Grand Canyon: Tanner TH to South Bass TH (~110 miles)

After my experience in the Grand Canyon last May, I knew I would be back the following spring to explore more of this fascinating, unfathomable creation.  Fast forward to January 2011 where I submitted my permits to traverse from the furthest east to the furthest west trailhead via the a few trails but mainly the Escalante Route and the East/West Tonto Trail.  Most of the route encompassed new territory for me and was not the kind of distance or areas the backcoutry office sees covered in a typical backpacking trip. The usual ones include hikes 5-10 miles per day to the more popular sites where a good trail leads to perennial creeks.  My foray demanded 25-28 mile days to more remote and wild areas of the Grand Canyon that required traveling through Native American lands, probable long waterless stretches (~30 miles), unmaintained and sometimes disappearing trails, and arranging transportation to/from the trailheads (or in my case, hitchhiking).  In order for the trip to have been successful one needed to have a fair amount of backpacking experience (off-trail too), the conditioning, and luck.  I say luck because of the hitchhiking to Tanner, from the usually inaccessible South Bass, and water conditions. Since I had to reserve my permit so early I would have no clue as to whether any of those things were going to work in my favor.
After job issues ruled out my original hiking partner, TheOnion, from coming and experienced Canyon backpacker, JustPaul, who called it "ambitious" and a "death march", my hiking buddy Eric decided to join me for the first couple of days before hiking out South Kaibab. Fortunately, he lives in Prescott, AZ just 2 hours south of the Grand Canyon so he was kind enough to let me stay over the night before and after the trip.  Living close to the Canyon, Eric has done all of the established trails and some former rim-to-river routes that don't exist on a map anymore.
Arriving at the blustery Grand Canyon Sunday morning, we parked our cars at the South Rim Village and soon proceeded to stick our thumbs out for a ride to the far east TH of Tanner.  After only about 30 minutes of waiting a couple from Holland picked us up and were more than happy to take us to Tanner: a good omen to start the trip.  A steep and very windy descent got us to the sediment filled Colorado River at Tanner Beach and we filled up 2L as this was the last reliable water source until Neville Rapids 11 miles later.  We now started to follow the easily distinguishable Escalante Route and after descending down Seventy-Five Mile Creek we ran into Tom Myers, author of The Grand Obsession and Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon.  He was with a Canyoneers leaders group and he invited us down for dinner (and in Eric's case beers) even though we were about 1 mile short of our original rest stop.  We met the crew and ate delicious cornbread and some ground beef with veggies and enjoyed the starry filled night with Neville Rapids as background music.  The next day we had a long 28 mile day that got us on the ever-winding Tonto Trail. The Tonto sits on a platform that lies between the river and the rim. The terrain isn't especially difficult but you have to wind your way around enormous drainages that basically have you hike 3-4 miles around them to gain 1/2 mile horizontal distance.  We got to Lonetree Canyon at 730pm (14 hour day) and slept under another fantastic starry night. The 3rd day Eric hiked out South Kaibab at the Tip-Off (Junction of Tonto/South Kaibab Trail).  After waiting for him for 10 minutes to arrive at the Tip-Off I decided I had to go because of the long day ahead.  I scribbled "Bye Eric" in the dirt with my trekking pole and when I was done a NPS off-duty ranger passing by starts lecturing me that drawing lines in the dirt is destroying the natural landscape and ruining the natural experience for the day hikers coming from the rim. All the while she was reciting the NPS Ranger Textbook there is a huge NPS-made bathroom right in the middle of the junction. I found it humorous that she failed to see the irony and hypocrisy of her thoughtless rhetoric. I ended up waiting for Eric after all and took whatever spare food he had. I continued the well maintained trail to Hermit Creek in great time (25 miles by 430pm) and relaxed the day away, because I knew the next day would be my most challenging.  I was entering what people call the "Gems" as every canyon until South Bass is named after a gem: Turquoise, Ruby, Serpentine, Sapphire etc.  The West Tonto Trail is unmaintained from Boucher Creek to South Bass and was evident as I was losing the trail often and had to backtrack a couple of times, especially around the canyons; having to hike 27 miles that day plus trying to route-find in afternoon rain was not ideal and I was a little nervous at times.  Boucher Creek, 6 miles from Hermit, got me mixed up as well.  The trail from there becomes cairned and I ended up following the creek down to the Colorado River on accident before running into a group of 4 guys who knew this area and re-directed me 1/4 mile south to find the hidden cairns. Thanks to this early morning mishap I barely stopped all day afraid of not making the mileage and getting to Ruby Creek.  The rain started at 1pm and I got to Ruby Creek at 530 pm. Since my tent needs to be staked in and doubting there was soft ground I found a ledge at Ruby Creek jutting out 2 feet over providing barely enough room for me to squeeze in. I stayed there until 5am the next morning where I hoped to find a ride out of South Bass.  After not seeing anyone all morning I was climbing out of Bass Canyon hoping that the faint footprints I saw led to anyone with a vehicle at the trailhead. I was about halfway up the canyon when I stumble upon a group of six people! It turned out to be a very interesting group. One was FredG, an older man who backpacked the CDT, PCT, and was heading out later this month to complete his Triple Crown with an AT thru-hike.  His daughter, Peggy, ran the Badwater Ultramarathon two years ago, her boyfriend Mike Ehredt who ran across the US last year in recognition of the US soldiers sacrifice (ProjectAmericaRun), and several of their friends. As soon as I saw them I blurted "Are you guys headed to South Bass?!" Yes, they replied. "Would it be too presumptuous of me to ask for a ride back to the South Rim?!" FregG laughed "Yes, it would, but we'll give you a lift! We have two cars." All my worries about getting back faded.  We chatted for a bit on the climb but I passed them and it gave me some time to reflect on the trip when I got to the top.  When I did get to the trailhead I looked around and saw ONLY two cars. There was no one else in the vicinity and with the forecasted storm the next two days the roads would have been impassable thus rendering me in a less than ideal situation with one liter of water and no food. Something more than luck was at play here.  The whole trip turned out to be what I had hoped it would be: wonderful and challenging. As I look back and think about the length of time for the Grand Canyon to evolve into what it is, my evolution as a human being is similar.  Each adventure is a brushstroke on the ever-changing canvas that is each of us.
I'm now looking forward to the next backpacking adventure: a 450 mile traverse of the French Alps with Megan in July and August. Click here to check out the photos!

The Magical LA Marathon Run (Race Report)

I remember when I completed the LA Marathon last year after a virus (mononucleosis) knocked me out for most of January and February.  I was training specifically for the race in the hopes of qualifying for the most prestigious of road marathons: The Boston Marathon. For my age and gender my qualifying time is 3:10 roughly equating to 7:15 per mile average.  My training had been going well but one weekend I started to get headaches that progressed to full-blown fevers greater than 101 F by Sunday night; and it didn't abate until 21 consecutive nights had passed.  That included two emergency room visits, being bed-ridden, missing classes, and leaving the MD's baffled on why I experienced these bizarre and frankly severe symptoms.  With only 4 weeks until the already-paid-for LA Marathon I didn't believe I had a shot of participating in it; that was because my first run five weeks since the first fever included stitches on both sides, the inability to keep an upright posture, and general fatigue. Did I mention it was only 3 miles? How was I able to run 26.2 then? Well, I ran several more times thereafter including a "long" run of 15 miles and decided that I didn't want to waste the $150. So I ran it. It was a struggle but managed a 3:45 (8:36/mile pace) in perfect running conditions and I have to say I was very proud of it, given the circumstances, but was well short of the Boston marker. This year has been the antithesis of what happened last year.
My emphasis and frankly preference (for a multitude of reasons addressed in one of my first posts) is trail running and the major running goal this year is the San Diego 100 mile endurance race in June in the Laguna Mountains.  Everything since last December (post IT Band injury) had been geared to that.  This year has consisted of solid consistent training (~75 miles/week mostly on trails), two 50km (31.5 miles) trail races in personal record time, and no major setbacks (knock on wood). I was deciding on my next run after the Malibu Creek 50km run just 2 weeks ago and I decided to enter LA the last moment, literally. I had no expectations just because road and trail are very different and thinking about the running time was not a priority. It was a run that allowed me to get another long run in and gave me a little break from trails. This was also my 9th marathon or ultramarathon and since it involved zero driving and basically running home I gave it a go.

The race-day forecast called for heavy rains and it didn't disappoint. I arrived at Dodger Stadium (starting point) at 430am and to not waste time I sat in the bleachers and studied my for my orthopedic exam and  practical for the following morning (Yes, I brought my notes). The notes were put away at 7am and after handing off my drop-bag I squeezed and prodded my way to the 11 min/mile spot. Boy, there were a ton of people and due to my late registration I couldn't get in the under-4:00 hour marathon time corral.  As was expected I had to fight through the multitude of walkers, weirdos (a guy running with tray holding a fake wine glass, another with a fake hand glued on his head), slower runners, and bathroom lines that spilled into the streets for the first 3 miles and even though I wasn't necessarily going for the 3:10 time I wanted to see how long I could last. My biggest concern was not my lung capacity but my leg turnover. I was used to long steep climbs on trails where a small stride and high cadence doesn't produce fast minute/mile times.  As mentioned, the first  3 miles consisted of weaving around the hordes, getting stopped cold, and being reduced to a jog. Immediately, this set me back 3 minutes off the 3:10 pace and making up that time was going to be near impossible.  I finally had some breathing room and settled into a solid stride with the cold rain and wind coming down hard.  No amount of clothing was going to keep me dry so I opted for a cotton shirt, short shorts, beanie, and thin gloves.  The next several miles, up until mile 13, saw me chipping away at those 3 minutes and I was able to reduce it to 1 minute 45 seconds.  However, the harder miles were coming up and I doubted if I would be able to sustain that type of pace.  Up until this time I had been feeling great. The rain was wonderful, contrary to many reports, and I absolutely relished in it.  I felt I was in a zone in which I had boundless energy and I even saw a sign on a small theatre in Hollywood reading "Run Nano Run." I'm not sure who it was for but I felt it wasn't just merely a coincidence: This was my race and I had to capitalize on the moment.

The next and final 13.2 miles saw a pace that I honestly didn't think I would be able to produce so well and without taking a deep breath: 6:54 pace.  I was waiting to hit the wall or bonk but it never came and I felt I was getting stronger an stronger during the later miles. I was flying by people (passing 212 in the last 4.5 miles) and I have to say that I don't think one person passed me the entire race (mainly because I was so far back).  During the final 3 miles I witnessed the carnage of what the last 23 miles had done to people. Some guy pulled a hamstring right in front of me, another fell, another looked like he was running drunk, and some were just debilitated from there previous efforts.  I was feeling the best I have ever felt in a run and didn't want to crack a wide grin just yet; not until I was in the final .2 miles.  Who knows what could have happened between where I was and the finish? But for whatever reason I kept running faster.  I finally hit mile 26 and cracked a wide smile knowing that I was going to be well under 3:10 and still feeling great. A came under the banner in 3:07.17 (7:08 mile pace) and started to weep. It felt as if I had won the race and it surprised me on how emotional I was to attain that goal.  A totally unexpected run and the only word that comes to mind is magical.  I had done no track work, no speed work; just trails, albeit challenging, and some road runs at an easy 830-9min/mile pace.  I'm proud of the way my body held up, the course, the training consistency, and the run.  The rain was glorious and my thin soled spikeless cross-country racing shoes are heaven. There is something to be said about having flat, (no difference in heel to forefoot) light shoes.  I didn't experience any foot problems and I truly believe that it changes the action of my stride enough to use the passive elements (elastic energy of arch and achilles) to my advantage. I felt strong. Here are my official results.  The time placed me 227th out of 19,781 participants, averaging 8.4mph, and having negative splits, something I thought I couldn't do. Here are my personal recorded splits:

Mile: 1 8:37, 2/3 7:46 (avg), 4/5/6 7:34 (avg), 7 7:02, 8 7:05, 9 7:07, 10 6:56, 11/12 6:58 (avg), 13 6:57, 14 6:53, 15 6:26, 16 6:26, 17/18 7:24 (avg, but I think there was a mile marker misplacement on the previous miles), 19 6:48, 20 6:59, 21 7:14, 22 7:00, 23 6:55, 24 6:47, 25 6:45, 26 6:48 = 3:07.17

Finish! I started ~13 minutes after the official clock started hence the 3:20.41 time not the 3:07.17.

On a sidenote, I really focused on maintaing the neural activation of my gluteal muscles and abdominals throughout the run and I believe that allowed an injury-free and efficient run. I felt powerful and happy throughout. The runner's high is still with me.

Next up is the Sycamore Canyon 50km race April 23, but first a 130 mile  east to west trek in the vast and wonderful Grand Canyon. Onward to the San Diego 100.

Race Report: PCTR Malibu Creek 50km

Santa Monica Bay from Malibu Creek State Park

The buildup to the San Diego 100 mile endurance run continues with the Pacific Coast Trail Runs Malibu Creek 50km (31.5 mile):
After the Calico Ghost Town 50km I signed up for this race 6 weeks later which was a perfect amount of time to get some more solid foundation and increase my training mileage. I have been running 60-70 miles per week evenly split between road and trail. Now that this race is complete I'm going to increase the mileage to 100 miles/week in order to make sure I have a solid foundation before June. The key is to  do the runs consistently at a sub-normal pace while staying injury free. We'll see how that goes.  It's been OK in terms of time management between PT school, studying, and work to get those 60-70 in, but 100 is going to be tough. However, I do have daylight savings on my side starting next week so that will definitely help.   As far as the race goes, beside the timing, this took place at my home course so I figured why not? The course has 12,000ft of elevation change (~6K up, ~6K down) and I consider it fairly challenging.

1 Minute before the finish. Checking watch. Sub 5? Turns out no.

The first quarter of the race had me a little off in terms of finding a rhythm because of the unusual feeling of having runners around me (I train solo).  Soon enough I found a rhythm and completed the first loop in ~2:23 and I was feeling pretty good.  There are a couple of new things I tried for this race that I haven't done before: 1) Wearing a Nathan 2L Bladder Pack vs. Bottles 2) Consuming gels and Nuun during the run. I purposely only consume water during training because I want my body to adapt to having an absence of carbohydrates and electrolytes so when race time comes it's to my advantage to eat the gels. As a consequence the training runs can sometimes feel tiring and slow.  I was anxious to see how the 2nd loop was going to go considering my longest training run was one loop 2x week (15.75 miles) but I trusted my training and to a certain extent my diet. The mid-thigh Malibu Creek crossing proved to be a leg re-fresher and I ran most of the steep portions of the trail. What I found baffling and somewhat annoying was that Maggie Beach, the 50km 1st place woman's winner, passed me power hiking while I was keeping to running the race.  We passed each other a few times all the way until a minute before the finish line.  I started to feel a little nauseous 20 minutes before the finish but I was able to finish a strong (for me) 5:00.13, revenging a DNF 2 years ago because of an injury and PRing the course by 21 minutes. That placed me 5th overall and 2nd in my age group (20-29).  I don't know where I could have found the extra 14 seconds to break 5 hours; maybe those 2 minutes at the half-way aid station. Who knows.
I must say that this was my best race to date.  I kept with a consistent training schedule, didn't get hurt, and ran a solid race.  Typically after a race like my legs feel tired but I must say that as of now they feel normal. We'll see in the next couple days though.  The hydration pack turned out to be a very good tool; no more fumbling for gels while having a bottle in hand. Even though the time is about 8 minutes off last month's PR this had 4,000ft more elevation change so I know that things are certainly on the up and up.
I'm not entirely sure when my next race will be since I have a 130 mile Grand Canyon trek in a month, but I think I'm going to run the Rim2Rim2Rim the day after the trip; a 41 mile classic trail run from the Grand Canyon South Rim to North Rim and back.  Past that I will probably enter the Bishop High Sierra 100km on May 21, my last race before the 100.
On another note, Megan who had been pretty much swimming until 2 weeks ago since her January race only because of a little back issue placed 3rd in the 25km with a time of 2:16. Pretty awesome considering she didn't run a trail in 5 weeks.
We also bought our plane tickets to Europe for our Grand Traverse of the Alps trek in July/August. That was very exciting for us and we are very much looking forward to it. More details on the trip when the time approaches.

Photo Courtesy of Andy Noise

Life As a Beard

Winter Backpacking in Joshua Tree National Park

Being well aware that the school semester started on Monday I needed to get out and do a little backpacking with the time that I had left even if it was only for a couple of days.  Plus, I wanted to try out an important new piece of gear. I retired my old "Zip" pack from Mountain Laurel Designs that I've had and used extensively since 2007. I had cut the hip belts this summer figuring I wouldn't need them anymore but I overestimated how my shoulders would be able to handle the entire load and the entire 9oz pack was starting to look pretty shabby.  It has been great to me and has never failed in any respect on any of the trips that included on/off trails domestic and overseas.
Overall, I liked the design of the pack in terms of functionality that I decided to get a similar style of pack. Instead of getting the updated version of the Zip from MLD, the Exodus, I decided to get the ULA CDT for a few reasons: the 5 week wait at MLD to make the gear, the price ($50 cheaper), hip belt pockets, and the desire to try something new. In terms of main pack volume the CDT is slightly smaller but I have my 3-season gear dialed down and I typically had excess space in the Zip. Other than that I pack it the same and took off some of the bells and whistles the ULA packs come with.
What I soon discovered was pure elation on ability to carry weight comfortably and accessibility to items. On this trip I had one cache and carried 4L of water at a time with a few days of food.  Most of the 50 mile loop of West Joshua Tree NP was pretty straight forward and saw some great weather albeit relentless cold 30mph winds during the night; and with no shelter, a very bright moon, and 12 hours in the sleeping bag it made for a rough sleeping night, if you can call it that. The next day saw an unexpected deviation from what was supposed to be a routine trek.  The Bigfoot Trail, which is marked on the National Geographic Trails Illustrated series maps, follows a wash through a wash-mired flat land enclosed by unnamed peaks. I first lost the "trail" when it intersected what looked to be a large recent wash. I saw what looked like horse prints up the wash where I saw a sign for a trail not marked on the map.  So I backtracked and pulled out my compass.  I knew the general vicinity of where I was and I figured if I headed west I would run into it. Sure enough there was something so I followed but fifty yards later it disappeared.  However, I continued to follow what I believed were a series of washes and game trails.  An hour later I found myself out in an expansive valley surrounded entirely by desert mountains and no idea whether a path existed anymore.  With a 1:80,000 scale the trails illustrated maps are produced in don't really give you enough detail when off trail in a landscape full of seemingly random rock formations and unnamed peaks.  I told myself that if I didn't find a way through these mountains ahead of me by 1pm, I would retrace my steps and head back, assuming I could find the way. I also had an extra 2L of water just in case I had to stay an extra night out there.
So I started a scramble and bushwhack up the first set of mountains.  What stood before me was another cluster of mountains so I oriented my compass and headed to the top of the second set.  Fortunately, this area of JTNP was traversable without Class 4/5 excursions so it was pretty straightforward cross-country hiking.  At the top of the second set of mountains I saw another set in front of me.  This would repeat two more times and the entire time I'm headed due West. Finally, I reach an area that is a high plateau and look on my map and estimate where my current location is and then I head due south hoping in a couple of cross country miles that I'll hit an old dirt road.  Sure enough after I finally reach the southern border of the mountains I glance upon Covington Flat and see the thin sliver of dirt road.  Finding the best option of descent I scramble and weave my way through loose sandstone boulders and sharp desert fauna (evidenced by several lodged pricks in my calf and thigh) to finally hit the road.  What was supposed to be a routine day turned out to be one little mini-adventure. I was slightly worried at one point but kept myself focused and moving.  Even though I've done some cross-country travel before I'm usually with another person so this was my true first solo cross country experience. I certainly came out of it the better for it and thank goodness for a compass. As for the pack, well I didn't take it off once from 630am-430pm; I didn't notice it, even with 4L of water.

Mt. San Jacinto 

Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy)

Cool little ridge walk

Silver Cholla Cactus

Brittlebush

Lunch

Water Cache

Very windy night didn't allow for much sleep

Moon setting with Mt. Baldy in the distance

Lost all signs of a path

Starting to x-country the first set of mountains

  

Calico Ghost Town 50km Trail Race

Coming down with an injury after the last trail run put me in a 6 week zone of recovery, cross-training, and wondering when my next run would be.  After the first couple of successful weeks of running post-injury I began my search.  Before I make a commitment to any race I look for the uniqueness of the race and whether I've done it before. If I'm going to plunk down $50-70 per race on my student budget then it should be a unique and worthwhile experience.  So I happened upon this race in the Mojave desert starting/ending in a ghost town while running in the surrounding desert mountains. Uniqueness: check, new run: check. Megan would be running the 30km race there too.

I reserved a campground spot adjacent to the town to make a fun mini-trip out of it and save us the hassle of driving the 2.5 hours out there in the very early morning. Thanks to this bizarre weather, high 75/low 43 in the dead of winter, we slept under the stars.

Early Morning

The race started at 7am sharp with everyone gathering in the middle of Calico excited to get moving.  The first two miles had us on Ghost Town Rd before turning off onto the dune buggy trails which caught me off guard with its sandy and rock-filled track. I was constantly looking for ground that was semi-firm so that I wouldn't sink 2-3 inches with each push-off. You can imagine how much more difficult it is to accelerate and maintain speed compared to a stable base, especially on a slight but steady climb.  The first 17 miles of the race followed these types of trails and through very rocky unmaintained washes which felt like off-trail scrambles at times.  This didn't allow for the development of running rhythms but that's a part of what makes trail runs unique, fun, and challenging.  I ran with Matt from Flagstaff until the 11.5 mile aid station and from then on was pretty much alone until the finish.  When I arrived at the 17 mile aid station I expected to pick up my drop-off bag that I had left at the start, which contained my GU Gels and Body Glide. However, the volunteers at the aid station said they didn't receive anything of the like.  So the gels that I had planned on using to off-set some the inevitable aches and slow down as the run progressed were not going to be there.  So I stuffed half a banana in my mouth and then moved on.  Near mile 19 Pat Sweeney caught up to me while wearing Luna Sandals, courtesy of Barefoot Ted, who happened to be running in this race as well. For any of you who have read Born To Run you know who he is.  Pat won the Palos Verdes Marathon with the sandals and when we briefly chatted he mentioned he PR'd in a 10K recently with them, but was now dealing with a small stress fracture and some achilles tenderness.  We spoke after the race and he talked about how the main thing is dealing with the pebbles that get caught under your foot during trail  runs. That guy has tough feet.  My 8oz x-country shoes held up really well during the entire run but they ultimately offer nothing in terms of stability on rocky terrain and you feel every rock you step on. There isn't much traction to begin with as well so they wear down much quicker than other shoes. With that being said they will continue to be the shoe-of-choice on my trail runs.

The Last Half Mile

With a headwind and lack of carbohydrates I started to slow down, evident by 3-4 runners passing me in between 21-24.  I got a boost when I reached the 27 mile aid station and one of the volunteers pointed to Calico 4.3 miles away. The next several miles were on the short but steep rolling hills of the Calico Mountains with it's greenish dirt and very cool dirt tunnels that I ran through.  Finally, after running up a 1/4 mile steep hill I finished back where I started, but with a new PR in the 50K of 4:51.47, besting my previous one by 30 minutes. To be fair, the other run had more elevation gain. That placed me 11th overall and 2nd in my 18-29 age group.

New 

Megan finished her second trail race ever 1st in the women's 30K, and 5th overall, in a time of 2:38 breaking the course record by 10 minutes. She received a comp into next year's 30K and we both received hand-painted saw blades for placing with out names, times, and place painted in.
All in all a very cool way to start the new year!

Hand painted saw blade awards

January 11-14: Colorado Winter

 Flew to Colorado to visit my backpacking buddy Joel Peach, whom I met and backpacked with on the 2nd half of my first JMT hike in 2006.  The next year we backpacked the Colorado Trail together and those experiences have created a deep friendship. I credit him for playing an important role in my life-altering decision to return to school in 2006.  When I first visited him in 2006 after the JMT we have started this tradition of coming up with adventures during the visit. True to form, Joel came up with a 1000km bike ride from Saigon to Hanoi in Vietnam during winter 2011-12.  Having been there once and, in my opinion, not fully experiencing what Vietnam had to offer I jumped on the plan! Coincidentally, one of my PT professors has been getting grants the past few years to go to Vietnam during the winter with several students to participate in an internship at a local hospital. Hopefully she gets that grant again because I'll just stay after that's done and go on the bike trip!
Not to get too far off track here are some photos from our snowshoeing trip in the Indian Peaks Wilderness and rappelling at the Golden Cliffs outside of Golden, CO.

Denver from Golden Cliffs (Photo: Joel Peach)

Fresh Powder (Photo: Joel Peach)

Joel on top of the snow covered boulders

Sandstone-like Snow

Indian Peaks Wilderness outside Nederland

Lost Lake

(Photo: Joel Peach)

(Photo: Joel Peach)

Golden Cliffs (Photo: Joel Peach)