10 low key miles or so on the A.T. (Spivey Gap) this cold, crisp morning. Some light snow up high. Saw a couple of folks out hiking. Saw some trees clawed apart by a hungry bear. Nursing some nagging stuff but wanted to start the new year in the woods, these fragile, fragile woods. Old beyond time, they call to me, pull me from my bed to come glide among the trees (and huff up the steep parts...let's be honest, here). Happy 2015!
Submitted by Rush 1/1/2015 1420145547
I read many blogs that seem to focus on running out west. I read about Anton, Krarr, Dakota, Sage, Tim, Foote, Bowman, Frost, et al, and picture them scaling massive amounts of vert. Much of the high profile, live race coverage, is focused on events out west, with towering peaks and jaw-dropping descents.
I was surprised to learn that Boulder's Green Mountain (which Anton seems to scale regularly) is around 3000' in 6+ miles. I thought to myself, heck, I can do 3300 in 4.2 miles going up Bowlans Creek. Or, if I want to go totally nuts, I can do 3200' in 2.2 miles scaling Woody Ridge. On my last long trail run (A.T. - Spivey Gap to Erwin in back), I did over 15,000' total feet of vertical in just over 24 miles. Living in very close proximity to the Black Mountain range, I can literally run out my door at around 2800' and run up into the Blacks with peaks over 6000'.
Anyway, I'm happy to live where I do. I'm grateful that my body is holding together enough to let me run trails.
Submitted by Rush 12/31/2014 1420059590
2014 will go down as the year I 'discovered' trail running. I logged nearly 700 miles on trails this year (out of just over 1600 total miles). I came to love the solitude, the beauty, watching the seasons change, the challenge of long runs and lots of vertical.
The year in summary:
Total Miles: 1606 (most ever, 2006-1014)
Highest mileage month: November (181)
Highest mileage week: 56 (Sept 22-28)
Total miles on trail: 620
Total miles other surface: 986
Total elevation change (up & down): 235,233'
Total running days: 220
*No marathon this year, but I did run my first 50K and have another 50K in January.
Other highlights:
Ran my first 50K in October at the New River Trail 50K.
Won my age group at the Rhododendrun 10K.
3rd in my age group at the Springmaid Splash 10K.
Did not have a major IT band episode this year.
Submitted by Rush 12/31/2014 1420058394
Need to catch up my log as I've done two big runs lately.
On 12/20/2014 I ran the A.T. from Spivey Gap to Erwin and back. 24.6 miles and 15,100' of elevation change. Sesamoids really hurt and I totally hit the wall after climbing back out of the Nolichucky gorge. Despite the hardships, I really liked this run as there are many miles of very runnable trail
On 12/28/2014, I ran from our house in Burnsville to downtown Spruce Pine, then on to Ledger where Luke was kind enough to come pick me up. Felt very strong on this run. Managed calories better than on the run to Erwin. Wore my much flatter Pure Grits and my sesamoids felt fine. I did have some medial L knee pain in the last mile or so. This run had only about 4100' of elevation change.
Submitted by Rush 12/30/2014 1419948197
Started out just at daybreak from Sams Gap, heading north to High Rocks. The morning was crisp with a steady breeze. After the first steep pitch, the trees and brush were completely covered with rime ice. The ice, fog, and early light combined for an amazing experience. Only problem on the morning was that, despite two layers of gloves, my hands were very cold. After an hour and fifteen minutes the sun absolutely erupted over the ridge line and lit up the sky, lighting up the ice-covered tree tops like something out of a fairy tale. With the sun, my hands started to warm up and I settled in. The view crossing Big Bald was absolutely stunning. Other than one hunter unpacking his gear at the steel gate road crossing, I didn't see a soul all the way to High Rocks
I didn't feel great, which surprised me. I only did 5 miles on Friday, took Saturday off, and expected to come into Sunday's run with a lot of pop and it just wasn't there. I also aggravated the sesamoids on my left foot. The ball joint was very swollen and tender when I got home. I'll probably take this coming week off to let it heal and try to get the mileage in for the Frosty Foot 50K coming up in January.
Submitted by Rush 12/7/2014 1418575086
Thar's bears in them their hills. Did a hard 10 mile tempo run late yesterday afternoon. Wanted to follow up today with a climb up Colbert Ridge to the BMCT intersection at Deep Gap. Slept in and got to the trail head around 9:00, snow on the peaks. Sunny and still, temps around 30 but highs predicted around 50.
The first mile or so of Colbert Ridge trail is very runnable. My legs were little tired from the late tempo run so I wasn't cranking. Snow started covering the trail but there were no deep drifts like I encountered on the A.T. several weeks ago. The trail steepens up to some exposed rock outcroppings, and then got narrow higher up. About 90 minutes in I started seeing a lot of very fresh bear tracks in the snow; following and criss-crossing the trail. I found one big area where the leaves had all been dug up and two logs that had been rolled and rooted. Looking at the map, I was about 1000 meters or so below Deep Gap when I heard something large move through the underbrush ahead and to my right. I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and turned and headed back down the mountain, sobered by the reality that with the snow and fresh leaves, there is no way in hell I could have outrun a determined bear.
I had no further ursine encounters and made it back down to the trail head in about 44 minutes. I decided to run over to the Buncombe Horse trail and do some more miles there (this follows the Quest for the Crest 50K route as well. It descends Colberts Ridge from Deep Gap and follows Colbert Creek Rd over to the BHT trail head.) No dog encounters running along Colberts Creek Rd. Found BHT to be very runnable. At the first intersection, I decided to stay straight (BHT goes left) and follow the road grade for a while. Lovely, running EXCEPT for somebody over on White Oak Creek Rd (I'm guessing) has their own, private, gun range and had begun about 45 minutes of endless shooting. I never felt threatened but the noise was incredibly annoying. I can't imagine what their neighbors must think. Sometimes I miss living in the South Toe Valley. The endless gunfire reports remind me of the downsides. Totals: 10.2 miles with 6200' of elevation change in 2:46.
Submitted by Rush 11/29/2014 1417293674
Several friends and I ran some 19.5 miles last Saturday starting at the Rice Pinnacle Road parking lot and ending up at Biltmore Park. Fantastic day, frosty but very little wind early. We were the first cars in the lot at 7:30 but holy smokes the place was a madhouse when we got back at 1:30 (after lunch at Thirsty Monk). About 7380' of elevation change on the day.
On the steep but runnable uphills, I tried to focus on falling forward: straight neck/back, engaged core, leaning forward at the ankles and letting gravity pull me uphill, just lifting my feet to catch my fall.
Submitted by Rush 11/25/2014 1416949135
Woke up at 6:00 am, but it was 12 degrees. Waiting until 8:00 to leave. The temps were 18/19, but dead still. No wind at all. Wore shorts, a couple of top layers, silk glove liners, and North Face gloves. Hands were a little cold at the start. The leaf-fall covered several deep bogs that I splashed into, soaking and freezing my feet at various times, but the day warmed up and all was bearable.
Hadn't been on this trail since Luke was a boy. Parked at the bridge on Colbert Creek Rd and walked 200 yards up to the trail head on the left (marked with a brown USFS sign). Had read several descriptions saying there is no parking at the trail head on the Colbert Creek end. That's true where the trail meets the pavement, but if you go up the trail 100 yards there is a large, flat, parking area. The trail is fire road and well graveled. At the parking area is a locked gate blocking vehicle traffic from going any further. The trail continues on fire road for 2.5 miles before turning into single track switchbacks the rest of the way up to Maple Camp bald. At 3.5 miles (give or take) the trail becomes and remains very overgrown. I went out/up two hours, stopping just below Maple Camp Bald. Definitely could have gone farther, but had given myself a time limit and the bushwhacking was no fun.
Runners/hikers beware, this trail is woefully under-marked and under-blazed. There are several intersections that I had to stop and study to make sure I was going the right way. Someone had hung white plastic strips every so often which seemed to be staying with the trail. It seems that while the trail was fire road, it was blazed yellow (where it was blazed). After turning to single track, the blazes were white, but again, were very few and far between. There are several stretches through thick rhododendron, and higher up I had to walk almost stooped over due to thick low hanging branches. Beyond that, blackberries and underbrush took over and whipped me for the last 30 minutes of the climb.
Submitted by Rush 11/15/2014 1416086630
Up early, packed and out the door. Maybe 15 minutes to the trail head on Shuford Crk Rd. Up Woody Ridge Trail. Hadn't been on this trail since '97 or '98 when Lisa and I carried Luke up in a backpack. Accounts vary, but the general consensus seems to be 2.2 miles to the Black Mtn Crest Trail (BMCT). The first 4th is a gradual climb, some of it runnable. At mile 1 you reach a large boulder, make a sharp left, and the world gets vertical. Straight up you go for half a mile or so. After some exposed rocky outcroppings (great views), the trail runs parallel to the ridge line for a while and the running is good. When you reach the evergreen forest, get ready to climb again. I'm no forestry expert, but gads there is a ton of dead timber in this last push.
I reached the BMCT in about 1:25, my watch having stopped briefly. Turned north and ran up to and then maybe 10 minutes down the Bowlens Creek side. Adjusted my shoes, then headed back south, passing the Woody Ridge trail marker. Continued south past Gibbs Mountain, through the long descent and subsequent climb up to Winter Star. The stretch between Gibbs and Winter Star actually has quite a few minor peaks, so there is a lot of short, steep, ups and downs.
I had intended to run to Deep Gap and find the Colbert Ridge trail intersection. From the top of Winter Star I could hear hounds baying further south. If they were on a bear, they could have been driving it in my direction, so I decided to turn and head back. I'd been moving about for about 2:20. About 15 minutes after turning around, I ran into a beautiful red hound (sorry, I don't know my hound breeds) wearing a radio collar. She turned and trotted north, keeping just ahead of me. I started calling out 'Hey! Hey!' every few minutes, not know if she was part of a nearby hunting party. After 20 minutes or so, she stopped, let me pet her, refused to lap some water from my hand, ran on north with me for a few minutes, then she turned and headed back on her way south. The day was really warming up. I was running in shorts and short sleeves, having removed my hat, gloves, and long sleeve shirt on the Woody Ridge climb.
Made it back to the Woody Ridge trail intersection at the 3 hour mark and started down. The first half, though steep, was runnable, with good footing. When I descended down to the deciduous, the leaf fall (fresh, slick leaves, several inches deep) made the footing treacherous. I was more Glissading than running, though I managed to only end up flat on my rump once. Nearing the large boulder I ran into four more very friendly dogs (no radio collars) and shortly thereafter, their family; three adults and two kids out of a hike. Shortly after the boulder, I was able to run easier, and made it back to my car in 3:50. I continued down Shuford road for just a bit, until it turned to asphalt, then back up to my car. I wanted to end with some uphill after nearly an hour of downhill.
I guess this run was a mini dress rehearsal for the Quest for the Crest 50K. If the weather is good this weekend, I might spend some time on the Buncombe Horse trail portion.
At this boulder, your gentle stroll through the woods gets seriously vertical.
Bear track?
Nearing the top of Woody ridge. L-R: Moon, Horse Rock, Celo Knob.
South Toe valley
Route
Submitted by Rush 11/11/2014 1415739237
I started the day wanting to try something new, to run the A.T. from Spivey Gap. I missed a turn and had to backtrack a bit. I found the trailhead overrun with bear hunters. Trucks, dogs, blaze orange, and guns. Nope. Not today. So I decided to head back to Burnsville and run up Bolens Creek to the Black Mountain Crest Trail.
Earlier this week I realized that the new US Sky Runner race series has an event here in Burnsville - The Quest for the Crest 50K. This totally piqued my interest. I'm doing this thing.
As I turned onto Pensacola Road, I got behind a large pickup with dog cages in the bed and i could see four blaze orange hats riding in the cab. Crap! But they went straight where I turned left. There was only one car at the trail head. I donned my jacket and gloves, slung my Camelbak and headed up. Almost no wind so I quickly stowed the jacket, noting that I felt really solid today. Alternating running and power hiking, I passed a single hiker just before the stream crossing. Counting the switchbacks (8) and the last steep push, I topped out at Celo Knob in 1:18, my fastest time to the top. I took a few pano shots as the day was absolutely stunning. I picked my way down to the Crest Trail and headed south down to the Woody Ridge trail intersection. The 50K starts at the bottom of Woody and climbs to the crest then down Bolens Creek (and then straight back up) before continuing south on the BMCT. I descended Woody about 10 minutes. I had forgotten how unbelievably steep this trail is. Memories of Lisa and I hauling Luke up that mountain in his baby-backpack. Today was just a taste. Lots of crusty snow patches up high.
Climbing back to the BMCT, I turned south, climbed Gibbs Mountain, took some more pictures, and continued on about halfway to Winter Star. Lots of animal tracks in the snow, maybe coyote. No human prints at all. I felt like I could have run all the way to Mount Mitchell. Not wanting to leave the incredible vista, I finally turned and started running north, back toward Celo Knob and the trail back down the mountain. In all, a spectacular morning trail running in some of the most rugged country around.
Details (per the Garmin):
10.29 miles
3:03:45
3,471' gain
3,472' loss
3,164 min elev
6,135 max elev
Shoes: Brooks Cascadia 9
Socks: Drymax Trail (Really like these)
Gloves: Terramar Thermasilk glove liners (brand new, very versatile)
Submitted by Rush 11/9/2014 1415543256
follow along
