..but I may be completely screwed.
Last weekend was incredible. Tanker and I had the most amazing time backpacking on the trails through
Frontenac Provincial Park. The weather was sunny and warm - even too warm at times - all weekend, and if it hadn't been for the vicious masses of mosquitoes plaguing us at almost every moment, it would have been perfect. Even with all the bugs, it was a truly wonderful time anyway - with spring now in full, raging effect, the woods were filled with the brilliant, verdant green of new life and growth.
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| Almost fluorescent and studded with phlox |
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| Turtle spotted within minutes of starting off |
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| Boardwalks through the muddiest spots |
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| Bridges over streams |
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| Wildflowers everywhere |
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| Flowing water |
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| Leopard frog |
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| Upward |
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| Hiding from the mosquitoes |
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| Lynch Lake before sunset on Day 1 |
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| Mist on the water at dawn on Lynch Lake |
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| Filtering swampy water |
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| Bullfrog in Lynch Lake |
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| This rat snake swam right past my boots! |
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| Wetland |
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| Backpacking trail or goat path? |
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| By yet another beaver dam |
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| The only time you'd catch a breeze was near a lake |
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| Rathkopf Fen |
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| Muskrat chomping on the tender, green shoots at the water's edge |
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| Fire at Devil Lake on Day 2 |
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| The perfect trillium, right outside our tent at Devil Lake |
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| Sunrise on Day 3 |
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| Headed back toward the trailhead |
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| Incredible rock formations |
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| Soft, pine needle-strewn trail |
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| A quick break in the hot sun by Little Clear Lake |
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| Tangled roots |
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| Old Thor helped build mining & logging roads, but was abandoned 60 years ago |
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| Lively brook |
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| Huge shoulders of rock near the trailhead |
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| One of the many juvenile garter snakes |
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| Peace and contentment |
Tuesday's return to work brought reality crashing back, but even that was nothing when compared to the anxiety that's been growing in me all week.
The
Sulphur Springs trail races are tomorrow morning, and signing up for the 50k all the way back in December seemed like an innocent enough idea. Now, here I sit with my heart in my mouth, knowing that I've only done one "long" run over 25km and only a single run over 3 hours (
my mediocre attempt at the Pick Your Poison 25k four weeks ago). I've also got barely any sleep this week, and feel like I might have caught a smidge of a cold.
I'm undertrained, overweight, and rather petrified.
Fortunately, I have 2 things going for me:
1) Since I've never done Sulphur before, I am reasonably content to just "tourist" my way through this race. My only goals are to finish it, and enjoy the beauty of
Dundas Valley Conservation Area along the way.
2) Per the
Participant Guide, I have 14 hours to finish.
I may take all of it.
But really, it's just another wander in the woods, right?
it was my first go at Sulphur too kristina ... and i think as newbies we both did awesomely well!
ReplyDeletelike you needed 14 hours ... pshaw. :)
Well you never know how the day will go until you get out there! Pleasure to meet you Patrick - congrats on a great race, and glad you enjoyed the lovely trails!
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