Fall comes early in the mountains. The fog hangs heavier over the valleys, the skies begin to welcome the familiar shifting clouds. The days are getting shorter, but there are still berry harvests to be had and some of the trail running’s most wondrous days awaiting. Aspire moves basecamp indoors to mountain lodges, turning up the cozy for a series of charmed autumn trips.
Last fall, I had the privilege of sharing in the magic of Territory Run Camp as a member of the Aspire staff. The luxury of having a lodge, as opposed to our usual outdoor glamping scene, was not to be understated in the midst of the many different types of weather we encountered. It’s quite difficult to imagine it was only a long weekend, the moments of run camp truly felt timeless.
Settling into the lodge on the first night, we feasted on garlic toast and a hearty carrot-lentil soup, spiced to aromatic perfection. As night fell, runners retired to their bunks, only to be greeted with hot coffee and dutch pancakes at first light.
These rendezvous trips offer runners many options for what kind of mileage or length of day they would like to have. As a member of the Aspire crew, we coordinate to ensure that each mile of trail a participant chooses to run is swept so that we can make sure everyone makes it home for dinner.
On this first running day, I was lucky to get to run the traverse from Excelsior Ridge along the High Divide to Yellow Aster Butte. After a few steep miles, the trail breaks through treeline and leads you through miles and miles of blueberry bushes atop scenic rocky ridgelines with sweeping views of the valleys below. Throughout this particular day, the sky was with me. We moved together. Sweeping around turns in the trail and through small stands of cedars. The swirling mist rising from the valleys caught my gaze as a hawk took off from a nearby perch and swooped over a misty horizon. The colors of vibrant green moss, auburn red undergrowth, and pink bells of heather seemed to catch my eye more on this overcast and moody day. How awesome it is to move for hours and miles through these hills, feasting on plump huckleberries, knowing there is a smiling face, a bag of chips, and a cooler of beer awaiting my arrival at the trailhead.
The next day, NOAA forecasted an eighty percent chance of rain, offering us the clear decision to spend the day exploring the trails nearby to the lodge. Of these trails, there are mileage options anywhere from a few miles, to 20+ miles through beautiful mountainous terrain with alpine lakes, broad ridgelines, glacier views, and more. Some folks opted to run out towards Lake Ann and the west face of Mount Shuksan. Others ventured out towards Kulshan along the Ptarmigan Ridge. I decided to run an eight mile loop from the lodge, circumnavigating Table Mountain. The loop is one I have more often completed on skis, while there is a hefty blanket of snow covering the slopes. On this foggy day, with little spouts of rain here and there, I found so much enjoyment discovering the magic that this route holds in the summer months -–shimmering clear alpine lakes, waterfalls and meandering creeks, rock buttresses adorned in moss and lichen, boulder and scree fields with stones of swirly metamorphosed granite.
The afternoon offered many a moment to connect with others at Run Camp as we all gathered to share stories, read books, and play cards or chess, while our gear dried downstairs. After dinner, we listened to a talk given by a veteran through-hiker named Bacchus. He offered his words of wisdom acknowledging the power of giving in to an “unfiltered” experience. He spoke of the magic that happens when you pay attention, and leave the distractions behind. He called into question the meaning behind why we run? –why we do the things we do? In his words, “It’s not about the miles or the gear, but how you have been changed by the experience.” He encouraged everyone to take a moment and consider our relationship to the external world –to see ourselves in context; in this moment, in this place, as this person. His stories and his message felt potent, and the questions he raised stayed with me through the night.
On the third day of running, we had the opportunity to choose between a climb up Goat Mountain, a trail up the riverbed to the Nooksack Cirque, a climbers trail to a lake at the toe of a glacier, or any combination of the three options. As a skier and lover of glaciers, I decided to explore the Nooksack Cirque and glacier fed lake. Emerging from the forest onto the large smooth cobbles of the Nooksack valley, I took note of my slowed pace. As I walked, the river wound, interrupting my route –- ushering me across and through its icy waters. Knee deep in glacial runoff, feet soaked with the ancient melt of glaciers… I felt a reverence come over me. The cirque remained out of sight –around a bend in the river– and so I walked on to get a view. Eager to witness the headwaters where the mighty Nooksack river originates. As the blue ice began to show, and the river curved towards the cirque, I felt a heaviness happen upon my chest. The thought crossed my mind, “Is this ALL there is?” …and soon after, “This is ALL there is!” How magnificent and how frail. How ancient and powerful! How withered and vanishing.
In the moments that followed, I could feel the messages of Bacchus’s talk taking root in my mind. I could feel myself being overwhelmed with gratitude for an opportunity such as this, to feel human, to feel uncertain of the future, to fully feel any and all emotions that colored the next hours of my experience.
On the final day of Territory Run Camp, everyone awoke before first light and made our way up to the summit of Table Mountain to watch as the sun rose over the shoulder of the neighboring Mount Shuksan. Winding our way up the rocky switchbacks, we could see Kulshan in the distance, radiant in the blue hue of dawn. As the light began to change, a few solitary wisps of clouds became illuminated with orange and pink. The energy amongst the group was one of contentment and awe, underlain by a heightened sense of connection to this place; to these mountains. We were so fortunate to get to experience them in so many different temperaments: the moody days that turned to rain; the rain that turned to hazy sunshine; then to a final burst of sunshine on the clearest morning of all. Gratitude to this degree felt humbling.
To be offered such an opportunity as Territory Run Camp and a progression of experience is such a gift. I am so grateful for the running stoke, the exceptional food, and all the uplifting vibes from Aspire and Territory Running Co. And I also deeply appreciate the sense of adventure; of growing as a human; of discovering what it means to be in connection with wild places. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I’m already looking forward to lodge season next year!
Explore Territory Run Camp and the following lodge trips on the calendar this fall:
Stehekin Rendezvous
North Cascades Climate Summit
Territory Run Camp
Out Trails LGBTQ+ Running Retreat – North Cascades
Julie Ann leads Aspire’s mountain based skills courses and fastpacking missions, while also working as a mountain guide in the North Cascades, and teaching wilderness medicine courses.