Training Log Archive: iansmith

Kayaking from CRCK in Kendall, to the Esplanade, and in the basin. Strong winds today made a more intrepid expedition (e.g. to the BU bridge) untenable.

The intersection of bold ambition and poor judgment due to stupidity is an interesting place. Emboldened by my July 12 assault on Bond mountain in the Whites, I set out on a grander expedition: to run Franconia Ridge from Lincoln and return via Garfield and Owl's Head - six 4000ers in a single epic push. The round trip would be over 42 km with over 1800m of climb; the difference between parking and the summit of Lafayette alone is 1200m. I'd hiked Lafayette and Lincoln in 2010 with Giovanni, Katia, Lori, and Presto.

My plan unraveled when I set out late due to a combination of sleeping until 10, terrible I-93 traffic, and a trip to buy some provisions. I didn't start hiking until 3p - with sunset at 8:09p. Conditions were good, with a temperature of about 25 C and mostly sunny skies. I was properly but minimally equipped, with 3 L of gatorade/water mix, a handful of candy bars, ziploc of emergency gear, my trusty map, sunscreen, toque, headlamp, and an extra long-sleeve. The extra liter - in a separate bottle from my platypus - was a lesson from Bond.

I redlined a little up the Osseo trail to Flume, running as much as possible, and summited at 4:30p. Franconia Ridge was glorious - and is rightly the crown jewel of the Whites - and I topped out on Lafayette at 6:30p, with maybe 20 minutes of breaks. The ridge looks deliciously runnable, but the climb was too much for me at times. Overall, I ran a bit more than half of this expedition, but few trails in the Whites are speedy - chiefly rock scotch. A rain earlier today left most rock surfaces wet and descents perilous. Still, fitness is hugely disappointing.

At Lafayette, I faced a decision: return the way I came, with relatively little climb and a straightforward descent, or be bold and shoot for Garfield. I had long abandoned my plan to hit Owl's Head, which has an obscure ascent route, but the Franconia Brook Trail is a 17 km highway with a mostly gradual descent that leads directly from Garfield back to Lincoln. Given the favorable conditions and my innate foolhardiness, I chose the bolder option, and topped out on Garfield in the deepening twilight at 7:45p. By waypoint 9 - the start of the Franconia Brook Trail, 4:30 into my trip, I was using my headlamp in near darkness.

Fortunately, the rest of my trip was uneventful. I ran into a few dozen campers, and got lost at trail junctions a few times for about 15 minutes time lost. I ran/walked most of the remaining 13 km (not on my track) in about 1:45, and returned to my car at about 10:30. My legs were a bit trashed, but I could still gingerly cruise on the smooth trail.

While this was a really dumb idea, I was mostly prepared and had told friends of my itinerary. I had water until the last 2 km and drank unreservedly. I had water purification tables and passed many streams. Had I needed to stay out, I had an emergency blanket, matches (only for critical circumstance), and extra clothes. My greatest liability was that I only had one flashlight. The trip was fantastic, and I hope to do it faster in the future. With Garfield, I have 20/48 4000ers.

C • Nice hike 4

Easy cruise. As my Broad softball team, Rhymes with Code, is in the playoffs, I swung by the batting cages just before they closed and hit 50 balls. Left wrist is a little gimpy.

Last game of the season, my team (at 5-4 coming in) played Rand Slammers - the top seed, with an 8-1 record. In a very defensive game, we eked out an 8-7 win with a two run double in the bottom of the last inning. We completed a late season push to finish as the second seed, and now we get to play in the playoffs! I was largely ineffective, batting 0-3 with an infield fly and two fielders' choices outs. The opponent pitcher was quite good (for slow pitch softball) - his considerable backspin caused the ball to drop abruptly as it reached the plate. I was largely ineffectual in the field, too. Time to revisit the batting cages ere our playoff. In the future, I might be used as a pinch runner.