In February, I wrote about racing the Moab Red Hot 15km trail race. Well, Mother Nature had another idea in mind, and a storm brought several inches of snow and abundant ice to the race course. The race was canceled. Landscape Arch New Plans We ended up going to Moab regardless, and having a great …
Engineer Mountain
Engineer Mountain, a 12,968-foot peak rising just north of the Purgatory/Durango Mountain ski resort, is nestled in the San Juan Mountain Range, between the towns of Durango and Silverton, Colorado. Engineer Mountain shows off striking good looks, amazing geology, and incredible hiking access. A challenging 13 mile out-and-back trail from Coal Bank Hill off U.S. …
Spring Reading
Three amazing new books by leading women in American distance running are out this spring.
The Great Sand Dunes
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a hiking, photography, and ecological wonderland. The park holds the tallest largest dunes in North America (some reaching over 750 feet in height!), has a seasonally flowing stream, and numerous access points. Biggest sandbox around! Geology The following is an excerpt from Colorado Rocks. Check the …
A [Belated] Welcome to 2023
The winter has been busy, and like many parents, plagued with cyclical illness. However, we've also had time to enjoy hiking, baking and cooking, skiing, lots of swimming, and even some pretty steady running. My furry running partner is pictured waiting impatiently, below. While this post has very little to do with running, I'm actually …
2022 Gift Guide
Time flies, and this fall, the clock has seemed to speed up on me. My 2022 Gift Guide is out the door and here for you to enjoy. Happily, there's still plenty of time before the holidays, so check out some of my favorite things hiking, outdoors, and running related! First, of course, start with …
Weekend Trip: White Sands National Park
This past weekend we ventured to White Sands National Park. The park is famous for its sparkling white sand dunes, which exist in the middle of the southern New Mexico desert. I'll talk a bit about kid-organization, and a bit about the geology of White Sands.
Patellar Osteoarthritis & a Cortisone Shot
I have been having pain in my right knee for a few months. For the past several years (or a decade?) my knee occasionally will ‘click’ when I run downhill when very fatigued, or on an occasional swim day when I am flutter kicking. The pain has been growing over the summer and fall, finally making it so painful to run downhill that I have had to stop running. I made an appointment to visit an orthopedist. A few xrays and a quick physical exam and history, and the diagnosis of patellar osteoarthritis was made.
It’s Fall
The best time of year. I'm spending as much time in the woods as I can, catching the changing seasons and savoring the cooler temperatures. This past weekend we did a 'divide and conquer' hike, with me and kids starting a hike in an aspen wonderland, then returning to the car while my husband hiked …
The Next Big Adventure: Fourteener Project
Our eldest daughter asked to climb a fourteener for her 10th birthday. This quickly progressed to a "14er Project" with the goal of climbing 14 Fourteeners by the time she was 14. We climbed Mt. Yale as our first mountain peak, and had a great time.