Summer Summary

It's raining in Truckee!! Hallelujah. (Okay, it was raining when I started this post. That was last weekend. But the sentiment is the same.)

I'm not just grateful for rain because of this insidious drought, but also because of that nasty King Fire. The smoke in Tahoe has been stifling the last two weeks, and folks down the hill have had to evacuate. 

Fall feels a bit in the air, and with that happy fact, I am reminded to make my usual summer wrap-up post. I may be a complete bloggging slacker, but at least I have my traditions.

Unfortunately, the short summary for this summer goes like this:

It was completely shitty.

An accurate and succinct summary, if a bit lacking on details. But truthfully, I'm tired of giving the details. 

Last weekend, my husband and I visited with some friends we hadn't seen in four or five months. I came straight out and told the wife in the couple that I was tired of updating people on the upsetting events of my life, so could we just skip the "What's been happening in your life?" question? 

She replied, "Let's just talk about trail running!"

Now that is a good friend.

So for this post, I'm going to skip all the shitty parts. I can't ignore them, but I guess I don't have to relive them here. Instead, I thought I would take this opportunity to focus on all the awesome parts of this summer.

Because you know what? Even among all the challenges - the feelings of betrayal, the injustices, the immense grief - there were still some pretty awesome things that happened this summer. Reminding myself of these things is one good way of dealing with the challenges - keeping perspective, and realizing that even a shit sandwich doesn't taste as bad when you're sitting by a mountain lake with a cocktail in hand. (Okay, I'm sorry, I will stop swearing now. Terribly embarrassing, my crassness.)

So. Awesome parts of this summer, in chronological order:



Hangin' at Western States


For the first time in several years, I was neither volunteer, runner, nor pacer. I thoroughly enjoyed geeking out as a fan.

Gary Gellin nears the top of the Escarpment.

And the finish line especially. Always a social, and very emotional place to spend time.

The Trent girls await the leader at Placer High.

See what I mean about emotions? (Pictured: Rob Krar)

More emotions! Yay! (Pictured: Max King)

Fourth of July!

The fourth is always awesome in Truckee, and this year was no different. Good friends, perfect weather, parades, swimming, barbecues, bike rides, tubing down the river. Fun!

The Dream Team at the Truckee Parade.

Family Visits

Fishing day with the boys!

Game time: "I am a Pig." "I am a Camel." (Not the most flattering pic, but certainly the funniest!)

TRT 50K

Due to the fact that I spent most of June and the first part of July injured, I dropped down from the 50M distance I'd signed up for and ran the 50K (actually 55K) at TRT for the first time since 2003. Oh wow! I think I like the 50K. No Diamond Peak climb, and it's over so fast! Plus, I won. Total bonus.

And I will tell you that staying up all night to volunteer at the Tunnel Creek AS is much easier with only 55K on your legs vs. 50M. Just as much fun though!

Pre-race with the RD

TRT 173

It seems like a lot of my adventures involve the Tahoe Rim Trail, but this one was truly unique. Five runners, four days, and 173 miles of jaw-dropping scenery. 

I don't want to say too much about this one, since I SWEAR I AM GOING TO WRITE A REAL POST ABOUT IT. I promise. I am.

But the summary is that it kind of turned out to be the gem of the summer. Two of our really big challenges were already upon me and my husband, and a third was just hitting the fan when this adventure began. I didn't know if I should even be out there on the trail for so many reasons, but it turned out to be the best decision I could have made.

I am massively grateful for the friends who put in all of the work to plan this adventure and who turned out to be amazing people with whom to share the trail!

173 Miles that looked something like this

Triumphant at the end of our journey: Me, Chris, Tyler, Curt, and Joe. (And Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.)

A New Kitchen

This is another one that I am not going to give all the details on because I really want to do a full post with before and after pictures. There was quite a process, and it looks amazing, but of course, it's still not done. (Started in April, why would we be done by October?) As soon as the back splash and trim are in, there will be lots of pictures! Pinky swear.

Here's Andrew on concrete day. This doesn't show you anything about our kitchen, does it? But just wait until you see the killer concrete counter tops he made me!!

Other Adventures

Of course there were plenty of beautiful trail miles shared with friends, (several times getting caught out in hail and lightning), and other "daily" adventures. In completely non-chronological order:


Hoover Wilderness and Yosemite with Jamie:

Jamie

Happy in the mountains

Alpine lake in the Hoover Wilderness

Running near home:

Castle Peak, Donner Summit

Desolation Wilderness with Betsy

Aloha Lake/Desolation Wilderness with Jamie and Caren

Jason's wedding with the college track crew (no running involved).

I know this was mostly a post in pictures. I don't have a lot of words these days. Honestly though, I'm hoping to find some. I miss writing.

Last summer, my sister declared it to be The Summer of Joy. We did so many wonderful things with family, knowing that with my mom's ALS diagnosis, it would be the last summer with her in good health. It truly was wonderful - three full months of family time up and down the coast.

This one was declared The Summer of Sadness. Aptly named, and thankfully in the rearview mirror.

My sister has already declared next summer to be The Summer of Healing. I'm assuming that means more family trips, and I'm all for that! In fact, I'm pretty much ready for summer right now.

The Squaw Valley Mountain Run

The Squaw Valley Mountain Run is a Tahoe tradition. Starting a the base of the ski resort in Squaw Valley, it climbs 3.6 miles to a finish line at High Camp. This, the event's 33rd running, had all the elements of a classic summer day in the mountains.

First, in case you aren't sure what Squaw Valley is all about, there are plenty of reminders:

And also this:

But you don't have to be an Olympian or an ultrarunner to participate in the Mountain Run. Among the nearly six hundred participants you'll find serious athletes as well as families planning to hike the course. 

Of course, in these parts, Olympians and ultrarunners are likely present as well. Here's Joe, just two weeks after an awesome finish at the Tahoe Rim Trail 100:

The hardest part about this course is that I forget how hard it is. 3.6 miles doesn't sound very far, but after about 20 minutes, running uphill starts to get pretty painful. I'm an ultrarunner - I'm used to hiking the uphills!

I'd been running in second since about a half mile into the race, and the first place woman was slowly inching away from me. I'd been biding my time, hoping she would come back to me, but not long after the two mile mark, I realized it was not to be.

I was ready to slow down and settle for second when I turned a switchback and took the opportunity to see what was going on below. Dang! There was a pack of about four women right behind me. Slowing down would mean settling for more like sixth. Okay, fine. No slowing down.

The final uphill push seems to get even steeper, but it's pretty awesome to reach your finish line at the top of a mountain.

Volunteers hand you an official SVMR pint glass and usher you toward the keg. It's not a bad idea to take a diversion past the food and water table first, but that's up to you.

The rest of the morning can be spent hanging out with friends, eating, drinking, listening to music, and cheering for runners still streaming across the line.

Jorge Maravilla and Ross McMahan at the Salomon tent

JoAnne and Andy: your illustrious Tunnel Creek AS medical team!

Truckee friends: Brittney and Angela

If beer before 10:00 A.M. isn't your thing, you can also take the opportunity to lengthen your run by heading out on the PCT or Western States trails. Angela, Brittney and I skipped the tram ride down and took a mellow warm-down by running the course in reverse - much easier in that direction!

If you're ever in northern California on the first Saturday in August, I recommend not missing the Squaw Valley Mountain Run!

Complete Results

Sierra Sun Article

First Chair, Last Call: 11 Rules for Life in a Ski Town

This post is dedicated to the wonderfully inimitable Ms.Meghan Hicks, whose grocery store frustrations in Park City inspired the topic.

Sugar Bowl Sunrise - photo by Andrew Pinkham

1.  Accept the weather. Most of the time in the winter, it’s gonna dump, at least if you live in the Sierra. Get your fat boards tuned. Get a Honda snowblower, a big shovel, and a strong back. When it doesn’t snow, remember how much you hate shoveling and go ice-skating. Summer? In Tahoe: 80 Degrees and sunny, every day. Count on it.

2.  Use beer as currency. It may not get you everything, but it can go a surprisingly long ways. If you know the right people, you can pay with beer for most services – ski tuning, boot fitting, work on your house or car. You can also pay for most anything with ski comps (if you work at the resort and get comps in your paycheck) – things like haircuts, massages, yoga, etc. Always find out if people are willing to trade services, too. This saves everyone money!

3. Drive a Subaru. Well, you might drive a Tacoma, but just make sure your vehicle can handle the snow. Get snow tires. Don’t be that guy that shuts down the freeway because you had an accident. Don’t get yourself stuck on the unplowed streets of your neighborhood because, trust me, they will still be unplowed when it’s time to drive to work or the ski hill. Being stuck on a powder day fully sucks.

4. Don't think you're awesome. No matter how amazing your skills at skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing, swimming, or running, there will always be people who can kick your butt. People with Olympic medals and huge sponsorship deals. Small town, big talent. Your ego may take a hit, but at least you’ll have no shortage of partners willing to join you on your crazy endeavors.

5. Shop at the thrift store. Did you know a lot of rich people live in resort towns? They get rid of stuff on a shockingly frequent basis – stuff they’ve barely worn. One summer I bought two incredible Ann Taylor dresses at the thrift store for a total of $7 and wore them both to weddings. Plus, thrift store shopping is Earth-friendly, and that’s how we like to roll.

6. Stay off the interstate in a snow storm. Because you can bet some idiot is breaking rule #3.

7. Tip big. You plan to come back to that bar/restaurant/hairstylist, don’t you? Make friends, and it will serve you well in the future. Karma, baby.

8. Talk small. Your “private” conversation is never private. Be nice, because someone is always listening – someone who either knows you or knows what you’re talking about.

9. Be a good dog owner. Adopt from the pound. Pick up after him. Take an obedience class. Don’t bring him to indoor parties. And don’t even tell me he’s part wolf. You’re full of it!

10. Don’t go to the grocery store on holidays or weekends. This one is very important. It will be so crowded, YOU WILL LOSE YOUR MIND! Once it took me 15 minutes to find a parking space at Safeway. Then I spent five minutes searching for a cart, but they were all being used – every last one! I finally helped someone unload her groceries into her car so I could have her cart. Needless to say, once I got inside the store, the experience only went downhill. Lesson learned. Now, if I run out of food between Christmas and New Years, I grocery shop at 6:00 am. Or I eat canned beans for dinner without complaint. (Don’t go to restaurants at these times either, by the way.) 

And, my most important tip?

11. Don’t bitch. There are down sides to living in a resort town, definitely. But just remember: You live where other people come to vacation.

Drama and Sport: How High School Football is Like a Good Book.

 

I was rolling down Donner Pass Rd. last weekend, just finishing up some errands, when I had cause to reach out and turn up the volume on the car radio. Our local station, as is typical for a Saturday in the fall, was broadcasting the high school football game. (Yes, my town really is that small.) What piqued my interest was the tone of voice of the announcers, informing the listeners that the Wolverines had been shut out at halftime. They seemed surprised. Almost worried.

I knew the team held a huge winning streak, the largest in the state, at 34 games. Since this was the playoffs, it had the makings of a good game, and when I pulled in the driveway I asked my husband if he wanted to run down to Truckee High to catch the second half. What we witnessed was one of the best sporting events I’ve seen in years.

I’ve long declared that my favorite movie genre is what my husband calls the “feel good sports movie.” I love the drama of sports. Movies like Miracle, Invincible, and Remember the Titans (all based on true stories). Nothing makes me cry like a good Cinderella-Story sports movie.

In thinking about this fact after the high school football game, I realized the real draw of sports like this to me – they have all the makings of a perfect plot. They’re a story just waiting to unfold. Drama in real life. Watching a good football game, or any sporting event, is like reading a gripping novel where you really can’t tell what kind of ending it’s going to have.

You couldn’t have created better plot structure for a story than the events that took place on the field at Truckee High that day.

You had conflict: Not only do you have one team against another, but Truckee football had the added pressure of a 34-game winning streak spanning 3 years. KCRA TV in Sacramento called them The King of California Football. More than once, the Fallon High School fans in the visitor’s bleachers took up the chant “Break That Streak!” Not to mention, of course, the winner of this game would advance to the state championship game.

There was plenty of rising action: Truckee didn’t get on the board at all in the first half, starting the 3^rd quarter down by a field goal. Tension already. Then, in the second half, the lead changed hands three times. Neither team was ever more than a touchdown away from losing their lead. Andrew and I stood at the fence behind the end-zone with other late arrivals, cheering and wailing with every play. We were in solidarity with strangers with whom we had one thing in common – we wanted our team to win! With every second lost on the clock in that 4^th quarter, the tension grew.

We even had an excellent false climax: Fallon scored and was up by 3 points with 4 minutes left to play. Truckee took almost that entire 4 minutes to get the ball back to our end of the field. With less than 30 seconds left, they were fourth and goal. A field goal would have tied it up, but they chose to go for it. (Well, we’re a ski town: Go big or go home!) They squeaked into the end zone with 8 seconds left on the clock. The crowd went absolutely NUTS! I mean, I didn’t even know we had enough people in our town to make that kind of noise. We picked up a 15 yard penalty for “excessive celebrating.” I didn’t really think it was excessive, considering.

And of course, the climax: “Well, game’s over, let’s get out of here.” We walked about ten yards before changing our minds. May as well watch the last 8 seconds play out. A Fallon player caught the kick-off and somehow found a hole. He was running. Flying. Streaking for that end zone. Oh. My. God.

I could imagine the radio announcers: “He’s  at the 30! The 20! The 10!”

“”No! No! No!” We all screamed. They were at the far end of the field, so I couldn’t see what happened, but the crowd’s reaction told all: The Truckee side roared in triumph, while Fallon’s fans let loose with painful moans. SO CLOSE!

But guess what? That wasn’t the climax. It was just another false climax! That is what you call some good rising action. It’s a page-turner of a story.

There was a penalty called on the play. “A late hit,” another fan told me. I looked at the scoreboard. No time left on the clock. So … did we win?

I don’t know the rules that well, but apparently the penalty called for one more play, even though no time remained. You have got to be kidding me!

The players lined up again as we all held our breaths. The Fallon players couldn’t make it happen, and once again Truckee fans roared –now with equal parts relief and triumph.

And that, really, was the resolution: Relief, triumph, and looking to the State game this weekend. All the most exciting stories end with the climax, the resolution only a footnote: The End.

 Thanks for the drama, Truckee boys. Good luck at State tomorrow!

Final Score

 

Do you have any favorite sports dramas?

Apology

In our house, we have what we call the "two shoe rule." That is, we (my husband and I) are each allowed two pairs of shoes on the downstairs shoe rack. The rack, which currently lives in our as-yet-unfinished mudroom, looks like this:

And, as you may have guessed, not a single pair of shoes in that photo belongs to my husband. Further, I count a total of seven pairs of running shoes. Seven! Plus one single.

I'm really not certain how this state came to be. 80% of my mileage can be attributed to only two of those pairs of shoes, and another two pairs I certainly haven't worn for at least six months.

But has anyone called me out on breaking the two shoe rule? Not once. Not even a peep.

In addition, he made creative use of the situation ...

with a X-Talon door stop through the construction zone (accounting for the single on the shoe rack).

There's a whole lot to be said for flexibility in a partner.

So, ... yeah. Sorry, sweetie.

Weekend Adventures

 

Morning SUP on Donner Lake

Dog Day at Castle Peak

This morning was a lazy Sunday start for a beautiful tour of Castle Peak, near the Sierra crest. Betsy and I set out on the Pacific Crest Trail with five 4-legged running partners to find out if the high-country trails were runnable yet. The final answer was mixed - it just depends how you want your adventuring-to-running-ratio to play out.


The south side of Castle was covered in wildflowers and had views aplenty. The north side was still ensconced in snow fields. Where bare earth did emerge, there was little in the way of vegetation, and tiny streams braided the landscape allowing doggie drinks all day. 


Another beautiful day in the mountains. Dogs and Truckee Girls alike are thoroughly worn out.

Approaching the east ridge of Castle Peak

Daisy dog shows us that Running Time = Play Time.

Top dog! Cap stands proudly by the summit cairn.

Castle Peak - north side

Water sources abound.

Spring time conditions in August. Think there are many avalanches on this slope?

Back on the PCT! Betsy, Tessie, Daisy, Patches, and Cap.

Living and Training in Snow Country Part II

In spite of the official change of seasons, it is most definitely still winter up here in the Sierra. Although we spend plenty of time and energy on snow removal, there's something absolutely wonderful about being snowed in. The freeway is closed because of avalanche danger, so I can't get to work. The resort is closed because of avalanche danger, so Andrew doesn't have to go in to work. It's a stolen day off together with no serious responsibilities, and the world is white and clean and new.
       

The view out my kitchen window

Locals are comparing the snow totals to the el-nino year of 82-83, which is a legendary winter in these parts. This kind of snow pack means good things for the drought conditions, but I worry what it will mean for spring flooding in the valleys. 

A number of people have asked me for pictures of the snow, so that's the primary purpose of this post. All of these photos were taken of houses in my neighborhood. Enjoy my winter wonderland!

With Natalie and the dogs, digging out her parking space.

This is the front walkway to my friend Jenelle's house.

You'd better know where you're going around here. This is about the last street sign that isn't buried.

I swear my friend Susie's house is in this picture. It's under that big pile of snow.

Our neighbors across the street have a beautiful house. Right now though, it pretty much looks like everyone else's: white.

This is our house as seen from the neighbor's driveway.

This is the front entrance to our new mud-room. This is on the second story, by the way. That snow piled up on the side extends another 10 feet below this picture.

Believe it or not, I'm still getting in some good running. I'll be bailing on the snow this weekend though, assuming the interstate reopens. Sometimes training in snow country means getting out of it.