Trail Runner Photo Contest

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One of our photos made it into the Trail Runner Magazine monthly photo contest! Now just click like, so we can win. :)

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Hiking the Dolomites - Alta Via 1

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Our family hiking trip this year was to the Dolomites, more specifically Alta Via 1. John and I have done several hut to hut hiking trips in the Alps and planned them all ourselves, we never had any problems. As I started to plan our trip to the Dolomites, it became clear to me that it might be easier if we used a local company to help us book our accommodations and transportation. That way when questions came up from family members there was someone we could ask. Also letting the ultrarunner of the group plan the daily hiking itinerary probably isn't the best idea. 



I ended up contacting Dolomite Mountains, I sent them my itinerary, the places I had already booked and a few other specifications and Monica created an agenda pretty similar to the one I already had in mind. As much as I like to plan things myself, it was nice to have someone local and not feel responsible for 5 other people's vacation. Plus if they thought the hike was too hard they couldn't blame me. 





Staying…
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Dog Gone Wildwood

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I have wanted a dog ever since I used to run with my friend Karrla's sled dog Oscar years ago. I really wanted a dog that was capable of running long distances and I didn't particularly want a puppy.  Karrla researched breeds years ago and decided that a German Shorthaired Pointer would be the perfect breed for me. I researched breeders numerous times, but never followed through on contacting one. I also felt a little guilty not getting a dog from a shelter, but it all was really moot since for one reason or another I never got a dog.  

Two weeks ago while Susan and I were running my husband who was in Germany sent me text to an article about 53 dogs who had been rescued from a La Pine, OR breeder and 22 of them were going to be available for adoption at the Oregon Humane Society in Portland. The article said that Labs, German Shorthaired Pointers (GSP) and Dachshunds were going to be available for adoption starting on Friday. Since 2 days had passed I wasn't sure if any of…
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Three days in Wonderland

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16-18 Aug 2015
No run has reshaped the borders of my soul like circumnavigating Mt Rainier. No run has infiltrated my dreams like spending three days just running and not much else, in the middle of the longest summer in the Pacific Northwest's recent memory. No run has made me fall so deeply in love with the magical combination of mountains, wilderness, and summertime.

Like all of our great long runs, Ann researched and planned this one. She discovered that most people run the 93-mile Wonderland Trail clockwise, and that we could split the route into three days with a cushy hotel stay each night. We, however, would run the route counterclockwise to start with the longest day of running first. We had a beer with our friend Heather McGrath, who had run around Rainier the previous year, to hear more about her trip, get tips, and make sure that our plan wasn't too crazy.

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Three Sisters Loop

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11 years ago my first multi-day backpacking trip was the 50+ mile loop around the Three Sisters in Central Oregon. Since then I have done multi-day hikes all over the world and in the Pacific Northwest, but the Three Sisters trip still remains one of my favorites and most beautiful. I have been back to the Three Sisters Wilderness several times in the last 11 years for overnight trips and even to climb South Sister, but never to do the full loop. Once Susan and I started talking about doing the loop around Mt. Hood, I knew if we completed that we could do the Three Sisters. 

Mt. Hood is shorter distance wise (~40 miles), but it has almost double the elevation (10,000 feet), and it has the Eliot Creek washout. We almost completed the full Mt Hood loop in 2013 and we would of completed it if it wasn't for getting lost and running out of day light. Even though we didn't complete the loop we still ran about the same distance and were confident that we could do the Three Sisters lo…
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Mt. St. Helens Circumnavigation

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We completed the Loowit trail, 34 miles circumnavigating the volcanic lands and forests surrounding the squat, smoldering Mt St. Helens. It was amazing, but I cannot rightly recommend this route to others.



Not because it's not beautiful, mostly fun, diverse in ecosystems, and full of fascinating wildlife. It is all of those things. But it is also full of washouts and utterly terrifying descents, ascents, and traverses on huge dunes of kitty-litter-esque scree.



Granted, I have a particular fear of scree washouts after our Mt Hood circ attempt. But some of these washouts were incredibly precarious. Each foot placement had to be strategized and the few rocks to hold on to often came away in the sandy scree, sending an avalanche of gravel  and dust down the side of the slope, the sound of which reminds one what will happen if you should misstep.



We started at June Lake trailhead, from which you run about 2 miles up to join Loowit trail. From there we had heard there would be lots of walk…
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