Hiking in Refrigerator Canyon

One thing I really love about Montana is the access we have to the great outdoors. All across the state, there is excellent hiking and outdoor recreation. Jeff and I decided to take advantage of this access with a nice hike last Sunday to celebrate our anniversary weekend. We did about 10 miles on the Refrigerator Canyon Trail near Helena. This post contains a lot of photos, and I hope you'll enjoy looking through them. 

Within about a quarter mile, you find yourself hiking through a slot canyon. This is the actual Refrigerator Canyon and it was easy to understand why it was so-named. The canyon was much cooler than the surrounding environs, and a cool breeze was whipping through as well. I imagine it would feel very refreshing on a hot day. 

Here's a photo looking back toward the slot canyon once we had left it--

The wildflowers were blooming in great abundance along the trail. One of my favorites, Indian Paintbrush is below. There were many other flowers all along the trail as we hiked. And interesting to notice different flowers and plants as we climbed in elevation. 

The trail was a gentle uphill climb, mostly through forrest. Nothing too strenuous, but work nonetheless. 

At about two miles, there's a nice overlook with a rail fence. It would be a great spot for a picnic and a good turnaround spot for a shorter hike. Also nice for photo ops! 

We decided to press on and go a little further. 

After a while, we entered the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness Area, which is different from National Forrest in that no motorized vehicles are allowed in Wilderness Areas in Montana. There are a few more protections to preserve the land as it occurs. 

We kept trucking along and came to another scenic vista. Neat to see how far we had come!

When we planned our hike and left the car, we intended to do between 6 and 8 miles of hiking. We had read about a trail junction that we thought was about three miles in, and decided that would be our decision point. Turns out, the trail sign was actually four miles in, not three. At this point, we thought we were close to cresting the ridgeline and wanted to try to go for that accomplishment, so we went on, still uphill. 

After continuing on switchbacks for a another half hour or so, we started to feel like we would never reach the top of the ridge in a timely manner, and we'd already done more than we had planned. We decided to go back to the trail junction sign and stop for a snack. The downhill effort to get back to the trailhead took about half the time as the uphill climb, not surprisingly, but our legs were completely shot by the time we got there. Thankfully the wildflowers kept our spirits high!

This is a plant that I was told is called "Mountain Sunflower," but I'm not sure what it's official name is. It's cheery and so pretty. 

We encountered very few people on the trail on the way up. We did see one older gentleman with his dog at the trailhead as we headed out and spoke to him a bit. He was planning a multi-day hiking and backcountry camping excursion and was getting his gear organized as we struck out. He said he had hiked the trail "probably fifty times," and knew it very well. We didn't see another person until we had turned around and started heading down. Then, the closer we got to the trailhead, the busier the trail became. We did run into the older gentleman again and he asked how our hike was. We described how we had turned around at a point that we thought was just below the ridgeline and he confirmed that we were close, but also said that once you get to the top, there isn't a good view of anything anyway, and that we had already seen the best views by that point. That made us feel better about turning around a little early. Then he asked us, "Are you going to the York Bar for a burger?" In my mind, I thought, "Yes, Definitely!" even though we hadn't planned on it at all. At that point, a hamburger sounded too good to pass up. The man said they were really good. We thanked him and wished him well on his hike.

We made it back to our car about four hours after we had left, and were pretty tired and hungry from our effort on the trail. Jeff and I deliberated if we should stop and have a hamburger in York, which is a tiny, tiny town that you drive through between the trailhead and Helena/Interstate, or if we wanted to just get gas station snacks and get on the road for home. As we drove back down the canyon and hunger set in strong, we decided we had better stop. Plus, it's probably bad karma to ignore on-trail advice from a seasoned veteran, right? 

Pulling in at the bar, the patio was full of people. A good sign that this was the place to be. Then we walked around to the front and were greeted with this-- absolutely classic small-town Montana, right here. It's not just the York Bar, it's "The Friendly York Bar." We instantly knew we had made the right decision to stop.

 The atmosphere inside was very much a friendly, small-town Montana rustic bar. It was just perfect. The hamburger and onion rings tasted pretty good after our efforts on the trail, too. If you're ever in the area, definitely stop at the York Bar. It's definitely a slice of good old Montana Americana.

And if you're in the Helena area, the Refrigerator Canyon trail is a good one to consider hiking. We really enjoyed our hike and would definitely plan to do it again and recommend it to others. Gotta love Montana!

Governor's Cup Race Recap

It has been a whirlwind of a weekend and it's not even over yet! One of the biggest highlights of the weekend and the summer so far for Jeff and me was competing in the Governor's Cup races in Helena yesterday morning. It's only been about 36 hours since we ran, so the entire experience is still completely fresh in my mind. Perfect time to write and share a race recap!

Running toward the Montana Capital Building in Governor's Cup 2105.
(The camera was crooked--the building is straight!)

About Governor's Cup
The Governor's Cup race event is considered to be one of the premiere running events in Montana, and it has been going since 1974, so it's probably also one of the longest-running running events. There are many race distances to choose from: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, and Kids Run, so there is something for everyone. This year they had something like 3200 people participating, which is really big for Montana. (I'm looking forward to the day I can describe a running event in Montana as just being "really big" and not needing to add "for Montana." Someday!) The Marathon is a Boston Qualifier and attracts some really great competition, as do the other race distances. All distances finish in downtown Helena on Last Chance Gulch, with the 5K and 10K routes being run right around downtown. The Marathon begins in Marysville, MT and the Half begins half way to Helena from Marysville. The Governor's Cup website is excellent, so if you're looking for more information, definitely check that out.

Packet Pickup/Expo
Jeff and I got to town mid-afternoon on Friday. We stayed at the Best Western Great Northern Hotel which was very nice and within walking distance of the race events. After checking in, we did just that and walked to the Packet Pickup and Expo held at the Holiday Inn on Last Chance Gulch. Packet Pickup was very well organized and efficiently run. It took no time for us to retrieve our packets. Not a lot of swag in the packets- mostly coupons for Helena-area business. Nice race t-shirts, though. A cotton-poly blend in a beautiful blue for 5K and 10K participants. The Full and Half Marathoners received something that was more technical. I'd rather have this style, anyway. :)

5K/10K t-shirt style. Women's has a v-neck. Mens is crew. Featuring the Governor's Cup logo. 

Truth be told, I expected there to be more booths at the Expo than there were. Also, some of the people had already packed up by the time we got there (including the Team Beef booth!), which was around 4:30 (Expo went until 6). But we did scoop the loop and visit with the people who were still there. I spent the most time at the Sole Sisters booth because the lady was really nice and knowledgeable about her product, and she carried a lot of Oiselle, which you all know I'm obsessed with. I bought some arm-warmers from her to wear the next morning for the race. Jeff also bought a nice Brooks hat to wear for the race at one of the other booths.

Run The Edge
This year, the organizers of Governor's Cup arranged for a motivational speaker presentation on Friday evening: Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher of Run The Edge. I wasn't familiar with Tim Catalano prior to the evening, but I did know who Adam Goucher was, primarily because, again, I'm obsessed with Oiselle and his wife Kara Goucher is one of their Elite Sponsored Athletes. Adam and Tim are both excellent runners in their own right and were also very good speakers. They were funny, I really learned a lot from their talk, and they definitely motivated me. Jeff agreed that he liked them, too.

Tim Catalano (left) and Adam Goucher (right) of Run The Edge.

Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher presenting some points from their website and book, Run The Edge.

The main theme was that many of the lessons and best practices that help us to be better runners also help us to better our lives and make our lives and our running extraordinary. I couldn't agree more with this philosophy and I got a lot of takeaways from their talk that I can use myself and in coaching Track. I could do an entire blog post about just the ninety minute presentation they gave. I plan to order their book and follow their website, so I'm sure you all will hear more about Run The Edge in the future! If you ever get a chance to see these guys speak, don't miss it!

Pre-Race
I'll be writing about the 10K primarily because that's the distance I ran. The 10K race started at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, a few blocks off Last Chance Gulch in downtown Helena. I know that in order to avoid digestion issues while running, I need about two hours between when I eat and when I run, so I woke up at 5:00 and had a PB and honey on whole wheat sandwich, some water, and coffee for breakfast. I took my time eating and getting ready (but I did have my outfit laid out the night before) before heading out.

Race Day Outfit: Teem Beef jersey, Oiselle Embossed Roga Shorts, Oiselle Chevrona Verazzano Bra, Oiselle Herringbone Arm-warmers (purchased at the expo), Asics shoes, Fits socks, and Athleta headband.

Our hotel was .7 mile from the start line, so I jogged over for a warmup. I was really grateful for my new arm warmers because it was about 50 degrees outside at that time and slightly breezy. My over-exuberance for making sure I have "enough time" before a race got the better of me for this one and I was just about the first person to arrive, at about 6:15. Plenty of time to get in some more warm up and hit the outhouse before the race.

Heather Lieberg
As I was coming back toward the starting area from another of my warm up jogs, I noticed someone in a Oiselle sweatshirt. I didn't need a second glace to see that it was Heather Lieberg, an elite runner who is also sponsored by Oiselle! The Helena newspaper did this really nice write-up on Heather last fall that I highly suggest you read: No Slowing Her Down. The article details Heather's rise to elite-level running. Heather ran the LA Marathon earlier this spring where she placed fifth and qualified for the Olympic Trials. She is the course record-holder in both the Full and Half Marathon distances and this year would be competing in the 10K. I've been following Heather for several months and find her to be incredibly inspirational, so I walked over and introduced myself. She was so friendly and very gracious, even though I felt a bit awkward sort of fan-girling up to her. She also agreed to take a photo with me, which I thought was really nice. Heather, if you somehow ever stumble upon this blog and read this, just know that I think it was really cool that you took a moment out of your pre-race routine to say hi to a fan. It means a lot to me. :)

Me with Heather Lieberg, who runs for Oiselle.

The Race
Soon enough it was time to begin the race. Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher were there again for a few more words of wisdom prior to the gun, and then we were off! I clicked on my watch to get my splits as I crossed the magic-carpet (the race was chip-timed) and away we went.

We started going downhill, but then turned and went right back uphill, right toward the Helena Cathedral:

Helena Cathedral graced the opening vistas of the 5K and 10K races at the Governor's Cup.

The course continued around downtown, and included a lot of uphill and downhill, but nothing too steep or severe at this point. I had heard there was a monster hill around mile four, so I was trying to be a bit strategic with my start. I went out pretty good and my first mile split was 8:20, which I was happy with, but then I made the decision to slow down my pace just a bit so I'd have something for the big hill later. 

The Montana Capital Building. This was actually the first time I've ever seen this building.

I focused a lot on my breathing pattern during this entire race as I've been trying to work on breath-based training in my workouts, too. In miles two and three my pace was a little slower and I used a 3-3 or a 2-3 breathing pattern, trying to save a little energy for later. I missed the mile-markers in there, so I missed marking my splits (an argument for a Garmin or Soleus GPS running watch), but I think I was about a minute slower than my opening mile for both mile two and three--somewhere around 9:15-9:20.

Continuing along in Mile 3 of Governor's Cup 10K. 

Not long after the above-photo, we turned back toward downtown and up the dreaded Broadway Hill. I was a little glad I hadn't gone out too hard because this hill really seemed like it "just wouldn't die," to quote a friend of mine who had run this course in a previous year. He wasn't wrong in his assessment. It really felt like it went on forever.  I thanked myself for having done some hill workouts in my training and told myself I was strong enough to handle it.

Then, somehow, we were turning back toward downtown, running on shaded streets, and doing what seemed like a lot of downhill! Score! I knew we were nearing the end of the race. I was really trying to stride out and let loose a bit on the downhill sections at this point. I had looked at my watch and knew that my goal time, 54:01, which is my 10K PR time, would be difficult to make, but I had to try.

Coming back toward downtown in Governor's Cup 10K.
That orange-tank-top lady was back and forth with me the entire race. 

 Finally, the course turned left and we were heading up Last Chance Gulch toward the finish line. Only problem was... we were going UP Last Chance Gulch. I had prepared for the long hill earlier in the race, but to end on nearly half a mile of uphill was brutal. I looked at my watch and saw my goal time come and go and I still had a little more than 100 meters left in the race. I was disappointed, but wanted to finish strong. I scanned the crowd for Jeff and saw him toward the finish line, which was really helpful and motivating to me. I tried to give it everything I had for the finish and after what felt like the longest .3 miles ever, finally crossed the line. I finished with a time of 54:54.24.

Post Race
After crossing the finish line, they had water cups, orange slices and bananas. Jeff and I found a shady spot in the park-like area surrounding the finish, caught up with a few friends who had also done the race, and watched Full and Half Marathoners finish. We saw another friend from the HiLine finish her Half and congratulated her. We also saw the first place Marathoner finish, which was really cool. He didn't even look or act tired. Pretty impressive. I also saw Heather Lieberg being interviewed by a local news station.

Heather Lieberg, winner of the 10K, is interviewed by local news after completing Governor's Cup.

Speaking of Heather again, she finished with a time of 35:23.74. She won the 10K overall, besting second place (a man) by ten seconds, and the second place female by about three minutes. Pretty much domination. Amazing!  So yeah, if I drop twenty minutes or so off my time, I can be in the same category as her... ;)  Even though I didn't get my goal time of making a PR, I'm still overall happy with my race. I was within a minute on a challenging course.  

5K Race

Soon enough it was time for Jeff to head up to the start line of the 5K. I walked back up there with him and watched the start. Governor Bullock was the motivational guest speaker for the 5K. He had actually run the Half Marathon earlier in the morning and got a pretty good time, and then, after a brief speech, ran the 5K as well with his kids. I think it's fair to say we probably have the fittest Governor in the nation. He also ran Boston Marathon earlier this spring. Pretty cool. 

Governor Bullock on the stage with gray shirt, blue hat, green race bib, after giving a pre-5K race pep talk. 

I cheered Jeff on for his start, then walked back down to the finish line area to cheer him in as he crossed the line. He was there right within the time frame he told me he thought he should be and actually finished with a really great time-- Jeff crushed his previous PR by about a minute and a half! He ended up with 30:06, and though he is excited for his PR, he's also really annoyed at that extra six seconds! Runners woes, people! 

Post race for me, pre race for Jeff, in the finish line area. 

 All in all, it was a really great race experience that was definitely worth driving down for. We had a really great time and left feeling rejuvenated for running, which is exactly what you want from a race. This is why we run. Now we both have something to continue to shoot for! Governor's Cup 2015 was a success and we can't wait to keep racing! Next up: This coming Saturday we'll be running in Dawson's Run in Joplin, MT. I'm really excited to see where my 5K time is right now. Looking forward to Saturday!