So I am running Speedgoat next Saturday. 'Smorning I ran the course through Gad Valley to Hidden Peak, then jogged over to Baldy and back down to the tunnel. Through the tunnel then a quarter of the way down Peruvian Gulch, then up to the ridge trail back to Hidden Peak, then followed the course down to the finish. Total milage was just under 17, with 6221 feet of climbing. That brings my weekly total to around 18,000 feet of vertical smile. I got the first 3rd of this course memorized now. It begins immediately with some mild switchbacks, then traverses East toward Snowbird Center and then goes up some steep switchbacks. It was at the base of these switchbacks that I looked up and saw Speedgoat hiking down toward me. Speedgoat in his natural habitat. He was out marking the course with orange ribbons. Tending his baby. I jogged uphill on the right and puffed out "How ya doing Karl". A quick reply of "Hey, good", and we both continued on. The trails at Snowbird are steep. I mean steep. At the top of the switchbacks and after some exaustingly steep section I rounded the corner to Chip's Run to make the traverse back toward Gad Valley. I ran past some dudes shooting arrows at a lifelike deer buck. Bam! A nice shot to the upper torso. I ran the entire next uphill segment up to Mid-Gad where the first aid station (water only) will be. Then the course winds through forest for a few miles to the top of Gad 2 Chair, and back down again to pick up the main road up Gad Valley. From there to the rocky switchbacks are some of the most frighteningly steep trail I have ever been on. I would never ever never want to ride up this thing in a vehicle. Fortunately the course goes off road before the big hill (but I missed it and went up the hill) and makes a nice wide switchback to join the road again higher up. Then the trail goes through rocky talus all the way up to the top of Little Cloud bowl and the final stretch to Hidden Peak. The fastest runners will get to Hidden peak in 1hr30m, I know it. It took me 2:15 but that was me taking an easy pace and stopping a few times for potty breaks. Lots of tourists on Hidden Peak, Baldy, and between. The trail up Baldy was strewn with tulip petals. Some ladies were descending wearing crowns made of wildflowers. OK. At the summit I saw musicians packing up and I guessed there must have been a wedding there recently. Cool. I would love to marry a babe on a mountain top. As I ascended Baldy I saw my friend Dave The Immortal Ridge King Armitage hiking down. He told me he had begun that morning hiking the South Ridge of Superior, then hiked down to Alta and now on his way to Hidden Peak to ride the tram down. Dave must be pushing 70. I know he has hiked every ridge and peak in the Wasatch, multiple times. I descended Baldy and then ran down to the tunnel. A sign outside said Peruvian Gulch was closed because there was an archery thing happening in the area. That explains the dudes with bows shooting at fake animals. I went through. Out the other side to the top of Peruvian I saw a rope indicating the area closed to all traffic. I went under and jogged down to where the trail ascends the ridge back up to Hidden Peak. Tough climb. Hell no I didn't run all of it. I was pooped at this point. Imagine having 26 miles on my legs at that point. I will find out next week what that feels like. I refilled water at Hidden Peak then started the descent back down Gad Valley. The final descent of the course is more direct than the ascent. It began to rain. Nice and cool. Another runner caught up to me and we chatted all the way down to the parking area. He was doing repeats up to Hidden Peak, had done two and was going up for a third. Not me, I was done. I estimate that if I am feeling good for the race I can get up to Hidden Peak in 2 hours, do the Mineral basin loop in 2:30, then do the rest in 2 hours and I can finish in 6:30. That would be sweet.
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