half enchilada

There was an ulterior motive for the increasingly-longer hikes A did this past summer: training to hike half of the Whole Enchilada MTB trail in October.  (Technically, what I did was somewhere between half and three-quarters, but "Half Enchilada" is easier to say.)  The WE is an iconic Moab MTB trail, starting way up in the La Sal mountains and dropping over 7,000 feet in 28 miles to the Colorado River.  I have always wanted to ride the WE but have come to abandon that dream - there is no way I will ever be a good enough MTBer for it.  But I can [section-]hike it.

At the start

We've actually done a lot of the WE over the years as short day hikes (the Hazard County portion, middle and lower parts of the Porcupine Rim, little bits up by Warner Lake).  What I was fixing to do was to hop on where Hazard County segues to the Kokopelli Trail at the La Sal loop road and then walk to the river; that would leave just the very first part up to Geyser Pass untrodden.  We settled on Tuesday for me to do it, having noticed over the years that Tuesdays seem to be the least busy in Moab; since the WE is a very popular trail, I wanted to be on it with as few MTBers as possible.

UPS

The only problem with waiting until October is that you have to wait for the sun to come up.  About 6:45 a.m. we three got in the truck and drove to the trailhead.  This took 45+ minutes (it was a little further than we remembered it being) so it was light enough when we got there, although the sun hadn't come up over the mountains yet.  I shouldered my pack (fairly heavy with extra water, lots of snacks, a first aid kit, knife, whistle and a long sleeved shirt for sun protection), waved goodbye to H and M, with promises to text my progress, and headed off down the Jimmy Keen connector to the Kokopelli Trail.

LPS

It took a couple of miles for my nerves to calm - I was a little worried about black bears and/or mountain lions, plus I had about eighteen miles ahead of me - but soon I settled into it.  It was cool and quiet, with no one else around and fantastic views.  I was just on JK for a quarter mile, then followed the Kokopelli, which is a kind of boring, rutted 4x4 road in that bit, to the Upper Porcupine single-track.

Castle Valley overlook

Because the WE is such a popular trail, it is very well-signed.  The UPS (and the next section, the Lower Porcupine single -track) is in part of the Sand Flats Recreation Area, so there were a number of exit options to the Sand Flats road, campgrounds/pit toilets and the Raptor Route MTB trails.  I crossed paths with two MTBers on the UPS (hike running total: 3.6 miles) and the LPS but as it was so early, my guess was they had gotten on the trail from one of the campgrounds.

From whence I came

The LPS connects with the Porcupine Rim trail near the Castle Valley overlook (7.5 miles).  This is the last chance to bail out: the Porcupine Rim segment is eleven miles and pretty much the only way out is through.  The first half of the PR is also a combination trail, both MTB as the WE and a 4x4 route.  This bit was probably my least favorite: it was getting hotter and since it's a 4x4 road, it's wide and loose and rocky.

The PR is forever

When the WE and the 4x4 road diverge (12 miles), I felt like it was the home stretch (not quite).  I switched to my long sleeve shirt and kept on walking, now back on single-track.  It was on this segment that I finally started to encounter MTBers (14 miles), making their way down the WE.  The trail goes along the rim of Jackass Canyon, where I got my first glimpse of the Colorado River.  But when the WE turns to follow the cliffs above the river, there are still two miles to go - which was a bit of a mental blow.

First view of the Colorado River

No way out but through, though, so I kept going, drinking my water, getting out of the way of descending MTBers (only thirteen all told) and making it to the end of the WE where H and Milton were waiting for me.  With beer, coconut water and Gatorade!  I ended up walking 17.84 miles in 6 hours and 16 minutes, suffered no blisters (although I was a little worried about that), tried to eat from my snacks (soy curl jerky, Swedish fish, trail mix, fig bars and homemade potato chips) every three miles and made sure to drink water every mile at a minimum.

Finished!

I can see the appeal of a long distance through-hike where your main/only job is to put one foot in front of the other.  I didn't listen to any music or other media, just tromped along quietly for six hours.  I'm really glad I did it and am really glad I trained for it: although my feet and lower back were a little sore, my legs felt fine, even after all that distance.

It's important to hydrate post-exercise

csa wrap up

 Well, anyone who was coming here for the CSA content (lol), I apologize.  I just didn't keep up with it, especially trying to get halfway decent photos - although we did keep up with our CSA boxes as best we could.  Box #13 had a variety of apples, a couple of corn on the cob, some tomatoes, an onion or two, potatoes, an acorn squash, a butternut squash, green peppers and some Anaheim chiles.  We weren't able to pick up #14 so we paused it and instead got two boxes at our last pick-up for the season.  This meant we got two winter squashes (a butternut and a spaghetti), two pie pumpkins, 4 ears of corn, two red onions and lots of potatoes and apples.  

Corn on the cob in mid-October?  The last few ears have been a little starchy and tough, so rather than battle our way through that again, I cut the kernals off the cobs, parcooked them and froze the corn for future use (I haven't had corn chowder in about a million years ...).  I processed about half the apples we've got (we have a LOT of apples) into apple pie filling; I'll do more of that and also some applesauce, which is easier, for the rest as they aren't our favorite apples for eating fresh.  And all those squashes?  Well, just this morning I roasted a pumpkin, an acorn and one of the butternuts - all for Milton.  That boy loves his squash.

Squishy squashes

stalling for time

 I know that there's been a bigger gap than usual here at the ol' blog, but that's because we went to the desert for a few days and now there is SO MUCH LAUNDRY TO DO.  I hope to get something up soon!

falling back on an old favorite

 I didn't have a huge hike planned for this weekend, so on Sunday, after the sun came up enough to brighten the sky, I headed up to Alta to do my new favorite eight mile loop.  It had been over a month since I was up there and the differences were stark.

Aspens aglow

For one, the wildflowers?  Way past peak.  Everything is brown and gold and crispy right now.  I didn't see a single bride or influencer!  As I made my way up to Catherine's Pass through the Albion meadows, it was so cool and quiet.  While there were cars in both the lower and the upper lots, it was so much less crowded.  I saw one trail runner and one hiker on my way up; there were six other hikers at Catherine's Pass when I got there.

Moody scene

It had been a glorious 46 F when I started hiking, which meant I wore some light fleece gloves for the first 1.5 miles until my hands warmed up.  I had to put them on again about halfway down when a light breeze picked up.  It was wonderful being a little bit chilly again after the hot summer we've had.

Definitely past peak (still pretty, I think)

There were a good number of critters out and about with me: lots of those little ground squirrels that look like skinny chipmunks, two different sets of a mule deer doe with nearly-grown twin fauns, and some very chunky pikas who meeped loudly at me as I went traipsing by.

Just before the cutest pika ever started meeping at me

As I came out through the campground (closed), there were definitely more hikers milling about, heading towards Cecret Lake.  It was nothing like it had been in July, though, and I was appreciative of that.  Where were all the people?  It sure seemed like they were heading to Snowbird's Oktoberfest: there's only two weekends left, so if you're looking to get your 'fest on, get going!

Squatchin'

csa box the twelfth

I know that this year was a terrible year for Utah farmers, what with the early warmth that made the fruit trees flower too soon, only to be taken out by two severe cold snaps, plus the very very hot and very very dry summer.  I also enjoy supporting local businesses whenever possible (the smaller the better).  All that being said, I found this past week's CSA box #12 to be a bit underwhelming.  We got a small watermelon, an acorn squash, a couple of ears of corn, a bunch of apples, an onion or two, a green pepper or two and a decent number of (really dirty) potatoes.

The corn we ate right away and while the smaller ear was pretty good, the larger one was subpar.  I chunked up the watermelon and unfortunately it was not as good as the prior week's - a little mushy this time.  The acorn squash I roasted and mashed for Milton (that dog loves his squash) and the apples will be made into apple pie filling for the freezer.  The onions, potatoes and peppers will get eaten, for sure, it just wasn't that exciting a box this time.    

fourteen miles

 If you've got to do fourteen miles, you could do worse than doing it on the Pipeline Trail in SLC's Millcreek Canyon.  If you start at Rattlesnake Gulch and walk to Elbow Fork, it's cake.  (Sort of.  I mean, you're still doing fourteen miles.)

Nice day for a hike

On Saturday, A did just that, leaving the house a smidgen before 7 a.m. and getting to the Rattlesnake Gulch trailhead at quarter after 7.  Traffic was light and there were just a few cars in the trailhead parking lot.  It has literally been since the first year we moved to Utah that I've set foot in Rattlesnake Gulch.  That's how the Pipeline Trail is accessed: .7 miles basically straight up, with loose rock underfoot.  The first mile took me about 24 minutes due to footing and steepness; the second mile was almost eight minutes faster, since I was on Pipeline.  

Looking down on the road below

The temperature started in the 50s and didn't get out of the 60s; it was a mix of sun and clouds and, with the Pipeline Trail being largely shaded, it was quite pleasant for a hike.  Also, once attaining the Pipeline Trail, it is good footing, with a gradual uphill climb to Elbow Fork, with the exception of the steep, switchback-y climb from Church Fork to Burch Hollow.  I made good time, settling in for sub-20 minute miles - mostly around 17-18 minutes.

Leaves - and seasons - changing

I hit the seven mile halfway point just before Elbow Fork.  It seemed silly to turn around in a random spot on the trail, so I continued up to Elbow Fork, noting the changes wrought by this summer's construction.  I swapped out my food wrappers (bagel, fig bar, trail mix) for new food for the downhill (potato chips and Swedish fish) and kept on walking.  Per usual, my feet started hurting a bit around miles 9-10; by the time I was descending Rattlesnake Gulch they were pretty sore.  I finished up with 14.26 miles in 4:37 hours, took my trail shoes off as soon as I could and pounded a beer and a coconut water barefoot in the parking lot.

Snek

I usually do my long hikes on Sundays but picked Saturday for this hike since it was an odd-numbered day, which means off-leash dog day in Millcreek Canyon, which means fewer MTBs on the trail.  I was pretty pleased with this decision, as it would have been VERY annoying to have to step aside for many MTBs over the course of fourteen miles.  Instead, the trails were foot-traffic heavy (not that heavy, actually, I expected it to be much busier than it was) and I entertained myself (no headphones/music) by counting who I met: 40 trail runners, 89 hikers, 45 dogs, 3 MTBs and one rattlesnake (early in the morning, still so cold from the night before that he didn't even lift his head).

csa box the eleventh

 Box #11?  Already?  I mean, I'm ready for summer to be over (way too long and hot) but I'd really like fall to last a long time.  But box #11 means we're almost at the end.  I didn't take a photo this week but this is what we got: a carton of raspberries (kind of squishy but still tasty), a small watermelon, a tomato, some plums (squishy, unfortunately), apples, two red onions, two lemon cucumbers, a couple of ears of corn, some tomatillos, jalapenos and some purple-skinned potatoes.

The corn, berries and melon were all eaten fresh; the watermelon was much better than the last one we got.  I made the tomatillos, an onion and a couple of jalapenos into a chile verde-ish sauce that we ate with rice and beans.  The potatoes got turned into baked potato chips (really good snacks for hiking since they're salty and carby).  And I'm going to quick-pickle those weird little cucumbers, I guess, because I can't think of what else to do with them.

twelve miles

 Another incremental increase to A's hiking: twelve miles on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail on Sunday.  It hadn't cooled off quite as much as I had hoped overnight, with a 7:15 a.m. temperature in the low 70s.  But the sun was still behind the Wasatch mountains, and it was partly cloudy and windy, so conditions were better than they could have been.  The BST is dry and dusty (we need rain) and I pretty much had it to myself from the Hidden Valley Park trailhead to the Corner Canyon trails.

Views of the south valley

At Corner Canyon East Bench trailhead (or thereabouts), I veered off the BST and kept heading up into Corner Canyon on the old dirt road.  The road climbs steadily the whole way for another 2.5ish miles to the Peakview trailhead.  That trailhead parking lot was pretty full: I was starting to see more MTBers at this point.  When the dirt road ended, I still needed some distance to hit my six mile turnaround, so I got on the Hoof-and-Boot trail (hikers/runners and horses only - no bikes).  This was a great trail - at least this portion of it - packed dirt switchbacking through gambel oaks beneath the cloud-covered Lone Peak cirque.  

Hoof and Boot

At 6.1 miles I turned around and went back to the car exactly how I'd gone out.  I saw a couple of wild  turkeys and a red-tailed hawk.  I was trying to be good about eating (a slab of savory zucchini bread, homemade potato chips, a raspberry fig bar and some Swedish fish) and remembered to drink water every mile at a minimum.  There were more folks on the BST for the return - the suspension bridge was actually crowded.  I got back to the car in just over four hours (12.15 miles, 4:08 hours) and was happy to get my trail shoes off, just as a little bit of rain blew through.  No blisters - yay!

Lone Peak in the clouds

literal dog days of summer

On a recent weekend in Moab, we did some dog sitting for a friend.  He and his family had to go out of town for a funeral and asked us if we could watch their seven month old lab-pit mix named Marshmallow.  Of course!  We love dogs!  I mean, it's been decades since we've had a puppy in the house but we're experienced dog owners.

Same size but Marshmellow is WAY beefier

We three went over to their house the night before so Milton and Marshmallow could reacquaint themselves.  Milton met him for the first time in June (when he was MUCH smaller), and they spent the evening chasing each other around the yard.  We had brought Milton over for a second meeting in July (when he was BIGGER) and Milton was not impressed with the size or the energy.  This time, with Marsh as tall as Milt but brawnier, Milton wasn't having any of it.  Marsh wanted to play so badly and was in Milt's face; Milt issued correction after correction (barks and snaps) and the puppy just didn't get it.  An inauspicious start.

Calm in the car

Friday morning we took care of our exercising: H ended up doing a five mile trail run with M (after suffering a flat tire on his road bike just a block from hom) while A did the 10.3 mile Pipe Dream - Hidden Valley - Moab Rim hike (which was a bit of a suffer-fest as I felt dehydrated and drank nearly all my water - which I almost never do.  

Our friends dropped Marshmallow off around 1 and Milton was again unimpressed.  Our neighbor and her dog were home so we introduced them ... and Marshmallow, who had no chill at all, was sharply corrected several times by Moscow.  That night was a little rough too: although crate-trained, the puppy was nervous and cried/whined the entire night.  We all woke up exhausted and Milton couldn't believe that he was stilll with us.

Cutieeee

But it went MUCH better from there.  I took the dogs to Millcreek (Milton off-leash, Marshmallow on-leash) for four mile hikes both Saturday and Sunday mornings.  They were well-behaved in the car and Marsh loved splashing in the creek.  He did get a little out of control wanting to meet other dogs, but since he was leashed, it was easier to manage.  He never chewed anything and only had one accident on the kitchen floor; he calmed down for the second night; and he was just such a sweetie, with full-body tail wags and exuberant snuggles.

BOOP!

When his family picked him up in the early afternoon Sunday, the house seemed bigger and it was very, very quiet.  All three of us (Milton especially) were exhausted - puppies are a LOT!  Sweet, but a lot.

csa boxes the ninth and tenth

 I forgot to take a photo of our ninth box, but we got apples, pears, a small watermelon, three tomatoes, some red potatoes, two ears of corn, purple bell peppers, poblano (or similar) peppers, an onion and a cucumber.  The melon wasn't that good (did I wait too long to cut it? did I not wait long enough? the world will never know).  The corn was eaten right away; the peppers and onion were sauteed up for a vegan sausage meal; the tomatoes and plums were quite good eaten out of hand.

Still getting berries!!

The tenth box had a nice variety.  Green beans, two ears of corn, a cantaloupe, two (!) cartons of raspberries (!!), three bell peppers, two plums, two big tomatoes, a cucumber, assorted chiles, five big apples and an onion.  We ate the beans and corn on the first day - a little late in the season but still edible, if not amazing.  The berries were good, if a little fragile: I ate a third and split the rest for my overnight oats.  The melon is pretty good.  The fridge is starting to fill up with apples so I'm thinking homemade applesauce is in the near future.  And what to do with all those nice chiles ///