Training Log Archive: inuksuk

Southern Spur. Headed up the usual way from the weir through the pines to the first boggy meadow. The vegetation had grown so much I could hardly find my way, but managed to get through to the sidling track and dropped down the last sub-spur. Near to four corners, I discovered another track that doubled back, so I climbed back up around the top of tea gardens to the second spur. Bashed through the now incredibly overgrown tea garden tracks back to the weir (one section was overgrown with 2-3m high chrysanthemums -- came out the other end smelling a little like a flower shop). I think its now ready to ride.

Run up to the tree nursery with La.

Tree nursery loop - 90 s rest
1. 2:27
2. 2:21
3. 2:14
4. 2:14
5. 2:15

Was a bit slow off the start today, but considering the humidity and that the dense summer growth has made the loop very slow in sections, I was pretty pleased. I also managed to crash on the first loop, which could account for a second or two. Hooha, great workout.

Run up to the water hole and back.

Qī lóng nǚ xī. Out to the stone quarry, bashed down the 'bike' track to qī lóng nǚ xī, rock hopped back up the stream to the weir.

Lijiang training with Rob and La. Completely blew our second control ending up in a mysterious dead-end and having to relocate on a courtyard. Settled into the rest -- felt good. Great fun!

Wénhǎi, Lìjiāng with Rob and La. This was pretty much the same ride Lara and I did in March. A nice ride through the old Nàxī village of Báishā, up past the Fùguósì to Wénhǎi.

Although its the end of the monsoon, somehow it really didn't occur to me how muddy the tracks might get. We dropped down the tracks to the south of the lake to a small pond called, qī xian hú. Riding was challenging -- the rocky sections were loose and muddy and the fantastic hard packed mud we saw in March had turned into a sticky clay soup, pocked by countless mules and cattle. Still, the few nice sections made it worthwhile. We got some handy advice from a couple of old Nàxī at qī xian hú about another track which made for a very nice descent through the forest to Měiquán on Lāshì hǎi.

Made sure I didn't go near the wet-oily bits on the ride home.

Yùdài lù with Rob. Pretty well straight up the horse tracks to Yùdài lù, around to the south spur and dropped down the spur to the weir. Back on dusk. A nice run.

Top fire break track with La.

First time on the track in a while...took a while to feel smooth.
7 x 100

Cobbled track with La and a quick jump in the creek.

Set out orienteering course for La on campus.

Cai Cun. A cruisy ride of tracks, terraces, and twisty back alleys. Got swallowed up by the weeds on one of the quarry tracks -- came out one end and didn't have a bike.

Yùdài lù with La. Up the gondola track to Yùdài lù, and down the south spur. First run with this much climb in a while -- very pleased with the knee's performance.

Gaoligongshan. To listening point before 6 today...

Our first clear day! Bashed to opposite side of the valley today -- An amazing grove of trees -- some look to be over 30m. We got a long view of the group of leaf monkeys and the first gibbon group. Knee moaned a bit on the bash back up from the creek. Quick on the down.

Down the hill to the Nujiang -- This became a little bit of an epic to get home in time to catch the middle final. At the top of the hill, one of the guides suggested I could make it back tonight and offered a ride from his place to the main road -- the only catch was 1) we had to drag some bamboo poles (in additonal to our packs) to his house and so I knew 2) there would be cursory tea drinking and second lunch at his place. So, I gladly accepted the abridged trek in the now sweltering humidity for a dizzying-fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-bumpy-as-hell motocycle lift with two other sweaty guys and one filthy 20kg pack down a muddy mountain track.

Despite the bamboo loading, we made it to his place in good time. We did, as expected, have the cursory tea drinking at his house -- I happily ripped through an assortment of walnuts, chestnuts, persimmons, pommegranites, and two top-ups of scalding tea before checking my watch and quietly suggesting we go - they were in instant action.

We all hopped on -- me in the middle; Zhu wore my pack. I was so jammed in between them that I could only see off the right side of the driver, so that every left swinging hairpin was a dizzying pan of either the mountain or nothing (this is begining to sound suspiciously like an Arlo Guthrie song...) This was only made more exciting when we met 'traffic', such as a herd of water buffalo, a landslide, or overtook a slower motorcycle. Anyway, we made it down the muddy track to the road and the bus stop without incident and with at least a few moments to spare -- at least enough time to mix with the old guys that always sit at bus stops but have never left town.

Hopped on the local to Baoshan. It all seemed to be going smoothly - like I might just make it to Baoshan in time to catch the last bus to Xiaguan, but then we crossed the Nujiang and we pulled up to a Military Police check point.

It didn't look good, even from the start.

With no less than 30 overly eager military police to witness, I was singled out and taken off the bus -- questioned -- questioned more -- I calmy explained who I was and what I was doing here. He looked decidely unimpressed. I started to think about the contraband I have: maps, gps, notes -- for god's sake I have notes. There was an x-ray machine, and steel table, and what looked like a hospital bed (you can imagine what goes on there). I looked around at their incredulous stares, fatigues and red bands and started getting Deer Hunter flashbacks. The head-honcho sat at the lone desk, under a humming ceiling fan impatiently flipping through my passport as if there something was missing. He looked frustrated, and kept repeating questions, most of which I didn't understand. It all grew quite tense. Finally, in desperation, I pulled my library card out of my wallett -- I don't know if he found humour in it or what, but he was instantly diffused -- turned and wrote down some notes and told me I was finished.

I'm guessing that may have been the closest I've come to a cavity search -- I got back on the bus, relieved. Got to Baoshan, hopped in a cab to the main bus station and made the connection to Xiaguan with less than 5 minutes, and then caught the late night local bus back to Dali -- marched up the hill home just before the first starts... Long day.

C • "for god's sake I have notes" 1

Gaoligonshan. To listening point.

To the head of the valley. Quiet. Heavy showers and mist most of the day.

Gaoligongshan. To listening point.

Rain, mostly, anyway. Located the first gibbon pair just before noon. Some really good observation time -- still, only were able to keep up for an hour or so.

Gaoligonshan. To listening point. Mossie coil seemed to work, but gave me a terrible headache -- not sure which is worse. Not ashamed to say I got stared down by a bowl of fatty pork, rice and pickled vegetable.

Rain. A quiet day. Yang and son bailed on us went up to the spruce-fir forest to pick a certain kind of mushrooms. Cut a lot of track, and had my first snake encounter this trip near the bottom of the valley -- "Only little poisonous, you have time." Begs the question: time for what?

Gaoligonshan. To listening point. Feeling very seedy - I was assualted by mosquitoes and fleas all night -- maybe an hour of sleep. arrgh.

Rain, sometimes "little rain." A young male came out of the cloud and spent some time above us -- magic -- he seems to have little fear and is perhaps a bit curious. Eventually, he shoke off the rain and bolted. We had about twenty minutes or so or hard bashing upslope through dense brush and bamboo ticket to try to keep pace with him, but the speed differential was comical. We were left behind to grid search and pick leeches. Later, we caught up with what seem to be his parents -- feeding on figs near the ridge.