Training Updates

Brighton

The past two weeks have been interesting with regards to hiking. Michigan's weather has been predictably unpredictable. Last year's winter was relatively mild. This year we had snow storm after snow storm. We still had quite a bit of snow and cold weather up until about three weekends ago.

Though we had a brief warm spell leading up to the hike at Brighton State Recreation Area, the trail was still covered with snow when we got there. There were a number of patches where snow had melted on the trail but then turned to ice, which made hiking a little exciting... a little too exciting for some. One distracted hiker managed to slip and twist her ankle on a patch of ice along the way. The group had become somewhat strung out along the trail at that point, but fortunately there were about 10 of us around when it happened. After administering a minor bit of first aid, a group of 4 hikers helped her get back to the trailhead while the rest of us completed the hike.

Bald Mountain

In contrast, last week's hike at Bald Mountain Recreation Area started at about 33º F and reached approximately 50º F by the end of the hike. Most of the snow along the trail had melted earlier in the week after a number of warm days. The ground was still cold enough to be firm at the start of the hike but quickly warmed to produce soggy and often times very muddy terrain. Still, it was great to finally be hiking in warmer weather. We were finally getting a chance to see what each other looked like without the many layers of outwear!

Ironically enough, though Bald Mountain is the closest to my house of all the parks we've hiked at so far, it's one of the only ones that I had not visited previously. It's located in a fairly rural part of the county, accessible only by dirt roads as far as I can tell (at least the North Unit that we hiked at). There are quite a few hills along the trailway, which makes it one of the better parks to hike in to prepare for Yosemite (as much as any Michigan trail could).

It was my first hike using a new pair of trail runners that I bought at REI and plan to use for the Yosemite trip. Though I've been using a pair of hiking boots up until this point for my hikes, I wanted something lightweight on my feet to lessen the amount of work required for each footstep. Ever since my John Muir Trail hike, I've been very conscious about trying to stay true to the lightweight backpacking philosophy. I originally wanted a trail runner with a mesh top to reduce the weight. In addition to being light weight, mesh allows the shoe to breath and moisture dissipates quicker than, say a closed leather boot. I went to REI on the last that I could use my 20% off coupon and found they were of stock with the trail runners in my size that fit that description. I didn't want to go much longer without breaking in the set of shoes I'd be using on the trip, as the group training hikes were only getting longer. I tried on a few different pairs they did have in stock and found a pair of Solomon 3D XA Pro XCR trail runners that were light weight and comfortable. They use Gore-Tex (which I have mixed feelings about - manufacturing it is bad for the environment, but it makes it easier for more people to go out and spend time in the environment), which makes them waterproof and breathable, theoretically. Though expensive, with my membership dividend and 20% off coupon in hand, I decided I'd give them a try. I gave them an initial test run by wearing them around the house for a day. My feet became quite warm over the course of a few hours, which made me wonder whether my feet would overheat on the trail. I went online to see what others had to say about the shoes. When I found that most people raved about the shoe, I figured I'd stick with them and give them a chance.

The hike itself was pretty good. I've been trying to find a balance in my expectations for the group hikes. On the one hand, I really enjoy socializing with others on the trail. Indeed, it was a significant reason I choose to join the program (in addition to raising money for a worthy cause, of course). However, I've found that many of the hikers hike much slower than I do and we've been taking a lot of breaks, which makes me worry whether I'm getting sufficient training in for the Half Dome hike. Of course, I do get training in personally throughout the week, but the long weekend hikes are were I feel I get a chance to test my mettle. So for this hike I managed to do a bit of both... I stuck with the majority of the pack and socialized for a good while, then hiked ahead with a small group of the fastest hikers in the group. As a result, we actually completed the hike early enough that we hiked back, met up with the others, then finished the hike again to get some extra mileage in.

Bald Mountain Redux

This past weekend I was unable to make it to the group hike at Stoney Creek due to a conflict with a family trip up to Frankenmuth (we met up with Jennifer's sisters and friends and stayed at a hotel with an indoor water park). So instead, I got a 10 mile run in bright and early Saturday morning, which only took 1.5 hours rather than 4 or so for the hike. I then went back to Bald Mountain this afternoon and solo hiked the same route we did last week (with one minor detour... oops!). Though I realize it's not the safest thing to hike solo, there were a few mitigating factors: I made sure Jennifer knew my route, I was carrying my cell phone, I had extra food & water, and every point along the trail was within about 2 miles of an access point. 

Admittedly, there are some things I like about hiking solo. I can hike at my own pace. I enjoy the opportunity for pontificating without the distraction of being around others. And then there's the wildlife. Hiking alone makes it much easier to hike quietly which in turn makes it more likely that you won't scare away the wildlife long before you even have a chance to see them. This afternoon I was startled a number of times by birds in bushes who hadn't heard me coming but franticly alit as I walked by.

I finished the 8 mile trail in about 2 hours 15 minutes... more than an hour less than the previous week with the group... which illustrates the point I made with regards to the previous hike fairly well. I probably would have been a little faster, too, but I stopped to pick up litter along the way (completely filling a plastic grocery bag I picked up along the trail). It wasn't even close to the 4 hours I was supposed to hike, but since I ran the 10 miles the day before and that same route was good enough for last week, I'm calling it good.

Hike for Recovery

This past weekend involved another non-group training hike due to the Easter weekend. We took the opportunity to make the trip across the state to visit with Jennifer's extended family on the west side of Michigan. We headed across the state on Thursday night to get an extra day in there, though I worked remotely all day Friday. It was a good thing, too, as there was a massive snow storm that hit southern Michigan Friday afternoon which prevented a number of family members from traveling until Saturday morning.

Saturday was busy preparing for the family gathering but I was able to get a good 6.0 mile hike in in the morning around the outer perimeter of the Pentwater Pathways trail. I hiked solo for the majority of the trail, catching up with some podcasts for the first hour, then took the headphones off and just enjoyed the solitude. The trail was completely covered by hard packed snow, approximately 6-12 inches deep or so. I was worried that I might start post-holing half way around and that it would be a hard hike back but it never happened. The woods were beautiful with a half inch of freshly fallen snow from the night before and clear, sunny skies.

At around mile 4.25, I came across a man with two dogs in a parking lot abutting an access point along the trail. It quickly became apparent that his VW Touareg had become stuck in the soft snow along the edge of the parking area. I volunteered to help him get unstuck, though it proved much harder than I had anticipated. Though it had AWD, it had bottomed out under the engine and all the wheels were spinning. Using nearby branches we dug out the snow from under the vehicle and put underbrush under behind the tires to try to give it some traction, but it wasn't enough.

About this time, another car came along with a woman and man. We warned them about parking in the lot. They took our word, though as they were turning around they managed to get stuck as well! Fortunately their vehicle was much lighter and we were able to get it moving again.

They then got out and helped us with the Touareg. After some experimenting and several tries, we were able to get it out of the snow by putting down blankets, towels, and reusable grocery bags the owners had in the backs of their vehicles. It also took three guys (including myself) rocking the SUV back and forth while the woman pulsed the gas in reverse.

During the course of the half hour event, the Touareg owner and I struck up a conversation. I told him about my participation in the Hike For Discovery program, that I was from the metro Detroit area and and who I was staying with in the area. As is probably common in many small communities, everybody seems to know everybody. Though he lives in the metro Detroit area as well, it turns out his mother and Jennifer's grandfather have been friends since childhood. After we had gotten his vehicle unstuck, he decided that he still wanted to walk his dogs so he joined me for about a mile or so and we just chatted.

Sometimes life throws the most unexpected things at you. Thankfully this one was a good one.

Vasa Trail

This weekend Jennifer and I headed up to Traverse City for a weekend getaway. Since I wouldn't be able to participate in the group hike, we did a little research on trails around Traverse City to see if we could find a nice wooded trail about 6-7 miles long. Based on some pamphlets at the Bed & Breakfast we were staying at, we decided to check out the Vasa Trail, which has an 11 km loop route.

When we got to the trail head, it was apparent that the trail was primarily used for cross country skiers in the winter. In fact, there was a sign posted indicating that walking on the groomed was not allowed. With no un-groomed trails marked on the trail maps, we decided we would hike along the edge of the 11 km trail anyway to gauge the situation and see if we could find any other trails.

The terrain was somewhat challenging, with many rolling hills. The condition of the trail was mostly excellent due to its grooming. However, because we were hiking along the edge, there were a few places that were fairly soft and deep that our feet would sink into. The scenery was fantastic. The woods looked so peaceful and serene covered in a blanket of snow.

We passed a handful of skiers at the beginning of the trail but nobody said anything to us about hiking on the trail. It wasn't until about half way around that a skier went by and made a disgruntled comment about the posting regarding no walking on the groomed trails as he sped by. Occasionally we would pass by a track or two heading into the woods that looked like they could be side trails, but with no maps detailing where they went, we weren't about to set off bushwhacking.

So we completed the trail, trying our best to minimize the impact to the skiers. The snow was well packed due to its use, grooming, and a warm spell followed by colder temperatures, so impact from out footprints was minimal. Additionally, we only walked along the edge alongside the grooves created for track skiers where the only impact was to the snow already cut up from the placement of the track skiers' poles. That said, to clear our conscience when we were done we decided to make a donation of $20 rather than the $8 day use suggestion. Next time we'll bring skis or visit in the summer.

First three weeks

The first three weeks have been a great so far. While the hikes themselves have not been much of a challenge (1 hr, 1 hr, 2 hrs), I've met a lot of great people, diverse in their backgrounds.

Week 1
The first hike was along the Paint Creek Trail, which I've run and biked many times before. After the hike I had breakfast with a number of people in the group at a local family restaurant I had driven past many times but never eaten at. Being someone who works from home, it was nice to get out and socialize with others.

People met:

• Marcia: Former heart surgeon at Beaumont. Her father is suffering from a blood cancer at the moment.
• Kelly: U of M grad, nurse who works at the same hospital as my mother and knows her.
• Marnie: Graduated from U of M, spent 6 years in southern California, spent a bit of time in SF Bay Area for later job, now back in SE Detroit and works for Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
• Mandie: The east group hike leader. She's a fellow techie who's a business consultant at U of M. She's also into trail running and participated in a half Ironman triathlon last year.
  

Later on in the week I happened to find out one of my good friends from the University of Michigan, Anil Arora, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Anil and I had a number of artificial intelligence classes together, both as undergrads and graduate students. We moved out to California within a month of each other with job offers from Netscape. The both of us also happened to leave Netscape a few short months later to join start-ups. Anil has been writing about his experience so far on his blog.

Week 2
The second hike was at Stoney Creek Metro Park. Though I'm very familiar with the paved loop around the lake there, the hike was actually along one of the paths I've never been on near the nature center. I started the morning with a 5 mile run prior to the hike, as I'm also training for a few half marathons and I was planning on meeting up with some other people. Though my half marathon training schedule called for 6 miles, I only had time for 5 and I figured the hike counted for something. I was also up until 2 AM working on finishing up my donation letter, printing it out, printing the labels and stuffing the envelopes, so waking up early to run more was not going to happen.

After the run, I did a quick change from my wet running clothes into dry hiking clothes at the warming shelter and made a B-line for the trail head near the nature center. The trail was very snowing and mostly a single track. It was hard to carry on a conversation single file, so I decided to tromp through the unpacked snow most of the way. It was much like walking through loose sand at the beach... good exercise for my ankles.

People met:

• Holly: Local architect who focuses on sustainability and eco-friendly development. Her new office in Birmingham has insulation made of recycled and factory remnant blue-jean material! She's also participating in century ride for Team in Training and is an avid runner.

Week 3
The third hike was a east/west group combined hike at Island Lake Recreation Area. I had been to the park once before back in college but had never hiked any of the trails. There had been a thaw-freeze cycle that week which made the trail head parking lot and hiking trail very slick. Due to the ice, our progress was slow going and as a group we weren't moving fast enough to finish the 5-mile loop in the 2 hours, so we turned around at the 2-mile / 1 hour mark and backtracked. It was a bit colder than I had anticipated and probably should have worn slightly warmer gloves, but my hands finally warmed up after the first hour. My upper body was surprisingly comfortable in just a medium-weight synthetic base layer and waterproof breathable shell.

After the hike I went out to lunch at a local coney island near the park with a few people from the hike and discussed our backgrounds and fund raising ideas. Again, it was great to get out of the house and socialize with like-minded people.

People met:

• Eli: Works in Ann Arbor at a medical device firm that makes devices used in open heart surgery. He's done a bit of canyoneering in souther California and will be summiting Mt Rainier a week before his RMNP hike.
• Eric: Account manager for a packaging company in Ann Arbor/Manchester area. Recently moved here from Kentucky.
• Liz: 9th grade teacher in Ypsilanti.
• Linda: Senior age psychologist who has participated in two century rides through Team in Training.

Due to the icy conditions, instead of running 7 miles for my half marathon training at Island Lake SP, I elected to do it at the gym on the treadmill the following day. I forgot how mind numbingly boring it is to run anything more than 5-6 miles on the treadmill. Next time I think I'll head outdoors.