Last month, I said that I like to dive deep when embarking on new adventures. I do this because immersing ourselves in an activity can often lead to new knowledge, wisdom, or personal revelations.

Keep in mind, though, that I use the term “adventure” loosely. I like the way that the word reframes almost anything into an event or something a bit more dynamic than what we might otherwise associate with the activity in question. For example, I believe that even mundane actions such as taking a short walk around the neighborhood or splitting firewood could constitute an adventure. You don’t just reap the aforementioned benefits at the top of the tallest mountain or after the final leg of an extended journey, after all.

Immersion (and mindfulness) is the key to accessing those life-changing experiences anytime and anywhere. However, this approach often comes with more than one cost.

Washoe Meadows State Park on August 3, 2025. © Jared Manninen

Walking around the block on your lunch break obviously isn’t expensive. Depending on the seriousness of your adventure, though, you could find yourself spending a lot of money on gear and access, as well as time and other resources.

And then there’s your community to consider. When you’re the only person within your circle of friends and family passionate about something new, you’re most likely going to have to go it alone. You’ll make new friends and allies along the way, but initially you’ll be on your own. That’s typically what happens to me, anyway. Most rabbit holes, after all, are usually only big enough to accommodate one at a time.

Lake Aloha on August 6, 2025. © Jared Manninen

I also said last month that I often start new things without clear or specific end-goals in mind. This still rings true. I like to try new things, and I do so with a certain zealousness despite not knowing to what end those activities will lead.

This summer is a good example of all that I’m describing.

I began trail running in earnest toward the end of May, and I’ve continued ever since. Am I planning to run next year’s Western States 100 race? No. Will I run a shorter trail race instead? Anything is possible. However, racing isn’t on my radar at this point.

Mostly I’m just running for my health and to consistently be outside. That, and I want to ensure that I’m not beginning the upcoming cross-country ski season in a health deficit. I’m so tired of spending the first full month or two of xc skiing each winter just to feel like I’m physically ready enough to go on some longer ski tours.

Upper Angora Lake on August 9, 2025. © Jared Manninen

All of that said, I’ve gone all in on this trail running adventure! I got the vest and all the appropriate gear, including a watch that tracks my health stats during the day and heart rate variability while I sleep. I watch videos on the best training practices for people 50 years and older, read books on peak performance, and keep a daily journal. I’m now averaging 100 miles per month. And I’ve even worked into my regimen two trail running day commutes to work each week. This isn’t particularly extraordinary. However, bookending an 8-hour workday where I’m primarily on my feet with 3-mile runs that include 1,000 feet of gain on my way up and then 1,000 feet of drop on my way back is something.

And, yes, I’ve mostly been running by myself all summer. This is because, compared to other endeavors, running is highly individualized.

Grass Lake on August 13, 2025. © Jared Manninen

Again, I have no idea where this is all leading but it doesn’t matter. The whole process has been enriching my life in so many different ways, so I’ll continue to run until the winter when I transition to cross-country skiing. And then I do plan on taking up trail running again next year because I’m really enjoying it!

One of the big problems with immersive experiences, however, is being able to extract ourselves from them. We become so accustomed to doing a thing for so long that they’re challenging to stop in order to move on to other things. Fortunately, when the snow flies it’ll be an easy thing for me to just pull out the xc skis and go. But it’s not as straightforward when the activity in question isn’t weather or season dependent.

Unnamed pond below Echo Peak on August 21, 2025. © Jared Manninen

So there are a number of benchmarks that I use along the way to determine whether or not I’m going to continue participating in any given activity. That, and I always want to ensure that I’m acting on genuine interest and passion rather than some sort of fanatical compulsion or addiction.

The criteria that I offer this month is a bit more specific and grounded in logic compared to last month’s severe sounding questions (i.e. How far am I going to take it? What am I willing to do? How much am I willing to risk?).

• Experience (Is the activity enjoyable, enlightening, enriching, and are those aspects sustainable?)
• Time (Can I easily integrate the new endeavor into my schedule or will it consume all of my time?)
• Duration (Is this activity a finite thing, or is it always possible to do?)
• Proficiency (Will it lead to new and relevant skills that I can apply to the rest of my life?)
• Community (Can I participate in this activity by myself or do I need a group?)
• Cost (How expensive is it to participate in the activity, and are there ways to make it more affordable?)
• Risk (How likely is it that I’ll become injured, or worse, or lose something while participating in the activity?)

Again, these are fairly straightforward questions that I ask myself periodically throughout the experience. But, of them, I think the “fun-factor” is always at the top. Basically, I always want to enjoy the activity rather than just operating on auto-pilot because I’ve done the thing for so long.

Gunmount Trail through the Angora Burn area on August 25, 2025. © Jared Manninen

For me, trail running gets good marks on all of the above criteria. The main concern that I do have is the potential for developing a long-term or chronic stress-related injury such as tendonitis. But the overall health benefits outweigh that fear, especially since I’ve been taking a slow, long-term approach to running.

Now, am I going to start proselytizing the merits of trail running to everyone I come across? No.

Even when considering how much I love the sport, I don’t even really do that with cross-country skiing. Sure, I share my passion for it through inspirational and educational videos and articles. But the decision is completely up to you as to whether or not you want to participate in it, and for how long. That, and as much as I’m trying to grow the cross-country skiing community, I’m going to ski regardless of whether or not anyone is following me.

And I think that right there is one of the major differentiating points between passion and fanaticism. Fanatics require followers to validate their existence. Passionate people don’t. Passionate people just keep doing what they love whether or not anyone is even paying attention. For them, the journey in and of itself, is enough.

Emerald Bay on August 27, 2025. © Jared Manninen

I bring this question up about passion versus fanaticism because earlier in the summer, an online troll posted a 1,300 word criticism of me being some sort of “gatekeeper” of cross-country skiing because I don’t recommend roller skiing for beginners. I believe that roller skiing shouldn’t be implemented into a person’s training regimen until they’ve become at least an intermediate xc skier. This is due to the many pitfalls (and literal falls!) of roller skiing.

I basically don’t want new xc skiers to develop bad habits and/or become injured early in their experience. And the majority of my fellow instructors and mentors have all expressed the same beliefs over the years, so I’m not alone with my recommendation.

This whole episode was a very bizarre thing, to say the least, considering how much xc ski content I’ve put out over the past few years. But it gave me a reason to perform a little self-evaluation. Basically, I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t becoming “that guy.” You know the one that screams and froths at the mouth trying to convince people of one thing or another.

I know I’m not, but I know that I dive deep into things and find myself talking about them constantly. And I know that people get tired of hearing it. So it was good for me to look in the mirror this summer. That, and to consciously take a break from making any new YouTube videos about trail running, for example. I’ll save that for next summer 😉

Donner Lake viewed from Mount Judah on August 28, 2025. © Jared Manninen

Group photo on Mount Judah during the 2022 Roller Pass/Judah Loop hike.

During the weekend of October 4-5, 2025, the Donner Summit Historical Society will offer multiple history-related hikes (8 on Saturday, 1 on Sunday) about the region. There will also be guest speakers who will share additional local history after the hikes (and after lunch) on Saturday. This annual weekend event is the main fundraiser for the Donner Summit Historical Society. I’ll be volunteering again as the lead guide for the Roller Pass / Judah Loop hike (Saturday, October 4th).

I wish I had more time to be involved with the DSHS, but at least I’m able to contribute to their organization and the sharing of local history in this capacity each fall. I’ve lead this hike a number of times in recent years, and it’s a really fun (albeit strenuous) hike. And I’m certain the organization appreciates my willingness to walk and talk for the 7-mile hike, and still get everyone back by lunch 🙂

I’ve now heard that there are at least 20 people signed up for the Roller Pass/Judah Loop hike, so I can’t actually say if there’s any more space in which to sign up. However, there’s still availability for the other hikes during the weekend 🙂

Last month, I made more of an effort to take some better quality wildlife photographs compared to my lackluster July output 🙂

In the following photos, I grouped some of them in “twos” to show the comparison/contrast between similar species rather than just posting them in chronological order.

I will say that I’ve been very grateful for seeing so many Mountain Quail this summer! I believe there are two families occupying territory in two different locations along my trail run commute to work. Although I never have my good camera with me when I see them (because I’m trail running), Mountain Quail are one of the main species (i.e. reasons!) that I always carry in my right hand a point-and-shoot zoom camera 🙂