Say what you want about the whole Rachel Dolezal story, no matter how you slice it, it's a great story. And I really like the questions it raises, the conversations it's started and that it happened here in Spokane. I am proud of our city and the thoughtful way we have handled this. Supporters and detractors have all stated their cases eloquently, logically and with passion.
But, I saw this at Wolnick's yesterday and thought that it was just too serendipitous to go unmentioned.
Sarah and I moved out early for a run around Bead Lake. I haven't been there since I was 19 (old enough to buy beers in Old Town on the way). Back then, I was fishing for burbot. I never caught any and I still haven't. I've only seen pictures of this "fresh water ling cod." I dont think it ever dawned on me when I was 19 to run around the damned lake. I don't know if that means I have become tougher in my old age or just more demented.
It was a beautiful run, with lots of stops for pictures. There are some really nice campsites along the trail, as well. The Discover Pass is no good at Bead Lake. If you park in the parking lot you pay $5. Same to launch a boat. The boat launch used to be a Washington State fish and game launch, but years ago it shut down. Recently it has been resurrected into a national forest pay deal. I guess it hasn't been that recent - 10 years? Recent to me. But you can still park for free at a trailhead that is in the forest and run to intersect the main trail. That is what Sarah and I, unwittingly, did and it worked out fine.
Bead Lake is very deep, as I remember. It is also crazy clear and extremely cold. That didn't stop Sarah from swimming. It did me.
The almost 9 mile run is an out and back. Apparently, there is no trail all the way around the lake. We could've gone a mile further to make it an 11 miler, but hey...
Lots of dark, dark cedar groves. My favorite kind of place.
It's been fun to watch the remodel activity. Grocery locations change on a daily basis. The produce section has become very very small. There are unearhed artifacts to be ogled.
Sarah and I paddled our kayaks 3.5 miles from the DNR boat launch and campground to a boat-in campsite close to Long Lake dam (North Shore A & B on the map). The DNR campground host told us we were the first non-motorized boat campers they've had since Avista put in the campsites.
I forget sometimes how beautiful Long Lake can be. The water was great for swimming.
It seemed very remote, even though it really wasn't.
Of course, some of the sites were pretty trashed. I think a "pack-it out" sign might help. One fire ring had empty water bottles, among other things, thrown in it. "Hey, let's leave these empty plastic bottles in the fire pit. The next campers might want to use them to roast marshmallows over." Dumb asses.
And it looks like the lake knocked the socks off of many a camper.
The fishing was really good. This smallmouth was 19" and weighed in at about 4.5 pounds
We had a great time and will do it again!
Not as big of a turnout this time. Still, a lot of fun. Cyclists were smarter than those of us who ran. It was very warm. Those of us who knew Terry Canfield were still dealing with the shock of the horrific events suffered by him and his family and I think that hung over our heads and our hearts.
It was the usual route - the garbage goat start to NoLi and then Iron Goat, Budge Bros, Ramblin' Road, Black Label, River City and concluding at Steam Plant. I think we might have had 15-20 of us at one point. But in the end, there were just four of us who made it to Steam Plant. We lost a bunch after RR when they diverted to Perry Street. It would be nice to get Perry Street in the lineup, but that would be a very long uphill run between beers, not so bad on a bike, though.
I was thinking about a brew run every season, but am rethinking that. I'm now exploring the idea of a website (possible app?) where we could share our biking and running routes between breweries. There could be an option to invite others, share maps, post pictures, etc.
I am still stoked about running and drinking, about Spokane's awesome breweries and its international reputation as a running town and a city that now embraces bicycling as a valid transportation option. The Brew Run Run is a good start, but the concept needs to be opened up and played around with.
Sarah and I will be running once again... Not in any race or event, just to seven breweries this Saturday, May 30th. It's a little over seven miles. And, yes, we finished up in about seven hours when we did it in March. Back then, we had a bunch of people join us. Some were on bikes. Some only joined us at one brewery. Uber was used.
It's not an organized event. Everyone is on their own and you can come and go as you please. Maybe you might encounter some of us at a brewery and opt to run with us to the next place. Probably not. It's going to be hot so hydrate and rest accordingly.
Some of us will be starting at the garbage goat in Riverfront Park at one o-clock. From there we will run to No-Li. After that, the breweries are Iron Goat, Budge Bros., Ramblin' Road, Black Label, River City and Steamplant. We ate dinner at Steamplant and will probably do that again.
Here's the map of the approximate, probable route.
The vertical hydroponic tomato garden is up and running. I've made some adjustments from previous years' models. Instead of having water flow in at one end and out the other, I've made the water flow in and out of the same end. I'm hoping this will eliminate some of the plumbing problems of the past. I used to get a lot of blockage from tomato roots due to the current. I'm hoping this set-up corrects that. So far no leaks! Eventually, I would like to get a bigger tank, put fish in it and have the whole thing run off of solar panels!
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