Ridgeline Trail conditioning test

The weather was unstable and the night before it rained hard for OR. With my sinuses still not back to normal the thought of getting caught in rain far from home was not high on my list. Plus, after a couple illnesses, my conditioning is not quite normal, and a Ridgeline Trail conditioning test seemed legit.

I did not pass the test, completely … I ran out of gas on the third Spencer Top and had to turn around at the stone steps. My goal was 20+ miles and 3 Spencer Tops – close, but no cigar.

The Route

Started at Spring Blvd TH with headlamp on for about 20 minutes. From there to Spencer Top, then down to S. Willamette TH and back to Spencer Top; then down to Blanton Ridge TH back to Spencer Top (but only to start of stone stairs), then back to Spring Blvd TH.

One common encounter near Spring Blvd TH is a trail runner – almost always between 6:30 -7:00. I know it’s the same person as he wears a headlamp and a lamp on each hand. It’s crazy to watch the hands coming at you down the hill.

Trail conditions were ideal. A bit muddy, a bit of water, some slippery leaves, but soft on the feet. Human traffic was lower than typical, but dog traffic higher.

Breaking thru the clouds

The sun struggled to break through the clouds for quite some time, but then when it broke thru … amazing.

Data Geek Corner

• Shoes: Altra WP Lone Peak lowers
• Pack: Yar.gear Ultra 38L – full shoulder season kit
• Upper Layers: 2 (base layer, med fleece)
• Upper shell: no
• Trekking Poles: yes
• Approximate Times: 6:30 to 13:15
• Carbon ratio: .5 total driving – 1.5 target, 6.5 actual – 98.4 banked YTD