Up, Down, and Around (recap)

Activity Overview

Distance: 6.43 miles

Ave/Max HR: 142 / 175

Calories Burned: 590

Detailed Stats & Map

The Scoop

We were one leader short this week with Greg out hunting for pheasant somewhere in the Dakotas.  We had one new attender this week, Curt, and a Clint from the DRC was also back.  

Chester is a great area and every trail we ran was in excellent condition.  We started the run at the Chester parking lot just off of Skyline Pkwy.  This area is littered with ski and hiking trails.  

To get blood moving, we reinstated our old tradition - run a major ascent the number of times you have people in the group.  There is a trail immediately adjacent to the first parking area with a substantial hill, so it didn't take long for us to warm up in spite of the rapidly plummeting temps throughout the Northland.  

After completing the repeats, we ran over to Bagley Nature Center at UMD and completed one full loop of that system.  Between the abundance of fallen leaves and some fresh wood chips lining portions of the trail, this was a fun trail to revisit.  I was surprised, however, not to see anyone walking or running in Bagley as plenty of people were out at Chester tonight.

Once we got back on Chester, it was time for headlamps.   Initially, this portion of the trail overlooks the bowl of Chester Bowl.  It is a great view, though somewhat inihibited in the dark!

  We ran into a few walkers (no pun intended) that didn't have headlamps both in upper and lower Chester.  Surprising and, in my estimation, somewhat foolish for a trail system that often has oversized roots, rocks, and substantial dropoffs immediately adjacent to the trail down to the river.  If you are inclined to go for a walk or run after work starting next week following Daylight Savings Time, be sure to pick up a headlamp (Duluth Running Co carries several reasonably priced models).  The lower section of Chester is all downhill to 4th Street and uphill for most of the return trip.  That being said, it is still a very fun trail to run in the heart of Duluth's hillside.

Great time with great people...hope to see you next week!

Up, Down, and Around

Date: Tuesday, October 28 at 5:45PM

Meet Location: Chester Park parking lot (map)

Activity: Trail run

Weather: Low 40's

Required Gear: Headlamp (extras will be available)

Trail conditions: fair to good...expect some mud

Anticipated activity duration: 60+/- minutes

Activity Details:  The plan for this night is to start at Chester, work through some of the upper ski trails, bounce over to Bagley for a loop, rejoin the Chester ski trails, and then do the lower Chester portion of the SHT.  While most of the course will be on trails, there is sufficient street that we do not recommend bringing dogs this week.

If this is your first week out, the rally point is going to be a black Honda Element the the license plate "H12".  We look forward to seeing you!

No run scheduled for Tuesday (10/21/2008)

With Keven on vacation this week and a change in my work schedule on Tuesday, we unfortunately need to cancel this week's outing.

Please plan on joining us next week!

Thanks,
Greg

P2P Part 1 - SHT West (recap)

Activity OverviewDistance: 8.98 miles

Max reported HR: 182
Average reported HR: 157
Calories Burned: 921

Detailed Stats & Map

Narrative Review

What a run!  This is the first point to point run we have done this season and it was

 exceptional.  It was a great fall night...sunny, cool, great colors and fresh air. 

The starting point was immediately behind the zoo on the Kingsbury Creek spur trail.  

This short trail parallels a river for most of its length and intersects a snowmobile trail and another hiking trail, though I'm not sure which.  The rushing water was a picturesque way to start the run.

The main Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) was just under a 1/2 mile away from the parking area and was more familiar territory for me.  The first leg of the trail provides

 generous views of the Duluth-Superior Harbor.  This continues for a short while before dropping down, cro

ssing beneath I-35, and headin

g up the hill.

ELEVATION GAIN!  I knew this route was going to have some climbs having run it previously, but it would be fair to say that the bulk of the SHT beyond the I-35

 crossing is hills.  In fact, looking at the elevation map (follow detailed stats & map link above), it appears that o

ur minimum and maximum elevation difference was nearly 640 ft.  The overall elevation gain / loss numbers were 3,062 and 2,742 respectively, however.  That is a fair amount of hills by most accounts!

Night came quickly once we

 passed the Getchell trailhead / parking area and it was time again for headlamps.  Running with headlamps is a truly different experience...a familiar trail becomes more mysterious, climbs aren't as intimidating, and the opportunity to trip increases.  No injuries tonight, which is always a blessing.  I tried to get a nice night shot of the bay, but the exposure time and lack of a good steady-shot feature in the camera makes for a slightly blurry picture.  We will be using headlamps for the foreseeable future.  Again, if you don't have one, know that we always bring a few extra for participants.

P2P Part 1 - SHT West

Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 (6:00PM)

Meet Location: Kingsbury Creek Trailhead (map / directions below)

Activity: Trail Run

Weather: Low 50's & clear skies - updated forecast

Required Gear: Running shoes and headlamp

Anticipated trail conditions: muddy in select areas

Anticipated Distance/Time: 8.9 miles ~ 80 - 90 minutes

Activity Details: The City of Duluth is blessed to have an unparalleled number of trails within the City limits, including a portion of the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) that runs through the entire length. The idea behind this point to point (P2P) route is to provide attendees with a fresh perspective on a portion of the trails. We will drop off a vehicle at the finish prior to the activity start so everyone can get a ride back to their vehicles. While headlamps are required, we will be bringing extras for those without them.

Directions: Take I-35 to Grand Ave exit. Follow Grand Ave, turn west (right) on Waseca Street and drive 0.2 miles to Dead End sign to parking lot on left. Look for a Honda Element as the rally point. Feel free to check out the SHT site for the trailhead and trail route directions by clicking on the map below.

Fall Series? (recap)

Activity Overview
Distance: 6.59 miles

Max reported HR: 173
Average reported HR: 142
Calories Burned: 659

Detailed Stats & Map

Narrative Review

This is perhaps one of the most unique runs I have done in the recent past. 

 The conditions seemed less than favorable - it had been raining for 24+ hours straight.  The sections of the run that covered snowmobile trails were especially wet and my feet were drenched within

 five minutes.  In fact, there were several times that I would have lost a shoe altogether had they not been tied snugly.

We proceeded along the snowmobile trail that was the NMTC fall series path for the following day.  Thought the weather was probably far more favorable for their race, I have little doubt that the trail conditions were equally soggy with areas you couldn't avoid taking an ankle deep puddle plunge.  

As we plodded back up the paved road, we veered off after spotting a single-track trail southeast of the road.  Although it seemed to initially follow the road, it quickly doubled back down the hill.  We chose a circuitous route that seemed like a switchback and provided a number of unbelievable views of the lake and river.  I have to admit that there were some sections made me slow down as well as you could tell there had been some washouts immediately adjacent to a sizable drop off.  When we reached a section of road not far from a local hockey rink, we returned to an alternate route that eventually became a snowmobile trail and exited in a Lakeside development.  Oops, that was not where I had hoped we would land as I looked up, up, up at the distant Hawk's Ridge.  

We continued for a few blocks in the development and older portions of Lakeside and found a trail near the Rockridge Elementary.

  The trail had multiple forks and, about halfway up the ascent to Hawk's Ridge, I realized that it had completely disappeared.  Not averse to adventure and exploration, we followed a drainage path up the hill (with some bushwhacking) which eventually exited on the street we had originally started.

Not wanting to be done yet, we tried some of the Hawks Ridge Nature Preserve trails.  

Taking a peek at the online map, it would appear that we covered Ole's Trail, Middle Trail, and the Ridge Loop.  I had never been on these before and going on them for the first time with headlamps made it that much more challenging.  I think my favorite part of the whole night was when I finally asked Greg if he might know where the trail ended up and his

 surprised but very polite response was something like, "You don't know where we are going?"  Maybe my adventurous spirit had come across as confidence and planning;)  This trail system is nestled in a small area of Duluth bounded by two major roads and so neither of us was truly nervous about getting lost.  I would, however, like to see these trails in the daylight sometime as they were challenging to run on with the uneven, rocky terrain.

Run Highlights

1. Unbelievable views of Lakeside, Lake Superior, trees, and river overlooks
2. Single track trail on the lake side of Hawks Ridge
3. The headlamp section on the Hawks Ridge Nature Reserve Trails
4. The two minutes we spent trying to tell whether the owl in a tree was a decoy or real...it is really quite difficult when there is nearly no sunlight!

Be ready for next week as we are likely to have

 better weather and will try something a little fun & different with the route.  Also, watch for either a black or gray Honda Element with the H12 stickers in the back window as the gathering point.

Fall Series?

Hawk's Ridge Trail Run
*** We are on rain or no rain - be prepared for muddy trails ***

Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 (6:00PM)
Meet Location: E. Skyline Pkwy Overlook (~1 mile in from Glenwood)
Activity: Trail Run
Weather: Low 50's, rain likely - updated forecast
Required Gear: Running shoes and headlamp
Optional Gear: Trail shoes
Anticipated Distance/Time: 60 to 80 minutes (distance will depend on composition of the group)

Activity Details: For the initial portion of the run, we will be covering the same ground as the NMTC's fall series race to occur the following day. The route will wander through the Hawk's Ridge trails, including Amity trail, and may wander over to Seven Bridges or a SHT spur trail. It should be fun. We will be bringing extra headlamps, so no worries if you forget one or do not own one. Again, new people, friends, relatives, and spouses are all welcome to join!

Note: If it is your first time, look for either a black or gray Honda Element with a H12 on the rear window.

Spirit Mountain - Take Two (Recap)

After missing out on last week's outing, I was happy that we had near ideal conditions this time around. The air was crisp, the trees nearing their peak colors, and miles of singletrack trail awaited us. What's not to like?

It was just the two of us this evening (three, if you count my dog Scout). I decided that it'd be fun to show Keven what the mountain bike course is like, so we started the run with a partial lap around the Powder Monkey course. There were a few wet areas, most of which were easily avoided. Overall, the trail was in fantastic shape and offered plenty of great views of Lake Superior. There was also an abundance of deer in the area and Scout was having a blast chasing them all over the place (she's never caught one yet, but she sure seems eager to keep trying!).

After a few miles on the bike course we decided to do an out and back on the Superior Hiking Trail. This is a fun section of the SHT, and I wished that we would have had more daylight available to go a little further. I can't think of any sections of the SHT trail that I don't like, but the Spirit Mountain section is particularily good in my opinion.

Full stats and map

We would love to have more participants, so please considering joining us for future outings. The more the merrier!

- Greg