Last night Craig Romrell & I left the Millcreek Inn at 5:00 PM on Desolation trail. We ran, ran-walked up and over to Neff's canyon, gaining 3,200 feet (5800 to 9000) in 3 miles, maybe a little more than 3. Sun was low over the Oquirrh’s giving us warmth, as it was quite cool coming up the back side with an intoxicating pine scent. There were patches of snow and frost, making the trail sometimes slick. Aspens glowed vibrant gold and the oaks were deep red in Neff’s canyon. We descended Neff's with the last of the sunlight, and then it got dark. We wanted to head over to the spring and trough, and also to the cave entrance but daylight wouldn’t permit. In the dark we couldn't run much then because of the large, loose boulders. Finding flat terrain was welcome at Neff’s, and we ran under starlight home. I picked up my truck an hour later. Decent was about 4,200 feet. A head lamp would have been good, especially for me as my depth perception waned with the dark. It was cool enough not to have water if properly hydrated beforehand. A bologna sandwich would have been good too. Temperature wise, I felt pretty comfortable. Craig's hands got cold. Then running the last mile home warmed us up into a sweat. |