Training Log Archive: Swampfox

I thought yesterday was hot, but I was wrong! Today was hot! It was so hot it was 94F, which is pretty darned toasty for mid-February, even by Texas standards!

With it that warm out, and 100% sunny-ness in all possible directions, running as late as possible seemed wise, so I ran from the Chisos Mtn. lodge up one of the available trails. That was really good from the standpoint of a lowering sun king and lengthening shadows, but not so good from a standpoint of there being numerous signs posted about the availability of local mountain lions, and what to do if you saw one. I kept wondering what about the mountain lions you didn't see?

In the end, it was just a pleasant excursion most of the way up the Laguna Meadow trail and back down, with no big cat encounters.

After the super fast road runner 15 minute tour (not really) of Carlsbad Cavern, it was time for some running, so we headed over to the kind of (not really) nearby Yucca Canyon trail. We parked at the bottom right where the road crosses a cattle fence into the park, and I ran up a jeep trail towards what was supposed to be Yucca Canyon. I had originally thought it would be nice to do a 1ish hour+ run, but it was late enough in the afternoon that there wasn't really time for that. It was warm. After a few minutes of running, I decided that, no, it wasn't warm, it was more like hot, and that I was really glad to not to be able to have enough time to run for an hour+ (glass already half full.) At the end of the jeep trail there was a loop denoting that that was the real trail head point, and it turned out that the official Yucca Mountain trail was...not so much. It really looked like nobody had been on the trail in recent years, with grass growing in the miniscule trail ribbon and prickly desert plants reaching in from all sides. That seemed like a *great* place to turn around, so I did. Upper 80s? Whatever it was, it was quite warm in the sun, and especially in February, coming from winter.

The goal was for a longish run today, at least 2+ hours, and so I found a suitable canyon trail to saunter up. The canyon has a fascinating, if improbable name history. It was originally named the Buddy Holly and the Crickets Canyon, and everyone was happy with that for a while. Until some A&R guy found out about it and contacted the lawyers, who in turn contacted the canyon with a cease and desist order, threatening to sue the canyon for everything it was worth, or, as they put it so colloquially: "Until your hiking pants are coughing up cactus."

That was harsh and scary.

At first the canyon wanted to fight back. But the wiser madrones got together and convinced the rest that they should just change the name, and that's how the canyon got its present name of McKittrick Canyon.

Even in February, the canyon was beautiful, ever changing with each bend, and pleasantly scented with a fragrant light lemony sweetness.

It was all but deserted, except for several hikers and one fish in the creek,

I've been to McKittrick before, and all I can really say is: highly recommended.

C • canyon 1

Went up to ski at mid-day, and the conditions were an easy 10! Great snow, some refreshing winds, grooming was underway while I was up there so lots of completely fresh corduroy to zoom around on, noon sun is always fun, and everyone I saw was very happy. Perhaps because of the San Diego State game last night?

C • Skiing 3

C • Crazy 4

Very happy conditions at the trails; looped around Summit Loop until it felt like I got enough climbing in to call it a day.

Feels like a warm up may be coming on.

Arrived at Happy Jack only to discover that right prior to my arrival, a passing snow squall had arrived and had deposited 1 1/2" of ultra light fluff on the perfectly groomed trails. Most people would look at such fluff and abandon all hope, and head home to watch Ice Dancing.

But that is not the cowboy way. I joined a gathering crowd of cowboys and cowgirls and we clipped on skis and skied and skied and skied until the moon was high in the sky and all the fluff was gone. Discipline.