevation gain (and loss).

Walk #30 from the Walk! La Palma Walking Guide

Hiking the GR 131 Volcano Trail, La Palma

2013-02-04T00:29:00.000-07:00

Most of the Canary Islands are dry deserts. La Palma is the only one with multiple natural springs and lots of flowing water. Well, not lots, per se, but at least some. I think it's because of the springs, that fog has a tendency to form around the spine of the island each day. We could often see this ring of clouds on La Palma from Tenerife, even the sky was clear everywhere else.

So from day to day, you never really know what kind of weather you are going to get on La Palma. This makes it hard to plan, but we stayed flexible and tried to go where the clouds weren't.   Our second day on La Palma saw us driving over to the western side of the island in search of a place to hike. We saw that the clouds were staying really low, and immediately we thought of hiking the Volcano Route.

The high spine of La Palma is shaped like a question mark, and the GR 131 trail runs the length of the spine.   We have hiked several sections of the trail and had our eyes on another part of it, the southern end of the high route above Los Canarios.   We drove up as far as possible on a gravel track, then parked the car and continued on foot. It was a beautiful day, warm, clear, and calm.   The islands of Tenerife, El Hierro, and La Gomera were easily visible...not a normal occurance, I assure you.

Thick pine trees lined the path for a few miles. I love these huge Canary pines. I've never seen such blue skies as the ones see from through a canvas of green needles.   Luckily these pine forests are thick on La Palma and I got lots of chances to walk in them.   In fog, in wind, in sun, and in shadow, the pines offer shelter and a calming boon to the soul.

Eventually the pines thinned out and we started climbing up on of the more recent volcanos in the islands history....the most recent being the ones farther down at the southern tip.   Volcanic grit seeped into our shoes but the path was easy going even in steepness. Continuing a few more miles brought us to a nice view point, where we took some time lapse photos (more of these later) and paused for lunch.

On the way back down (can you hear me saying "onward, back to the pines, mate!") we detoured over Volcan Martin, where there was a proper crater, and a view of the big caldera rim to the north. The steep descent was on proper deep volcanic scree, which was fun to run down, although it filled my shoes with black sand. And I almost biffed it on a hidden rock, and with the nasty feel of the sharp volcanic rocks, I was happy to narrowly avoid a tumble.

The wind rose as we descended, and so did the clouds, but not too much. We got back to the car before it got either cold, foggy, or too windy. Lucky, too, as all our warm clothes were left in the car.    Not often that weather on La Palma allows for this...in our remaining days on the island, we never again saw the ridge so clear or warm.

Distance: 10 miles, 5 hrs, and 3000 feet of elevation gain (and loss).

Bottom half of Walk #8 from the Walk! La Palma Walking Guide

Cubo de Galga Hike, La Palma

2013-02-02T22:30:00.002-07:00

After a week on Tenerife, we took a short 20 min flight over to La Palma (where the stewardesses still managed to hand out cookies and drinks!), for another week of soaking in the sunshine. Although sunshine on La Palma is a somewhat more varied commodity.

This was our second journey to La Palma and there were many trails left to explore here as well. First up was the Cubo de Galga, a pleasant little hike up into a canyon and back down through local fields and orchards. Geographically, Galga is near the wonderful tunnels and waterfalls of Los Tilos, but this trail has no adrenaline pumping moments, just nice views of the valley and the farmed terraces.

The sun came out as we descended throug the fields near the end, warming us up and making the whole place look a little nicer (we were quickly used to constant sun in Tenerife, so the clouds and coolness were shocking). There were all sorts of flowers blooming in yards, fields, and orchards, and we spent another pleasant hour smelling the roses and feeling up the avocado trees.

Distance: 4 miles, 2 hrs, and 1300 feet of elevation gain (and loss).

Walk #26 from the Walk! La Palma Walking Guide

Avocado tree....yum!

Masca Gorge Hike, Tenerife

2013-01-31T15:41:00.004-07:00

Rushing. Trickling. Gurgling. Flowing. Bubbling. The sounds of water. Live-giving water. A rare sight on the southern side of Tenerife, where cactus barely are able to scratch a living out of the dusty volcanic soil. We never expected to encounter a flowing stream, but deep in the barrancos (canyons) of Tenerife, it seems anything is possible.

This would be our third visit to Tenerife, and we were determined to not repeat any of our previous hikes, since there were so many trails still waiting to be explored. The Barranco de Masca was one of those, suprising that we hadn't done it considering it was probably the most popular hike in the book. Of course, its popularity could be due to the fact that after the descent down to the ocean, it is possible to save the pain of hiking back up by taking a tourist boat ride along the cliffs of Los Gigantes! Plenty of tourists seemed to be taking this option, carrying only some water and a camera into the depths of the canyon, while I was loaded down with lots of food to help us hike back out again.

The tiny town of Masca sits deep in a valley of the Teno mountains, in the northwest corner of Tenerife. Narrow roads cling to the hillsides, and even getting to the start of the trail is an adventure. The hiking trail sinks quickly into a deep canyon and follows every twist and turn of the hills; dropping over boulders, around cliffs, over the stream, and through tunnels of reeds.

And the flowing water followed us all the way to the sea. We hadn't expected to find water, but it provided the means to give life to the canyon, filling it full of flowers, palms, cactus, and grasses. The trickling liquid was music to our ears, and we realized that Masca gorge is popular for more than just an easy ride out at the bottom. It is truly beautiful.

One last twist and the crashing waves were in front of us, the sound booming up the canyon long before we could see it. A snakey line of people were waiting to board one of the last boats of the day, but we were the lucky ones. We got to see the whole canyon again, empty of people, with the afternoon sun reaching long rays into the depths of the cliffs. And Rob even had a swim in a crystal clear swimming hole!

Distance: Roughly 12 miles, 6 hours, and 2000 feet of elevation gain (and loss).

This walk was #27 from the Tenerife Rother Walking Guide (2000)

Roque de Conde Hike, Tenerife

2013-01-30T11:31:00.003-07:00

Perched high above our hotel in San Eugenio is the enticingly close peak of Roque de Conde. Its flat, sloped, terraced top is visible from most places on the SW coast of Tenerife, and from the moment we arrived, I knew that I wanted to stand on the peak. I had already flown above it in my paraglider the previous year (and was somewhat regretting leaving my wing at home this time), but there is something about reaching a peak under muscle power that always sounds appealing to me.

One afternoon of our holiday, Rob was off in the car on his own adventure, so I suddenly felt motivated to climb up to the top of Conde. I threw the normal hiking gear in my backpack and was quickly off, knowing that I only had 5 hours of daylight left and not sure how long I would need to make it up there and back.

After a few streets to get out of town, I then found a long paved road leading between two banana plantations up to a water treatment plant. From there the trail got rougher, switchbacking through cactus and scrub brush with Conde dominating the sky above me. Far below, a half moon of beaches and boardwalks lined the edge of the island.

It was late afternoon in the warm sun, and each step I took sent small lizards scurrying away from sunning themselves on the hot rocks. I worried about snakes for a second as I crashed pasted cactus and grass...then reminded myself that there were no snakes on this island. Is that why I love Tenerife so much? Signs started appearing on the deserted trail for hunting dogs. I couldn't really decide what they meant, but wondered if such dogs were dangerous. Was this trail even open to the public? I wasn't sure. I followed a tiny water canal with some trickling water which appeared to disappear into a tunnel up ahead. Uh-oh. Flashlight? Check. Luckily the walking trail diverted over the ridge instead of through a dark tunnel. More dog signs. I picked up a rock and carried it as I climbed up, figuring I wouldn't go down easily if required to defend myself! (We later saw so many of these "dog" signs that they literally became meaningless...plus we never saw even one dog.)

But presently without this assurance, I carried the rock in my hand all the way until I reached the town of Arona. There the tourist trail up to Conde actually started. It was 4 pm by then, so I still wasn't sure if I would make it back to the hotel by dark (carrying a flashlight and a rock back through the "dog" section seemed a little nerve-racking). So I hurried up the trail as fast as I was able, and suprised myself by reaching the summit 35 minutes later (the book called for almost 2 hours!).

The summit was really nice, with terraced grasses and beautiful views. I took some time to enjoy the cooling breezes at the top now that I had some time in hand. And wondered what ever possessed some past farmer to make the treck up to the summit every day for years to build terraces? It's not like there is any water source up here, aside from infrequent rainfall.

It was a speedy descent back the way I came, running back the rocky "dog" path and finally back onto tarmac. I felt strong, and was running well, enjoying the quick trails and deepening colors of the late afternoon sunchine. The sun set just as I arrived back at the hotel!

Distance: Roughly 13 miles, 4 hrs 30 min, and 3000 feet of elevation gain (and loss) from the beach.

This walk started from a hotel in San Eugenio Alto and then included walk #36 from the Tenerife Rother Walking Guide (2000)