Training Log Archive: Swampfox

Windy again today, now for 5 straight days.

While biking today, I encountered a gigantic water snake on the river bike path. Okay--the snake was probably not more than 2' long, but for around here, that is about as big as they get.

It feverishly tried to attack my front wheel, which was almost funny. I can't imagine what it thought it was going to accomplish. Really, I doubt it could have hurt the tender skin of a pinky finger, much less the Gatorskins on my wheels. Gatorsklns are warrantied to be bite-proof from alligators and even salt water crocs.

At length, it desisted and slithered off towards the snow-melt swollen waters of the river, which was kind of an odd choice for a cold blooded reptile. Surely the water this time of the year is icy cold.

When I got home, I called up the local newspaper, thinking this is the kind of exciting story they would want to run tomorrow on the front page, under a banner headline. But they didn't seem near as interested as I thought they would be. Apparently the serpent would have needed to have been a few inches longer to warrant that kind of coverage.

Feeling somewhat muffined by the whole experience, I then went running. There is still some snow left up top at Happy Jack at the eastern overlook off the Headquarters Trail, if you know where to look. And funny enough, just as I was stepping back form the snowfield, a snake crawled out from under a rock. It was huge! At least 2' 4" long....

One new tree had been blown down across a trail, either yesterday or today.

C • Snake 7

Interesting discussion about ticks and disease on On Point today--worth a listen for folks who spend time outdoors where tick contact is possible.

I feel very lucky to be in an area where ticks are relatively uncommon--at least, very few per year end up on me (2 so far this year, with a good chance there won't be any more, now that it's mid--June.)

Returned to the eye guy today and we fiddled around with some different solutions for my right eye; I think I have something now that will work well enough for the next year. My left eye, corrected, is still really good. I have for many years said to myself that as long as I can run up at Happy Jack and still see the windmills off to the west, I'm doing okay--and I can still see them pretty well.

Day 4 of wind, now out of the west. Can't remember 4 straight days of wind in the summer before, but starting now I will be able to. It was also quite a bit cooler today, struggling to get over 60F. It felt refreshing!

On the other hand, Day 3 of Labor Daze. That is, the task for the later afternoon was to streamer the Day 3 course--which will just happen to be the One Cowboy Relay. Just for the hell of it, I have decided to use control descriptions this time around, and see if all the cowboys and cowgirls like that; presumably nobody was going to show up expecting an Easter Egg Hunt anyway. I was quite happy with the design as I was streamering, but the true test will come when I give it a trial by fire at race speed.

Bitterbrush is in full bloom and at several times I almost swooned, nearly overcome by the enveloping, overwhelming fragrance. Those unaccustomed to it would surely have succumbed. It's the kind of thing that often causes compass bubbles to form.

Day 3 of steady winds, and today the wind was the strongest it has been in a while, again out of the east. Some of the energy in the air combined with heating and moisture to produce some fine storms east of the Laramie Range that spawned tornadoes and dropped baseball sized hail; one of the storm cells was visible from Laramie for much of the day though the fringes never extended over the range.

Decided on an easy day today and only biked; first day off from running since sometime in March. That said, biking uphill and into the wind today was far from an easy task! : )

Another fairly windy day, quite pleasant and sunny, with the winds again out of the east and southeast. Biked out north of town to examine the landscape for buffalo and antelope--saw neither.

Before running, I did the teensiest bit of mapping. It looks like the time has finally come that I'm going to have to try some reading glasses or some other solution in order to see well enough to draw any amounts of finer detail (and guess what granite terrain has so much of?). I suppose I should be happy my (corrected) vision has held up as well as it has for as long as it has--I know for many others, it doesn't/hasn't.

Ran intervals at the end of the day. I didn't feel super ready to do them, but there wasn't anything wrong--it was just a matter of getting started, and, as almost always, the workout felt good as I was finishing up.

Beautiful flowers out on the prairie and in the forest.

Biked, and then ran up top at a moderate pace. Windy out for much of the day, which kept things pleasant. Flowers are blooming everywhere, and even in my yard, too!

First mosquitoes showed up in town today--just a few scouts. The invasion armies are no doubt not far behind.

Finished setting and streamering the Daze 2 course at the Forrest Meadows area. It's always a fun area and this will be a fun course. Scared up one elk and at one control hundreds of carpenter ants were tightly clustered together on a dead log, about to embark on their mating flight. Several trailer campers pulled into the area while I was going about my work.

81F, and so first day of the year it's been above the 70s.

Made the fix at Remarkable Flats that I had planned to do yesterday. There were also some large boulders missing in the same area, so now I am guessing that I was mapping in that area at the end of a day and had intended to return, but forgot before moving on. Or maybe space aliens intervened--yeah, that's probably what it was, space aliens!

Ran at Happy Jack, heading up top via Death Crotch Hill, and checked out the snowfield at the east overlook off of Hqs Trail. Still plenty of snow, if melting fast now. Sat down on the snowfield and ate several gallons worth before heading back.

Also, I signed our operating plan for Labor Daze today, and was told our permit would be issued; all that remains is for the District Ranger to affix his signature.

C • Permit 1