What I Learned, Looking Forward, Looking Back: October 2026

Welcome to November! I know it's already a few days in, but let's do a quick recap of October! In October, I had a good mix of outdoors and in, time with friends, familiar places and new. In all of them, I walked or ran, and I find this such a good way to really get the feel of a place! One thing that surprised me is that despite hiking a lot at the beginning of the month, I still felt a bit bloaty and sluggish at the end of the month. So, I did two things. First, I weighed myself for the first time in a looooong time. Not because I care too much about the number, but because I am going to try to start logging my food so that I am focusing on eating more healthily. The last six months of bike ride + road trip + hiking trip does NOT equal healthy eating habits. 

Secondly, I went for a DEXA scan, one of many (this is my fourth in the last 8 years) to see how my body fat percentage and bone density compared to my last three scans. Good news: the density has gotten a little worse, but not significantly, and I am still above average (meaning better than, not worse than). Not as good of news, my body fat percentage has gone up. However, the abdominal area fat (VAT), which can be dangerous, is low, and I have excellent fat distribution, as in, I store my fat in my hips and thighs rather than my abdomen. 

You all remember that I have high(ish) cholesterol though? I giggled a bit when the doctor told me I should exercise more (I had just finished riding 1,000 km / 621 miles around Taiwan) and eat less fatty foods (which I don't really do anyway). However, to be fully honest, I do have a hamburger and fries from time to time (ahem, or during TBE, on the daily). So I am not going to cut all joy out of my life, but I am going to work on being more aware. So I guess this is a long way of saying that CWBC will not just be in October for me. Also, since I am no longer riding a bike, I will not be eating cookies for lunch. 

As always, I'd love to hear what you're up to! Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

Where was I? California, UK

October; brought to you by the color yellow

What country related books or documentaries did I watch? 

Read: Trespasses by Louise Kennedy (Northern Ireland during The Troubles) - I wanted to learn more about The Troubles, but mostly I found the writing moody and the character kind of unlikable, plus there is an adultery aspect. I did however enjoy the human aspect of it, where the main character takes a boy and his family under her wing, despite it being sometimes looked against. 

Watched: A Tour of Accents in England and 20 British Accents in One Video. I can tell a UK accent, and most likely note if it Scottish or Irish, but I am not good at telling a Scouse (person from Liverpool) from a Mancunian (person from Manchester), despite them having very specific and well known accents. I am working on my game though. 

Did I complete any other items on this year's looking forward list? 

✅ New food <-- Donatello let me try a piece of his Epic Salmon Jerky. It was pretty good. 

✅ New beer <--  Mountain Rambler Helldiver IPA (Bishop, CA)

✅ New States  <-- none

✅ New National Parks  <-- none

✅ New thing <-- Peace Wall, Belfast

✅ Hiked/ran in: California, Belfast, Liverpool

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1. What is the name of last month's chapter? 

January: Devouring the Sweet Potato

February: Back in the Groove

March: Serenity Before the Storm

April: Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

May: The Ring of Fire and Ice

June: On The Road Again

July: A River Rides Through It

August: That's What Friends Are For

September: Four Legged Friends

October: Something Old, Something New, Something Yellow...

I had a great time in my old stomping ground, but also enjoyed the new sights! No matter what though, there was a lot of yellow! 

2. What did I learn last month? 

I learned that parts of the 2022 version of the movie Batman were filmed in Liverpool, England. Actually, although Gotham city is supposedly inspired by New York, much of it is actually filmed in the UK. Who knew? Also, I did not even realize there was a 2022 Batman movie, or that Edward (Robert Pattinson) was in it. I clearly am not much of a movie watcher! Or perhaps it is because I am team Jacob. 

3. What was the weather like? 

It was great for the most part! In the Sierras it was in the 70s (weird) and I went swimming! In the rest of California it was in the 70s or even 80s some days, and I went swimming! In the UK, I arrived alongside storms Austen & Boelo, which delivered ~ 80 mph winds in some areas, lots of rain, and caused many power outages and closures. I did not go swimming, unless you count the puddles or the sea foam that covered me when I went to the coast. 

Welcome to the UK

4. What event last month was my favorite?

I have decided to change this question, as I kind of hate it. NEW QUESTION: What are some of the highlights of your last month? I really enjoyed my time in the Sierras. I used to go do a hike there at least once a month, sometimes more, and often in the offseason, like in May, when there was still snow, but there were basically no people. I miss that, and it was nice to do it again. There's nothing like some fresh air, exercise and open space to really clear your mind. I also really liked seeing the Bighorns, and learning more about The Troubles and The Beatles. 

Pinchot Pass 12,090 feet

5. What was the best thing read, listened to or watched last month? 

Book: I enjoyed Mad Mabel. It was fun and quirky and kind of reminded me of the Thursday Murder Club, in a good way! 

Movie/Show: On my flight, I actually got my year's worth of movies watched! I saw Project Hail Mary, I Swear, and Pressure. All of them were good, although I Swear made me cry a little, but is well worth a watch! It is a true story of a boy in Scotland named John Davidson who has Tourette syndrome. At this time nobody knew what it was and everyone thought he was acting out on purpose. He gets into a lot of trouble over it, but in the end, he goes on to help others with Tourette syndrome and educate teachers, police and other community members. 

Podcast: I listened to the entire season of Adrift, which I believe was suggested by Engie! It was entertaining! I also sometimes listen to the News in Easy Spanish, and this story about the owls in New York was interesting. (I only learned the word for owl by reading Harry Potter in español in 2020! I also learned the word for "wand" and "whisper!") The episodes are only a few minutes long so you don't get burned out! 

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

In my last post, I promised to tell you about the naked guy! Buckle in! Broski and I decided to take a hike, well actually he wanted to play with a camera that he borrowed and I wanted to get exercise and go for a swim. So we compromised by deciding to go to a swimming pool I had been wanting to check out for awhile, where he could take photos and I could swim. We did a really nice hike on a beautiful river with lovely rocks and views, we took lots of photos and played with aperture and f-stop and stuff, then we walked to the swimming hole. 

On the way to the hole, we found a sign that basically said that public nudity was illegal, but around here, people turn the other cheek (ha! Pun not intended!) so that you may see some nudity at the river. We figured, well, it's October, on a weekday, at 10 am...the chances are pretty slim! You know where this story is going, don't you?  We arrived at the swimming hole, were the only ones there, and I coerced persuaded Broski to swim with me. We were just about to jump in and Donald Duck comes walking down the path to us. I'm telling you, shirt no pants, top no bottoms, wienerschnitzel flapping; he says howdy and starts talking to us.  

Funny thing, first of all, my brother and I were in our undies because my brother did not bring a swimsuit because it's OCTOBER and I never wear one. But really we were overdressed compared to Donald. He turned out to be a nice guy, an engineer, and we did our cold plunge and let him have the beach to himself. But the funny thing is... since my brother was practicing using his borrowed camera, we had set up a video to test out the timelapse as we jumped in the water, so we got Donald on camera! That one is not going to be on the blog, folks. 

The swimming hole

7. What am I looking forward to this month?

Spending time with my Scotland friends and their kids (who were the ones that I first watched Traitors with!), exploring some places I have been before in more detail, and many more new things that I don't even know about yet. 

Your turn! To copy/paste, highlight the text below and click CTRL-C, then put the cursor in the comment box and click CTRL-V.

OCTOBER:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that?

2. What did you learn last month?

3. What was the weather like where you are?

4. What are some of the highlights of your last month?

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month? 

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

NOVEMBER: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! Have you ever been to a nude beach? Have you ever swam in the nude? 

The Mountains Are Calling

John Muir, of whom you will hear more about in my national parks post (coming soon!), once said, "the mountains are calling, and I must go." So I went. Luckily this also coincided with the CBWC, where we walk (or move) at least 10 minutes per day in October. Count me in! 

Muir quote - BC, Canada
(In every walk with nature one receives
far more than he takes)

At the end of September, I heeded his words and went to hike the John Muir Trail (JMT) with a friend, whom I shall call Donatello. The reason for this is that long distance hikers get a trail name, and my friend kept "turtling," aka bending over to take the weight of his pack off his hips and neck, so his pack was like a turtle shell, and when he did it we would say, "turtle power" like one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (remember them!?) 

Bear cannister, backpack ready to go, JMT sign at Lyell Canyon

The JMT is officially a 211 mile trail that goes from the Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mt. Whitney, which is the highest mountain in the continental US, at 14,505 feet. Once you are done, you have to get off the mountain, so really it is another 11 miles to the trailhead at Whitney Portal. 

Mt. Whitney - 1995

The JMT is mostly above 9,000 feet, and goes over 11 passes, the lowest being around 10,000 feet and the highest being over 13,000 feet. I have been to the summit of Whitney several times before, and have actually covered most of the 211 miles over the years in drips and drabs, but I was very excited to do it all in one go. However, we had a few issues right from the get go. 

It is hard to get a permit. This is the understatement of the year. Permits are issued by trailhead by a lottery system that you must apply for 168 days in advance. If you want to start at the official start (Happy Isles trailhead), only about 15-20 permits are issued per day. Because of this, we started at the Lyell Canyon (Tuolumne Meadows) trailhead instead, which is about 20 miles from the "real" start. Also, we had to do it late in the year, as summertime permits are highly sought after. 

Happy Isles trailhead - 2012

There are no towns on the trail. For the entire 211 mile trail, there are no towns, meaning there is no way to get food, meaning you have to get creative. Normally there are three seasonal near trail mountain resorts where you can send food to, but they all close down...guess when...at the end of September. This means that in order to get food after that, you have to get off trail. Did I mention that most of the trail is above 9,000 feet? So this means that to get off trail you have to go up and over a pass and back down to civilization which often means a long uphill climb and an even longer descent, and extra miles. 

Kearsarge Pass - extra miles!

Da Bears! As Mike Ditka says, there are bears. This means you have to carry all of your food in a bear cannister, which adds about 2-3 pounds to your pack, and is an odd shape, making it hard to fit a lot of food in it. Also, due to (see above) the fact that there are no towns, we ended up having to carry eight days of food for one section, meaning that you have to fit enough food to keep you going but you have limited space! Also the average calorie burn per day is about 3,000-4,000 calories, and on some days is closer to 4,500 calories. Due to size limitations, I carried about 3,000 calories worth of food per day. 

8 days worth of food

However, despite some of these challenges, we figured it out. It did mean a lot of logistics discussions, sending food to places, figuring out how to get off trail and into town to get our food, and coordinating rides, but it was doable, and completely worth it. 

Gratuitous Pika photo. You're welcome.

I won't bore you all with a day by day of the hiking trail, but I will go over some of the highlights, challenges, lessons learned along the way and a couple of interesting bonus hiking facts. 

Highlights: 

Fall colors, one day of snow, lack of people on trail, surprisingly good weather, swimming in the alpine lakes and creeks, spending time with my friend, quiet mornings, sunrises and sunsets, sleeping under the stars, seeing bighorn sheep (only 400 left in California), being home among the big rocks and trees. 

Some highlights

Cowboy camping (no tent)

Nighttime view

Challenges: 

Sore feet, a bit of nausea due to the elevation on the first and third day, rocky downhills, warm uphills with no shade. 

Getting snowed on!

Snow falling on firs

Lessons Learned: 

A lot of animals start hibernating or migrating in September (marmots, snakes, birds) so we did not see as many as expected. Tree squirrels never hibernate, some birds don't migrate at all (Stellar jay, some woodpeckers, some chickadees), there are only 400 bighorn in CA, the yellow leaved trees are aspens not birches, and much more! 

Quaking Aspens

Here all year!

Bighorn bachelors

Bonus Hiking Facts: 

I know you are all wondering, where do you go to the bathroom!? Well...there are no toilets. You must dig a six inch deep cathole in the dirt at least 100 feet away from any water, campsites or the trail, and bury your waste, but not the paper! You have to carry the paper (and any female supplies, which I also had to do) to a trash receptacle in town. In the Whitney zone, since it is more impacted, you actually have to carry your waste completely out of the backcountry. This sounds gross, but I know many of you are dog owners and you pick up their waste, or have had kids whose diapers need changing, so really it is not that different. 

In Montana some campsites have shovels. 
In the Sierra you have to carry your own trowel!

But what about showering? Did you really go eight days without a shower? The answer is yes. I swam three times, but you are not allowed to use soap in the streams or lakes so I just scrubbed my pits with water (but the water is COLD). I also either wash off my legs, feet and face in a stream in the evening or I use a dry wet wipe to scrub off any dirt before getting into bed. Sure I smell bad, but the good thing about being a JMT hiker is that the PCT hikers always smell worse than you do (they are on trail much longer). 

Dirty legs!

What about safety on trail, or animals at night? There is no cell service on trail, but I carry a satellite messenger that I can use to contact emergency services if needed. Donatello also carried one and we can communicate with each other if needed via our messengers. Regarding animals at night, for the most part they are just curious, and 99.99% of the time they run away from  you if you say hello to them (or I like to say, "go away doggie"). The only time this has not been true is when people have fed them (PS please DO NOT feed wild animals!) or they have gotten used to human food (PS please DO NOT leave food out in your campsite!) which is why we have to carry bear cannisters and I always hang my food when I am not in cannister areas. 

Trail rules

Unfortunately, Donatello had a family emergency and we had to get off trail early, but all in all, here are some of our stats! 

Total trail miles, including going off trail to get food: 180

Total days on trail: 13

Total cups of hot chocolate consumed: 12

Total power bars eaten: 25

Times went swimming: 3

Times snowed on: 1

Days over 70 degrees: 11

Nights below freezing: 0 (got lucky! Two very close at 33 degrees)

Audiobooks listened to: 2 (I spent a lot of time in silence actually)

Animal count: Marmot 0, Snake 1 (racer snake), Bear 0, Coyote 1 (heard many more), Pika 3, Squirrel many, Woodpecker 0 (heard but not seen), Deer 20, Chipmunk many (including one that ran right over my foot), Mouse 1, Bighorn Sheep 10 (?), and my favorite, the Cheeseburger bird (aka mountain or black capped chickadee) 1, We also saw and heard many Dark Eyed Junco, Stellar Jay, Clarks Nutcracker, Mallard and American Coot. 

Any questions? 

Have you ever been to the Sierra Nevada? Where is the weirdest place you have gone to the bathroom? Have you ever seen a bear? 

10 Things To Do In San Francisco

I know many of you have probably already been to San Francisco, and have done the usual touristy things (Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Golden Gate...etc.) but thought it would be fun to provide you with a few of the lesser known things to do on your next trip that are a bit less touristy! Or, if you have never been, perhaps you can do a bit of both. This is obviously not an all encompassing list, but just a small slice of the many fun things to do! Everything on this list can be reached by public transportation or on foot, or there are many public bikes and scooters if your feet need a break (link to below map here). 

                   

1) Twin Peaks / Sutro Tower: My family has always called the tower Godzilla, and I am not sure why because I Googled it and can only find reference to it being called the Space Claw... It is kind of a monstrosity either way, and was built in 1973 (it recently had its 50th birthday) to help improve the television signal in the city. However, the real reason to go up there is the fun drive (or hike if you are feeling athletic; it is only a couple of miles depending on where you start) up and down and the great view you get from the top! 

View of downtown from Twin Peaks

(2) Golden Gate Park: This is a lot of ground to cover, but a favorite loop of mine is to go and ogle the bison in their paddock (2a), walk past the Dutch windmills and tulips (2b) (in bloom in February) and then end up at Ocean Beach (2c), where you can watch the (kind of scary) waves of the Pacific beat on the shore. If you like walking a lot, you can keep going and head over to the Cliff House (2d), an icon of the city, and the Sutro Baths (2e), where people used to bathe with a view of the ocean! For these places basically being in the middle of the city, they can all be surprisingly quiet. Tip from a local: bring a jacket, no matter what month it is. It gets chilly on that side of the city! 

Dutch windmills & tulips

(3) Land's End: If you keep walking after the Sutro Baths, you will get to Lands End, a dirt walking trail along the coast, which has some good views of the ocean and the Marin Headlands to the north. Also, this is right near the Legion of Honor (3a), which is worth a look-see (and if you don't want to walk so much, you can split the park and these two places into two groups). 

(4) Irving Street: Since we are already down near the park, we may as well go to Irving Street for something to eat! There is pretty much anything you could want between 19th St. and 24th St., but some of my favorite things to get are either pho, dim sum or Thai food (Marnee Thai  (4a) is a must and if you go, you have to try the kanom krok - even if you don't see it on the menu, ask for it). You also can't go wrong if you just wander, or stop when you are hungry (after your GG park walk you will be!) This guy has a fun map with restaurant names and notes. Oh, and if you feel like straying a bit for a good pizza or bread, check out Arizmendi Bakery (4b) on 9th and Irving. 

(5) Chinatown: Pick up some dim sum to-go from Delicious Dim Sum (5a) and sit in Portsmouth Square (5b) where you will have a view of the Transamerica tower, and watch the locals play their daily board games. They really get into it and it is fun to watch the competitions arise! Plus the area is just so vibrant; it is a great place to people watch. 

Delicious dim sum!

After that, if you feel like being a tourist, you can walk down Grant Street, or if you want to see how the locals shop, take a stroll down Stockton Street (5c). Local tip: You can get great prices on fruit and vegetables here. If you want to buy anything from the shops, there are not really proper lines. Just walk in, put your item on the scale next to the register and get your dollars out quick. It is a dog eat dog world out there and you need to be quick to win your right to pay for your goods! Also, I have never paid with a card, so I can't confirm whether they take them, but I would have cash on hand just in case. 

(6) Filbert Steps: These go from Sansome Street up to Coit Tower, so they are a little touristy, but it is also  fun to go up or down them. It is a stairway within a neighborhood and it is fun to check out everyone's gardens and at the same time you get a glimpse of the Bay Bridge and the San Francisco bay. If you feel like doing a loop, I like to go up (or down) Vallejo Street (6a) which is also steep but provides a nice view. If you like hidden staircases like I do, San Francisco has over 600 public stairways (map here) for you to explore; here is an article about 11 of them to get you started. 

(7) The Murals in the Mission: Head down to Clarion Alley (7a) and scope out the cool murals, and afterward, go and get a burrito. There are so many places to choose from, and you can't go wrong with most of them, but I often end up at either El Farolito (7b) on Mission & 24th or El Toro Taqueria (7c). And don't forget to eat the burrito properly, which I describe in this post. You can also find more mural locations in this article. 

(8) Crissy Field/Fort Point: If you feel like taking a nice walk along the water, you can go from Crissy Field down to Hopper's Hands (Fort Point) (8a), which is about 1.5 miles each way. If this is too much, there are options: you can park in the Warming hut lot (8b), which makes the walk only about half a mile, or you can drive all the way to Fort Point if the gate is open. Either way, it is a great way to get outside and get some fresh air, plus you have the added bonus of a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the water, the Marin Headlands and the city! Basically you can't go wrong. Don't forget to touch Hopper's Hands for good luck when you get to Fort Point! 

Fort Point

View from Crissy Field

(9) Fort Mason: You can go and watch the sea lions at Fisherman's wharf, or you can go to Fort Mason instead and watch them at the marina, swimming around and sunning themselves on the docks. Also, if you are looking for love, supposedly the Safeway (9a) across the street is frequently listed as one of the city's best pick-up spots and is affectionately known as the "Dateway." 

Fort Mason / Marina

(10) Biking the Embarcadero: Most people talk about San Francisco's hills and how scary they are when running or biking, but despite the rumors, there are a lot of flat options! The simplest one is to bike along the Embarcadero where you will have to climb a small hill to get to Fort Mason, but after that, you will go back down towards the Marina and Crissy Field where it is flat again. Of course, you can make this a multi-mile trip pretty easily: the Mission is also flat, Ocean Beach/Great Highway are gorgeous, you can even bike to Sausalito (and beyond)! Really the city is your oyster. 

Bay Bridge / Embarcadero

Well there you have it folks, a handful of fun things to pick from next time you are in San Francisco! Of course feel free to ask questions if you need more information! 

Have you ever been to San Francisco? Have you been to any of the places/done any of the things on this list? If not, what is your "local tip" for your neck of the woods? 

Way Too Cool 50k

I was picked up from my house at 3:30 am. Yes, that is A.M. This is what happens when you catch a ride with other people; you have no control over the timelines. Ha! The reason for this was that we were driving to Cool, CA to run the Way Too Cool 50k. To get into this race, you have to put your name in a lottery. When I received the notice that I got in, I was so excited, and I went to the entrants list to find out who else had gotten in that I know. There were 1200 entrants on the list! This is not normal for a trail race. Usually it is anywhere from 200 - 600 people. I have to admit, I had to groan at this a bit, because this is a lot of (too many) people. However, I was excited to run in a place where I had only run a couple of times before. Plus, part of this course is on the Western States course, which is kind of fun.

Cool is in the Sierra Nevada foothills about 20 miles from Sacramento, near the American river, in a gold mining area. It was a stagecoach stop during the gold rush.  It's a really pretty area and there are tons of trails to hike, and swimming and fishing in the river to be had.

We arrived in Cool before 6 am. We got a great parking spot, thanks to the early departure, and went to pick up our bibs etc. I was there with two other people, one who was running and another who had not signed up, but was going to wear the bib (without chip) of a friend and run with the other friend for a while. It was pretty cold so we stayed in the car to keep warm until the start. Once the sun came out, we got ready to go. This race has so many people that there is a wave start. I was in wave one, which started at 8 am.

The race started and we were all running in a pack. There were so many people; we could not really run any faster or slower; we just had to scoot along with everyone else. I stopped for a pit stop and then caught back up to my friends. The first mile was on a paved road and then it turned into a single track. The single track was brutal, as there really was no room to pass. I was going at about a 10 minute mile, which was slower than I wanted to go, especially since it was fairly flat.

Around mile 3, we went through our first water crossing for the day. It would not be the last. It had rained the week before and the creeks were running full, and the trail was very, very muddy. Everyone was slipping and sliding around and trying to avoid the really big, slippery sections, but it was difficult. The single track loop lasted for about 8 miles, then we looped back around to the start.

The next loop started out kind of flat, then there was a downhill section leading down to the river, where we ran along the river for a while. My legs were getting tired, as by this time, I had been running for a while. This course was so far the flattest trail race I had ever run. Usually there are some ups and some downs, which give you a chance to regroup a bit and regain your strength, but this was flat our running for a really long time. Until about mile 15, I was running about an 8:30 pace.

At mile 15, we started up a hill and my pace slowed to about 10 minutes, then as the hill got steeper, it became 13 minutes, then 16 minutes. Around mile 15, I also started to have to use the restroom, but I thought that at the next aid station there would be a portapotty. There wasn't, so I waited until the next one. Still nothing. By mile 26 or so, I was bursting. I would have just pulled over and gone in the bushes, but there was poison oak everywhere! Around mile 20, the hill stopped and the course flattened out a bit. It was rolling up and down a little, but was still pretty runnable the whole time. My legs were pretty tired by this point and I started to slow to about a 12 minute pace. The only reason I was even keeping it that fast was because I really had to use the bathroom!

I crossed the finish at 5:12 and ran straight to the portapotties, do not pass go, do not collect $200! Afterward, I went back to the race expo, where there was recovery drink, pizza, and the famous frog cupcake! The day had turned out really nice and it was really great to just sit in the sun and eat pizza. I hung out for a while and chatted with some of the other racers.

The verdict? I don't think I would do this race again. The sheer number of people is a turn off. It feels commercial. I didn't really like the big expo full of people trying to sell things after the race. However, the shirt is great and the food afterward was pretty good. The location is good and if you are brave, you can even go for a dip in the river afterward. Also, I feel that it would be a great race for your first 50k. Its well organized and there is not too much elevation gain and it's almost like a road race feel in a trail-like setting.

Also, unless you are super fast, it is really hard to place in this race! I was number 11 in my age group, 203/1026 overall, and 41/422 in my gender. The number one guy finished in 3:16; the number one girl finished in 3:53.

Have you ever been to gold rush country? Do you like it when a race has a big expo? What is your favorite treat after a workout?

On The Road Again

I have only three words to explain last week: What A Week!

First, work has been slammed lately. Add to that the fact that I took Wednesday - Friday off last week for a road trip to Vegas and the Grand Canyon, and it makes for a very busy Monday and Tuesday. Add to that two different meetings on Monday, which meant less time to do the normal work stuff, and we had a pretty interesting first couple of days.

City of lights sin

But then...we were off! As soon as I was off work on Tuesday, I was picked up by the fabulous five, aka Broski, his lady, her sister and the sister's kids. Let me set the scene. We were all riding in a Dodge Journey, but since there were so many of us, we rented a small U-haul trailer for all the stuff. I have taken a few road trips in my day and the key to a good road trip is (1) the snacks / drinks and (2) the tunes. We started the trip off with a stop at the local taco truck, where the lady got a burrito longer than her arm. Then we cranked up the tunes and we were off.

First things first: burrito

If you have ever taken a road trip, you will know that it brings out the best (cough, cough) in everyone. This trip started off great. It started off like rain (ray-e-aiiiiin) on your wedding day. In fact, on Tuesday, while I was still at work, I got a call from the lady, who stated that her sister had changed her mind and did not want everyone to ride in the same car. She was going to drive her own car.

This was at 10 am, when they were set to pick me up at 3. This was after Broski had already rented the trailer so that we could carry all the extra stuff. This was after we had to decided to drive instead of fly, since there were going to be 6 of us. This was after we had already made a spreadsheet breaking down the misc costs for each of the different travel options. The lady was not happy. I was slammed with work so did not have time to think about it, but was not sure what to expect when they picked me up.

When I met them at 3, surprisingly everyone was in the car. However, as soon as I got in, someone had to use the bathroom. And then, someone else needed food. You see how it goes. So we got the arm's length burrito and got on the road. We probably stopped at least 4 more times in a four hour time period, causing that period to stretch to to 6 hours, causing us to arrive in Bakersfield around 10. We originally were going to drive all the way through to Vegas, but there are a few things that stopped us.

(1) Sister did not want to drive at night. (2) The addition of the trailer meant we had to go much slower than we would have without it, causing our trip time to be much, much slower than normal. (3) Multiple bathroom and food breaks, which added at least 10 minutes to every hour, maybe more like 15.

My takeaway from Bakersfield? It smells bad. Have you ever been past Harris Ranch? It stinks. Then you get to Bakersfield and believe it or not, it smells even worse! Add to that a teenage boy and a lactose intolerance and you have quite an interesting scent profile in the car.

We decided to get up very early the next morning and drive to Vegas so we would have as much time as possible to spend in the city of sin. Somehow, the plan was to "get up at 3:30". When I asked what time we were planning on leaving, nobody answered me. We ended up leaving at 4:30 after getting up at 3:30. After going to bed around 11 or so the night before, I was Grumpy McGrumpster that morning.

We watched the sun rise as we were heading across the high desert, and we arrived in Vegas around lunch time. After a drive back and forth on the strip, we went for a buffet lunch, which was not super great but we had to do it (plus I got to try ALL the desserts). Next was the New York, New York roller coaster and then the obligatory strip walk, complete with Bellagio water display. We had dinner at the Venetian and then headed to the Rio for Penn and Teller, which was probably my favorite part of the Vegas portion of our trip. The only problem was that the show started at 9, and I was pretty much ready for bed around 5 pm. The redeeming factor is that the Rio has serve yourself frozen yogurt for FIVE DOLLARS. Not $5 an ounce, but a five dollar flat fee for as much as you can fit in the cup. Score.

The Venetian

After we got back, the ladies went out to gamble a few rounds and I passed right out. It was a fun filled day, but I was plum tuckered out!!

Next up: Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon and more Vegas shenanigans.

Have you ever been on a long road trip? Do you like to gamble? Have you ever been to Vegas?

It's a Small World After All

Thanks to MLK, I had an extra day to play around with this weekend. It was going to be a road trip with a couple of friends, but when they both flaked out, I decided to just go on my own.

I actually like (and even love) traveling on my own. If I want to stop for a three hour run that may become a 1 hour run or a 5 hour run, I can. If I feel like taking photos of rocks, I can. If I am hungry, I eat. I never have to worry that I am putting someone else out or that they are not having fun or that I am making them wait.

Originally, I was going to go to South Lake Tahoe with two people. Person number one LOVES to gamble, loves to drink, but does not ski, doesn't really like to hike, does not run, does not love waiting for someone who is taking photos of flowers.

Person number two does not run, loves to hike and ski, does not love to gamble, likes to drink, and does not love waiting for someone who is taking photos of flowers. So, having the two people with me would have been interesting.

Why? Because I do not like to drink that much, am not a huge fan of gambling and would go to Tahoe mostly for activities (mainly skiing, hiking or running). But both people did not go. So, after a little consideration, I went alone. The main thing holding me back was the cost. A hotel room is a lot cheaper when you are sharing it with two other people! However, I threw away my frugal hat and decided to go for it, regardless of cost.

I left Oakland on Saturday morning around 7:30 am. My first stop was Starbucks (yes, it was) for a road trip coffee. You cannot have a road trip without coffee. It's just not possible. My second stop was an old favorite in one of the agricultural areas of California. It used to be a tiny fruit stand when I was a young child, and has now blown up to a fruit stand, snack stand, pit stop. They still have some of the cheapest and freshest fruit and veggies around! I got some dried fruit, some real fruit, and some nuts for the ride north. Again, a road trip would not be a road trip without SNACKS!

My plan was to stop somewhere for a run in the middle of my trip and then head north to Tahoe, where I would take photos of mountains and lakes and sunrises and then get some dinner.

So, first I stopped along the way near Auburn, where I ran on the same route as the Western States 100 mile race (WSER). I have to admit, I was not really in the mood to run, but it was a nice route all the same. The views of the American River are stunning.

I went UP.

Middle Fork American River

After the run, I ate most of my road trip snacks (dried strawberries anyone?) and headed up the road. I arrived at the lake about 20 minutes before sunrise and I checked into my hotel and took a shower at warp speed, so I could hustle back out to the lake to get some good shots while there was still light.

Afterwards, I was on a mission. As a lone traveler, I want a dinner place where I can eat at the bar so I don't have to sit at a table alone. However, I don't really want it to be ONLY a bar, or to have crappy bar food. I also wanted to find a brewery with local beers that I could try while also having fabulous food. I found 2 of my 3 requirements. I actually stumbled upon a nice pub where I found more than I could ever ask for.

First of all, I wanted to sit at the bar. When I got there, the bar looked full, but I said to the guy that I kind of wanted to sit at the bar and he not only made a place for me, but he introduced me to the guy I would be sitting next to. I ended up having not only a great conversation with my new friend, Dozer, but also getting a ton of great recommendations for hikes and food for the next day. In addition, it turns out he used to be contracted to the same company I used to work for, he grew up near where I live now and he has traveled to many of the same places as I have. Now, before you get the wrong idea, I would like to state that he is probably in his late 50s, so there was no romance there. However, I had a great time sitting at the bar chatting with him while having a great meal.

Speaking of a great meal, I got a hamburger that was ground in-house and was on a bun that was also made in-house. Not only was the hamburger delicious, but the bar staff was kind and the local flavor was top notch. Plus they had Pliny on tap. To top it all off, when I got the bill, I noticed that they had given me the local discount, which was 20 percent off my bill. Basically for under $20, I got a homemade hamburger, a couple of delicious beers and a great conversation. I call that a major win.

After that it was back to the hotel for some reading. Why is it that reading when you are traveling is so much better than reading at  home? All in all, it was a great first Road Trip day! 

Do you prefer traveling alone or with someone else? What kind of snacks/drinks do you like to have on your road trips? Do you go out to eat by yourself? If so, do you meet/talk to people or do you stick to yourself?

Your Pace or Mine?

This weekend I attended my first 100 mile race. It was so inspiring to be amongst such greatness. However, I did not run the entire 100 miles. I was a pacer.

A pacer, if you are in a marathon, can be the difference between your making your goal time or not. They keep you going at a steady pace, not too fast, not too slow, in order to finish at your desired time. I suggest you use one if it's your first time, or even if you have a time goal that you are not certain you will make.

Got my race bib on

However, in an ultra, pacers can be just that, someone who helps you keep pace, but they can also be much more. In the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 mile race (TRT100), you are allowed to have someone run with you for the last 50 miles. Like I said, it's to help you keep pace, as there are strict cutoffs at each aid station, but it's also to keep the runner safe, make sure they get enough to eat and drink, monitor whether or not they are getting woozy or tired or loopy (and all of these do happen) and to be there as company for someone who has probably been out on the trails for around 24 hours (or more). You don't want them to get stuck in their own thoughts too much!

The guy I paced was a friend of a friend; we had never met before. By the time I met him, he had already been running for 80 miles and about 26 hours. I don't know about you, but that would probably not be the best time to meet ME for the first time! I would be Grumpy McGrumpster. And nevermind trying to carry on a conversation with me!

Which is what I expected of him. Here's how I saw it going. He would be super tired, grumpy, negative and silent. I would have to keep pushing him to run faster, and would try to be cheerful without being annoying, all while talking non-stop in order to keep him awake, and not expecting him to say anything back. I thought I may have to force him to eat and drink while listening to him complain of blisters and sore feet and tired legs and blurred vision and hallucinations. Okay that last thing was a joke.

But seriously, I thought I would have to be a one woman cheerleader, and I was never a very good one of those. However, things were not like I thought. Here is how it went.

We met at 7 a.m at Diamond Peak, which was the 80 mile aid station. Fuel there included pancakes, coffee and soup. I had sat there for about 2 and a half hours waiting for my runner and had seen many people pass through who were absolutely exhausted. Others, on the other hand, were chipper, laughing and seemed like they had only run a few miles rather than a few dozen. My runner was one of the latter. After getting him some food and drinks, a change of clothes and a bit of sunscreen, we started up the hill. We left the first aid station 15 minutes before the cut off (7:30 a.m.).

Diamond Peak hill with Lake Tahoe in the background.

As always, the first couple of miles were all uphill. My runner was in good spirits; he was talking and seemed to actually be enjoying himself. We stopped to take in the view a couple of times, which was gorgeous. After we got to the top of the hill, we met up with the Tahoe Rim Trail and headed south. The trail was great. It was fairly level and it went along the edge of the hill with a great view of Lake Tahoe and Marlette Lake. At Tunnel Creek, the first big aid station, we fueled up with quesadillas and coffee (for me, sprite for my runner) and got back on the road. We left about 40 minutes before the cut off.

Marlette Lake view

Eventually we got to the very top, which was at about 9,000 feet. Getting up there was a little difficult, as we were starting to get near the tree line and the sun was beating down pretty hard. At this point it was about 12 o'clock and the temperature was in the 90s. When we got to the top of Snow Peak, the aid station there was manned by boy scouts who filled up our bottles with ice and gave us a nice cold sponge on the head before we started down the hill for our last 7 miles. At this point we were about an hour ahead of the cutoff.

High Sierra wildflowers

For the final seven miles, we jogged along, not talking too much. We even passed a few other pairs of runners, although we had been leap frogging with a couple of pairs all day. We arrived at Spooner Lake, where the last mile or so goes around the side of the lake and man was it good to see the lake. We could even hear the cheers coming across the lake from the finish line. It was just the boost we needed. We ran the last quarter of a mile and crossed the finish line together.

We made it across the finish line in 33 hours and 17 minutes, a whole hour and 43 minutes ahead of the cutoff, which means my runner got his coveted buckle! I was so proud of him; he didn't complain or lag at all! He really was quite an inspiration! I don't know how he did it! I was really happy to be a part of his successful race.

Are there specific times when you like to have company to boost your spirits? Have you ever been a pacer for a race? Have you ever used a pacer/pace group?

Be Yourself

I don't really talk a lot about politics, because I know everyone has their own opinions and often talking about them will only lead into arguments and disappointment. However, something happened recently that I think is worth mentioning. California's Prop 8 was overturned. What many people don't understand is how it took Californians, who are supposedly liberal, so long to make this happen.

I live in an area where it is okay to be yourself. Whether you are black or white or any shade in between, whether you are gay or straight (or anything in between), whether you wear a fur coat or nothing at all, you are usually celebrated for your differences, not shunned.

However, there are many rural areas in California. They are generally Republican and/or more conservative. There is Orange County, who is fairly wealthy and a little more elitist. I grew up in a red county. There were some race issues and being gay was not okay to many people in the area. So this is why this decision took so long. There are still a lot of people who feel uncomfortable with the idea of same sex marriage.

2012 voting by county

All I can say is: congratulations to all the people who can now get married, for whatever reason they want to do it. Whatever color you are, whatever your sexual preference, and whatever you are wearing, you should have the same rights as everyone else.

Do you live in a state where same sex marriage is legal? What do you think about the issue?