Green Lake is the nearest fishing hole/green space/park/people watching area/escape to our house. There was a 5k race around it last weekend. It was sponsored by a doughnut shop. I was running out of excuses (punny huh?) of why we shouldn’t do it. I had no idea how I would do since I haven’t raced since…. wow. I don’t really remember my last running race. I guess it would be Bolder Boulder 2010. I have done a couple of cyclocross races, but it sure has been a while.
Bolder Boulder results from a couple of years ago.
So, I had no idea what to expect. We lined up according to our pace. I figured that I would be in the 7-8 minutes per mile. Standing there, I was between the mom with a stroller and the guy in jeans with a headband on. I casually moved up. At the 7 minute pace there were a couple of kids that looked to be about 12 years old. The 65 years old trio was chit chatting beside them. Two of them thought that their buddy was going to be really fast today. They asked what his finish time would be and he said that he had no idea. He seemed surprised that people would have any sort of estimate of how long it would take them to run three miles. I snuck in front of them as well. That put me beside the group of guys wearing matching running singlets and very small shorts. I knew that they were serious runner. Feeling cocky, I hung with them for what felt like all morning, but was probably closer to a quarter mile. Maybe a half mile because I felt like a hero. I paid for that. We were probably running a 5:30 pace. After mile 1 I tried not fall over, puke, cry, or give up. I felt like doing most of those things. A pack of 4 girls passed me before the sign for mile 2, but they gave me the demotivation to keep up a brisk pace. I finished with a time of 19:41. I was stoked. i didn’t think that I would be able to run a sub 20 minute 5k.
2012 Top Pot 5k result.
What is interesting is that the level of running is amazing here. I was 14th in my age group of the Bolder Boulder, but 19th here! The saddest part of the story is that I have been so sore al week that I might try running again next week.
Back to school, back to work, back to the routine. Classes start a bit later so sleep is a touch easier to keep up with. I didn’t win the mega millions so I am still working what feels like 15 jobs. I got a B in Microbiology and an A in Lifespan Psychology. It is a mixed bag as I will need straight As to get into the nursing program at North Seattle Community College. Can I get into University of Washington? Maybe. They require 100 hours of experience in the medical field before I apply. Currently, I have… 0. But I can wait tables like a boss. It is depressing when someone tells me that I am good at waiting tables. Don’t ever tell a server or bartender that.
I bought a pass to Snoqualmie Forest this year. They limit the number of passes sold and most people seem to collect firewood, hunt or take pictures up there. I hit Black Lake for a few rain soaked hours. No fish in the boat, but I saw a ton of them in the water! I am slowly working on a video of the place.
Tomorrow is Saturday, so I am excited to have the morning free. I am going to the library to study for Anatomy and Physiology. I will try not to dream about fly fishing while I am there.
Driving from Nehalem Bay State Park to Maupin, Oregon was beautiful. We stopped by Deschutes Brewery for lunch as we were headed to the Deschutes River.
Mt. Hood is along the way. As a former snowboarder, this was always on the radar as a way to keep winter going all year long. This time, it was just a few minutes of snow play before we kept moving to get to the thriving metropolis of Maupin. (As of 2000, there were 411 people, 181 households, and 112 families residing in the city.)
The river was a bit high. There were some slow areas. But we didn’t see any fish. Not one. Swinging flies for Steelhead, strike. Throwing March Browns and small dries, strike. Even tossing a dropper under the March Browns, strike three. We were out of there.
I was hoping that they would put the handicap accesible fishing platform in the water so that I could get to the fish, but it wasn’t the season yet.
On the way out of town, we hit up Deschutes Angler where I saw Jay Johnson of Motiv Fishing. Kind of like a celebrity sighting of the fly fishing world.
Driving south from Seattle sucks until you cross into Oregon. Crossing the Columbia River, things start to get better. The logging operations are very impressive. We had lots of environment based discussions in Oregon. We never mentioned things like Spotted Owls to anyone that we encountered there. Once we headed west after crossing the Columbia, things got better. The views became more impressive, the trees (the ones that were still there) were beautiful, and the smell of the ocean got stronger. There were lots of signs for the Lewis and Clark trail which turned the conversation to exploration and hardships. I complained when we ran out of chips during the drive.
We arrived at the Nehalem Bay State Park and set up the tent. It is a huge place. Hookups for over 250 RVs are available with free hot showers, fire pits, and walking access to an amazing beach. Luckily, there was hardly anyone there and the weather was quite nice.
We hit some river the same day that we arrived. Finding bugs was pretty easy. I guess I should have thrown on a bunch of weights, some big stonefly pattern and stuck a big bobber up top to catch myself a steelhead. However, with my morals intact, I did not catch a steelhead. Maybe I should have fished below the hatchery?
It is “Spring Break”. I feel a little funny calling it that now that I am in my 30′s (31 next week). It is between quarters at my community college so I am taking a break from my 2 jobs, not bringing any school books, and going on a fishing trip. The first stop is Nehalem. Well, maybe Portland if the forecast is correct.
Nothing can ruin fishing in Oregon like a bunch of rain. Not because I will melt, but the rivers increase to levels too high to fish. Trust me, we are used to the rain up here. For some reason I am still stuck on this idea that I can catch a Steelhead swinging a fly. I have heard that this is a lot more feasible in Oregon. Perhaps the cost of a license guarantees success.
From there, I am headed to the capital of Deschutes fishing, Maupin, Oregon. The Deschutes River is featured in every fishing magazine, book, video, and show. I am excited just to spend some time out there. The forecast looks a little warmer in Maupin.
Leaving Maupin, I will head north to the more familiar waters of Yakima. The forecast looks better and the familiar water makes me slightly feel like I know what I am doing.
This trip will be fantastic. Now I am going to look up campgrounds and hope that the dog isn’t too wet to sleep in the tent.
I know it is a good trip when I can see the points of interest on a map of the U.S. I suppose the real dilemma will be what flies should I use?
