Fourth of July Weekend Backpacking

FRIDAY

After 1.5 miles of steady uphill from the trailhead, we got our first view of South Sister.   On the right edge of the trail past Dad, is a junction sign.  We headed right toward Moraine Lake.

Mom hiking toward Moraine Lake with Broken Top on the horizon.

South Sister about 1/2 a mile from Moraine Lake.

Looking back across Moraine Lake.  These are the marshy streams at the outlet of the lake, but Moraine Lake itself is much deeper than just a marsh.

The trail comes up at the low-point to the right of the rounded knob on the horizon.

The sun has set and we are still climbing.  We probably should not have left home at 3pm as that lead to a 6pm start, but it was fun to spend an extra night in the mountains.

We camped on a ridge above Moraine Lake.  We had crossed two or three small snowfields on the way up, but there wasn't much snow to be found this year.

Mom leading the way toward our campsite.

An evening view of Broken Top.  It was much darker out than it appears in the picture.

SATURDAY

South Sister on Saturday morning.

Looking south along the ridge we climbed up yesterday.  The white peak just right of center is Diamond Peak.  From here, we also saw the three main climbs on the Waldo 100K course: Maiden Peak, the Twins, and Mt. Fuji.

Mom and Dad on the horizon just before the descent down to Green Lakes.

Green Lakes with Broken Top in the background.  For the first time ever, there was no snow in the Green Lakes basin.  On the descent down to Green Lakes, we had to spend a lot more time on the rocks than in past years.  Most of the time we can glissade almost the entire descent unless the snow is too hard and we have to be a little careful about going too fast.

A moth on the snow.  I saw three moths this trip.  They are a little over 1 inch long, and we thought that they were hummingbird moths.

A crevasse at the foot of a rock outcropping on the way down to Green Lakes.

Looking across the snowfield toward the lava flow on our way down to Green Lakes.  Typically much more of this area is covered with snow.

Looking back up toward South Sister on the way down to Green Lakes.  The summit of South Sister sits behind the red outcropping to the right of center on the horizon.

South Sister from Green Lakes.  The top of South Sister sits behind the high point red outcropping in the center of the picture.  We descended down to Green Lakes from the left of the snow-covered grey point in the left of the picture.

Paintbrush and heather along Green Lakes.  This year we waded through the outlet of Green Lakes.  We were worried it would be a cold crossing for the morning, but the water temperature was pretty mild.

Paintbrush along Green Lakes.  Looks like I got my camera focused on the stalk of the flower as opposed to the flower itself.  There were quite a few paintbrush out along the lakes and streams we passed.

After making our way to the far side of Green Lakes, we headed up the climbers trail toward the summit of Broken Top.  After climbing through some barren meadows, the trail catches the ridge to the left of the peak and follows it to the top.

Looking out across the Gold Lake basin from the ridge on Broken Top.

North Sister on the horizon.  From here we could see Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Adams to the north of North Sister.  In the foreground, Gold Lake is at the right edge of the green meadow on the left side of the picture.  There are a few more lakes above Gold Lake hidden in the trees.

Descending down the ridge off Broken Top.  This year, we didn't head up toward the summit since we were a little tired from the late arrival yesterday.  We ended up getting in the tent a little after 10pm.  On the horizon is South, Middle, and North Sister.  The climbers trail meets the ridge we are descending at the low point.  We continued down the ridge and after a little climbing reaching some easy downhill hiking which lead us to the trail between Gold Lake and Green Lakes.

Middle and North Sister, with the cascade volcanoes lined up to the north.  Gold Lake is slightly visible on the right edge of the green meadow below North Sister.

Looking across the lava flows above Green Lakes.  Green Lakes is out of view to the left.  The rounded knob below the horizon about 1/8 of the way across the picture from the left edge, is the same knob that we hiked past on the first day climbing up to Moraine Lake.

Broken Top.  The trail follows this ridge.  It doesn't look too promising from below, but there is a defined trail the entire length of the ridge.  The summit block requires about 10 feet of climbing.  Its not a difficult pitch to climb, but the rocks have some loose scree on them and if you fell, you'd be headed down the mountain.

Mom and Dad making their way back to the top of the ridge.  After the climbers trail takes off from the low point, there is not much of a trail along the ridge.  With a few big rock outcroppings we found it easier to sidehill around them, then climb back up to the ridge.

Dad with South Sister in the background.  All the green plants at Dad's feet had bright purple flowers, but that is not showing up in this picture.

A paintbrush in the rocks.  I'm always impressed how plants find a place to grow in any environment.

Some easing hiking at the far end of the ridge.  From here its mostly smooth hiking down to the trail.

Green Lakes.  Behind us is the spring which leads into upper Green Lake.  We stopped here to get water.  I'm always impressed at the volume of water flowing out of the hillside.

Looking across Green Lakes basin.  Broken top is in the left edge of the picture and Mt. Bachelor is right of center.

Springs feeding into Green Lakes from the base of South Sister.  This year, there seemed to be more springs than ever.  Its pretty cool to watch the water bubbling out of the ground.

Mt. Bachelor looking across the pumice planes.  This is the same stretch of ground where I took a picture of Mom and Dad before we headed down toward Green Lakes.

Paintbrush along a small snowmelt creek.

SUNDAY

Our snowmelt creek froze overnight.  Good thing we filled up with water in the Saturday afternoon.

Dad climbing up toward South Sister with Mt. Bachelor over his left shoulder.

South Sister.  The trail follows the ridge to the left of the snowfield.  There was no snow on the ridge between the lake and the summit.  We have always had to cross at least some snow in the past.

The summit of South Sister.  Some years we head straight across the snow on the summit and other years we follow the rim.  With the new lake at the summit, we had no choice but to follow the rim.

We've been climbing South Sister since 2004.  We typically come up in July and September and we have never seen a lake here.  Our theory was that the record setting heat wave caused the snow to melt so fast that the ground could not absorb it forming this lake.  But it could have been the summer-like temperatures starting in April.

Teardrop pool.  Deeper than ever this year, but we've seen this pool a few times before.

Looking down from the summit of South Sister.  Broken top is out of view to the right and North and Middle Sister are out of view to the left.

Dad and Mom with Middle and North Sister in the background.

Me with Middle and North Sister in the background.  Mom took this picture... I'm not that talented.

Looking down on Broken Top.  Maybe my favorite picture from the entire trip.

Middle Sister and North Sister.  In addition to Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Adams, we could see Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier.

Two pools on top...cool, but a bit frightening.

This year we hiked all the way around the rim on the summit of South Sister.  We took a while on top and scouted out how to head down the backside of South Sister.  We found one route which looked promising, but we decided that the descent was going to take too long.

The rocky point below the horizon is The Husband.

The two pools on the summit of South Sister.

A lot has burned to the west of South Sister.

Teardrop Pool with South Sister summit in the background.

Descending down from South Sister on the main trail.  In the center of the picture is a blue pool at the base of a snowfield.  The pool was so clear that we could see where the edge of the snow stopped below the water.  Unfortunately its a little too small to see it clearly in the picture.

Hiking cross country toward Leconte Crater.  Leconte Crater is just above Mom's head.  Its half tree covered and half open.

South Sister from the plains below.

This tree is partially tipped over, presumably by the wind.  The roots that were pulled above the ground were orange and hairy.  They looked weird.

Climbing up Leconte Crater.

Looking west from about halfway up Leconte Crater.

Dad leading the way up the trail to the top of Leconte trail.  We caught the trail after going cross-country toward the top of the crater.  We followed the trail on the way down, but it petered out before reaching the main trail.

A little pool of water in Leconte Crater.  South Sister is in the background.

Broken Top from the rim of Leconte Crater.

Leconte Crater.  We climbed up the left side.

South Sister.  Directly below the summit is a trail leading into a lava field.  In years past we've skied to the top of the lava field.  There was no skiing this year.

Lichen shining like a beacon in the cones and needles.

Making our way back up to our tent site.  Just to the right of the base of the snowfield is Moraine Lake.

A grey ridge with Mt. Bachelor poking out to the left.

MONDAY

Diamond Peak is in the center of this picture on the horizon.

Looking down on Moraine Lake.  We followed this grey ridge down to Moraine Lake before catching the trail and heading back to the trailhead.

Heading out.  Moraine Lake with South Sister in the background.  In about an hour we will be back at the trailhead.

 

Memorial Day Backpacking

This year we headed to Pole Creek with near-record temperatures forecast for Memorial Day weekend.  With high elevation, snow, and sunny, clear skies, we made sure to lather up with sunscreen before we headed up the Pole Creek trail.

The first few miles were dusty, passing through the burn left by the 2012 Pole Creek Fire.  We followed the trail as long as we could until it became covered with snow.  Then we headed cross country toward North and Middle Sister.

This year we were able to hike on bare ground longer than ever before which lead to a short climb through the snow to reach a good spot to camp.  Although Saturday was supposed to be the coolest day, the afternoon was hot and when the sun passed behind a ridge of North Sister, the instant drop in temperature was appreciated.

South Sister

Sunday morning we put on our skis and made our way to the basin below Middle Sister.  The morning snow was pretty firm despite the temperature not dropping too much over night.

At the bottom of the snowfield we ran into some sun-cups which we hadn't had to deal with before.  The skiing was a bit slow on the rough terrain but we continued on with hopes of finding smoother snow above.

As we climbed up toward the Middle Sister saddle, we could see a few groups climbing up ahead of us.  The skiing was slow as the snow was firm and slick, so we ended up taking to the bare ridge and carried our skis for a while.  I was a little worried that it might not be worth skiing this high as all the snow below us would be pretty hard to ski through on the way down.

After leaving the ridge was started skiing again and the snow was a little better.  However, just a little higher up the slopes were all smooth and the snow was not nearly as heavy as in years past which led to some of the best skiing conditions we've had over Memorial Day weekend.

Looking east toward Broken Top and South Sister, we could see lots of bare ridges, exposed by the snow having already melted out.  One meadow that we've skied across in years past was now bare ground.

As we climbed toward the saddle, the cool breeze blowing across the snow felt good as the day was beginning to heat up.  After some more climbing we reached the saddle and stopped to have a snack and get something to drink.

Broken Top

Mom and Dad with North Sister in the background

North Sister

Mom and Dad with North Sister in the background

Looking northeast toward Bend

Middle Sister

Broken Top, Mt. Bachelor, and South Sister

Sitting at the saddle, we watched one group descend from the top of Middle Sister.  There is one steep pitch that can be tricky to negotiate and if often where we turn around if the conditions aren't good.  As the  first, large group descended a second group had climbed up to the steep pitch.

Instead of waiting, the first group was pretty slow, the second group decided to traverse across the bottom of the pitch.  We could only follow their progress for a few minutes before they rounded a corner and were out of sight.

After we finished our snack we climbed up the ridge toward Middle Sister until we were at the bottom of the pitch.  We've been turned around at this point a few times, so we decided to try the traverse and to see if that would be easier.

The first hundred yards of the traverse were on a fairly steep side slope and the steps were not great.  We pushed on as we at least wanted to see what was around the corner.  When we rounded the corner, the slope lessened and soon we were able to start switchbacking uphill toward the summit.  This was definitely the way to go.

After a few more minutes of climbing we were on top.  From the summit of Middle Sister, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens, both in Washington, are visible.  To the south, Mt. Thielsen in southern Oregon, and to the west, Mary's Peak, a little west of Corvallis.  It is truly amazing to be able to a hundred miles in every direction.

We were lucky to have a still day as we were able to hang out on the summit for a few minutes and take in the view.  Heading down was pretty quick although we had to take our time along the traverse across the base of the steep section.  Soon we were back at the saddle where we put on our skis and headed down.

The upper descent from the Middle Sister saddle was great skiing so we got to make some nice turns on the way down.  Unfortunately the fun had to come to an end and soon we were in the sun-cupped snow at the base of the slope.  After a slipping and sliding through the sun-cups we made our way back to the tent.

Looking north along the Cascade volcanoes

Broken Top, Mt. Bachelor, and South Sister from the top of Middle Sister

South Sister

North Sister

No sunburn this year!

Hot, sunny weather, high elevation, and snow...a great combination for a wicked sunburn

Mom and Dad on top

Descending from Middle Sister

North Sister

North Sister

Lots of exposed rocks this year

Sun-cupped snow at the base of the snow slopes leading down from Middle Sister

Monday we skied toward North Sister before heading home.  The snowfield leading up to North Sister was much more melted out than in years past.  After skiing to the top of the snow field, we left the skis and climbed up the ridge a little further to get a few last views before heading home.

The descent down the snowfield was a little sun-cupped so the skiing was a little rough.  However, it didn't take long to back down to the tent.  This year we decided to put the skis on the packs from the get go.  Some years we try to ski a little ways down through the trees with our packs on, but with the lack of snow, we decided we were best off walking.

That was a good call as it only took about half an hour to reach bare ground and the trail.  The hike back to the car was dusty and warm as there was no shade in the burn.  But it didn't take as long as last year as all the down trees that had fallen across the trail last year were now cut out.

North Sister

Had to carry the skis here....never had to worry about that before

Looking east from the base of North Sister

Mom with North Sister in the background

North Sister

McDonald Forest 50K

"Well, I'd better get going!"

Mom and I were still walking up to the start when the crew from Best in the West timing started ringing the bell to signal the start of the first wave of runners.  I crossed the start line about 20 seconds behind everyone else, but with the race being chip timed my starting time was just 20 seconds after everyone.  But now I had 59 people ahead of me, and the course was going to neck down to a trail in less than a quarter mile.

Fortunately, Calloway Creek Trail is wide and I know it well so I was able to get by quite a few people pretty quickly.  Inside corners and the high side of the trail served me well and soon I caught sight of the lead back.  Or at least that's what I though, turns out there were still half a dozen people ahead of them too.

Once we left Calloway Creek and turned right onto 540 Road, I got to run with Ian Sharman and Katie Asmuth.  Pretty good company at an ultra!  Ian will be running Leadville this summer looking for his 5th win there and Katie just earned a spot into Western States by winning Bandera in January.  I got to talk with Ian and Katie for a few minutes and really enjoyed the time I spent with them.  It would have been run to run with them a little longer, but it was a race after all.

It's runners like Katie and Ian that make ultrarunning special.  There's a lot of incredible runners out there, but Katie and Ian are great people too!  Katie was positive and excited and Ian relaxed and kind.  It was great to get to know those two a little bit, and hopefully I'll get to share some more miles with them in the future.

Starting the climb up Powderhouse trail with Ian Sharman and Katie Asmuth
Photo: Bill Hopkins

Photo: Bill Hopkins

Soon we left 540 road and started the climb up Powderhouse trail.  I pulled away from Katie and Ian, and by the top of the climb had moved into 2nd place.  Descending down Powderhouse and Dave's Trails, I though Ian might catch up as he's know to fly on the downhills.  I held him off for the time being, and when we hit the next section of gravel road, I caught sight of the lead runner.

Over the next mile, I slowly caught up, but didn't want to push too hard early on.  My right achilles tendon had been a little bit bothersome the last few weeks and fast, flat running was the most irritating for it.  The 2nd half of the course featuring some tougher terrain, so I knew I'd be good to go if I made it to Baker Creek (mile 15.3) feeling alright.

I took the lead on the descent down Old Growth Trail, but shortly before there I passed one of the three runners going for their 25th finish.  Jim Roy had taken the early start and his calm confidence on the trail ensured me that he was going to finish number 25!

I reached Lewisburg Saddle, mile 7.8, running stride for stride with Ryan McLaughlin.  My friend Ken Ward told me to keep an eye out for him.  He was a friend on Ken's who would likely be at the front of the race.  I led briefly after Lewisburg Saddle, but mostly followed Ryan until we reached the bottom of Dan's Trail near mile 12.  Ryan is a great guy and it was fun to chat with him a little bit as we climbed up Bomb's Away Trail, then descend High Horse and Horse Trails.

Bomb's Away and High Horse were new additions to the 2021 Mac and these dirt trail were in terrific shape thanks to mostly dry conditions leading up to the race.  The descent down Horse Trail was pretty nice too as the gravel based trail was still a little bit soft from a touch of rain a week earlier.  Halfway down Horse, I passed Karen King who was running her 25th Mac!  So impressive!

After following Ryan down Horse, I let him lead up Dan's trail.  The race was still getting started so I wanted to remain patient.  On the initial climb up Dan's though, Ryan's paced started to slow a little bit, so I decided to take the lead on a short descent before the main climb.

The bottom of Horse Trail
Photo: Teri Smith

Photo: Teri Smith

At the base of the main Dan's Trail climb, I caught up with the legends!  Clem LaCava, Steve Loitz, Jamshid Khajavi, and Randy Law!  They were all in great spirits and were excited when I ran by.  Clem is the one who started the McDonald Forest 50K 25 years ago and we wouldn't have the race without him!  Jamshid was working on his 25th finish, Randy on his 22nd, and Steve on his 21st!  What a crew!

The climb up Dan's felt good and I slowly pulled away from Ryan.  I just wanted to give a solid effort on the climb, but by the top I had built a minute lead.  McDonald Forest is a small race and I have my sights set on some longer races this summer, but it's my hometown race.  It means a lot to me!  I really wanted to run well on Saturday and taking the lead into Dimple Hill aid station, mile 13.8, felt great.

I filled my bottles and got out of the aid station as quickly as possible.  I didn't want Ryan to catch up at the aid station after I built a lead on the climb.  The descent from Dimple Hill was 1.5 miles of gentle gravel road followed by half a mile of more technical trail.  The 600 Road decent was the last section of concern for my achilles tendon.  I ran well down the road and had no issues.  I thought someone might catch me here, but I didn't see anyone when I looked back up the road at the U-turn shortly before the Baker Creek Trail turnoff.

Baker Creek, mile 15.3.  My achilles tendon was feeling pretty good, we had a short section of downhill singletrack ahead, then more trails leading us through The Maze and on toward McCulloch Peak.  I couldn't ask for more.

The Maze is a defining part of the Mac.  After miles of logging roads and faster trails, the narrow, twisting trails of The Maze, and their short steep climbs, quickly slow things down.  The Maze holds a lot of my memories about the Mac and on the climb up Shave and a Haircut Trail, I found myself reflecting on years past.  No matter how many times I run the trail in The Maze, they always have a different feel on race day.

The first pass through The Maze was pretty short and soon I popped out on Alien Road and began the flat section over to Extendo Trail.  I had pushed a bit harder up the Shave and a Haircut climb and that felt good so I wanted to continue to run hard up to McCulloch Peak.  The rollers on Extendo went by quickly and soon I was on Innuendo Trail.

Running up Innuendo I caught up with my friend Josh who had taken the early start.  He told me there was just one more early starter ahead of me and then the course was all mine!  I thanked him for the update and wished him well.  He was looking good, even with 18 miles on his legs and a tough climb ahead.

After Innuendo, I followed 700 Road to the top of McCulloch.  The road has a few steep pitches, but levels off at the top.  I felt good running uphill and kept pushing on my way up.  At the McCulloch Peak aid station I saw a few friends up there which put a smile on my face as I began the descent down No Secret Trail.

No Secret, Secret's Out, and Playtime were all new trails used at the 2021 Mac.  Team Dirt and a lot of local bikers and runners have put in countless hours building these trail, so I felt thankful to be running on them on race day.  These trails were built with bikers in mind some of the rollers and jumps are not the fastest to run, but the trails are always a lot of fun.

After leaving Playtime, I headed down a short section of gravel road before entering The Maze, mile 23.1,  for the 2nd time.  A short descent, a short climb, then a longer descent down Lovely Rita Trail took us back across Baker Creek.  From there we just needed to climb up out of The Maze and head back to The Saddle before getting to some easier terrain leading to the finish.

Getting out of The Maze is easier said than done.  We had a couple short uphills leading up to the final climb up Knucklehead Trail.  Knucklehead is short, but steep.  I hiked most of this climb which led to the end of 640 Road.  I stopped briefly to fill my water bottles at the Knucklehead water-only aid station, then continued on to The Saddle.

Lower Bomb's Away and Ridge Trail went by quickly and soon I was greeted by cheers at Lewisburg Saddle, mile 26.3.  It was nice to get the encouragement before the final push to the finish.

I headed onto Vineyard Mountain Trail and remember previous editions of the Mac.  The first time I ran the Mac, we left the Saddle and ran roads for 3 miles before the final 1.6 miles of trail down to the finish.  Vineyard Mountain Trail was added in a few years later, and after that, the trail was extended all the way to Lewisburg Saddle.  Now Dave's Trail takes us another mile on trail leaving just 1/2 a mile of gravel road between the Saddle and the finish.

The climb up Vineyard is pretty gentle and pretty short so it went by quickly.  However, I did make sure to see the Mission Bells along the right side of the trail.  There's not many of these flowers in the Mac so its a good day when you see them!

After Vineyard, Dave's trail winds along for another mile.  There's a few too many switchbacks in this section for my taste as you frequently have to slow down to round another corner.  But Dave's Trail sure beats the road!  Dave's and Vineyard are two more recently built trails, so again I found myself thinking of all the hard work and time that went into building these.  Thanks to all the volunteers and OSU for getting these trails built!

After leaving Dave's, I hit the final stretch of gravel road.  I knew I had been running strong the last few miles, but I did look back at one of the slight bends on the road to make sure no one was coming.  Who knows?  Easy downhill on a road is one section were I expect to give up a little time and with people like Ian Sharman on my tail, it'd be nice to know if they are closing fast!

I didn't see anyone, but looked back one last time as I made the right turn onto Section 36 and the final 1.6 miles to the finish.  There's a couple minutes of climbing which always feels tough at this point in the race, but the wide single track that follows allows you to fly to the finish.  The final downhill is alway great.  Like The Maze, I have so many good memories from previous races from this section.  But every year is special and as I drew within sight of the cabin I couldn't help but smile.  I was so nice to run the Mac again!

The Mac is a community event.  So many people care so much about this race.  It's that passion that makes the Mac special.  Countless dedicated volunteers commit their entire Saturday to make the race happen and many help in the days before and after the race as well.  My Mom and Mike Rosling are the race directors, so I've seen how much effort is needed to make the race happen.  It's a lot.  Next time you run a race, make sure to thank the race director.

COVID made the race more complicated this year, but the community was up to the challenge.  With extra precautions in place, the 25th Mac was a go.  There were a lot of hurdles along the way, but when there is a will, there is a way.  Thanks to everyone who was involved in making the Mac happen.  The race directors, the volunteers, and the OSU staff in charge of forest recreation!  It would not have happened without you.

The podium: Ian Sharman - 2nd, myself, and Katie Asmuth - 3rd (1st woman!)

Jamshid Khajavi after his 25th Mac!  My tally is much less impressive.
Photo: Teri Smith

Clem: The one who got it all started.  After 10 years of race directing, Clem has now earned his 10 year finishers plate.  While my Mom (above) and Mike are the race directors, I'm know Clem is just as worried as them on race day.  The Mac means so much to him!
Photo: Teri Smith

Here's what I used on race day:

Salomon Sense 4 Pro Shoes

Salomon Sense Shirt

Salomon Sense 5 Pack

Salomon Agile 5 Shorts

Injinji Run Lightweight Crew Socks

Squirrel's Nut Butter Anti-Chafe

VFuel Energy Gels

Winter 2021

January brought a new routine of riding through Soap Creek Valley to see the elk herd.  Numerous injuries over the past few years lead me to biking as a low impact alternative to keep building fitness.  There's no doubt running is my focus, but 3 or 4 times per week I will ride after I finish a run.  Mountain biking is the most similar to trail running as I end up tackling the same climbs and descents but with abundant winter mud, I've been staying off the trails on my mountain bike.  Braking hard, especially on steep terrain trashes the trails, so I've been riding roads until the trails dry out a bit more.

Pure road riding doesn't really appeal to me all that much as there's constant traffic unless I detour onto a more secluded road.  Soap Creek Road is one of those that offers a respite from traffic and conveniently is a favorite morning haunt of the local elk herd.

February brought freezing rain to Oregon.  On the morning of the 12th there was a quarter inch of ice above 1000 feet.  Steady rain in the proceeding weeks left the trail muddy and soft leaving them nearly unaffected by the ice.  The gravel roads offered enough purchase that running was not an issue, but I was a bit wary to ride my bike in the conditions.  There was enough exposed gravel that braking and cornering were pretty predictable, but the conditions were a bit variable.

More freezing rain was supposed to arrive on the 13th, but temperatures rose just enough to keep any more ice from accumulating.  As I toured the forest Oak Creek, McCulloch Peak, and Dimple Hill were largely free of ice.  Soap Creek Valley didn't warm up enough though and dozens of trees were down on the roads and trails in the area.  The next day I would bike down Tampico Road and see the damage further north was much worse.

After putting gravel tires on my bike in the fall, gravel roads have provided a reliable escape from traffic.  McDonald Forest and Starker Forest have abundant gravel roads and all the access points are gated limiting traffic to an occasional authorized vehicle.  Gates aren't necessary to find solitude as gravel roads typically remain unpaved because paved roads nearby provide a shorter, faster route.  And with most people opting for a shorter drive, the gravel roads remain largely deserted.

Periwinkle is one of the first flowers to show up in McDonald Forest.  After months of clouds, rain, and anticipation, they finally emerge.  Trillium are next to follow, then the fairy slippers.  Amidst the dark ground with only a few spring leaves starting to bud, fairy slippers stand out like beacons.  After the first fairy slipper breaks through the ground, the second one can take more than a week to show up.

With the recent warm weather, more flowers have been showing up.  Along Calloway Creek there are hundreds of trillium and a few clusters of fairy slippers are scattered throughout the forest.  The trails are also benefitting from the warmth and are staring to lose their coat of winter mud.  There are still some slippery sections, but most of the mud is tacky giving the trails great grip and making running fast.