Ribbon Falls in the Fall

Following Ribbon Creek to Ribbon Falls is a popular, long (17 km round trip), easy (elevation 350 or so meters) hike in the summer. The photo shown here is the creek we followed to reach the base of the mountain in the background. You will see the route marked in pink. Ten of us hit the trail head at 9:30 knowing there were folks ahead of us as there was already a large truck in the parking lot. The plan was to stick together and go at an easy pace, also to take time to stop at photo opportunities.

Just as we were getting into the groove, we heard a sound that I had heard before a few years back and it stopped us in our tracks. Having already checked up on trail conditions, avalanche risks etc. I stated that was the sound of gun shots ricocheting of the mountains. I said the website makes notice that hunting season is in effect. Hunting is not allowed though, in the Provincial Park which is on the west side of Highway 40 (where we were) but is allowed on the east side and the sound does echo and carry. I felt I settled everyones' nerves and then we carried on. Not 10 minutes later, we came upon the owners of the truck! Two fellows dressed in camouflage from head to toe, carrying covered rifles across their backs! Holy Shit! They had been hunting, with no success and were heading back to their truck. They started at 4:00 am! We were not telling them they didn't belong here, not when they had guns over their shoulders!

Forward ho along the trail, under an overcast sky shedding the odd snow flurry or sprinkle of hail or rain with a temperature hoovering around zero. The scenery was great with many opportunities for pretty shots. The creek was frozen in parts and flowing in others. As we slowly climbed, we came upon many waterfalls which were just teasers for the one at our final destination.

The further in we went, the warmer it got but yet the more snow along the trail along with many areas of sheer ice. Not to mention, we encountered mud too! My icers came in handy as did the gaitors. The wind came and went and came and went! When it came, it created a blur, a haze, an intriguing effect along the mountain tops.
We had to cross the creek on stepping stones at one point. At about the three hour mark we reached the backpacking camp ground where we stopped for lunch. It was only two minutes to the falls from here, but the picnic tables looked inviting. In the photo you can see the hoist for lifting up your food for storage away from the bears.
Lunch took about 30 minutes. I enjoyed my sandwich, veggies, trail mix, and of course, my coffee and two bite brownie! We headed up to Ribbon Falls where it felt much colder. Most of the falls had frozen but was still such a spectacular view with a thundering sound. We took lots of pictures and even got a group shot once other hikers came along to take it for us.
The hike back was much quicker and uneventful other than most of the ice had melted which made for lots of mud. At the last turn when we could see the parking lot, I let out a sigh of relief! It was a long hike and I was quite tired and thankful it was over! Now, I can hardly wait to get out again on another trail! At this rate, maybe the next time I will have to graduate to snowshoes! WooHoo!

Ready for Tomorrow!

STAYED TUNED!

Remembrance Ride

Have I got lots to learn about cold weather biking! I headed out around 10:00 am, the temperature was about -3 Celsius, it was cloudy with some wind. I was dressed in layers and had a headband on to protect my ears under my helmet. I even wore my poppy! About 20 minutes into my ride, my fingers felt cold, actually very cold, even though I had gloves on. So, of course, not the right gloves for biking. I do have biking gloves but they are fingerless. I thought these Isotoner gloves would work, but they didn't. I carried on biking, wiggling my fingers and especially my thumbs every now and then. Then I realized my feet were getting cold. I contemplated turning around and coming home but other than having cold hands and feet, I was really enjoying the ride. There are probably not very many more days that I can ride so I wanted to make the best of this one. I bit the dust and ended up having a three hour outting. By the time I got home my fingers felt numb and my feet were freezing. Cold weather biking is so different then cold weather running. It's probably time to put my bike in the basement until next spring!

A Sunrise Run...

...without a sunrise! My day started with a run instead of a shower! No work for me today! Just play! I timed it so I was heading out the door on the verge of sunrise but there turned out being layers of low lying frosty fog filling the sky! It's time to start paying attention to the windchill factor report! Even though I was in pants, gloves, long sleeve shirt and jacket I still felt chilled. My attire was the lighter version more for a cooler summer morning instead of a cooler fall morning and there is a difference. I had a good run at a steady quick pace. Now it's shower time! Ms M is coming for lunch and we plan to carry on with our crib tournament.

Really Close-By Escape

We are so lucky here in Calgary to have Nose Hill Park! It's an environmentally protected area in the middle of the city, only 8 minutes from my home. We spent two hours trying to cover as much of this 11 square kilometer area as we could. As we started out, our vista was the mountains to the west! They seem so close but yet are so far!Our urban hike took us through gullies and ravines where we happened upon this! The path along here was quite slippery, as you can see, plenty of snow.

It turned out to be a good work out on the legs! We had to come out of the ravines and that was when I could feel it in my calfs. It was a couple of hours of up and down and around and over and up again and down again, all the time going at a quick clip.

It's great to be in the middle of the city and experience such a wilderness. Today was my really close-by escape!

Short Escape

Allen Bill (previously known as Allen Bill Pond until a flood in 2005 made it part of the Elbow River) was the starting point of our hike! It is named after a guy from my home province of Nova Scotia! Was I in need of an escape and couldn't get away quick enough this morning! This work week was trying! We had a meeting to brainstorm on a business plan for 2009. We had a compliance meeting with regards to enforcing the rules on privacy, emails, trading, etc. I completed nine on-line courses we have to take at this time each year covering code of conduct, anti-money laundering, risk and liability, harassment in the work place, workplace violence and others. One course I had to take four times before I passed! On top of all this, two days I had some kind of stomach flu, my year-end performance review, plus all our regular work! UGH!

My escape was to the west of the city with a group of folks. Fullerton Loop is a short hike, with not much elevation. It's only 55 minutes west but far enough away that I felt like I escaped! I don't need the long distance and high elevation to get that, lost far from the city feeling, I felt it today and I loved it! It was cool and overcast and parts of the trail still had snow even after the nice weather-wise week we had! These are some of my fellow hikers checking out the map to make sure we were headed in the right direction.

Three quarters of the way through the hike, we came out to an opening and followed the ridge which had beautiful views looking off to the west and down into the Elbow Valley. We stopped here for snacks, to chat and take photos.

This was a pretty easy hike, we took lots of time, probably more time than anyone else ever took on this trail. None of us were in a hurry! I was able to clear my head and rejuvinate and didn't mind at all when it was time to come back to the city. I'm looking forward to tomorrow! This time it will be a very close-by, short, escape! Stay tuned!

My Kind of November Biking

When I think of what biking I have done in my life, this was the first time I ever did in November! My calendar reads November 2nd, the scenery color says late autumn, but today's weather screamed summer! Even the golf course was as busy as any summer day!

I enjoyed a very leisurely 32 kilometer bike ride. This babe bought a new pair of biker pants with expectations of having an opportunity to ride in colder temperatures as long as the snow stays away. I tried them out today! I love them! They're keepers! The only thing, it was a little too warm today for them! I was so over dressed for this ride.

I followed the Nose Creek Pathway to the Zoo and stopped to watch these fellows for a bit. I couldn't help but feel sad for the tiny little elephant that lost it's battle with life yesterday. Another sign that hiberanation time is soon upon us, is this fat bushy grey squirrel. He looked ready to explode and was not very quick in motion which is why I was able to get such a great shot.

I veered off in another direction hoping to head towards the Glenmore Reservoir but detour signs were plentiful and the route was taking me places I would rather not go, so did a u-turn and followed the Elbow River for awhile. Do the ducks go south? These ones were having a grand time!

I thoroughly enjoyed today's bike ride. except for that freakin hill just before home! I ran up it fine yesterday but it got the best of me today and brought me to my feet!

Being the optimistic person that I am, my bike is not going to the basement yet. This coming weekend is a four day one for me and my hopes are to ride again!

My Kind of November Running

What a way to ring in November! I headed out the door in shorts, a short sleeve shirt and of course, sunglasses! This was at 8:55 am on November 1st and my choice of attire was ideal!

My intentions were to run my Canadian Tire route, but as I motored on, I felt strong in the morning sunshine so decided to continue past the turn-a-round point and head down into the valley. I heard the traffic in the distance but it was masked by the sound of my foot steps and steady comfortable breathing. Everything was in sync! I love it when this happens!

Going down into the valley, I knew I had to come up out of the valley but I wasn't phased by that today! This is a hill that I have yet to be able to bike all the way up! This morning, I beat the hill...keeping a steady slow pace, keeping my mind on getting to the top...I made it there, still feeling strong at the top I then carried on home!

My work is done, now I have the rest of the day ahead of me!

Today's Mail Delivery

I first heard about the Spirit of the Marathon at the end of last year but did not pay it the attention it was due, due to the fact running another marathon was far from being reality for me. Having a revelation last weekend that, in fact, now I want to go down the marathon road again, I thought this DVD would be motivational and inspirational (I will need all of that I can get). I placed my order on Monday and it was sitting in my mailbox when I arrived home today! Guess what I will be doing sometime this weekend!

Evening Run

This is what the sky looked like out my back door this evening when I got home from my run!I ran my Canadian Tire Loop this evening! What a gorgeous evening! I wore shorts and a short sleeve shirt and here it is, the end of October. I have to brag about that! The last time I ran after work was three weeks ago and at that point I was still having trouble with energy at that time of day. Not today! It felt different! I liked it! I like it like this! The cooler temperatures do it for me! I made it a quicker run as I was nearing home because I didn't want to miss getting a shot of the sky!

I Changed My Mind!

That's my prerogative! My original plan was to take the balance of 2008 off from running after completing the Kelowna Half Marathon! It's been two weeks since completing that race! I have a confession to make! I ran this morning and it never felt so good!

I had a conversation with a fellow co-worker who is a running guru and has given me much guidance. He advised that my original plan was not such a good idea. He let me know that I would be prone to injuries once getting back into running in January. His advice is just to run a couple of times a week, keeping them on the short side, just to maintain some kind of a base.

I purchased new Brooks running pants a few weeks back which I had not tried yet so got that opportunity this morning. They are keepers!

I checked out Leana's post and when she talks about getting ready for her high intensity training for the Walt Disney Marathon I remembered back to a few years ago when I reached that point in my marathon training. I popped in to read Kenny's shopping experience at the Marine Corp Marathon fitness fair. Myself, I never did buy a marathon jacket. Then this morning, Legs & Wings posts about his comeback and thinking and realizing he wants another marathon medal.

Well, I want another marathon medal too!

Lakes & Lookouts

"So close but yet so far" could be another title for today's adventure! We left R's place at 8:45am and we were at the trailhead by 9:45am. It was like a hop, skip and a jump to get there. It's always nice to see other vehicles in the lot when we arrive, to clear the way. You see, the bears have not packed it in for the season yet! Once over the dam and on the other side of the lake, this is where we strolled for quite a distance before the start of the slog. This is where our journey took us and our journey was climbing up the backside which turned out being a two and a half hour slow slog. We will know better to do this hike counterclock-wise, if there is a next time for this one. The fire warden, unlike the bears, has packed it in for the season. Another adventurer told us the contract concluded the end of September. This meant we could frequent the private deck and use the outdoor facilities.

The first two hours we were secluded in the trees from the wild wind and as we approached the opening we stopped to bundle up. The wind howled and the temperature dropped. You get to know you have to come prepared for anything at anytime in this neck of the woods. Above the tree line and out in the elements, R battles the wind to make the final climb to the top.

The trail conditions were slick, I relied on my poles lots this time as my hiker grips are not the greatest. Those that had gone before us packed down the snow to make it similar to skating rink conditions. Once on top, we had a spectacular view of Barrier Lake in all its glory. When the sun shines on the water, the color always amazes me.

Not only are there plenty of mountains to see around us but also structures of all sorts. These are a few. We saw a couple more tucked in behind rocks and trees. All these were in addition to the private residence that had a deck the whole circumference of the house and even a picnic table. We looked in the front door to see all one would need to live a summer here. I wonder how all these came to be, way up here!

Off to the side was a large wooden deck all on its own. I even wonder the intentional purpose of that. Is it for us hikers? We dined on this deck because of the view of all four quadrants. For the first time this season, I brought along a thermos containing coffee made from freshly ground beans and two coffee mugs. The coffee paired nicely with the two bite brownies!

I felt like I was on top of the world, at a place where we could see forever! I felt so far removed from what was only a mere hour east of us. The only sound was the wind! You realize now why this post could also be titled "so close but yet so far"!

Tomorrow's Destination

When you head west, pay attention to when you just past the turnoff to Kananaskis Highway 40. Look up, a way up to your left. Up on top of the mountain you will see what looks like a tiny little structure of some sort. Well, this is what it is! That's where we are going tomorrow! It’s the Barrier Lake Fire Lookout. This is the elevation chart showing we will be hiking a distance of approximately 14 kilometers with an elevation gain of 625 meters.

It's time once again to escape the reality of the concrete jungle and get lost in a place where we can leave all the woes of late behind! It’s a place where you can see forever and feel forever away! The forecast is for sun and +8 degrees! If tomorrow is as windy as it is today, then this hike could prove interesting!

Stayed tuned!

Running Transcends

....to a place in my mind where a flurry of creativity and craftiness never ends!

After reading Nikki’s posts related to her craftiness with card making, I thought I would like to share another of my interests which happens to be scrapbooking! My scrapbooking is running related as you can see. These are just a few of my many pages. Lots of pages include photos of friends who wish to remain anonymous in the blogging world. Some pages are just random about funny running things. I wrote two poems that are a part of my scrapbook (I may share those one day). The race pages show a copy of the entry form, a photo or two, my results, a few stickers and other odds and ends. I am even able to find, at times, sheets of paper suited to a specific race.

Okanagan Half Marathon

(where the wine tasting was just as important as the race)

Canmore Half Marathon

(in the mountains with the wildlife)

Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis

(always important to get a foot photo each year we did this run)

The Thrill of Victory

(the agony of the feet)

Stampede Marathon

(my very first marathon)

Calgary Police Half Marathon

(I had to include a uniform :-)

Victoria Times Colonist 10km

(such a fun run that I would like to do again)

Cochrane Footstock

(such a fun race in the foothills)

Winning Combination !

My Half Marathon weekend got a good kick-off with what one must do if they visit Kelowna, go on a winery tour! At 10:15 am, here I am ready to begin my day at the door of Little Straw Winery. You know you are early when they greet you with water and crackers to clear your mouth of toothpaste taste. Young wines to taste here at this smaller facility. We did get to try a very nice Icewine. It was good to start out quiet and easy.

Our next stop was Quails Gate Winery where the scenery was splendid! We were not first in line here but yet we got special attention being with a tour company. The eight of us sampled a few here and then shopped, of course. We were a little rushed to get to our next appointment for an official tour. The tour was at Mission Hill Winery where we ventured down into the cellar, through some tunnels, into a private room show casing art. Our tasting here was held in a private room around a table with a fireplace off to the side. It was a chilly day, the fireplace was nice. The property was large, beautiful, with gorgeous scenery, so no wonder it was inundated with tasters. Our tour ended with a very late lunch at The Bonfire Restaurant at The Cove Ladekside Resort. Here too, the scenery was spectacular with delicious food. Pasta was no where to be seen on the menu, but what the heck, it was a tasty dressed burger and salad for me.
This day started off with morning indulgence and ended early after a pasta loading feast of spagetti in preparation for the following morning!

RACE DAY!

Give-A-Way!

"Saved the best for last!"

We're not talking about best finish time, but the best of everything else you could ask for in a racing event! My time was in the range of what I had originally hoped for but better than I expected. Before leaving for Kelowna, I posted a hopeful finishing time of somewhere between 2:08 and 2:15 but after Saturday's feast of food and wine, I was just going to do what I could and that turned out being 2:10:19! I'll take that and be very proud of it!
I had a decent night's sleep, a respectable breakfast and the Hotel Shuttle Bus driver waiting for me at 7:15 am to chauffeur me to the start line. Were my stars aligned today? Was it the sign of a well organized event? I was in and out of bag check in a flash! I was in and out of my pottie visit in a wink! It then started to sprinkle but lasted all of five minutes. I scooted over to seed myself, "Oh Canada" played, the count down happened and then John Stanton sent us on our way. Once I heard my beep as I stepped on the starting mat, we then entered a wide open street where the crowd quickly spread out and we were never to be congested again.
The race from beginning to end captured my attention. I saw apple orchards, sprawling hills surround the city, beautiful autumn colors and still yet vibrant flowers. I ran by two horses behind a fence but very close to the road that were showing off their morning friskiness. I may have seen vineyards in the distance! Not sure! I didn't notice the incline but realized there must have been when we were awarded with a couple of significant declines. I couldn't help but put the pedal to the metal on these.
Once we got to the lake, there was a clear blue sky and sunshine. It was picture perfect but no time for photos yet. Sail boats were in abundance as were folks cheering us along. It was nice to see the routers out all along the whole route.
Seeing the finish line not too far way, hearing the announcements and the upbeat blarring music, taking in all the hoots and hollars, I got that feeling inside that invites me to dig a little deeper so I could finish strong down the home stretch. I had a wide open space around me and I gave it all I had. I heard my name, I saw what my time could be, up went my victory sign and on came a wide smile just in time to step on the finishing mat and hear my finishing beep!
We had ideal weather conditions. The route was most scenic. I had an excellent finishing time and a fun time too. I like my shirt and the gloves. The event was so well organized. I'm going out on a running high! Jubilant! Victorious! Content!

A Winning Combination!