2019 is here already and in a few months we’ll be back on dry trails. Tons of racing, adventures and wicked days out will likely entertain our Summer, but first, let’s take a few seconds to look back at 2018 on the local trail running scene. Lots was acomplished, records were broken and tons of miles were raced. Here are nine of our highlights, in no particular order. What are yours?
“This can end anytime you want”, is what one of the last three runners whispers to the other after running over 200 miles at last weekends Big’s Backyard Ultra.
The race is held on the race director’s property, near a small town, Bell Buckle in rural Tennessee. It’s name derives from the fact that it is in his dog’s “Big” actual backyard. Things are simpler in the south so why not have a race that the race director walks to the end of his driveway and hosts a race there. The race director, Lazarus Lake, is well known now for the The Barkley Marathons held in nearby Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee. Laz, as we know him, describes the race as the following:
We are so fortunate in Canada to be able to share the National and Provincial parks with our dogs. As a trail runner, biker, hiker, skier and dog owner, I love being able to enjoy my favorite outdoor activities with my ever-enthusiastic adventure partner, Arnie. We are often on the trails with other dog owners, so I wanted to share with the trail community some of the frequently asked questions I get asked as a veterinarian about ‘trail dogs’.
Another high pressure weekend this late in a hot spring could only mean one thing: Columbia Icefields Adventure. Or any other glaciated area with mountains. Or a high sheltered north face. But we chose the icefields.
I’ve been wanting to climb this route since I got to Canada and started flipping through a friend’s copy of the Book of Lies. It’s an enticing maze directly up the face of Sir Douglas, one of the few 11’000ers in Kananaskis. Unfortunately at that point I was an ice climber and that would likely mean an overnighter and swinging tools and catching shards in the face which is really just silly. There had to be a better way.
Joel and Matt both got a couple of days off and the weather was looking sublime. It’s early spring and that means couloir season, a good time to work on the technique before we start to look at the face lines of the Rockies. We tossed around a few stupid ideas before settling on ‘having a look’ at the Funnel of Death on Bow Peak.
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