Franconia Ridge Loop

Had a break in my commitments at school and figured it'd be good to get up north for an adventure before things pick up again. I'd been eyeing the Franconia Ridge loop as an easy day trip that I hadn't made before. While my training has been relatively consistent compared to years past, I wasn't quite ready to go full bore on a mountain run. Instead, I set the goal of moving quickly but comfortably. I asked Ginger if she'd be willing to pace me for the loop and she enthusiastically agreed.

The weather forecast was sunny in the valley, but called for cooler temps and lingering fog at elevation. Wishful thinking had me hoping that things would clear up, but in reality I knew I was likely going to miss the views. The bonus was, it'd be much more comfortable than the 90F heat we've been having recently!

I opted for the counterclockwise loop, heading up Falling Water and descending via Greenleaf and Old Bridle Path, figuring this was the most practical route based on terrain features. The trails were busy, but not crowded, and I was able to move efficiently without too much delay, adding in periodic breaks for Ginger to grab water and for photos. As expected, not much for views, but was fun nonetheless. Certainly lots of room for improvement on the round trip time.

Franconia Ridge Loop
Splits:
Little Haystack 1:23
Lafayette 1:59
Greenleaf Hut 2:25
Trailhead 3:26

After a break this week, I'm planning to get more structured with my training, which will hopefully enable a few more northern running objectives before transitioning to ski season.

Bay Area

I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to spend a month rotating out at Stanford this summer. And while being away from the family was miserable, my temporary bachelor lifestyle did leave some room for exploring the Bay Area.

The Dish

This was my go-to local running spot. Since I was for the most part vehicle-less, the Dish offered a decent hilled run close to where I was staying. It's about 3.5 miles, and climbs 500' above Palo Alto. Working in a couple of laps gave me an OK climb and some good distance, in addition to plenty of vitamin D given it's complete lack of shade. Occasionally, I even saw some wildlife.

Castle Rock State Park

My PICs for the month and I finagled to all have a day off at the same time, and with a borrowed car headed up to Castle Rock to check the place out. We hiked out the Saratoga Gap Trail to Loghry, which traverses along the ridgeline, then back along the Skyline. Views of the surrounding hills and ocean in the distance were impressive.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Jason and I were able to secure a car for a second day, and headed out to Big Basin. This actually abuts Castle Rock and can be connected in a traverse if one has the time. Since we were under the gun to get back before sign-out to return the car (thanks Patrick!), we stuck local. Big Basin is a real gem. Trails through the redwood forest bring you up to the ridgeline, which allows for more spectacular views of the hills and ocean in the distance. While were relaxing on our day off, the trails here would make for some good running. There's definitely another visit in my future.

A few other miscellaneous shots from around campus: