Training Run — Sunday, May 30, 2004
Cleveland Dam to Cypress return, 24 Km
Well, it rained all night & there was a trail race on at the same time as this training run, but 35 eager souls showed up on Sunday morning for a chance to run, stomp, & climb in the mud & snow up to Cypress Bowl.
The route following the Baden-Powell trail from Cleveland Dam to Cypress Bowl can be quite confusing so the order of the day was to stay in groups. A lead group of about 8 took off & remained together throughout the run, guided by ultra-veteran Ean Jackson. The rest of us followed in groups of 2 to 15. Some people opted to shorten their run & turned around before things got “interesting” - one of the advantages of this out-&-back route.
For the ones that made it to the ranger station, they were treated to the unique running style of striding along on spring snow. It seems that everybody who decided to run to the downhill area opted to take the 2km section of road & avoid the snow-covered stretch of BP that links the two parking areas…until the return.
The lead group reached the turn-around in a speedy 1 1/2 hours, while our tailgunner group made it in 1hour 50 minutes. After stopping briefly to use the facilities, refill water bottles, & add/shed layers in the cloud layer, we took to the snowy trail. More than one person postholed through some of the many snow bridges & many a tumble was witnessed – including yours truly, not 5 minutes after explaining “The Falling Rule”* to a recent victim.
The Hollyburn Chute was clear of any snow, so the descent went by without surprises & we all got back to the parking lot with just a few new scrapes & bruises. Apparently August has been working on his downhill skills, as he put the hammer down & left all but a couple of people in the lead group eating his dust (mud?).
Nobody got lost, but the lead group managed to finish with one extra person. Our group finished in a very respectable 3 hours 46 minutes.
As a reminder, these runs are creeping into longer times & everyone should make sure that they have some snacks, energy replacement bars, & electrolytes to keep the body fueled. It’s also a good idea to have something (decadent?) waiting for you in your car for when you get back.
Glenn Pacé
*for a full run-down on “The Falling Rule”, have a chat with one of the Knee Knacker veterans. ;-)
