On July 26th, my last 10 weeks of training culminated in a 16 mile trail race at the beautiful Salt Point State Park. 25 of us Camped over night among the 103 sites 18 miles north of the Town of Jenner. The area is popular with Abalone divers alon the rugged coastline.  But I was covering 2500 vertical feet from that coast up to and along the ridge top, 3 miles inland.

The trail for the first mile reminded me of an elk trail complete with down logs and creek crossings.  We topped out on the Prairie and sidehilled untill we ran along Kruse Ranch Road for a couple miles.  I filled up on water and began the first downhill portion to Stump Beach, running down the wide single track through the trees. 

I finished the first 9 mile loop in 1 hour and 45 minutes.  That was significantly better than I had run the training run there a few weeks earlier.  I was happy as I neared the Start line at the end of the first loop.

I filled my water bottle once more and grabbed a couple salt tablets before I began the second loop.  Once more I would climb 1700 feet to the Prairie.  This time though, I didn’t have the pep in my step I did a couple hours earlier.  I walked nearly all of the Uphill portion, and fought off cramping calves until the salt pills were adequetely absorbed in my body.  Looking back, I should have taken them earlier. 

Once I hit the Pygmy Forest, I was able to shuffle into a run and I even managed to pass another runner along the way.

By now I could “smell the barn” and I gave it every thing I had. I knew I was going to finish under 3:30:00, so I pushed hard throught the pain and exhaustion to kick it for the finish.

I crossed the Finish at 03:21:07, and “spiked” my water bottle in triumph. Then I got dizzy and had to take a knee to catch my breath.

About 30 minutes later, I had re-hydrated, had a bowl of soup, a protein bar, 45 oz of fluid, changed into dry clothes and was ready to celebrate!

I have to give credit to all of my Coaches, and teammates for all their help, and support throughout the last 10 weeks.

Photos: John Pegram, Ruth DiDonna Taylor, Halley Eppinger, Patrick Temple, Susan Kellerer, Marc Strozyk, Shawn Sumpter, Jay and Linda Reed

Fleet Feet Staff and Coaches: Thanks for the great advice, shoes, service and inspiration; Marc, Erin, Chandra, Rhonda and Crew.

My Fellow Trail group teammates: Especially Robert, Jen, Jen, SueK, Hairy Zack, Bald Zach, Linda, Jay, Ruth, Julie, Jan, Stephen, and Chai,   thanks for challenging me and giving me inspiration.

To the WW reader,

Please excuse John from his regular writing schedule due to a number of complications. These include, a 16 mile trail race, the Sonoma County Fair, a market animal show and sale, and most recently a case of shingles that had sidelined John for a week.

We hope John will be back to his regular writing schedule, before he leaves for his Nevada Deer hunt August 8th.

From the Idaho Fish and game News release:

DNA is a powerful tool.

Preliminary results of saliva from one of the bite marks where a female grizzly bear bit a hunter on June 28 returned a match to a radio-collared grizzly with three cubs.

The hunter was one of three eastern Idaho black bear hunters who got an unpleasant surprise on the morning of June 28 when their hounds surrounded a female grizzly with cubs.

The bear took after the hunters, knocked down Keith Klingler, 38 of Idaho Falls, bit him on the right arm and tossed him around. His brother, Eric Klingler dug his .44-caliber Magnum handgun out of his pack and took a shot at the bear, deliberately firing high to avoid hitting his brother.

He may have missed or only inflicted a flesh wound. A scheduled Idaho Fish and Game grizzly bear monitoring flight in early July in the same area located the collared bear and her three young cubs. All four appeared fine, said Daryl Meints, regional wildlife manager for the Upper Snake Region of Idaho Fish and Game.

Keith Klingler was treated at Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg for lacerations to his right arm. He had no other apparent injuries.

The Klingler brothers and Corey Raichart, all three from the Idaho Falls area, were hunting black bears with hounds on Bishop Mountain near Harriman State Park. They released their hounds on a scent, and the dogs soon surrounded what the men thought was a black bear. When they arrived, they quickly realized they had a grizzly.

The hunters reported seeing two cubs with the female grizzly. None of them noticed whether the bear was wearing a radio-collar.

Fish and Game officials will continue weekly monitoring from the air, but they do not plan to track the bear on the ground unless they get a mortality signal. Officials also recommend that anyone heading into the backcountry carry bear spray.

Truth is, I’ve been on the run.  Literally.

Sunday mornings have been dedicated to training runs in preparation for a 26k (15.6 mile) trail run on July 26th.  All in the name of better conditioning for my bowhunting ventures this Fall.  (You can thank Cameron Hanes for spurring me on.)

Here is a week by week look at the Sunday runs I’ve been a part of with the Trail Group from Fleet Feet- Santa Rosa.  From a “short” 8 miler to a long run of 15 miles, I’ve been getting my heart and lungs tuned up as well as my hips and legs along the uneven trails of Sonoma County State Parks. 

The 20-35 miles per week has added up since the program started in May.  My shoes have endured about 225 miles, and are showing signs of wear.  While most stereotypical road runners can get up to 500 miles on a pair of running shoes, my 225 pound frame accelerates the foam cushioning deterioration.  I’m afraid the Salt Point Trail run will be this pair of New Balance 859’s farewell run.

A major two-year wildlife habitat improvement project in Costilla County in south-central Colorado is aimed at keeping elk in forested meadowland and off of the pastures below.

The project, which will create more than 700 acres of new meadow habitat, is a cooperative effort of the Dos Hermanos Ranch, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and the Mount Blanca Habitat Partnership Committee. Ron Rivale, a district wildlife manager in the area, explained that traditional elk winter range in this area in the western foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains has become densely forested. Consequently, elk move from the mountains in the fall onto high-value pasture in the valley between the New Mexico border and the town of San Luis.

“The elk herd is pretty big in the area and they can do a lot of damage to pasture and hay stacks,” Rivale said. “With this project we’ll open up some areas that we believe will keep the elk in a better location.”

The large mower grinds down a tree at the Dos Hermanos Ranch in Costilla County. The mower is being used to thin about 700 acres of thick forest to create wildlife meadows at the ranch in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains south of San Luis.

During spring and early summer in the last two years, the Dos Hermanos Ranch has worked with a private contractor to clear more than 700 acres of thickly-forested land. The dense growth prevented grasses and smaller plants from growing; consequently there was little forage available for big game animals. By clearing areas in a mosaic pattern, a series of meadows have been created that will be attractive to elk. With sunlight now getting to the ground, shrubs, grasses and aspen trees can grow–all of which provide food for elk, explained Jim Webb of Forest Steward Concepts, a Monte Vista-based consulting company that designed the cutting plan.

“The forest was decadent. There was no forage in those areas, just pine needles and downed timber,” Webb said. “Now we’re getting lush growth. Elk utilized the newly cut areas last winter.”

Ron Rivale (left) with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, looks on as Brian Rue of Rue Logging in South Fork, explains how the large-scale mower is used to thin overgrown forest.

The cutting work was done by Rue Logging, based in South Fork. The company used a large-scale mowing machine that can reduce shrubs and trees to splinters in a matter of minutes.

The new meadows also provide a safer environment for the elk, Rivale said. In the pasture, elk are fully exposed and they must be on a constant lookout for predators. In the meadows, the elk can move easily into the thick forest if they perceive any danger.

Earl Valdez, manager of the 11,500-acre Dos Hermanos Ranch, said that the new meadows also will help reduce fire danger. In the past, natural wildfires helped to thin the forest and open up areas for wildlife. But now that the area is settled, most fires are put out as quickly as possible.

“Much of the ranch is forested and we are concerned about a devastating fire,” Valdez said. “With this project we’ll reduce that risk, help the wildlife and keep elk out of our pastures and our neighbors’ pastures.”

This a large-scale habitat improvement project and will cost about $240,000 which is being shared by the HPP program and the ranch owners.

“We’ve been working on solutions to this problem for a few years,” Rivale said. “All of the land in Costilla County is private, so we need to work closely with the landowners to find solutions.”

The effectiveness of the meadow areas will be evaluated again this winter and more areas on the ranch could be cleared next spring.

The Habitat Partnership Program is authorized by the Colorado Wildlife Commission and the Colorado Legislature to resolve conflicts between agricultural producers and wildlife, and to assist the DOW in meeting game management objectives. Local HPP committees meet regularly to review and fund projects to assist private landowners. More information about the HPP program can be obtained by calling the local DOW office or by going on the DOW’s website: http://wildlife.state.co.us/LandWater/PrivateLandProgram/.

While enjoying the three day weekend I stumbled across a new show on The Outdoor Channel 

On Your Own Adventures  is the project of Randy Newberg, a lifelong hunter who saw an opportunity to showcase DIY hunts on public land.  Randy describes it as:

On Your Own Adventures is the only hunting TV show dedicated exclusively to non-guided hunting – your style of hunting. Any hunt you see on our show is a hunt you can do. It takes extra effort and cost to produce high quality hunting episodes outside of high fences or without the benefit of outfitters and the private estates that most shows depict.
 
But, we did it. We hope you like it. It is our best effort to tell the story of hunting as experienced by the average hunter – Reality Hunting.

The OYOA website allows viewers to interact with Randy in his Blog, called Randy’s Rants, and the Hunt Talk forum  where members can discuss the episodes and hunting on your own.

After watching the first episode, I was impressed by the quality of the production.  It was a Wyoming Elk hunt, complete with bugling bulls, and made more difficult by competing public land hunters, and severe weather which required moving camp and finding a new spot.  These are things most self sufficient hunters can identify with and will recognize.

  If you would like to catch this unique hunting  show, the airtimes are:

 Friday – 1:30  pm (Eastern Times)

Saturday – 12:00 am (midnight Friday)

Sunday – 5:00 pm