By Katie Goodwin

 I do love a good route planning challenge. Exploring the scantily mapped trails of the area between White Salmon, WA and Coyote Wall State Park has become a favorite pastime. You have to note geographic markers, ie. the Columbia River and Mt. Hood to the south, Mt Adams to the north. And you can usually turn around and go back to where you started if you get lost or simply tired of the relentless uphill climbs. 

When Territory proposed the Point to Point Summer Run Rally contest, I was excited about the idea of planning a route where you can’t turn back. You have to commit! And I knew just the route I wanted to do.  

I ran into my fellow wind-junkie and trail running friend, Derek, after kiteboarding in Hood River on a Thursday night and mentioned the idea - run from White Salmon to Coyote Wall. Most of the route is unmapped, but I thought we could piece it together. He immediately came up with a better plan - start at Coyote Wall and finish at the White Salmon Bakery. 

If you’ve never been to this bakery, I hope you make it a priority to get there ASAP. I may or may not spend several mornings a week there, devouring pastries and drinking americanos. It’s the perfect post-run eatery. Derek’s route adjustment made perfect sense. 

We roped in another friend Christopher, who conveniently has a bit of search and rescue experience, and carpooled to the start at 9 am. That’s when the adventure began. If you have been to Coyote Wall (known as Syncline to mountain bikers) in the summer, then you know the trail is very exposed, covered in poison oak , ticks, snakes and there is no water. We started the three-mile ascent up Hidden Valley trail (aka Labyrinth) and, other than breathing hard and high stepping over poison oak, things were going well. At the top of Hidden Valley, we traversed along a single track trail over to Coyote Wall - a massive columnar basalt cliff. In the spring, this hillside is covered with balsamroot and lupine. This time of year, it’s not quite as colorful. We scrambled to the top and admired the views of the eastern gorge. At the top of the cliff wall, we took a left along Triple Bypass , a tiny single track along a cliff with stunning views of Mt Hood. We then followed Atwood “road” through some shade to Courtney Road. Atwood was a nice, shady, mellow climb after what we just completed. 

Eventually we came to Courtney Road, which is currently closed to cars due to construction. It was actually a little disorienting since the road looks completely different than it used to. Luckily we spotted our gate to turn onto the millennial trail on Kreps ranch land.

This trail is on private land that the owners generously open to local hikers/bikers/runners/ paragliders most of the year (they do close it to dogs when the cows are out in the spring/summer and to all users when the fire risk is high). This is one of the most stunning trails I have ever been on. Picture singletrack on an exposed cliff 3000 feet above the river, with views straight down the Columbia River Gorge and Mt Hood to the south. Thankfully the views were a great distraction from these evil invasive thorn plants that lined the trail and wreaked havoc on our shins. Imagine incessant painful cuts up and down your legs! I was reminded that we were on a point to point run, so there was no turning back.

The next several miles involved at least 20 switchbacks down a very narrow single track lined with burrs. The views down the gorge are breathtaking. Our socks and shorts were covered with burrs by the end. Derek actually managed to find burrs in his hair after a tumble! Gradually, we made our way along Jewett creek up to Tohomish street in White salmon, and had our glorious finish at the White Salmon Bakery! Luckily there were a few of the infamous cardamom buns left!!

I asked Derek and Christopher for ideas on what to name the run. Derek thought “ 12 mile run from Syncline to Cardamom Bun,” had a nice ring to it.  Christopher thought a more appropriate name would be “Attacked by thorns, waded through poison oak, and blasted by burrs--and survived!"

If you don’t mind poison oak, thorny plants stabbing your shins, one million burrs to pull off your socks, ticks, snakes, and a bit of challenging navigation, and you also love pastries…this is the route for you!!

***Kreps ranch announced the week after our run they are closing the trails for fire season.

By Mack Robertson

It’s a sunny morning in early summer as I’m making my way up Saltzman Road, a gravel pedestrian path in Forest Park here in Portland, Oregon.  Coming towards me I see a big smile and a bushy beard.  If you spend enough time in Forest Park, eventually, you will cross paths with Charley Boynton.  Always quick with a high five and some words of encouragement, Charley is a bit of a folk hero for Portland trail runners. I don’t quite recall how I first met Charley, but at some point we began following each other on Strava.  I was initially struck by the huge miles he was putting in (with remarkable consistency), but soon became even more impressed with his outlook on running.  Charley treats each day on the trails with the novel wonderment of a child experiencing nature for the very first time.  He has the ability to see the beauty in the small details of the trails and appreciates the subtle cycles of the forest from day to day and season to season.  Often you will find Charley running in the same area of the park for days on end. Where others might find monotony, Charley has a meditative approach to how he experiences the woods with a purity untarnished by “segment crowns” or “pump-up playlists”.  He was gracious enough to let us share his background and approach to running.

When did you get into running?

I started running on roads back in 1978 with my sister Jill in Maine and we ran 10k and half marathons all over the state of Maine until 1980. Then I met my wife Elaine in college and stopped running. I got fat and happy and helped raise our family (daughter Cori and 2 sons, Seth and Zach). I started running again in 2015 shortly after I became a grandfather to twin grandsons, Henry and Hayden. Becoming a grandparent changed something inside of me and I realized that I needed to lose some weight and change my lifestyle so I dropped 75lbs and started running again. For the first year on roads, and then I discovered the magic of running trails.

I’ve always struggled with self-confidence and not “fitting in”- never really being comfortable with who I am. When I started running again in 2015 I would run very early in the morning so no one would see me and I could just move however I wanted. Once I started running on trails in Forest Park that was no longer an issue. I immediately felt at home and accepted by the trail community in Portland. I feel like I am a part of this amazing community and I feel that I belong here.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the State of Maine at the base of Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. As a kid I hunted and fished with my Dad all over the northern Maine woods never really appreciating what I had until I moved away.

What do you like to do outside of running?

My wife and I usually have our grandsons on either Saturday or Sunday each week and we always try to get outside and do a little hiking or some type of active exploring.

What keeps you running?

I set yearly, monthly, and weekly distance goals for myself and that really keeps me fired up. As anyone that follows me can see, distance is my thing! I set aside a block of “me time” after each work day and one weekend day to just put miles on my feet. I ran my 1st ultra timed race in 2019 at the Elijah Bristow 24-Hour Run and it completely changed my life. I proved to myself that I can do hard things and be part of a special community that is created within that weekend. We created lifelong friendships as we all did our own thing while supporting each other. It was life-changing for me!

What’s your favorite trail and/or trailhead in Forest Park and why?

This changes from time to time but currently I feel very comfortable parking at Upper Saltzman/Firelane 5 trailhead and heading down Saltzman Road to Wildwood and either going north towards Springville Road or going south towards NW 53rd Ave. My favorite section of Wildwood is heading toward NW 53rd. There is just a perfect blend of inclines, rolling hills and declines that I freaking love. I love the section going toward Springville Road if my knees are giving me any grief as the elevation gain is much less. I love running a Wildwood E2E [End-to-End]  every once in a while and have on my bucket list a Wildwood E2E2E in the next year or two.

What’s your favorite season to be in Forest Park?

This is a hard one cause I kind of like them all. My favorite days to be out are the ones with heavy fog, a light mist and then the sun appears and everything becomes magical.

You consistently put up huge training weeks.  Have you ever had any injuries? 

I have had my share of knee issues and surgery and don’t have much left to “repair” any longer. My doctor’s advice was to keep moving at what feels “right” to me, to strengthen quads and leg muscles to stabilize my knees. I can tell if I am moving too fast or going too hard so I try to be conscious of this while I’m out or I will pay for it later. I tore my calf muscle on a group run in 2019 trying to go faster than I should have and that one scared me. It took about 6 weeks for it to heal, which seemed like a lifetime.

Are you always motivated to run?  If not, how do you deal with the ups and downs of motivation?

Yes and no! I am always excited and feel blessed to be able to drive to the park on my way home from work each day. One of the reasons that I love starting at Upper Saltzman is that if I am struggling with motivation,I am usually already down the hill far enough away from the trailhead and I have to either fight it and continue with my planned route or do the “walk of shame” back up Saltzman, kicking myself. Usually I just continue and everything is good!

What does your family think of your running hobby?

My wife, kids and grandkids are very supportive. They all show up at any of the races that I sign up for and are always there to keep me moving throughout the weekend. My grandsons love setting up a “high five” station along the course to greet everyone. One of their favorite questions is, “When is your next race Grampy?”

What does “Easy Miles” mean to you?

“Easy Miles” is what I’m all about. As I’ve said before it’s all about the “miles” for me and they are always “easy”. I love stopping to take pictures, listen to the sounds of the forest, meet old friends and make new friends, talk to folks, pet their dogs and continue on my way. Trying my best to be a worthwhile member of this community and offer any support I can along the way.

Is there anywhere that you’ve never run that you’d like to?

Yes there are so many places on my bucket list. Running in the Gorge, Coast Range, Central Oregon, Cascades etc… All in good time. I love the 24 hour race format and have 3 planned for 2022 and I would really love to put myself into a 48 hour or more race in 2023 to see what I can do with that.

You can follow Charley’s adventures on Instagram and Strava

By Stephanie Imig

“I started running during the pandemic to get out of the house.” 

“Running was my lifeline during COVID.”

“I run to feel free.”

Sound familiar?

Like so many, Kavi Chokshi (he/him) found running in 2020. As he tells it, “I joined my roommate and a few friends on some short 3-6 mile runs, during a time when I felt pretty depressed, and it was a way to get out of the house and feel better.” He was quickly enticed by the beauty of the trails surrounding Bend, OR, but when he began thinking about trying a trail race, the expense of racing became an obstacle. Then he learned about the Trail Mix Fund, a non-profit started by Go Beyond Racing, which offers race fee waivers for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ runners, and anyone for whom race fees pose a financial hardship. 

“When I applied for the Trail Mix Fund, I felt slightly uncomfortable, because even though I'm BIPOC, and at the time I was unemployed, I'm still aware of the considerable privilege I hold and I didn't want to take the spot away from someone who I felt would be more deserving or could use it more.” 

Even though he seemed to be a perfect fit for a fee waiver from the Trail Mix Fund, Kavi still felt an initial reluctance. He explains, “When I applied for the Trail Mix Fund, I felt slightly uncomfortable, because even though I'm BIPOC, and at the time I was unemployed, I'm still aware of the considerable privilege I hold and I didn't want to take the spot away from someone who I felt would be more deserving or could use it more.” Luckily, Kavi overcame his initial hesitancy and applied, opening a door to a much greater involvement in the trail running community. Kavi shares, “The Trail Mix Fund helped make it possible for me to participate in the Bend Trail Series last year. At the time, I had just started getting into running and I was unemployed and would not otherwise have justified the expense to participate. The Trail Mix Fund and Bend Trail Series deepend my trail running journey.” 

Trail Mix Fund recipient Alex M. (she/her) echoes a similar sentiment that many runners feel when they learn about the Trail Mix Fund–that someone else deserves this more or needs this more. She explains, “I actually almost did not apply for the trail mix fund because, with how I read it, I thought the fund was solely for those underrepresented groups. I’m a white, straight, married lady with a toddler and I thought I wouldn’t qualify for the fund. But I really wanted to run the Smith Rock 50k, and at the time we were a single income family, so I thought I would apply anyway. There was no way we could have afforded the race otherwise.” 

Like Kavi, Alex was at first hesitant, but decided to apply. And as it did for Kavi, the Trail Mix Fund opened doors. Alex was able to run the Smith Rock 50K, and exemplifies how one race can be a turning point: “On the surface, the trail mix fund paid my way to run my 50k. But also, because I finished my race, I found a new sense of confidence in my running abilities, and I owe that in part to the fund as well.” As so many of us know, running is about so much more than running.

The Trail Mix Fund, whose genesis lies in the collision of the pandemic and racial and social justice movements, is a manifestation of the complicated web of hardship and hope. On the one hand, the fund was a response to the financial barriers to racing, which were exacerbated by the pandemic. But the Trail Mix Fund is also a response to movements for racial justice that held the national spotlight throughout the summer of 2020. Ultimately, the Trail Mix Fund’s multi-pronged mission comes down to this: “This Fund pays the race registration fee for runners who cannot afford it or aren’t sure they belong in the sport” (“Trail Mix Fund”).

In order for the Trail Mix fund to realize its mission, more awareness about the fund is needed, and more runners need to apply for the fee waivers. 

Both Kavi and Alex, each with different stories, backgrounds, experiences and identities, represent people whom the Trail Mix Fund strives to help, and in doing so, build a more inclusive trail running community–one where anyone who is not sure if they belong, or might not be able to afford it, can learn that they, too, absolutely belong. If you are reading this, and this sounds like you, the Trail Mix Fund is for you.

The Trail Mix Fund is just one piece in a much larger puzzle, but it shows how we can each find our small piece to contribute. Each piece matters.When each piece locks into place, the picture is not of a specific runner or a specific event, but of feelings–feeling of inclusion, belonging, and ultimately, freedom. As James Mills, author of The Adventure Gap purports, “I believe we experience genuine freedom when we make a conscious choice to set aside the comforts of warmth, family, and financial security just to climb to a high place and enjoy the view of a distant horizon. Though we live in a nation whose founding principle is freedom, far too many of us deprive ourselves of the opportunity to get beyond our daily urban routine to gaze upon the grandeur of the natural world. And too many of us depriving ourselves of nature are people of color.” 

Going for a trail run, and especially racing, takes a lot more than “just a pair of shoes.” It takes knowledge, gear, financial resources, and perhaps most importantly, trust and self-belief to head down that path and to clear the way for others. Each of us has a place on the path and an action we can take, our own individual piece of the puzzle. Together, we can create a trail running community where belonging is a value, an action, and a reality.

What does your piece of the puzzle look like? If you are a race director, consider joining the Trail Mix Fund. If you are someone with the financial means, consider tacking on $5 to your next race registration to expand opportunities for others. If you are BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ or cannot afford a race fee, take the leap and apply! 

Learn more about the Trail Mix Fund, donate, or apply for a fee waiver.

References:

Mills, James. The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors. Mountaineers Books, 2014.

With Ian Ramsey

Ian Ramsey is an ultrarunner, writer and educator who splits his time between Maine and the Pacific Northwest. He directs the Kauffmann Program for Environmental Writing and Wilderness Exploration. To learn more, go to www.ianramsey.net