AN ADVENTURE

Yesterday Leanne and Iris were willing companions in a real Danni-style adventure. Last summer our buddy Jandy took us up to Blacktail mountain from Herron Park (i.e. Foys to Blacktail) but I have no idea how we got there. I am not really the type who "pays attention." I decided that for my run I was going to run Foys to Blacktail to Foys, which would be around 26-28 miles by my calculation, based on the assumption that somehow we would find the route. I had no idea where to go, but Leanne and Iris knew this and neither of them knew either. Ty, Leanne's husband, was behind us a ways on his mountain bike following our markings, and he didn't know the way either.

I had been told that if you stay on this main logging road you can get there and find the decomissioned Forest Service trail that takes you to the top of Blacktail Mountain, which is a ski resort. Iris was pretty sure that the road ends, which may be true, so we took a single-track from the logging road to another logging road which took us to another single-track which took us to a giant pile of what can only be described as "logging mess." I'm pretty sure that's the technical term in fact. After about 10 miles we hit a whole lot of logging mess. Most of this run is across Plum Creek property (timber/logging company) but they have a generous open lands policy and are granting an easement to FTBT so we can actually sign the "trail" (wherever it is) to Blacktail Mountain and everyone can adventure for all of eternity.

ANYHOW. Back to the adventure. We ran into a couple folks on horseback who told us that if he "hugged the ridge" we could find our way to Blacktail Mountain. In effort to hug the ridge and not stray the "wrong" direction, we climbed up a steep (i.e. straight up) trail mess path. This took us to another logging road and another pile of mess. You see, when Plum Creek timbers, they obliterate the trail and leave massive piles of wood and woodchips everywhere and since it has been rainy, it looked like someone got drunk and drove a giant bulldozer around pushing mud far and wide and leaving huge crazy tracks all over. We couldn't find the trail and felt very sad. Below is a picture, taken by Iris, as all these pictures were, of Leanne talking to Ty who had given up since he was "lost as &%$!*" while my heart cried a little. We conferenced a lot about our options and all but gave up.

We decided to take one more look for trail and we found one which soon took us to the Forest Service bounday -- the yellow sign marks the bounday. We knew at this point that we were on THE trail that would take us where we needed to go. Hence the rejoicing. In fact, we thought we were home free. Especially since this was mile 11 or so and we thought it would only be 13-14 miles to the top.
We soon encountered a whole lot of fallen trees. This was pretty exciting. A lot of straddling trees, trying not to be inappropriately and uncomfortably poked by rogue branches. Iris, who is a WFA grad (Wilderness First Aid or something) told us all about puncture wounds from sticks and how they're common. That's all I could think about!!!
Iris is a champ. She went ahead so we would know whether to go her way or not. If we heard profanity we knew not to follow. If it seemed to go ok we followed. Perfect!
We cleared the downed trees and again rejoiced that we were "home free" when we came upon snow. Now, the horse people told us "you will hit snow." But see we're smarter than them because we just sort of thought, based on glancing up from town, that the snow was mostly melted. . .
Iris did an amazing job of staying on the trail (we're pretty sure we stayed on the trail) despite steady deep snow for about the last half mile. This picture below doesn't even show how deep this snow could be -- one step and I'm on top of the snow. One step and the other leg is completely in the snow and I'm sitting, despite standing. . . if that makes sense!!! Somewhere at this point we saw mountain lion tracks in the snow. At that point I made the decision that I was not going to run back alone (Leanne's car was at the top and though Iris had intended to run back with me, it became clear that our 13-14 mile run was 18-19 miles instead).
Iris got a bit ahead of Leanne and I and we heard her yelling. . . YEAH!!! Ahhhhhhh we made it. Leanne is quite relieved.
I was dragging. . . and although I wish I could tell you I was sad no one would run back with me I was very happy to be done. There was no way I was going back across the snow alone. And down the steep timber mess. If I could even remember the way we came. . .

Man what a good time!!! I wanted an adventure and an adventure I got. And no one got hurt. We did run out of water a little too soon for our liking, but it was really fun to play with my friends. I decided the shorter distance was ok since last weekend was such a heavy training weekend. Next weekend, my last and PEAK weekend, I'll do 30+. . . today I was a slacker too and did a 5 mile run up Columbia Mountain with Deb and Sonja. That was really nice and still a good hike. The first mile climbs nearly 1,000 feet so it's sort of like Devil's Thumb I think. . . except with great weather :p