Training Log Archive: Tundra/Desert

Big Basin HQ to the ocean (not quite; Rancho del Oso trail camper parking lot, about 1.0 km from the beach). Went through the controlled burn area; saw some 3rd green turned white, and a redwood on fire. Had much better luck with the USGS this time; only lost contact once.
Climb is very approximate. Distance is from the park trail markers; I went to the "usual" orienteering parking lot and then back S on Skyline-to-the-Sea.

I hate running with a pack. This one I got recently was actually comfortable and all. It's just that the extra weight messes up any type of biomechanical efficiency I ever had, and I feel like one of them banana slugs I stepped over plenty today. The pack weight was about 10 kg, avg. of 1.5 L water incl.—just the sleeping bag, light, and less-than-adequate food and clothing.

I want to make a bunch of green Saudi flag stickers, sword and allahu aqbar and all, and put one on each new Hummer I see. I'll probably get deported for that, though.

November 2001: 23.0 hours, 188 km.
November 2002: 36.4 hours, 309 km.
Hours: +59%; km: +65%.

Sanborn Hostel to Big Basin HQ via San Andreas, Skyline, Saratoga Gap, Travertine Springs, Saratoga Toll Road, (unnamed connector on a private easement), and Skyline-to-the-Sea trails. Had 1:20,000 TopoZone USGS for the whole thing (without any of the trails), and tried to maintain constant, but not continuous, contact—count reentrants and stuff. Frequently frustrated—the USGS photogrammetrist must have had no bigger luck with the redwoods than the Helgesen dude who made the Big Basin base. The low point came on the (unnamed connector) when I was going exactly opposite to where I thought I was going on the map. Also had an awful time at the segment where Skyline-to-the-Sea follows CA 236—could not even track the bends in the highway.
Climb is (575 +/– 5) m to Castle Rock parking lot (4.2 mi); after that, my best guess from the USGS, the official park Castle Rock map (nice—shows most bends in trails and stuff), and Sempervirens Big Basin map—not nice. Mileage is from park trail markers—will adjust if I get better info.

The original plan was to camp at Big Basin for the night. Then it got revised to push on to the Ocean in the afternoon, but as I was about an hour behind the plan, revised back.
It was not a very enjoyable stay at Big Basin. Smoke filled the basin; hard to tell whether most of it was from a controlled burn or from the woodfires in the packed campgrounds. Millions of people in the campgrounds, but met less than 10 on the trail in all of BBRSP. Go figure. Also, the park's store sold me a $5.99 + CA tax ham sandwich, thoroughly consumed by mold. Yuck. At least the shower water was hot.

Los Altos Hills.

Going on a run from the Valley to the Ocean tonight. Next update Sunday.

Saratoga Village to Sanborn Hostel. With pack.

Home, Rancho 2VWU (bathroom) 3UPR6 (a huge coyote) 54V2, home. Very sluggish until the bathroom.

Did not go running. A classic example of orienteering interfering with training: shot after the * Goat. 110 km this week or bust.

Bus.

Warming up before the Golden Goat, includes some climb up to the start.

The Golden Goat at Las Trampas. Destroyed by Syd who ran away right away and didn't make any mistakes. Was not tired. But got a 3-Compeed blister on my heel afterwards.

The Goat - Splits