Just checking to see if this pic is able to be blown up. I added this in the "Edit Html" tab and the message below in the "Compose" tab. I want to see if this is the difference between them blowing up and now blowing up when you click them...



Yep! It worked, so here is the other one.

Fort Lewis Half Marathon

I ran my second half marathon today. In some ways I expeccted to be faster on this one, but in others I didn't. One problem was a busy schedule with lots of travel which held me to only about 3 runs in the last 3 weeks. Perhaps even 4 runs in 4 weeks. Not a good way to train.

I started out well with about a 7:30 pace for my first mile. My intention was to kick it at the beginning and then pull back a little later, and then kick it again at the end. However, my plan was thwarted by the mileage signs. I know my pace pretty well so I was just using my watch. To my amazement and dismay, I didn't hit mile marker 2 until 19:30 into the race. I have never run that slow! This kept me wondering the rest of the race what my actual pace was and how far I had actually run.

I ran well and felt fine until about mile 11. Things got tough there. An older guy came up behind me and said, "Almost there!" I turned back and said, "Let's do this!" We then made a plan of who we were going to pass by the end. We passed that guy in no time and really stepped up our pace. He was a great motivation for me. We were both hurting so we kept each other going. Thanks, older dude...whoever you are!

I think I ended in almost exacty the same time as I did in my previous race! (at least based on the race clock.) It was 1:47 and change. I was hoping to beat the 8 minute mile, but it would not be so on this run. It also didn't help that it was full sun the whole way and about 75 degrees by the end of the race. Here are a couple of shots...

Mildred Lakes Trip

A couple of weeks ago, Kevin and I headed up for our long planned trip to the Olympic mountains to hike and fish Mildred lakes. We left home an arrived at trailhead at around 9:00 pm. We began our night hike at around 9:25 with a goal o reaching huckleberry creek. The trail started out pretty steep and gradually climbing. It then began to enter the steep and less traveled face. This trail went through several blowdowns where we had to look ernestly for ribbon trail markers. Luckily, there were many orange, pink, white, and yellow ribbons. We had to climb over large logs, under blown down trees, and there were several sections where we were climbing steep inclines held by woven roots from trees. We went from 1800 feet to 3400 feet.

At this point we began to decsend to 3100 feet where we found Huckleberry Creek. We camped here next to the small creek and built a small fire. It was a warm night so I had sweat profusely and had been using abssorbant sweat pads, which only nominally helped. I used the fire to dry out my shirt since I would be wearing the same shirt for the entire trip.

The next morning at around 9:30, we began our climb up the steep face to the top of the ridge at 4100 feet. This trail encountered a small but very steep ravine where we had to descend a near vertical lattice of roots to the bottom of the ravine. The other side was also very steep and was best suited for climbing with both hands and both feet. We had heard that "near the top" of the other side of the ravine, there was a hornets nest where several people had been stung, some of them several times.

Our plan was to descend quickly and then move rapidly up the other side, while traveling closely together to avoid being stung. As we begun to ascend the far side, we began to wonder what "near the top" meant. Was it the top of the ravine or the top of that entire ridge? After a short period of time we began to see bees. Not wanting to be stung, we climbed the ridge at a lung burning pace. There were many sections of very steep root ladders with many holes in the soil amongst the roots. We surmised that this was most likely where a bee colony might live. We climbed up these ladders as quicky as we could, hoping to take a reprieve at the top of the ladder...only to be pushed further by the relentless attack from hornets and horse flies. This was not an easy task considering we both had on 60 lb packs.

Adrenaline kept pushing us up this peak from the constant fear of being stung by hornets. We did stop a couple of times just to marvel at the sight of the near vertical lattice work of roots we were climbing. After a full hour of constant fleeing up this face, we reached the top, temporarily resting to catch our breath. This was short lived as the horse flies greeted us with a vengeance.
As we continued down the other side, we found ouselves surrounded by beautiful green folliage. This was obviously the wet side of the mountain and immediately the bees and flies left. We were surrounded by large ferns and many wild mountain flowers.

We descended about 300 feet and after a brief moment of reorienting ourselves, we came upon the first and smallest of the lakes. We continued on our way until around noon, when we came upon the third and largest of Mildred lakes. The lake was gorgeous and surrounded by several jagged peaks.

This lake was so beautiful and majestic. You could see 50 feet down into it's crystal clear waters. On my first cast I caught a fiesty little rainbow trout. The fish here were not big, but they were hungry and plentiful.

I could live my entire life with a view like this and never grow tired of it.

We spent the rest of the day fishing and relaxing in our hammocks. This was some of the most beautiful scenery we had ever seen. As the soon as the sun went down and the air cooled, we could hear the constant high pitched whine of our next nemesis... Mosquitos!! These things were relentless and virtually undeterred by our 99% Deet repellant.

The next day we fished the big lake in the morning, ate lunch, relaxed, and then packed our float tubes over to the middle of the three lakes.

This would prove to be the best decision of the entire trip. This lake was much smaller and contained moonlike rock spires coming out of the water. We quickly found that this lake contained a very healthy population of larger cuttthroat trout. These fish were hungry and put up a fantastic fight. In the evening at around 6:00 pm, the bite was ON!

In a 30 minute stretch I caught over 20 fish with the largest measuring in at 17 inches. When we could fish no longer (Kevin's hand was cramping and I was getting cold) we headed back to camp and enjoyed a feast of cutthroat trout.

Compare this picture of me to the first one at the top of the post. This is what 4 days of camping will do to you. I look like the Wild Man of the Wynoochee.

That night we packed up camp and were on the trail by 11:00 pm. We quickly became disoriented in the maze of trails but eventually found our way way from the big lake. Some time after passing by the smaller lake, we again became lost and were able to get to the top of the ridge to get our position on the gps. We finally reached the top of the ridge at about 1:00 am. and were in bed by 2:00.

The next morning we awoke to the loud hum of a billion mosquitoes, flies, and bees. We had breakfast on top of a ridge with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. We were able to find some relief from the Mosquitos in the sun and thanks to a gentle breeze. It was a perfect way to have breakfast on one of the best hiking and camping trips I have ever been on. The trail was a bear, but the scenery was unbeatable.

Recent Trip to Camp Muir

Stuart and I decided to head up to camp Muir in the middle of the night. We began our hike at about 1 am and made it to Muir by about 6:30. We crested the clouds at about 4:30 just in time to see the sun hit the tops of the clouds and also to light up Mt. Adams in the distance. I did not do well on sleep deprivation...

Also, can anyone tell me why my pics don't blow up when you click them in the blog? Is there a way to do that?

Here is a shot of the moon just as we were breaking through the clouds. It was awesome!

Here is Stuart heading up the mountain in the wee hours of the morning.

Mt. Adams looked beautiful in the morning light!

I am about to head down on my skis.

Stuart was glad to have his skis on his feet instead of his back.

Panoramas above the clouds.

Easter Pictures

We took some fun pictures in the kids Easter outfits.

The kids obviously get their good looks from Mommy!

I'm not actually smiling...I'm grimmacing. He loves to pull my hair.

You would think someone would have told me my hair looked like this prior to this shot being taken. I can thank the little butterball for this hairdo.

Snow Caving

Here are some shots of Ben up snow-caving with the scouts. It was a beautiful day up there and we had a great time playing in the snow. Ben got some new snow shoes, which he wore the entire time he was up there!

Here is Ben snow-shoeing out of camp with his pack on. He packed his sleeping bag and all of his clothes. I only carried his sleeping pad. He is quite the hiker and camper for a 6 year old!

Family shots

We decided to use the new camera to try to capture some shots of the kids for a Christmas card. One indoor and one outdoor. Will didn't last long for either one so we likely won't get a family picture with him smiling until he is a little older...or happier.