It's been a good day, my engineering team at work took the afternoon to go see a movie and I'm spending the night at Lake Tahoe to run a half-marathon first thing in the morning. After driving up to the lake and getting checked in, it was only about 6:30pm and I decided to get a quick hike in before crashing.
Emerald Bay is arguably the most beautiful area of Lake Tahoe. From the surrounding mountains, a number of waterfalls flow into the bay and the surrounding lakes, including Fallen Leaf Lake and Cascade Lake. One of the few waterfalls I've never visited in this area is Cascade Falls. The trail is a short one and it seems like a great choice, given the limited amount of day light I have left.
Driving the few miles from my hotel to the Bayview Campground, I park the jeep at the trail head and walk into the forest. The campground is full and there are several cars at the trail head, but a couple coming out greet me and tell me that I'll have the falls all to myself, as there is no one else up there.
After about a quarter-mile through the forest, the trail travels along a granite cliff that rims the southwestern side of Cascade Lake. The trail has a mile grade to it, but the more problematic part are the number of boulders strewn the length of it. It poses only a minor inconvenience though. From about a quarter of a mile away, I can hear the falls and soon it comes into view. The waterfall cascades approximately 150 feet down a forty-five degree slope before drop into the creek below, which in turn feeds the large Cascade Lake below.
After reaching the top of the falls, I begin looking around for a good place to get a shot of the entire height of Cascade Falls, but I'm not able to find any place to get a good angle. I take the best shots I can before turning and heading back to the jeep. It was only about a 1.4 mile hike, but as the dusk is now upon me, I'm content with the distance. Besides, I'm running a half-marathon in 12-ish hours.
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine forest high on the summits of the White Mountains that straddle the California-Nevada border are home to the oldest living trees on earth. I've visited the area a couple of times in the past, but I've never driven to the northernmost grove of the area, the Patriarch Grove. After spending the night in nearby Bishop, CA, I decided to head up into the mountains and seek out the open-air museum.
Driving past the Forest Service's visitor center, the road abruptly becomes washboard gravel jeep trail. It's not terribly rough, but it is a bit bumpy. Twelve miles beyond, I finally reach the Patriarch Grove. As I exit the jeep, I can already feel how thin the air is up here at 11,500 feet. I've suffered from altitude sickness a couple of times and it's not pleasant. While I don't feel my head becoming a hot-air balloon attached to my shoulders, I do find that I have trouble catching my breath.
As my symptoms are not that bad, I decide to explore the area as I had planned. Just beyond the parking lot, I encounter the tree for which the grove is named, the Patriarch. While not the oldest Bristlecone Pine, it is the largest one ever discovered. In comparison to other specimen I've seen, this one is absolutely massive with a segmented trunk probably 20 feet in circumference.
The entire area up here is windswept and pretty much lifeless, save these ancient sentinels. Bristlecones have adapted to thrive in the highly acidic dolomite rich soils of these mountain tops. As not much else can survive in this soil, these trees are pretty much all alone, though the twisted and gnarled trunks give testament to the struggle for survival that takes place here. Many of these trees are more than three millennia old. The oldest one ever discovered was estimated to be 4,800 years old. Let that sink in for a moment. These Trees were already well established when the the Great Pyramid was constructed on the Giza Plateau on the other side of the world.
It's like another world up here. The white dolomite soil covers the landscape, with the occasional Bristlecone poking through. To the west, the highest of the Sierra Nevadas still have a fair amount of snow on them, while to the east, the vast desert of the Great Basin opens up. Some of the trees appear mostly lifeless with several limbs appearing to have died off centuries ago, and with only the most meager signs of life poking out of other limbs. Due to the nearly sterile environment at this altitude, the trees that have finally succumb to time take hundreds of years to decay.
On the nearby hillsides, a number of dead specimen remain standing and will likely still be there for centuries to come. I'm humbled every time I visit any of these groves. All of them exist in areas that seem other-worldly. Enough though, I still have some exploration to do today. After hiking both loops through the grove, I see that I've only hiked a little over a mile, but even with the difficulty breathing at this elevation, it was totally worth the visit.
Last stop of the day is at the Kyburz Flat Interpretive Site, specifically to see a petroglyph panel. Again, my directions and the information panels guide me right to the site. The panel here was once a solid piece of stone, but at some point in the distant past, it split into three and collapsed. The panel itself is simply a large number cupules drilled into the stone. The purpose of cupules is debated by scholars, but I suspect there were a remnant of some daily function of the ancient peoples.
Next on the list is Loves Falls, which is only a few miles from Lakes Basin. As I arrive in the trailhead, which happens to be a road-crossing for the PCT, I encounter three thru-hikers. The nice chaps with a British accent ask if I would be willing to give them a ride into Sierra City. I tell them I was planning a short hike to the falls and that if they are still there when I return, we'll figure out a way to get them and their gear down the road to their supply.
I cross the street and follow the short trail down to the falls. This is actually the PCT that I'm hiking on and a tall foot-bridge has been constructed to allow the trail to cross the North Yuba River just above the falls. This whole area is really gorgeous. The river cuts a swath through the granite here and plows over the short falls, called Loves Falls. It's only about a ten to fifteen foot drop, but the river rages over it.
I decided to head up the trail a bit further to see if there are any better views. Across the bridge, a number of switchbacks head up the hillside, but after covering another half-mile or so beyond the falls, I've pretty much lost view of the river and decide to head back to the jeep.
Returning to the trailhead, the Brits seem to have gotten a ride as they are no-where to be found. I wish them well, but it would have been tough to fit all three plus their packs into the jeep. Checking my phone, I see I've hiked about 2.4 miles. Not much, but a good little hike to get the blood pumping.
I recently heard about a petroglyph site just south of Graeagle, in the Lakes Basin area. I've hiked this area numerous times over the years, but never knew about the site. As I had some time this morning, I decided try to find the rock art and hit a few other sites nearby.
The directions I found were on the mark, and I had no trouble at all locating the panels. Unfortunately though, the petroglyphs are fading into obscurity. The two adjacent panels face upwards and some informational panels detail the carvings, but either due to the cloudy skies above or the ravages of time, I can only locate a couple of petroglyphs on the panel. It's a little disappointing, but I'm still glad visited.
Just east of Sparks, NV and squeezed between the Truckee River and Interstate 80, another petroglyph site has recently come to my attention. My friend, Nick, and I decided to explore the site after work this evening.
To reach the site, we literally had to pull off the side of the interstate and precariously make our way along the guard rail about 200 yards with a very steep slope and practically no catch between us and the frigid waters of the Truckee River about fifty feet below us.
Finally reaching the rhyolite terrace supposedly rich with ancient Native American, we scour the surface and quickly discover a number of petroglyphs. There are examples here similar to many other sites we have both visited in the region, including Grimes Point and Donner Summit. In all, there are approximately 20 panels scattered among the boulders and surfaces here. Most are carved into the horizontal areas, but a few have been carved into the sides of large boulders.
After spending 30 or so minutes, exploring the area, we head back to the jeep. This was definitely worth a visit, given the site's proximity to home. How had I not heard of this treasure before.
For the last fourteen years, the first Friday in June has signaled the start of the annual Reno-Tahoe Odyssey. The 178-mile relay race starting in Reno, heading west through the Sierra Nevada, into Truckee, down the western side of Lake Tahoe, around Emerald Bay, through South Lake Tahoe, down the eastern slopes of the mountains, through Carson City, into the silver-rich hills of Virginia City, and finally returning to downtown Reno has become popular event in the running community and sees a full attendance every year.
For the third year in a row, I'm running the relay with an amazing double-team called Nice Asphalt and Nice Asphalt Too. The last two years were truly amazing experiences and though we have a number of new runners this year on the team, I expect this weekend will be no different.
Planning began several months ago as our terrific captains, Jamie and Kristen began putting together the rosters, assigning legs, reserving vans, finding accommodations, and the general logistics of such an endeavor. The effort these two put into organizing this group of 24 crazy runners into a well-oil machine for the relay blows my mind every time we do it. They handle it with grace and style every year and we are all so very thankful to them for the work the do to ensure a great time is had by all.
As race-day approached, we met at Kim's, another three-time member, home to decorate and pack our two 15-passenger vans for the long journey. We comment about how new the vans smell (one of them only had 164 miles on the odometer) and how terrible they will smell in 48-hours after twelve sweaty, stinky, tired runners have lived in them for a period of between twenty and thirty hours. Unfortunately, I was only able to stay and visit with my team for a short time due to conflicting plans Thursday evening. As I will later learn, one of our other three-time runners, Raj, had a family emergency and will be unable to run, leaving us a runner down. But as always, our captains have figured out a plan to divide Raj's three legs among our remaining runners to get the miles covered.
To start the race, we arrived at Kristen's at 7:30 Friday morning to drop our cars and board our white conveyance. We drive over to the starting line at Wingfield Park. Both vans (all 23-runners) always attend the start to see our first runners kick off the event. For the first time this year, I'm one of those two first-runners, with first-timer Jasmine filling the second spot. As we stretch and attach our bibs in preparation for our quick 4.8 mile leg along the Truckee River west out of downtown Reno, our Team-members encourage us and psyche us up for the task at hand.
For our 8:45 start, we line up at the starting arch and as the countdown reaches GO, we take off out of the gate. I've unfortunately been fighting off a cold for the past few days and while I've been training pretty hard this year for this and other upcoming races, I can feel the congestion in my lungs preventing me from full lung capacity. Hopefully, it won't hinder my running too much.
As always, it takes me a mile or so to get into my pace and breathing rhythm. As we will be running nearly fifteen miles together over the next 24-hours, Jasmine and I take this time to get to know each other a bit. Luckily, it's a nice cool morning - perfect temperatures for running. We quickly depart downtown and cross under the McCarran Loop on the western side of town, finally reaching our exchange at the far end of Mayberry Park. We slap the bracelet-batons onto our leg two Runners, Kristen and Ali, and take a couple of minutes to re-hydrate and cool down before hoping into the van and continuing on our journey. Leg 1 done!
Over the next five or so hours, we follow our active runners in the van doing our best to keep them hydrated and encouraged as they each run their first leg in turn. The country side we travel through is, as always, breathtaking. It's easy to take these mountain views for granted after having lived here for so long, but moving at a runner's pace as opposed to flashing through this area in a car, forces one to take in all of the vistas and glory of this part of the world.
Finally arriving at the first van exchange near the Boca Reservoir, we watch as our runners number 6, Kim and Amanda, reach the exchange point and hand off to runners number 7, Ryan and Chris. For a little while at least, the burden and the baton has been passed to van 2. Now we, the runners in van 1, will go to rest and re-energize. We have made arrangements to spend a few hours at a campground clubhouse a few miles from the trail. We quickly unpack some supplies and head into the picnic area to enjoy some well-earned lunch. I take advantage of the facilities shower before trying to catch a short nap on a couch. While I'm not all that tired yet, I know that I will need all the sleep I can get over the next day or so. As we get a text from van 1 that they are nearing the start of leg 11, we repack the van and head to Homewood to make our next leap frog over them.
The Homewood Mountain Resort, sitting on the western shore of Lake Tahoe, has long been the second van exchange. As Jasmine and I prepare for our next section, leg 13, we encounter numerous friends on other teams, all competing for the glory of this mighty race. This section, our most difficult, is 6.2 miles with numerous ups and downs and sections with little or now shoulder to run on. The approaching darkness also adds an additional obstacle. Wisely, the race administrators require the use of numerous lighting and reflective devices for the active runner as we travel these dangerous roads at night.
As runners 12, Tina and Kara, reach the exchange and slap the bracelet-baton's onto our wrists, Jasmine and I take off to cheers from the couple of hundred onlookers. Luckily, it's not quite dark yet and we can enjoy some of these beautiful views of the lake as we run our miles. The cool evening air makes for pleasant running. I admit that the hills on this section are really taxing my breathing and this cold affecting my lung capacity, make me struggle a fair amount. Jasmine is understanding, which I appreciate.
Darkness now fills the sky and our headlamps illuminate our way, and as we reach the exchange point, we're both pretty taxed. We hand off to our next runners and take some much needed rest. These next legs are some of the most beautiful, but unfortunately, we are only able to catch glimpses due to traveling these sections at night.
As we cycle through the van and each run our turn, we do our best to support them with layers (on or off), water, cheers of encouragement, and just ensuring they are having fun. Finally, it's time to meet up with van 2 once again, this time at the South Lake Tahoe Raley's parking lot. Though it's about 2 am, most of the stores near the Raley's (Starbucks, McDonald's, Taco Bell, etc.) remain open for business. Whether it's from a sense of profit-making or merely to support the event, the runners don't care as three thousand of us in-turn visit the establishments and take advantage of coffee, tacos, french fries - whatever keeps us going.
Now that we've again passed the burden, we had to our hotel rooms in Carson City near the next van exchange. While we won't get much sleep, even a couple of hours is much appreciated. We shuffle into a four hotel rooms and almost immediately crash on the beds, furniture, and floor. Any rest is good rest, but when the wake up calls come just before 5 am, we all reluctantly wake and get ready to go.
We load the van and take off for the Carson City Wal-mart, the next van exchange. I'm in super light-weight day-running gear as I exit the van. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr . . . . though it says the air temperature is 47 degrees, it feels much colder and I'm freezing my _____ off out here. Luckily, the leg 24 runners are quickly approaching and soon, Jasmine and I will take off on our next section. Leg 25 is an easy 3.3 miles through southern Carson City.
The hand-off made, we begin our final run of this RTO. Our route zigs and zags through neighborhoods and business areas as we begin to warm up. Very quickly, we go from freezing to burning up, as the sun rises and casts a blanket of warmth across the valley. After a mile or so, I get a major cramp in my left foot. It hurts like hell, but as this is my last leg, I refuse to let it slow me down. We continue to push and finally reach our last exchange. We hand off to Kristen and Ali before we embrace triumphantly! Our part of the the race is complete!
As our runners make their way through Carson City, out highway 50, and into the hills of Virginia City, we do our best to keep them cool and hydrated. The temperatures, while cooler than this time last year, are still a scorcher and some of these hills are massive and unrelenting. Finally, our last runners from van 1 reach the van exchange in front of the Bucket of Blood Saloon on the main drag of Virginia City. The bracelet-batons are exchanged and our runners from van 1 wander into the bar for a much-needed drink.
Our work here essentially done, we take a few minutes to bask in the glory, before heading off to provide double van-support to the van 2 runners as they run through the hottest part of he day. We catch up with the van runners just at the end of leg 33 and from that point forward play leap frog with van 2 as we continually keep the active runners soaked from water-gun fire. It may sound like a game and while it is fun, it's much more about preventing the runners from over-heating.
As the runner's start the final part of the relay, leg 36, we head to the finish line at Idlewild Park. We quickly make our way out of the van and to the entrance of the park, where the entire team will join the active runners the last 50 or so yards to run across the finish line. As we see Tina and Kara approach, we line up and begin the jog to destiny. Cheers from the hundreds of people at the finish-line celebration ring out as all 23-of us run across the finish line. It's in the books - we've completed the 2018 Reno-Tahoe Odyssey!
