A Quick Trip to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

We have recently returned from a quick trip to the Canadian Maritimes. The Maritimes have extensive history of French and British settlement dating back to the seventeenth century, forming a unique culture that predates Canada.

I presented my Thesis at a conference in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. It's a long way from the West Coast of Canada to the East Coast - 5, 800 km's if you drove it - we went by air. From Vancouver, it takes just as long to fly to Halifax, Nova Scotia as it does to fly to London, England.
We had a fabulous time. It was everything we thought it would be - very friendly people, incredible hospitality and so very scenic. The history of Canada is also plentiful here!

 Pier 21 in Halifax,Nova Scotia the gateway to Canada for 1 million immigrants between 1928 and 1971.  It also served as the departure point for 500,000 Canadian Military personnel during the Second World War.

 Theodore the tug boat - cruises the Halifax harbour.

 Lunenberg, Nova Scotia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This designation ensures protection for much of of Lunenburg's unique architecture and design, being the best example of planned British colonial settlement on North America.

 Mahone Bay with the 3 churches in a row.

 Peggy's Cove and the Lighthouse.

 Peggy's Cove - the community maintains a rustic undeveloped appearance.

 The people still fish for lobster. Colourful Adirondack chairs are throughout the Maritimes.

 The Swissair Memorial of Flight 111 that crashed off the shore on September 2, 1998. The three notches represent the numerals 111.The sight line from the three grooves in the stone points to the crash site.

 The Charlottetown, PEI Yacht Club, has been around since 1937.

 Running on the beach at the Bay of Fundy.

 A nice celebration of Fall at a shop/restaurant.

 Lobster Dinner at the Conference.

 Running on the Boardwalk in Charlottetown, PEI.

 The Farthest East Lighthouse on PEI.

 The sign on the road before the farthest east lighthouse in PEI.

Another interesting sign!

 

It was a quick trip but we are planning to return!

 



Frosty Mountain Trail Run

Saturday was the Frosty Mountain Trail Run which has three events: 50km, 27km and 13km. It is held at Manning Park - one of my favourite parks in all seasons! Craig arrived to carpool with us at 6:45 am. It was a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky and a warm one too. The fun car set off determined to get there on time this year. (Last year we were late!). Craig and I convinced Neil we had time to stop at Tim Hortons in Abbotsford for some coffee and breakfast for Craig. We arrived in Manning Park with plenty of time to spare. It is about 200km and takes us aprox 2 hours from our house. Last year I think we had the start time wrong.

 All three of us were signed up for the 27km. Neil's legs were still a bit tired from his 20 hour outing last weekend so he was quite fine to hang with me for the journey. It is a tough trail run which goes up to 9,000 feet with a net elevation gain of 4,000 feet. This year near the top of the climb there were a few people not doing very well - headaches, vertigo, nausea, exhaustion - get down as fast as you can were my words of advice. We moved swiftly over the top stopping just for a brief moment to enjoy the incredible views. Once over the top it is very rough and takes you down a steep scree slope. Eventually the trail becomes runnable and it is a nice downhill all the way to the finish. Gottfried does a great job of hosting this event in such a beautiful location with plenty of food and prizes. We always enjoy hanging out on the grass at the end relaxing in the tranquil of Lightning Lakes in the shadow of the mountains.

 Working my way up...

 Reagan White on his way up - WOW it really is super steep!

 I made it!

 Heading back down...careful!

And the highlight of the day...Craig came first in his age category (50-59) ;-)

He was also recognized for the only person to do every Frosty event for the last five years. The prize for first place in his age category was a bottle of Gottfried's wine with a label on it that says Frosty Mountain Trail Run - 1st! That's a keeper!

 

Today we did a 3 hour bike ride on the Pitt Meadows dykes. It was another spectacular and warm day. 29 degrees out our way.

 

 From 9,000 feet to sea level along the Pitt Meadows Dykes.

 Plenty of boat activity in the Pitt River.

Nice Ride!

 



A Day of Crewing for Cove2Cove

This weekend Neil had been invited to participate in a small group adventure travelling from Porteau Cove to Deep Cove totalling 82km on rough mountainous terrain. I'm sure there will be a report of the journey from one or several of the participants - this is just a few highlights from a crew's view of the day. The real stories lie with them!

The Start at Porteau Cove

 

 

After waving them off I passed them on the Sea to Sky Highway where they were running to the trail head.

 

 

After seeing them off I met up with Wendy and Craig for a Bag of the Suicide Bluffs via Dog Mountain in the Seymour Area. It was a very warm and humid day.

 

Craig telling Wendy about the Cathedral trip.

Craig on the Top of Cathedral!

Wendy and I at the top of one of the Suicide Bluffs. Craig was in a hurry as he had a 4 pm commitment. We did our best to move swiftly to prevent him from being late!

View from the Cypress Mountain Lookout on the way up the mountain for our first crewing spot.

Another view from the Cypress Lookout - the sun is starting to set for the day.

Here's a couple of photos of the terrain they were travelling on. The Lions.

On the way from the Lions to Unnecesary Mountain.

 

Fuzzy photo, but the lights from the Day Lodge from the crew spot at Cypress.

The bugs were horrendous early on but once the sun set and I soaked myself in Deet they settled down. I was joined by Spencer who set off to meet them along the trail. I was alone in the dark for a bit with a pile of food/aide. Of course my imagination ran wild as I start hearing and seeing bears in all directions! I called Helen - where are you? I was pleased to be joined by Michael followed shortly by Helen.

Runners with head lamps approaching Cypress at aprox 9 pm. Their spirits were good but 2 of the seven decided to call it a night. It had been a very warm day and very little water along the route and some were quite dehydrated. Next crewing stop Cleveland Dam.

 

 

We had a nice gathering of crew at Cleveland. Wendy arrived first after me and very kindly did a Pizza and water run. Although we were not expecting him as we heard he was tucked up in his bed, Ean joined us after riding the Grand Fondo from Vancouver to Whistler earlier in the day, Wendy, Helen, Adrian and Michael, Ean and I all gathered with anticipation of the arrival of the runners. They runners arrived in good spirits with the expected level of tiredness after travelling for more than 12 hours on a very technical trail. The pizza and ice cold Gatorade never tasted so good so they all exclaimed! Michael's ice cold Gatorade, slightly diluted hit the spot. One of the runners decided to stop here. Now they were down to 4! Neil was one of the 4 remaining who carried on with an expectation to finish in Deep Cove Sunday afternoon. We waived them off from Cleveland around 12:30 AM. It took us a bit of time to clean up, pack up the gear and send out some email updates before departing for our beds. 

 

Julia and David kindly offered me a bed instead of driving back and forth to Maple Ridge. Glenn offered for me to join him to bike in 10 km to provide aide at LSCR at 7 AM. I was looking forward to the 20 km ride. I set my alarm for an early rise but didn't really sleep well - checking my iPhone for messages. I was a little worried knowing the rough terrain they were about to undertake in the dark. I met up with Glenn at 6:45 AM after a quick trip to the Lynn Valley Starbucks. Glenn had 2 bikes ready to go and he was pulling a wagon full of aide supplies including a few special treats.  

 













We set off and had been riding for about 10 minutes when my cell phone rang - it was Neil. Cell reception was scarce and it took a few tries to connect but I could make out that they were stopping at Lynn Headwaters and Glenn and I were not to ride the 10km in (they would not be there!) They caught us just in time as we were about to enter an area of no cell service for hours. Glenn and I retraced our ride back to his house, enjoyed a coffee with the family as they awoke and then proceeded to Lynn Headwaters to pick Neil and team up as they made their way out from Norvan Falls. As we drove in the parking lot Neil came running in like he had just been out for a morning run (not the 20 hours he had just completed!) The others appeared looking pretty good but the group decided they had all had enough. They completed 61 km in 20 hours - testament to how hard of a journey they had just completed on very tough terrain! Well done everyone - another great adventure for all!

 

The final 4 (Ryan, Neil, Ken and Jacquie) at the waters edge in Deep Cove.

 





My BIG Birthday Bag of Capilano Mountain

This weekend was my BIG birthday! We celebrated with a 3 night stay at Whistler that included a Birthday Bag to Capilano Mountain. It was a full days work but worth it for the party that took place on top! We had very fine food and wine, party favours, party games with prizes and spectacular 360 degree views. The company was awesome - thanks Dave, Craig, Liza and Wendy for joining Neil and I for the party!

 Neil and Craig cooling off in a alpine tarn on the desent.

 Liza (the Geologist) spotted the pyramid shaped rock!

 The next day, Neil and I had a great hike on Whistler's High Note Trail that has specatcular views. This photo is looking at the pinnacle mountain called Black Tusk.

 The spectacular Cheakamus Lake below.

 The station for the amazing Peak to Peak Gondola that connects Blackcomb and Whistler Mountain.

 The trail climbing the Chief in Squamish. Beautiful climb!

A view of Howe Sound from the Chief.. Very exposed up top! Glad the rock was dry.

A fantastic active birthday weekend! 

Arc'Teryx Squamish 50 Mile Trail Race and Relay

Yesterday Neil, Liza and I represented team "What's Wrong with You People?" at the inaugural Squamish 50 and Relay. Our original team included Craig but Dodgy Moore twisted an ankle the previous weekend when he and Dave climbed Cathedral Mountain.

Neil replaced Craig for legs 1,2 and 3 which he enjoyed as the trails were all new territory. While Neil and Dave were out the door very early (thanks Helen for driving them to the start!) Liza, Craig (now crew) and myself enjoyed a sleep in. Not too long though as we needed to get Liza to the exchange point to run legs 4 and 5.

Neil came in around his ETA and Liza was off! Craig, Neil and I went back to the car and drove back to the hotel to pick up the car and put it at the finish. I got a peek at the finishers shute and the road to glory I would be coming down in a few hours. We had a stop at Starbuck's and then proceeded to Quest University where the exchange was for Liza to hand off to me for legs 6 and 7.

The views from the University were spectacular - what a great spot for an exchange. We had access to a cafeteria and washrooms. How civilized! It was a beautiful sunny day and it became quite hot during the afternoon. Liza had a good run and came in at her ETA and I set off for legs 6 and 7.
Much of this section became very familiar to me from previous outings in Squamish or from previous STORMY races. STORMY was my favourite ultra so it was such a pleasure to be back on familiar ground. It was nice to be on "fresh" legs on this section instead of my experience being on these trails at the end of an ultra with everything hurting. I enjoyed my run - the trails were very well marked in this section which I was pleased to see as I have a history of missing turns!

The aid stations were well stocked and I kept it simple with Gatorade I brought and some salty chips to get me through the 22km's. I felt good the entire way - next year I hope to do the 50 miler. I just wasn't ready post Masters Degree. I have completed 3 of the 50 milers in STORMY and 4 of the 67km and 64 km distance. Great to see an ultra back in Squamish! Well done RD's. I'll be back!

 Ready to run!

 Here comes Liza!

 I'm off for Legs 6 and 7.

 Coming in to the 6/7 exchange area. I'm trying to get Craig's attention that I have arrived. He was busy texting!

 Dave and Sam (the dog) waiting for team "What's Wrong with You People?" to finish.

All Done! The 50 miles covered by the 3 of us. You may be wondering about our team name. It came from a comment Liza made half way through the Rim to Rim to Rim Grand Canyon trip in May. Was she questioning the sanity of ultra runners?

Norvan Falls

Craig and I on the Suspension Bridge at Norvan Falls

Saturday we had a 3 hour outing to Lynn Creek past Norvan Falls in North Vancouver. The weather has been a bit cool here in Vancouver although the humidity has been quite high. Amazing how after some runs you can really feel how much salt is on your face and the hot spots start to chafe. It was great to push it a bit after last weeks adventure on the snow. I really enjoyed the run and if felt great to not be wearing yak tracks and needing poles! Today Neil and I ran for 2 hours on the Alouette Mountain trail - it is such a good trainer this run. It is just at the right incline to run while pushing you at a pace you can maintain. We are excited about my graduation ceremony this coming Friday and our upcoming trip to Europe that includes some trail running in the Dolomites and the Cinque Terra in Italy. Looking forward to an active vacation! Here is the link to trail running in the Dolmites. Enjoy!

http://www.dolomitemountains.com/en/summer_fall_trips/trailrunning468.htm

Vancouver 100 (well a bit of it!)

This weekend was the Vancouver 100, one of my favourite events! The full course is 100 km's but you can do a "custom" and do any distance that suits the day (or days). Last year Neil, Marla and I completed the 100km. This year I knew I wasn't quite ready for that. I have a few residual aches and pains from the 22 hour outing in the Grand Canyon and this course on the Baden Powell Trail is a tough one.

        The night before the event we had a plan for a group of 5 of us to start at Nelson Creek and travel to Deep Cove (50 km). Marla was our crew. We received a text from Chad that Steve was out. That left Neil, Chad, Liza and myself. We met at 8 am in the Nelson Creek parking lot. Craig, the RD of this event dropped Liza off and took an official starting photo. After about 20 minutes on the trail Liza realized she had lost her keys. We had no cell phone reception - Liza decided to retrace her steps and catch up with Craig thinking her keys could possibly be in his car. Later on we received a text from Craig the keys were with him. Now we were down to 3 - Neil, Chad and myself. 

 Climbing up Black Mountain

 Chad trying out his poles on the climb.

 The boulder field climbing up Black Mountain

 Chad at the top of Black Mountain - it's misty.

 Over the other side of the mountain we met the snow. This is the top of the sign post - there is still lots of snow up there.

 The snow section lasted for a couple of hours. It was hard going with lots of post holeing and dodgy moments.

 Chad negotiating one of the creek crossings - dodgy!

 Another creek crossing - dodgy!

 Chad making sure I don't end up face first in the creek.

 More snow on the Hollyburn X country ski runs before I joined Marla for some crewing after 6.5 hours on the trail - now they were down to 2!

Chad and Neil done! A great day on the trails and a chance to see many familiar trail friends. Tonight we joined the post event celebration. It was so motivating to hear the stories of the 100km finishers. I'll be back next year - and the 100km is calling again. Thanks Craig for a great event...I'm feeling very inspired! (and a little stiff and sore today)