Getting Lost... 2012

Ah… Here is the full story since JDSP asked and he's not on Facebook. Plus, people on this list will want to hear this since it's been a while since I have done something like this.

We were going to follow Charlie's instructions from the Sat. morning group. I was supposed to go for 4 hours and Shawna was going to go for 3.5, so we figured that she could just cut off early. Also, since we run a lot slower, we thought that we would just start from Phoenix Lake instead of Ross Common and cut off the mile out and back from Phoenix Lake.

Well… we got to Phoenix lake and couldn't park there, so we went up the backside through the residential area off of Bolinas and up Oak and parked there. Not bad, just took 2.75 miles to then run down to Phoenix Lake. We then followed the instructions from Charlie and everything was going great. Beautiful, beautiful run with the recent rains having made the trails nice and soft, and all of the scenery was super green. One of those really fun running days where you're fired up that you have the ability to run for 4 hours because you know that you are going to like all four hours. Of course, I should have taken all of this as a warning sign because anytime I'm having this much fun, something is going to go bad.

We got to Barth's retreat which was supposed to be our first (of 2) water stops. There was a giant sign on it that said "not potable". That scared me, but I assumed that Charlie would not call it a water area unless we could drink from it. Shawna was scared of giardia and said she would not take care of me if i got it, so I was hoping we would come across another water supply later. Still, I had drank up most of my water thinking that we would fill up here, so I was down to half a bottle. (Shawna was in the same boat, but she appears to be part camel and doesn't seem to need to eat, or drink while running long distances)

We get to Cataract and we can go left, or we can go right. Of course, I pick the wrong way and 1.5 miles later we end up in the Rock Springs Parking lot knowing that we have to turn around and then run back. We found a map (and a very, very cold wind) and at least had some idea of where we were and where we needed to go. The good news is that this is one of the prettiest parts of the trail, so it's a fun fun back. The bad news is that the extra 3 miles means that Shawna is going to go way over her 3.5 hour target and unless I really pick up the pace, I'll be out there a lot longer than 4. So, we run back to where we came and continue along Cataract where we run into a very nice man. (Upon further review, i hope that the kids that this man was with, get sick and vomit on his head for the next week).

When we see the nice man, we ask him "do you know where/how to get to Phoenix Lake".

"Oh yes", he replies. "It really very easy. Just keep running down the cataract trail and whenever you can, just follow the water down. So just go left, or follow the water when you are in doubt". There was no doubt in his instructions. No pauses, no contemplation, nothing. He 100% knew that this was the way to Phoenix Lake. Why would we doubt him? (asshole)

So, Shawna and I thinking that the nice man night know where he was (especially since he was so confident) follow his instructions all the way down to the very bottom. We see Helen Market along the way, but that cuts off to the right, and we want to go to Phoenix Lake and just be done at with the run and get back to our car, so we go left. Even though Charlie's loop involves Helen Market, we just want the shortest way home and we assume that Mr. Confident, would know what he was talking about. Sure enough, after running all the way down we end up at this GIGANTIC dam/lake. Of course, we have no clue where we are (we just know it's NOT Phoenix Lake) and no one is around, so in typical Grant fashion, when in doubt, just keep on running.

So, now it's around 6pm and the concern is can we get to the car before dark and we start running along this road that just keeps climbing up. I've played this game before (not well) so when a car comes up the road, I get into the middle of the road and stop him. There, some kid, probably around 25 stops his car (because his only other option was to hit me) and cautiously rolls down his window. He's a little surprised when I ask him where we are and where Phoenix Lake is. What's actually amazing, is that he does not actually know where he is, or what the name of the lake is. Probably b/c he's as high as a kite and reading The Art of War (not kidding) while walking in the hills smoking who knows what. Anyway, he's nice enough to then drive us from Alpine Lake (looking at a map later we know where we are) to Fairfax where he drops us off next to the Movie theater. Probably would have been a good 5+ miles along a windy highway road out by the Meadow Club and beyond. It really reminded me of the first time Scott and I got lost out in the middle of no-where New Hampshire and had to hitch-hike in a car with a guy whose hobby was counting cars that drove by from his porch. After we get dropped off in Farifax, we are cold (it's 47 out) hungry and thirsty so we decide the best plan of action it to try and find Charlie's house b/c odds are he is home with the family cooking and he can feed us and then drive us home. We wander around Madrone and Grove, off of Center Street (we didn't find it, but we know we were close) finally give up and walk back to the car defeated, cold, hungry and thirsty.

All in all, a 22 mile run for both of us, on only two water bottles and with not enough food. I like to look at it as good training and good marriage testing. Shawna might have a different take :-)

First Deep Thoughts Post

Well, not really, but it's my first one that isn't associated with another group, or another team. I figured I would start up a blog again because I went running this weekend with Shawna and Tony, and once again, got lost. Now, it's not worthy of a story-time, but I realized that it would be fun to write up something about the weekend, and also, I like looking back on things over the course of the year. Now, I can do it. It's more or less just for me, and some of my friends who I might tell about the site at some point, but for now, it will just be random thought (aka, deep thoughts) that pop into my head, but primarily about running and training and trying to go sub 20 hours in the Western States and sub 5 hours in the Quad Dipsea!