Driven

Run/Hike Lake Mountain with Brother Wasserman I did not get much sleep last night because Ishared a bed with my 4 year-old boy. I awoke to the alarm sounding at 4:45AM and still I ws late meeting Scott in Lehi nearly an hour later. We again chose to go up the 4WD road toward Lake Mountain above Saratoga Springs in Utah county. There is a lot more snow on the ground and we ran the first mile, then hiked briskly in the 4 wheeler tracks. Deeper in the canyon (Israel Canyon) the 4WD tracks ended and all we had to follow was a snowmobile track. The result of following the snowmobiles was a lot of post-hole steps and extra work. We were not going to reach the summit on this day because of time constraints. We hiked to the point at which the road begins to climb steeply, then a check at the time convinced us to turn around. We ran back to the car in moderately deep snow and in narrow vehicle tracks. Although we didn't reach the summit--that's twice in a week I have attempted this easy mountain without attaining the summit--it was a good outing and workout. Plus the comedy routines from Scott keep me entertained.

Morning run

So to make good on my intent to get out and run in the morning, I got out and ran this morning. I am fortunate to live where there is a lot of undeveloped space and where traffic is very light, so I ran down the road from my home then turned onto a horse trail. I jogged down to Buffalo Ranch in Farmington, then turned around and ran home by another way past the Davis birnesting sanctuary.

I don;t know the exact mileage but I am estimating 3.5 miles.

Millcreek Ridge Traverse

It is becoming an annual tradition for me and friend Joe to traverse the Millcreek ridge from Mt. Grandeur to Mt Air. This past Saturday was my third year for this snowshoe hike from the base of the West side of Mt Grandeur to Mt. Aire summit. I met Joe at his home in Millcreek at 5AM. We drove in seperate vehicles up to the winter gate in Millcreek Canyon where I left my car. We drove back down canyon and then around the corner to the trailhead car park. We Began hiking at 5:50AM in darkness and fog. We set in a quick pace up the mountainside trail and I was strong enough to keep up with Joe. We arrived at the summit of Grandeur in 1:45, snapped a few photos of the pretty sunrise, then quickly hiked down the other side toward our next leg of the route.

The trail down the East side of Grandeur was packed so snowshoes were not necessary. A short time later we donned our snowshoes when we left the main trail to follow the top of the ridgeline connecting Grandeur to Churchfork Peak. Last year we made a wrong turn in this area and began following a spur ridge North instead of East. I realized we had gone the worng way when I could see we were moving toward I-80 in Parley's canyon. We had to backtrack up through deep snow and right our course. This year, Joe made sure we stayed on the correct route, and because of this, combinded with the good snow conditions, we made excellent time.

The distance from Grandeur to Church Fork peak looks deceptively close, and as the crow flies, it probably is. But it took us 2 hours to reach our second peak. I arrived at the summit rock pile about 30 seconds after Joe and simply said "Let's keep going." From Church Fork Peak to Mt Aire is another long section of ridge characterized by deep snow and a winding route. It took another 2 hours to summit Mt Aire. The hike up Mt. Aire was the most difficult snowshoeing of the say. We had to break trail, and the snow was heavy and crusty. At the summit we met two skiers and chatted for 15 minutes. Our plan for the day had been to continure to Millvu Peak about a mile further, but Joe's feet were getting cold and he was set on finishing the day where we were.

We hiked down the trail and connected with the Elbow Fork trail, then we emerged onto the canyon road and removed our snowshoes. Every year at this point the scene is the same. There were several dogs and their masters hiking up and down the road, skiers sliding past, young couples, cute young women, moms and dads with bored-looking children. Every year we see snowshoers coming UP the packed Millcreek Canyon road. And every year I wonder why they wear the snowshoes on hard packed snow. Don't they see us, walking perfectly easily over the road?

Our total time from car to car was 7:38. This was a much improved time over last years 10+ hours, and last year we never made it to Mt. Aire summit.

Millcreek Ridge will be on my mind next year.

Mt Wire/The Big Bacon I met Jun and Scott W at about 6AM and we hiked up Mt Wire. It was very cold this morning but I managed to stay warm as I first ran and then hiked up the ridge to the summit. I was about 10 minutes behind the others but they waited for me at the summit.

I hope to get my trekking poles back soon; they would have been useful this morning.

Grandeur Peak via West Ridge

 My 14th climb of Grandeur. This morning I went with Scott Wesemann. We had a fun time going up the West ridge. About 1:55 to the summit. 

Mt. Olympus

 I have been feeling good lately, so I dod not want to pass up a day to climb Mt Olympus for 4200 feet of vert. This was my 29th time at the summit. I went With Jacob Moon, one of the Gannett Peak day hike team members.

Mt Wire The Big Bacon

Another lap on Wire with Scott. I wore my new black cowboy hat with flashing star. We were on the summit before the sun was up, and the nearly full moon hovered over a bed of clouds.

Farmington to Centerville

 Today is Saturday. I rolled out of bed at quarter to ten, then proceeded to do absolutely nothing  all morning. My inactivity continued into the afternoon while my wife cleaned the house, painted touch-ups on the walls, and hung pictures. Sometime around 1:30PM I formulated a simple plan that would jump-start my day (better late than never) and get me to shake off the apathy, clear away the mental fog, and awaken my body. I would run from home in Farmington to the next town South, Centerville. I estimated that the distance there and back is 12 miles, so I set out at 2PM wearing two shirts, sweats, a knit cap, and earphones playing some of my favorite music.

Weather was wishy-washy. Sun was out, but was competing for real estate with high, fluffy clouds.  A half mile from home I ran past the Davis County Legacy equestrian center, and continued down a country road past nice, cozy homes and horse properties. At Shepherd Lane I turned East, and continued past a lot occupied with dozens of sitting school busses that immediately reminded me of New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin. I'll call the practice field near the busses Nagin's "chocolate field". (Look up Ray Nagin, School busses, and his "chocolate city" if you don't immediately get the referrence.)

 At Nagin 's field I accessed the Legacy Highway North-South bike/running path and turned South for a long, straight run to Centerville. To my left is the Legacy Highway running parallel to the path, and to my right are fields, half-frozen puddles, and pastures dotted with lazy cattle. Once I reached the Parrish Lane overpass (spanning Legacy), I crossed over and ran another mile to Parrish Lane, then turned East to reconnect with the Legacy footpath. This was my turn-around point and I stopped for a brief break to remove my long sleeve shirt. Also, I was pleased to have packed my poo kit because it was very handy. 

 I quickly sucked down a Hammer Gel and began the run back toward home. Since I had crossed the overpass on my way out and reached Parrish Lane via a surface street, I missed this section of the Legacy trail. Tall marsh reeds grow on either side of the asphalt trail and for a few minutes I was hidden from the world of freeway traffic. This is when I reached my high. The sun was bright, but a few menacing clouds drifting above made for brilliant lighting and shadows, which made every detail of my surroundings buzz with visual delight. The trail turns East for a short run, and I could see in one vista the sky, mountains, homes on the foothill, and the freeway. Just then I observed a hawk drifting in a breeze above the freeway. Yes, this was my high. I felt terrific. 

Heading back on the Legacy trail, I had a harmless battle with a wind coming out of the North. Ahead I could see a dark, blank wall of cloud. A mild snow fell, then further the wind became a little more menacing, then snow fell faster. I was running through the thin arm of a small storm, with flakes of snow sticking to my clothing, and my bare arms turning red with cold. Still, I felt great, and was plenty warm.  I came out the other side and the sun was shining again. I ran past Nagin Field, going West on Shepherd Lane, a 2 mile stretch of country road that leads home past more horse properties and cozy homes.

At home I checked my time and I was out 2:08. My simple plan worked. My legs feel good, I am awake and already planning my next run.  

Grandeur via West Ridge, to Church Fork to Pipeline loop to car. 11.2 miles (according to Scott)

 I have hiked Mt. Grandeur 15 times, most of those by the West Ridge which offers 3,000 feet of vert on a steep, straight forward, no-nonsense trail. This morning I met Scott, Bill, and Seth for a hike up to the peak, then a run down the other side on the Church Fork trail to make a loop back to our vehicles.

I started hiking a few minutes before the others to allow myself time to have my mile one "break" without obligating the others to wait for me. The plan worked. I met up with the others and in the pre-dawn darkness the four of us hiked at a quick pace higher up the mountain.  When we emerged above the inversion and saw the valley in a total blackout. Not a single light penetrated the thick blanket of fog. Above the inversion the temperature was noticeably warmer.

Bill had the fastest pace and quickly pulled ahead, while Scott quickened his pace when he saw the light of three headlamps below us, closing quickly. Seth stayed with me, although he could have sprinted up the mountain like a cheetah. He gave me some good tips on nutrition, running technique and running clothing.

The three hikers below reached us quickly, and we could see they were ultra-runners out for an easy workout. I reached the top with Seth for a time of about 1:20; not bad but with much room for improvement. After a few minutes of admiring the view, we began our descent which would be all downhill and running back to our vehicles.

The trail down the back side of Grandeur is nicely packed snow. Lower down, the trail was icy and treacherous, but we managed to keep a quick pace with Bill out in the lead, then Scott, then myself and Seth. I slipped once, but it was a mild landing. We regrouped again at the Pipeline/Church junction and turned West for a jog of maybe 2 miles to Rattlesnake Gulch. The descent down the gulch was very icy, and I took care not to get out of control. A fall on the hard ice there would have been painful to say the least. 

We arrived at the Millcreek Canyon road then made the runWest back to Wasatch Blvd where we turned North for our final leg. At that point  I was fatigued and sore, but determined to finish without stopping. From start to finish the RT time was about 3 hours. I had a great time, and the best part for me was running off the backside of Grandeur in the morning sun, through the trees and gulches. I have a long way to go before I can really show up for serious endurance runs, but this is how I get there. 

Around the Neighborhood

 Tonight I desired to get out and run, but not wanting to run in the dark country roads outside the neighborhood, I measured and jogged 3.3 miles on well-lighted streets close to home. I struggled to get into a comfortable breathing pattern, and now I am inside--still struggling to get full breaths. I'm not panting or gasping for air, but my airway is constricted more than usual and I am weezing. It is annoying and has me a little worried. Asthma? Could it really be bad air outdoors? Because I am frequently getting my exercise in higher elevations, perhaps I am used to the fresh air and haven't experience bad city air. I hope this doesn't become a problem. At least my legs feel good.

The Big Bacon

and

New Shoes

I went in to DeBoer's in Bountiful last night and sampled several pair of shoes. I purchased a pair of Brooks road shoes and I be excited to use them.

'Smornin' I did the ol' hike/run of Mt. Wire the Big Bacon with Scott and Jun. I arrived to see Craig at his car. Scott was not there yet so I ran up ahead of them to allow time to take care of bidness without falling behind.

On the hillside above the city while I waited for the others to come up, I heard the coyotes howling in the hollow below. I like to believe they were serenading my morning routine. Higher up I waited for Scott and Jun and we hiked the remainder of the trail together. Because of cold wind, we spent no time on the summit - just tagged it and turned back. Scott was a bit slower today, so I hope he gets feeling better.

Always a good workout up there.

Farmington to Bountiful on Legacy

Not to be out done by the boys who ran on Antelope Island this morning, I ran from my home in Farmington to the 500 S. overpass on Legacy Highway. The distance one way is 7.5 miles. I got a total of 15 miles, my longest sustained run to date. The is no doubt I will be sore tomorrow and the next day, but overall I feel great. I need to lose a layer of blub, get some new gear - such as a hand-held water bottle - and I will be able to go farther as my endurance progresses. Right now I don't care about speed or time. My focus is on mileage and endurance. Speed will come later. 

Lone Peak, overnight

 With Joseph Bullough I hiked up to Lone Peak from Draper. The round trip distance is 6 miles with approximately 6,000 feet of el. gain. This is no easy hike. It requires strong legs and serious endurance just to get up the steep slopes above Draper and into the backcountry of the Lone Peak Wilderness. This year we decided to do an overnight stay somewhere near the peak, so we carried heavy packs up to the flat meadow called Cowboy Camp. We set up our tents, then continued the climb up through the cirque and onto the Lone Peak shoulder and summit ridge. 

I have reached the summit of Lone Peak several times, including 3 or 4 winter ascents. With snow covering the boulders, foot placement must be precise and an ice axe use is a must. This time, however, I had decided early in the day to go as far as the safe point on the ridge. When I saw that we would have to drop about 5 feet down to a crawlspace under one of the boulders, then traverse the knife edge on hard, windblown snow, I felt good about sitting this one out. I did go over to the first large snow-covered boulder that sits on the route and waited for Joe to apply his crampons and begin his attempt to reach the summit. When he met me on the boulder, he studied the route then decided against an attempt to continue. We had about 20 minutes before sunset and we just did not have the time to move with enough care toward the summit. It would have been foolish and deadly for us to be on that ridge after sundown.

We hiked down the mountain as the sun fell behind the Oquirr range. I looked back several times to catch a view of alpenglow on the mountain. The lighting was fantastic and I had a real mountain high which I expressed with big smiles. We re-traced our snowshoe tracks and got back to camp in the dark. After boiling water for our freeze-dried dinners, we got into our tents and stayed there for the next 10 hours.

I the morning we packed up and hiked back down the mountain where we met a Wasatch Mountain Club group  coming up for a day hike to the summit. My first winter ascent of Lone Peak was with a WMC group three years ago. It was a victorious personal experience I will never forget. 

We did no running on this outing, but every step of the challenging climb I was thankful for the strength in my legs. My overall fitness will benefit from my Winter 2011 climb of Lone Peak.

The Big Bacon

With Scott on the Bacon.

On the Bacon with Scott W.

Good old Mt Wire. Scott and I had a slow time getting to the summit, due to ankle deep (knee-deep in some places) snow on the higher elevation. Spent less than a minute on summit because there was a consistentl cold wind blowing.

On the way down Scott claims he left his water bottle back near the summit and he had to turn back to find it. Or, was that an excuse to get me out of the way to meet his secret snuggler Brian/Linus for a glass of wine?

BST from Sandy to Draper and back

 'Smornin', Scott W and I rand out and back in shin-deep powder on the Bonneville Shoreline trail from the Hidden Valley park to the Jacob's Ladder trailhead in Draper. At first i was suspicious of how far we could go before the snow slogging wore us down, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved running over the powder-covered trail. We had some good laughs and my legs got a great workout. 

On the Big Bacon with Scott. No big woop.

Grandeur *ungh* DOUBLE UP *ungh* *ungh* + Pipeline Run loop to car

Well I finally did it, but when I got up early this morning I had no intention of doing it. I hiked the West ridge of Mt. Grandeur twice back-to-back.

Late in the week Scott Wesemann decided that another hike up Grandeur and run down the other side/loop to the car would make a good Saturday morning, so I agreed to join him and four other fellas, and that is what we did. Nearly half-way up the West ridge route I removed my fleece jacket and stuffed it into a tree. If I ever wanted to see the fleece again I would have to come back another day to retrieve it. We continued to the summit, then ran down the Church Fork trail to the Pipeline trail. Just like last month, we then ran the Pipeline to Rattlesnake Gulch, then down to the Millcreek canyon road, then out to Wasatch and back to the cars. And just like last time I was slower than the other fellas. And just like last time Seth and Scott stayed with me to the end - when they could have easily crossed the finish line 20 minutes ahead of me.

 The total milage of the route is about 10 to 11 miles. 

When I got back to the car, back at the trailhead beneath the West ridge route, I decided to just go back up and get my fleece. The thought of it sitting up there, exposed to weather and animals did not appeal to me. It's my favorite fleece jacket! I immediately began the hike back up the West ridge, where I hiked 3 hours earlier. Then I had an idea. After I get my fleece, should I just keep going to the top? Maybe. If the fleece was only a quarter of the way up, I would have probably come down. In fact, I had left it nearly halfway up the route, and since I was already halfway, I just kept going to the top. 

Yeah yeah, not as impressive as five on Olympus (or even two on Olympus), but after a hefty run on the same day after hiking the mountain once already, I felt satisfaction that I finally did a Grandeur Double. 

From home to Farmington Canyon and back

No big woop. Some nice juicy uphill for a mile.

Knee hurts running down. 

Horseshoe Canyon TH to camp near Granary Springs - Bluejohn Canyon

 With Joseph Bullough. We drove to the Canyonlands area on Friday, set up camp near Granary Spring, then drove to the Horseshoe Canyon trailhead. I left my vehicle at the trailhead, and we ran back fifteen miles through the desert to our camp. 

In the morning we set out about 7:30 AM and descended into the main fork of BlueJohn canyon. Shortly after we entered the canyon, the walls narrow considerably to within a few feet. We made 4 short rappels through tight, steep slots and enjoyed every minute of the morning. After the difficult slots the canyon widens a little, but the walls rise over a hundred feet, and we were rewarded with a sustained mile-lomg hike through a grand cathedral-like setting. The canyon is spectacular.

When we emerged from the narrows and began hiking in the wide, shallow wash between main fork and lower BlueJohn (where Ralston was stuck in 2003), a solo hiker limped over to us as we were having a break. He was moving very slowly, had only one shoe and was banged up. He told us he had descended into the East fork of BlueJohn four days earlier and had been stuck there, having to stay overnight twice in a deep, dark slot. Apparently he got stuck in a very tight slot, then lost his rope, fell deeper, and lost his headlamp. He said he had filled up on water from potholes he found in the canyon. He was very glad to see us and we decided to hike him up and out of the canyon and to the road. We got him above the canyon rim and were preparing to hike with him several miles to the road when two searchers found us and the lost hiker. They had picked up his trail back where the East fork converges with the main, and followed his one-shoe-one-sock tracks. Then they picked up our tracks coming out of the canyon. We passed off the lost hiker - a cop named Tony, from Colorado - to the searchers and said goodbye.

Joe and I returned to the main fork and continued down to lower BlueJohn, where it slots up again. At the beginning of the slot there is a 15 foot drop. Then, there are several large chockstone boulders, which we crawled under. Then we came to the exact place where Aron Ralston had is epic ordeal back in April 2003. The rock that pinned his right arm against the canyon wall is still there. We lingered at the accident site for 5 minutes, taking photos and standing in the place where Ralston was trapped for 5 days until he escaped the canyon by amputating his right arm with a dull knife. There is no evidence whatsoever of what happened there eight years ago.The blood stains on the canyon wall have long since been scoured away by wind, sand and water. 

Continuing downcanyon, the walls get closer and light more scarce. Then as I turned a corner I saw nothing but blackness. I switched on my headlamp and squeezed through the twisting slot. This area was the best part of the route, a fantastic tour through a natural wonder. Lower BlueJohn  is a short slot, and soon we emerged into the sunlight and onto a dryfall platform, and a sheer seventy foot drop above the floor of Horseshoe canyon. Joe and I rappelled off the Big Drop, then hiked 7 miles back to my Subaru, which I had parked the day before. On the hike back we stopped and admired the ancient pictographs of the Great Gallery on the canyon wall.

This trip was a big success, and one of my favorite adventures. 

Grandeur hike/run combo

I don't know if I belong on this blog because I am not a fast runner. I get knee pain, foot pain, and I poop a lot while I am out in the mountains.

This morning I met Scott at 5AM and we hiked up the West ridge of Grandeur. Conditions down low were good, but the wind blew cold on us for the first half of the hike. on the upper mountain we encountered crusty snow under lighter powder, which made for a slippedy-slidey hike, and it slowed us considerably. At the summit we decided to continue down and run the loop back to the cars.

The Grandeur West ridge loop run to the parking area is a good run. You get to hike a peak with over 3,000 of el., then you get several miles of trail running. You may see some elk, deer or even an eagle along the way.

I think our total time was about 3:30, and the poor snow conditions on the ridge will account for that.

Run around the neighborhood. No big woop.

King's Peak Ski

Up front: I did not reach the summit this year.

I've skied to King's Peak the past two years, and both times I reached the summit. This year was my first attempt of King's that did not result in getting to the summit.

So what was the deal? Yes, I am bummed that I failed to reach my goal, a goal that is well within my ability to reach. Several factors combined to cause my failure: I was still getting over a cold, I got little sleep the morning of the event, I had a late start, my ski boots irritated my feet and I got blisters, and I was moving too slowly.

Also, when I skied into Henry's Fork basin and had a view of King's Peak, I could see the mountain clearly. Later as I moved closer to Gunsight Pass, the mountain and the upper elevation plateau was obscured by nasty-looking weather. I could have pressed on, but I was about an hour behind the fastest members of the group, and I would have had  to navigate a route beyond the pass to the mountain and back in poor visibility, and I would have been alone. I did not want to risk getting lost up there, so I turned around about a mile or two from Gunsight Pass.

I skied out in full daylight, tired and sore. But I was so glad I didn't have to ski out in the dark, like I have the past two years.

So yes, I am bummed that I didn't go hardcore and push myself to the mountain, but I do know I can get to that peak and back because I have done it twice before in March conditions.

Olympus

 With Scott, hiked Olympus - my 30th time at the summit - and ran the trail down. No big woop.

Big Bacon with Scott. GreatGreatGreat!

Big Bacon, with Scott.

No big woop.

It's getting warmer. Soon it will be warm enough to wear shorts. Ima have to find some nice purple shorts to wear up on Bacon.

Ave Twins/Mount Van Hott BST Combo with Brother Wassermann

Alarm at 4AM, met Scott at 5AM near the University Hospital above Salt Lake City. We then drove to a trailhead above Federal Heights neighborhood to access the BST. Temp was chilly but the season is definitely shifting into Spring and it was comfortable once we got running. We ran the trail to the Avenues Twin Peaks, then plowed down the west slope to pick up the BST, then turned South for a handful of miles  of sustained running. My first time on this section of trail. Like it. Lot of water coming from Dry Canyon watershed. I rolled my ankle on a stream jump; fortunatley it was a temporary soreness. We continued to the base of the Van Cott ridge trail, then up and reached the summit rock pile quickly. Another quick run down to Scott's car then shuttle back to mine at the morning TH. Nice run. Scott was hoping to run into his fluffy-haired crush, Brian. He went unfulfilled. He's been looking all over for that guy. Above the din of indie rock grinding out of my earphones, I thought I heard Scott say 7.7 miles. OK.

I did not run today. I'm still a peak bagger trying to become a runner.

I climbed Lone Peak for over 6,000 feet of vertical climbing.

But wait. I must confess that again, I did not tag the summit. We were literally dozens of feet from the summit, so we should pat ourselves on the back for making the effort. We got partway on the knife-edge snow-covered ridge leading to the summit and we backed off. Those cornices were just sending out some bad vibes. The snow up there was brittle, not the heavy snow that has been baking in the sun for days that makes for a safe crossing. Back in February Joe and I climbed the same mountain and turned back at the same spot. Reaching the summit of a mountain --even a mountain as gorgeous as Lone Peak-- is not worth dying for if the conditions are unsafe.

But I am satisfied. We hiked on snow to a great mountain. 

I am also very happy with the level of energy I was blessed to have today. I got less than 4 hours sleep and got up at 4AM this morning. All day I had a crazy amount of energy and I cruised up those 6,000 feet. I was even running up some of the slopes.

Here is how I will relate this to  running, or even "fast running":

I believe the weekly hike/runs with my buddy Scott are helping me to call up the kind of energy I had today. We had a terrific run mid-week, and I feel great for having gone. Thanks Scott for encouraging me to get out and move, even if it is only once a week. 

My first run with people. 5K. Yay.

 Then a 4 mile run in the evening on the Bonneville Shoreline trail above Farmington. Not a good trail. It is a wide jeep trail to be shared with SUVs and motorcyclists. 

Grandeur

Met Scott 'smorning and we hiked tot he top of Mt. Grandeur. At long last the temperature has begun to warm and it was pleasant today on the hill.

Doing the Wahsatch Steeplechase next month so I need to get more familiar with the course. Went with Crag and Scott at the capitol and we ran up to the Bonneville SHoreline trail to the Avenues Twins and back. I Saw Scott's wiener as he indiscretely wizzed right in the open near a water tank as I ran downhill toward him.

Gotta lotta work to do if I want to turn in a respectable time (under 3 hours) in the Steeplechase.

Big Bacon, run on BST with Wasserman

With Scott we did a routine lap on Mt Wire and then a mile over to near Red Butte canyon on the BST. I then parted ways with Scott as he ducked into a mysterious green tent at the side of the trail.

Spring Mountain Climb: Triple Traverse of Mt. Dormeday, Sunrise Peak, and Broad's Fork Twin peaks.

 An annual must-do for me. Up 3,000 feet in Tanner's Gulch to Dromedary, back down to a saddle, then up and over the snow-covered ridgeline to bag Sunrise. Then down to another saddle, then up to the Twins. Legs did well. I love my legs.

Lake Mountain run/hike with Scott

After two attempts short of the summit I finally got up there today. Scott and I ran most of the way up but hiked the more steep stretches. We found a truck that had been run off the dirt road and which lay on its side a short way down the creek ravine. Clues to the former owner included a Brooks & Dun cd and some shredded Levis.

From the top, Scott sprinted down and disappeared from my view. I took it easy and carefully avoided tripping on any rocks. 

Lake Mountain Again

With Scott and Craig. We ran most of the way up, felt good, got to the top in a few minutes over one hour.

Mt. Olympus

Stairmaster mountain with a decent mountain run on the descent. 4200 feet of vertical. after work on an impulse.

Dude Peak Derby (Wahsatch Steeplechase)

 Several weeks back I signed up and paid money for the Wahsatch Steeplechase.  My second run - with people! I was excited to go up to Little Black Mountain from Memory Grove (across the skreet from the Utah State capitol building) and run back down City Creek Canyon for a total of 16.5 miles. However, heavy and late snow this year made it necessary for the run organizers to change to an alternate course. They moved the route to the next ridge over to the NE and it became the Dude Peak Derby. The mileage was shorter, but it was still a tough run with 3800 feet of vertical gain. I finished probably in the back 1/3 of the group. I am not so fast on the flatter trail running toward the end of the route and I finished rather weak. Perhaps I shouldn't have hiked Olympus the evening before. My legs were tired from the start.

Halfway through I developed a persistent cramp in one of my calf-group muscles - something I have never before experienced. The cramp caused pain that had the potential to sideline me for the rest of the race. Fortunately I somehow managed the problem and maintained running speed the majority of the way.  

So I know I have to work on my flat running and build strength. 

 Got a t-shirt! 

Six easy miles on the new RR trail in Farmington. 

Pipeline

Ran the old pipeline trail in Millcreek with Scott. Up and out before the toll booth girl checks in to demand three bucks for use of the canyon. I felt good to be out on a canyon trail again. If I could I would live half my life on mountain trails. So much better than running at the same level as vehicle exhaust.

I felt good today, and am in a good position to build some real strength and endurance. I have some big days ahead: An extended 20 mile hike over Wildcat Ridge and beyond; an attempt at the WURL: Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Link-up -- that is, a continuous hike of the Cottonwood Ridge connecting the Alpine Ridge in a single push, mileage uncertain but probably 30+. Most definitely a 24+ hour ultra-hike.

Then an attempt of King's Peak X2; then one day Gannett run/climb over 40 miles in under 20 hours. Scott will figure into at least half of these planned outings, so I need to be able to keep up with him.

Snake!

Today was my lucky day. Ran and hiked Mt. Wire with Scott this morning. It was nice to feel my quads get a workout as I alternately ran and hiked up the steep parts. We got to the top and decided to continue on a ridge leading East from the tower to a bump about half mile away. I got ahead of Scott and ran to the bump, then over to another one. Looking back I saw Scott waving his arms at me, calling me back. What the? As I approached I hear "Dude, you almost stepped on a rattlesnake." What the? Scott pointed and there partially under a plant and very much on the edge of the trail was a rattler, coiled and alert. It was a 50/50 probablility that I missed stepping directly on the creature. I wasn't thinking of snakes this morning, wasn't studying the trail to avoid stepping on one. Next time I may not beso lucky.

We ran back down fairly quickly from the summit. It was a pleasant morning and exciting to see the snake.

Independence Day Weekend in Jackson Hole

No I did not run 26 miles in one shot; rather, I had three separate outings over the Independence Day weekend.

Friday, 10 Miles: We drove up to Wyoming to meet my parents at the Gros Ventre campground just outside Teton N.P. We arrived late in the evening and I lost count of time setting up the tent and settling down, but it was probably past midnight when I finally got into bed. It was a cold night and I had shivers due to insufficient cover.

Saturday: In the morning I should have been a dull wreck for lack of sleep; instead I felt the desire to get up, get the running shoes on and claim a small victory. Being unfamiliar with the area, I decided to run the 5 miles to the Teton park highway and then run back for 10 flat, solid miles of all running. Mission accomplished, no big woop. I was pleased to have the magnificent Teton range as my backdrop that morning.

Sunday: Rest day, no running. Just eating and relaxing.

Monday, 5.5 Miles: The Fourth of July in Jackson Hole. I wasn't sure how I would get a run or hike in on the Fourth. There was a parade in Jackson in the morning that was mandatory attendance. My plan had been to drive to the park entrance and park at the visitor's center, then run in to the park about six miles, then turn around. Didn't happen. I slept too late and once we drove the 12 miles into Jackson we spent the entire day there. I did bring my running gear and after the parade we went to a terrific park at the base of Snow King ski run.  The park is one of the best I have ever seen. There is a bouldering area right next to the children's playground. Yes, a bouldering park with two features: One is a small, man-made boulder about 15 feet at its height, with several holds all around. The other is a much larger boulder about 20 feet high with a flat deck at the top. There are hundreds of holds all around with "problems" of varying degrees of difficulty. Overhangs, ledges, cracks, horns. My boys loved this place and became amateur little rock climbers. This park also happened to be where the fireworks show would be later that evening. Looking up the steep hill to the top of the ski run, I made up my mind that it would be my run for the day. 

The elevation at the base of the chair lift was 6200. I ran up the steep switchbacks to the top of the mountain, which had an elevation of about 8,100. I was pleased that I really did run 95% of the route, which is at least 2.5 miles to the top. From the peak I found a single track trail running down the back side. All this was unfamiliar territory, but I guessed correctly that the trail would take me back down to where I need to go. I got started on the trail and passed a handful of mountain bikers. As the trail descended it led into trees typical of those that cover the mountainside at the resort. I was loving it. I ran hard and fast, in the zone and having the feeling of my feet scarcely touching the earth. I found my way back to my fambly at the park and we played all day there and enjoyed the fireworks show in the evening. 

Tuesday, 10.5 Miles: Awakened in our tent at 5:30AM by a large moose snuffling and butting its head on the tent wall, not more than 2 feet from where I was sleeping. Scared the hell out of me, my wife and my boys. Thought that huge animal was going to trample up in our tent and get away with murder.

Although the moose "attack" had shaken me, I went back to sleep a few more hours but slept too long, I thought, to drive into the park and run beneath the Tetons. (My wife had had it; she took the boys and got in my parents' motorhome.) I hadn't given up my dream of  running through Teton park at the base of some of the world's most picturesque peaks, but we had to pack up and be out of the campsite by 11 AM. My parents have a Golden Pass so we drove with them into the park and took the boys to String Lake, which is a small body of waters just North of Jenny Lake. I then formulated my plan and confirmed in my mind that what I would do is run from String Lake to the park entrance, a total distance of 10.5 miles. I told my wife and parents I would meet them at the visitor's center, then I took off running through the woods. Keep in mind that the Grand Teton towers over the observer at virtually every point along the park road. My dream of running beneath the Tetons became reality. The first three miles was trail running through the woods at the Eastern edge of Jenny Lake. I was seeing the lake for the first time and it was fantastic. It was easy to fantasize I was was in Switzerland or Austria, running through the woods under the Alps. The three miles of trail running ended too soon as I came upon dozens of sweaty tourists (of which I was the sweatiest) at the Jenny Lake ranger station. I felt like an alien, living life at a different pace than everyone else around me. I refilled my handheld and then continued the route, now entirely on an asphalt bike path that parallels the park road. I was the only runner out there. Everyone else was on bikes. 

Shortly after I left the ranger station my parents, on the way back to the visitor's center and park entrance, stopped on the side of the road, my wife in her vehicle behind them. I told them I would meet them at the park entrance in 40 or so minutes. It was about six miles back from there and as I thought it over it would be more than forty minutes before I would meet up with them.

Out of the trees now and in the open valley I had the Teton range to my immediate right. I constantly turned my head to savor the view. My view seemed to pivot around the Grand Teton, and as I progressed North the climber's route on the Grand came into view. I stopped for a few minutes and studied the route. There was a lot of snow remaining on the mountain. I imagined hiking up from the base, through the meadows, then climbing higher into Alpine terrain. I imagined hiking over the glacier, zig-zaggin up to the saddle, then up to where the technical pitches await the climber. One day soon I will climb the Grand Teton in one day.

I finished the run at the park entrance, and there I met my wife. By this time I was starving and we drove straight to Jackson Hole and had lunch. My legs and feet feel good. No aches or pains. Ready to do more. 

So instead of sitting around and gaining weight on vacation I ran 26 miles and had some pretty good views. 

Mount Raymond

 In preparation for the Wildcat Ridge Traverse, I went with Joe up Butler fork to cache water at Baker Pass just under Mt. Raymond. I carried two full Nalgene bottles to stash for the next Saturday when we will be traversing Widcat Ridge all the way from Mt. Olympus to Raymond, then Gobbler's, then (and this is where the extra water becomes necessary) to pick up the Desolation trail beneath Gobbler's East flank . We will follow the Deso trail to Dog lake where we will presumably hike to Reynolds Peak, then back down and up to LIttle Water peak, then we will route-find our way to Desolation lake to pick up the Wasatch Crest trail to Scott's Hill. This hike should be at least 20 miles.

We hiked up to the summit of Raymond and then began descent at about sunset. Neither of us brought a headlamp so we ran as far as we could back down the trail until darkness closed in and we began tripping on tree roots.

Pipeline Trail

On a slightly overcast but nicely tempered morning, I ran with Scott Wasserman on the ol' Pipeline trail in Millcreek canyon. No big woop. I got to see Scott's routine of applying sport glide to his nethers. No shame.

I ran a loop from home to the Buffalo Ranch trails and back. Had the Northern Wasatch mountains on my right and the Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island on my left. 

 No. Big. Woop.

Fun fact: Running in time with the Gilmour/Wright groove jam at 6:33 on the live performance of the Pink Floyd classic ECHOES (from Gilmour's REMEMBER THAT NIGHT live recording) produces a perfect 7.9 mph pace. 

Not a run but a pretty dang long, tough hike.

 4:15 AM to 7:40 PM, from Pete's Rock to Mt. Olympus to the Canyons ski resort over knife edge ridges, 10,000 foot peaks, slopes with high vegetation and a past couple of lakes.

Mill D TH to Butler Fork TH 

 With Scott, Craig & Lily. We met nice and early eat the BCC Park & Ride for the drive up to Mill D. I did this run last year in August and was excited to get back. The route goes to Dog Lake then traverses beneath Gobbler's Knob on the Desolation trail. I don't mind the trail at all, even with some burly overgrowth on the trail. No moose sighting.

Timp. No big woop. 

Not a lot of running but ran as much uphill and on the descent as I could. Still is Spring mountaineering conditions up there. 

Knee Screppa!

 or

Bury Scott at Wounded Knee

Right this very moment I am bursting with overconfidence. I have decided to devote the next year to training for and running in the 2012 Wasatch 100, if I win the lottery of course.

With Scott and Matt I ran the first 14 miles of the Wasatch 100 course, then descended Baer canyon down to Fruit Heights. I am counting the mileage conservatively at 17 total but it may be as much as 18.

The Good: All trail, all mountain, views of 3 (maybe 4) counties, peakbagging too, good company, sunshine and cool breeze, spring water, no stepped-on snakes...

The Bad: Scott, usually speedy and agile, was bloodied below the knee by a sharp rock on the climb up Chinscraper. He had to go more slowly than usual after that. However, he still told lots of dirty jokes.

The Ugly: Descent through Baer Canyon - Hot, steep, overgrown, long

I am planning to go back Saturday and run the same trail to Francis peak, a mere mile away from where we began our descent, and down Farmington canyon - which should be 27 to 28 miles.

With Scott and Twinkie Man, we went from the Bountiful B aid station for Wasatch to Bountiful Peak, then down the winding road to the top of Farmington canyon, then up to the Francis shed. From the shed we began the proper route for Wasatch back to the B aid station. But it wasn't that easy. We got lost and wandered for two hours looking for the route. Finally called my wife and had her read the course directions. We then got back on course and all is well. I saw mama moose and two young ones at the Bountiful peak beaver pond. And now my foot hurts.

Hold on now, that's 32 miles riding a bike from West Farmington North to God knows where on the old RR line bike path. At mile ten I rode past a large industrial building with a sign in front that read KELLOG'S, and a very pleasant food odor, like that of seasoned pizza rolls, filled my nose. Immediately following I was hit with a foul odor that can only be described as dumpster breath.

Someone once said that injured runners make good bikers. My right foot still hurts from last week. The foot hurt enough to shut down the Gannett Peak run Scott & I had been planning since last year. 

Bonneville Shoreline, Kaysville to Layton out and back. I'm not cool enough to call it the BoSho.

Wasatch Crest with Craig & Scott.

King's Peak with Scott and Josh. About 20 miles was running, the other 6 or so was hiking. Started about a quarter to 11 PM Friday night and finished 10 hours later. We were in full blazing moonlight the entire night, which was very comforting. I never felt alone or lost out there. I got a headache while climbing the mountain, and I was alone at the top so I didn't relish much in the summit. Scott slowed down considerably past Anderson and then puked at the summit. Josh stayed with him until we all reunited down on the high plateau. At sunrise Scott took a nap just before we descended back to Gunsight Pass, and he was able to muster the strength to run out and finish relatively strong.

I've had a desire to do King's in a day during the summer so now that is done. Our intent was to do a double King's but to do that we would need to plan differently.

I am giving serious thought to going back in the next few weeks  to either attempt the double or to do a speed run of King's.

Sixteen+ miles of hiking some of the most beautiful little mountains in the world.

Late evening run on the old rail trail, Farmington to Kaysville.

 No big woop. 

One Little Victory

So I wanted to see how quickly I could run up to the Pfeifferhorn summit. My goal was to get under 2 hours. I left work at 5PM and drove straight to the White Pine trail head in Little Cottonwood Canyon. I suited up in the car and was ready to go at 5:58 PM. I ran most of the way but hiked quickly the steeper, more rocky sections of trail. I arrived at the White Pine/Red Pine junction at about 11 minutes. My first goal was to reach the lake under 50 minutes. Gosh darn it, I got to the lake at exactly 50 minutes. I reached the upper lakes 15 minutes after that. Next I set a goal to be up on the Alpine Ridge in 1:25, but I blazed up the steep rocky headwall and got there in 1:15. I then began running again toward the Pfeifferhorn, chasing after a goat and her kid. I crossed the East Ridge in three minutes, moving fast like my life depended on moving fast. I do not recall how long it took me to climb the summit, but it must have been around ten minutes. I moved as fast as I could and did not stop. I arrived at the summit of Pfeifferhorn summit in 1:35.

It was a very pleasant evening up on the Alpine Ridge. The blazing sun was low in the Western sky and I had the summit to myself. I stayed for about a minute then quickly moved down the mountain, reversing the route. I ran the entire way back and reached the car for a round trip time of 2:47. About half mile from the trailhead I caught up with a young moose, which was also out for an evening jog. I chased moose for about a quarter mile, shouting at it to move off the trail. I had to slow my pace several times so not to get too close to the large animal. At last the moose got the message and moved off into the bush and I resumed my quick pace. If not for the altercation with the moose, I believe I would have been to the car in 2:45. I did not use my headlamp.

I was in the zone the entire evening and feeling fantastic. 

I know the summit has been reached in faster times but I am very pleased with the success of my first speed climb of the Pfeiff. The next time I try to break 1:35 I know I will have to run more on the uphills. That is the key. 

Miles? Freak, I don't know. I just went up and hiked Devil's Castle and Sugarloaf peak, then ran down to Albion Basin. Six peaks in 5 days.

I think Timp is 14 miles?

 I've been on the Timp summit only twice before, so it was easy to turn in a nice fast time on my first running attempt. Virtually the entire trail is runnable and I kept moving quickly through 99% of it. 

I met Craig Lloyd at the Timpooneke TH and we were off in the dark shortly after. A group of hikers was about to head up at the same time so I decided to skip using the potty at the TH and just get going. About a mile up I stopped to have a quick wiz and later the mile-one poo struck so I did not get within shouting distance of Craig again until we both arrived at the summit at virtually the same time (he was a minute or two ahead of me). 

The most difficult 'crux' of running Timp on a Saturday is weaving around all the hikers on the trail. I am certain I can get to summit faster on a weekday.

When I got into the upper reaches of the basin I saw Craig ahead and above on a switchback. I waved but he was zoned and did not see me. When I ran into the saddle there were dozens of young people there and I happened to arrive right at sunrise. The golden light reflecting off the mountains, combined with how good I was feeling was enough for my brain to say "Hey, here are some endorphins for you." I was high and just shouted out WOOO! as I ran past 50 people watching the sunrise. I kept going, trying to catch Craig who may as well have been an elusive mountaingoat. Now I saw him, now he vanished into the folds of the mountain trail.

At the summit switchbacks I was determined to get to the top under 2 hours. Then I saw that I could get there in 1:55. I pushed hard, sometimes on all fours, ignoring all the people around me as I passed dozens. 

Car to summit time: 1:55.50. I'm happy with that. Now I would like to see if I can beat that in any significant way. 

I met Craig in the shed at the summit, we chatted for a minute while I caught some breath, then started down. Again, he vanished. Before I could really get going he was halfway down, and for me the ordeal of trying to pass hundreds of people on the narrow trail began. I didn't see Craig again until I reached the trailhead.

Next time I will be doing this on a weekday.

Round Trip time: 3:16. Could have been several minutes faster if I was on a less crowded day. 

Rail trail to Kaysville

 I haven't done anything but gorge on junk food for the past  week. In a weak effort to reverse the effects of laziness and poor diet, I ate some fruit today and then went running at night. Didn't help much because I also ate pizza and had a yummy soda today, and it was all sloshing around in my gut tonight as I ran in the darkness to Kaysville and back.

A Quick Run Up Timp

I left work in Bountiful and drove to AF Canyon, arriving at the Timpooneke TH at about 6:30PM. It was raining. I stood under the eve of the restroom, looking up at the peak, reading the sky for any clues to how the weather would progress in the next 3 hours. To the East was blue sky, but that large cloud over Timp gave me pause. Was I really goig to do this? It would have been easy to just get in the car and go home. However, I had driven all that way, paid six bucks for the canyon, so I was not going to just turn around and go home for nothing. I ran the trail at an easy pace. I wanted to be comfortable but consistent. No stopping, no breaks unless there was an unavoidable need.

Only five people-- descending hikers--  passed me  as I ran up. I saw no other persons until I was in upper elevations.

The cloud passed sometime in the next hour and the rain stopped. I had made the right call. 

In fifteen minutes I stepped on the first wood boardwalk. At 19 minutes I was at Scout Falls. I had a goal to reach the rim of the upper basin in 1:10 or less. I crested the rim at 1:12, so I was behind schedule. It was already dusk in the upper basin, so the light was flat. No contrast. Not much to see. I kept going. On the switchback that accesses the upper terrace I saw two hikers moving slowly uphill. When they saw me below they stopped and watched me run every step of the moderately steep shortcut under them. When I caught up they were on the part of the rock trail that makes a long stretch Northeast and I, believing that section to be utterly un-necessary, cut short and re-connected with the trail higher up. I never got close enough to the hikers to say hello. 

My goal to arrive at the saddle was 1:30. Nope. Then 1:35. Nope. I rolled in at 1:37. Too dam slow. Oh well, my legs were sore from a run the day before, and I was not fresh, having spent the day at work at a desk, staring at a computer monitor.

One dude and his dog were at the saddle. It was full sundown. I continued on the trail of jagged rocks to the summit, noticeably slower than the week before.

I arrived at Timpanogos summit in 1:57:10. That was a close one, almost didn't get sub-2 hours. I stayed for a minute then started down. Slow. I remember Craig making short work of the summit trail the week before. He had bombed down so fast that I did not even see him when I had a long line of sight back to the saddle. I don't know how he can move so fast downhill, but I am going to find out.

The dark descent from Timp was going to be slow. I would not be setting any personal bests on this night. In the forest section I stepped carefully over wet rocks. No need to break an ankle--or worse-- for the sake of time.

Back at the trailhead in 3:44, and there weren't even any crowds of BYU students to slow me.  

Farmington to Kaysville: Wasatch 100 Start

I got up at 3:30AM then ran 6 miles to watch the Wasatch 100 runners  begin their epic journey. As expected there were a lot of people and vehicles at the trailhead, and I wondered how I would find Scott Wesemann in the crowd and the dark. I just followed my intuition and walked straight to him and Matt Williams. It was about 5 minutes until the start so I chatted with Scott. Not much sleep for that fellow during the night. By now he is somewhere on the mountain, gaining altitude.

I ran back home, showered and went back to bed.  

The Future: Sooner and Later

I ran 8 on the rail trail to Kaysville and back this evening. Now, I desire to write down future goals and plans. I have elsewere stated my goal to submit an application for the 2012 Wasatch 100. Seeing my friend Scott out there, from the beginning of this year's race, through a couple aid stations and at the finish, has me looking forward with anticipation and anxiety for my chance to experience a hundred mile run through my beloved Wasatch.

To kick-start my ultra career, I have placed my name on the list of runners in the Pony Express 50 Mile Endurance Run, coming October 21st in the Utah West desert. This means that if I am going to be successful, I will be training regulalry and watching what I eat. Also, I had better stop smoking so much weed.

That last one is a joke. I haven't smoked weed since 1993.

The Pony Express will be my first ultra. Although the longest distance I have run in a single outing is twenty miles, I am confident I can do the fifty, and turn in a fast time. To train for Pony I have put together a running regime that includes daily miles on trails close to home, combined with my usual peak-bagging and ridge scrambling, and one nice 48 miler that covers the first 24 miles of the Wasatch 100 course and back home. All within sight of my home in Farmington. I also plan to be running Timp several times in the next month, even a multi of two or three in a day.

In December I will send in my application for Wasatch and whether or not I win the lottery I will train for it. If not Wasatch next year, then some other 100 mile race will have my name on the list.

My goal is to become a competent, fast, strong ultra runner. My plan is to train hard and have fun.

A Quick Snack on Scott's Treadmill

Full trail; no shortcuts. 

When my plan to run Timp today fell apart, I searched my memory banks for an alternate run that could be done  in an hour or so. Mt. Wire fit the need nicely. Plus, since I have been gathering my fastest times on my favorite mountains, today would be a good one to see if I could beat Scott's Wire summit time of 39 minutes. (I think that's his best time?) My best time before today was somewhere between 50 and 55 minutes. 

I began running from the car, carrying nothing but moist wipes. Not even water is as important as wipes. After about 15 minutes I wished I had brought water. It was hot up there. I ran most of the way and decided to skip the shortcut and take the full route past Brain's favorite tent spot on the trail. Up at the second flat before the final hill beneath the reflectors I passed one other runner making his descent. He looked like he could have been one of the Wasatch 100 runners, but who knows? Trail runners all start to look the same after I have seen tens of dozens of them lately. 

I reached the reflectors with about a minute and a half left if I was going to go under 40 minutes. It is surprising how much distance a running man can cover in a couple minutes. Time seems to go slowly.  

I reached the summit at 40:20. Dang. a minute or so behind Scott's last run up Wire. I wanted to get under 39 minutes to force him back up there to defend his King of the Wire designation.

No time for love on the summit. I turned around and began the decent. Shaky legs. No water, sweating in the afternoon heat. But I had my wipes! They stayed in the bag the entire way.

I reached the bottom of the trail in 1:09.40. Not bad, but I am certain I can take 5 minutes off that summit time. It would have to be on a morning after a solid night's sleep. You win this time Scott, but I'll be back!

East Mountain Wilderness Park North to Great Western Trail junction (First 5 miles of Wasatch 100)

Did nearly 10 miles on the BST from Kaysville to Layton and back. All in the dark, so the canyon creek crossings were spooky.

No big woop. 

Run to Pfeifferhorn Summit

The first time I hiked to the Pfeifferhorn it took 6 hours. It was a June day and I was an inexperienced hiker. The snow on the steep Red Pine headwall freaked me out. I went back year after year and each time, I reached the summit faster than the last. 

Now I am running to the Pfeifferhorn, and I have cut my best hiking time in half. A few weeks ago I reached the Pfeiff summit in 1:35. I ran most of the way to the lake but hiked the most steep parts of the trail.

 Today I went back to see if I could beat my previous time, and, really I began to wonder if my fastest time was a fluke, or if I had mis-read my stop watch. Approaching Little Cottonwood Canyon I observed that the Alpine ridge, upon which the Pfeifferhorn sits, had dark clouds hovering above. However, the White Pine trailhead was sunshine and lollipops. I was go time. I suited up and began running from the car, carrying only a handheld bottle and wipes (of course). 

I ran the first mile at a comfortable pace and was pleased reach the White Pine junction in just under 10 minutes, a minute faster than my previous run there. I kept going, never stopping. I ran everything, even the steep parts. Walking hills is for pussies! I reached the Maybird bridge in 33:20, then the lower lake in 46:30. I was pleased with my time and I knew I had this one in the bag. I passed a couple that had left the car park about 10 minutes before me. They were fast.

However, on the hike up to the upper basin, I lost the trail under new snow. Freaking snow! I wandered a bit and I'm sure it cost me some time. Back on familiar route I climbed to the Alpine ridge and crested in 1:13. No stopping. The Pfeifferhorn comes into view a half mile or so to the West. Passed a couple dudes as they hiked down. 

At the East ridge I stashed my bottle and scrambled, making one 4th class move. Over the ridge in 3 and a half minutes. Now the final climb: Up fast, less than ten minutes. More like seven. Would I summit in under 1:30?

Summit: 1:29.55.  I yelled a big YEAHHH!

I carefully descended the summit. 

As I traversed back over the East ridge, I again saw the couple I had passed earlier on the trail. They were heading toward the peak, just minutes away. Indeed they were fast. No slow hikers, these two. After the ridge I had to empty my shoes of rocks. As I got up to go I was surprised to see the couple coming back. "You turned around?" Maybe it looked too cold up there. If it was me I would have certainly finished with the summit. The young fellow introduced himself and his girlfriend to me. We ran back together to the lip of the Alpine ridge and chatted as we descended the rocky trail. I told him my time to summit, and that I needed to shave off 20 minutes if I was to match the fastest known time to Pfeiff. He corrected me and said I would have to go even faster now that some guy a few weeks ago had run it in 1:06. Holy crap. That is sprinting 4.5 miles and several thousand feet of elevation.

We hiked down from the Alpine ridge together, and before the upper lakes I shouted goodbye and picked up the pace. I knew I had lost some descent time chatting and changing shoes, but the summit time is more important to me than the round trip time. Anyway, I am slow on downhill. The Red Pine trail is rock-strewn and rooty. I would rather be cautious and not take a fall.

I had a pleasant run back to the trailhead, total time from car to car: 2:48.38. That was a minute slower than my last run of Pfeiff.  OK, next time I will have to take off another five minutes.

Kaysville to Layton, Bonneville Shoreline to GWT

From East Mountain Wilderness Park TH to junction with GWT and back.

With two beef tacos, beans and rice in the gut. Slow! Still strong on hills, ran all hills, but downhill needs work.

 No big woop. 

Rail trail to Kaysville and back

I helped a neighbor lay sod this evening and I earned a nice cold Coke for my labor. So I will be up well past midnight watching Kill Bill vol. 2. Just got back from a run to Kaysville and back.

No bog woop. 

By next week I should have my new Garmin Forerunner 205 and I will be able to track my speed, miles, elevation, sperm count, etc.

Uinta Thirteeners Adventure: China Meadows to Wilson Peak, Traverse to Mt. Powell

Wednesday: Dustin suggested a trip to the Uintas to climb Mt. Wilson. Before then I had never heard of Wilson. We could also traverse to Mt. Powell and be back to the car in 12 hours.

Saturday: Awake at 2:45 AM , although I got maybe 2 hours of good sleep. Jacob, Dustin and I left SLC about 3:30AM. China Meadows TH at 6:30AM. dustin and I were dressed to run, but Jacob was more into hiking fast. We ran where we could. Beautiful day, gorgeous natural environment: Blue-green lakes, terraces, water falls, river crossings, horses resting in meadow, solitude.

Red Castle is stunning and stands out among its Uinta peers. It is rugged and cliffy, compared to the smooth-backed 13ers that surround it.

After upper Red Castle lake I began to feel the pounding of my pulse, causing me worry. My legs were strong and energy was good, but step after step the pressure I felt in my pulse became constant. I had the strength to run up the slope as long as I desired, but I was afraid of over-exerting my pulse. Boom, boom, boom. I never felt sick or dizzy, just worried about the pressure. I had to reluctantly slow my pace. It was definitely the altitude. Was I not getting enough oxygen? 

Mt. Wilson is a worthwhile objective. From the summit you get a view of all the well-known 13ers, including the West aspect of King's and South King's. From the summit we descended steeply to the head of a basin, then traversed back up to 13,000 feet to Mt. Powell. The pounding in my head resumed. 

On Mt Powell my energy was good and I still had a lot of strength in my legs. No bonking on this trip. We followed the long wide slope from Powell, North back to the head of China Meadows area. Dustin and I enjoyed running on the high plateau. I imagined we were somewhere in the high steppes of Asia, a thousand miles from anywhere.

We found the trail to connect back to the main trail and we ran back to the trailhead. With my new Garmin I recorded the trip stats. I finished in 11:45, and we did 5,780 feet in vertical over 29.2 miles.

Rail trail to Kaysville and back

Now that I have the Forerunner I wanted to tune up my speed and see how quickly I could run a 5K. I began running at a quick pace then worked to stay under 7.00. However, I blundered and stopped the clock at 3.01 instead of 3.10 miles. 

I ran back at a much slower pace. 

Rail trail to Kaysville

 No big woop. 

Jupiter Peak

Never heard of Jupiter Peak, or the steeplechase there until yesterday. Dustin Erickson  (watch for his name to show up on the top 25 on various races in the next few years) invited me to run the Jupiter Peak steeplechase course -- that is Park City -- yesterday, and I couldn't pass up the prospect of running in the fall colors above Park City. I got to see some new Wasatch and stand on a couple minor peaks. That was pretty wizard.

Wanted to see how fast I could do a 5K. I wanted to go under 20 minutes.

20:12.  

Gotta lose 13 seconds. 

Quick easy run in the dark. I met the storm at mile 2. By the time I reached mile 4 I was in full rain. Just want to stay loose for my 30 mile run Saturday.

My First Ultra: 32 miles

You can do a lot in a lifetime, if you don't burn out too fast. You can make the most of the distance - But first you need endurance, first you've got to last...

 Until now my longest uninterrupted distance run was 15 miles. I have hiked more than 40 miles in a day, but this was a new game. With my first 50 mile 'race' fast approaching, the advice I had been getting from friends is to get at least one long run in before I attempt 50 miles. On other advice from friends I chose to get the long run on the very roads I would be attempting the 50 out in the West desert on the Pony Express trail.

I left Farmington a few minutes before 11AM Saturday. The weather forecast predicted a 50% chance for rain where I was going. Despite the odds, I had a good feeling about the day so I was committed to making the drive. As I drove out through Tooele, I phoned my dad to tell him exactly where I would be. He called me a short time later to tell me he and my mom were coming out to be in the area were I was running. They were worried about me being alone out there. I arrived at Lookout Pass about 12:30PM, then soon arrived at the campground/Pet Cemetery where the start line of the race will be. I cached water and food, then drove 16 miles to Simpson Springs where I dropped a similar cache. I then went back 7 miles, parked, and got dressed for a day of running in the desert. My plan was to run first to the start line at the campgound then back to my car for a total of 18 miles, then continue to Simpson where I would turn around and run the last leg back to the vehicle. The total mileage would be 32 if I was successful. 

As I got ready to start my timer, another runner came by headed in the direction of Simpson Springs. "You out here training?" said the stranger, an older man wearing a hydration vest similar to mine. "Yes," I replied. Two weeks. His name is Mike Cummings and he will be running the 100. I told him I was going the opposite direction but would probably see him later in the day as he made his way back to where he had parked.

The run to the campground was enjoyable. It never was boring, even though I was alone in a desolate area. I never felt entirely alone because every 20 minutes a fast moving vehicle went down the road. I had my music to help propel me and keep me company. A thick ceiling of clouds hung over the area the entire day but they held their  moisture. The rain never fell. About halfway through my first leg I met my parents coming the opposite direction. I updated them on my status, told them where my vehicle was parked and what my strategy was. The planned to drive around in the area and check on me. I wasn't sure how long they would sty out there, but it was a comfort knowing they were near.

Just before the campground there is a hill. I kept running up, although my pace must have slowed somewhat. I arrived at my cache site and refilled my water. I was curious about the nearby Pet Cemetery but I was not there to be a tourist. All business. Nine miles back to my car would put my at mile 18.5. I again met my parents along the road. My father is a professional photographer and he was out with the zoom lens getting good shots. Several miles later my parents were waiting for me at my vehicle where they acted as my running crew. They had all kinds of food offerings: drinks, chocolate, grapes, cheese. All I really needed was to refill my water, drink some Coke and try to eat my bagel. 

Back at it with 14 miles to go, I ran toward Simpson Springs. I saw a group of Pronghorn antelope bouncing across the road. Still not bored, just focussed on what I wanted to do. I wanted 32 miles, nothing less. At about mile 15 my knees felt sore. At mile 24 I began to get emotional. I let out several primal screams as I climbed a long, gradual incline to ward Simpson. I love the desert. Nobody is around to inhibit my emotional outbursts. Loud and unashamed. My knees hurt and my pace slowed noticeably.

My parents were waiting for me at Simpson, my last aid station. I refilled water, chewed off half a banana, sucked a gel and told my parents to go 4.5 miles down the road (mile 30) and wait for me. I told myself I could quit at mile 30 but not anything less.

Every part of me other than my knees and one of my hips felt strong. My cardio was feeling great, my muscles were solid. The last 7 miles was a exercise in managing pain while pushing forward. There was no stopping, no walking. The sun began to set behind me as I turned East on the road. My dad was out with his camera taking shots of me backlit with the sunset. Spectacular.  The last two miles I concentrated on my music, trying to ignore my sore knees. The last half mile one of my favorite songs (Rush's MARATHON) began to play and the lyrics were just what I needed to hear:

First you've got to last... 

At last my watch ticked mile 32. I jumped and shouted for joy, then quit. I was a mere 50 feet from my car.

I gave my parents the hugs they deserved, told them I love them.  

On Scott's Treadmill 'smorning with Jun & Scott. Autumn darkness, full moon.

My fist activity after the 32 miles the Saturday before. Legs felt good, strong. Wanted to get to summit under 40 minutes. It was 41.5 . Next time perhaps. Smooth up in ya.

Five mile loop around home.

Sucked.

 My knee began to hurt after mile one. Shyte. Discouraged. Doesn't it know I have a 50 miler coming in 7 days? 

Grandeur Double Up and Loop

Couldn't sleep past 4:30AM, got up and ran/hiked up Grandeur, then down to meet Dorsimus, Jun and Scott W. for another lap up Grandeur, then loop run down the East side and back to car. I ended up getting over 7,000 feet of vert and 15 miles total. Ok I guess I should taper for 50 miler next Friday. 

Ran 4.

Feel like crap, out of sync. Got a cold.

A few thoughts:

It feels good to be able to type in the numeral '50' as the distance I ran Friday. And I ran 99% of it.

I must have done something right. Training, nutrition, attitude--it all came together for me Friday. I wish I would have had more and deeper sleep than I got, but being used to early morning alpine starts to 12+ hour dayhikes, I knew that lack of sufficient sleep would be the least of my concerns going into my first ultra race. Until Friday, the longest distance I had run was 32 miles. I did not know what to expect. So I just did what felt comfortable and called upon my abilities. This is what I had trained for.

I arrived with my father at the Lookout Campground, the starting point for the 100 and 50 mile races. The temperature was chilly enough for sleeves and thin gloves. Did all the checking in, saw some friends. All the anxiety I had the previous day had evaporated. I was just ready to run and see what I could do. Scott Wesemann was waiting for me when I checked in, and he gave me some last-minute advice. The plan was to have Scott ride with my dad until mile 20 or so, then he would run with me to the finish.

Then the countdown, and a modest group of 2 dozen crazies began bobbing up past the Christmas light-lined fairway to the road. Everyone was in slow motion. Holding back. A minute after the start I had unintentionally moved to the front of the pack, and at the same time, Seth Wold appeared at my side, running with me. We had a nice four-mile conversation. During that first four miles, I was aware that there was no other runner ahead of us, and I expected dozens of them to pass me at any moment. I did not look back, just continued running with Seth. At mile 4 he made an exchange with his crewman--his father in a white pickup--then he wished me a good day and in a minute was a quarter mile ahead of me. 

I continued the pace I had set from the beginning, trying to stay at or below 8 minutes per mile. I was familiar with this road. I knew how far away Simpson Springs was, and in my mind it wasn't that far away. Easy. On the gradual uphill before Simpson I passed my first 50 mile early starter. I felt terrific running up that long grade. Really good. Then down to the corral, back up to the road. That is when I felt the first hint of fatigue. Not to worry, still lots of gas in the tank. I just needed to stay on top of fueling.

I should write at this point that from the very start, Scott W. acting as chief crewman and my father as driver and assistant crewman were better than I could have asked. Scott was out of the van at every stop asking me what I needed, running back to get it. For the first half of the race I did not stop at the van, just kept running and they would pull up on my left and hand-deliver my supplies. This worked well for me. My plan was to keep moving. Scott really knew how to provide support that allowed me to keep my forward momentum.  Honestly, I was concerned about losing him as crew chief when he got out to pace me at about mile 21. He was doing such an excellent job. But then he actually stepped it up, running with me and then at every two miles he ran ahead to the idling van to grab fuel not only for himself but to make preparations for me. Outstanding. 

From Simpson Springs to Dugway Pass is a very long, straight stretch of desert road. Really, 18 miles I believe. Most of it went by in a blur. I felt pretty good for most of it. Scott helped me keep my mind off my aching joints. A few miles before the pass I was aware of the heat. Overall, it wasn't that bad. Never became intolerable for me. I kept my shirt on. This entire time, not one other runner had passed me. Did I dare hope for second place? Here I was, 35 miles into a 50 mile race and looking back I could not see anyone making a move. 

 Now of course, I did not win the race. That rank was reserved for the elite runner Seth Wold. But damn, I could taste 2nd place all the way through mile 37, when I finally was passed by a stronger runner. I had turned to look back before the curve that leads to the pass and saw someone in an orange shirt. He hadn't been there all day, but there he was, moving dangerously close. After every complaint about losing my 2nd place position Scott would tell me, "Don't worry about him, just run your race, make the finish your goal." I had to accept it. I would get passed soon after the pass. And he did pass me, about mile 38. "Good job" he said as he moved past me on my left. By this time I was hurting. I wish I could have bombed down from the pass, but it wasn't possible. My joints were rusted. I just had to keep moving.

At about mile 40 my wife and kids finally caught up to me. I was afraid they were going to miss my finish because I told them it would probably take me 10 hours. But the way I was moving most of the day I was on track for an 8 to 8.5 hour finish. Every two miles I met my family and my dad, filled my bottle with fresh water, and tried to graze out of a nice variety of high energy foods available to me. However, my appetite was gone, and I just wanted to run in with nothing. I did manage to stuff some food in me because I certainly did not want to bonk five miles from the finish.

About mile 43 I looked back and another runner appeared, a woman. She came up pretty fast, passed me, and was gone. She was the one that almost caught me at  Simpson. She looked strong and was running smoothly. OK, fourth place is pretty good too.

Scott and I just grinded out the last handful of miles. He was hurting too and had slowed noticeably. He had run Wasatch 100 the month before, and then the St. George Marathon. By the time his day was through he had run another 29 miles. 

Finally I got my first view of Blackrock finish line. I had to pass it, run down .75 miles and turn around. It wasn't that bad and went by quickly. I wanted to get under an 8:30 finish, so I picked up the last .20 miles and crossed the line at 8:29.58 for 4th place.

Good enough.

My first real race. Loved it. Thanks to those who have mentored and coached me. You know who you are. If you have gone running with me, I consider myself the least-talented among you. 

First run since the 50 mile a week and a half earlier. On trail to Kaysville and back. I wish summer was still here.

I have joined the Altra cult. I don't run anymore, just buy shoes and smile to myself knowing they sit on my shoe rack.

Six miles with the new shoes. Comfy. 

Crag's Half Pregnant Half Marathon--

 Fun run. I guess I have to admit I am not fully recovered from my 50 from three weeks ago. Sore legs. I am slow, wondering what happened to the strength I had during late summer. Maybe it was the Car's Junior burger and onion rings I ingested last night. Naw, I just need to keep running and begin my training for the big one in March.

No big woop.

Six. Yay.

Dimple Dell Gully

A new trail to me, so I took a couple of wrong turns and had a false start. Ran after dark with no headlamp. Light pollution is good for something. On the return half as I ran past 24 Hour Fitness, I detected the distinct strong odor of marijuana hanging in the air from somewhere very close to the trail. A few strides more and I looked back to see a trio of priest-age boys huddled together near the dumpster. How romantic youth is. I quickly had a thought that I might go beg a toke to help my sore joints and calf muscles, then quickly dismissed the thought.  

Lake Mountain

Maiden voyage for the Altra Lone Peaks. I like them. I am a fan.

Was with Scott, Dan V., Seth W. and D. Crockett. Was able to run most of the way up, walked some when I messed with iPod. Alone at summit so didn't stay long. Looked to the West to see the orange triangulation signal indicating the high point, so I had to go to it, only added 10 minutes to the route. Ran down with Seth who had followed me up to the other summit but I did not see him up there, then he caught up with me on the way down.

Smooth up in ya.

Farmington Canyon

 I should have been running this canyon at least once a week throughout this past summer. Sleep, however, was more of a priority. I can see this canyon from my home. From Lagoon in Farmington, Skyline Drive takes a bold path up the canyon on a well-graded road cut into the steep canyon walls. A rollover accident anywhere along the road would be 100% fatal because the vehicle wouldn't stop crashing down into the canyon until the next day. Skyline Drive goes eight miles up, past Sunset Campground, to the junction with Francis Road Peak; from there you may continue up and to the North to said Peak, or you can go up and South to Bountiful Peak. 

My intent today was to go somewhere up there. How far would be dictated by how I felt and how passable the road conditions would be. I started from home, clutching last night's Redbox rental, and ran to Harmon's for its return. Dang them, the price went up 20 cents per night.

I continued my mini-adventure run, opting to route through the Lagoon premises on the paved trail named for the park. Up past Farmington pond, then began the climb up into the canyon. Here's why I should have been running this route all last summer: Spring runoff had caused some minor landslides up on the road, and now a gate blocks access to any motor vehicle. Usually this thing is occupied by an endless flow of passenger vehicles, motorcycles and ATVs, which from the look of the dust that is constantly blown into the air, would make for a miserable running experience. Well, I finally got myself on Skyline Drive in the canyon and the place is deserted. Clean air for all.

The miles went by quickly, although I was not running at any impressive speed. It is all uphill, which is why this road appeals to me. I ran it all, no reason not to. The Sunset CG is five miles up the canyon and that is where snow stopped melting. I tried to run through crusty, ankle-deep  snow but it was literally running in slow motion. I felt a small sense of connection to Rocky in the fourth movie, where he trained in deep Siberian snow. Yo, I can beat this guy, for America! I turned around at nine miles and reversed the route.

When I started from home I had an idea of going all the way up to Francis Peak, which would put me in for over 28 miles, but I was relieved when the snow blocked my way. Another three miles up from where I turned around would have been easy, but I will have to wait until after next Spring to take it further. I am wishing the road is closed indefinitely. Nine miles back home and straight into a soothing bath. Yes, bath. You got a problem with that?

According to my big, super smart techno watch, I got over 3,000 feet of vertical climb. I'm happy with that 

Movin' Some Product on Legacy Trail

 I run at night, in the cold and dark. Nobody sees me. That's the way I like it. 

Scott's treadmill with Scott.

We were having a good time all the way until we arrived back at the trailhead. Both out vehicles had windows broken and items taken.

Bastardos!

Bonneville Shoreline/Great Western Trail

I wanted to run up to Chinscreppa and back from where the W100 race begins. That would give me lots of vert climb and miles. All was going well until the tracks I followed in the snow stopped.  

Big to Small Combo: Mt. Olympus, Mt. Grandeur (with loop run), Mt. Wire

We almost did this lsat year, but instead did five laps on Mt. Wire the day after Thanksgiving. Scott and I wanted to take a day to do something big, so we combined three Wasatch Front peaks into one big day of stairmaster hiking and descent running.

Big to small. First up: Mt. Olympus. We met about 6:10 AM and Scott left his vehicle on a neighborhood street nearby. After we both had windows smashed last week at Wire trailhead, we consider it a necessity to park out of the way to not be victimized again. I drove us to a spot about half mile away from the Olympus trailhead, then we jogged back and began our hike up. It was a very cold morning but we soon warmed. Both of us are very familiar with the trail so it was just an easy, enjoyable morning hike up. There is packed snow on the upper half of the mountain. Scott attached micro-spikes to his shoes, while I had to go without. Wasn't too bad. Summit in about 2 hours of moving time and about 2:20 overall; not bad for adding half mile extra and going at a leisurely pace, including breaks to move some organic product.

On the summit, it became obvious we were on the mountain on one of the best days of the month. Clear and sunny, no wind. Toot sweet! On the descent, just below the summit, we came close to a fambly of goats. These guys didn't run off quickly like most other goats I have seen up on high peaks. We continued down quickly, then after Tolcat stream it became a steady trail run to the bottom.

Next up: Grandeur by the West ridge, but first it was breakfast time. We were both jonesing for some McDonalds breakfast but we missed the 10:30 AM cutoff time. Scott craved grease and he got it in a large-ass value meal. With free Coke glass! We again parked on a residential street near the trailhead, then got started up the West ridge. Slower now. An hour and a half to the summit of Grandeur. Normally, we can butt it up this mountain in 1:05 to 1:10, but with fast food in the belly and Olympus on our legs, we did alright.

The big run of the day would be the route from Grandeur summit down to Pipeline to the canyon road and back to the car at the trailhead. Must be about 7 miles. I think we both felt pretty good, although getting tired, throuh this run.

Back at the car, we were both hammered. I was pleased to hear Scott say let's go to Mt. Wire. Holy crap we were really gonna do it. Smooth up in ya! Over near the Zoo now, we again parked half mile away up in front of some homes. We ran down the hill, then started the trail up to Mt. Wire. We both can get up to the summit in about 40 minutes, no problem. Not on this day. We took it easy, getting passed by fresh hikers who probably thought we looked pathetic. It was a grind, but Wire is so short that it was a short grind. Summit at sunset. Nice. On the descent I was "singing" at the top of my lungs to More Than A Feeling, not caring who could hear. I think we made a good run on the descent, and of course we ran it in the last half mile to the cars.

The stats: 23 miles, 8:30 hours of moving time, 10,575 of vertical climb.

View Benchmark/Lake Mountain Double up

So this was one of the more unusual outings Scott and I have done. We've hiked Olympus and King's Peak in the middle of the night, so being out climbing mountains when most people are climbing into bed is not unusual for us. This time however, we had the added dimension of sub-freezing cold. 

I met Scott in Draper at 11 PM and we ran Anne's trail up to View Benchmark and back for 8 miles. Very cold and dark, but fun nonetheless. I stayed sufficiently warm as long as I kept moving. We saw the big half moon rise over the Wasatch from behind Box Elder peak. The entire route was snow-covered enough to slow us somewhat, but still runnable. 

Down from Benchmark, we then drove ourselves to Lehi for a run up Lake Mountain. I swear it was colder out in Lehi. Who does this kind of stuff? Answer: We do. We both changed into Altra Lone Peak shoes and started off into the night on the dirt road leading to Israel Canyon. I shivered the first five minutes, but then warmed the higher we climbed. About half way up we both began to feel the soreness in our calves and legs from the zero drop design of the shoes. They have terrific traction, the Lone Peaks, but the time and effort needed to condition in the shoes requires serious committment. Because of snow, we hiked a lot of the way up.

On top of Lake Mountain we paused for several minutes and attempted to photograph our success, without much success. Although sore and cold, we both ran the entire way down, arriving at Scott's vehicle at about 4:30 AM. 

Cold and dark do not stop these guys. 

 I am starting my training for the Buffalo 100. My plan is to run 10 miles or more per day for 5 days, for at least 50 miles per week. I will occasionally substitute mountain climbs for any of those days. 

 'Smorning I ran deep into Kaysville and back for 10 miles.

She's my cherry pie. 

Original plan was to run five in the day, then five more at night. As per usual I ran an extra mile. No big woop.

 Added 4 more this evening for 10. 

Ten miles on the Bonneville in Kaysville with Matt Williams.

Coked-Up Christmas Eve Run 11 Miles

It is a certainty that when I drink a cold Coke during the day, I will be awake well past bedtime. I drank two Cokes today. I really didn't want to go out into the cold night and run, but my inner trainer told me I had to, or else. This is also known as compulsive behavior. The payoff is I would get over 40 miles this week.

Done.

 I ran a loop from home on a combination of roads, trails and bike path. Through the marshy wastelands of West Davis County. I was invisible to all except God. 

Capital building to Aves Twins

Scott texted me asking if I wanted to go running. OK. We chose the trails above City Creek, always a good selection. We met just after 7 AM and then went out in the very cold temperature. The canyon breeze didn't help things, but we got warmed up when we began the climb from the pond at the bend in City Creek road. 

Our pace was casual and easy, but we ran most of the uphill. It is nice to be able to run the trails above SLC in the winter. Usually there is a foot of snow covering the trails. We got up to the Twins and took a break for a minute, then reversed our course. On the way down my legs and especially my calves, were achy, and I wondered how well I could run the rolling terrain.

Down at the intersection of the Shoreline trail and the trail coming up from the city, we both felt the need to pull over and, ahem, 'move some product'. We went downhill several feet off the trail, and I chose a secluded spot behind some scrub oak. Scott felt more comfortable out in the open, Julie Andrews style on the side of the hill and proceeded to drop his pants and do the bidness. Whether he knew he was in view of anyone jogging on the Bonneville Shoreline trail from across the gully or not didn't seem to matter -- until he saw two women runners with two dogs approaching in our direction from a quarter mile away. This development set in motion a sequence of hilarious events I like to call The Mile Six Incident.

I had quickly taken care of my business, when I realized I was only feet away from the trail above me and the trees did not cover me very well. Then I realized that as soon as the women came near they would see Scott in all his glory, backside exposed with nowhere to go. Scott must have understood this too because as we heard the chatting women approaching he did a panicked crabwalk, tights still down at his ankles, into the nearest group of trees. He no sooner had got to his new hiding place when the women ran by, saw me below them in the trees (my red shirt) and slowed a bit, obviously aware of our presence below them. When they got several steps downhill from me they stopped because their dogs left the trail. I had my back to them when the dogs-- a black lab and a smaller terrier type -- came snooping through my personal space. They must have determined I was of no interest because they then shot straight for Scott's very recently vacated first position on the hill side. They stopped right on target and began enthusiastically lapping up Scott's still steaming pile of poo. My initial reaction was disgust, which was quickly replaced with amusement as the women, now paused on the trail above me, called to their dogs. "Leave it alone!" one shouted. "Come on! Get away from there!" Scott stayed hidden behind a thin curtain of trees, tights still around his ankles, trying not to laugh out loud at the site of dogs enjoying his waste product so well. In all the commotion he hadn't time to properly cleanse himself. Had he been caught squatting on the hill when the dogs swept through, I am certain they would have bathed Scott with their tongues.

Why they skipped me and made a beeline for Scott's pile of excrement is a mystery. Scott likes to believe that he moves a better product, and the dogs could smell the quality. 

The dogs worked quickly, getting their fill. When they turned toward me I could see their little brown snouts. The terrier seemed to be smiling. Another moment and they were gone to join their horrified masters. Do they make mints for dogs? Scott and I could barely hold our laughter, then let out belly laughs that probably echoed down the canyon. Crude and immature, I know, but I forgot all about my aching legs the rest of the way down to the car.

The Mile Six Incident will go into my book of best runs ever.  

City Creek Foothills

With Scott W., ran from the Capital up City Creek, then turned North on a trail above millionaire homes. Up to radio towers, then back down on a nice single-track ridge trail and back to the Canyon road.

Nice morning, little more warm than Monday. No loose dogs.

 Little Black Mountain

I have been eyeing this one for a while. Several years ago one of my first hikes in the Wasatch was to Little Black Mountain. I brought too much stuff, I wore poor shoes, and probably weighed 15 pounds heavier. When I reached the summit a dude in tight clothing ran past me. Then not long after, a young woman came running up to the summit and disappeared over the other side. Trail runners. Strange creatures. They must have super powers, I thought. 

Since then I have gone back to Little Black a handful of times, one of the most memorable was with Scott W. on Valentines Day. Snow and fog. We came very close to the summit through a full-on blowing snowstorm. We snowshoed back down and nearly got lost in the fog on the long ridge that connects to Avenues Twins.

This year I entered my first race, the Wahsatch Steeplechase. However because of late heavy snow, the June race had to be re-routed to trails across canyon. I ran it, but I had obvious need of serious training if I am to make a good showing next year. So I intend to go back up Little Black several times this year,and because the route is snow free now and will be for at least another week, I will focus my attention to this area. Also, with the Buffalo 100 coming fast in March, the trails above SLC will be good preparation.

 This evening I let out of work at precisely 3:30 PM and drove to the Utah State Capital. At 3:30 I was moving, and I dropped into Memory Grove and ran the Canyon bottom path up to meet the Canyon road, then I followed the route up to the Twins. I topped out on both Twins, then turned East toward Little Black. As I was at the foot of Black Mountain the sun did a brilliant visual swan song which lit up the entire mountainside. all other mountains tho the left and right remained in dark cloud shadow. At the summit I went as far as the register, sitting under someone's lost baseball cap. The true summit is further and beyond the crags, but with nothing except a ribbon of gold spanning the Western horizon, all natural light was gone, and soon that golden ribbon was gone as well. I descended in darkness, guided by my headlamp. Lower down it was warm. This is December?