Dropshots - Attempt #1

http://www.dropshots.com/beefydrut



Ok, so this is the same link as before, but I'm using their site to directly post the link here on Blogger. It seems the common problem is that you click over from the links I give you, and there's a black and white screen with months and dates, but no pictures, and nothing happens when you click on things. Does that sound right to those of you having problems??  So this link is generated directly from their page, meant to be shared on Blogger.  Maybe it'll yield different results??



Let's see........

Myles of Smiles

I was in the school office the other day and spotted this on the wall.

He's feeling better today. We are headed out for a short bike ride to see how he does with some activity. I'd love to send him to school tomorrow : )

The Boy

This kid is going to do me in.  He's been coughing since Monday. He stayed home Monday and Tuesday. Went to school Wednesday, which is a half day, and did ok. He also had another Neurology appointment Wednesday. Went to school Thursday and when I picked him up he was super weak, pale, said he was dizzy.  Coughed all evening to the point of puking. So here's his symptoms, which come and go, fyi - dizzy, pale, fever but says he's cold and has goose bumps, cough - sometimes every few seconds, sometimes minutes in between, the cough is more frequent at night when he's laying down, so he also has not been sleeping, and low energy. After a few days of coughing, he started saying his stomach hurt, which I figured was from all the coughing. The coughing has made his tics way worse, so I also thought his tummy could be sore from clenching like it does when his body tics.  Anyway, so after sending him to school for two days (oops) I took him in today and he has Pneumonia.  There are worse things, and he'll be fine...but I swear this kid can't get a break!!

Pictures Galore!

I uploaded 577 pictures from the past few months on the family photo site. I know at least one of you has had issues viewing the Dropshots site. As far as I can tell, there are no privacy issues, no passwords required, no security issues with the site that would cause it to be blocked.  Here's a fresh link for you - Photos Here - let me know if any of you have problems viewing.

Happy Camper - 13.1 on the Wall/BBQ Loop

I had a sicko home for 2 days, totally blowing my running plans out of the water. Not to mention I could feel myself sinking into a pit of unhappiness. I had plans today, non running plans, but they had to be canceled. I know when I need to be outside....and today was one of those days. This was an awesome adventure. I hesitate to call it a run, as it involved a fair amount of hiking, crawling, and running....but really....that is trail running.  Believe it or not, I have never done Wall all the way to Rock City.  Nor Summit to BBQ Terrace, and nor the entire length of BBQ Terrace back to Stage. It was amazing.  You MUST click on this run to see the elevation profile...its epic. Like "climb a mountain and then fall off a cliff" epic!  I feel so good right now. Totally recharged. Totally happy. 

Asilomar/Monterey, CA

North Peak Road Climb

Here are the rest of the pictures from yesterday's adventure. This is from the point where North Peak Trail becomes North Peak Road. It's also where the real climb up North Peak begins...or so you think. The real climb is the last few hundred feet of the peak, hidden behind those rocks near the top.

And the climb begins. I'm heading up to those towers.

 

This is the view to your right as you climb North Peak.

Looking down what I've climbed so far, towards the summit in the background. The pictures in the previous post of North Peak Trail are all taken on the single track trail that makes it's way down the side of the hill you see below the summit.

If you have great eyes and look close, you can see bits of the trail on that hillside.

Back to climbing. Most of this climb is not nearly as bad as you think it would be when looking from far away. However, there is virtually no shade, and on a hot day it would be brutal.

Looking down to the left, you can see the mountain side that hides Bald Ridge Trail in it's scrub.

If you follow the ridge that come in from the left, you can see Bald Ridge in the distance. It's scrub on it's right side, and bald grassland on it's left. Bald Ridge Trail is not the fire road you see so pronounced, it's actually a beautiful, sometimes technical single track that runs through the scrub on the left, and comes out on top of the ridge right where it's half bald, half covered.

Back to climbing North Peak....

 

Another look at Bald Ridge. It's not the big guy in the back ground, that's Eagle Peak. Bald Ridge is the first little bump on the horizon if you follow the ridge line from the left of the picture. So starting far off in this pic, you have the quarry, then Eagle Peak, then the not bald side of Bald Ridge.

And...back to climbing.

 

 Not far to go, but it's brutal!

Looking down at Concord and Clayton.

Notice in the background there looks to be a white wall....of trail.

 The whole time I'm approaching this thing I'm realizing I can get up it ok, but how am I going to get back down it? Keep in mind pictures rarely capture the true feeling of how steep something is in real life. This was very, very steep. A 46% grade is no joke. Like, hands and feet in places going up....and sliding on your butt to get back down.

 How are the trail conditions, you ask?? That's broken up concrete with loose gravel on top, again, at a 46% grade.

 Looking down it from the top made me nauseous. I love steep trails. I love Mothers Trail, I love Burma...this is very different. I don't feel in danger on Mothers or Burma.  This one felt extremely unsafe. The thought of a 50k coming up this bit, but more importantly coming down it.....gives me butterflies and heartburn at the same time.

 My face says it all. Super unflattering, but I felt really dumb for climbing up that last little bit and was about to wet myself contemplating how to get back down it.  But if you want to get to the top...you gotta climb it. There are no alternate trails.

 Looking back at the summit.

 Holy cow. I did make it back down, but it wasn't pretty, and there was some butt sliding involved.

 These are shots at the very start of Bald Ridge Trail. It's that single track heading off into the woods.

I leave you with ground covered in flowers!  These trails are really beautiful right now. The views never get old, and minus the tip top of North Peak, very enjoyable!