Buttes and Trail Runs!

I have been bad about updating on our adventures.  In my defense, the last few months I've had a lot of life thrown at me which has kept me hopping on top of the start of the school year.  

On Saturday, September 13th, Joe and I did a quick day trip over to Bend and did Big Butte #6.  Overturf Butte was one of the easier Buttes we did.  Started on the outskirts of Bend and actually followed one of the main roads into town.  The climb wasn't very steep and it was a lot of cement walking trail for most of the way.  

My watch was being a bit weird so the map of the climb didn't load.  But Joe's worked so this is the route and details.  

It was a beautiful day and we had a great hike followed by a great lunch at GoodLife Brewing so we could redeem one of our Big Butte Challenge tokens.  

The next weekend we decided we were going to try and get the last three hikes done for the Big Butte Challenge.  We headed over with the travel trailer and stayed at the Thousand Trails outside of Sunriver.  We made a plan to do Paulina Peak one day and then see about doing two hikes the next day.  

The Paulina Peak hike was very beautiful and very steep.  I did really well for the first mile and half and then I started to struggle.  

The views at the top were spectacular!  

I had a procedure done earlier in the week and thought it had been long enough that I would be fine.  My body had a different opinion.  I made it to the top but I didn't feel good at all.  I was dizzy, nauseous and hurting.  I wasn't sure how I was going to make it back down the trail to the car.  

While I went to the restroom my wonderful husband asked a very sweet couple who had driven to the top if they would give us a lift back down to our truck.  They were wonderful and moved things out of the back seat to make room for us and hauled us down to our truck.  They were from Washington and staying in the campground by the lake.  I was so grateful because I felt really awful and it would have been a long slow hike back to the truck if we had to walk it.  

I made the decision to tap out on doing the last two Buttes.  My body was not pleased with me and it wasn't going to recover enough for me to feel good about doing two more stout hikes.  So Joe took off the next day and did back to back hikes to get the last two done.  (He's a stud like that!)  He did Tumalo Mountain and Vista Butte on his own and kicked ass as usual.  

I stayed in the trailer with the pup and did several walks around the campground and read a lot of my book and let my body actually work on recovering.  It was a lovely day, even if it wasn't exactly what I had originally planned.  

When Joe got back and cleaned up we headed into Bend for another brewery to redeem another token.  

We had a great weekend (other than not feeling good for the hike) and it was nice to get away and spend time outside.  

Today we went to Silver Falls State Park for a local adventure.  Joe had a three hour trail run on his schedule.  I just wanted time on the trails as we are getting close the Silver Falls Trails Race Weekend.  I haven't been getting out and putting miles on my feet like I have wanted to (all that life that I'm dealing with) because I've been pretty tired after work.  This has made me a little concerned about the 7 miler I'm supposed to do on November 1st.  

But today was a lot of fun and I'm feeling so much better about the race.  

Joe took off to go run his three hours.  I had the keys and my plan was to do about three miles and just see how I felt.  So I followed the Meadow Ridge Trail into the canyon and then took the Canyon Trail back toward the South Falls.  I decided to trot where I could and walk where it made sense and just enjoy the day.  I didn't set any speed records but I ran more than I thought I could.  This route pops you out on the Canyon trail below the Lower South Falls.  About half a mile in I stopped and took off some layers.  I had a coat on with a raincoat over that.  I ended up with the coat around my waist and the raincoat tucked into the straps of my camelbak.  Menopausal women running in a tank top in the rain and I was still warm.  lol  

Lower South Falls

Behind the falls.

Looking back at Lower South Falls from the stairs.

This means that part of working your way back out of the canyon involves stairs, lots and lots of stairs.  One hundred and ninty two steps in total going up.  The last time I went up those steps it was super hard and hurt badly and I could hardly breath.  This time I had my treking poles which helped support my knees.  I didn't go super fast but I was consistent and was able to keep my breath steady.  

The fall colors were amazing!  

As I got closer to the South Falls I started seeing more and more people.  Joe and I had been on the trails by 8:15 am but now it's after 9:00 am and more people are starting their hikes.  Glad I was almost done!

South Falls

Selfie on the bridge with South Falls in the background.

I love how you can walk behind the falls.

View from the other side.

Looking down river at all the beautiful fall colors.

I made my way up the switchback trail to get to the top of the falls.  I took this slow and steady and did much better here than I thought I would as well.  

View of South Falls near the top.

Top of South Falls, you can see the bridge I did my selfie on to the right.

On the trail heading back to the truck.  

I jogged down the trail along the creek until I got to the parking lot and then cooled down in the parking lot until I got to the truck.  

Feeling pretty good about this run!

This was the first time in a really long time where I felt like I pushed myself and it felt really good.  I worked hard, but my breathing was not as difficult as it has been, even going up the stairs or the steep switchbacks.  My knee didn't get super pissed off.  I felt like I was working hard but not that I was going to be broken when I was done.  

I just enjoyed the day.

I enjoyed challenging myself (which I haven't truly felt in a while).

I enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  

I enjoyed the cooler weather.  

Hoping I can manage more time on my feet during the week and also get some more trail runs in on the weekends before race day.  

But today was amazing Trail Therapy so I'm taking the win!