2008 Ultraman Canada -Stage Triathlon -6.2m swim, 241 cycling, 52.4 run

This event puts the FUN back in triathlon…. www.ultramancanada.com

Expert Offers Tips On Trail Running

Julie Fingar, a nationally known ultra runner, talks with KCRA 3′s Deirdre Fitzpatrick about trail running.

The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail of the Finger Lakes

The wines of New York State have been making a name for themselves over the years and now rival the wines of California, from Napa Valley, and Sonoma Valley. The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail is the longest running wine trail in New York State. With over fifteen wineries and sixty restaurants, bed and breakfasts and tour companies, you will want to spend the entire week-end on a wine, culinary and scenic experience.

Cayuga Lake is one of the five Finger Lakes nestled in the center of New York State. Its climate is idea for growing grapes. The wineries of the Cayuga Lake area lie 1 hour from Rochester and Syracuse, 2 hours from Buffalo, 4 hours from New York City 6 hours from Boston and 2 ½ hours from Albany, the state capitol. The wineries lie all along the west and east sides of the lake with the majority of them on the west side of the lake. Visitors can also experience Watkins Glen state park as well as visit Cornell University, which are near the wineries. Picturesque and breathtaking waterfalls and other natural splendors along the lake create a relaxing atmosphere while traveling along the wine trail.

The Cayuga lake wine trail is a year-round experience, and each season brings about a different set of activities and experiences to enjoy as you sample the wines and visit some of the old historic towns. Some of the wineries along the trail include the Montezuma Winery, the Swedish Hill Vineyard, the Cobblestone Farm Winery & Vineyard, the Knapp Winery, the Goose Watch Winery, the Buttonwood Grove Winery, the Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery, the Thirsty Owl Wine Company, the Hosmer Winery, the Seldrake Point Vineyard, the Lucas Vineyards, the Americana Vineyards, the Six Mile Creek Vineyard, the King ferry Winery, and the Long Point Winery.

You can find tour and transportation companies that include everything from executive limousine service to a party bus for any size group. You can find the information from the Seneca county tourism or the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce. Many of these tour companies are located in the towns near Cayuga Lake.

The wine country in the Cayuga Lake area offers year-round events that include everything from festivals to special dinners. Many of the individual wineries also hold their own events that range from wine tastings to wine dinners. Almost every month there is a Cayuga Wine Trail event that will be a festival, a tour, or a celebration. The first event starts in February with the annual Mardi Gras, and ends in December with the annual Holiday Shopping Spree. A wine lover can buy a season pass to these Cayuga Wine Trail events and they are transferrable if you would like to treat a friend or family member.

Watkins Glen, just off of the Cayuga Lake trail and right below Seneca Lake, hosts the region's largest celebration of wine featuring over 75 wineries. The festival occurs every July and is a great place to experience not only the Cayuga Lake wines, but the wines from the rest of the Finger Lakes Region as well.

New York wines are quickly becoming the worlds most well know secret when it comes to wines outside of California. Their variety and quality matches that of the more well know wine producing areas in the country, and the scenery of the Finger Lakes area is not to be matched by other regions in the country.

Fresno visitors enjoy driving the Fruit Trail

When people think of California, they first think of beaches, theme parks and movie stars and often one of the most important aspects of this state is overlooked – the agriculture that provides so many of our basic necessities. With farmlands to rival anything you'll see in the Midwest, California's vast San Joaquin Valley is dotted with small towns that exist mainly to service those who work in the agriculture industry.

For Big City types, it can be enlightening to stop and visit a few of these communities, if only to get a glimpse of a slower, quieter life where the word "commute" is not in the local dictionary. Local residents might as well bike or walk to work in these Main Street shops – although most do drive. Picture-perfect old-growth trees usually provide plenty of shade for the downtown business areas, while stately, historic homes adorn some of the main routes in and out of town. Traffic is just about nil, and people use their local parks to sit on a bench and just think about what all of this means.

In between the towns are the farmlands, neatly marked off in square or rectangular parcels, each devoted to a particular vegetable or crop. Old farmhouses are spaced every half mile or mile – although some of them are quite modern and palatial – and the seemingly endless two-lane roads are usually straight as can be. Not too many SUV's or sports cars out here – about nine out of every 10 vehicles is a pickup truck, some so old they're still living past lives.

For the family traveling through these agricultural lands, there is an opportunity to put things in perspective. City kids who figure that produce just magically appears at the local supermarket will be astonished to see their vegetables coming out of this region's rich soil. For adults, it's a chance to get some of these things fresh and cheap – buying fruit and produce in these parts really is cutting out the middle man.

All of this is played out over the hundreds of miles between Northern and Southern California, but one place where local city fathers have made it a bit easier for visitors is Fresno. While the city itself bustles with traffic and is hardly the "Mayberry" you're looking for, the area south and east of Fresno is made up of several small towns with names like Sanger, Selma, Kingsburg and Orange Cove. Local tourism officials have created what they call the Fresno County Fruit Trail that will take you to three dozen or so farms, shops or unique attractions that will give you a taste, quite literally, of what this region has to offer.

Timing is everything on this trip. We drove the 100-plus miles around the loop just a tad bit before the fruit was ready – worthwhile, but a little disappointing in the number of seasonal markets that were not yet up and running. Visitors taking the loop beginning in early June won't have that problem. Most fruit stands opened in May with peaches and nectarines. Cherries and apricots follow. Traditionally mid-April through July is best for berries, while mid-May through September will find the best of stone fruit – several varieties of peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots. From mid-June through September, visitors can see the famous Fresno raisins drying in the sun.

While we didn't taste much fresh fruit on our drive, we did find some fascinating locations on the Fruit Trail. We began by getting a copy of the Fruit Trail map from the Fresno County Office of Tourism (contact info is below). The map gives a great overall perspective to where things are located, although some of the specific directions were a little hard to follow. We must admit we ultimately cheated — using our GPS navigation system – but getting a good local map to complement the Fruit Trail map should clear up any confusion.

Most of the Fruit Trail points of interest were seven to 10 miles apart, although there were several clusters with multiple stops near each other. You'll definitely want to stay in Fresno for the night, as this outing will take you the better part of a day to do it right. We can recommend the Courtyard by Marriott – a little getaway unto itself with a large pool and Jacuzzi and spacious, comfortable rooms.

Among the Fruit Trail stops we found most interesting:

Simonian Farms – This is a one-of-a-kind store located just on the outskirts of Fresno and is fascinating to browse through. The first thing you notice outside is the old farm equipment – a 1925 orchard sprayer, a 1936 Massey-Harris tractor, a 1906 steam engine tractor – as well as assorted other items such as a Santa Fe railroad caboose and eight-foot-high windmill (for sale for $98). This is just the picnic area outside the store and, once you approach the store, you see old wood stoves, antique gas pumps, dozens of old gas signs, several wooden birdhouses for sale – $10 a pop – and a huge selection of bells. The produce is inside the store – fruits, dates, nuts, such unusual items as Cajun-spiced home-cured olives and strawberry-coated Thompson raisins. Hanging from the ceilings are several antique bicycles and the store's walls are plastered with old-time photographs. Along a couple of walls are hundreds of dusty historical artifacts such as old typewriters and turn-of-the-century grocery containers. All-and-all, this store is quite a shopping experience.

Circle K Ranch – This store has everything raisin one can imagine. There are chocolate covered raisins, yogurt coated raisins, jumbo raspberry raisins and gift boxes that combine these and other varieties into one package. You'll also find walnuts, peanuts, dried pears, dried pineapples and dried plums.

Seasons – This little shop, located basically at someone's house, is named Seasons because it carries seasonal gifts, such as Christmas ornaments, year-round. As clerk Deborah Sappington pointed out, the owners know all of the shop's suppliers. You'll find many organic vegetable items including a soap made with loofah. Just for good measure, there's a tractor museum and display of antique tools, all right there in the backyard.

California Olive Oil Manufacturing Company – If you're not careful you'll miss the non-descript building and tiny office, but it's well worth stopping here for the award-winning olive oil. The oil has been produced by the Ugaste family for more than 60 years.

Kingsburg – This Mayberry-style town is trying really hard to be a Swedish theme village although about half the buildings along Main Street haven't quite gotten with the program. But no matter. The small-town charm is worth the visit and you'll enjoy browsing through such antique shops as My Sister's Closet and the Apple Dumplin', or dining at Gino's or enjoying a fresh brew at the Cappacino Courtyard. It's only fitting that this small piece of Americana has not one, but two 50's shops – the 50's Shop and the Rockin' 50's Shop, both stocked full of 50's memorabilia. Be sure and check out City Hall, a historic pillared building that looks like it was created for a Smalltown USA movie set.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: Fresno is located in the San Juaquin Valley, between Bakersfield and Sacramento and easily reached by the 99 freeway. The Fruit Trail is just southeast of Fresno.

WHAT: Fresno is located in one of the state's top-producing agricultural areas and the relatively large city of Fresno serves as a gateway to a region of small towns, villages, farms and orchards.

WHEN: In general, the Fruit Trail is best to travel in the late spring and summer months, although you are at the mercy of Mother Nature for any given crop. Farming, obviously, is seasonal but even in the off-season there are many year-round highlights on this tour.

WHY: Anyone who loves the taste and smell of fresh fruit and vegetables will enjoy the tour, not to mention those who find it interesting to visit historic buildings, small towns and shop for unusual products and artifacts.

HOW: The Freno County Office of Tourism is glad to supply a Fruit Trail map if you call them at 559-262-4271.

Naukluft Hiking Trail Namibia – 8 days through wondrous desolation

Imagine a place so remote that you do not see another human being for days. Imagine a trail through desolate valleys, over mountains and across large flat plains of sand, rocks and tufts of dry grass. The Naukluft Hiking Trail in Namibia takes you through such a place.

It all starts at an old house perched on top of a small hill in what is known as the Namib-Naukluft Park in South Western Namibia. Hikers Haven is the base camp of this incredible trail. Here one can enjoy one last beer, grilled steak and warm shower. There after follow 8 days of carrying a heavy backpack through some of the most beautiful and desolate areas Namibia has to offer.

Normally one needs to get up at about 5 in the morning to be able to hit the trail by 7. Day one is no exception, and covers a distance of 14km. There is a lovely lookout point at "Panorama" as one starts rising up into the mountains a few kilometers into the hike. Spend some time here and enjoy the view of the plain below.

From here the trail steadily rises higher up into the Naukluft Mountains. A good spot for lunch is "Fontein Kloof". There are some large trees for shade and the spring usually flows.

As with most of the overnight shelters on this trail, the shelter at "Putte" for tonight is merely a square stone structure with a wall about 1.2m high, over which a tin roof is supported by some steal pipes. The floor is gravel.  Approximately 150m from the shelter is a borehole with a big flywheel that needs to be turned for water.

Day two is 15km in length and takes one into the famous Ubusis Kloof or ravine. The descent into the ravine is accomplished with the aid of a number of chains, some of which are up to 30m in length and act as aids down the cliff faces. As one descends further down, a geological time capsule is exposed in the layers of rock to ones sides. The scenery is quite breathtaking. 

Ubusis hut is the only "normal" accommodation on this trail. This hut used to be a small vacation home many years ago when the area still consisted of farms. Water is supplied by means of a wind pump and borehole.

Day three takes one back out of Ubusis Kloof the way one went down the day before. At the top, once one reaches Bergpos, the trail turns due north across Kudu Plains. This day is only 12km long and is considered the easiest of all the days.

At the end of the Kudu Plains lies the Adlerhorst overnight shelter, which can be reached by the early afternoon. This leaves plenty of time to admire the scenery and relax a bit. Water is again supplied via a borehole with a handle on top of the pipe.

When we got there, the opening of the borehole pipe was covered in hundreds of bees desperately waiting for someone to turn the handle and pump some water out for them. Nobody got stung even once. It seems as if they realized that the humans coming to this place were their only hope of getting some water.

The fourth day tends to be a bit tricky, and is quite long at 17km. The tricky part comes when one has to descend a waterfall in a dried out river bed with the help of a long chain. The angle of the rocks makes this a difficult descent.

Further on there is another steep descent down the side of a mountain of loose slate.  In the past this has been the cause of injuries to hikers slipping on the slate.

The Tsams-Ost overnight shelter contains a large water tank on a perch that is supplied with water from a borehole and wind pump. It is possible to have a cold shower standing underneath the tank.

The next day, day five, starts off with a stiff climb up the mountain behind the Tsams-Ost overnight shelter, and covers another 17km.

Some hours later one reaches Melkbos Plain. This plain involves many kilometers of marching along sandy tracks and through dried out river beds. It is here that one is most likely to see herds of antelope such as Eland or Kudu grazing on the sparse grass and vegetation.

The Die Valle overnight shelter is surrounded on three sides by mountains, and the sun tends to set rather early behind these mountains. Water is left here in a small water tanker which may not contain much water especially at the end of the hiking season, so washing is very limited on this day.

Day six tends to be the longest and most difficult of the whole trail. Even though it is only 16km long, one spends most of the day going up.

Immediately after leaving the Die Valle overnight shelter, there is a 200m vertical climb to the top of a waterfall. There after one follows a gorge and stream that feeds this waterfall for most of the day, climbing ever upwards. 

It is along this gorge that one comes across some interesting geological formations called Tufa. Tufa is a sedimentary rock containing a lot of carbonates that are deposited by means of water. It often forms at waterfalls or streams. Here in this gorge, the Tufa looks like a gigantic solidified waterfall. Higher up one comes across a huge fig tree whose roots run all along a small cliff face.

Once on top of the gorge, there is a small flat plateau to cross before starting the long descent along an old jeep track to the Tufa overnight shelter. Be careful at the bottom of the track as the shelter is almost hidden amongst some bushes to the left. Water is again supplied in the form of a borehole next to a dried out stream bed about 150m from the shelter.

Day seven covers 14km and takes one to the highest, and usually the coldest point of the hike at Kapokvlakte.

From the Tufa overnight shelter, the trail crosses some very large boulders as it heads in the direction of the mountains again. At the base of the mountains that eventually lead up to Kapokvlakte, there are some chains to help one up some of the more difficult cliff faces.

Once at the top, the trail follows a steadily rising dried out stream bed until it reaches the top at World’s View. The name is very appropriate, as one can see for many kilometers into the distance. It’s a good place to stop for awhile and admire the view across the plains below, and to the mountains on the other side. From here the terrain is fairly flat and the going easy.

The Kapokvlakte overnight shelter is usually reached by early afternoon. The shelter is hidden behind a clump of bushes which are virtually the only larger vegetation in the area. The rest of the plateau is covered in short grass and the occasional small bush. Kapokvlakte can get very cold at night, and the use of a down feather sleeping bag is a must here.

The last day has finally arrived. By now everyone is dreaming of fat steaks and beer, but there is still a 16km slog ahead. A few kilometers across the top of the plateau, and the trail makes its long descent along a winding gorge down to Hikers Haven.

As the day gets warmer one can hear more and more insects and other small creatures in this lonely gorge. Be careful of picking up rocks. Very often there are scorpions hiding underneath them.

As one gets lower down the trail, there are small pools with large trees on the sides which make for good resting spots. A few hundred meters from Hikers Haven, there is a camp site. Here one may come across the first other humans again after having spent so many days in the wilderness. By now you may also spot the roof of the old house at Hikers Haven. Just a few hundred meters more and one is back. What a time it had been!

Now one can finally get a hot shower again! For those that brought vacuum packed meat and managed to keep it cool in their cars over this period, there will be a feast tonight!

Using The Centennial Trail To Get Fit

Spokane has a great treasure in the Centennial Trail, 37 miles of paved trail from Nine Mile Falls to the Idaho border, and connecting to the North Idaho Centennial Trail for another 24 miles to Coeur d'Alene. The Centennial Trail goes through beautiful country mostly following the Spokane River, like a quiet, jeweled artery through, but largely away from, the nearby urban and suburban life. It's a great place to run, bike, skate, or walk for just about as many miles as you care to go. And starting nearly right outside your door!

Friends of the Centennial Trail divide the trail into three distinct sections:

· Spokane Valley

· Spokane Urban

· Riverside State Park

Centennial Trail in the Spokane Valley In the Spokane Valley, east of downtown, the Centennial Trail is flat and close to the Spokane River level. Wild flowers bloom along the trail at all times of the year, and birds and wildlife are plentiful. During the hot months parties of floaters in everything from kayaks to inner tubes can be seen in the river. Lots of families on bikes and runners use the parts of the trail near the Spokane Valley Mall and Mirabeau Park. Access is good and the trail is easy.

Centennial Trail in Urban Spokane The Urban part of the Centennial Trail goes past Gonzaga University and through Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane. The trail is at times a totally separate paved path from traffic and at times a roadside bike lane. It's great for bike commuters giving good bike access to the urban core and a great way to get a workout in while doing something else useful. In the early spring in a big snow or quick thaw year (like 2009), the trail just east of Avista headquarters on Mission has been known to flood. West of downtown until the T.J. Menach Bridge is a little dicey among traffic and not suitable for young children.

Centennial Trail in Riverside State Park

West of downtown Spokane the Centennial Trail is hillier. For a more challenging workout whatever your mode of travel, start at the T.J. Menach bridge, climb past Spokane Falls Community College to the Military Cemetery, drop down and climb again to overlook the Bowl & Pitcher, then on to Nine Mile Falls. If you don't want to do the whole 10 miles and back in this section, there are more access points at the Military Cemetery, the Bowl & Pitcher lookout, and Seven Mile Road.

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Backcountry Scenic Drives: Hancock Pass Trail

Choosing one Colorado 4-wheel trail is hard, but Hancock Pass from St. Elmo ghost town has it all: challenging sections, well-preserved mining era ruins, location near the Alpine Tunnel and Station, and perfect for my stock truck, which is powerful and has good off-road tires.

This trail starts in St. Elmo ghost town, located 24 miles southwest of Buena Vista off Highway 285, is easy to find and accessible by car. Buena Vista is the closest town for lodging, gas, food, and supplies.

One of Colorado’s best-preserved ghost towns, St. Elmo sprang up in 1880 from activity at the nearly 150 gold and silver mines nearby. During summers these days, vehicles lining the dirt road through town seem out of place next to the run down buildings. Because new businesses are popping up here, the best photo ops are on the west side of town where the buildings rest undisturbed. Visit the old general store to rent 4x4s and buy neat antiques, gifts, cokes, and snacks.

From St. Elmo, we head east toward Hancock Pass. The unmaintained dirt road is rough with potholes. Soon we notice an old building and some other ruins in a clearing below near mile 2.5. This is Romley town site. After following a short rerouted section of road around an unsafe trestle bridge, we turn off to Pomeroy Lakes and the Mary Murphy Mine.

Climbing the steep, rocky grade we see dilapidated miner’s cabins and old aerial tramway towers. Even the thick, steel cable from the old tramway still remains beside the road. The ramshackle Mary Murphy Mine building also still stands. In sections along this steep and narrow road, I must find a line through groups of large, awkwardly positioned rocks. The obstacles become increasingly challenging until the turn around near Pomeroy Lakes parking lot after 2.7 miles.

Returning to the main trail, another 2 miles stretch out just below timberline where we can see naked 13,000-foot peaks darting in and out of view above the trees. Next appears the famous old building, once used for storing paydirt from the Allie Belle Mine, teetering precariously on the slope beside the road. Although in this position for years, the structure rests menacingly over the road and most don’t linger below.

We pass hills of tailings, more abandoned mining structures, and Hancock town site. One-time residents of Hancock constructed the amazing Alpine Tunnel. Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad needed a tunnel under the Continental Divide in order to reach St. Elmo by rail. The ill-fated project also required constructing a road on a sheer mountain slope among other construction feats. From the Alpine Tunnel Trailhead, near Hancock town site, it is a three-mile hike up the old railroad grade to the east end of the Tunnel.

We immediately begin a rocky climb to Hancock Pass, encountering early summer snowdrifts at elevations where it still snows in mid-June. The road gets increasingly challenging with more rocks, potholes, and ruts, but the view is worth the effort.

Hancock Pass is a spectacular overlook of Brittle Silver Basin, enclosed by walls of towering peaks, which Tomichi Pass shelf road clings to alluringly. I marvel at how similar the view must have been back in the mining days. Descending over the low-traction rocky trail into the basin, we continue our incredible drive along Alpine Tunnel Road to explore the location of the remote railway outpost.

What To Consider When Choosing A Hiking Trail

Are you interested in going on a hiking adventure?  Whether that hiking adventure will last for a few hours or a whole weekend, you will need to choose a hiking trail. When it comes to choosing a hiking trail, you need to remember that you have a number of different options.  No matter where in the United States you are located, you should have a number of hiking trails located a close distance away from your home. Since you have a number of different choices, you may be wondering how you can go about finding the "perfect," hiking trail.  To help you choose the best hiking trail, there are a number of important factors that you may want to take into consideration. 

One of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration is the difficulty of the hiking trail in question. You will find that hiking trails come in a number of different formats, particularly with difficulty levels.  In fact, you may find that multiple parks have numerous hiking trails to choose from.  Instead of choosing a hiking trail based on the beauty of the surroundings, you will want to examine difficulty.  If this is your first time going on a hiking adventure, it may be best if you choose a trial that is designed for beginners or at least those at an intermediate level.

In conjunction with the difficultly of a trail, your safetyis also something that should be take into consideration.  You will want to make sure that you are on a hiking trial that is well maintained and well cared for. While it can be difficult to assess a hiking trail without visiting it, it is possible to do.  If you know of anyone who has been hiking recently, you may want to ask them which hiking trial they took and their views on their experience, namely the condition of the hiking trail in question. Searching the internet for user experiences on a particuar trail is also helpful when evaluating a trail.

Another factor that you may want to take into consideration, when looking for a hiking trail, is security. Is the hiking trial or hiking park in question closely monitored by staff, namely security guards?  In today's society, you can never be too careful, especially when in surroundings that are unfamiliar to you.  Hiking trails or parks that have security guards are not only ideal in case you run into a problem, like with a stranger with poor intentions, but they are also great in the event of a hiking accident.  Hiking trails or hiking parks with experienced staff members are less likely to have extreme or deadly hiking accidents.

As it was previously mentioned, hiking adventures can last for a few hours or be long as a whole weekend. If you are also interested in turning your hiking adventure into a camping one, you will need to find a hiking trial or at least a hiking park that has overnight accommodations. In most cases, you will find that these accommodations include an onsite campground.  If you are only interested in hiking for the day, the overnight accommodations of the hiking trail or hiking park in question may not be a big concern of yours.
 
Price is another factor that you may want to take into consideration, when choosing a hiking trail to hike.  In the United States, you will find that most hiking trails or parks are not free to visit.  In all honesty, the fee that you are charged will all depend on the trail or park in question.  Most of the time, you will find that the cost of hiking is affordable, but it is still something that you may want to take into consideration, especially if you are on a budget.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many factors that you may want to take into consideration, when looking for a hiking trail or a hiking part to visit. By keeping the above mentioned factors in mind, you will likely find that your next hiking adventure will be a memorable one.

Remember to visit myroadtotravel for all your travel/vacation needs. 

Trail Running Tips: Running Downhill

Top trail runners Karl Melzer and Scott Mason talk about how to be more efficient running downhill. For more, watch PCTV online at parkcity.tv

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