Training Log Archive: Bash

'Bent and I drove up to Arowhon Pines lodge in Algonquin Park for an early anniversary celebration. We were married at a canoe campsite on nearby Joe Lake and our reception took place at the lodge. It's a good excuse to return most years to play outside and eat way too much good food.

We went for a pre-dinner paddle although it wasn't super exciting for me after spending 8 hours in a canoe yesterday! The dusk view from the deck was lovely.

Bob and I tested a Wilderness Traverse paddle section. It started out chilly but turned into a warm, sunny day.



We saw lots of beautiful Canadian shield scenery, of course.



We also saw three Massasauga rattlesnakes within 20 meters on an overgrown trail, including these two, who were mating and rattling at us to go away.



We also enjoyed an excellent concert from a local man we'd stopped to chat with.



Course testing is never boring!

WT Testing
Canoeing Moon River to Pete's Place on Aug. 30, 2018
36.7 km
155 m climb
8:08:05

Wilderness Traverse course test

Bob and I tested part of a Wilderness Traverse trek. The forest was beautiful and there were lots of slippery, rocky scrambles after last night's storm. We'd expected a little rain but got totally drenched! And that's about all I can say about that.

Mmm, that was a really good, refreshing sleep for once. Then I was awakened by the dog care place confirming our arrival tomorrow for Wilderness Traverse weekend. Turns out they'd entered the wrong date in their booking system and *fortunately* still had space left on the right weekend. Then Mom called on her way to Emerg (all turned out OK after 7 hours). So it was a true Monday.

Browner, 'Bent and I launched our canoe (for their team WT training) and surf ski (for me) into Georgian Bay from Princeton Shores Park. We paddled east toward Collingwood Harbour but after half an hour, the wind and waves had come up a fair bit so we turned back to avoid getting windbound.

Browner, 'Bent and I rode the Georgian Trail to Thornbury with a side trip up the big hill on Camperdown Rd. After a quick tour around Thornbury's waterfront, we achieved the real goal of our ride: a patio table at the Thornbury Cidery.

'Bent and I couldn't resist their flight of 4 small ciders, which included our new favourite: Blood Orange. However, it turns out - and who could have guessed it? - that adds up to a LOT of cider. Our rail trail ride back was very cheerful.

We made another stop at the Shale Rock Cafe for sandwiches on their patio - a totally hard core training session.

This is the track for the ride to Thornbury.

Track for the ride from Thornbury to Collingwood. We nearly took each other out in the excitement of seeing Amber driving up to one of our road crossings! We detoured to Squire John's for some bike part shopping.

While ‘Bent and Tarno practised their bushwhacking navigation at Pretty River, Jacquie and I did a couple of hill repeats to the Bruce Trail’s highest point. She is speedy going uphill!

Wilderness Traverse training: I’ll spend the race sitting at a computer and texting but most people will get to paddle a canoe. ‘Bent paddled with his teammate Tarno today and I paddled with the Mighty Goose.

We enjoyed a beautiful, sunny paddle down the winding Beaver River from Kimberley to Heathcote. We were able to paddle all of it in sturdy whitewater canoes, scraping over a few shallow logs. We had to maneuver around fallen trees, especially in the first half, but we never had to get out of our canoes.

There is an all-too-convenient bakery in Heathcote that sells cold drinks, yummy sandwiches, delicious cookies and scrumptious buttertarts. We did our part to boost the local economy.

Squeezed in a short ride around Palgrave East on another busy day.

Mom's house closes tomorrow so our big, unexpected summer project is (mostly) finished! She now lives in a nice 2-bedroom apartment in a seniors' community where meals and various activities are provided. She still has her car and connections in the outside community - church, Probus, friends, etc. It's going to be nice for her to finally have time to relax and settle into her new home. This move was entirely her decision - a little sooner than we expected but it looks like it should work out well. Like most 86-year-olds, she is complaining about poor cell service at her new place since it causes her texts to fail occasionally. :)

I was excited to learn that my favourite public school teacher lived in the same seniors' community. I haven't seen her in several decades but I've often thought I'd like to tell her what an impact she made on me back in Grade 3. When Mom picked up her apartment key on July 15, I noticed my teacher's surname "Patyk" on a sign right across the road from Mom. Mom wasn't moving in for a few weeks and I looked forward to going to knock on Mrs. Patyk's door once Mom got settled. Sadly, she died on July 23. How many times do I need to be reminded not to put things off?! :(

I had a productive day and almost skipped running because I didn't have time for the workout I'd planned. I talked myself into 5K in Palgrave West because it was better than nothing. I should have done that more often during the past few busy months. The temperature was deliciously cool! I don't want to wish summer away yet but I was reminded that autumn is much nicer for running.

Rain, rain, RAIN!

Well, it worked! If you're ever involved with a downsizing effort for older relatives, the Max Sold online auction site was an easy way to clear out my Mom's extra things. Or if you know someone setting up their first apartment, there are some terrific deals out there.The idea was not to make much money; it was to clear out the house with help from other people who will hopefully enjoy Mom's things. If you have time to sell the bigger stuff on Kijiji, you'll make more money but that's extra hassle when you're already really busy.

First Mom offered things to my brother and me and moved out with everything she wanted to take to her new place. Then the auction company came in and, with my brother's help, divided her remaining possessions into about 140 auction lots. Valuable items were sold alone (they have expertise in antiques, etc.) but some lots were small piles of related - or unrelated - items such as "Box of Books + Step Stool", "Notebooks and Office Supplies" or "Placemats and Napkins". Nothing was too small to be thrown in with an auction lot. The company photographed everything in detail and wrote descriptions including brand names and any imperfections.

All but one item - a large desk - sold in the week the auction was online. Some of Mom's neighbours bought things; we never thought to promote it to them. During a 3-hr period tonight, the buyers showed up and removed their purchases under the supervision of several staff from the company. Two paid-for items weren't picked up but otherwise the house has been emptied by other people and we didn't have to watch it happen, which would have been a little sad. Nice! One more hurdle done.

Max Sold keeps 30% plus a management fee but you can do more of the work yourself for a lower management fee. This stuff probably would have been sent to the local Restore with paid movers so it's all a bonus.

They have auctions listed in different places around North America but if you're not in a place where the company has staff, I guess you'd have to choose the "seller managed" option. Ontario has quite a few open auctions this week.
https://maxsold.com

Another extreme endurance event related to Mom’s house closing this week. We took a much-needed break to celebrate her 86th birthday over dinner with friends.

Double Hockley Provincial Park Loop starting with the Tom East Side Trail and doing the hillier main Bruce Trail the other 3 times. The forest is summer lush and green; I met about a dozen groups of hikers, most of them more than once.

The temperature was 19C when I started and I felt awesome. I ran up some hills. I'd almost forgotten how great it is to not feel like a sack of potatoes when I run.

But the temperature and humidity climbed and by the time I hit the 3-hr mark, I did not feel awesome anymore. In fact, I felt downright crappy - sluggish at best and lightheaded with a hint of stomach distress at worst. In hindsight, I didn't drink all the water I brought. I ate well and had some salt but in this weather, I should have drained my water. I hope that's all it was.

Parked on Coolihan's Sideroad and ran out and back both directions on Glen Haffy trails, then finished with a couple of gravel road hill climbs. I met Slowrunner looking strong as she trains for the TranSelkirks Run and Moab 240. Hot and humid!

Came home to hang out more with our canine house guests, Scout and Contour, and to welcome Browner when she came to pick them up. Great to catch up!

Here is the photo to which Hermes referred in her comment. Yes, another year has gone by and my love of chocolate cake has not waned.

I had a 17-hr day yesterday helping my elderly Mom with her move and some health issues that were undoubtedly exacerbated by the stress of moving. In the past couple of months, my AR endurance, sleep deprivation and problem solving skills have been used extensively but training has taken a back seat and has been almost non-existent at times. On the bright side, I guess I'll really appreciate it when I'm able to get back to it. In the meantime, I'm getting flabby!

Photos are now posted for Sunday's sunny Collingwood paddle.

If anyone is interested in such things, I've posted photos and a brief report about our trip to The Massasauga Provincial Park last week.

'Bent and I parked at the bottom of 2nd Line south of Grey Road 19 and rode up to Pretty River Provincial Park, aka the Three Stages mountain bike trails. I've only ridden there twice and the last time was years ago so there were frequent Ambit stops while I checked Trailforks to figure out where to go next. There was also one long phone call break related to my Mom’s move. (This hasn’t been an entirely restful vacation.)

The forest was shady, quiet and beautiful. Although parts of the park are full of poison ivy, we only rode through one large patch on both sides of the main double track south of the road. There are some rocky areas - and some steep, slick rooty areas - that we walked but mostly the trails were nicer and more rideable than I'd remembered. Looking forward to another trip to see more!

'Bent and I went on a gorgeous paddle, heading across to Nottawasaga Island (the one with the lighthouse) on calm water. The Ontario SUP Series was holding a 14 km race from Collingwood Harbour to the island and back as part of the Sidelaunch Days festival. We decided to follow their route, paddling on a parallel course to the racers near the back of the pack. We cheered them on and stayed out of their way as we all headed to Collingwood Harbour.





We came ashore at the canoe club and portaged over to the Soco wood fired oven pizza truck.







After lunch, we paddled across the harbour and came off the water near the Sidelaunch tent, which was serving beer and wine.





We paddled past a kite festival on our way out of the harbour. What an amazing, fun way to spend half a day!

As we arrived in the Pretty River Valley, I learned that Mom was at the hospital so I dropped 'Bent off to run with Tarno while I drove off to get better cell signal. Mom and I agreed to get in touch in a few hours since it sounded like she might be back home soon, which she was (hip pain). I only had time for a short run before 'Bent and Tarno planned to finish and luckily I met Jacquie Tarno, who turned around and came with me to the Bruce Trail high point. She is recovering from foot surgery and doing really well!

Easy ride with 'Bent to the Collingwood Promenade to see some of the action at Sidelaunch Days. We got there as the SUP racers were getting out of the water and the pro wakeboarders were starting their competition. We headed home at exactly the right time with thunder rumbling in the last 5 minutes of our ride.

The Fat Dog ultra has been cancelled due to forest fires in southern B.C. Disappointing but it's beyond anyone's control. I feel really sorry for the organizers who worked so hard and will lose money. We're going to stay local.
http://web-extract.constantcontact.com/v1/social_a...

Bugout Day! We relaxed and took advantage of our final hours on Spider Lake.



There were more stories by the water.



We got the sunshine that we'd wanted on our rest day!



We swam.







Then we paddled back to Three Legged Lake access point, stopping for lunch at the same place we stopped on the way in. (Time deducted.)



The Secret Passage on Spider Lake



This was a fun trip through a pretty area with a terrific group. We enjoyed seeing a backcountry canoe trip through the eyes of small children. We also enjoyed sharing sunset drinks with their tired parents. ;) My only complaint: I ate too well!

There was supposed to be a storm today but it never came in spite of the grey skies. We'd done a great job of setting up tarps, planning wet weather meals and keeping our rain gear handy. In the end, it sprinkled for awhile but it was so warm that it felt pleasant.

We had a great day around camp and eventually ventured out for some paddling in nearby bays.



We asked our Resident Ecologist, Mrs. Tiny, to identify unfamiliar plants and animals (although we forgot to ask about this one!)



We swam.









There were Very Serious Discussions.



Stories were read. Although I offered, I wasn't allowed to read "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to the kids because it contained difficult character names like "Augustus Gloop". Aubrey felt that only an experienced parent would be able to handle it. :)



Adults read their own books.







Or they read e-books.



An impressive fishing expedition set off in our least stable canoe and nothing went wrong. Nor were any fish caught.



We posed.





We played in the hammock.



We napped.



It was a great day with great friends and a nice final evening of our trip!

Paddle and portage from Gooseneck Bay to site #19 on Spider Lake with a lunch stop on the way (deducted).

Site #604 on Gooseneck Bay is better than the reviews I'd read. Yes, there are some small pieces of broken glass near the fire pit but there is so much beautiful rock and lots of room for a large group to spread out. The swimming is fine when the water levels are as high as they are now.



Post-portage posing.











Although site #19 is cliffy and steep in places, we managed to keep three small children alive and well for two days there. The views are fantastic.

Relaxed day starting with coffee by the water ('Bent, not me - I was still asleep).



'Bent and I went for a short paddle/portage loop but mostly it was a day for swimming and hanging out.





Timato served cocktails and I sipped wine from a coffee mug.





The day finished with stories on the rocks.

The Massasauga Provincial Park canoe trip, Day 1
(portaging included - time deducted for lunch stop)

This year's crew added Mick, Laura, John and Paul to our past group of 'Bent, Mrs. Tiny, Timato, Aubrey, AdventureDog and me. It was lots of fun to hang out with friends and see backcountry camping through the eyes of three small children.

We started at the Three Legged Lake access point and portaged to Spider Lake, where we stopped for lunch.

At the end of the portage, we couldn’t find ‘Bent’s huge pack, which he’d carried across with the canoe. With no other ideas, I glanced into the boats of another group that was just getting ready to push off from shore. They had the pack! I have no idea how you could be unaware that your canoe had an extra pack of that size that didn’t belong. They were headed a different direction and that would have ended our trip. They had our van keys too. Weird. In 30 years of canoe tripping, I’ve never seen that.











The middle paddler in the Tiny family boat seemed to be slacking off a little.



After rounding a point, I said, "Look, there's a tepee!" 'Bent wailed from the stern seat: "Tepee!" "Yes, it's kinda cool, right?" "No!! I just realized I forgot my TP!"

And that's how we met Tracy from Newmarket at a nearby cottage, who saved 'Bent's weekend. He offered her $20 for a roll but she refused to take a cent and even tried to get him to take a second roll. :)

The clouds were spectacular - although we'd seen the forecast and knew this wasn't good news.



It was a mad dash to get to our campsite #604 on Gooseneck Bay. Tracy said it was expected to be a short but intense storm.



Luckily, there wasn't too much lightning but it rained and the clouds were super ominous. I think there were funnel clouds elsewhere in Ontario.



'Bent and I had set up our tent quickly in a rocky area to have shelter before the storm arrived so we had to move camp when it cleared up. It got nice enough for an evening swim and a civilized dinner with wine in our rocky dining room.

Packing, packing, packing! Timato, Mrs. Tiny and Aubrey arrived tonight.

Trail run around Palgrave West with AdventureDog. It was warmer than I thought so we made our way over to Wheelie Pond so A-Dog could swim by the aerator where the water is clean. Most of the ponds around here are disgusting by August.

It was my first exercise in 11 days; I can't think of the last time that happened. It didn't feel great but I think the humidity was part of the problem. Also, I ate too many delicious snacks last week while staring at screens so there is more of me to lift off the ground.

Driving 12-ish hours and working at an expedition adventure race HQ are definitely not the best ways to get ready for a long ultra! Last week I saw visible effects of too much sitting. Two of us at HQ felt our calves get heavy and tight, and I noticed my ankles swelling a couple of times - yikes. After that, I tried to work standing up sometimes.

There was a controversy to resolve involving two high level teams in the race and I was part of the jury that worked through all the information and implications. That's finally done so now I can get back to the fun of packing, packing, packing!