TALES FROM THE TRAIL (AND SOMETIMES THE ROAD TOO)

Showing posts with label Sugarloaf Peak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sugarloaf Peak. Show all posts

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Beauty Vs. Brawn

Sunday, we got a good downpour here in the land that seldom sees rain.  I know that we need the rain, but rain spoils things for me, especially since Mondays are one of the few days that I can get out and run.  As expected, all my local tails were CLOSED “due to wet and muddy conditions.”

Well, I had me a full tank of gas, so I thought, “Hell with it,” and headed up Ortega Highway in my beloved truck.  I know that I would have been better off staying home and putting in miles right out my front door.  I would after all, have time to get in some good mileage if I had chosen that route.  But what I wanted was beauty, not brawn. 

I pulled into Blue Jay campground an hour later, and felt calm and joyful being back to this lovely location.  The ground was still muddy, a few campfires smoldered beneath overly cloudy, cold skies.  Gosh, it had to be 50 degrees F!  (I’m so sorry – I know that isn’t cold for the rest of the world, but it is cold here).  Branches were strewn about; no trees were down, though a few widow makers hung precariously from branches above.  I felt so at home that I could have pitched a tent and stayed a week.  

I cannot adequately relay just how happy and peaceful I felt.

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Since hubby had indicated that he would pick up the boys from school, I took off down San Juan Trail feeling like I had all the time in the world.  I did not see another soul on the trails as I made my way toward the San Juan / Old San Juan Trail junction.  But I was not alone.  The forest was alive with sound – critters scrambling through the brush, birds singing anonymously among the trees.  Listening to this music, I had no desire for man-made music, and kept my ear buds hanging over my shoulders. 

I spotted my destination, Sugarloaf Peak, a mile out.  It took some trial and error to find the path that leads to the entrance at the top.  Then it was climbing time, scooting over boulders, grabbing onto branches.  My legs were scuffed with scratches.  Oh the glory. Winking smile 

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0223151244-00I summited Sugarloaf Peak and took a seat on a large flat boulder. I could see Los Pinos Trail climbing up the mountain on my right.  I could see as far as the Pacific Ocean, with ridgeline overlapping more ridgelines reaching out to my left.  I had my beauty.  And it took some brawn to get it.  (The best of both worlds).

The wind picked up; the temperature dropped.  And I simply sat there on that rock and took it all in – the sights, the sounds, the chilling wind.  It was a little spooky, like the wind might swoop me off my rock.  I dug around in my pack and replaced my cap with a wool beanie, and I was good for the cold.  Then I sat some more.

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Eventually, I felt that I ought to get going – not that I wanted to go (I could have stayed all day).  I just needed to get back to reality because I do have a wonderful family back at home (young sons that I desire to see, since I miss out on so much with this crazy work schedule).  And I also had a meeting with my boss later in the afternoon.  

I finally glanced at my garmin when my feet hit Old San Juan Trail.  It read 1:10.  Flabbergasted, I thought to myself, “This must be time elapsed – it CANNOT be 1PM!”  But, alas it was after 1PM (time elapsed was much greater).  One might think that since it was so dang late, that I would have picked up my step a bit.  But I did not.  Instead, I lackadaisically ran back (because that is the way roll) toward my truck. 

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At the Old San Juan Trail / San Juan Trail junction, I decided to take a so-called short-cut by going straight up Old San Juan instead of meandering San Juan.  (Okay, we have two trails out here called “San Juan Trail”, not to mention an additional “San Juan Loop.”  We have an older, less travelled trail, the original San Juan Trail, that we call “Old San Juan Trail.”  And we have a new San Juan Trail that we call “San Juan Trail” or “New San Juan Trail”.  Just thought I’d straighten that out).  Now, speaking of so-called short-cuts, I know darn well that “short-cut” never really means that the trip is shorter in time.  In fact, short-cuts are usually much more difficult.  And that it was.  But it was a lovely struggle getting back to the truck.  All that beauty was well worth the brawn. 

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Saturday, December 28, 2013

New Garmin, New Shoes, New Socks, and a New Hair Cut on New San Juan Trail

I got a late start this morning, but managed to get out the door before 8 AM, and drive up the mountain.  I ran along (new) San Juan Trail for a San Juan / Old San Juan Trail loop with,

My new Garmin:

In my new shoes and socks:

Sporting a new haircut:

I  chose this loop which begins on the so-called “new” San Juan Trail and connects up with Old San Juan Trail just beneath Sugarloaf Peak because it’s basically the course of next week’s 12k that I’m running.  I haven’t run a race of this short distance in a LONG time.  The runners will definitely take off faster than I can even run at my fastest, and I’ll get left in the dust right away.  In fact, I got a pretty dang good chance of bringing home the DFL.  My only advantage for this race is the fact that portions of the trail are extremely technical.  I’ve got quite a bit of practice at that.  Others may not.  Either way, it’s okay.  I need to get back into the game.  I got out there today and was able to take this technical course, without falling AND without excruciating pain (though it was a bit painful coming in).  I’m looking forward to some hard work come race day.  But it will be relatively short, therefore, not much time for that negative self-talk that I pledge to work on conquering in the upcoming year. 

A bit of the scenery (because I won’t be taking pictures on race day.  I will be, after all, attempting to finish before the race director and gang has packed up and left Winking smile)

Total miles run today:  8.34 (about a mile more than the course I will run next week).

Friday, December 6, 2013

Sugarloaf Peak

27 Days passed without running, without TRAILS.  And it was during this time that I discovered how mentally weak I was (more so than I realized).  And that made me sad.  And it made angry, and touchy, and I felt like I was plummeting downward, like any mental strength that I thought I had was a façade.  I felt my house of cards had collapsed. 

I worked at healing my foot because I thought this was my only saving grace.  But the foot got better, then it got worse.  Part of the day I could walk, the other I could not.  And then one day, I cried and cried and cried, and told myself that I had to buck up, that I needed to be strong whether or not I could hit the trails.  After that, I began to rebound.  I tried to smile more.  I kept negativity off my lips and tried to push it out of my mind.  I kept my self busy.  I ate better.  I kept my cups of coffee to one, and my glasses of wine to none.  During this time, while limping about the grocery store parking lot, I turned to the man in the wheelchair behind me.  His right leg was raised, and so I asked, “What did you do to your leg?”

He said, “Nothing.  I fell off my bike, landed on my face and cracked my skull in three places.  I was in a coma for six weeks.” 

Yikes.  What if he can never ride a bike again?  After chatting for several minutes, I realized that he would do fine without the bike.  Just like I would do fine without trails.  Either way, I just had to “be.”  “It is what it is,” as we always say in my home.  (My husband brought that saying into our home.  Another thing he has passed on is, “Embrace the suck!”)

HOWEVER, I do love the trails.  And I’m aiming to get back to them, even if just for a “test drive.”  Finally, I did that yesterday.  After I dropped the boys off at school, I drove an hour up the mountain for a short run to Sugarloaf Peak.  The mountains were cold, the skies full of voluminous clouds.  I fell no less than five times – that’s right, at least five times.  I tripped frequently.  And once as I ran through the trees I said out loud, “Please Mr. Tree, don’t poke me in the head.”  Then one of their branches promptly poked me in the head.  Smile with tongue outBy time my run was finished, my calves were bleeding and scratched up.  By the time my run was finished, I also summited Sugarloaf Peak which was pretty dang fun, that kind of hellish fun.  The climb to the peak was so steep, I fell back several feet more than once.  Some parts, I needed to scramble on all fours.  When I finally reached the summit, I saw the only two people I would see during the entire run.  I waved to them as they rested below on a rock that’s named Cocktail Rock. 

Old San Juan Trail:

Summiting:

In all, I ran a little less than eight miles.  Those last few miles were pretty dang miserable, and I needed to hike frequently.  As usual, the tranquil loneliness, the rocky terrain, the enormous skies made everything well worth it.  I love the trails. 

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Monday, February 6, 2012

Sugarloaf Peak

Day 49:  I drove up Ortega Highway to Blue Jay campground for a run with Steve Harvey.  Our mission was to remove the trail markings from Big Baz’s 18k trail race that took place over the weekend.  We took off the bright orange ties from branches, smeared away chalk arrows in the dirt.  Of course, I had lots of fun too.  I rarely run this part of the mountains, basically only during Baz’s races.  The trails are a joy – technical, single-track.  Love it. 

What great fun it was to learn about some of Steve’s ultra running adventures.  The icing on the cake was his guided tour up to Sugarloaf Peak.  I’ve run past this peak in Baz’s races.  I didn’t know that it was THE Sugarloaf Peak.  And I’ve never actually made the rocky climb to the peak.  We could see for miles – miles and miles of lovely solitude.  

Steve taking the lead with sack in hand to hold the collected ties:

The scenery is so different on this part of the mountains with these huge orangish boulders protruding everywhere:

Heading up to Sugarloaf Peak:

View from the Peak:

Another tie to remove:

8.35 miles run (13.44 km):My Activities sugarloaf loop 2-6-2012, Elevation - Distance