Driven

Thirty Two miles bike, one hiking mile.

Back to basics.

Last night I dreamed of running a 100 mile race and I came to a river crossing. The water was dark, cold and deep.

Superior South Ridge to Superior Peak and Monte Crisco

Freaking Wasatch. I love it.

You know that place in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books where Elrond and the elves live, Rivendell? It is a place of safety, comfort, relaxation and mountainous beauty. To me, Snowbird is Rivendell. Every year I like to take my fambly up Little Cottonwood Canyon to stay a few nights at Snowbird .

Right across the skreet from Snowbird is Mt. Superior, a giant, red rock mountain that is the high point on the Eastern end of the Cottonwood Ridge. Straight up from Snowbird is the South Ridge, a line of lighter-colored jagged quartzite that sways up a couple thousand feet from the road to the summit.

This morning at 4:30 I met Scott and Craig at the LCC park & ride where we jumped into Craig's vehicle for the drive up to Snowbird. It was cold to start and I was wishing I had brought my light jacket. We worked our way up to the base of the ridge, hiking an old (and mean old! Probaly a 100 year old) mining road. The higher we climbed I warmed sufficiently to forget the cold. Most of the route is class 4 (using hands) and low class 5 climbing. It gets very vertical just a few hundred feet above the road. The next mile is a continuous knife-edge ridge scramble with terrific exposure. To the left: death. To the right: death. Hang on. The three of us enjoyed the climbing and it is no exaggeration to proclaim the South Ridge as the best ridge scramble in the Wasatch.

When the sun cleared the Eastern skyline the mountain lit brilliantly and the boys captured many good photos of the climb. The waning moon was still up over the Pfeifferhorn and the Alpine Ridge across the canyon. I had my new GoPro HD rolling and I hope I got some good footage.

Freaking Wasatch.

Craig got ahead after I stopped for a break and when I hiked further up he came into view. He was, it seemed, stretched out on a vertical wall with a serious drop directly under him. He was at the crux. It would have been a fantastic photo but I don't believe Scott was able to get one. I always by-pass the crux and walk around to the West. No need to push my limited rock climbing skils.

On the last segment of the climb the rock quality of the ridge shifts to darkly red-tinted and coffee colored boulders. Craig and I made a dash up to the summit and looking back down the ridge did not see Scott. We decided to make another dash over to Monte Cristo (Crisco) because I cannot stand tagging Superior without completing with Monte Cristo. I estimated 7 minutes each way for a RT of 14 minutes. We took off over hard snow cornices and slippery smooth rock and ran to the summit of Crisco in six and a half minutes. The run back was about the same and Scott had reached the summit of Superior just as we came back.

The East ridge of Superior in not a pleasant hike. Loose and sharp rock all the way. I went down as fast as I could to get it behind me. Once the trail became consistent Craig and I  ran until we summited a small sub peak above Cardiff Pass. We took another break and waited for Scott, then we all took off down the trail to Alta, then ran another mile and a half down the road to Craig's car at Snowbird.

Only a slight over 5 miles but those were quality miles. Smooth up in ya.

WTH was I hiking Mt. Olympus at 1 AM this morning?

Note to self: Do not run the Flag Rock loop after work in the high-eighty degree summer evenings.

Brighton Ridge Run/Wasatch Crest

Summertime. Gotta celebrate by taking advantage of the longest days of the year. 

Jun wanted to run the Wasatch Crest one morning this week but when that wasn't possible we did the next best thing - we ran it in the evening well after the sun had set. We planned to meet in the canyon around 9:30PM.

For a warmup - and to get my mind off a crappy day at work - I went up to Brighton and ran to Twin Lakes Pass (10,000 feet) from Silver Lake, then up to Wolverine and Tuscarora, then down to Brighton from Catherine's Pass. Six miles. I love the solitude; however I did come up behind a guy and a gal out on a date as they hiked down from the Brighton Lakes. I must have been very quiet as I bounded down the trail at them from behind, so I snapped my fingers to let them know I was coming. They looked surprised anyway. Got to the car and drove down to Mill D TH to wait for Jun and his buddies.

Jumped in Jun's car and now four of us drove up to near Guardsman Pass to do the Wasatch Crest trail up to Scott Hill, then continue up above the Willows on single track to Desolation Lake. From the lake it was downhill to the junction with the Dog Lake fork, then back down to my car at Mill D. Just under 10 miles. All in the dark. No moose sightings. Swell. Garmin will show you:

Farmington Pond to Baer Canyon and back

Ran to the summit of Pfeifferhorn after work. Although I love the trail, the lakes, the mountain-- I felt lonely up there and wanted to get home.

The Red Pine trail is one of the most rocky, technical trails I know. But it is awesome cuz it keeps the bikers away. 

Did a nice ten mile trail run with M.G. 'Dorsimus' Williams from Kaysville to the Great Western Trail and back.  That trail always kicks my ass for some reason.

Snowbird to American Fork Twin Peaks and Baldy via Gad Valley

I started at the Creekside platform at Snowbird - where Speedgoat 50K starts - and jogged uphill to American Fork Twin Peaks. One word to describe: Steep. Up Gad Valley to just below Hidden Peak, where the narrow ridge to the Twins begins. I topped at the west Twin in 1:59, then ran over to the Bastard and back to the East Twin, then down to Hidden Peak (they keep the restroom open all night FYI) and then up to Baldy. Descent via Alta ski runs and that was no damned fun. Dead ends, submerged feet in icy puddles - but I eventually found my way  back to my vehicle at Entrance 1.

Got a look at most of the Speedgoat course. Sadistic.

I got 10,500 feet of vertical smile in 4 days. Garmin sez take a look:

Looking for PACERS to accompany me for Wasatch 100 Mile Endurance Run in September.