Purple Stride 5K

June 16 -

A sunny morning  greeted NORSA runners Emily and Steven S on the day of the Purple Stride 5K in downtown DC.  They rode their bikes into town for the race, arriving with plenty of time to meet friends from Team Papa Schorr and pick up t-shirts before the 8:30 a.m. start.

The race took the runners around the national mall and was a flat course ending on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of Freedom Plaza. The race was chip timed and the fellow who won was from Portland, Oregon. Steven S finished 27th out of a small field with a time of 20:29. The event raised over $500,000 to benefit pancreatic cancer research.

After the race, bananas, cookies, and a cover band could be found past the finish line - the usual post-race stuff.

The team watched everyone finish and then enjoyed brunch together.  In all, good fun for a good cause.

2011 Camping Year in Review

2011 was yet again a most excellent year for backpacking and hiking. NORSA members hit up some old favorites and a few new sites too. The year ended for Steven S with three nights out in back-to-back weekends. On to the highlights:

April - Ramsey's Draft - 2012 backpacking started with a bang. Lots of fun despite lots of rain and hail.

Fourth of July - Staunton River / Jones Mountain Cabin trail in Shenandoah. Huge thunderstorm came through but fortunately the deck of the cabin sheltered us. Steven S and Emily P first did this trail in 2008, and it was looking a lot less rugged and overgrown this time. Besides the cabin there is a nice overlook at Bear Church Rock.

October/November - Day hiking at Wildcat Mountain and Bull Run Mountain Conservancy. Two new parks for us that are relatively close to the DC area. Wildcat is a nice walk through the woods, while Bull Run has an overlook and some historic cemeteries.

December - solo backpacking to Halfmoon Lookout and White Rocks. Although this was a repeat from May 2010, Steven S camped on the peak of Halfmoon Lookout this time, which has perhaps the most beautiful sunset in the GW National Forest and great views of the stars. It also makes for a cold and windy winter's night. In the parking area there were a few West Virginians out with dogs looking for "bar."

New Year's Day - overnight to Duncan Knob with Marvin and Matt J. We got caught in a downpour/sleet while getting up to the knob. Fortunately with three hatchets among us we were able to make a great fire, and with an easy hike back in we had time to grab pancakes. A great way to start the new year.

How will you experience your outdoors in 2012? Let's hope it's the most NORSA-rific year yet!

2010 Camping Year in Review

Although the DC area "Snowpocalypse" shut down the annual ICE, the year of 2010 still had its share of backpacking and camping adventures, with myself and other familiar NORSA faces.  Just back from my last trip of the year, it is time to recap them all.  NORSA camping is truly an event for all seasons:

Spring - one week solo (Steven S) in the George Washington National Forest, around Trout Run valley plus many side trails.  Highlights included Halfmoon Lookout,  Trout Pond, and Tibbet Knob.  Also a close encounter with a rattlesnake.  Watch out in the high grass on those forest roads!

Summer - canoe camping at Assateague Island (Steven S, Emily P, plus NORSA newcomers Cody & Jessica).  Highlights - all the pretty horses.  More than we bargained for - high winds, sunburn.

Fall - overnight trip to Kennedy Peak (Steven S, Emily P, Matt, Nora, plus NORSA newcomer Michael L).    Unfortunately, the peak itself was preempted by another group, but fun was had by all.  Highlights included fall foliage, seeing three bears, and not starting this forest fire.

Winter - Steven S did another solo trip in the GWNF, this time an 8.5 mile out and back to Halfmoon Lookout on Christmas Eve.  It snowed, but things were going well until a complaining knee turned the last six miles into an agonizing limp back to the parking lot.  Be careful out there and bring plenty of ibuprofen!

That's it for now.  Here's hoping that 2011 is another NORSA-rific year!

Bethesda Turkey Chase 10K

Thursday, November 26, 2009 - Nearly 5,000 runners showed up for the 27th annual Bethesda Turkey Chase 10K.  It was a cold and gray Thanksgiving morning, but the rain held off until later in the day.  NORSA representation for this race included Steven L, Matt, Tom, Steven S, and Emily.  Some had picked up packets at City Sports the day before, and some picked them while the first waves were starting the race.   The black long-sleeved shirts were better than your average race shirt, but Matt preferred the purple shirt from the Luray Sprint Triathlon.

The course started by the YMCA Bethesda and went out on Cedar Lane, through the local neighborhood, followed Wisconsin Avenue past Bethesda Naval Hospital to downtown Bethesda, then back on Old Georgetown Road to the finish.  It was a hilly course with a good portion of the Wisconsin leg being uphill.  As in past years, Wisconsin Avenue was not completely closed to traffic for the race and the runners were supposed to squeeze into the far right lane of the road.  Things got a bit congested and many spilled over the cones into the next lane.  The finish was downhill and fast.  So fast that Steven S forgot to turn in his timing chip and had to mail it in.

Steven L led the pack with a fast and furious 48:37, with Steven S close behind.  The rest of the NORSA group put up equally impressive times.  Tom beat his time from the 2007 race, and Matt, Steve L, and brother John beat their times from 2008.   Full race results are available here. 

Steven S partakes in post-race shenanigans.

Due to holiday obligations there was not a NORSA post-race event.  But after this great day of running Team NORSA gives thanks for our friends, our health, and the opportunity to challenge ourselves.

Sky Meadows hiking

Sunday, November 15, 2009 -  With much nicer weather than previous NORSA outings, Matt, Steven S, and Emily decided to check out another Virginia state park at Sky Meadows. Less than an hour from the DC area, the park was recommended by a fellow hiker at Duncan Knob. The park has 12 miles of trails and also connects to the Appalachian Trail.

Starting on the North Ridge Trail, the group explored a couple miles of the AT, stopped for lunch, then returned on the Ambassador Whitehouse and Piedmont Overlook trails. From the portion of the AT that intersects the park, it is a 21 mile hike south to Shenandoah National Park and about 26 miles north to Harper's Ferry. The Sky Meadows trails go through a mix of woods and pastures, with views of the Blue Ridge in the distance. Several groups of hikers and a few runners were out enjoying the warm weather.

The ridge trails were moderately challenging and the connection to the AT offers some options for future hiking trips.  Matt, Steven, and Emily also checked out various items of historical-ness such as the Mount Bleak House and ye olde ice house by the visitor's center.  After the hike they ate at Big Buns - the usual post-hike stuff plus some Jack Johnson tracks.

Race for World Peace 5K

An overcast, humid morning with expectations of rain greeted NORSA members Steven S and Emily, who had eaten at Matchbox in DC with friends the night before. They had enough time for breakfast before taking the metro to make the 9:00 start time of the inaugural Race for World Peace 5K.  Since Steven had picked up the race packets the day before, they already had bibs and timing chips. They warmed up and headed to the starting line with a group of Emily's friends from work who were also running.

The race started promptly at 9:00 AM near the Foggy Bottom metro station and the course headed down to Constitution via 19th St, then made a loop on Pennsylvania and returned on the same route.  The runners finished with an uphill stretch on 19th St between the 4 and 5 km mark, with the final few hundred meters on I st NW.   The fellow who won the race is from Ethiopia.  Since the times were chip-computed, the local running report noted that he established the event record at 15 minutes and 10 seconds.

After the race, a dance troupe performed on a stage set up for the accompanying festival for world peace.  Bananas, granola bars, and water were provided also - the usual post-race shenanigans that follow most road-running races.

Pikes Peak or Bust!

On Thursday, August 13, 2009, Team NORSA members Steven S and Emily attempted to bag their first Colorado 14er at Pikes Peak. Named for Zebulon Pike, whose westward expedition first sighted the mountain in 1806, Pikes Peak is the most visited mountain in North America. Many visitors reach the 14,110 ft (4300m) summit by car, by train or by running. The Team NORSA attempt would follow the lesser known Crags Trail, a Class 2 route up the northwest slopes with a total gain of 4200 feet (1280m) over 5.5 miles (8.85 km).

After a day trip through Colorado Springs, the duo drove west past the town of Divide to the the Crags Campground. Down the road from a Mennonite camp, the campground leads to the trailhead at 10,000 feet, near "The Crags" rock pinnacle formations in the Pike National Forest. A dinner of leftover Jimmy John's sub sandwiches was eaten for precious energy, and then it was time to set up camp and rest for a full day of hiking.

Waking up at 5am, the two broke camp, ate breakfast, layered, laced boots, and hit the trailhead shortly after 6am. A local youth who had recently summited Mount Massive had advised to start the hike early to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms that occur in the summer, and to take a slow and steady pace and rest when needed to avoid fatigue. It was agreed to head back down from the summit by noon if possible, and absolutely by one o'clock to be on the safe side.

The mountain had looked formidable from highway 24 near Divide. Now the terrain hid the summit from view and optimism was high. It was a brisk morning, but the ascent began soon after branching off from the Crags trail toward Devil's Playground, and it didn't take long to warm up from the exertion. The trail started adjacent to a creek, through a forest of Douglas Fir and Engelmann Spruce, before reaching a clearing and subsequent switchbacks that left the treeline. At about the 1.5 mile mark and 12,000 ft elevation, one of the most difficult sections of the hike climbed straight up a hillside for a gain of about 1000 ft in just over a half mile. At the top they got their first view of the distant summit.

Hiking along a ridge above a green alpine valley of tundra grasses, they passed through a gate of boulder formations to start the portion of the trail that parallels the Pikes Peak highway. Passing Devil's Playground at around 10am, the clouds above looked ominous, but after stopping at an overlook with friendly tourists, spirits remained high. Steven was feeling more than a bit sluggish with the effects of altitude, but pressed on with determination and Clif bars. Emily continued a strong performance, no doubt due to the foundation laid in the NORSA summer hiking series.

At about 11am, the NORSA hikers passed a smaller peak known as Point 13,363 and crossed the road a final time to reach the base of the final pitch. This quickly became a rock scramble, made more challenging by the altitude and difficulty spotting cairns. Progress slowed to a crawl, but after seeing a group ahead disappear over the top, it was estimated that about 200 feet of climbing remained. The skies were getting dark and it was nearly noon.  A flash of lightning to the east threatened the unthinkable prospect of turning around. A second flash of lightning a minute later gave them a sinking feeling.  It was agreed that they could not continue during a thunderstorm. At just past noon they turned around to get off of the rocks and make the descent.

With the summit now beyond their grasp, the altitude sickness Steven had been fighting became a concern. After passing Devil's Playground again, he was rewarded by emptying the contents of his stomach several times. A quick and safe descent would be the best treatment for the illness, but this was made more challenging by the steep slopes of crushed granite and the intermittent rain. After reaching the treeline again and resting, the worst symptoms went away. The remainder of the hike was completed at a normal downhill clip.

After 10 hours on the mountain, they reached the car at about 4pm. It was a bittersweet drive back to Denver, where a home cooked Italian meal offered some replenishment. But in true NORSA fashion, Steven and Emily hungered for something more - to learn from the harsh lessons of nature and return some day to summit Pikes Peak.

Maybe next year.  Savor the journey and not the destination.

Old Rag Mountain Hike

Sunday, July 19, 2009 - The NORSA summer hiking series is a sampler of local hikes in the Washington, DC area, this year including outings in the Monongahela National Forest, Shenanadoah National Park, Rock Creek Park, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Catoctin Mountain Park. In July the series kicked into full gear as Team NORSA members Matt, Nora, Leo, Laura, Steven S, and Emily headed to Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park.  Old Rag is a staple hike in the Blue Ridge in northern Virginia.  This moderate, approximately 7 mile loop winds through switchbacks, boulders, and crags to reach a summit of 3291 feet (1003m) and near 360-degree vistas.  The event accidentally, but fortuitously, coincided with one of this summer's fee free weekends in the National Parks.   The mountain was surprisingly not crowded on a clear day during the free weekend.

Although arguably already a NORSA member, this event marks Laura's debut in a NORSA article.  Congratulations, Laura!

The Old Rag features a notorious section of rock scrambling, requiring upper body strength, teamwork, guts, and glory.  Tactical pants are recommended to allow for sliding on one's butt and to avoid scraping one's legs in the tough spots.

Overall the best advice for conquering the mountain was given by another group of hikers; "remember to breathe, it is good for your lungs."

The group made it to the top with only a slight hiccup which required some bushwacking.  Leo's beefy Hawaiian arm allowed the group to make up some time.  No doubt previous NORSA outings on the Billy Goat Trail and Duncan Knob ensured that all were prepared to "rock it out".
 

After enjoying lunch at the summit, the trip down to the parking area was relatively uneventful.  The trip back to DC was more eventful in that it involved a meal at Cracker Barrel.  Many hungry Americans were doing what hungry Americans do best.

Stay tuned for future NORSA summer hiking series action!