2013 was a great year for adventures. I didn't travel as far as I did in 2012, but I did have some great experiences.
Two of the local adventures were Ice climbing at Lilydale park and attending the Red Bull Crashed Ice event, which you can read about in my blog posts from February.
One of the major themes for the beginning of the year was "Marathon Training". I ran through some nasty weather in February, March, and April. The most extreme day was a 16 mile run on a windy day that had rain and sleet. There were a couple of breaks from the training, though.
The first break was visiting Santa Fe, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon. All three places could be worth their own trip, and I left thinking about all of the things I would have liked to do in addition to what we did, especially at the Grand Canyon and in/near Sedona.
The next big break was a backpacking trip to Isle Royale, Michigan. It was cold and wet the entire trip, and it wasn't rare to see patches of snow on the ground. One of the members of our group had issues with his knees, slowing our hiking pace. Our feet got very wet everyday, and parts of the trail resembled a muddy creek rather than a typical hiking trail. Regardless, it was a good trip. We saw a few moose and we were able to keep morale pretty high through most of the trip despite the nasty weather. It was fun to be disconnected from the world for a while.
Shortly after the Isle Royale trip, I went on a 21 mile run, the longest run in preparation for the marathon. It would end up being the longest run of the year, as my next few attempts at running ended after about 20 minutes. I decided that it wasn't worth it to risk an injury as just finishing a marathon wasn't a big goal-I'd already done that. The big goal was to go fast, and I doubted that would be possible. So I watched friends finish the race the day of the marathon and I re-habbed for the next couple of months.
The summer wasn't completely shot, though, as I got some outdoor climbing in. I went to Interstate State Park, Devil's Lake State Park, and Red Wing. I definitely recommend all three of these places if you are looking to climb. Each has their advantages: Red Wing if you want to sport climb, Interstate if you want to stay pretty close to the twin cities and possibly camp and hike, and Devil's lake if you want a large variety of climbs and good hiking trails.
Toward the end of summer, a few of us went on a trip through the UP, across the Mackinac Bridge, to Traverse City and the Sleeping Bear Dunes national lakeshore. Once again, it was a beautiful place that I wish we had more time to explore.
On a warm November day I went to Sandstone to get my last outdoor climbing day of the year in. I didn't blog about it, but we climbed a few routes while we were there. The only time I had been there previously was an ice climbing trip back in early 2012.
To finish the year off, I've done most of my exercise indoors, but I did make it cross country skiing once, and went winter camping at Brunet Island State Park in Cornell, Wisconsin one weekend.
It has been an active year despite not being injured, and I look forward to more adventures in 2014!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes and Traverse City
In September, I went on a road trip to Michigan with 2 others. We drove from Minnesota through Wisconsin, and into the upper peninsula of Michigan the first night. Then, driving over the Mackinac bridge, we entered lower Michigan. While we didn't spend much time in the U.P., it was a scenic drive, and I may make a trip of just going there sometime ( See http://jonsconquests.blogspot.com/2010/10/timms-hill-and-mount-arvon-highpoints-2.html, for the last time I was in that neck of the woods, well that is unless you're talking about Isle Royale, which is Michigan, but not exactly the same as going to the U.P. ).
So we began our adventure in lower Michigan by getting some fudge in Mackinaw city as soon as we crossed the bridge. Then we made our way to Traverse city, first having lunch at a restaurant on the beautiful (and choppy that day) Torch Lake. Once we arrived in Traverse city, we visited the downtown, which has plenty of touristy shops and restaurants. We then made our way back to the hotel and called it an early night so we could make the most of the next day.
We made our way to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which was a very beautiful place. We hiked for a couple of miles along a large dune, and we were there early enough that there were no other footprints in the sand as we walked along. It was really cool to be the first people out on the trail, especially as we made our way back from the lake (the trail is an out and back from Lake Michigan), we saw several people.
One of the best views can be found from walking a very short distance from the road, where a large lookout is built. It is from near there that the picture was taken.
After leaving the park, we went back to Traverse city and headed to the Old Mission Peninsula, where we drove to a winery, Chateau Chantal. We enjoyed their wine almost as much as the views. The winery has views of both the east and west side of the peninsula (east and west bay) from their large patio, so pictures were taken once again (see below). Eventually we had dinner at a restaurant on the peninsula as well. It made for a great end to a really fun day.
I would definitely go back to Traverse city and the surrounding area. When we went it was a bit cool, so I think I would probably go in July or August if it was an option, mostly so I could go swimming or lay on the beach in comfort (Not usually my thing, but when you're on a beautiful beach, you can't resist!). We went when we did to attend a wedding, which was a couple hours south of Traverse city. This was also a great time in a beautiful place!
So we began our adventure in lower Michigan by getting some fudge in Mackinaw city as soon as we crossed the bridge. Then we made our way to Traverse city, first having lunch at a restaurant on the beautiful (and choppy that day) Torch Lake. Once we arrived in Traverse city, we visited the downtown, which has plenty of touristy shops and restaurants. We then made our way back to the hotel and called it an early night so we could make the most of the next day.
One of the best views can be found from walking a very short distance from the road, where a large lookout is built. It is from near there that the picture was taken.
After leaving the park, we went back to Traverse city and headed to the Old Mission Peninsula, where we drove to a winery, Chateau Chantal. We enjoyed their wine almost as much as the views. The winery has views of both the east and west side of the peninsula (east and west bay) from their large patio, so pictures were taken once again (see below). Eventually we had dinner at a restaurant on the peninsula as well. It made for a great end to a really fun day.
I would definitely go back to Traverse city and the surrounding area. When we went it was a bit cool, so I think I would probably go in July or August if it was an option, mostly so I could go swimming or lay on the beach in comfort (Not usually my thing, but when you're on a beautiful beach, you can't resist!). We went when we did to attend a wedding, which was a couple hours south of Traverse city. This was also a great time in a beautiful place!Friday, October 4, 2013
Climbing at Devil's Lake State Park WI
Last year I visited Devils lake state park and did some climbing in an area known as the Railroad ampitheater. It was a great time, and I knew that I would have to come back if I had the opportunity. In August, I got that opportunity, and visited for a weekend. This time the climbing was on sandstone, outside of the busy area of the park.
Arriving at night, we got to our campsite, set up camp, and went to bed for a good night's sleep before what would be a long day of climbing. We woke up early and headed over to the crag (Old Sandstone area) via our cars. The climbing area is away from the popular trails in the park, and the best way to approach is by parking in a small lot near a trailhead.
There were several climbs to set up, and I climbed 5 of them, all of them pretty fun. The easiest climbs were around 5.5, but I only made attempts on 5.7-5.10 rated routes. The area was well shaded, as it is in the woods.
Yeah, I should have done this post earlier, as I would have remembered more specifics, but it was a good place to check out.
Arriving at night, we got to our campsite, set up camp, and went to bed for a good night's sleep before what would be a long day of climbing. We woke up early and headed over to the crag (Old Sandstone area) via our cars. The climbing area is away from the popular trails in the park, and the best way to approach is by parking in a small lot near a trailhead.
There were several climbs to set up, and I climbed 5 of them, all of them pretty fun. The easiest climbs were around 5.5, but I only made attempts on 5.7-5.10 rated routes. The area was well shaded, as it is in the woods.
Yeah, I should have done this post earlier, as I would have remembered more specifics, but it was a good place to check out.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Climbing in Red Wing, MN
I recently got the chance to go climbing in Red Wing, MN at a place called Barn Bluff. It is located just outside of downtown Red Wing, making it somewhat unique as far as climbing areas go.
It was a warm day, and many people came out to climb. Despite the crowd, it didn't feel too busy as there are several routes surrounding the bluff. I tried 4 different routes, sport climbing twice and top-roping the other two times. It was a pretty cool experience as this was the first time I did any outdoor sport leading. It appeared that sport climbing was the most popular way up Barn Bluff, which made sense as there are many great bolted routes ranging from 5.7 to 5.12. I don't know exactly the ratings on all of my climbs, but I know they were all in the 5.7 to 5.10 range.
The rock was a bit slippery, and I saw some loose rocks on the top of one of the routes(one small one that I nearly knocked down came down with me in my chalk bag). So wearing a helmet was a good idea as usual.
The view from the bluff was great, though I didn't have a camera with me to take a picture when I was climbing. From where you belay, there is a wooded area that blocks the good view, but as you climb, you go above the trees and can see. There is a trail that goes all the way up, but that would be too easy, right!?
To any climbers who are curious, I would definitely recommend hitting up Barn Bluff. The infrastructure is there to have a really good day of climbing if you've got quickdraws and a rope.
It was a warm day, and many people came out to climb. Despite the crowd, it didn't feel too busy as there are several routes surrounding the bluff. I tried 4 different routes, sport climbing twice and top-roping the other two times. It was a pretty cool experience as this was the first time I did any outdoor sport leading. It appeared that sport climbing was the most popular way up Barn Bluff, which made sense as there are many great bolted routes ranging from 5.7 to 5.12. I don't know exactly the ratings on all of my climbs, but I know they were all in the 5.7 to 5.10 range.The rock was a bit slippery, and I saw some loose rocks on the top of one of the routes(one small one that I nearly knocked down came down with me in my chalk bag). So wearing a helmet was a good idea as usual.
The view from the bluff was great, though I didn't have a camera with me to take a picture when I was climbing. From where you belay, there is a wooded area that blocks the good view, but as you climb, you go above the trees and can see. There is a trail that goes all the way up, but that would be too easy, right!?
To any climbers who are curious, I would definitely recommend hitting up Barn Bluff. The infrastructure is there to have a really good day of climbing if you've got quickdraws and a rope.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Deciding not to run a marathon
Over three months of training through all conditions since February have recently come to an end, as I decided not to run in the event I signed up for. I made the decision two weeks prior to the event, when I realized my knee pain was more than just a one-time thing.
It was disappointing to not run, but I still supported friends who ran in the races at Grandma's Marathon weekend in Duluth, Minnesota. The conditions were pretty good, as the temps were around 50 degrees and it was foggy. It was raining on and off, but for the most part it was pretty light. It was a good day for many of those who ran.
I didn't start to feel the knee pain until after my second 20+ mile run, which was also after visiting Isle Royale. I don't know if it was something that happened on the trip, something during the long run, or something during the next run, which was a fast, but ultimately painful run. On the run following my last 20 miler, I set out to run 45 minutes fast, but I made it about 20 and felt a pretty sharp pain in my knee. This happened again the next two times I ran, so I knew that attempting the marathon would be foolish at that point. Could I finish? Sure, but I would have finished in a walking pace, not a PR like I was aiming for. Since I've already completed a marathon, just finishing didn't mean much to me at all, not nearly as much as protecting myself from further injury.
Fortunately, I did have some good moments during training. One significant PR that I broke a couple times was my treadmill 5k PR. This was shortly after my first 20 miler, which went quite well, as I ran the last 4 miles faster than any other segment of the race. That week gave me a lot of confidence for the marathon. Prior to that, I had some long runs in cold weather that just made me question what I was doing, but also built some toughness. I don't think I ran in comfortable conditions during any of my long runs prior to the month of May.
I intend to work on rehabilitating my knee, starting with taking it easy and seeking professional help. It might not be cheap, but I don't run to save money (though in general running does cost much less money than many other hobbies). If the knee problem isn't too serious, I intend to continue running in events in the fall.
It was disappointing to not run, but I still supported friends who ran in the races at Grandma's Marathon weekend in Duluth, Minnesota. The conditions were pretty good, as the temps were around 50 degrees and it was foggy. It was raining on and off, but for the most part it was pretty light. It was a good day for many of those who ran.
I didn't start to feel the knee pain until after my second 20+ mile run, which was also after visiting Isle Royale. I don't know if it was something that happened on the trip, something during the long run, or something during the next run, which was a fast, but ultimately painful run. On the run following my last 20 miler, I set out to run 45 minutes fast, but I made it about 20 and felt a pretty sharp pain in my knee. This happened again the next two times I ran, so I knew that attempting the marathon would be foolish at that point. Could I finish? Sure, but I would have finished in a walking pace, not a PR like I was aiming for. Since I've already completed a marathon, just finishing didn't mean much to me at all, not nearly as much as protecting myself from further injury.
Fortunately, I did have some good moments during training. One significant PR that I broke a couple times was my treadmill 5k PR. This was shortly after my first 20 miler, which went quite well, as I ran the last 4 miles faster than any other segment of the race. That week gave me a lot of confidence for the marathon. Prior to that, I had some long runs in cold weather that just made me question what I was doing, but also built some toughness. I don't think I ran in comfortable conditions during any of my long runs prior to the month of May.
I intend to work on rehabilitating my knee, starting with taking it easy and seeking professional help. It might not be cheap, but I don't run to save money (though in general running does cost much less money than many other hobbies). If the knee problem isn't too serious, I intend to continue running in events in the fall.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Visiting Isle Royale National Park
Some friends and I recently went on a trip to Isle Royale National Park. It was a good time, and provided a challenging hike for all of us.
We arrived via a ferry named "Voyageur II" from Grand Portage, MN. The ferry first stopped in Windigo, a harbor on the West side of the island. Everyone got off the boat and some of us re-boarded to go to different destinations on the island. The next stop was McCargoe Cove, located at the end of a scenic channel on the north side of the island. We got off the boat at the final stop, Rock Harbor. On the southeast side of the island, Rock Harbor has a lodge, a store, and a ranger station, but only the ranger station was open for our arrival. It turns out most people don't visit the island until the summer, and we were about to learn why.
It was around 4 pm by the time we arrived in Rock Harbor, so we didn't have too much time to make it to our campsite for the night, which ended up being about 3.5 miles down the shore at a place called "Three mile". On our hike over there, there was light rain and plenty of slippery rocks. We arrived and set up our tent inside a shelter that was available. This made for a very clean camp.
The next morning we set off on what would be our longest trek- about 13 miles. We hiked up a tough trail to the top of Mt. Franklin, encountering multiple patches of snow. Then we caught the Greenstone ridge trail, which we stayed on for the remainder of our trip. Along the way we visited Mt. Ojibway, where a weather station/lookout tower is located. Much of the trail was wet from both the snowmelt and from the rain, and in trying to keep our feet dry, we often navigated around puddles.
We continued hiking until we reached our campsite at West Chickenbone Lake. Our campsite was quite windy and with the rain coming and going all day, it was a relief to enjoy some hot cocoa and eventually getting into the tent.
We were a little slow to leave camp at West Chickenbone Lake, as the weather wasn't any better in the morning. We eventually did move on, and we hiked about 8 miles to Hatchet Lake. Along our way we saw a bull Moose about 50 feet away. It got startled by us, but we slowly backed away and when he went back to his business, we continued our hike. The rain came on stronger, as we navigated around large puddles all day once again. In addition to the puddles, there were many down trees all along the trail, as the "trail crew" hadn't gotten out to the park yet. This was certainly a nuisance, but it was all part of the experience. That night we cooked a very easy meal and hopped in the tent, our shoes soaking wet from the 8 mile slog. We were happy to get out of the rain and wind, and didn't bother to make hot cocoa.
With temperatures in the 30s every night, it wasn't a warm trip by any stretch, and as the rain continued to fall at Hatchet lake, we were quite certain nothing of ours would get dry. We stored some of our items in the nearest outhouse, which sounds nasty, but since very few people had been to the island yet this year, the outhouses around the island (located in campsites) didn't stink. It probably smelled better than the tent!
The next morning we got up and started our hike to South Lake Desor. This was again a very sloppy day, avoiding trees and puddles while making our way along the muddy trail. We were all quite wet and tried our best to make it an efficient 8 mile day. This night our campsite's location was a little better, and the weather improved, with the wind not being as big of a factor as it was at the last two campsites.
The next day we hiked about 11 miles to the Washington Creek campsite, located within the Windigo Area. The weather dramatically improved, and while there were still puddles and trees to navigate around, we were much more comfortable overall. Once we got to the campsite, we set up the tent in a shelter that was available and relaxed. In the distance we saw 3 moose, so it was a rewarding and stress free night.
We took the Voyageur II back to Grand Portage the next day, which (of course) was a gorgeous day. There were a handful of other folks on the boat heading back, some of them seemed pretty beat up from their hikes, some happy from the experience, some happy to leaving the island.
I would definitely recommend visiting Isle Royale to anyone interested. Going in May might not be the best time unless you are looking for an adventure. Even though I didn't come away with any bug bites, the rain, snowmelt, and downed trees made the trip a little less easy-going than it could have been.
We arrived via a ferry named "Voyageur II" from Grand Portage, MN. The ferry first stopped in Windigo, a harbor on the West side of the island. Everyone got off the boat and some of us re-boarded to go to different destinations on the island. The next stop was McCargoe Cove, located at the end of a scenic channel on the north side of the island. We got off the boat at the final stop, Rock Harbor. On the southeast side of the island, Rock Harbor has a lodge, a store, and a ranger station, but only the ranger station was open for our arrival. It turns out most people don't visit the island until the summer, and we were about to learn why.
It was around 4 pm by the time we arrived in Rock Harbor, so we didn't have too much time to make it to our campsite for the night, which ended up being about 3.5 miles down the shore at a place called "Three mile". On our hike over there, there was light rain and plenty of slippery rocks. We arrived and set up our tent inside a shelter that was available. This made for a very clean camp.
The next morning we set off on what would be our longest trek- about 13 miles. We hiked up a tough trail to the top of Mt. Franklin, encountering multiple patches of snow. Then we caught the Greenstone ridge trail, which we stayed on for the remainder of our trip. Along the way we visited Mt. Ojibway, where a weather station/lookout tower is located. Much of the trail was wet from both the snowmelt and from the rain, and in trying to keep our feet dry, we often navigated around puddles.We continued hiking until we reached our campsite at West Chickenbone Lake. Our campsite was quite windy and with the rain coming and going all day, it was a relief to enjoy some hot cocoa and eventually getting into the tent.
We were a little slow to leave camp at West Chickenbone Lake, as the weather wasn't any better in the morning. We eventually did move on, and we hiked about 8 miles to Hatchet Lake. Along our way we saw a bull Moose about 50 feet away. It got startled by us, but we slowly backed away and when he went back to his business, we continued our hike. The rain came on stronger, as we navigated around large puddles all day once again. In addition to the puddles, there were many down trees all along the trail, as the "trail crew" hadn't gotten out to the park yet. This was certainly a nuisance, but it was all part of the experience. That night we cooked a very easy meal and hopped in the tent, our shoes soaking wet from the 8 mile slog. We were happy to get out of the rain and wind, and didn't bother to make hot cocoa.
With temperatures in the 30s every night, it wasn't a warm trip by any stretch, and as the rain continued to fall at Hatchet lake, we were quite certain nothing of ours would get dry. We stored some of our items in the nearest outhouse, which sounds nasty, but since very few people had been to the island yet this year, the outhouses around the island (located in campsites) didn't stink. It probably smelled better than the tent!
The next day we hiked about 11 miles to the Washington Creek campsite, located within the Windigo Area. The weather dramatically improved, and while there were still puddles and trees to navigate around, we were much more comfortable overall. Once we got to the campsite, we set up the tent in a shelter that was available and relaxed. In the distance we saw 3 moose, so it was a rewarding and stress free night.
We took the Voyageur II back to Grand Portage the next day, which (of course) was a gorgeous day. There were a handful of other folks on the boat heading back, some of them seemed pretty beat up from their hikes, some happy from the experience, some happy to leaving the island.
I would definitely recommend visiting Isle Royale to anyone interested. Going in May might not be the best time unless you are looking for an adventure. Even though I didn't come away with any bug bites, the rain, snowmelt, and downed trees made the trip a little less easy-going than it could have been.
Monday, April 15, 2013
half way through marathon training
I decided to get on an 18-week program to train for a marathon in June. The original program had me running 6 days a week, but I decided to modify it so that I am running 4 days a week and doing other activities, such as weightlifting, riding a bike, or using an elliptical machine for those other two days.
So far the training has gone fairly well. I missed the best of one week do to a vacation, but I was somewhat active (see previous post about the Grand Canyon), so I felt strong when I needed to run again. For the most part, here is the routine:
Monday: Rest or cross train
Tuesday: Speed training (200s, 400s, 800s, 5k tests, intervals)
Wednesday: Cross train
Thursday: Speed training (200s, 400s, 800s, 5k tests, intervals)
Friday: Rest or cross train
Saturday: mid-distance run (increasing from 5-10 miles over course of training), every other week being at race pace
Sunday: Long run
Two highlights of my training so far: hitting a PR 5k time on a treadmill and running 16 miles on a day with miserable conditions (rain/sleet/snow/wind).
The long run started at 10 miles and has slowly creeped up from there. I don't plan on running more than 22, but do plan on going 20 at least twice prior to the marathon.
So far the training has gone fairly well. I missed the best of one week do to a vacation, but I was somewhat active (see previous post about the Grand Canyon), so I felt strong when I needed to run again. For the most part, here is the routine:
Monday: Rest or cross train
Tuesday: Speed training (200s, 400s, 800s, 5k tests, intervals)
Wednesday: Cross train
Thursday: Speed training (200s, 400s, 800s, 5k tests, intervals)
Friday: Rest or cross train
Saturday: mid-distance run (increasing from 5-10 miles over course of training), every other week being at race pace
Sunday: Long run
Two highlights of my training so far: hitting a PR 5k time on a treadmill and running 16 miles on a day with miserable conditions (rain/sleet/snow/wind).
The long run started at 10 miles and has slowly creeped up from there. I don't plan on running more than 22, but do plan on going 20 at least twice prior to the marathon.
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