Deception Pass 50K: It's Deceptive

After running it twice before, why not go back for more punishment on the deceptive Deception Pass race course.  This was my first race after the 126 mile Fat Dog 120 in August, so it was a bit of a test on how I had recovered.  Those two-day races really take it out of you and amazing what it takes to recover.  So my goal was simple: to finish, preferably around the same time or better than last year. Secretly I wanted to take 15 minutes off last year.

Friday December 13th Kent Ainscough, Charlene Waldner, Andrew Barclay and myself crowded in my car for the short trip over on the noon sailing of the Washington State Ferry "MV Chelan" from Sidney B.C. to Anacortes, Washington on Fidalgo Island.   We all shared a room at the Fidalgo Country Inn, opposite the market where Santa was last year. Also, no Santa this year, and the market was closed, so we were unable to buy Fish Assholes too (seriously, it's a thing).

Andrew, Charlene and I did a 30 minute shake out run, with no hills.  I reminded Charlene of that rule as she led us up a long steep hill.  Kent had the right idea - rest. :). Afterwards we went to our traditional pre-race dinner location - Real Tequila Mexican restaurant for Fajitas!

Saturday December 14, 2019, and we were up early to get race ready.  For me that means deciding between shorts or fleece tights. I opted for shorts and regretted that decision later in the race. Marino wool shirt and socks for sure - wet or dry they keep me warm.  Caldera shoes, though later I wished I'd brought my North Face Ultra Vert for the better lugs.  Foreshadowing the kind of day this turned into.  I also loaded up my tailwind nutrition at 200 calories per hour (so I carried 1400 calories to allow for major delay), pickled ginger for the inevitable calf cramps I seem to always get on this course, and salt tabs. I stashed my trekking poles in a drop bag for Cornet Aid Station. We went through this aid station three times. 

And at just before 7 am we set off for the 10 minute drive to Deception Pass State Park and the start line.  From the car, we had a short trail to hike to the start area in pitch blackness as none of us thought to bring a headlamp.  The registration and start area is in a massive 60 x 40 ft heated tent - perfect for a winter race. It's in a sheltered location just off one of the beaches.

The sun came up and a few minutes after that, with a race briefing from James Varner, co-race director, we set off at 8 am.   We had an email the day before saying the start route had been detoured due to a rock slide near the bridge. The distance was the same but we had another 120 metres elevation gain. To compensate 10 minutes had been added to the cut-offs.

Start to Bowman Aid Station (9 km - 9:05 am)
As usual the start was too fast along a road, which was level for a while then a short steep climb. The detour kept us on the road until we came to a small parking area for the bridge, then we entered the trail system, actually following the last part of the course backwards, then cutting up and over Goose Rock, before heading back to the bridge. Detour over, we followed the regular route on the "lollipop" out and backs around three headlands, before entering Bowman Aid Station.  I was one minute ahead of last year at this point.

Bowman to Bowman Aid Station (12 km - 9:25 am)
This is the shortest stretch between aid stations, an out and back to a headland. I didn't stop outbound at Bowman, just checked in and kept running.  Andrew, Kent and Charlene where ahead of me, but because I hadn't seen them on the out and backs, I knew they were not too far ahead. I saw Holland Gidney several times, each time pulling further ahead of me and looking like she's enjoying an easy stroll along the shoreline. I saw Andrew who had passed Charlene - I cheered him on by telling him Charlene would catch him on the second half of the course. But it was good to see Andrew running strong. I saw Charlene not too far behind Andrew. Kent must not be too far back. I arrived back at Bowman still one minute ahead of last year. Again I didn't stop.

Bowman to Cornet Aid Station (23.5 km - 11:06 am)
I like this section from Bowman to Cornet. The first bit is a nice forest trail, then a loop over the north side of the park and a beautiful run alongside Pass Lake, then back to the bridge, over that and a fun smooth run along the coast before the steep but short climb to the summit of Goose Rock at 130 metres above sea-level. The climb this year felt easier than last year. Then all down hill and the last 1.5 km on Cornet Bay Road that felt more like 5 km - it never ends! I arrived in Cornet Aid Station four minutes ahead of last year.

Cornet to Cornet Aid Station - Hoypus Loop First Pass (34.5 km - 12:27 pm)
The first of the two Hoypus Loops. I loaded up my tailwind here then kept moving. I ran as much as I could and walked the hills, especially the two steep hills. Adrian Walton lapped me not far into my first loop - which really helped with the confidence. He was on his way to a 4:35 finish.  The trails were muddy in sections, and one steep down hill section was really a mud slide, as was the last steep up hill. The only way to get up was to strain those leg muscles, and pull myself up with the poor ferns at the side of the mud bath.   The run from here back to Cornet was flat or mostly gentle down hill and beautiful to run. Then it got dark. And the heavy rain came.  With hail. The rain and hail pelted down. I didn't want to stop to put on my rain jacket, so I kept going. I was drenched. I could taste saltly rain water on my lips. My legs got cold from the rain and I could feel them tightening up; not good.  Trying to keep them loose and still keep them running was a challenge. I arrived back at Cornet Aid Station in a full-on down pour. Everybody was huddled under the tents.  I was back at Cornet at the same time as last year, meaning this loop was 4 minutes slower than when I ran it last year. Though conditions were better last year - no mud at all and no rain.

Cornet to Cornet Aid Station - Hoypus Loop Second Pass (45.5 km - 1:59 pm)
I had some coke at the aid station, filled up one bottle with tailwind, looked out of the tent at the heavy rain and decided I'd better put on my magic rain jacket. As I did this I got a cheer from all the volunteers. What did they think, I was going to drop because of a bit of rain? I actually felt a bit annoyed but took it as it was meant.  Snuggled up inside my North Face rain jacket, I picked up my poles and headed out into the downpour.

I'm so glad I grabbed the poles. The trails had turned into six inches of slippery wet mud (I can use inches as we're in the US, but that's 10 cm in the rest of the world). Entire trails were mud, not just sections. It's like running on ice.  It's hard to relax the legs when you expect your feet to slip out from under you with every foot fall. As it was my poles saved me from several slips.

My calves also decided to get in on the game with the pre-cramp twinges coming with the slightest slip.  I decided to have pickled ginger and take some salt tabs, though I suspect the major cause of the pre-cramps was that the legs had become cold from the heavy rain. Now I wished I had my fleece tights on. The rain had stopped by now; it had to, I had put on my magic rain jacket, which causes rain to stop and the sun to come out.  I left the jacket on regardless and kept moving as best I could, cursing everybody who was a head of me and had turned the trail into a slippery mud bath. Bastards!

When I stopped to take a salt tab (which had all broken so I had a plastic bag of salt, so I just licked it), I dropped one of my gloves. I had to go back for it. My hands were cold without them, and besides they're freakin expensive. I'm not leaving one on the trail.  It's amazing how tree roots can look like a black glove. And why are running gloves black in the first place? Obviously the designers don't run or do ultras. If they did they'd make them florescent orange so they stand out like a beacon when you drop one on a trail. Also why don't they have loops for your wrist like kid ski gloves so we don't have to worry about dropping them when we take them off during a race. Rant over.  Anyway, I found it and continued on my journey. I arrived back at Cornet Aid Station 12 minutes behind last year. I really blew it on that last loop.


Cornet to Finish Line - Hoypus Loop Second Pass (50 km - 2:37 pm)
I didn't stop at Cornet, just yelled out "145 coming through" - made sure they recorded my number and kept moving. The road. Is. A. bitch.  I hated this section as it felt like it went on forever. I ran and walked trying to keep moving as fast as I could. Then there was a beautiful trail that was all up hill - it wasn't steep and on fresh legs would have been an easy run. On trashed legs it was like climbing a mountain. I ran/hiked up it. Then there is the shitty challenging technical coast trail from just below the bridge to the finish line. I could see the finish line, but the trail was slow going. I was glad of my poles because my legs were complaining by twinging and cramping. And like last year, both calves cramped as I hit the finish beach. So for the second year in a row I limped over the finish line. I'll never have a great finish photo on this race. I finished nine minutes behind last year, so I made up three minutes on the Cornet Aid Station to the finish. Most of my time was lost on the second Hoypus loop.

My GPS watch had decided to go walkabout on the last loop, having me running over cliffs and through houses. The heavy cloud and trees probably caused the satellite link to drop out. The distances on the watch after 34 km were not accurate and off by a couple kilometres.

I enjoyed the race. I was happy to hear that Charlene had indeed passed Andrew, as I predicted, and finished in 5:51, Andrew finished in 6:09 and Kent in 6:26. And I was last of this group at 6:37.

I love the finish line party that is a staple of all Rainshadow events. Endless free beer and freshly made wood fired pizza, and a band to listen to while reliving the highs and lows of the day. I had a post race massage from Kelly, a licensed massage therapist from Seattle who was volunteering by providing massages.  I didn't catch her last name but thank you for this. It really helped settle down the legs.

Thanks to Rainshadow Running for the awesome event, all of the volunteers who make it happen and keep us safe on the course and my trail running community in Victoria that helps keep me on the trails.  And Thank You to all the people I train with Charlene, Andrew, Kent, Lisa, Markus, Karen Dave and many others.

I didn't take a camera with me so I have no pictures of my own for this post.

Next is Orcas 50k in just less than 6 weeks.  Time to work on hill climbing and down hill running.

Running on High: Fat Dog 120 (2019 Edition)

Standing at the summit of Frosty at midnight in the freezing cold wind, I reflected on what I was doing. My pacer was back there somewhere, helping Kent get to the summit. I looked over at the forbidding bulk of Frosty Mountain, it's permanent mini-glacier sending up ice cold drafts of air.  I knew then that I would make it. I still had Skyline to get over, but the finish line was finally in sight.  I looked back over the ridge and could see lights of unknown runners making their way up the extremely steep scree field to the summit. Down in front of me, more lights as other runners gingerly made their way down. I took a breath, and began my slow torturous descent.

Frosty Mountain - from an earlier run.

August 2018
It was in August of 2018 that I decided I wanted to run the Fat Dog 120 - a 120 mile endurance foot race through the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia.  I have previously run the 50 mile and 70 mile events and really enjoyed them, but I wanted to experience the full 120.  In 2018 the race was cancelled due to a wildfire on the course in Skagit Valley. With no way to reroute at last minute, there was no race.

After signing up for what would be my longest race yet, I never really doubted that I could finish the race. Well, I guess there is always a small doubt that something could derail it for me. This was to be an adventure to see how well I can handle the endurance, exerting myself with no sleep for two days and two nights.

The 2019 Fat Dog 120 Course
In February of 2019 the Race Director, Heather MacDonald, sent out an email to confirm that the race would be using an alternate course for 2019 because the Skagit Valley is still not usable. I was somewhat disappointed at first as I really was looking forward to doing the classic course, and wanted to experience Cathedral, Calcite, Trapper and the Pasadyn river crossing.

The 2019 Fat Dog Course

The new course started a Bonnevier (which is at about 64 km mark on the original course) and follows the orginal course as far as Cascade. From there it's all new, turning north to follow the Dwedney Trail, Whatcom Trail over Punchbowl Pass, Whitecloud Trail, Whipsaw Jeep Trail, Nicomen Trail, then over Blackwall Mountain and Frosty mountain before finally looping through Strawberry Flats to take in the Skyline II trail from the classic course. As I looked at the course I got more and more excited about it. It was certainly a unknown. It was still 120 miles. and it looked harder than the classic course. Slightly less elevation at 8100 m (vs 8600 of the classic course).

Just a week before the race the final GPX tracks for the course were released with revised numbers. Turns out the course was longer than expected, so to compensate the start line would be moved 4 km up the Eastgate Service Rd from Bonnevier and an hour was added to the finish line cut-off (49 hours insteadof 48 hours). Still, it officially measured in at 123 miles (196 km).

Training
My first question was "how do you train for such a long race?".  There comes a point where adding distance simply does not work. No way can you actually run anywhere close to the race distance without digging yourself into an over-training hole that would be hard to dig yourself out of before race day.  My goal was simply to enjoy myself and to finish, as this is my longest race yet. Advice from veteran ultra runner friends was to focus on time on my feet, and do lots of training with big climbs and descents.  In these distances while physical fitness is important, it is more a mental state that gets you to the finish line.

Fat Dog course markings - reflectors for night running

I used the typical training program I've used for marathons. Build three weeks, take a recovery week, build three weeks, take a recovery week - adding distance per week at roughly 10 per cent.  For the long slow runs, we planned all day adventure runs. Kludahk, which is pretty technical, slow with lots of steep climbs and descents. I did it Eastbound, mainly to get the climbing in that is worse in that direction, and get in the 13 km, 800 m descent on logging road at the end.  We did Klahanne Ridge and Hurricane Ridge - hiking up Heather Trail (1300 m climb), running Hurricane and Klahanne ridges which are similar elevation to Fat dog and long descent on Lake Angeles Trail; and we went to Manning Park and ran Frosty and Skyline. We timed Frosty so we would be at the summit after dark, intentionally to get experience night running up there.   During the week, I would focus one night a week for trail running centered workout - usually some kind of hill repeat on trail (or downhill repeat on trail).

Thursday August 8, 2019
Early morning start as Charlene Waldner, Lisa Fehr, Andrew Barclay and Kent Ainscough and I sat in the buffet on the 7am ferry from Swartz Bay to Vancouver. Loading up on breakfast, we sat and talked Fat Dog logistics. Charlene was running the 70 mile, and Markus would arrive the next day to pace her over Frosty Mountain.  Kent was running the 120. Andrew and Lisa were crewing and pacing me. Lisa was pacing me from Cascade Aid Station (55km) to Frosty Aid Station (155 km), and Andrew was pacing me over Frosty and Skyline to the finish.

Runners and pacers at Manning Park: left to right, back to front =- Dave Scott (120 runner), Lisa Fehr (pacer), Andrew Barclay (pacer), Kent Ainscough (120 runner), Charlene Waldner (70 runner), Me (120 runner).

Of concern at that time was the weather. Current weather forecast showed that some light rain was expected overnight Friday, heavy rain and thunder and lightning storms were expected on Saturday afternoon. As much as 30 mm of rain was in the forecast for the afternoon, followed by light rain for Sunday. So this Fat Dog promised to be a wet Fat Dog.  On the positive side, temperatures were forecast to be in the low 20s in the day and close to zero at night. That last bit made me happy because I don't do well in extreme heat, and every summer race I've done has had higher than normal temperature. 

We stopped at Distance Runwear in North Vancouver, official sponsor of Fat Dog and it seems official supplier of gear for Fat Dog runners. I bought a North Face Hyperair jacket because I was worried my UD DWR jacket would simply wet through after several hours of rain and certainly would not keep me dry for two days of rain.  Kent bought one as well.  Charlene picked up rain pants and I also bought a Ultraspire 600 waist light. The version 3 which is smaller but does have a design flaw - more on that later.  I bought this light to have light below my eyes in rain and fog, which would make it easier to see. In my mind, I was visioning something like the last 50 km of the Cascade Crest when I paced Andrew last year where we were in cloud and light rain for the entire run.

At the lodge the night before the start of the 120 mile race

From Distance Runwear we made it to Manning Park Lodge just before 3 pm to leave our drop boxes and to sign-in.  It was good to see Gary Anderton there, who was hiking to Nicomen Lake Aid Station that evening to volunteer there. I've known Gary many years from Marathon running, and he has completed Fat Dog 120 years ago. He's is full of great advice and enthusiasm. I was so glad he would be a Nicomen Lake Aid Station.

At 4 pm all the 120 and relay runners and their families and crew crowded into the Alpine Room at Manning Park Resort for the mandatory race briefing.  Having run the 50 and 70 I knew what to expect. Heather told us about the two stream crossing to expect on the Dwedney Trail, what to do if you see a bear (throw things at it and blow your whistle) and generally be safe out there.  She also reminded us to check in and out of aid stations, and that if we need it, a helicopter to get us out is free.

Friday August 9, 2019 - Race Day
We were up at 7 am. I had packed everything the night before into my running pack. With water and mandatory gear, it weighed around 7 kilos. It felt heavy to lift, but once on my back it was surprising comfortable and after a while I didn't notice it.  I'd spent a lot of time on training runs figuring out where everything should go so I could access it quickly. I had two litres of water in the back with a hose that was easy to sip from. i had a soft flask with tailwind in and a tube straw so I could turn and hands-free drink from it. I had more tailwind in a pouch that I could access easily and a quick connect on my hose so I could transfer water from my rear bladder to my soft-flask quickly. In my left pocket I had m and ms, potatos, sat tabs and my GoPro.

Sorting out our InReach devices on the bus to the start line

To avoid getting anxious I never think of the enormity of what I'm about to do, but rather think of it as a series of shorter runs, each one being a goal in itself. So for Fat Dog, I broke it down into four 50 km ish runs.  And each of those were further broken into the distance to the next aid station. That way I could focus without becoming over-whelmed. Having said that, I must have had some nerves as my gut sent me to the bathroom three times before we got on the school bus for the start line.

Kent, Dave Scott and I got on the bus and spent most of our time trying to get our InReach devices to start. For some reason, all three of them had decided on a 4 hour interval. Turning them off and back on got them back to the 10 minute interval I wanted. The InReach would send out my position every 10 minutes allowing friends and family at home to see where I was. More importantly, it allowed Andrew and Lisa to know where I was. On a race like this I had no idea on my timings. I could be hours ahead or behind my expected times.

Mass pee break at the start line for the 120 mile event

Segment 1:  Bonnevier to Cascade (55 km - 9 hours, 55 min)
The three buses dropped us off just up the service road from the Bonnevier Trailhead. As soon as we got off the bus everybody headed to a tree to relieve themselves. From here we walked down to the start where Heather did roll call and check in and mandatory gear check, then we were off. After a short down hill we began the first climb. I always hate the start of a race when I'm stuck in a conga line. I'm not warmed up, not used to the altitude and feel like I'm being pushed too fast.  The first hour is the worst.  I let faster runners pass me and eventually we fell into a pace that was comfortable. I was in the lead of this group and they seemed okay with allowing me to set the pace. Kent caught up to me and he paced behind me for the remainder of the climb.

Roll call and gear check at the start line for the 120 event. Bonnevier

After the first climb we had a nice flowing smooth gentle down hil, and that was nice to open up the legs and run.  I never do well with gentle up hill start as I seem to get a pinched nerve in the right leg - the down hill actually resets it and its then no problem for the rest of the race.

About halfway up the switchback on the second big hill, a wasp decided it had had enough of all these runners disturbing its nest. It landed on my leg and just dug its stinger into me, then flew off. Crap!  That hurt!  Luckily I'm not allergic to them, so other than the stinging pain coming and going up and down my leg, I was fine. But I could feel it occasionally for the rest of the day.

As we approached the ridge, It was time to get the GoPro out and take in some of the views. This was when I discovered it had turned itself on and recorded about 90 minutes of the inside of my left pocket. The battery was dead. I had to stop and replace it. Took some shots then moved on and directly into Heather Aid station at 12 km mark.

Familiar face at the Heather Aid Station

I was surprised to see it so early but glad, because it meant we were further along than I expected. All of the volunteers here were dressed like Heather MacDonald, the Race Director. The aid station and trail were not named after her - that was just a coincidence.  I loaded up water here as it was 18 km to Nicomen Lake Aid Station.

Leaving Heather Aid Station, Kent and I set a decent run/walk pace designed to conserve energy. After 2 km we joined Heather Trail, turned right and followed this beautiful high alpine trail through the meadows.  It was just a joy to be out in the partial sunshine, as we climbed over Buckhorn Mountain, through "star wars" valley, then past the four Brothers towards Nicomen Ridge.  The run along here was uneventful. We passed beautiful little streams, so inviting to put my cup under and drink. We had smooth single track and some technical single track too.

Heather Trail

It started to rain and seemed to be getting heavier. We stopped to put on our magic North Face rain jackets. Magic, because as soon as we put them on, it stopped raining and the sun came out. We stopped again to take them off.

Heather Trail on Buckhorn Mountain

Before long we're climbing the last climb up to Nicomen Ridge and then like a beautiful jewel in the forest below us - Nicomen Lake. We scrambled down the steep path to the lake, then a short distanse to the far side of the lake and we arrived at Nicomen Lake Aid Station.  Canadian flags marked the approach to this aid station, which had a great Canadian theme.  Gary was there to great us and help us take on water and refuel.  Dave Scott caught up to us at Nicomen Lake.

Nicomen Lake

Then we were out of there heading down Grainger Creek, with Dave passing us as we headed down. Heeding advice from Gary, we conserved our quads by run/power hiking down Granger Creek - this was a long 17 km, 1000 m descent to Cayuse Flats.  The trail was quite sooth and so runable, it would be easy to blow out your quads early in the race.  As we descended, we kept catching, then losing Dave, and eventually caught up with him on the Hope Pass Trail. The three of use ran/walked this and over the log bridge into Cayuse Flats Aid Station. We were about an hour ahead of what I estimated, but as I was feeling good I put that down to a bad estimate more than going too fast.

Entrance to Cayuse Flats Aid Station

Andrew and Karen Laberee were waiting and cheering us at the end of the log bridge. Seeing them and Lisa who was a bit further up taking pictures, made me feel emotional.  These long ultras are not really solo events. It take a team to get you to the finish line. From training to support on the race itself. And I know that others who were not there were also cheering me on and Knowing that kept me going.

Cayuse Flats Aid Station.   Picture by Lisa Fehr

We got out of Cayuse as quickly as we could and headed over the short Skagit bluffs section to Cascade Aid Station, arriving there at 8:00 pm.

Segment 2:  Cascade to Dick's Cabin (50 km - 12 hours)  (Elapsed 105 km -  22 hours, 20 min)
It was so nice to have crew help at Cascade. Andrew and Lisa and Karen were all helping Dave, Kent and me get sorted for the next leg. At Cascade I changed shoes and socks and reapplied zinc oxide to my feet, which so far had no issues.  I changed shirt and buffs and put on my lights for night running.  Andrew brought me dinner from the food tent - an avocado and something wrap that was so delicious.

Cascade Aid Station. Picture by Lisa Fehr

With Lisa pacing we left Cascade and began the worst climb of the entire race. Whatcom trail starts steep and gets steeper. It's a little used trail so in places it is grown over, or washed out. My trekking poles came in very useful on this climb. With a distance of 10 km and a vertical climb of over 1000 m, it took 3 hours to reach the summit at Punch Bowel Pass.  As it was now completely dark, we could see the outline of the bulk of Snass Mountain in the moonlight. Looking down over the pass we could not see Punch Bowel Lake, but we could see the lights of runners in the distance, and the reflectors from the Fat Dog course markings.

Skagit bluffs Trail. Picture by Lisa Fehr

There's not much to say about this trail as I couldn't really see much. It was very technical and thus slow going. It took far longer to traverse than I expected. Once back on Dwedney Trail things improved as we could move faster. We passed Karen and Dave along here. Turning onto Whitecloud Trail to do the "out and back" to Whitecloud Aid Station, we began a short 80m vertical climb. I was starting to stumble and decided a I need a few minutes rest.  Kent and I closed our eyes for about 3.5 minutes while Lisa kept track of the time and woke us. Dave and Karen caught up to us here and we paced together along the single track. Once the trail opened to double track, I felt like moving faster and we ran most of the way into Whitecloud Aid Station.

Whitecloud had taken longer to get to than I expected - just under 6 hours from Cascade, so I was anxious to get out of there. I was surprisingly wide awake and full of energy for the time of morning (it was 2:20 am). We power hiked back up the hill and along the single track, making it to Tulameen Camp Aid Station by 3:50 am.

Night running. Actually something I learned from Kent - raising my hands above my neck- did this every so often to stretch stomach muscles and reduce blood pooling in hands.   Picture by Lisa Fehr

I loved Tulameen Camp Aid station. All of the supplies for this remote aid station had been brought in by pack horses and the horses were tethered at the camp. A welcoming barrel fire kept the near freezing cold at bay. I had hot broth here, which always goes down well on a cold night.  I could have stayed here, but we had to get moving.

After leaving Tualameen I realized how cold I was. One of the dangers of ultra running is you do not realize how cold your core body temperature is getting. It happens slowly with little in the way of warning signs. Getting warmed up a bit a Tualameen (at the insistence of my pacer) actually alerted me to my body temperature dropping. On further advice of my pacer, we stopped and I put on another layer, gloves and a hat, and instantly started to feel better. This is what pacers are for - they see things the runner doesn't.  Thanks Lisa, I was colder than I realized at this point.

At Tualameen there was a sign warning of a flagging issue just after a little stream. We did go wrong here, but realised the trail we were on could not be the right trail as there was too much deadfall on it. We went back and soon found the correct trail.  Not too long after Tualameen Camp we came to the first feet wet river crossing as we had to cross over the Tulameen River. At calf deep it was not too bad, but freezing cold.  Not much longer after that we had to cross another river, this one was wider and much deeper, up to my shorts.

River crossing - up to our thighs - on Dwedney Trail around sunrise.

In hindsight, I should have carried a light pair of luna's and taken the time to take my shoes and socks off. After the water, we still had a couple of hours to the next aid station, and in that time wet shoes and wet socks were beginning to create hot spots and small blisters.

The sun rose on us in Paradise Valley. The sun rise always lifts your spirits after a night of running. It was so nice to turn off the headlamps and stow them and actually see what we were running through beyond the beam of a headlamp.

It was in a muddy section of this trail the design flaw in the Ultrasire 3 light became apparent. My pole sliped and dug into my waist. I didn't notice that this dislodged the light and it popped out of its mount and into the mud. Kent behind saw it and picked it up for me. But shame on Ultraspire for such a stupid design decision for a light designed for ultra running. The version 2 has a gasket that secures the light - why did you change it to a clip that is so easy to pop the light out of. I will be writing to Ultrasire asking them to send me a secure gasket to hold the light, failing that I'll make my own and give them all the bad press I can.

Paradise Valley just after sunrise. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

We finally came out on the Whipsaw Jeep Road, and Dave and Karen had caught up to us again. The jeep road simply climbed steeply over 500 metres to take us to the top of Kettle Mountain, so this was mostly a hike to get up there. We arrived Dick's Cabin Aid Station at 8:25 am on Saturday morning.

Segment 3:  Dick's Cabin to Frosty Aid Station (50 km - 11.5 hours)  (Elapsed 155 km -  33 hours, 50 min)
We took a bit longer than we should have at Dick's Cabin Aid Station. Mostly we all were dealing with wet feet and babying them to keep them happy for the rest of the run. I changed shoes and socks here and re-bandaged some toes and hot spots.  While I was doing this a volunteer came and took my breakfast order. I had a freshly grilled Quesadilla with avocado, cheese and bacon, and a coke to to drink. 

On the Whipsaw Jeep Trail on Kettle Mountain. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

After loading up water and making sure I had enough calories, we set off on the next leg across meadows and up onto a ridge. The climb was relatively small, and the trail became quite smooth and runable. We made pretty decent time to Nicomen Lake Aid station, though the long up hill to get to it felt never ending.

By now I was hallucinating.  On the down hill I was sure I saw a white flying Poodle in the forest. Turns out it was some white flowers blowing in the breeze.  Heading up to Nicomen Lake I could see somebody ahead siting at the side of the trail with a clipboard and umbrella. I thought it was the person checking us into the aid station, but it turned out to be a tree and log stump. A least twice I saw a tent but again, it was just trees or rocks.  We also had rain on the way up and had to stop to put our jackets on again.

We finally arrived back at Nicomen Lake Aid Station at 11:30 am.  Knowing the next stretch was 26 km, I made sure to fill up with water. And they had home made pan fried perogies.  OMG! Those were heaven.  Whoever made them THANK YOU! 

Nicomen Ridge. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

Leaving Nicomen Aid Station we had a climb back up the ridge then eastbound on Heather Trail, which I think is the harder direction; it feels much more up hill than the other direction.  The rain stopped and the sun came out, so much for the storm that was forecast.  When arrived Cascade earlier, Andrew took my sunglasses, saying I won't need them at night and it'll be raining tomorrow, so they'll just be in the way. I was cursing him now, it was pretty bright up there on Heather in the sun.

Lisa was good a checking on Kent and I, and ensuring we were fuelling and drinking. So easy to forget when you feel good and are tired. Things can go south fast on a trail run, and usually you don't notice anything is wrong until it is too late. Drinking and eating constantly is very important on an endurance run.  I also appreciated that my pacer checked on other runners as we passed if they were sitting down. One of the things about ultras too is we all look out for each other. It is a race but if somebody needs help, we stop and help.

Short rest break on the climb up Nicomen Ridge. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

 We played leap-frog with Dave and Karen. Passing them, then an hour later they would pass us and so on.  It felt like forever, but we finally made it to the Blackwall Peak road, and we still had four kilometres to go to get to the aid station. I was low on water, but had enough to get me there. Kent, Karen, and Dave had run out.  I had water purification tabs with me, because if I had run out, my plan was to reload water from one of the streams on Heather trail.  Turns out I did not need to, but if it was a hotter day, I would have had to do that.

After Blackwall Peak Aid Station ( a short stop for water anf fuel and for Lisa to change her shoes), we had a short steep up hill, then down hill on Dry Ridge Trail, then we followed the road down to Frosty Aid Station, Lisa kept my pace decent down here, not letting me blow out my quads, but not letting me walk it all either. We arrived Frosty at 7:40 pm.

Two runners and a pacer. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

Segment 4:  Frosty Aid Station to Lightning Lake (59 km - 11 hours, 53 minutes)  (Elapsed 204 km -  45 hours, 38 min)

The final leg. I changed pacers here, with Andrew joining me for the final leg over Frosty and Skyline. I had paced Andrew on his first 100 miler at Cascade Crest last year, and he was returning the favour here.  I decided against changing shoes  but I did change socks and checked my feet. They were getting a little sore but they would last. I had a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner here.

Heather Trail near Buckhorn Mountain. Picture by Lisa Fehr.

Kent had caught up to us. He was dealing with sore feet and it was slowing him down. Andrew, Kent and I left the aid station together. I was feeling so strong, not in the least bit tired. I had 15 hours to reach the finish line and I was determined to get over Frosty and Skyline as quickly as i could.

We made good time on the flat two kilometre section, then began the climb up Windy Joe Mountain. As it got dark my hallucinations became more pronounced as we headed into the second night without sleep. Now I was seeing billboards advertising things (though i could never tell what), only to disolve into a bush as I got closer. After a short section on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) we joined the Frosty Trail. The first several kilometres of this was a fairly gentle climb, and I just focused on power hiking as much as I could. when it got steeper I would take some rests.  Kent had a steady slow climb, so I would use that to rest while he caught up, then go on again. We did this all the way to the summit. The last kilometres of super steep lose rocky trail was a nightmare to climb in the dark and super slow going. On the steep climbs my heart-rate would go anaerobic, and I would need to stop to rest and bring it back down. I had to sit down to rest, because my legs would not stop moving. I could not stand still if I wanted to.

Looking up we could see lights of the "120 mile" and "70 mile" runners high above us at the summit. It looked worse at night though and I knew it was not as far up as it looked.  We stopped and Andrew put my jacket over me knowing it would be cold once we crested the summit. I struggled up knowing that this was really the last big hard climb (though Skyline is not easy either, I knew Skyline well, it felt like a friend). Frosty was just nasty, cold and barren. A mocking sign at the top of Frosty said "Use extreme caution beyond this point".   At 2300 metres, this was the highest point on the entire race course.

Andrew had gone back to check on Kent and I kept climbing down the trail. Slowly making my way over lose boulders. Once below the boulder field I looked for a sheltered spot to rest and wait for Andrew. I needed to take a short break. I turned off my light.   I was hallucinating again - this time I saw crowds of runners all around me, all passing me. I could hear them talking and laughing. Almost panicking I turned on my headlight. Nobody was there.  It was just the wind in the small trees playing tricks on me.

I found Andrew and he told me Kent was well behind. I decided I needed to go and Kent would understand.  Once off the boulders we made great time power hiking. My brain was now so focused all I saw was the trail. It became an arcade game. My waist 3D light was showing rocks and roots as they came up and I could visualize the path through them. When I had no shadows, all I could see was dark, but I knew there were no obstacles, so I could just go fast.  any double-check functions, warning messages or other such cautions from the brain were all shut down, it was simply quick single calculations on where to put my feet.  I was sleep power hiking at 6 km/h.  This method got us down to Tom Bench from the summit of Frosty in just over 2 hours.  My best time yet coming down there.

We did the same from Tom Bench to Strawberry Flat's Aid Station, arriving there at 3:25 am.  We had hot broth here and spoke with Dave Scott's mum, who told us that Dave had left Frosty Aid Station an hour behind us.

The last climb now, up to Sky Junction on Skyline II trail.  I've done this trail twice before, but this time it felt steeper and I had to keep stopping for rests on the way up.  It started raining so we stopped and Andrew helped me get my rain jacket on, which stayed on for the remainder of the run. Andrew kept me going up Skyline. We power hiked when possible, still feeling pretty strong and lots of energy. The only issue was climbing, which caused my heart rate to go up fast, so I had to keep slowing it down and/or resting.

We reached Sky Junction at 5:00 am, and could see the light starting to rise to the east. Low cloud hung in the valley below us. We celebrated with Fireball, then began the journey over the final false summits of Skyline. The first is short and steep out of Sky Junction, but once up, it was a beautiful smooth single track through meadows. We passed a couple of runners along this section.

Mostly done. At summit of Skyline - all down hill from here - mostly. 

This then soon begins the first of three big climbs. The first two are super steep, but it is the second one that is the worst. Daylight now, I could see the trail bending ever steeper up. I leaned in, and started the climb, going oh so slow.  But I was moving. Like a truck in lowest gear, it wasn't about speed but about power to keep moving up. With rests I finally made it to the top, with a wonderful view of the next two peaks I had to conquer before the finish line.

Down the steep hill onto the ridge, then the biggest and steepest climb on Skyline. Focusing on working my way up. Hallucinations of a dark shadowy runner in the trees following me. Kinda creepy. Also thought I saw a runner going off to the right down the hill, but there was no trail down there. More billboards. A car parked at the side of the trail turned out to be a log and flowers. Bleachers with people on them cheering, small trees rustling in the wind. My vision narrowed to the path, focusing on the next step. And finally we were on the highest part of Skyline, at 2000 metres. Just one more easier hill and then it's all down hill from there - mostly.

We crested the final mountain at 6:30 am and took a photo. It felt so good to be there. I had 7 km to the finish line, no more big climbs. I was mostly done.

We began making our way down the steep rocky trail, along a ridge and over a small rise, then down through the burnt out forest. Once through here, the trail smoothed out. Then I opened it up. Cautious at first I started to run, then faster, and then even faster. Letting gravity do the work. Like coming down Frosty, I could visualize the path through the roots and rocks. I felt so good. My legs were not sore. This was the last down hill so I could afford to trash the quads. I picked it up some more, keeping the strides long. Remembering Matt Cecil's advice for down hill running. A rock ahead, no problem, I'll clear it. I passed three runners (or two runners and a pacer) coming down this section. I attained a top speed of 5:22 per kilometres along this - a record for me coming down this trail. All safety cautions in my brain were shut down, it was kinda like running drunk. I felt so good, everything felt loose that I could adapt to the footfall with no damage.  Once at the bottom, we ran and power hiked our way to Rainbow Bridge, over that and towards the finish line.

One more hallucination as I power hiked along the Lightning Lake Trail. I could see a group of people sitting at the side of the trail cheering me on, with a little baseboard heater at their feet.  Wait! That didn't make sense. As I got closer they got silent, then materialized into bushes, their feet were white flowers and the heater was a knot at the bottom of a tree.  I had to focus my brain to make the knot appear, it looked a like a heater right until I was on top of it.

As we came over the dam, I warned Andrew that I was going to run to the finish line. I was feeling good so planned to sprint. As we joined the paved path I started to run, doing strides gathering speed until I was at 80 percent, then held it to the finish.  I was happy to finish. So Emotional. It was good to see Charlene, Lisa and Markus there cheering me on to the finish.  Charlene had finished her race more than 2 hours earlier, coming in third woman in the 70 mile event.

The finish

And that was it. After 45 hours of moving, it was hard to stop. I actually wanted to keep going.  Though sitting down before a real heater felt great.  Two beers for breakfast.

Overall I was happy with the way it went. I had no low points, no gut issues, no muscle issues. I probably could have gone faster, but it was an unknown and I think I did it the right way. The training all paid off. Fuelling was spot on mostly - I had a few points where I was feeling a bit hungry. Eating solids at the aid stations and using tailwind between was a good plan for me. Coke at select times gave me energy boosts along the way.   I saved caffeine for later in the race, which I think was also effective.

The Elevation

Tiredness was not much of a problem. I'm pretty good at going all night without sleep, jetlag doesn't bother me on trips, so I was not surprised the first night went as well as it did. I felt a bit more tired the second night, and the key was staying focussed and keeping moving - that starved off tiredness.

Big thank you to Lisa Fehr for pacing me through the first night and second day, and crewing me; to Andrew Barclay for getting me over Frosty and Skyline and crewing me, to Kent Ainscough for the company along the way, to Dave Scott for your encouragement and support, and Charlene for your support and determination to do these crazy races; to Markus for your support all along; and to Lisa Large and Kathy McRae for all of your encouragement support and advice; and Hicham for your training advice and friendship. November Project for being there every week and your encouragement and support.  And I've probalby forgotten somebody. Heather MacDonald for inventing this race and all of the amazing volunteers for being there and taking care of us.  Not just the ones we see at aid stations, but all of the volunteers that work tirelessly behind the scenes, flagging, sweeping, hauling in supplies, and undertaking logistics. Thank you all.

It takes a team to get to the finish line of an ultra marathon.

The Buckle

 Gear:
Pack:  Ultimate direction PB FKT
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 2 (three pairs worn)
Socks: Smartwool Endurance Pro (4 pairs worn)
Watch: Garmin Fenix 3
Poles: Black Diamond Carbon Z

Mandatory Gear:
Lights: Gemini Duo and Ultraspire 600 3.0 (emergency light Fenix E12 + 3 AA batteries)
Rain Jacket: North Face Hyperair
Rain Paints: Solomon
Extra Layer: Marino Wool base layer
Hat: Mountain Madness
Gloves: Solomon
Whistle
Nutrition:  Tailwind, M and Ms, Potatoes, Coca Cola, plus food from aid stations

OWU: From Greenfield to Dublin By Train

April 21, 2019 - Sunday

The day after the Oldham Way Ultra in Oldham England, I had decided to do some travelling, ultimately ending up in Dublin, Ireland, from where my flight home would depart.

I was staying with my Cousin Stephanie. She gave me a ride to Greenfield Station in time for the 0936 Trans-Pennine Express train that on Sundays runs through to York and Scarborough. While this meant I only had to get one train to Leeds (on weekdays I would have had to change at Huddersfield), it did mean that the train was already full when it arrived at Greenfield Station.  With only standing room available, I stood in the doorway as the Class 185 effortlessly accelerated on the steep climb to the 5 km long Standedge Tunnel (pronounced Stan-age) that would take us under the Pennines and into Yorkshire.

On the down platform at Settle Station - Northern 1228 semi-fast service to Carlisle ready to leave

As we traveled through the tunnel I thought about less than 24 hours ago I was hiking 200 metres above this tunnel on the moors. Within 20 minutes we had pulled into Huddersfield and by 1020 I was getting out at Leeds City Station.  I had 50 minutes here, so I got lunch from Sainsbury in the station. A check of the platform indicators and I found the platform for the 1115 train to Carlisle.  On the platform this train arrived in from the west. I found a seat but this train too was standing room only when it left Leeds City Station. We followed the electrified West Yorkshire Metro line running non-stop to Skipton at the foot of the Pennines. From here our train trip got even more scenic as we climbed into the Pennine hills. This line was the third line to Scotland, built by the Midland Railway in the 1870s.  The Midland built it here because the two rival railways had taken the best routes along the East Coast and West Coast and at that time would not grant running rights on their lines to Midland. So Midland had no choice but to apply for parliamentary powers to build their own line through the middle of England. As soon as Midland got the powers, the other railways decided to give Midland running right, but Parliament insisted that the Midland line be built.

Settle and Carlisle Line - the third and least used line to Scotland. With the West Coast Mainline closed over the weekend for maintenance, this was a perfect diversion for me.

At 1228 I alighted from the train at Settle Station. I dragged my wheeled suitcase with me into Settle town square for a look around.  I stopped at he coop to buy a beer and some snack, then I walked back to the station.  It was a beautiful day so it was so nice to relax on the down platform waiting for the 1330 train towards Carlisle.  I was actually heading to Ribblehead Station, which is in the middle of nowhere on the moors. The 1115 from Leeds did not stop at Ribblehead and I arrived too late into Leeds to get the earlier train that did stop at Ribblehead. So rather than wait in Leeds, I decided to take advantage of my open ticket and break my journey at Settle instead.

The market town of Settle at the foot of the fells. A starting point for many hiking adventures over the moors. 

The 1330 train was on time and I got a seat. It was very scenic and steep (for trains) 15 minute trip to Ribblehead. I arrived at 1345. After waiting for the train go, I crossed the pedestrian level crossing to the Up platform and the visitor centre, which was inside the old booking office.  For those who don't know, in England, Down platforms are heading away from London, and up platforms heading towards London. As the seat of power, one would always travel "up" to London.

The Olde Naked Man Cafe, Settle, North Yorkshire

The visitor centre were very nice and offered to look after my suitcase while I went for a short hike to see the Ribblehead Viaduct. This is the reason I came here. Well part of the reason. The other was that on this 4-day bank holiday weekend, the West Coast Mainline north of Lancaster was closed for engineering works. So if I wanted to travel by train I had the choice of travelling via the East Coast Main Line or this one.  I wasn't in a rush so I chose the scenic route and making stops on the way.

My beer from the Co-op and my ticket, leaving Settle on the 1330 Northern stopping service to Carlisle.

I walked out of Ribblehead Station and the first thing i thought after taking in the splendid beauty of the moors, was "Why is this station even here?" There are no towns anywhere close. The station was originally opened to serve camps in the area, that closed down many many years ago. Today its a tourist stop and a great starting point for hikers wanting to start or finish a hike at the station. With nine trains a day in each direction (five trains each way on Sunday) it is pretty well served considering it doesn't serve any towns or businesses.

Ribblehead Viaduct on Batty Moss - built in 1875 by the Midland Railway and refurbished in 1992.

I walked the short distance to the beautiful Ribblehead Viaduct. The Viaduct opened in 1875 but it was not well constructed and even 10 years after opening it was showing signs of movement and water damage. In the 1980s British Rail wanted to close the Settle and Carlisle Line. Back then passenger service was virtually non-existent and the line was used mainly for local freight.  British Rail used the prohibitive cost of refurbishing the viaduct as reason for closure. A massive public outcry prevented the closure and instead the viaduct was repaired and service on the line was strengthened and improved.

Blea Moor Signal Box on Blea Moor - this Victorian era box still controls trains on the mainline between Settle and Garsdale

I walked alongside the massive viaduct then climbed up and followed a footpath alongside the railway as far as Blea Moor signal Box. This signal box is one of the most remote in England.

North of Blea Moor Tunnel, heading down the valley from the summit still under control of the Blea Moor Signalbox - on the 1545 Northern stopping service to Carlisle. 

Back at the station to pick up my suitcase and be on the platform for the 1545 train to Carlisle.  Leaving Ribblehead we passed over the viaduct. To protect the viaduct, the track was singled over it and the speed was restricted to 15 mph.  After passing Blea Moor signal box, we entered the long Blea Moor tunnel that marked the summit of the railway line. From here it was all down hill winding along the steep Pennine valleys until we finally leveled out in the Eden Valley. We pulled into Carlisle Citadel Station on time at 1705.

The drunk bus rolled into Carlisle, dropping off a bus load of drunk women who all seemed to end up on my train.

Carlisile Citadel Station was eerily quite with the West Coast Mainline closed. The normally busy station felt strange with the main platforms empty. There were only four lines operating - the Cumbrian Coast Line, the Hadrians Wall Line, the Settle and Carlisle Line and the Dumfries and Kilmarnock line. Replacement buses were in the forecourt for people wanting to travel to stations along the closed West Coast Mainline.

Sunset seen from the 1912 ScotRail service to Glasgow Central via Dumfries and Kilmarnock - somewhere approaching Kilmarnock

I walked across the street from the station to Nandos for dinner and had a look around Carlisle. It was mostly full of drunk people drinking outside the pubs. The "Booze Bus" pulled up full of drunk women being dropped off from I don't know where.  I did find out where most of them were going.

Back at Carlisle Citadel Station I found the 1912 train to Glasgow via Dumfries and Kilmarnock. As the West Coast Mainline was closed this was my only option to get to Glasgow by train. It takes longer than the mainline, but it was a scenic trip.  This was the last train on Sunday from Carlisle to Dumfries and Kilmarnock, and it was full when we departed. Full of drunk women and a few drunk guys as well. I'm not sure if this is a Scottish thing or not but the Scots seem nosier and boisterous than the English. In Scotland there is a ban on drinking booze on board trains after 9pm (this doesn't exist in England). I can see why with this crowd. For the most part they were fine, enjoying the drinks they'd brought on, but quite loud.  One male was pretty out of it and I don't know what he was doing at the station, but the train conductor threatened to throw him off the train if he did it again and that as this was the last train of the night, it would be a long walk home for him. I get the idea the train conductor found it amusing. As he walked by me he just smiled and shook his head.

Some of the drunk women, one dressed in a wedding dress, got off a Gretna Green, the first station in Scotland. In years past, Scotland had more relaxed laws around marriage, so Gretna Green became popular as a place to go to get married.

A red TARDIS in Glasgow

Most of the drunks left the train before we got to Dumfries and from there it was largely a nice relaxing run to Glasgow. The sun set as we left Kilmarnock and it was soon dark. By the time we reached the outskirts of Glasgow it was dark. We pulled in to Glasgow Central Station on time at 9:25 pm.  I walked up to CitizenM hotel, where I had stayed last time I was in Glasgow, and crashed for the night.

Monday April 22, 2019
Next morning I decided I wanted to go and up the Scott Monument. It has been years since I've been up there and though it would be fun to climb the spiral stone stairways to the top.  I left the hotel about 7:45 am and walked over to Glasgow Queen Street Station. I could get trains from Glasgow to Edinburgh from either Central or Queen Street station. There were more trains per hour from Queen Street and they were faster.

The 0815 Glasgow Queen street (High Level) to Edinburgh Waverley on the buffers at Waverley on time. 

I bought a day return ticket and looked on the board for the next train. There was one leaving at 8:00 am. Checking my watch it was 7:59 am. I tapped through the barrier and ran to the train, but I had just missed it. As I arrived on the platform, the six car electric train was pulling out.  I got the next train at 8:15 am. This route runs every 15 minutes and is the fastest route, taking 50 minutes via Falkirk High.

After clearing the tunnels leading out of Queen Street (High Level) Station, the Class 380 quickly picked up to line speed and it was a scenic journey to Edinburgh Waverley Station.

Edinburgh - The Old Town on the left, the Castle directly ahead and Princes Street Gardens down below.

I love Edinburgh. It's more touristy than Glasgow and in some ways I prefer Glasgow. On every street corner there is some one playing "Scotland the Brave" on bagpipes.   I walked out of Waverley onto Princess Street and walked over to the Scott Monument. A sign on the door said it was closed for renovations. It had been closed since 2017.

Scott Monument - like Clark Griswald, after all that travelling only to find that it is closed for repair. The monument is 61 metres high, that's 20 storeys to you and me.... 

Oh well. I walked across the bridge and up the hill into Old Town Edinburgh and walked up to the castle. I was in time to see the Changing of the Guard at 10:00 am.  It was fun to watch. From here I walked down through Old Town and then along the promenade in Princess Street Gardens. I explored New Town (built in the 1800s) but laid out in a surprisingly modern grid with influences of the City Beautiful movement.

Princess Street Gardens and Edinburgh Castle

Back on Princess Street I had to go for a ride on the trams. I got a ticket to the end of the line at York Place, which wasn't that far, about three stops.  From there I walked back, stopping for a drink in St. Andrew's Square. I enjoyed relaxing here on the green, watching people go buy and the atmosphere of the place.

I walked back to Edinburgh Waverley and got the 1215 back to Glasgow Queen Street. After retrieving my bag from the hotel, I walked over to Glasgow Central station and bought a day single open ticket to Stranraer.  I had a choice of routes here. I could get the faster electric trains to Ayr via Paisley Gilmore Street and then connect with the train to Stranraer there, or I could get the direct train to Stranraer, which takes longer but no need to change trains.  I picked the latter and boarded the 1412 Glasgow Central to Stranraer via Kilmarnock.

This train took the same route to Kilmarnock that I had come in on the day before, but this time it was in daylight. I picked a seat facing forward with a table and seat opposite  facing me.  As the train was not full I had the four seats and table to myself. So I laid out my lunch on here and settled in for a relaxing trip down to Kilmarnock.

At Kilmarnock the train reverses to take the line to Ayr. I knew this was going to happen, which is why I selected the seat I did. At Kilmarnock, I switched seats so I was facing forward as we left Kilmarnock. At Ayr the two-car diesel multiple unit train filled up. Leaving Ayr we joined the branch line to Stranraer.  It was an beautiful scenic run. The line speed was mostly 100 to 120 km/h, so not very fast. Leaving Girvan the train started a steep climb from sea level up onto the moors.

A steep climb for the two-car ScotRail 1412 from Glasgow Central to Stranraer, climbing out of Girvan.

The climb was quite spectacular and the almost fully loaded train was really pulling to get up the incline. Along here we had jointed track, something that is now rare in Britain as it is mostly continuous welded rail. But it was fun to hear the clickety clack of the wheels travelling over the joints.  From here to Stranraer the line was mostly single track, with access to the single track controlled by tokens.  I found it amusing that in 2019 this section of track is using a system invented almost 150 years ago. We were essentially travelling in a modern train on jointed track using signalling technology from the Victorian era. In the passing loop the train came to a stop next to the signal box. The signalman came down the steps to take the token for the previous single track section from the driver and hand him the token for the next single track section.  The idea is that only a train in possession of the token (it's actually a staff) is allowed into the single track and as there is only one token, only one train can be on the single track section at a time. It's fail safe.

My train unloading at Stranraer, and waiting to depart as the 1659 to Glasgow Central via Kilmarnock

I arrived in Stranraer on time at 4:50 pm. The station felt a bit desolate and lost. The ferries had moved out several years ago, going 6 miles up the coast to Cairnryan.  But in the day, the trains connected directly with the Stena and P and O Ferries to Belfast and Larne.  So the over-sized station and it's shed now stood in a wasteland, several hundred metres from the town.

Castle of St. John, Stranraer, Wigtownshire

I walked into the town and found Ivy House Bed and Breakfast.  The room was really nice and comfortable, and the host very friendly and accommodating. I walked down to the pub and had a pint, but didn't eat there. I found a busy fish and chip shop in the high street and bought a single piece of fish and chips. It was the largest piece of fish I've ever seen and piled high with chips for only £4.50, or about $8. I sat next to the Castle of St. John in the town square and ate my dinner.

There wasn't much to do in Stranraer, so after wandering around the town, I had an early night.

Tuesday April 23, 2019

I was up at 6am and down at the bus stop in the town centre to the get No. 350 bus to the Stena Ferry Terminal.  This is a dedicated bus for the ferries. I was expecting a small bus but what showed up was a six passenger van, and I was the only passenger. The trip cost me £2. The driver told me he had a bigger bus on the weekend and it was quite busy. I arrived at the ferry terminal at 6:55 am.

At 6:30 am sunrise on Charlotte Street, Stranraer.
Waiting for the 0635 Wigtownshire No. 350 bus to Cainryan Stena Line Port

I walked on the ferry and we set sail at 7:30 am. Like the BC northern ferries the crews live on-board two weeks on, two weeks off. As there is no need for crew changes, everything is open 24/7.  The Stena was about the size of a Spirit Class BC Ferry but designed for rougher seas. It had lounges, a cinema, bar, duty free shop, several food services, staterooms and special area for truckers.  The crossing took 2.5 hours, and I arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland at 9:45 am. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom so of course there was no customs or passport checks.

I got the No. 92 bus. I found it amusing that all of Northern Ireland trains and buses are operated by Translink.  A different Translink to the one I'm used to but in someways oddly comforting. Once in Belfast city centre I left my bags at the Flint Hotel, then headed over to Great Victoria Street Station. Once thing you've likely noticed is that when I'm on vacation I love to travel. And my favourite ways to travel is by train.

Operated by Translink - the 1110 Belfast Great Victoria Street to Derry/Londonderry.

At Great Victoria Street I bought a day return ticket to Coleraine and boarded the 1110 train to Derry/Londonderry.  After leaving Belfast the line was single track all the way to Coleraine. It must be the busiest single track line in the UK. Our train became delayed due to late running train in the opposite direction - we had no choice but to wait for it to clear the single track section.

The three-car train filled up fast and was standing room only once we left the Belfast suburbs. A man sitting next to me said these are usually six-car trains.  He asked where I was heading and I told him Giants Causeway. He was nice enough to give me a pamphlet with the bus times. Interestingly there were a few more buses shown than google knew about. 

Views from UlsterBus No.402.  Like something from an Enid Blyton novel - Dunluce Castle

At Coleraine the bus terminal is in the train station. Everybody got off here and most people transferred to the Port Rush train that was being held on the opposite platform for our late running train. I kept hearing about Port Rush so was starting to wonder what was there.  My bus stopped in Port Rush on the way to Giants Causeway. It turned out to be a mini sea-side resort town, complete with amusements, beaches and an amusement park. I decided I'd stop here on the way back. The ride up the coast on the bus was beautiful, passing the ruins of Dunluce Castle sitting on a cliff. If anybody has read Enid Byton's Adventure Series, this is how I imagined Craggy Tops in those books.

On the cliff path near Giants Causeway

I got off the bus at the Giants Causeway Visitor Centre.  I avoided the actual visitor centre. At £12.50 I thought it was over-priced. They tried to make it look like you had to pay to walk down to the rocks, but there was small print at the bottom of the sign that said access was free, but it would cost you £12.50 if you wanted to use any visitor centre facilities, like the toilets and parking.   So if you go don't get sucked into paying. Park on the road (the road has double yellow lines, so you can't park on the pavement, but it is perfectly legal to park on the grass off to the side of the road), or get the bus and walk down to the rocks for free.

Giant's Causeway, Antrim, Ulster

I followed the cliff trail first. I had shorts on, but I had brought my jacket and glad I did. The wind was cold but the hike was beautiful. I walked past the actual causeway and kept going along the cliffs. I finally turned back and then went down the cliff path to the rocks. The rocks were obviously volcanic and formed in natural vertical hexagons. The legend is that giants were building a causeway to Scotland. I love this kind of bullshit to explain natural rock formations.  It was really busy at the causeway, partly because this was Easter Tuesday in Ireland - it was still a holiday there.

Port Rush

I walked back up and through the tunnel next to the visitor centre, then got the bus back to Port Rush.  I intended to only spend a short time to look around here, but it was fascinating and very busy.  I wandered down the main road full of take-away food shops and penny amusement arcades. Next to the beach were two small amusement parks, one with a looping rollercoaster.  Next to that a beautiful beach.  I wandered the town and stopped for fish and chips. Good but not as good as Stranraer.

Port Rush

Around 6 pm I made my way to the Port Rush Station, and bought a single ticket to Coleraine. I didn't get a seat so I stood in a doorway for the short run to Coleraine. Here I and everybody else on the train changed platforms and boarded the Belfast bound train that had arrived from Derry/Londonderry. Again I didn't get a seat and stood in the doorway. Eventually the train started to empty out and I got a seat for the remainder of the trip back to Belfast Great Victoria Street Station at the end of the line. I arrived at the hotel around 9 pm

Wednesday April 24, 2019
I woke up around 8 am. I went online and bought discounted ticket to the Titanic Experience, including a visit to the RMS Normadic for £14, saving me about £6.  My ticket time was for 9:30 am.  I left about 8:30 am and walked up to Chicester Street to get the Glider. The Glider is Translink's rapid bus system that operates much like a tram. I loved it.  The buses are articulated and purple, matching the route line colours on maps. At the Glider stop I bought a one-way ticket. The electronic signs indicated the times of the next Glider. I wanted Route G2 that would take me out to the Titanic District.

Translink's rapid bus in Belfast operates like a light rails system - Glider. Waiting for G2 to the Titanic District.

The RMS Titanic, and her sisters, the RMS Olympic and RMS Britanic where built in Belfast.   The museum, in a building shaped like the White Star, of the White Star Line, is constructed at the head of the two slipways on which Titanic and Olympic were built. Titanic was hull 401, and Olympic was hull 400. Both ships were launched in 1911. The Titantic Experience is the story of the people who built her, the designers and engineers, the lives of people on board and of course the sinking, rescue and discovery of the wreck.  It is well done, interactive and fun. I spent well over three hours there.

The spectacular Titanic Museum, Belfast in the shape of a White Star

 Interestingly, Olympic was the same design as Titanic. After Titanic sank, Olympic quietly sailed to Belfast and underwent renovations to address the short-comings that lead to the Titanic disaster - including adding more lifeboats.  Olympic sailed safely until she was retired in 1935.

Hull 401 Titanic (left) and Hull 400 Olympic (right) slipways

After the Titanic Experience aI visted the decks of the RMS Normadic. The Normadic was a tender that was used to shuttle people out to Titantic.

RMS Normadic

I took the Gilder back to Belfast, picked up my suitcase and then walked over to Belfast Lanyon Place Station. I got the 2:00 pm Enterprise train to Dublin. Enterprise is a joint operation between Translink and Iarnrod Erieann (Irish Rail). While this is an international train, it feels like a domestic service. The only way I knew I had crossed the border was that the stations became to have Iarnrod Erieann as the operator instead of Translink.  The trip took about 2.5 hours and I arrived Dublin around 4:30 pm. And it was raining for the first time in my trip. It was a downpour and I had a 15 minute walk from Dublin Connolly Station to my hotel.

Enterprise Train at Dublin Connolly Station - the service is a joint operation between Translink and Iarnrod Erieann

That evening I put on my waterproof running pants and went for a walk around Dublin. I ended up in the Temple Bar district, which reminded me of Amsterdam's Red Light District with its narrow streets, hidden bars and old buildings. In fact Dublin was a lot like Amsterdam.  I found a great little place on O'Connell Street that made the best burger I've ever had, and it wasn't expensive either. Love finding those kinds of places.

Thursday May 25, 2019
My last full day in Europe before I head home.  My first port of call today was the Guinness Experience at St. James Gate. I bought my ticket on-line for €18, saving me €7 on buying the ticket at the door.

St. James Gate. The main Guinness brewery, established 250 years ago with a 9000 year lease on this property.
Only 7750 years to go.

I walked from my hotel to St. James Gate, about a 30 minute walk.  St James Gate just made me think of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  The experience itself was really good and informative. I had quite a bit of Guinness while here. It started with a taster in the tasting room. Then we were taught how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness, which we then got to take with us and drink as we wandered the rest of the experience.  I ended up with two as there was one left over so the host asked me if I wanted to drink it, as she couldn't and would have to pour it away if I didn't. So I did.

One for each hand

At the top of St. James Gate is a glass round pub - reminding me of the Great Glass Elevator from the end of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And in this glass room, with views all over the beer factory and Dublin, I had another pint on the house. In all, three and a half pints.

Walking to the visitor entrance - St. James Gate is a massive complex.  

 It took me a while to find my way out, with at least two loo stops on the way and a few wrong turns, including going down the same stairs twice.  I'd been in St. James Gate for about 3 hours.

View of St. James Gate and Dublin from the Great Glass Elevator

Once out I made my way to Dublin Heuston Station to pick up a 24 hours pass for all of Dublin buses, Luas (trams) and trains for €10.  From here I took the Red Line Luas to Dublin Connolly Station, then from there I got Iarnrod Erieann's electric DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) train to Howth. Howth is on a headland and from the station there is a beautiful walk up to the summit of the headland. Which I did of course.

Red Line Luas tram at Dublin Connolly Station 

I returned the same way to the village, had lunch, and then went to the station, and got a DART train back to Dublin Tara Street Station then walked up to Trinity College.  I got there at 4:30 and decided to go in and see the Book of Kells. There was a big line up for tickets, but I noticed the "Web pick-up" line was empty. So I stood outside, and went on my phone and bought a ticket on-line (at a discount too), then went in the "Web pick-up" line and avoided a lineup in doing so and saved money.

An Iarnrod Erieann DART Train to Howth

The Book of Kells involves some descriptive panels interpreting the book, then the book itself and a reconstruction next to it. It's very dark and hard to read, not that I can read the language anyway. But it is kinda cool to see.  Then upstairs into the beautiful Long Library, and then downstairs into the gift shop. Half an hour was enough for the visit.

View from Howth Head

I walked back to Tara Street Station and got a DART train along the coast south to Shankill Station. I did this partly to see the suburbs, partly for the ride down the coast on the train, and partly to ride back on the Green Line tram.

Trinity College, Dublin

I enjoyed the walk from Shankill to Brides Glen where I would pick up the tram. While suburban and on the edge of Country Dublin (the limit of my €10 pass), it had the feel of countryside to it in places and I passed a beautiful thatched roof cottage on the way.  The walk was in the shade of the Wicklow Hills and if I'd had more time, I would love to have hiked or even ran the trails through those hills.  At Brides Glen, there was all new development around the new tram station, I got the Green Line tram for the ride back to O'Connoll Street in Dublin, dropping me close to the hotel.

Long Library at Trinity College

Thatched Roof Cottage

That evening I walked down to Temple Bar area, and went into Temple Bar, which was rowdy, full and a lot of fun. Great vibe, even if it was all tourists like me from all over the world. I stayed there for quite a while just enjoying the live Irish music. Late but still before midnight, I decided I'd had enough and walked back up O'Connell Street to my hotel.

Temple Bar, Dublin

Friday May 26, 2019
Time to go home. I went out for breakfast in the morning, then after checking out, walked a block to the bus stop, to get Dublin Bus 747 service to the airport. The 747 runs every 15 minutes and is extremely busy.  Dublin Airport is well served by buses, with Dublin Bus 16, 41, 757 and 747 all going there.  The 16 and 747 went from next to my hotel, but the 747 was a few minutes faster and went on the motorway (including the Dublin tunnel).  The 24 hour pass I bought yesterday and activated around 12:30 pm was still valid, so I was able to tap that on the bus and use it to go to the airport.

Dublin Airport was great. Probably the friendliest airport I've ever been too. Seriously, what's up with airport staff, even in Vancouver who really could care less about you.  From the ticket agents at the desk to the security herding people, they were all so friendly and caring.

My flight to Chicago was fine on United airlines, I fell asleep again and woke up over Labrador. but this time I woke up feeling cold and could not get warm. I also had a sore throat and my lymph nodes were like golf balls. I self diagnosed I was sick and had a temperature.  I just wanted to get home.

The home-bound ordeal is another story.