Run Report for Flash Burnaby Mountain Down Up (BMDUR 1101)

Where: Burnaby Mountain

When: Feb 21st 6:30pm.

Start Location: Deli/coffee tables at Nester's at SFU.

Weather Conditions: Snowy, Cool [the thick fog had cleared by 6:30pm]

Trail Conditions: Snowy, but not TOO snowy :)

Leading up to the run/Participants: Looking out my office window all day today as the snow flurries waxed and waned, I was thrilled that the first BMDUR was going to be as advertised possible -- snowy and chilly! 5:35pm as I passed by Nester's though and the fog was thicker than 'pea soup', I must admit though I did wonder a bit... So off I went to bundle up in my infamous multiple layers to get to Nester's before the advertised BMDUR 1101 6:30pm start time.

Considering the remoteness/perceived inconvenience of Burnaby Mountain, the response to the first BMDUR of the year was quite positive. Before the event, I had heard from 3 other people that they planned to come to BMDUR 1101. Ultimately, besides myself,  one person (Christophe L.) did actually show up to run at 6:30pm (he actually emailed me an hour and a half before the event to make sure the BMDUR was still a go given the weather conditions), another person showed up around 6:25 to say she was not running this week but is definitely interested in the future (she even went so far as to buy a headlamp ) , and a third person sent an apology about half an hour before the start saying time slipped away and he was still at the office -- a condition to which I am totally sympathetic having only left my office at 5:30pm.

Regretfully, there was a 4th person, Eric R., who I hadn't heard was going to show up, and who showed up to run around 6:40pm (after the advertised start time), but we were already out the door! (see posting in comments for the BMDUR 1101 announcement for his wonderful run report -- yes he too noticed the snow and that it is 'cooler' on Burnaby Mountain). [Looking forward to running with you next time Eric!]

So fingers (and toes) crossed for the response to next week's BMDUR on Feb 28th. I've posted a start time of 6:15 -- we'll see if that works as well. If you email me/write a post on the 'announcement' for the next flash (BMDUR 1102), I can keep an eye out for you.

Pre-run briefings at Nester's: after chatting about possible routes for BMDUR 1101 with the person who coudn't run tonight but who was kind enough to show up in person to tell me so, Christophe L. a newcomer to CFA events arrived at Nester's at the stroke of 6:30pm. A person sitting at the coffee shop asked if we were going for a run and if we were part of a running club; I said yes we were going for a trail run and that this was an informal club run event. She was very much interested in future runs; not wanting to delay our run start too much more, we exchanged email addresses so I could give her more information later. She was also kind enough to take a photograph of the two 6:30pm BMDUR starters .

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Route for Feb 21st: Christophe L. and I ended up running from Nester's, East on High Street, turned left to head North/NorthWest on University Drive East, turned right to head down Cardiac Hill, turned left to head down TCT all the way down to Barnet Highway, U-Turned, turned right on Cougar Trail....followed it as it turned into Barnet Trail until it reached Barnet Highway by the 'Mountain Bike Tricks Park', U-Turned, back along Barnet Trail, Cougar Trail, TCT, Cardiac Hill, University Drive E to the circle intersection, continued along University Drive E to the top of Water Main Trail, crossed the road, went up the fragments of trails/road to Nester's.  According to Garmin: Total distance 11.2km, Min Elevation=33m, Max Elevation=356m, Elevation Change="458"m (this part I always take with a grain of salt".

On the run: Ah yes -- excitement included running in the snow,

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introducing Christophe L. to new trails, Christophe's exclamations as we hit steep uphills and downhills, me singing to get energy to tackle the uphills, meeting a woman with 5 large dogs off-leash on the ON-LEASH trails (just as we turned West onto Cougar Trail)! and yes getting growled at by at least two of her dogs and feeling the teeth of one of her dogs along the quads of my right leg! I really wish people would CONTROL THEIR DOGS better! At least the woman asked if I was ok, when I exclaimed that her dog tried to and did bite me. Luckily it was just a 'brush' of the teeth...i.e., the dog wasn't able to get a 'hold' of fabric or flesh... unlike other dog-tooth encounters. Hmm some of that excitement I could have done without...

Overall: the run was extremely enjoyable. I stopped multiple times to try to take pictures -- few of which turned out. 

Post-run: After the BMDUR, Christophe L. was able to make it to swimming with the SFU TriClub...and I was able to do some much needed grocery shopping at Nester's!

Thanks to Christophe L. for joining me in BMDUR 1101, and to Eric R. far doing an extend up/down variant ;)

Tune in next time for BMDUR 1102!