Rio Grande Gorge West Rim Trail run

On Saturday March 31st Teri and I decided to drive up toward Taos and run part of the West Rim Trail along the Rio Grande Gorge. We started at the south end of the trail, just as the road up from Pilar comes out on the rim. We parked, got some good beta from some mountain biker guys and took off running north for 5 1/2 miles. The trail is essentially flat except for a couple of shallow gulleys. Some of the time is is close to the gorge and the scenery is awesome. The Sange de Cristo Mts. to the northeast still have snow and we could see Kachina Peak where the Taos Ski Resort is located. At about mile 10 on the way back I started to fade pretty bad, I kept going, but it was not pretty.

Wolf Creek, CO Weekend

We spent the weekend of March 23-25 in Pagosa Springs, CO where I skied at Wolf Creek and Teri did some more training for upcoming races. The temp was super warm - in the mid 60s, but fortunately there was a ton of snow at Wolf Creek so it was pretty much perfect spring conditions. On Friday I got in half a day and wore myself out hiking and skating over to some of the more out-of-the-way spots. I went down some steep runs and had a blast. There seemed to be a lot of cars in the parking lot, and quite a few people hanging about near the bottom and at the lodge, but once I got up on the hill, and started doing some of the more difficult terrain, there was pretty much no one around. I kind of pushed it and had a few spills, including 2 times when one of my skis just popped off executing a turn on a steep slope. The snow was heavy of course, so I think my ski just got wedged in the snow and my binding released. When I got back to Pagosa, I upped the DIN setting on my bindings to prevent the early release problem.

Teri had gone on a 7 or 8 mile run on the road up to Wolf Creek and then she just drove up and picked me up when the resort closed. I was really tired because I never waited for anyone and I just went up the lift and skied down until the lifts stopped operating.

We stayed in a nice condo on the west side of Pagosa and it was very quiet. The next morning we saw a beautiful fox right outside the condo. He paid no attention to us and was just seemed to be doing his usual routine. His tail was huge and he still had his winter coat. He wasn't as red as some other foxes I've seen - a little on the grey side, but wonderful anyway. We scouted out Teri's run for that day which was a 15 miler, and put a stash of Gatorade and water at 7.5 miles west of our condo. I then left for Wolf Creek for another day of skiing.

There was a pretty good crowd there, but mostly beginner or intermediate skiers. In the morning I first of all did one of runs where my ski popped off the day before. This time I had no problem. I then hiked up to the knife-edge ridge chutes and found a place to drop in. I think it may have been the steepest thing I've gone off, at least at the top. It's a short drop and the bottom 3/4 is not all that steep, but the top seemed close to vertical and there was a big cornice at the top too. I basically wimped out on it and sidestepped down a few feet before I made my first turn. It was still fun, but next year I'm going to do it right.

The rest of the day was great and I again got very tired. I had a nice lunch with a nice family from Kansas. The dad was about my age, had a very similar background and we had a great chat. We traded phone numbers and I'm sure he's someone that I will keep in contact with.

Teri's run went well although the 2nd half was a lot of uphill and she was also beat. We had dinner at the Alley House in Pagosa Springs which is probably one of the better places we've been. Outside of some very loud and drunk people from Texas who were sitting at the table next to us, the dinner was perfect.

Catch-up

Wow! I am really awful at blogging, based on my lack of activity for a zillion years. Instead of trying to catch-up, I'll just start from recent...

Skiing this winter was pretty good. Pajarito had early snow (for New Mexico), and I also made trips to Wolf Creek, Taos, and Breckenridge. I have a marathon in June, so I've started training for that and it has put a dent in my ski plan. I've also managed to keep up a fairly consistent swim schedule, so I'm in pretty good shape right now. It's nice to be in good enough condition to be able to ski all day without being totally beat. For some ski videos with my new helmet cam, check out this site http://contour.com/users/jimski
Linked above...

On this blog, I'm really only interested in writing about interesting or fun things happening in my life. Right now work is very hard and frustrating and there is probably no good reason to blog about it.

Last Friday it snowed in Los Alamos and we got up to the ski hill early and got first tracks down several runs. As it turned out, a crowd never materialized so we had fresh powder all day (see video link and look for the 3/2/12 movies). Now, if you really want a laugh, watch the movie called Breckenridge, Devil's Crotch. At the bottom of that gnarly run, a skier says to me "I wish I could ski that like you ski that!" The fact that I recorded this completely unsolicited praise can only be attributed to Divine intervention - that comment pretty much made my weekend.

Bandelier National Monument Adventure

Last Staurday (10/30/10) Teri and I went on a run in Bandelier Nat. Monument. Instead of going out and back on the Burnt Mesa Trail, we dropped off the end of the mesa and went down into the slot canyon off the Northeast side of Burnt Mesa. There is no trail off the mesa or in the slot canyon. In the bottom we saw fresh mountain lion tracks in the sand, and just a few yards down canyon found a freshly killed coyote - it was a bit creepy. I guess it's not surprising to know that cougars prey on coyotes - they are probably easier to catch than a deer. Feeling the big cat was watching us from somewhere above, we didn't stick around there long and made our way further down the slot canyon, hoping we could drop into Frijoles Canyon and then run back to Park Headquarters and the parking lot where we had left a second car. When we got to the canyon edge where the slot canyon met Frijoles, it was a water-spout hole with a 200 foot drop to the next level! No way down without ropes.

We climbed out the Northeast side of the slot canyon and looked for another way down.... No luck. We ended up running and hiking along the North rim of Frijoles Canyon and caught the Overlook Trail, then the Frey Trail down to the bottom and the parking lot. Total mileage was about 8 miles. Very fun, and the slot canyon was a true wilderness experience.

Skiing

I can't think of anything I would rather do than ski. I started skiing seriously after a trip to Purgatory with my friend John Lowe in 1998. He's a true expert and while I was skiing with him I decided that I would really learn how to ski. I then purchased the first skis of my own in many, many years and started skiing with Dale, a friend from work and a good skier. On my first day with him he gave me some good advice as we were standing on the lip of a double black chute called "Devil's Crotch" at Breckenridge. He said "After this, everything else will look flat!" He was right, and I still think about that every time I ski. Now Teri and I ski most winter weekends and usually take a few special trips to find great conditions around the west. We've even skied in Chile during the early fall (Chile's Spring). Ironically, we have difficulty finding people who can ski well enough to hang with us, and I really never see people our age skiing the steeps, crud, and deep powder that we love.

We really enjoy our little hill in Los Alamos (Pajarito Mountain), and some other small places such as Monarch and Wolf Creek in Colorado. Utah is great, but we think Steamboat Springs is hard to beat. Tahoe is fun, but usually the crowds and prices are a bit much.

I've become something of a ski gear-head. Unfortunately this has led to a need for better and newer equipment, and that means $$$. Oh well, I guess there are more decadent hobbies.

Keeping in Shape

I always feel better when I'm in decent physical condition and last year my wife Teri and I trained for and ran the Las Vegas Marathon. Unfortunately, my mother died not long before the marathon date and her funeral was held the day before the race. We rushed off to Vegas, but I think we would have done a little better without the stress of a crazy weekend. Anyway, during marathon training last fall, I started to workout in the pool as a sort of cross-training idea. Now my swimming is becoming a focus and I'm starting to feel like my old self (only a lot older and slower) in the water. We're also training for the Valle Caldera Marathon on June 13th, so the running is now a major element of our day. I do some strength work too, so I think I can say that my fitness level is pretty high right now. I'm trying to drop some weight to make the running easier, but it will be muscle that I'll lose - not much fat left. After this marathon, I think I'll shift my focus on the swimming and just run on the mountain trails around here as an enjoyable cross-training activity. Teri wants to run the St. George Marathon in October, and she put our names in the lottery for that race. If my name is picked I think I'll have to really psyche myself up for the training. It's difficult to work, do the church jobs, keep up with family, and be really serious about training and working out - but it helps with my mental state.

Rattlesnake Kills Dude, Our Little Jack Russell

Saturday, May 17, 2008, my wife and I went on a trail run down to the Rio Grande. The trail we took was the Ancho Rapid Trail. The river was very high and the rapids were spectacular. We spent about 40 minutes at the river and threw sticks for our dog "Dude." On the way back up the trial we met 3 hikers who warned us about a large western diamondback on the trial about 300 yards ahead. I picked up Dude and started walking back up the steep trail. We thought we had passed the location of the snake, but suddenly I heard a loud hiss and then rattling. I instinctively stepped backward and looked for the snake. It was a large, rust colored diamondback; probably close to 5 feet long and quite heavy in the body. The snake was very agitated although we had done nothing to disturb it other than our unknowing approach. The snake was coiled up, in defensive posture, right on the trail.

We looked at the snake for a minute, then I took a long stick and moved it well off the trail, down-slope about 30 feet. I didn't see where it went from there. My wife Teri was holding Dude at the time. We started back up the trail and after a while I put Dude down so we could start running again. As soon as he hit the ground Dude made a u-turn and beelined back to the location of the snake. Teri and I were yelling at him - NO! STOP! NO DUDE! And I chased him, throwing rocks to change his direction, but he was on the very steep and rocky slope and I was too far behind. He found the snake and just as I came on him it struck him in the head as he put his nose close to it. He gave a yelp and retreated up to Teri

Within 30 seconds he was in pain and Teri saw fang marks on his upper left lip, and one large one just in front of his left eye. I carried him out about 2.5 miles, but by the time we got to the car he was in serious trouble and his head was very swollen. He was salivating heavily, gasping, and some body functions were uncontrolled. We drove to the vet, but he convulsed, stopped breathing and died in the parking lot about 50 minutes after being bitten. I think he knew the end was coming, because just before he died, he sat up, and stood in his usual place between the 2 front bucket seats before collapsing.

Later, the veterinarian wondered why Dude died so quickly and she did a post mortum exam. She found that the fang that entered his lip had broken off, probably when Dude jerked away, and had pierced his tonsil, deep in his throat. The fang was obviously filled with venom and this caused his throat to rapildy swell, cutting off his airway. The vet said it was a very freak thing to have the fang break off and lodge in his throat. Dude could also have been trying to bite the snake. The vet remarked that the fang she removed from Dude's throat was very large.

Dude was 7 years old and our almost constant companion and we loved him. He was loyal, happy, and friendly to everyone. He wanted to be with, or more accurately, be on the lap of someone all the time. He demanded constant attention and was always the center of any action at the house. His fault (maybe common to the Jack Russell), which I tried, but was unable to correct, was to tune-out our commands anytime he got focused on something he wanted. He got into trouble several times because of this, and this time it was fatal. I have since learned of a "rattlesnake vaccine" that could maybe have saved his life. Time, the fact that he was so small (15-17 lbs), and probably the large amount of venom, were all against us. In all our trail running, and hiking in New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado this was the first rattler we have encountered.