“Life is short…running makes it seem longer”
- At April 08, 2013
- By Brian
- In Brian's posts, Local Happenings
0
Every spring I decide to dig my running shoes out of the closet and sign up for some races to run in over the summer in order to decrease the size of my beer gut. And these days there is no shortage of local contests. In fact, it can be a bit overwhelming to sift through all the options. So here’s a rundown of some of the races I think are worth your time. Some I’ve run in and others I just want to.
Leaping Leprechaun 5k: This race, typically around St. Patrick’s Day every year, was my first of the season. Nothing like a nice, relaxed 5k with 1,000 of your closest green-clad friends to kick off the race season. Check out some of the outfits from this year’s race here. Oh, and did I mention they had out beer at the finish line? Kinda awesome.
Traverse City Trail-Running Festival: This sounds like a great event. Friday night there is a kids’ race and 10k relay (where you’ll find almost the entire Northern Swag crew!) and Saturday there’s an 11k, 25k, and 50k. The VASA trails are my hands down favorite place to run. Over the last decade I’ve put in hundreds of miles there and never get sick of it. This race also boasts beer afterwards (sensing a theme?). If you’re interested hurry up and register, the event is this week.
Glacial Hills Hike, Bike, & Run: This event on Saturday May 4th is hosted by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and will be showcasing the trail network at Glacial Hills just outside Bellaire. So grab your running shoes or mountain bike and head out and join us for what I’m confident will be a great time. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were beers to be had afterwards at Short’s, just a few miles away.
Shanty to Short’s: So yeah, you can call me a homer for promoting this Short’s race based on the fact that you knew I loved Short’s & actually now work for them, but whatever, this race sounds fun. Most of all because I’ve heard it’s pretty much all downhill and ends at a brewery. That’s all I know about it, but what else do you need to know? If you find me at the race and mention Northern Swag I’ll buy you a beer afterwards. See you May 11th.
Bayshore: Possibly the most popular race in the TC area. This event has a 10k, half marathon, and full marathon, all along beautiful East Bay. It’s traditionally on Memorial Day weekend & I have traditionally never run it. I don’t know why. Maybe because Memorial Day seems too early for me to be half-marathon ready and a 10k isn’t worth interrupting my 3-day-long drinking weekend.
Solstice Half Marathon: Like the Trail-Running Festival, this is another Endurance Evolution event. Saturday June 15th there is a half marathon and 5k. The half mary runs around Glen Lake and includes a run up Inspiration Point (anytime a hill has a name you know that can’t be good). Barring injury I’ll be at this race and am really looking forward to it. I actually prefer to run on trails, but this one sounds like a lot of fun and runs near Sleeping Bear Dunes, which in case you live in a cave, is America’s most beautiful place. So I’m making an exception. Hopefully my decrepit hips and knees don’t mind.
Cherry Festival 5k & 15k: Another local classic. Both distances feature running along the water. The 15k includes a climb up McKinley Hill right around the halfway point so don’t skimp on the hills during your training runs The 2013 races are on Saturday July 6th.
Friends of Fishtown 5k: I’ve never run this one, but will likely be there this year on July 20th. Sounds like a fun day supporting a great local historic area, getting some exercise, and then hanging out in Fishtown & Leland.
Grand Island Trail Marathon: July 27th on Grand Island (a short ferry ride north from Munising). This race requires a bit of travel, but sounds to be more than worth it. I was signed up a few years back, but tore my ACL a couple weeks prior to race day. I”m hoping to still do it one day. This is definitely an area to make a weekend out of. Munising is minutes away from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, one of my favorite places in the world. And Marquette, another favorite destination, is less than an hour away. Friendly race advice: I was told to tie bells to my shoelaces to “shoo” away the bears.
Port Oneida Run: Another race I’m not familiar with, but may show up for in 2013. An August weekend (race is on the 3rd) spent in and around Port Oneida is a weekend well spent. I can almost guarantee a post-race trip to Art’s for refreshments.
Crystal Lake Team Marathon: August 10th in Beulah line up with 4 friends for this team marathon. The first 4 runners will tackle 5 miles with the anchor running the final 6.2 miles. I’ve never run this one, but my dad actually has it on his annual list of races. Side note: my dad is 60 and can likely smoke me. The race circles around Crystal Lake which is not only beautiful, but might be warm enough to swim in by August.
If you’re not completely exhausted at this point in the summer there are a couple post Labor Day races worth checking out, but that’s for another post. Hopefully the info here is useful and if you spot me at one of these events please take the time to say “hi!”
Maple Sugaring Part 2, Sap Collecting
- At April 04, 2013
- By Nate
- In Local Happenings
- 0
“A for sweetness, C for fullness.” These are the grades most of the sap buckets received from my friend and co-worker Matt’s kids, Sam and Abby, the day I joined them. While this impromptu grading system wasn’t scientific, it was fun to hear the grades called out, followed by the telltale clunk of the bucket lids closing as the kids moved from tree to tree. While Sam and Abby were honing their maple sommelier skills, Matt poured sap in to the waiting buckets on the sled and re-drilled a few holes for the occasional loose spile.
Collecting sap can probably be used as a metaphor for many things but what struck me was how this process starts, quite literally, with a single drop in the bucket and ends with, not an ocean, but definitely gallon upon gallon of the sticky stuff.
The drip, drip, dripping over the course of a day or two (if the conditions are right: freezing at night & 40 during the day) turns into several gallons of sap hanging off the tapped trees. In Matt’s system, the tree buckets are emptied into pails on a sled that he moves, with some effort, from tree to tree. When the sled is full, the sap is poured into a 55-gallon drum at the edge of the sugar bush and is then dragged back to the trees for more sap until it’s all collected. Matt’s sugar bush is high up on a hill so he takes advantage of the change in elevation and runs the sap downhill from the drum through a hose to buckets below. The buckets are sealed and loaded into the back of his car. Matt is always adjusting his system and has designs on installing a “half barrel” of sorts right in the back of his car for sap season, which would eliminate the need for loading and unloading five-gallon buckets of sap…. but where would Sam and Abby sit? I wouldn’t be surprised if a dedicated vehicle is in the future too…. because, for Matt, this is definitely a family affair. Stay tuned for sap-boiling and syrup-canning!
Matt pours sap from the tree buckets into the waiting sled… and repeat.
Buckets from the sled are emptied into the drum at the edge of sugar bush.
Abby inspects the sap at the bottom of the hill before loading it into the car.
Look Through Our Lens – The Week of March 21
- At March 21, 2013
- By Nate
- In Local Happenings
- 2
Photo descriptions (L to R):
1) Mapping the Week @Brew- Front Street, Traverse City 2) Morning Lighted Clancy Park – Orchard Heights, Traverse City 3) Light Time at InsideOut Gallery – Warehouse District, Traverse City 4) Night Light – Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City 5) Free Popcorn (Snow) – Munson Medical Center, Traverse City 6) Big Trees Tiny Skiis – The Heritage Trail, Glen Haven 7) Snow Love – parking lot, Traverse City 8) Tunnel Vision – Brian’s Mind, Traverse City 9) Unnatural Evening – Bryant Park, Traverse City
Sputtering Spring
- At March 20, 2013
- By Nate
- In Local Happenings
- 2
To my eyes spring appears to be a grand experiment that everybody watches and knows the result but nobody really knows how it’s going to happen. Sure, we have a general idea that eventually it will get warmer and greener; but, like starting up the old lawn mower each season, you don’t ever quite know how many sputtering attempts are needed before it roars into action. For nature this can be some risky business, just ask the cherry trees about last year.
For my part, I’m going to go ahead and say it – I’m a gawker. I love the little battles (and the big ones) that are waged as winter sputters out and spring sputters in. In fact, I’ve been watching a good little sputter war in my front yard. Warmth that has gathered in the sun-pocket on my south-facing wall pushes the snow line out into the yard and encourages a brave tulip plant or two to poke their heads out. The snow/grass battle line moves a good amount on sunny days but is held firm on the colder ones. When it snows the line moves back to the wall and the snow again covers up the grass and brave tulips. Fear not for the tulips though, their warped canoe shaped leaves appear to be designed to handle a bit of frost or snow. As temps heat up the snow, bits of frost become droplets of water and roll down the leaf to the plant’s base and roots. Amazing to watch this brave plant’s beautiful design carry out its function in the middle of a sputter war!
