I have to thank the weather gods as of late, nothing like waking up on a training day to temps in the low 60s. Basically for the past week or so I’ve had the luxury of enjoying cool temps for at least the first part allowing me to stretch out some of the longer runs. I have to be extra careful on the hot days that I don’t over-cook. My thermostat was severely impaired by a couple of unfortunate mishaps over my running career and now more susceptible to “going over the edge” so to speak. The impact to the body would be one thing to overcome, but worse would be enduring the scorn from Linda. I’ll still need more heat conditioning before the July ultra race, but for now focused on taking the legs to exhaustion and then pushing them again before they’ve fully recovered – little ultra-secret, you NEVER train for the full race distances (similar to marathon training), but we can simulate those hardship miles by training on tired bodies. Now, tired doesn’t mean injured so we have to make sure to keep those heavy feet ABOVE the roots of all evil! I was thinking about those careful foot placements on today’s run when this post topic popped in my head.
About now you are probably wondering what a Ruddy Turnstone has to do with trail running. As a general warning, there is a high occurrence of hallucinations and mental disconnects during long runs, so keep your expectations low – hit the jump and I’ll do my best to explain.
To be honest, it wasn’t so much the relationship with the bird that sparked today’s post. In retrospect, the fact I was running on various sized “stones” along the Illinois River bluff and without a doubt I was doing my best not to “turn” an ankle so close to race day could have subconsciously aided in the selection process.
The main reason was really where this bird was photographed and more specifically what it was standing on – wet granite. I’ve ran on all types of surfaces over the years from cement to sand and almost everything in between. For each of those conditions, there is a shoe specifically designed to meet that challenge. Choose wrong and you will either increase the level of effort or more than likely, find your ass on the ground.
The one condition I have not had to run on is smooth, wet and slimy granite. This is a good thing as I have zero clue on what shoe style works best in that situation. What I do know is hiking shoes can’t be the best choice purely by personal experimentation. Let me step back a bit (see what I did there, I crack myself up).
I happen to enjoy birding locations referred to as “jetties”. Merriam defines this entity as a structure extended into a sea, lake, or river to influence the current or tide or to protect a harbor or a landing wharf. I simply refer to it a way to get birders closer to waterfowl without resorting to skinny dipping (trust me, NOBODY and I mean NOBODY wants that – link here “like a frightened turtle“).
I have found that most of these jetties are constructed with massive chunks of stacked squarish granite. In some cases incredibly gorgeous pink hued granite that tends to distract from the fact these slabs are dangerous as hell and no human should ever risk traversing them – you have been warned. Now that the Intrigued legal department has been sufficiently satisfied, I have to admit that they are quite wonderful for birding, especially if you are into species like Egrets, Sanderlings, Peeps, Plovers and no surprise..Ruddy Turnstones who are drawn to the vegetation and creature trapping puddles/crevices. In addition, having access to the deeper water also provides better sights on Loons, Mergansers, Gulls, Pelicans and those rarities like the Jaegers and Boobies that might be enticed to take a quick rest.
There are actually three jetties in particular that I always try to visit at least once on our Texas winterings. The one featured in these shots sits on the far end of South Padre Island – south of the main Causeway and at the far end of Isla Blanca Park (link here). There is a fee to drive into Isla Blanca, but you can bicycle/run//walk in for free. In the last couple of years, they have had a Purple Sandpiper and a Booby – both of which I just missed. Regardless, plenty of Turnstones, Snowy Egrets, Brown Pelicans, Terns and cute Bonaparte’s Gulls to keep your shutter busy. This place happens to have the distinction of a nasty fall while I was out there with Ron, resulting in a nice gash on my knee trying to save The Beast from a hard impact.
My second favorite jetty is the North Jetty on Bolivar Peninsula. It sits just off the Galveston Ferry landing and a few miles short of the entrance to the Bolivar Flats/Audubon Shorebird Sanctuary (link here). This jetty has a nice cement path that was placed on top of the slabs for a portion of the way. That eventually stops, but then you can navigate the slabs yourself for an incredibly long distance. I’ll preface with the fact we have never had a problem on our numerous visits there, but admittedly it has a bit of a sketchy feel to it. A lot of trash in the area, pretty disgusting porta-potties and the shore area not maintained very well. What it does have is a ton of wintering birds. This year we saw probably 4,000 Avocets, and hundreds of Curlews, Marbled Godwits, Willets, Black-Necked Stilts, Pelicans (White and Brown), Plovers, and several Peeps and Sanderlings. There is also a good chance to see some Clappers if you are willing to walk out to the farther tide pools. This jetty is probably the most dangerous to walk as the slabs beyond the cement path are usually wet and full of algae making them especially slick. It is also more exposed to the direct wind currents which just adds to the chances of using your camera equipment insurance.
Lastly is the Port Aransas, Texas jetty. I believe they refer to it as the South Jetty area and sits off the I.B. Magee Beach Park. That is to the east of Robert’s Point Park if you recall my many previous posts from that location (link here). This jetty also has a smoother pathway for some of the distance, but like Bolivar, you will eventually have to navigate the potentially slick granite slabs. Probably the least of the bird sightings, but I always enjoy a stroll out to the very end. Sure, you will see your resident Turnstones, Egrets, Terns, Mergansers and plenty of Brown Pelicans smashing into the surf as you make your way out there, but the real delight is conversing with the fishermen along the way. Unlike the SPI jetty pole wranglers who like to pull the “I don’t speak English” card whenever you ask them a question, the Aransas anglers seem to always be willing to let you take pictures of their latest catches or answer any questions you might have about fish species, bait preferences and my “Holy hell, does that fish have HUMAN teeth!?!?” introduction to the Sheepshead (it does and it’s creepy!).
Whether it be slick granite or dicey trails, be safe out there. It just occurred to me if I could replicate the shoes that these Ruddy Turnstones use to effortless run along the jetties, I’d make a fortune and stealing the Hoka orange would go perfectly with the orange legs of the Turnstone as a marketing strategy.. the wheels are turning now!
Life Intrigued 