Feature Friday: Black Mtn Backpacking Trip Recap

Happy Friday! Look at me- I’m blogging twice in one week! I can’t remember the last time that I did this…maybe not since last year? I wanted to do a blog post about our backpacking trip that we did a few weeks ago to Black Mountain in Jackson, NH. First of all- we love Jackson. Kinda obsessed with it. It’s such a quant little New England-esque town and if you are looking for somewhere to visit in the White Mountains, I highly suggest going there! We booked this campsite via the Recreation.Gov app on my phone-> so easy to have all of my information saved in there and to easily browse campsites/cabins. This hike wasn’t too long (1.3 miles with just over 1,000’ elevation gain) and the parking lot was easy to find with the directions that were included in our email confirmation.

The trail was very well-marked and it took us about 40 minutes to get up to the cabin. We didn’t see anyone else on the trail which was amazing. We also had a bit of service at the top which was nice to still have the capability of using our phones, but not wanting to actually use them!

It was also really nice to have a cabin to stay at rather than bringing our tent with us (less weight)!

We had the most amazing view of Mt. Washington at the top as well. We could actually see the view from the top of the bunkbed -> it was an inexpensive place for a stellar view.

It wasn’t overly cold out the night that we camped, but had to take advantage of the wood shed next to the cabin and had a fire in the stove. It was so nice and toasty in there.

There were four rooms with each having one set of bunkbeds and everything was in really great shape.

I could see this cabin being a lot of fun with a group of friends in the winter (more body heat too)! You can book it throughout the winter, skin up to the cabin, and then ski down. I’ve always been really interested in doing something like that, but it also frightens me a bit because I do NOT like being cold (so winter camping = I just think of it as being really cold).

We ended up bringing our own water, but there was supposedly a water site near the cabin (we never did end up finding it, but I just don’t think we went far enough). There was also a really nice newly built composting privy there for the ladies (if you don’t enjoy going in the woods, which doesn’t really bother me too much - just as long as we bring a good shovel) and the cabin itself was really clean. We did bring some cleaning supplies (because COVID), however felt safe while in the cabin.

We watched the sunrise right from our front doorstep and brought our jet boil to make some dinner. It was so peaceful just being in the outdoors, but also feeling like we were ‘stepping up’ from camping in our usual tent too.

The hike down was a lot faster (took us something like 30 minutes), since it was basically all downhill. I think that it would be pretty fun to ski down it!

We definitely need to work on packing our packs lighter next time (hello, we’re two overpackers here), but it certainly was great cross-training! The cabin was $40 for the night and our reservation included the entire cabin (a steal compared to the ones in Colorado like this were usually over $100!).

Race Recap, Life Updates, and What's Next?

I’M BACK! Life has been absolutely crazy these past 5 weeks including 6 final exams, a 10k race, goal setting for the Fall, and researching a million different wedding venues.

You can find my Beach to Beacon 10k Race Recap HERE.

It’s also included a whole lot of ice cream because- SUMMER. Maine/New Hampshire friends -> Sherman’s Farm is a MUST for both ice cream and fresh veggies/ produce. Such a nice little New England luxury we have so close to home!

I’ve also been brainstorming a lot on what my next goals for running are. I love a good challenge, so I decided to take my next ‘big thing’ to train for to my social feeds and the result was…unexpected…scary….exhilarating to think about!

SO I’ve been researching 100 mile races and tentatively might have found one. Still deciding, but it’s also been pretty fun to break out my road bike and get in some cardio in a different aspect of training too.

I really like the idea of doing an ironman, but also really love the idea of trying to complete a 100 miler. I already have everything I need for the 100 and I could do the same 50 miler I did this year as a good training part for the 100. I’m still debating it, but thinking my ironman dreams may be going on the back burner for a little bit.

Speaking of going on a back burner - that also includes Netflix, casual reading (unless the 3 pages I make it through before bed), and cooking from scratch has all been put on the back burner as well. I’ve been all about studying, schoolwork, teaching skating, and trying to still move in to our house in my spare time! I’m down to 3 classes now (all online), so I’m not commuting at the moment (normally I was commuting 1 hr each way 4 times a week)- which definitely saves me a lot of time. My classes will end in 2 weeks and then I’ll have a week off before my Fall classes begin (three semesters LEFT!). It’s exciting to think that my hardest semester will be behind me once these end (this summer I’ve heard is the most challenging).

SPEAKING of goals- I think I’ll need a whole lot more of THESE from our local Country Market (they have the most amazing organic products for $2 or $3!!) to help me reach my next upcoming Fall races!

I signed up for my next two races yesterday, so it’s official! I did need to drop out of the Chicago Marathon because it just was not feasible considering my schooling schedule right now. I would want to spend a few days exploring the city post-race and purchase all of the race merchandise, which it wouldn’t have happened had I gone there this year. I know my time will come and it will be amazing. I’ve got the White Mountain Milers Half Marathon coming up next month (it’s our local half marathon, so I HAD to do it) and then I’ve got the Loco Marathon (!!!) at the end of October (it’s another relatively local race and perfect time of year). It feels so good to have some ‘concrete’ set goals for the Fall because it helps take my mind off of the schooling I have! It’s also nice to look forward to something other than classes/studying.

My HOPE is to get back on track with blogging (I think this should be more feasible considering my upcoming class schedule) in the near future. I love this space and hope to continue to improve and tailor it to my interests in the future.

On the wedding planning front- we’re BACK to finding a venue. We had originally found one, picked a date, and was getting ready to sign the contract when some red flags on the contract came up. There were a bunch of unexplained fees and items that were not discussed during the tour, so we decided to not go with it. SO unfortunately we’re back to trying to find something within our budget, researching a million different options, and trying to keep our spirits up that we will find the perfect spot soon. I have to admit that it felt REALLY GOOD when we did find something and had a date set, so I’m sure we’ll feel much more relieved when our time does come.

Anyways enough about me, what’s new with YOU?

-Favorite thing about Summer?

-Any nurses out there have any Pharmacology/ Pathophysiology tips?

-Favorite snack while marathon training?

Checking In: Keeping Track of My Mileage, Currently Obsessed Over, This Was Nice

HI! I’m HERE! Things have finally FINALLY settled down a bit, but WOW am I surprised at how crazy-busy life has been lately. Between moving things in, having our first guests visit (Alex’s parents), two exams in one week, and running less-than-ever, I have really had NO free time. Any free time that I have had, I’ve been trying to fit in a run or maybe maybe five spare minutes to read before falling asleep.

As I’m typing this, I was questioning whether I even wrote my 50 miler race recap. Oy. I’m tired. I did, however, run one of my fastest 5ks ever!

We also made it on our first hike last weekend! Up Black Cap mountain and it was so nice. Hoping to get in another good hike this next weekend. I just really loving being in the mountains here whenever possible.

I also did a WHOLE LOT of studying last week. Probably way more time than I should have, but I’ve been loving all of my classes lately!

Gilmore Girls- always applicable in everyday life. Also, my view almost everyday:

I’m hoping to do a full recap of how the first 6 weeks of Nursing School has gone- so look for that at the end of the week. I certainly won’t be holding anything back or sugar-coating it all (if you were wondering). I’ve also been obsessing over ice cream stands and twists in a cone again. Soooo good.

I’ve also been skipping some runs lately. Don’t get me wrong- I LOVE to run, but I’m also really enjoying this new season in my life where I’m trying out other activities (hiking, cycling, strength training) and just generally enjoying the perks of not being in serious training mode. So, my sneakers may be in my car waiting for that run that I just never got to that day and I’m not worried.

"Disclaimer: I received an Strava Summit Membership to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

Since I’ve basically put all of my personal life stuff on hold lately, I’m also REALLY thankful for Strava to keep track of my weekly mileage.

Also, how cool is it that they partnered with my last race and the photos directly linked with my Strava account? I also really love how you can track so many activities (including YOGA!), it can keep track of your elevation gain (so awesome when you do races like Mt. Washington!), and get kudos from your friends after your activity (important when you run solo most of the time like me to still feel like you’re part of a community)!

I will have my Mt. Washington Road Race recap up for you tomorrow (look at me all organized again!) and hopefully my nursing school first 6-weeks experience and what it’s been like to leave a full-time salaried job to go back to school on Friday.

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How do you keep track of your running mileage?

Favorite thing about Summer?

Ice cream- soft or hard serve?!

Travel Thursday: Exploring Oregon- Recap of Our Trip!

Happy Friday-eve! This is the second-to-last day of my official #funemployment. It’s crazy how much faster the week goes by when you’ve got a free schedule as opposed to working all week?! Not really sure why that is, but I’ve been able to get a bunch of things done this week (including almost all of my runs already)! I’ve got some quick pick-ups to do today and hoping the snow/rain will hold off before I can get my run in later this morning. I’m also still reminiscing on our trip last week to Oregon and thought it would be fun to share the trip with you! I did a bunch of research before our trip to see what was on a ‘must-see’ list for the state and the time of year that we visited.

Luckily, the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival was still going on and it was on the drive to Eugene from Portland. I highly recommend stopping here if you can. We got there around 11am on a Saturday (it was a bit rainy), but honestly the lines & traffic were nowhere near where I anticipated they would be. We spent around 30 minutes here, but I could seeing spending the entire day there (and SO many cute dogs were there).

In Eugene, we were ALL about getting some delicious food post-Eugene Marathon and eating dinner at The Beer Stein did not disappoint. They had a crazy-good selection of beers, apps, and the steak salad really hit the spot (along with that delicious pretzel)! Highly recommend going here if Brewerys are your thing.

The best place we ate at all week was at Off the Waffle in Eugene. We went to the one in South Eugene and it had a great super relaxed vibe. The waffle was absolutely INCREDIBLE. Perfectly toasted on the outside and sweet/sugary on the inside. We also walked across the street to the used bookstore (if that’s your thing)- it was HUGE and so many incredible deals. I wish we had one of these close to us.

We left Eugene on Monday and traveled about an hour and a half west to Florence. We visited the Sea Lion Caves and it was AMAZING. I cannot believe that there were over 200 sea lions just hanging out along the beach area. So cool to see them in their natural habitat.

We stayed the night in Florence at a hotel overlooking the ocean. Saw the most incredible sunset. It was perfect.

We left Florence on Tuesday and headed up the coast towards Cannon Beach. This was the longest drive we had of around 3.5 hours. It was such a scenic drive of the ocean for the majority of it and we stopped along the way to see Heceta Lighthouse. The lighthouse was beautiful, but honestly the views of the ocean landscape and the seals were the best part (ha).

We kept going along our drive and the Tillamook Creamery was on our route so we just HAD to stop. It was a huge cafeteria/gift-shop area and the amount of ice cream options they had was incredible. I got the S’mores flavor and it was incredible. My mom got the cold brew flavor and it was also delicious. We also got a grilled cheese, which was the creamiest, richest, cheesiest grilled cheese I’ve ever had.

We stayed the night in Seaside along the ocean again (about a 1/4 mile from the beach area) and it was a great place to run along the beach and their boardwalk. Super cute homes there as well to look at. We went to Cannon Beach the next morning and that was so beautiful.

The drive on Wednesday back to Portland from Seaside was pretty fast - around an hour. We stopped first at Blue Star donuts at one of their downtown locations. The donuts were pretty good- heavier than other donuts I’ve had- and really interesting savory flavors. It reminded me of some really indulgent cakes, where you can’t exactly finish the slice, but the bites you are able to have are real good.

The last stop on our travels was to Columbia River Gorge and Multonmah Falls. SO stunning and the pictures do not do it justice. Unfortunately the hike to the top of the Falls was closed when we were there, but luckily the crowds were minimal and the drive to the falls from Portland was also extremely scenic. I could see spending several days here to visit and hike through all of the vast outdoor space this area had. I definitely want to go back.

Pre-Race Vegas Recap & WHICH IS BETTER?!?!?

Friday is tomorrow and I cannot wait for the weekend. It was a short week for me, but it honestly felt like those 3 days were actually more like 10 or more… Saturday will be a complete lazy day for me. I actually aspire to not change out of my sweats the entire day. I also will be reading more of my new Library book Shoe Dawg by Phil Knight and I’m completely obsessed with this book.

SOURCE

I figured the next best way to get me through the rest of this week (besides staying on vacation) was to recap my trip for you! So here’s recap of what we did leading up to the 5k. I’ll have a 5k recap for you tomorrow and 13.1 recap for you on Monday. I flew into Las Vegas Wednesday morning and got there around 10:30. My mom & gram flew into the airport around 11:30 that morning so I did a lot of people-watching at the baggage claim waiting for them to arrive. Then it was straight to get the rental car & then the nearest In-N-Out.

YUM. So tasty. I’m not sure if it’s better than Five Guys, but it certainly tasted really good. We then drove 4 hours to Grand Canyon- South Rim and thanks to the time-change (daylight savings + Grand Canyon being in AZ), we arrived there after dark around 5:30. Boo. We were all pretty exhausted so we went to bed early and then got up the next morning for a run (my mom & I did).

Running in the Grand Canyon (we did the Rim Trail, which spans over 7 miles one way?!?) was SO beautiful. It was not a pancake-flat run, but oh so beautiful. I cannot get over these run views!

Our stay at the Kachina Lodge was perfect (the Rim is literally out the front door of the lodge), but parking for it was really challenging (especially arriving there in the dark). We drove around several times before we found where we needed to check-in and then drove around some more to find a parking spot.

After our run, we walked over the Canyon edge and saw a baby fox just curled up on the ledge! How cute is he?!?

We also did the Desert View Drive, which I can’t recommend enough. So many great viewpoints and also apparently you may see a Mountain Lion?!?

I had never been to the Watchtower on Desert View Drive and it was so beautiful! Not just the views, but really the history itself really interested me.

We drove back to Vegas Thursday late afternoon and checked into our hotel, the Flamingo. At first I was a bit hesitant on switching to a different hotel this year, but I really liked the Flamingo. The casino itself didn’t smell as cigarette-smoky as others and the rooms had recently been renovated. They had a great flat screen TV, shower was awesome, and the location itself along the strip was great (especially close to the finish line of the 10k/half/full marathon).

On Friday, we went to the Expo (I’ll include the recap of that tomorrow with 5k recap), returned the rental car, went to the Premium North Outlets (didn’t see much to purchase), and then went to see Celine Dion in concert!

I’ve been a HUGE fan of Celine since I was maybe 9 or 10 so it was amazing to see her perform live. I was so excited that I actually TEARED UP when she started singing?!? Anyone else ever get emotional when they heard their childhood favorite artist (or just favorite artist in general) perform?!

Also sporting my $10 jacket that I scored at the Gap Outlet that morning!

Also my mom looks like she isn’t a day over 40?!?!

We slept in on Saturday and prepped for the 5k!

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In-N-Out or Five Guys?

Favorite childhood singer or artist?

What are you currently reading?