MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Spring 2019

58 ML BLUE SPRING 2019 the snow crunched underfoot and a trail run more often than not involved a skid out on a hidden patch of ice or a soaked shoe after breaking through an ice-coated puddle, but it beat running on the snow-crusted sidewalks or—even worse—on the treadmill. The conversion had started. Flash forward a few months, meeting his friends nervously. We hiked up Cascade at Blue Mountain, and by then, I knew the top of the Escarpment and the Bruce Trail like it was my own backyard, which, I started to realize, it kind of was. In that hike, laughing and wheezing our way up and back down before gratefully collapsing into seats at one of the patios in town and sipping cold cider, I started to feel more at home. The Cascade trail— shaded with trees, studded with slick, mossy rocks, more of a scramble than a hike—forces you to take your time. In those moments, I felt as comfortable with the people I was with as I did on the trails. Finally, five years later, I had made my own place in and around Collingwood—specifically, on the trails. I was racing trail ultra-marathons, destroying running shoes on a monthly basis, and more often than not, sporting mud streaks on the back of my calves when running errands in town. I was officially a part of the trail community. Flashing to present day, the trails have become my friends, and my key to friendships. For instance, this morning: my phone keeps buzzing, but when I open my eyes, it’s still dark out. It’s 5am, and the texts have started to come in from the five women who’ve decided we have to attempt to set the Queen of the Mountain time running up and down The Grind. So, we set an ungodly time of 6am that Saturday morning to make our attempt at the speed record. We meet at the base of the The trails have become my friends, and my key to friendships. MARK LOCKI “SUFFER NOW, SUMMIT LATER”: THE SUMMIT 700 On July 13, trail runners from around Canada will flock to Blue Mountain Resort for this newly rebranded and redesigned trail race (formerly the Endurance Challenge). Distances range from 6 to 21 kilometres, but be warned: even the shorter distances will boast serious elevation gains and gnarly trails that will challenge even the most hardened root-runner. With the tagline of Suffer Now, Summit Later, each distance will climb a timed 700-foot ascent of the Niagara Escarpment, with all the natural obstacles that come with the densely wooded trails around the Mountain. The event’s main sponsor is Salomon Canada. Info: summit700.com