Training Log Archive: JanetTIn the 11 days ending Feb 27, 2023:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| « | » |
| » now | |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||
| Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | ||||||||
Monday Feb 27, 2023 #
Event: WCOC HVO Winter Series 2023
9 AM
Hiking 9:41 0.36 km (27:12 / km) +1m 26:45 / km
ahr:86 max:108 shoes: Keen RidgeFlex M7W 2021
Rio Grande overlook near Rio Grande Village. Upper 70s and sunny.
10 AM
Hiking 1:17:40 [1] 1.6 mi (48:32 / mi) +50m 44:15 / mi
ahr:89 max:144 shoes: Keen RidgeFlex M7W 2021
Into Boquillas Canyon from parking. The GPS signal bounced around the canyon and reported 4.1km and 649m of climb. We did have a couple of hairy scrambles to cross rocky spurs. Trail described as 1.4mi round trip. You do have to climb across a spur to start but then it's mostly flat except for the optional rocky spurs.
Low 80s and buggy for the first part (until we entered the canyon). Mexican hucksters (one on horseback on the US side of the river) had displays of handmade knickknacks along the trail; illegal to purchase per signs in RG Village.
Low 80s and buggy for the first part (until we entered the canyon). Mexican hucksters (one on horseback on the US side of the river) had displays of handmade knickknacks along the trail; illegal to purchase per signs in RG Village.
2 PM
Hiking 28:38 0.98 km (29:20 / km) +1m 29:08 / km
ahr:92 max:133 shoes: Keen RidgeFlex M7W 2021
Chihuahua Desert Nature Trail from Dugout Wells trailhead. Informational signs about some of the vegetation in the area, and explaining the windmill that remained from a settlement there (the rancher who dug out the wells) near the little oasis. Saw some birds in the shrubs as we drove in but they disappeared for our walk. Low 80s, sunny.
We did see, and I photographed, a white flower on a plant with lots of spines on everything but the flower blossom. I'm pretty sure it's a White Prickly Poppy.
We did see, and I photographed, a white flower on a plant with lots of spines on everything but the flower blossom. I'm pretty sure it's a White Prickly Poppy.
7 PM
Note
Dinners Saturday and Sunday were in the dining room at Chisos Lodge (overlooking the "Window," a V shaped cleft between two mountains looking west-ish). Sunsets can be spectacular. The only internet connection in the Basin was near this building, so it was a popular place. They had Coors, Blue Moon, and a very tasty Hazy IPA on tap (Tall City's Haze Y'All).
Monday we left BBNP via the east entrance. We looked for someplace to eat in Marathon, but didn't find much worth pursuing so drove an additional 52 miles to Fort Stockton where we're staying tonight. A search on Google mentioned a little place with 4.9 stars from 130 reviews, so we checked it out. Not much on the menu besides burgers and chicken, but the burgers we had were very good...worth the stop (V's Kitchen).
Monday we left BBNP via the east entrance. We looked for someplace to eat in Marathon, but didn't find much worth pursuing so drove an additional 52 miles to Fort Stockton where we're staying tonight. A search on Google mentioned a little place with 4.9 stars from 130 reviews, so we checked it out. Not much on the menu besides burgers and chicken, but the burgers we had were very good...worth the stop (V's Kitchen).
8 PM
Note
Fort Stockton also has a roadrunner statue, but it's made from standard statue material, not recycled items. Still cute. :-)
Sunday Feb 26, 2023 #
9 AM
Hiking 21:45 0.76 km (28:33 / km) +3m 28:05 / km
ahr:92 max:136 shoes: Keen RidgeFlex M7W 2021
From Chisos basin (~5400' above sea level, where we are staying in the lodge) in Big Basin National Park to the Window viewpoint and back, before heading out for other hikes. Pleasant temperatures already, though it was supposed to get into the 80s or near 90 in lower elevations today.
11 AM
Hiking 1:25:17 4.7 km (18:09 / km) +64m 16:59 / km
ahr:91 max:111 shoes: Keen RidgeFlex M7W 2021
Hiked around Lone Mountain, an igneous outcrop near Panther Junction in BBNP. In the upper 70s and partly to mostly sunny. We were first into the lot today, but there were 4 other cars when we left.
Saw animals on the ridge rhat we thought were mountain goats, but the ranger at the visitor center said they were Barbary sheep, escapees from some hunting ranch.
Big Bend bluebonnets and a cactus wren at the PJVC.
Saw animals on the ridge rhat we thought were mountain goats, but the ranger at the visitor center said they were Barbary sheep, escapees from some hunting ranch.
Big Bend bluebonnets and a cactus wren at the PJVC.
1 PM
Hiking 1:12:39 3.34 km (21:45 / km) +140m 17:59 / km
ahr:101 max:157 shoes: Keen RidgeFlex M7W 2021
Lost Mine Trail in the Chisos mountains to the saddle/overlook (I could see the top of Emory Peak) and back. Remembered my hiking pole, which I used on a few of the larger steps.
Views down Juniper Canyon, and to the Rio Grande beyond. Could see just the top of Emory Mtn through a gap between Casa Grande and Toll Mtn from where we turned around. Windy at the turnaround point, but not that much on the rest of the hike. Missed about 120m and a bit of time when I forgot to restart my watch (not knowing it had stopped).
Views down Juniper Canyon, and to the Rio Grande beyond. Could see just the top of Emory Mtn through a gap between Casa Grande and Toll Mtn from where we turned around. Windy at the turnaround point, but not that much on the rest of the hike. Missed about 120m and a bit of time when I forgot to restart my watch (not knowing it had stopped).
4 PM
Hiking 1:08:55 3.29 km (20:58 / km) +88m 18:30 / km
ahr:92 max:138 shoes: Keen RidgeFlex M7W 2021
Basin Loop trail back in Chisos Basin, from our room. Temps probably in low 80s but there was a nice breeze to keep us comfortable. More nice views.
Saturday Feb 25, 2023 #
2 PM
Hiking 1:50:11 [1] 2.0 mi (55:05 / mi) +35m 52:15 / mi
ahr:96 max:156 shoes: Keen RidgeFlex M7W 2021
Santa Elena Canyon hike in Big Bend. We needed to walk along the Terlingua River several hundred meters west from the canyon to cross where it was dry, then on a find-your-own-path scramble over a rocky spur to reach the trail up the canyon, which went up and down some slightly less steep spurs, with railings. Beautiful.
We did not jump up and down the canyon walls (as per GPS track) so distance and climb reported were bogus. (6.236 km, 25884m climb) The trail info sign says 1.6mi round trip and 80' climb, but that's crossing the Terlingua across from the canyon. We added maybe .3mi or so more an another 30' of climb.
We did not jump up and down the canyon walls (as per GPS track) so distance and climb reported were bogus. (6.236 km, 25884m climb) The trail info sign says 1.6mi round trip and 80' climb, but that's crossing the Terlingua across from the canyon. We added maybe .3mi or so more an another 30' of climb.
Hiking 32:45 [1] 2.09 km (15:41 / km) +10m 15:19 / km
ahr:100 max:123 shoes: Keen RidgeFlex M7W 2021
Lower Burro Mesa Pour-off trail. A bit canyon-y near the pour off, so GPS signal bounded a bit; I adjusted the climb. Saw a pyrrhuloxia near the trail.
Friday Feb 24, 2023 #
Note
(rest day)
Another day of driving, after packing up and leaving our AirBnB. More adventures to come! Nice day, and we enjoyed stopping at the rest area outside Las Cruces, NM to check out the recycled roadrunner statue.
Dinner was Five Guys burgers in El Paso.
Dinner was Five Guys burgers in El Paso.
Note
Roadrunner statue made from recycled materials (Click photo for more views)
Thursday Feb 23, 2023 #
10 AM
Orienteering race (Rogaine) 2:26:55 *** 8.37 km (17:33 / km) +146m 16:09 / km
ahr:116 max:174 spiked:7/8c shoes: 2022 VJ Falcon 6.5. GA
Rogaine on Cave Creek map (we were here last year too), designed/set by a scout troop from the NEOC area (that Anna Campbell is part of). I visited 8 controls for a total of 180 points (only had navigation probles with one of them). Upper 40s when we started, into the 50s by the time we left.
3 hour time limit, but I never intended to be out the entire three hours. I managed to go off the map looking for one of the high pointers (along with others) before bailing back out toward the road and relocating on some rock features to try again. This time I found it. No problems on the others; crossed barbed wire fences three times (plus two gates), and crossed raging streams from yesterday's rain storm three times (the last time up to my knees). Normally they'd be almost-dry stream crossings.
Control order (point value was 10x the second digit): 113-124-125-152-132-126-111-123-F
Started up the trail to the hilltop visible from the start (I'd skipped that last year), and when I got there, found Kathy Bannister (ROC) just finishing up talking to the crew that was here from NBC Nightly News(!) whose presence I knew about but not that they'd be up on the hill. I talked with Kathy later and it turns out she'll most likely be featured (who knows how long or short the bits will be, but woohoo!) because she had a microphone and they videotaped her climbing, with the cameraman walking backwards up the narrow rocky trail. Kudos to them! It'll be fun to see what they put together. Clinton thinks they'll have something to share within a week or so. All this is on their radar because of the study that Emma Waddington was involved in, published about a month ago, about activities like orienteering keeping people's brains healthy as they age.
Instead of eating downtown like some folks planned, Glen wanted to (re)visit Dragoon Brewery off Grant Ave on the west side of I-10, so we had beers there and ordered from a food truck selling tacos (what else?). Glen had carnita tacos, and I had quesadillas.
3 hour time limit, but I never intended to be out the entire three hours. I managed to go off the map looking for one of the high pointers (along with others) before bailing back out toward the road and relocating on some rock features to try again. This time I found it. No problems on the others; crossed barbed wire fences three times (plus two gates), and crossed raging streams from yesterday's rain storm three times (the last time up to my knees). Normally they'd be almost-dry stream crossings.
Control order (point value was 10x the second digit): 113-124-125-152-132-126-111-123-F
Started up the trail to the hilltop visible from the start (I'd skipped that last year), and when I got there, found Kathy Bannister (ROC) just finishing up talking to the crew that was here from NBC Nightly News(!) whose presence I knew about but not that they'd be up on the hill. I talked with Kathy later and it turns out she'll most likely be featured (who knows how long or short the bits will be, but woohoo!) because she had a microphone and they videotaped her climbing, with the cameraman walking backwards up the narrow rocky trail. Kudos to them! It'll be fun to see what they put together. Clinton thinks they'll have something to share within a week or so. All this is on their radar because of the study that Emma Waddington was involved in, published about a month ago, about activities like orienteering keeping people's brains healthy as they age.
Instead of eating downtown like some folks planned, Glen wanted to (re)visit Dragoon Brewery off Grant Ave on the west side of I-10, so we had beers there and ordered from a food truck selling tacos (what else?). Glen had carnita tacos, and I had quesadillas.
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023 #
6 PM
Note
Dinner at Ermano's on N 4th between 8th and 9th Sts. I had the turkey-brie sandwich and Glen had the Camarones Culiche (shrimp dish).
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023 #
9 AM
Orienteering 1:44:05 **** 7.08 km (14:42 / km) +24m 14:28 / km
ahr:111 max:157 spiked:8/10c shoes: 2022 VJ Falcon 6.5. GA
Training event on the Ironwood Picnic Area map west of Tucson. Rain showers expected after noon, so we wanted to get out as early as we could. Mid to upper 50s with some sun. Full course (13 controls) was listed at 5.9 km but I had planned to jump from #4 to #8 and cut off a loop on the western portion of the map (1:10000/5m) removing between 1.5 and 2km, supposedly.
Found 1 and 2 okay, and there were people around to help somewhat, but my pace count to 3 was obviously incorrect as I skipped over the wash I should have been looking in and spent way too long looking up and down the next one (along with several other people). Finally decided I was one wash too far when I kept seeing others going by at an angle as if to #4, and then found it.
After 4 I headed south to #8, and had no trouble with the next few, taking bearings and sighting saguaros to use as my "trees" to aim for.
I'd hit one cactus earlier that left some annoying short spines in my left knee but they aren't too bad. Then after punching #12 I accidentally got too close to a prickly pear and picked up 50 or more 1/4" thin spines which are the worst (except for their heavy duty long spines, but at least you can see those) in my right calf. My cactus comb was no use on these, but I got the comb out again a few minutes later as I also picked up a cholla ball--that was easy to remove with the comb.
I had to relocate on the trail looking for #13 but that was a smaller time loss than at 3. More training than I was counting on!
Glen was able to remove some of the spines in my calf when I got back to the car, and I got some more later when we returned to the house, but there are still some stuck in there. [I padded my sore toes from yesterday with Moleskin and they didn't bother me on the course.]
And the rain held off until we were leaving.
Found 1 and 2 okay, and there were people around to help somewhat, but my pace count to 3 was obviously incorrect as I skipped over the wash I should have been looking in and spent way too long looking up and down the next one (along with several other people). Finally decided I was one wash too far when I kept seeing others going by at an angle as if to #4, and then found it.
After 4 I headed south to #8, and had no trouble with the next few, taking bearings and sighting saguaros to use as my "trees" to aim for.
I'd hit one cactus earlier that left some annoying short spines in my left knee but they aren't too bad. Then after punching #12 I accidentally got too close to a prickly pear and picked up 50 or more 1/4" thin spines which are the worst (except for their heavy duty long spines, but at least you can see those) in my right calf. My cactus comb was no use on these, but I got the comb out again a few minutes later as I also picked up a cholla ball--that was easy to remove with the comb.
I had to relocate on the trail looking for #13 but that was a smaller time loss than at 3. More training than I was counting on!
Glen was able to remove some of the spines in my calf when I got back to the car, and I got some more later when we returned to the house, but there are still some stuck in there. [I padded my sore toes from yesterday with Moleskin and they didn't bother me on the course.]
And the rain held off until we were leaving.
7 PM
Note
Tomorrow's rogaine has been rescheduled to Thursday due to inclement (and very windy) weather, so we'll need to find something else to do.
Dinner tonight was at Culinary Dropout* at the (former) Grant Road Lumber building. Very good food, prepared to order. I had the roasted salmon with butternut squash farro risotto and Brussels sprouts; Glen had the ribs. Yum.
*on the recommendation of Craig Weber, who has a place in the Phoenix suburbs for half the year
Dinner tonight was at Culinary Dropout* at the (former) Grant Road Lumber building. Very good food, prepared to order. I had the roasted salmon with butternut squash farro risotto and Brussels sprouts; Glen had the ribs. Yum.
*on the recommendation of Craig Weber, who has a place in the Phoenix suburbs for half the year
Monday Feb 20, 2023 #
10 AM
Orienteering race 58:03 ***** 4.09 km (14:11 / km) +50m 13:22 / km
ahr:134 max:173 spiked:6/8c shoes: 2022 VJ Falcon 6.5. GA
Cholla Chaser on a new map (work in progress) near Colossal Cave south of Tucson, 1:10000/5m. Temps were a bit cooler than expected (mid 50s, about the same as yesterday) and it was overcast, but I had brought proper clothes.
This is a handicapped race with a mass start. We entered a box of controls—how many of those you needed to visit depended on your gender and age. As an old(er) lady I only needed to visit one in the box. After getting all your box controls (in any order if more than one) you returned to the mass start area to punch a control and continue on a 6-control advanced course before finishing.
As one of the faster older ladies here I went to the closest control in the box which wasn't far off a trail system and a lot of other people headed there, so there was a stream to follow in to the flag. Then all I needed to do was return to the start and continue on the normal course. I was first back to this point, so I got to navigate 1 and 2 with no one else around, and 3 as well as AliC, eventually winner, who passed me on the road between 2 and 3, had disappeared. I then didn't navigate well to 4 so more people got ahead (including Eileen Breseman who was surprised to see me). The cacti were thick just about everywhere but seemed especially vicious in the section of the map around 4-5-6. 5 was at a reentrant junction surrounded by stiff-limbed bushes and cacti of all types and was difficult to get into and out of, but eventually I was on my way in to 6 which was close to finish.
Besides Ali, 13 others had gotten past in the second half of the course so I finished 15th, placing ahead of Clint and Glen and Rick Breseman. ;-)
I chose technical difficulty of 5 mostly for the intense focus you needed not to end up in too much prickly stuff (prickly pear, cholla, agave, yucca, catclaw, other plants with long spines). I still ended up with spines in my knee and feet, with some short ones still embedded.
This is a handicapped race with a mass start. We entered a box of controls—how many of those you needed to visit depended on your gender and age. As an old(er) lady I only needed to visit one in the box. After getting all your box controls (in any order if more than one) you returned to the mass start area to punch a control and continue on a 6-control advanced course before finishing.
As one of the faster older ladies here I went to the closest control in the box which wasn't far off a trail system and a lot of other people headed there, so there was a stream to follow in to the flag. Then all I needed to do was return to the start and continue on the normal course. I was first back to this point, so I got to navigate 1 and 2 with no one else around, and 3 as well as AliC, eventually winner, who passed me on the road between 2 and 3, had disappeared. I then didn't navigate well to 4 so more people got ahead (including Eileen Breseman who was surprised to see me). The cacti were thick just about everywhere but seemed especially vicious in the section of the map around 4-5-6. 5 was at a reentrant junction surrounded by stiff-limbed bushes and cacti of all types and was difficult to get into and out of, but eventually I was on my way in to 6 which was close to finish.
Besides Ali, 13 others had gotten past in the second half of the course so I finished 15th, placing ahead of Clint and Glen and Rick Breseman. ;-)
I chose technical difficulty of 5 mostly for the intense focus you needed not to end up in too much prickly stuff (prickly pear, cholla, agave, yucca, catclaw, other plants with long spines). I still ended up with spines in my knee and feet, with some short ones still embedded.
5 PM
Note
After we got back to the AirBnB we ran a load of wash and sat out back on the "patio"-- an area with a fiber rug plus a roof held up by posts, and netting facing west to cut the sun's rays. Also had five seats (two that were much more comfortable than the others).
Dinner plans are to visit El Berraco, a fish place we've eaten at before. Last night was a social activity at Three Canyons in NE Tucson near Sabino Canyon. We had pulled pork quesadillas and beer. The night before we ate at Noble Hops on the north side (after Starbucks).
Dinner plans are to visit El Berraco, a fish place we've eaten at before. Last night was a social activity at Three Canyons in NE Tucson near Sabino Canyon. We had pulled pork quesadillas and beer. The night before we ate at Noble Hops on the north side (after Starbucks).
Sunday Feb 19, 2023 #
10 AM
Orienteering race (Short) 1:26:13 *** 5.47 km (15:46 / km) +162m 13:43 / km
ahr:121 max:158 spiked:12/12c shoes: 2022 VJ Falcon 6.5. GA
Javelina Hustle (goat-type race) at Box Canyon in the Greaterville area south of Tucson. 1:10000/5m map. Much more pleasant terrain than at Catalina; grass-covered broad hills and reentrants with scattered catclaw, occasional but avoidable cholla, and slightly thicker vegetation in the reentrants. Near 60 in Tucson when we left but temp dropped to low 50s by the time we arrived, and clouds moved in, bringing some breeze too. It felt colder when we left than when we arrived and were on the course.
The twist with this race was that we could skip a control. If you were doing the Long course, you picked up a new map after finishing the short course and continued across the road where we parked, and could skip a control in part 2. The Short course was listed at 5km with ~185m climb, depending on your skip. The Long added another 5+ km.
I had people to follow for the first three controls, giving me time to examine potential skips. By the time I'd punched #3 I'd decided #10 in the canyon was a good one to skip because I could avoid a 10 contour climb from the canyon floor and past #10 up to #11. Instead the route from 9-11 had some much gentler climbs along a ridge spaced out over almost 800m, with some paths to jog on in places. I know I gained at least one place here (jumped ahead of Angela Pearson who I saw at 9 but who headed to the canyon for 10), and maybe more.
I stopped at a couple of controls (4 and 11, I think) which were on ridges to take photos of the views. Fun event!
Also of note, we finally connected the Fishers who moved to Niskayuna with Sue H-T (who did the yellow course today).
The twist with this race was that we could skip a control. If you were doing the Long course, you picked up a new map after finishing the short course and continued across the road where we parked, and could skip a control in part 2. The Short course was listed at 5km with ~185m climb, depending on your skip. The Long added another 5+ km.
I had people to follow for the first three controls, giving me time to examine potential skips. By the time I'd punched #3 I'd decided #10 in the canyon was a good one to skip because I could avoid a 10 contour climb from the canyon floor and past #10 up to #11. Instead the route from 9-11 had some much gentler climbs along a ridge spaced out over almost 800m, with some paths to jog on in places. I know I gained at least one place here (jumped ahead of Angela Pearson who I saw at 9 but who headed to the canyon for 10), and maybe more.
I stopped at a couple of controls (4 and 11, I think) which were on ridges to take photos of the views. Fun event!
Also of note, we finally connected the Fishers who moved to Niskayuna with Sue H-T (who did the yellow course today).
Saturday Feb 18, 2023 #
11 AM
Orienteering race (Brown) 1:13:21 *** 4.92 km (14:54 / km) +60m 14:03 / km
ahr:133 max:159 spiked:10/12c shoes: 2022 VJ Falcon 6.5. GA
First day of Southwest Spring Week, classic courses at Catalina State Park, starting from the parking area at the east end of the park road, about a km from parking/assembly. But I didn't have to do the walk to start as I was volunteering, working first shift on starts, with a TSN volunteer, Sue Wenberg, and we driven there. Glen went out on his Green course early, then after finishing returned to the start area to relieve me so I could do my course (Brown, 3.9 km, 50 m climb nominal). He then drove the rental car back to finish/assembly. It was upper 50s when we arrived, but in the 60s or near 70 by the time I went out...short sleeve weather!
My work at start was to write down when each person/group started, so was able to chat with Kevin Fisher and Sue H-T (at separate times) about them meeting each other at some point to get acquainted and discuss EMPO since Kevin and Syd just moved to the Niskayuna area. Said hi to a lot of other orienteers I know.
Most of the course went well, and I avoided as much cactus as I could but still caught a thorn in a finger at some point which bled for a little while. Had a few other snags but nothing that drew much blood. :-)
Got my feet wet(!) in the stream crossing (which has always been dry other times we've been here) on the way to #1. I missed a little on #4 when I checked a large boulder nearby; and had trouble fathoming where to go to get to #8 but eventually convinced myself I *did* have to drop 2.5 contours into a rocky reentrant and then climb back up 2 on the other side to get where I needed to go. But after I finally got down three contours the rest was straightforward and mostly flat. A lot of my controls had people at or near them so were easy to find once I was in the area. I had forgotten to take my hiking pole but won't make that mistake the other days.
My work at start was to write down when each person/group started, so was able to chat with Kevin Fisher and Sue H-T (at separate times) about them meeting each other at some point to get acquainted and discuss EMPO since Kevin and Syd just moved to the Niskayuna area. Said hi to a lot of other orienteers I know.
Most of the course went well, and I avoided as much cactus as I could but still caught a thorn in a finger at some point which bled for a little while. Had a few other snags but nothing that drew much blood. :-)
Got my feet wet(!) in the stream crossing (which has always been dry other times we've been here) on the way to #1. I missed a little on #4 when I checked a large boulder nearby; and had trouble fathoming where to go to get to #8 but eventually convinced myself I *did* have to drop 2.5 contours into a rocky reentrant and then climb back up 2 on the other side to get where I needed to go. But after I finally got down three contours the rest was straightforward and mostly flat. A lot of my controls had people at or near them so were easy to find once I was in the area. I had forgotten to take my hiking pole but won't make that mistake the other days.
Friday Feb 17, 2023 #
Note
Left Carlsbad at 9:15am, arrived Tucson around 6:00pm; 1/2 hour stop for lunch in El Paso, and a few pit stops plus a fill-up in Benson, AZ (because the light had come on and gas is more expensive in Tucson). We were in three states today. :-) We had dinner at a place we'd eaten before, Trident Grill on Speedway.
Our AirBnb is ... interesting. It should work for the week though. Pretty quiet neighborhood; around the corner from a Starbucks we've patronized in past visits.
Our AirBnb is ... interesting. It should work for the week though. Pretty quiet neighborhood; around the corner from a Starbucks we've patronized in past visits.