Driven

Gannett Peak -

22 miles

22.5 hours

I am not goingto call this one an ultra run. Maybe an adventure run and certainly an ultra hike. I certainly did not run 42 miles. Rather, the distance was covered in a combination of running, hiking, scrambling, and mountaineering (including snow climbing and hanging from a rope over a crevass).

I met Greg at his home at Holladay, UT and we were on the road driving to Wyoming by 4:15PM. We arrived to Elkhart Park about 9:30PM and camped on a flat spot on a nearby Jeep trail. We awoke at 2AM and began running up the trail at 3:30AM. The first several miles went by quickly. We found a shortcut between Miller and Eklund lakes that saved a mile of hiking. The waning moon was almost full so we had nice bright light through the forest. I made my pack as light as possible but it was heavier than what I am conditioned to carry on long runs. (Very sore feet at the and of the day.) At Seneca Lake I just did not want to run very much anymore. The trail into Gannett is rocky the entire way. At the pass before Island Lake we ran and covered ground more quickly but it was difficult for me to have a running mood again. I was fatigued from lack of sleep.

Sunrise over Titcomb Basin was effortlessly spectacular and the entire day, weather-wise, was perfect. We ran more up the basin along the lake shores. Above the lakes we stopped and I made myself a nice Ultragen recovery drink to prepare me for the climb up to Bonney Pass. Never again will I hike up over Bonney Pass without sufficient snow cover. If I ever go back it will be in July, with snow covering all the climbs. The climb up to the pass is miserable, The climb down from the pass is miserable. And we had to repeat it in reverse later in the day.

Down on Dinwoody Glacier Greg and I oohed and ahhed at the fast-running streams of pure water running downhill over the ice. We jumped several open crevasses, some were frighteningly deep. The glacier doesn't care. It will swallow you whole.

We hiked up the lower Gooseneck ridge to were crampons were required to climb further over snow. Finally we arrived at the bergschrund (Wikipedia: Bergschrund:

A bergschrund^[1] (from the German for mountain cleft) is a crevasse that forms where the moving glacier ice separates from the stagnant ice or firn above. It is often a serious obstacle for mountaineers, who sometimes abbreviate "bergschrund" to "schrund".)

There was no snowbridge available to cross the schrund. It had collapsed to a narrow platform about 4 feet inside the crevass. To the left of the collapsed bridge was a 30 foot deep pit with a floor of rotten snow and ice and dark holes scatterd about. Immediately obvious, however, was a blue climbing rope, anchored unseen somwhere above on the steep snow slope. I did not think twice, just hopped down, grabbed the rope and walked myself up a slanting, narrow little ramp of snow to the upper lip of the bergschrund. Immediatley after I cleared the upper lip I turned, looked down and wondered how the hell I was I going to climb down. Greg decided to look for an alterative route up on some rocks. I carefully climbed up the 55 degree slope, using my ice axe and kicking steps. At the top I met two climbers descending the peak. They were getting ready to descend the rope. I told them to look for Greg because several minutes had passed and I could not see him anywhere below. As they descened Greg came up and they let him pass. He never did find an alternative way up.

We hiked the remainder of the ridge and reached the summit 10.5 hours after beginning our journey. Pretty slow actually but 2 hours faster than my climb up two years ago. We got photos and video of the summit, ate lunch, then began the descent. My right knee began to hurt and I recognized it as ITB inflamation. The pain became more intense the more we hiked down over the rocks. Above the crux, the slope with the bergschrund, I was anxious to get down. I grabbed the rope and walked myself down, kicking steps. A slip would have been disasterous. At the upper edge of the schrund I got on my belly and hung my feet over the edge. I had to trust the rope with all my weight. Pointing my toes into the snow wall I kicked the front spikes of the crampons while lowering myself. It was quick and what a relief it was to stand on the collapsed snowbridge. I hopped out and then motioned to Greg to begin his descent. He came down as I had, using the rope. I guided him down the drop from the top of the schrund and with all that nonsense behind us we continued our descent of the mountain. It was getting late.

Re-crossing the glacier going uphill was slow. My feet soaked in the slushy melting snow. The climb up to Bonney Pass was miserable but shorter than the other side. On the pass crest we ate some food, dreading the descent back to the top of Titcomb basin. I repeat, I will never again climb Bonney Pass when there is no snow. At the base we filled up on water and I drank some Ultragen to see me through the next several miles. In a few minutes I had more energy than I had all day. I began to run. I wanted to get to Island lake before sunset. I was feeling rather well and the running gave me hope to be out in 4 to 5 hours. Greg, however, was not feeling well. Near the lower Titcomb lake we set into a brisk walking pace. We did reach Island Lake well before sunset but I knew it would be a long walk out. We switched on headlamps at the pass above Little Seneca lake. Eleven miles over that kind of terrain is a very long walk, and with each mile my energy and endurance faded. Greg never seemed to get that burst of energy he was hoping for, and he even had to vomit at the side of the trail. For my part, the IT band continued to cause pain to the side of my knee.

We arrived at last to the trailhead. It was 2AM. We drove to our camp spot and both fell asleep within minutes. When we got up later it was well past dawn.

I wore my GoPro camera the entire way and got hours of video.

On the way out I had determined ideas of never going back to Gannet. Bagging that summit in one day comes with a large price. If I ever change my mind it I will require certain conditions.