Varvel Family: November Running

Lots of great runs in November. Taking full advantage of being outside before the snow flies.

Women's Runs:

So many great Women's Runs in November. Our group in constantly growing and changing. I love it! For our first Monday night run in November, we extended Halloween by a day. We ran around the Tautphaus Park area, including through a cemetery, and then ended our night at the Zoo, for the Halloween zoo lights.

Our run before the zoo lights.

The zoo is so fun during Halloween!

For our second November Monday night run, we did 5 miles around Snake River Landing.

The had started putting up the Christmas lights around the river.

Next, we had an IFTR Food Drive, that Amanda organized to take the place of our Women's Run. It was fun to be able to run with Mark on a Monday night. We collected lots of food for the food bank, and enjoyed a group run around the river.

Food Drive

Next, we had our annual turkey trot. It's always a favorite!

Turkey Trot

Once Thanksgiving week was over, we jumped right into the Christmas spirit. For our last November Women's run, we ran through the streets of Idaho Falls and spelled JOY on our Strava maps. So fun!

Lots of new people joined us for this one. Strava art is always popular!

Our JOY map!

Dunanda Falls:

Jen had the last minute idea to do Dunanda Falls for her Tuesday Adventure. It was a cold, rainy day, but we didn't let that stop us. We talked Steph into ditching work, picked Joyce up on the way, and hit the trail. It was awesome! We were wet the whole way! The meadow areas were basically under water, so we had to walk through long stretches with our feet under the freezing cold water. We just kept moving to stay warm. There are also about a gazillion water crossings; some came up to my knees. I actually don't mind being wet on the trail, as long as I can keep moving enough to stay reasonable warm.

Fresh out of the car, and the only part of the day that we were dry. 😁

It was a misty, foggy day, and the meadows looked really cool.

Lots of water crossings!

The trail was underwater for a lot of the way. It made for some fun reflection pictures.

Walking up the creek to the falls.

Dunanda Falls!

Jen-Steph-Tricia-Joyce
I've felt really grateful lately for awesome friends in our running community that build each other up, and encourage each other to succeed; that help each other along the way, instead of being consumed with competing with and being better than each other. These are those kind of ladies, and we need more of them in our world.

There is nothing quite like soaking in amazing hot pools at the base of a giant waterfall, on a really cold day. It's good for the body, mind, and soul. So fun!

When we left the hot pools, we climbed a hill to see the waterfall from the top.

It was 18 miles of being wet and soggy, and I wouldn't change it for anything. It was totally my kind of adventure! I can't wait to go again in the late summer.

Kelly Canyon:

I love that Steph works in Ririe now. I meet her up there after work, and we have time to get in a run before it gets dark.

I promise I wasn't touching her butt, the picture just thinks I was! 😂

We didn't actually run with Mark. He was up there starting right as Steph and I were finishing.

Carrie and I did a hike on Buckskin Morgan. It was a foggy day, and there was plenty of snow and mud on the trail. No worries; we were in no hurry, and had plenty of catching up to do.

It was so foggy, we could hardly see across to the ski hill.

Plenty of snow, mud, and puddles.

Early Morning IFTR Runs:

We did some good IFTR group runs in November. First we did Ozone and Trail Hollow.

Ozone/Trail Hollow
Jeff-Dan-James-Tricia-Steve-Carney

The next week was a tempo run around Community Park. No pictures.

Then we did a 10K around Thunder Ridge.

10K on Thunder Ridge

The sun coming up behind the windmills.

The best one was the day after Thanksgiving. Dan made a group run called Leftovers. We took a round about way up Grandpa Henry's, and then came down a crazy slick and steep downhill. I thought I was gonna die. I was definitely the weak link. 😂

Pretty sky and sunrise!

The group on top of Grandpa Henry,s.

The downhill. I literally sat on my butt and slid down a lot of it.

This area is so pretty when it gets dusted with snow.

Cress Creek Canal:

We met Steph after her work for a quick five miles on the canal across from Cress Creek. I think this will be a 'go to' route for me once I live up there.

Cress Creek Canal

Kelly Canyon Exploring:

Since Kelly Canyon is gonna practically be in our backyard once we move, Mark and I wanted to do some exploring farther out then we normally go. We found an awesome 15 mile route, but we found it when it was not great conditions. It didn't take long before we hit ice. I mean CRAZY ice! The ATV road looked wet, but it was an ice rink. That lasted quite awhile, and then we hit crazy mud. It was a mess! After the mud we hit snow, and that was good to clean off our shoes, but don't you worry, because after the snow we found more mud. 😂 I can't wait to do it again in the summer when the trails are better. It'll be a great route.

We found a cow leg with lots of wolf tracks around it.

Hawley Gulch area.

That's an ice covered ATV road. We had to navigate miles of that nonsense.

Mud!

Snow! It got pretty deep the higher up we climbed.

Adventure buddies!

The Butte:

My favorite time on the Butte is right at the beginning of winter. It's always prettiest to me when there is a little bit of snow. When you add the fog, it's even better. Steph and I had a nice, relaxing run in the snow. We had no cares or worries about how long it took us. We ran when we wanted to run, and walked when we wanted to walk. Just what we needed.

Snowy, foggy trail through the caldera. You can't even see the other side.

Steph-Tricia

Climbing the rocks in the snow.

I love this old frosted tree.

Thanksgiving Palisades:

We didn't have the kiddos for Thanksgiving this year, and Steph didn't have her kids either, so we decided the best way to spend it was a run to upper palisades lake. Best decision ever! We had perfect trail conditions and temperatures! There was just enough snow to make everything pretty, and little enough to make running in it fun. Mat got a later start than us, but we still caught up, so we got to see him for a little while too! Great morning!

This was the sunrise we watched on the drive there.

I love the little waterfall in the snow.

Frosty trees all around us.

Tricia-Steph

Tricia-Mark

Just running along.

We found Mat!

Almost to the upper lake. The sun shining through the trees looked so pretty.

Happy Thanksgiving from the upper lake!

West Tex Tour:

We took Eric on a 10k tour of West Tex. We showed him the Trail of Bones, the River Sticks, Dragon's Back, El Coyotes, Kepp's Ridge, and Kepp's Road. Fun morning!