Break Time

Although I hadn't intended it, I have ended up taking a bit of a rest week this week between Christmas and New Years. This is in part due to a cold that I acquired at some point. Not a bad cold, but irksome enough to prevent me from running in sub-freezing temperatures, which just happened to arrive this week. 

I think it's actually a good thing. While I like creating a streak of running 10 miles a week, I think my body will benefit from a little break in the routine. I'll be getting back to it next week, I hope. And in the meantime, I'll focus more on the kind of work I can do sitting at my desk. 

I've been doing better with my tummy pain lately. I'm thinking that I may have been more stressed about the whole thing than I realized. I recently started paying close attention to what I'm eating, because I'm doing calorie counting. I'd like to lose some weight - not too much, because I still need to carry my backpack, but I'd like to see if I can go from hovering around 150 to hovering around 140. Part of that will come from a renewed commitment to exercise, but the part that will actually get it done is the calorie counting, no matter how much I despise it. 

I mean, despise might be too harsh. I find it troublesome and irritating to not only track what I'm eating, but how much of it. I guess I should be happy I'm not currently interested in the time that I'm eating. My dad has suggested intermittent fasting, but I really don't like how I feel when I've gone too long without eating. Maybe fasting will work for me someday, but that day is not nigh. 

And it doesn't matter how much I eat or don't eat when my period comes around. I'll gain weight at that time no matter what I do, which makes it hard to see progress sometimes. But I do think that I'm seeing progress, so the counting, however tedious, is here to stay. 

Steady and Slow

I did go ahead and reduce my distance for my last long run. It was "only" 6.88 miles instead of 7.31, so that's, technically, a reduction. The wind was reversed again though so I ended up running against it on the way home. I really do need to figure out a route in the other direction for those days. 

I wasn't in nearly as much pain after this run as I was after last weeks, though there are some lingering ankle and foot aches that I need to tend to. And, really, it's when I'm done running that I realize just how cold and sore I've made myself. Especially cold, this time of year. 

Although, I did do something interesting. I've been practicing Chi Running. One of the principles thereof is that one uses Chi to direct the running. The energy flows from, kind of, the spine and the impetus for all the motion should come through there. Well, despite my layers of clothing, I was getting cold around mile 5, running into the wind. So I thought about using my Chi to send waves of heat from my spine to the rest of my body, but especially to my hands and feet. 

A few minutes later, holding that thought and trying to actively accomplish that feat, I realized my hands were like little balls of warmth inside my shirt sleeves. It felt like I was holding invisible hand warmers. 

Now, when I got home, I realized that I was still very cold. My legs, especially, were radiating cold when I got home. But while I was running and moving and holding the idea of my Chi spreading heat through my body, I felt warm in spite of the wind. 

And that led me to consider that if I can warm myself with my thoughts, what else can they do? What can my subconscious do to my body if I let it? 

Running Against the Wind

I meant to run about 7 miles last Sunday. I thought I'd be at just 7 miles or a smidge over or under. I ended up at 7.31 miles. Sure, that's not a whole lot over 7 miles, but my legs, feet and ankles all felt like it was a whole lot more running than the prior week's 6.5 miles. I might be pulling back a bit for my next long, slow, distance run. 

The nice thing about that run though was that even though it was windy, it was windy in the right direction. The week before, the distance I ran away from home was with the wind. I felt like I was going so fast, and I wondered why my husband thought it was so cold when he ran that day. But the moment I turned back towards home, the wind was in my face, chilling me to the bone and doing its best to turn me back from my goal. Sunday's run was the opposite. I ran into the wind on my way out and got the wind at my back most of the way home (the last stretch was in a cross-wind). 

I'd much rather run out into the wind and have it at my back for the way home. Though I discovered that the route I took put nearly 4 miles on the way out, leaving 3.3 for the way back. I should have run the reverse route to really benefit from the wind direction. 

My right ankle is feeling a bit wonky after that run, but I'm taking care of it. And, due to snow, I only ran a mile or so yesterday. But also to give the ankle a bit of a break. I'm glad I know I can run 7.31 miles at a stretch, but I definitely need to spend some time in the 6.75 to 7.25 range to get used to that longer distance before bumping up again. 

I'm currently working on a route that has four pinch points that I can use to extend it from a loop to a figure 8, and then keep splitting the circles. After that I'm going to need to organize a new route. And I'm  considering trying to figure out a route going in the opposite direction so I can choose to always run into the wind as I move away from home and with the wind as I head back. 

I'm liking getting back into running; even when it kind of sucks, I know I'm banking this activity so I can do the backpacking trips I have planned for the summer without putting too much stress on my body. And the more I run, the easier it gets. Go figure :)

Steady Going and the Boot Hunt Begins

I've completed 4 weeks of running 3 times a week for a total distance of at least 10 miles. My long runs are up to 6.5 miles, and if the weather is good this Sunday (relatively good), then I'll try to get to 7. If I'm going to build up to 10 miles at a time by spring, then I need to push my distance gradually and over time. I know that if the weather is truly bad I'll be cutting back to 5 or even 4 miles for the long run, even if that means having to run longer on my weekday runs. 

CrossFit hasn't been quite as consistent, since I was out of town and then they were closed for Thanksgiving. But I got 5 classes in last week and I'm on track to hit 5 again this week. I'm hoping to make Commitment Crew in December, which means getting to at least 20 classes. Lucky for me, the holiday closures are falling on weekends this year, so I can just stay with weekdays and I should be able to make it. It's all about discipline, forcing myself to get out of bed at 4:30 and just do the routine that gets me out the door. 

In other news, I started my hunt for a new pair of waterproof hiking boots at REI last weekend. I got excited when a couple of the boots the clerk brought out actually had women's wide sizes, but I knew from the moment I stuck my right foot in each one that they were not wide enough for me - even the Oboz. I've gotten to be very picky about how my boots fit. I want my toes to be able to move, and for some reason this is not very easy to find. Boots (and shoes) like to squeeze my littlest toe into and under my other toes. I don't like the way it feels, and I refuse to pay a couple hundred dollars for a boot that will actively hurt me. 

Backpacking will "hurt" me enough without ill fitting footwear. 

My second pair of backpacking boots (and my first waterproof pair) jammed my toes together so much that I still have issues of numbness with those toes on occasion. I felt like the clerk at REI was giving me funny looks when I quickly declared each pair to be not a fit, but I can't buy a new pair of feet if I mess those up. They are priceless, and so I will no longer put ill-fitting boots on them for backpacking. 

The clerk also let me know that they didn't carry a lot of inventory, and that I might look into ordering online. If I deliver to store, then I just come by for pick up and I can try them on and return them right away if they don't fit. I admit that option sounds easier than ordering online elsewhere and then having to ship back when they inevitably don't fit right. 

But that's where I might end up landing, since many of the boots that seem to be more specialized for wide feet and roomy toe boxes are not strictly for backpacking nor available anywhere near me physically. I just hate the idea of stretching out the inevitable disappointment, and having to actually mail them back when they don't work. Bah! 

The boot hunt shall continue. 

Straightening Up

Way back when I was first getting serious about running, around 2010 or so, I had some issues. My feet would hurt and that made my ankles hurt and I just couldn't figure it out. I went to a podiatrist, who charged an obscene amount of money to provide a temporary solution. I thought that there must be a better way. 

The search for that better way led me to find the book Chi Running by Danny Dreyer. I read the entire book at that time, but I glossed over a lot of it. I wanted the solution, and this book does have an entire chapter near the end with some tips about how to avoid running injury by changing one's gait. 

I mean, I did try Chi Running. I gave it a shot, but I just never was able to fully do it. I got frustrated and gave up on everything but the parts of the technique that prevented me from injuring myself. As long as I ran on a regular basis, my ilio-tibial band would be calm and not painful. I still ran very slowly, but I didn't get a lot of running related injuries. Those that I did get were more from not paying attention, like the time I tried to joke with someone while doing a run for a CrossFit workout and ended up rolling my ankle. 

Over the years, I have kept up the techniques that help me run, but I didn't reread the book or try the more advanced techniques again. And then my brother and I friended each other on MapMyRun, and I noticed that he was having some consistent pain issues with his knees from running. I told him about the book, and he read it. I figured since he had done cross-country in high school, he knew how to run for racing and as a youth, but might benefit from an update in technique for running for life. And since then, the knee pain reports have definitely decreased in frequency. 

But when he tried to talk to me about the book and the techniques, I had to confess that I hadn't reread it in years and didn't really know what he was talking about. That inspired me to reread it. I have been rereading it for months now. I'm taking it nice and slow, because I have found that I can now do some of those things that I couldn't before. 

Growing up, I had terrible posture - the hazards of being a bookworm. I believe that resulted in my back muscles being fairly underdeveloped. But between my initial read of Chi Running and my most recent, I did a lot of CrossFit. I achieved a strict pull up. My core, including that back, is stronger than it's ever been. 

In the last couple of weeks, I've noticed something new about my long runs. The more I focus on the Chi Running techniques, the more sore my back gets in the days after the run. I feel like I now have sufficient muscle to use the techniques, and that use is increasing their strength and endurance. 

In fact, I can tell those muscles are stronger, because I'm able to sit up straight and type this without falling into a tired slouch. In fact, my new straight posture even feels nice and relaxed. I've never felt so comfortable with good posture before!

So I'm going to keep going with the Chi Running techniques and try to really master it while running my nice slow pace. And, maybe, just maybe, in another few weeks or months, I'll be able to ramp up the speed without having to work harder - just smarter. 

Summer Plans

I've already got my big trips planned for next summer. Ambrose and I will be going back to the Olympic National Forest for one more go at the Wild Coast. We just love that trip so much, and now that Ambrose has lost so much weight, it will be like an entirely different trip. I'm looking forward to another nine days trekking along the ocean. 

The other really big trip will be another section of the Idaho Centennial Trail. I'll be doing a day hike to finish the section that will take me through Lynx Meadows, and then I'll be backpacking from Warm Springs Bar up to the Moose Meadows Guard Station. From there, I'll meet up with Ambrose and Bill, and we'll all hike out together along the Selway River. That should be 5 to 6 days, depending on how fast I go through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. I've heard mixed things about the state of the trails I'll be taking, so I'm planning on no more than 10 miles per day. I hope I can do the 30 miles in 3 days, but I'll carry food as if it will take 4 days. Ambrose will be carrying more food for me for the hike out. 

And there's one more trip now in the planning stages. I have invited one of my nieces (the eldest) to come out from Illinois to go on a backpacking and camping trip. It will be a long weekend. I'll pick her up from the airport and start driving out to the campsite. Most likely, the first night will be somewhere between Featherville and the Big Smokey Campground. The second night will be an overnight backpack out to Skillern Hot Springs. And then one more night at the Big Smokey before heading back to my apartment so she can shower before flying home. 

I hope that the Skillern trip is an adventure for her. I know that I loved it as my first backpacking trip, and I've brought one other person out for a good first trip. But with teenagers, who knows, right? Still, I'm looking forward to spending some time with her one on one, in a place that I know well and where I feel comfortable. 

Of course, Ambrose and I will go out over Memorial Day weekend for our annual trip. I hope we have better luck with morels this year. And there will doubtless be some training hikes and/or overnighters out to 6125. Can you tell I can't wait for it to be backpacking season again? 

Staying on Track

Last week, I managed to get to CrossFit every weekday, got 3 runs in totally 10 miles and commuted by bike to work all 3 days that I go into the office. I've started out this week on track to keep up the same activity level, though with it getting colder the bike commutes might be stopping. 

It's really all about getting into a routine, especially for the 5 am CrossFit classes. If I just don't give myself any spare time to think about what I'm doing, it's pretty easy to get dressed and drive out. If I'm feeling like I'll have a hard time in the morning, I'll put my clothes out the night before. When the alarm goes off and I don't want to get up, I just put my mind into the track: ankle alphabet, then restroom, then get dressed, drink a yogurt drink and then it's pretty much time to go. I suppose I could get up earlier, but that just gives me more time to procrastinate and change my mind about leaving the house. 

This morning, since it was in the 20's, I spoiled myself by using the remote start option for my car. It was magical! It won't automatically turn seat heat on, but I leave it on if I know my husband will not be driving before I will. It wasn't really warm, because I didn't start it early enough, but just being warmer than the ambient temperature was nice. I didn't sit down and start shivering, so I'll call that a win. 

This weekend I'll have a bit of disruption to my schedule; I'm not likely to make 5 CrossFit classes next week because of the holiday. The bigger issue was that I can't do a long run on Sunday, but then I remembered I have all day Thursday to get a long run in. Totally doable. 

Overall, I'm liking this level of activity. I'm getting pretty good sleep, and the soreness is there, but not overwhelming. I'm trying to push hard enough to improve at CrossFit without overdoing things; it's a fine balance. I want to keep up a high level of activity like this throughout the off season so that I'm ready for a great backpacking season once the weather turns to summer. I'm hoping to get my long runs to 10 miles by April. 

And for now, I'm on track for that. 

Jumpstart!

How do you start (or restart) an exercise program? I've not been doing as much as I could since the end of backpacking season, or even a bit before that. My running was sporadic and short, and over the last few weeks, I'd been battling a cold that kept me from CrossFit. I prefer not to expose my fellow athletes to any illness so I've been playing it safe. 

I was starting to feel better last weekend, though not quite better enough to dive back into CrossFit. So I decided to do a long run on Saturday and just see how that felt. I've been re-reading Chi Running for the first time since I'd first read it years ago, and I'm finding that I'm better able to apply the principles than I used to be. It makes sense. When I first read it, I was a newbie runner. I never ran as a youth, so I had no base to build on. 

Now, after years of running, backpacking and CrossFit, I have a much more stable and strong core, which allows me to actually use the Chi Running principles instead of just using it to adjust my gait away from injury-inducing styles. And I've found myself more attracted to the meditative aspects of Chi Running as well, in part, I believe, because I've learned about aphantasia. 

Aphantasia is the inability to mentally visualize. Visualization has been one thing that has always been in conflict with me meditating. Most of my exposure had been to the kind of meditation that requires visualizing something, and I just couldn't do it. Without knowing why I couldn't do it, I just had to say I couldn't meditate. But now, I know that I can. I just need to do it without visualizations. Like my dad suggested, I can close my eyes and "visualize" blackness. Or, with Chi Running, I can meditate through the motion of my body. 

I ran 4 miles on Saturday, at a nice, slow pace. I usually try to run faster towards the end of my runs, but for this one I deliberately kept it slow. The goal was not to work on speed, but to work on form, technique and comfort. To focus on my body and what it was doing. Later that evening, I massaged my calves. 

The next day, I had thought about going to CrossFit, but there are only morning classes on Sunday and I just didn't make the effort to make it. But my legs were feeling so good that I decided to do another long run and set myself up to have 10 miles for the week. Again, I kept the pace slow and steady. I ran 5.6 miles. 

After that, my legs were pretty sore, so I massaged them again, in addition to foam rolling. Nearly 10 miles over two days, and I didn't feel too bad. So, naturally, I went to CrossFit on Monday, at my typical 5 am time. 

Now, CrossFit usually posts the next day's workout on their website after 6 pm, but sometimes the post doesn't go up. That was the case Sunday night. Would I have made a different choice about going to CrossFit if I knew that my leg weekend was about to be followed by leg day (back squats, box step-ups, thrusters, and burpees)? I'd like to think not, but I can't prove it. 

I'm diving right back in to my routine. Restarting. And I think what's making it work is my attitude. I know that I'm going to feel good, so I push through the reluctance to get out of bed and the soreness and, surprise surprise, I feel darn good afterwards. I did CrossFit Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with plans for Thursday and Friday this week. I got another 2.2 miles of running on Tuesday, despite the fact that it was raining, with another 2.2 planned for Thursday (I really hope it isn't raining Thursday). 

I'm taking a page from Nike and just doing it. 

So far, it's working. 

November

November is not off to a great start for me, fitness wise. I've got a head cold that just wants to linger instead of going away, and so I've been mostly avoiding CrossFit so as not to spread those germs. I didn't run at all last week, and I just barely ran yesterday. 

The run yesterday felt alright once I got going, but I did not at all want to start. I actually had to scheme myself into running. Yesterday was voting day, so I got dressed to run, then my husband drove us to vote. From the polling place, I ran home while he drove. 

I only went about a mile and a quarter, but it still felt good to get out and move. My pace wasn't too bad, under 13 minute mile pace for the first mile. My right leg ITB area did start to complain, but that was expected after a running hiatus. 

I'm feeling very impatient with this head cold. I want it to be over NOW so I can work my fitness. But I'll settle for it going away before I go visit family later this month. I definitely don't want to bring illness into my brother's home. I know it's going to pass, but it can't be soon enough for me. I want to go hike in the foothills and run up Table Rock, gosh darn it! 

Fitness Goals for the Off Season

I've been slacking on my running and going to CrossFit over the backpacking season. And I even gave myself a bit more slack time in September than I might have usually taken. But it's getting time to rev up again for the off season. That means some goal setting!

I do want to get back to 10 miles a week running, but not in October. See, I got a request from my boss to temporarily switch work schedules, which makes my running days Monday and Friday. That makes it super hard for me to run on Saturday and Sunday, because then I have no rest days AT ALL between my run days. But this week, I'm switching back, and that will allow me to start adding the long Sunday run back in. For that reason, I put off the 10 mile per week goal until November.

October's goal was to just get 3 runs in a week, which I was doing fine on until I got sick last weekend. I still haven't fully recovered, but I'm hoping to get back on track and start November with both the 3 times a week and the 10 mile goals going.

My goal for CrossFit is similar. I'm going for 3 times a week to satisfy my goal in October, but in November that's going to get bumped up to 4 times (exceptions allowed for when I'll be out of town, but maybe I'll finally manage to visit an affiliate out of town). This one I've managed to keep up with so far, but I'll have to get in 3 times before the end of this week to wrap it up.

Last year, I was pretty strict about running my 10 miles, but I think this year I'll allow myself to substitute hiking on a two-for-one formula. So 1 mile of running is equivalent to two miles of hiking, allowing me to sub, say an 11 mile Lucky Peak hike for a 5.5 mile run. I think getting out into the foothills and doing elevation hiking will be super helpful for my offseason training.

Maybe I'll even drag my husband along on a few of those; we'll see.

Caton Lake Trail Crew Day 3

With the power of additional snacks (and maybe a cold weather trick or two), I did manage to get back to sleep this time after waking up cold, so that was nice. But it was still pretty cold in the morning, and I wanted to do my normal thing when I'm headed home, i.e. pack up and head out, eating as I hike. Instead, I went and ate breakfast with the group, only starting to pack up when the group that wanted to keep working started heading across the meadow. 

I got packed up in short order and my group of three left camp around 9:15 in the morning. 

What a joy it is to walk back along trail that you have just cleared! No logs to step over, because WE cut them! 

I took photos of my companions at pieces of work they were particularly proud of as we hiked along. 

Another cold morning.

Brave souls heading out for more work.

What a gorgeous section of trail!

Lovely little check dam.

Colors of autumn beginning to pop.

When I let them know how much of a descent it would have been to get to Caton Lake, they were both really happy to have decided to hike out rather than stay longer. It was kind of funny that the two women who really wanted to do more work were also the ones who had gotten rides, and therefore would not need to drive themselves home. 

It was nice to have some small group time. When I was hiking in the large group (I know 8 isn't that large, but it's larger than 3), I would have trouble following conversations because there might be multiple that I could hear. With just 3, I was able to talk and hear more easily. 

Plus, one of my companions was also on a quest to section hike the Idaho Centennial Trail, so we got to talking about that quite a bit. 

The trail we were hiking was actually along the ICT, but not the one that I'm hiking. The ICT has diversions around the wilderness areas so that one could theoretically bike the whole thing by taking the East and West diversions. But when we hiked out, there were no signs to indicate that we were on the ICT. 

On the way back, magically, there were!

What a water bar!

Already back to the junction.

That ICT sign was NOT here when we came up.

A little hazy, but not bad at all.

Another ICT sign!

Hello, Trailhead!

It was nearly 1 pm by the time we got to the trailhead. I moved my car so that one of my fellows could leave once she was ready instead of waiting on me. She ended up leaving first, while I left last. 

I had to record my ditties so I wouldn't forget them.

Though traffic wasn't all that bad driving down 55, I was so glad that I left when I did, because I still didn't make it home until after 5 pm. Since I go to bed on work nights at 8 pm, that was plenty late. I never did find out when the other group made it home, but I would be surprised if they got home before 7. And if they did, it was only because the slow hikers left first ;)

Caton Lake Trail Crew Day 2

I woke up around 4 in the morning and couldn't get back to sleep because I was just too cold. So I left the tent around 7 and got to making something hot to drink with my breakfast. I wasn't the only one getting ready for the day, but I did get to boil my water for hot tea before the rush - my breakfast didn't otherwise need cooking. 

It took a while for everyone to eat and get ready to work. We got started after the sun came up, bringing with it the heat. Funny how it can be freezing and then stiflingly hot ten minutes later. 

I started my work day working with another woman and the crosscut saw. I had gotten a refresher course on the crosscut the day before, but I learned even more on this day. 

See, our first log went fine, but the second one began to make this really loud squeaking noise. Turns out, that's the noise the saw makes when you bend it too much. Kind of like how a singing saw works, actually. So we were schooled in proper positioning and made our way through two large logs (four cuts) before ceding the crosscut to another group and switching things up. 

Good morning, Caton Meadow!

Let's get to work!

This log's just begging for the crosscut saw.

I lopped branches that were encroaching on the trail, helped uproot a bush, uprooted several more bushes, moved rocks, graded trail... So much work to do! But it went very quickly with 8 women. 

At one point, a hunter came hiking by. He seemed like he appreciated the work we were doing. 

I made sure to stay hydrated, and that helped me work better. I also had to disappear a few times to dig a hole, which was a good thing in that my digestive system was moving, but felt awkward. Plus, the spot I chose as my regular hole area was a long walk across the tall meadow grasses, so it was an exercise just to get there. 

Near the meadow, we completely reworked the trail. Essentially, we created trail where none was before, because there was no indication remaining of where the trail had been originally, before the fire. One woman actually had a GPS with the old map's route, but we couldn't overlay that onto the current terrain. 

I was not feeling super energetic, again, but I did what I could. Including standing around and looking pretty. 

No, really, standing was one of the jobs I volunteered for. See, in order to make the trail, we needed to make sure there were good sightlines from the new trail to the bridge. So I got to stand while another woman walked ahead and evaluated where she wanted the trail to go. Then we moved forward and marked out the next section until we had a good route. 

Choosing the reroute.

We marked the future path with flags (little red thing upper left corner).

Then it was just a matter of clearing it up.

And defining the part through the grass to the bridge.

Then I got to work grubbing out bushes along our new trail, while others worked on grading the new trail and shifting large logs around to accommodate our new path. 

By early afternoon, we had a whole new section of trail and it was time to cross the meadow. The trail cut right across the meadow, but not in a discernible way. The grasses completely covered what might have been the trail. But if you set off directly from the bridge, you'd basically get to the trail on the other side of the meadow.

On the far side of Caton Meadow, the trail was in decent shape. A good amount of deadfall, but the trail was clearly there. While some others went ahead towards the saddle, I stayed low and worked on deadfall with another woman. 

Hiking across the meadow.

Some of the logs were trapped under other logs, making removal tricky.

We worked all the way to the saddle.

But then it was time to head back to camp.

I did end up hiking up to the saddle to see what I could see, but I didn't stay long. Just long enough to see that there were a lot more downed trees to cut between the saddle and the lake. 

Then it was time to head back to the campsite and rustle up some dinner. 

After dinner, we had to talk about the plan for the next day. Now, there were two options. Option one was to go do some more trail work for a few hours and then hike out. Option two was to just hike directly out. I did not want to do more work, because I needed to drive home after, and I was already tired from the last two days of work. Plus, backpacking out was going to be work in itself. 

I'm not, historically, good at demanding what I need. But this time, I put my foot down. I was not going to work the next day. Other women really wanted to work the next morning. By the rules of the trip, no one would be going to the trailhead alone, but we could split up. Which meant that I needed to get at least one other woman to come with me, or the whole group would have to come with me. 

I remember sitting around the fire ring as the sun was going down when the trip leader asked for a show of hands of who wanted to do more work and who wanted to hike out. My hand went up to hike out and I waited. Looking around at the women who wanted to do more work, and, I hoped, the women who wanted to hike out but were afraid to say so. 

Waiting. 

Hoping that someone would follow me so I wouldn't be dragging people who didn't want to leave away. 

One hand joined me. 

I sighed with relief. 

And then another one joined! 

I was hoping my hair would stick up in more of a mohawk in this shot, but I still think I've got my album cover, should I ever release any music ;)

I repitched my tent to make the bathtub higher, in the hopes of being warmer in the night.

Behold! Trail where none was mere hours before.

Sunset through dead trees.

When I got back to my tent for the night, I pulled up a topo map on my phone to take a look at just how far it would be to Caton Lake. Because I did empathize with the women who wanted to get to the lake. 

But I'm so glad I didn't back down, because Caton Lake is 1000 feet below the saddle. So if we actually got to the lake - working all the way - we'd then need to hike back up 1000 feet, then down to the meadow to pack up and backpack out. That was not something that I felt ready to do. 

Even though I did drink a hot tea before going to bed, I was still cold. And, again, I woke up cold in the night.

Caton Lake Trail Crew Day 1

When I first read up on the Women's Only Weekend trips that were scheduled for the 2021 season, the one that struck me the most was the trip to Bear Valley Hot Springs. I kind of mentally skipped over the part where it was a backpacking trip as opposed to the typical car camping trip that I'd done in the past. I also didn't realize it was over Labor Day Weekend. But why should I notice those things when the trip was full and all I could do is get on the waitlist and hope that other people dropped out? 

Because hot springs! 

As it turned out, some people did drop, and I had my chance to hop in. I also had to make a choice at that point, because I was planning on doing a backpacking trip with my husband over the Labor Day weekend. But he insisted that I take advantage of the volunteering opportunity, in part because I've never backpacked with so many people before, let alone so many women. An unparalleled chance to learn how other women do it! 

I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to the hot springs, but, alas, they were not meant to be. See, there's a fire (again) up at Dagger Falls, and Bear Valley Hot Springs got included in the closure area about 5 days before the trip. So our trip leader had to scramble for another project for us, and she found one: Caton Lake. 

Not a hot spring, but I was committed. I'd dropped out of one of these trips in June because I wasn't feeling well, so I was determined not to be that person again. Besides, the drive to the trailhead was one I was mostly familiar with. 

However, it would involve driving on an unknown dirt road near or after sunset, and I really didn't want to do that. So, I let the leader know that I'd be overnighting somewhere on the way and would be there Saturday morning before it was time to leave. 

I don't particularly like driving unfamiliar dirt roads late at night, and my vehicle, while well able to handle those types of roads, is fairly new. But I also wanted to be alone. Being in social situations is not my natural element, and I was about to spend a LOT of time with these mostly strangers. I wanted a night to myself to prepare, so I took it. 

Unfortunately for me, I forgot that the Trout Creek Campground does NOT have a pit toilet. Other than that, the campsite was fine. There were others camped there, but enough spaces that I didn't interact with them. I just picked a spot and set up my in vehicle sleeping system. 

I hadn't actually slept in this car yet, so it was a bit of an experiment. I've got the back seats folded down and I planned to stretch out with my head behind the front passenger's seat and my feet just touching the hatchback. I brought a yoga mat for cushioning, but it wasn't quite thick enough so I ended up moving a blanket underneath me as well. My goal was to sleep without having to break into my already packed backpacking gear, and that I was able to achieve. 

It was pretty cold outside, but I got so warm that I actually cracked a window and took off my thick socks. It wasn't the most comfortable, but I've definitely had worse nights in cars. 

I woke up early to get to the trailhead, and I was so thankful that I had taken the exact course that I did, because Ditch Creek Road at sunrise is stunning. The road climbs a couple thousand feet, and as you get higher and higher, the views to the east just open up. There were clouds catching the sunrise color in pinks and golden oranges, and it was one of the most gorgeous drives I've done in recent memory. 

At the Caton Lake trailhead, there WAS a pit toilet, so I made use of that as soon as I arrived. Then I found my group and got changed into my hiking clothes and ready to go, finding out people's names as the morning went on. At first, I was using pneumonic devices based on the colors of the other women's jackets, but later in the day when they took them off, that plan was foiled. 

The group leader led us through ground rules for the trip and then we got the gear lecture. I have done trail work trips before with this group (just not while backpacking) so I knew a fair amount about the tools we'd be using and I didn't have a preference for which I'd be carrying. 

I let others pick first and ended up with the large silky saw and a shovel. Lucky for me, the silky fit in my pack's side pocket, so I only had to carry the shovel. Unlucky for me, I need two trekking poles to erect my tent, so I had to put one of my trekking poles in a side pocket as well. 

From the prior trips, I know that I don't enjoy carrying around equipment. My arms get tired fast and it's way harder to get my camera out for pictures when one hand has a shovel in it that's nearly as tall as I am. But I made do. 

Once the tools were distributed, we got ready to go. Before heading out, we decided to consolidate our cars at a campsite so we wouldn't be hogging all the parking near the trailhead. I ended up moving mine and blocking in two others in the process, but it was all part of the plan. 

Then we headed off. 

Trailhead!

The trail started off flat and straight.

Junction for Rainbow Lake.

This was my 6th big hiking/backpacking trip of the season, and my body let me know it was tired. I hiked towards the back of the pack and didn't worry about being slow, but it did irk me that I wasn't feeling as energetic as I used to. My tummy issues were also acting up quite a bit, but I tried to ignore that and push through. 

The morning was only a little hazy, which was a nice relief after the smoky summer we've been having in Idaho. I got some nice pictures of nearby peaks as we hiked the first, fairly flat, sections of trail. Not long after we reached the junction for Rainbow Lake, we found a large tree partially on the trail. 

AKA an invitation! 

Packs were dropped and we discussed what the best tool for the job might be - should we hack off the protruding branches? If so, a silky saw or a pulaski? After some consideration, we went with the power of feet. Eight women sat on the ground and we braced our legs against the deadfall, giving a mighty push at the count of 3. One push, two push, three push! The tree, and its limbs, was scooted nicely off the trail. 

The trail started climbing right around that point. Nothing too horrible, but I was feeling it way more than I thought I should, huffing and puffing. I didn't mind being at the back of the pack, but I was very aware of it. Aware that two years ago, I'd have been up front. 

We took a break as a group close to our top out point, ranging up the hillside. I still didn't know everyone's names at that point, but I was too shy to ask. I figured I would pick up on the remaining names eventually if I just paid attention. Of course, I was also thinking about retaining the names that I did know. 

The next section of trail was rolling, ups and downs, minor stream crossings and then a junction. We took a left at the junction and the trail began to descend. On that descent were several sections that were just crying out for a water bar to keep them from being washed away, so once we got to a flat spot a stop was called. 

Somebody picked up a hitchhiker.

The air is practically haze free.

Heading down to cross a stream.

Junction!

Let's get some work done, ladies!

First, we took a break, and then we split up to do some drainage work. I ended up going back up the trail with three other women and we built two water bars. I mostly worked the crosscut saw with another woman, creating the logs that would serve as the body of the water bar. Two other women dug out the trail where the logs would rest, and we all helped put everything together and smashed the dirt down. 

On the way back to lunch, I helped another woman to clear out a mud puddle where water was trying - and failing - to flow across the trail to a nearby stream. We cleared it out so that it was flowing clear and steady. 

Then it was time for lunch. 

Now, I thought we were going to go to our campsite, set up, and then do more work. If I had realized what we were actually going to be doing, then I would have topped off my water at this point. 

We hiked on for a bit, and then started running into deadfall across the trail. So we started cutting, lopping, chopping, brushing and grading. The smaller diameter deadfall could be handled by the silky saw, so that's what I started with as others wielded loppers and the crosscut saw and the pulaskis. 

This was thin enough for the silky - my first victim.

Another one for the silky.

I was game while I still had water to drink. I feel like I got a good amount of work done, but then my gut started rumbling. I took advantage of the fact that I had carried out a whole dang shovel and used it to dig my hole - after I climbed way high above the trail to get some semblance of privacy. 

After that, I felt very overheated, and I knew that I needed water. If there's one thing I've learned in the past few years trying to do the Idaho Centennial Trail through the Frank Church Wilderness, it's that I need to pay attention to my body and take care of myself. I first asked if anyone had water to spare - one woman offered, but then realized she too was out of water. So three of us went on ahead to find water, and, hopefully, our campsite. 

It was less than a mile, but it felt longer because the trail was not in good repair. Lots of deadfall to step over, and some to go under. Plus, near Caton Meadow, the trail simply disappeared, and we had to figure out how to get down to the bridge and the water. 

One of the women dropped her pack and then went back to the working party while the other woman and I got down to the business of getting water. Rather than get water near the bridge, I went to a spot in the shade and dealt with some detritus getting in my dirty water bag. I let myself get wet to help cool my body down and drank until I felt like a normal person again. 

Where is that meadow exactly?

We made it to water!

Then my new friend and I looked for a camping spot. We found a fire ring, and a long metal pole. We thought camping at the fire ring would be the thing to do, but when the rest of the party finally joined us, it was decided that we'd pitch in the meadow. The area around the fire ring was surrounded by dead trees still standing, aka widow-makers, so it wasn't the safe option. And at this time of year, the meadow was dry enough for us to pitch tents. 

I hiked back with some water to offer some to anyone who had run out. I only had one taker - the woman who had come with me and then left before drinking. My body is used to getting a lot of water, I suppose, and others don't need as much. 

We stacked the tools and helmets near the fire ring for tomorrow's work, and then got to work setting up our homes for the weekend. 

I picked a spot to pitch my tent and got to work setting up camp. The grass was so tall that it made walking a bit awkward, but otherwise the tent went up just fine. I got myself all set and situated and then headed over to the fire ring to cook dinner - and to see what everyone else had to eat. 

Fresh vegetables. Fresh fruit. Oranges! 

These women definitely backpack different than I do. Most of them were cooking meals (not rehydrating like I was) or eating things like tuna packets that didn't need to be cooked. Conversations ebbed and flowed and I tried to contribute where it seemed like the right thing to do. 

Not a bad pitch for my tent. 

Tens across the meadow.

I worked so hard, my glasses accumulated salt crystals. In three places (only one pictured). 

Socializing around the fire ring.

Sunset put on a show.

The one big mistake I made was actually to socialize as late as I did. See, when I'm backpacking/camping, I typically flee to the tent as soon as it gets chilly outside. That means that I'm not trying to warm myself back up from being cold, but staying warm. On this trip, I was trying not to be anti-social, so I stayed out and chatted even as I could feel the heat seeping out of my body as the sun sank. We didn't, as a group, head to bed until the sun had dipped nearly below the horizon. 

I did have some trouble getting to sleep. Not so much because of body aches as from the cold. I just couldn't get and stay warm, despite wearing all my layers and snacking. I planned to drink a hot tea before bed the next night and dealt with the cold as best I could. 

Stump Lake Day 3

Around 4 in the morning, I had to get up to pee. When I got back to the tent, I couldn't fall back asleep, and I could hear my friend rolling around restlessly. I finally asked her if she was awake, and she was. We chatted for a bit while lying there in the dark, eventually trailing off and drifting back into sleep for the short time remaining before the 6 am alarm. 

When I'm solo and really on it, I can pack up and be hiking in about 45 minutes. When I'm with my husband, we typically take between 55 and 75 minutes from wake up to leave camp. Because my friend does not have that kind of experience, I allotted us 120 minutes. We took about 127. 

It was very cold in the morning; so cold, that I offered my down jacket to my friend to wear, since I could wear my rain gear with my long johns under my hiking clothes and be okay. She took me up on it, though it didn't fit her like it does me (she's much taller). It was better than being out there with nothing at all for sure. 

I didn't have anything to cook that morning for breakfast, but my friend did, so she worked her stove while I ate my cold cookie and filtered water. She did offer me coffee, which I had to sadly decline. I would have been happy to take that weight from her, but alas, no coffee for me at that time. I was giving my tummy a break from unadulterated coffee, and I wasn't about to haul cream out into the woods, not even on a 3 day trip. 

At some point that morning, she finally had to dig her first hole. Backpacker milestone! I also had to dig a hole, which always delays me in getting on the trail, but the sun came out and got us moving a bit quicker, and we made it on to the trail a little after 8 in the morning. Well within my tolerance for the day's hike. 

Good morning, tent!

Good morning, Stump Lake!

And, goodbye, Stump Lake!

Now, my friend was a bit skeptical about hiking the entire way back to the car in one stretch. It would be nearly 6 miles, and she still had a vivid memory of how hard it was to climb up there in 2 days. But I had the experience to draw on to know that hiking downhill always goes faster than hiking uphill, and I've taken many trips where my husband and I would hike 2 days out and 1 day back. I predicted we'd get to the car about noon, but assured her that even if we hiked at the very slow pace of 1 mile per hour, we'd be at the car by 2 pm. 

Thank goodness, my experience proved true. She wondered at how much easier the trail was as we hiked. Before too long, we both needed a break to change clothes; we had started with many more layers since it was a chilly morning, but the movement of the hiking soon warmed us more than comfortably. 

On the way up, there had been several little "trail problems" that had more than one solution. On the way up, I took one route, and on the way down, I made sure to take the other one, because I wanted to give my friend the experience of different ways. I also wanted to make it clear to her that while we may have taken one way on the way up, that didn't mean the other ways weren't worth using. 

One of these was a little boggy stream crossing that had log options on either side; different sizes and heights from the ground providing different challenges. The other one I recall specifically was a large log, bigger than I could stand over, and covered in rough bark. On the way up, I chose to go over it, even though there was a go-around trail, because the go around went uphill and I didn't want to climb more than necessary. But on our hike down, we took the go-around, in part because it was painful to get over it, and in part because descending the go-around was easier than ascending it. 

Just a bit of uphill on our mostly downhill day.

The sun caught us.

Crossing the boggy section on the small logs this time.

Teeny-tiny waterfall.

Before too long, we made it to the no trail sign, and then all the way down to the stream crossing. Now, my friend's crossing shoes took a long time to dry the day before, and I knew she didn't have any other shoes at the car, so I suggested she take one of two options. Option one: use crossing shoes, and accept the possibility of having wet sandals in the car all the way home. Option two: cross in boots, and either get them wet and hike with them wet the two miles to the car, OR keep them mostly dry by doing a rock hop, which involved crossing that gap before reaching hoppable rocks. 

She, wisely, I think, chose to keep her boots on, but let me go first. 

My legs were too short to bridge the gap safely in a step, because the bank was very slippery. So I examined the gap, and saw a submerged rock a couple inches below the surface in the middle of the gap. If I could set one foot down on it just right, I might get my shoe a bit wet, but I'd be able to keep the other foot completely dry. A compromise, but one I was willing to take. Since I was hiking in Altra's my heel did get wet when I put it on that rock, but not very wet. And when my friend placed her booted foot on it, her sole was robust enough to keep her from getting wet at all (her boots are not waterproof, but they did have thick soles - that started to come off of the uppers on this trip, time for new boots!). 

Making excellent time down the trail.

Though we went slower across these rocky sections.

So very close to a full rock hop.

I got some footage of her doing the rock hop, and then we continued hiking. I warned her to take care when we got to the section where we'd descend along a dusty section that has rocks like ball bearings, very easy to slip and slide to your butt on this section. Maybe because I said that, neither of us fell - I did come close, but that was more me tripping over my own feet that getting pulled down by the trail. 

When we got to the little footbridge, my friend paused and asked me if I'd heard that sound. I wasn't sure what sound she meant, so I repeated it, to the best of my ability and she said yeah, that one. I was like, hmm, I don't know. But then it repeated, and close enough for us to determine it was time to get out of the way. Three boys on mountain bikes flew into view. Two splashed right through the creek, and the third, seeing the splashes, decided to walk his across. Rather than using the little footbridge, he used what I had always thought was a useless narrow log in the stream to walk his bike across. Now I know what those logs are for! 

Hop those rocks!

Downhill hiking, yay!

Already back to the junction! 2 miles to the trailhead.

The cute little footbridge, small log, and me (photo by E.K.).

After they cleared out, we hiked on, and we passed the bikes near a swimming hole where we could hear the boys talking about how very cold the water was. We saw more people hiking in as we hiked out; that made sense, since it was a Saturday (we both wanted Sunday as a recovery day before having to back to work on Monday). Some of them were hiking with fishing gear, others just with hard seltzer. 

This mudhole has evolved in the years I've hiked this trail. 

It was a gorgeous morning for hiking.

We got to the trailhead without incident.

So glad to make it back to the car!

Close to the campground, we saw a guy sitting on a rock in the middle of the creek, looking like he was meditating. And when we came to the campground (just after noon!), we were greeted by barking dogs and the sight of a nearly full campground. I wanted to get to the pit toilet right away, but someone was in it. As soon as that person left, I made a beeline, but I saw she was handing off her TP to someone else and saw a conflict. She offered to rock-paper-scissors with me for the right to next, and I countered with "I just spent 3 days backpacking." 

"You win," she said, and graciously allowed me to go before her. 

Then my friend and I took some time to eat something and rinse off our faces in the creek. Before too long, we were ready to go. I was pretty tired by this point, so I had warned her that I would need to be singing along to music to keep me focused on the road - not that we couldn't talk, but I would use the music to keep my mind awake and if we were talking, I'd use the talking to keep sharp. I figure it's a lot easier to keep songs running than to talk constantly, so that's what I do. 

I also made sure to drive straighter lines on the forest service road to reduce the possibility of car sickness. It may have helped. Traffic wasn't too bad going down, though before we reached the highway, we beheld quite a sight. In the truck in front of us, the passenger was making sexy times with the driver. Both were in silhouette, and we could literally see the woman's tongue sticking out and licking the driver's face. I raised my camera to take a photo and they stopped for a bit, but then started up again, so I decided to film them instead, but only got a snap of a non-sexy silhouette. 

We drove some back roads and then cut over to 84. I got her home and then, somehow, made it to my own, where I got to collapse in the arms of my husband for a bit. Only a bit, because I needed to turn around all my gear for another trip the following weekend.