Training Log Archive: Swampfox

O' at Remarkable Flats, after mapping.

This last bit of the map is just a slog--the back (north) slope of a section of much beetle kill forest with complicated and vaguish areas of fallen trees mixed in with clearing and standing forest, some rock, several spur/gully systems, and contours that are all but worthless. So it's very difficult mapping of what is a trashy area and yet with some useful sections that aren't bad, and where probably the best end result that is reasonable in terms of amount of time dropped into it will be something that is workmanlike and usable. It certainly won't be perfection.

I'll be glad to be done with it!

After mapping, did a semi-circumference of Vedauwoo. Saw another moose to go along with the tiny moose (must have been a yearling, because it was too large to be new born, plus no mama was around, yet it was still pretty smallish) I saw yesterday--though today's moose was of a more proper mature bull moose in size.

I have the impression Vedauwoo is kind of legendary among climbers, known for off width cracks and for being very rough on any exposed flesh that comes into contact with the rock.

Continued work at Granite Planite; rich haul from mapping today--besides the usual assortment of beer cans, I also found a penny, a fresh battery, a short handled shovel, and a very large knife just short of machete size (probably dropped there by an MS-13 gang member, I will let the White House know where they should be searching.)

Ran trails at Happy Jack and got savaged by mosquitoes. The whole time I was running I was toying around with the idea of personalized dragonfly drones that would fly along with you and autonomously destroy mosquitoes while you ran. No actual dragonflies today.

Lucky with the wind, because after zero signs of anything left after the weekend rains, the Badger Creek Fire reignited (very windy, and hot out today) and large amounts of smoke were being blown just NE of Happy Jack.

I think record highs were set both yesterday and today. Today was 92F, which passes for hot around here.

Ran trails at Pelican Bay to check out the interior trails. They're been gated off for a year+ now to everyone but maybe a very occasional Forest Service vehicle, and are deteriorating and filling in with new growth more quickly than I would have guessed. I'm downgrading the entire network inside of the gates to "large foot path" as a result of these investigations.

Warm.

Ran trails at an easy pace, mostly on part of the mountain bike series race course, going backwards against traffic. Fun seeing all the riders, most of whom I greeted by yelling: "You're really way behind!" I think they appreciated that. Quite warm today, well into the upper 80s, which is about as warm as it gets here. Saw a bull moose with already quite impressive antlers, which were still in velvet and still looked to have quite a ways to go before reaching full size. But the real highlight was seeing a dragonfly--the mosquito wars are now underway.

Intervals after mapping: 8 x 5 min + 1 x 15 min, on the old Vedauwoo road, 70s, light breeze, beautiful.