posting up at home

 Ah, a pre-ski season November weekend in SLC - the very definition of shoulder season.  Alta is expected to open on Friday 11/22/24, however, so we'll get some skiing stuff to post about.  For full disclosure, I did not get a ski pass this season.  I just barely got in all ten days for my ten-pack last year, begrudgingly going up on cold and stormy days (although I had a couple of sunny spring days that were just so much fun).  And for some reason, Milton is having some separation anxiety issues - after six years of absolutely no problems at all - and we've started to crate him while we're at work.  He doesn't seem to mind it too much, and it is safer for him and the window blinds, but I am glad that I will be with him on the weekends while H is skiing.

Meanwhile, shoulder season.  Friday night, H and I went out to a new (to us) bar, The Midway, to see a friend's band.  (Milton hung out in the car.) We'd never been there before: it's got a mixed vibe, part sports bar, part working class dive, and a huge outdoor patio with firepits.  The band was fun, doing 70s and 80s covers.  The bar staff were all super friendly (nothing vegan on the menu except fries and chips and salsa) and we'll have to find out if the patio is dog-friendly.

It started precipitating as we drove home, continuing overnight and into the morning, leaving a couple inches of snow.  Saturday stayed pretty gloomy and cold, with snow showers off and on.  Milton made out like a bandit on walks: a four-miler with A in the morning, a 3.2 miler with H early afternoon, and then another mile or so later in the afternoon.  It seemed like a good day to bake (chocolate chip cookies and a chocolate-zucchini bundt cake) and braise (tomato-fennel braised chickpeas for dinner).

The weather system moved out and Sunday was chilly and gorgeous: 25F and bright sun when A and Milton headed out for their walk.  H had hoped to go for a bike ride but, given the temperature and all the downed and damp leaves on the road, opted for a trail run instead.  Clouds moved back in starting around noon, which led to more cooking: pumpkin muffins, homemade vegetable stock and a Thai green curry soup for dinner.

holiday weekend, in summation

Oh hey.  So, in real life ("IRL," as the kids say) we are reeling a bit in the aftermath of the election.  We are worried and concerned for our friends and family, as well as the environment and public lands we love.  But that (for now, never say never, I guess) is not what this blog is about so we will compartmentalize as best we can and keep sharing our experiences.

Pipedream

For example, we just got back from a long weekend in Moab.  We looked at the weather report - mostly sunny, chilly overnight, mid-50s during the day - and said tra la la we won't pack our raincoats!  And so Friday it was cold and rainy, with a couple of snowflakes, at least until mid-morning.  Saturday morning was chilly and overcast too, but the system - which was lingering after a bunch of rain on Wednesday and Thursday, apparently - finally moved on, leaving us with sunshine in the desert and snow-capped mountain peaks for Sunday and Monday.

Also Pipedream

We didn't do anything extraordinary.  There were a couple of days of trail time on Pipedream (all stats listed below); on Sunday, Milton and A scored a Jeep Arch hike with our neighbor, her dog and one of her friends, while H did an eight mile trail run out at Moab Brand Trails; and on the Monday holiday, we three did a town walk before heading back to SLC.  We are pleased to report that, at least for the time being, the PBR tap is fixed at Josie Wyatt's.  And we did stop in at Woody's Saturday afternoon whilst the bar was being decorated in advance of an evening wedding.  Not just a wedding reception: one of the Meandercat band members was getting married right there.

Spire

The drive north Monday was about as easy as that drive can be: clear skies, dry roads and not too much traffic.  It was sunny and windy back in SLC as a weather system moved in ... and then Tuesday, it snowed enough to stick.  In case we weren't sure: summer is over.

Culvert Canyon wash

Trail time stats: Friday: A/3.2 mile hike and H&M/4.0 mile trail run, Pipedream; Saturday: A/4.0 mile hike and H&M/5.0 mile trail run, Pipedream; Sunday: A&M/4ish mile hike, Jeep Arch and H/8.36 mile trail run, Moab Brand Trails; Monday: A&H&M/4.64 mile town walk

wrapping things up

While H and Milton did a five mile trail run on Pipedream Saturday morning, A did quick grocery store/bike shop errands and chopped down our past-their-prime sunflowers.  After that, H and A did the 31 mile road ride again, and timed A's climbing of that long hill: thirteen straight minutes.  Despite how long/slow that portion was, the ride was overall faster than Thursday's version.  Our afternoon including picking up Heidi Redd's new book, A Cowgirl's Conservation Journey, at Back of Beyond Books.

They're repainting the mural along

the creek under Main Street

On Sunday, we three went to Millcreek to do the regular loop.  We rigged Milton's harness up with our old handheld GPS (double-wrapping it in ziploc bags because he likes to run through the creek) to see just how much further he would go than us humans.  But he must have had some cumulative fatigue because he really didn't range that far afield.  We'll have to try it again when he's well-rested, maybe at Sand Flats where he likes to run so much.  H hadn't been up Millcreek for a couple of years and he was shocked at the damage from two summers' of floods.

Summer's end

In the late morning, after H fixed A's second flat tire of the week, the humans did a 21 mile road ride.  A's legs felt a little heavy - my own cumulative fatigue.  It was busy on the bike path with families, runners, walkers, dog walkers, e-bikers, cyclists and photo shoots.  We had afternoon beers at Woody's, obsessively checking the live updates of our Moab 240 runners.  The evening brought us a firepit in the backyard with our neighbors.  When the propane ran out at 8 p.m., it felt like vacation was over.  Nothing left to do but clean up, pack up and drive up to SLC.

Vacation stats: 204 miles on the bike; 33.3 miles running (H); 31.6 miles hiking

rest day (for some)

 On Friday, all three of us went up to Sand Flats for a quick 2.27 mile Practice Loop loop.  Milton loves it up there and covers a lot of ground: he can run way out but, because of the terrain (sandstone domes) he can keep an eye on us.  It was a gorgeous morning and we were early enough that it was really just starting to get busy as we were finishing up.  The campground seemed pretty full, at least the first couple of site groups.

Sandflats selfie

Then, after H fixed A's flat tire, H and A did a 23 mile road ride, with a pause on the way back to watch the start of the Moab 240: 240 miles, most of them trails, on foot, in under 117 hours across some of the Moab area's gnarliest terrain.  We chatted with some racers and spectators at the start and then cheered the racers on as they started.  With GPS and social media, it was very easy to follow the racers' progress, even as they were in such remote locations.  So we picked five racers - our Dutch buddy from the Moab Rim parking lot and four women (one we talked with, two we stood next to and one we had seen running on the bike path earlier in the week) - to follow, in addition to the two men's leaders and the two women's leaders.  We must have picked well because four out of our five selected runners finished and, strangely enough, those four spent most of the event within a couple of miles of each other.  The men's winner - Max Jolliffe finished in 69 hours 22 minutes; the final finisher came in just under the 117 hour cutoff.  It is amazing what humans can do.

And they're off!

We, however, figured we had done enough with our 25.27 mile day (23 on wheels), and later that afternoon, picked up our friend Chris on our way over to Woody's for beers.  It really is amazing what humans can do.

We bought a sticker.  We like the fox.

paths and trails

By Wednesday, H was ready to do his first post-marathon run, taking Milton for a short two miles on Pipedream.  He reported that neither of them was moving super-fast, with Milton recovering from his ten-milers the previous day with A.  After that, H and A hopped on the road bikes for a 25 mile road ride, going a little past Arches National Park to where the hill really begins to climb (gonna save that bit for later).  Late afternoon found us at Woody's, where H and the bartender traded war stories about Saturday's trail race; the bartender had done the 15K.  Consensus: very sandy course.

Road riding goofballs

The next morning, all three of us did a short (just under 3.5 mile) hike on Pipedream, going north this time.  We met two friendly Underdog rescue dogs and saw a Grand County work crew rebuilding a washout.  We also saw the pink and blue flags marking the Moab 240 course.  

Need new handlebar tape

We dropped Milton back at home - it was so nice all week that we were able to keep the back door open, so he could be inside or out in the courtyard at his choosing, even if we weren't there - and headed out on the road bikes.  This time we did 30.5 miles, going all the way up that long (1.6 mile), steep (7% grade) climb to the kiosk at the Moab Brand trails road.  For A, climbing is way preferable to descending, but with the new brakes and new tires, descending was much less scary than before.

Not that tall this fall

not even half a marathon

A wanted to do at least one longer hike, so Tuesday was the Hidden Valley/Moab Rim loop with Milton (10.1 miles; 3:42 moving time with 18 minutes of stoppage).  There were no coyote sightings along Pipedream this time - no sightings of anyone or anything at all, except a rabbit or two.  It's been several months since we've been to the Hidden Valley trail head and when we got there after finishing the Pipedream stretch, we could see that it had gotten hammered again by the August floods.  The drainage that had washed out a couple of years ago had washed out again in the same place, cutting a deeper channel across the trail.

Huge washout

We didn't see anyone or anything in Hidden Valley or once we crossed over the pass to the jeep trails.  The day was bright and I made Milton wear his white t-shirt (now really more dirt-colored than white) to try to keep some of the sun off.  It was warm - all week was highs in the low 80s and overnight lows in the low 50s - but not too hot, and he even found one pothole still with some clean water to wade in.  We texted H from the top of the final descent and when we'd gotten down, past the jeeps and side-by-sides heading up the Moab Rim trail, he was there waiting for us with snacks and beverages.

Nearing the top of the HV climb

During our parking lot sojourn, we talked for a while with Roel, a Dutch runner who was scouting out portions of the upcoming Moab 240.  He seemed psyched about it, in a good head space, and more concerned about nutrition than the distance (240 miles), the elevation gain/loss (+31,000 feet) or the sleep deprivation.  We got his bib number to keep track of him.

In other activities, H finished his "recovery" period and did a 25 mile road ride (1:24 hours) on the bike path whilst A and M were hiking.  And the afternoon and evening were spent at home, reading and hanging out with our neighbor.

Town deer

recovery

 After the big race, H was supposed to recover for 72 hours.  So Sunday morning, A and Milton did 4.7 miles out and back on Pipedream (1:38 hours).  We had to re-route a little bit to give a wide berth to a coyote who was being very vocal about our presence.  (Milton didn't seem to care but A was nervous.)  

Pipedream

When we safely returned, A and H did a 21 mile road ride on the bike path (1:30 hours) because obviously a 21 mile bike ride is "recovery."  And later that evening, we "recovered" further, catching up with our neighbor and her dog.  Milton even chewed on a tennis ball!  (He only does dog things like that when he's with another dog.  Never when he's alone.)

Dog things

On Monday, A and Milton did their usual Millcreek loop (just under 4 miles - I was sure that it was longer than that).  H and A did a repeat of the 21 mile road ride since H was still recovering.  We attempted beers at Josie Wyatt's but the $2 draft PBRs are still flat.  Bleh.

Millcreek

marathon man

 For our vacation, we left a little early on Friday afternoon, to get down to Moab in time for H to pick up his race packet.  Because on day 1 of vacation, H ran a trail marathon.  Let us pause to appreciate that.

Pre race (note Milton 

making new friends)

It was his first trail race and his first marathon: the Mad Moose Events Arches Marathon and Half.  There were actually four possible distances: 50K, the marathon, the half-marathon and a 15K, with about 650 total racers and 100 marathoners specifically.  The well-run event took place out on BLM land in the area known as "Behind the Rocks," starting and finishing in a pretty valley that we'd never been to before.  The road in/out was rough, although 2WD cars could make it.  It was super cool back in there and we would like to go back some time to explore/camp/hike. But not until we have a younger truck that will handle that road better.

Heading out

On Saturday morning, we three got there early - before the sun came up - and although the race organizers offered a 6:30 start to the longer distance runners, so they could maybe get ahead of the heat of the day, H decided to stick to his planned-upon 7 a.m. start.  Which was a good idea since the sun didn't come up until after 7 and the rocky trail would have been treacherous in the dark for anyone without a headlamp.  He was hoping for a 6.5 hour finish, which would get him back around 1:30 p.m. 

Mid-race photo 

A and Milton watched H take off, and then stuck around to watch several of the later starts.  Around 8:30, we did some hiking: up along the cliff behind the start/finish line and then, after all the runners had left, out and back on the first hill of the race course.  That was a long hill!  And a heck of a way to start a race.

Overhead

At 11, we got snacks and then hung around the finish line, talking with finished racers (including a woman from Wiscasset, Maine - the next town over from where A grew up!).  Around noon, A had a feeling to start watching the finishers come in ... and THERE WAS H, finishing well ahead of schedule at 5 hours 9 minutes and 19 seconds!!!!!!!

Almost done

We were so proud of him!!! He reported that the course was really sandy (which had been confirmed by all the runners A had talked to earlier) and had way more elevation gain than he'd trained for.  His hips and calves were stiff, and his stomach was a bit upset from all the sloshing around for 26 miles.  But overall H felt pretty good and recovered quickly enough for us to walk to Woody's for a celebratory beer in the early evening.  Walking over was a good idea too as it helped loosen his legs up.

Race results: H won his age group and was 14th out of 100 for the marathon.  He hasn't gone right out and signed up for another one yet, but he was very pleased with his achievement.  Damn right!!!

csa summer: fourteenth and fifteenth boxes

Before we dive into the desert, here's the final two CSA boxes from our CSA summer.  Since we weren't going to be in town to pick up the last box, I requested an extra box to pick up on the penultimate week.  And since we are at our LIMIT on squash, I requested that the last box be apples and not a double CSA share, which was the other option.  So in addition to a whole box of apples (multiple varieties), we got corn, peaches, two acorn squashes and one butternut squash*, potatoes, onions, a tomato, a couple of apples and some bell pepper.

We ate the corn right away, of course, and while it wasn't the best we'd had all summer, we both thought it was surprisingly good for October corn.  The peppers and an onion went into a tofu tikka masala (sauce from Trader Joe); we ate the peaches and tomato and some apples whilst on vacation, and the rest of the apples will be peeled, cored and cooked down with cinnamon into pie filling.  And, obviously, all that squash will be roasted and mashed for Milton.

*  See - if we'd just gotten a double share, that would have been FOUR acorn squashes and TWO butternuts.  It's just too much.

getting out from under it

 This photo is a literal depiction of Milton "helping" us with the three tons of laundry after our fall Moab vacation.  It is also a figurative depiction of us getting out from under said laundry (which we had to do at the laundromat the day we got back to SLC because our washing machine is kaput), as well as work and weeding and all the other real life nonsense that stacked up whilst we were romping in the desert.  Fear not!  Posting will begin soon ...