It was hard to get out of bed for this one. Its been a pretty big running week for me in both miles and vert and I'm beat! I've made to all the peaks in the area this year except Willard, so that's were I was headed this morning. Basically the you run to Ben Lomond and continue on for a few more miles and hills to the North toWillard Peak.
Leaving the trailhead my legs really didn't want to run, it was like jumping in cold water, deep breath, hit start on the watch and start turning them over. With in a 10 minutes or so things felt better and I noticed two guys closing in from behind and a third a little further back, I thought oh man, I hate getting passed, so like it or not the race was on. I held them off for the first mile-and-a-half, but they came by and being competive I jumped on their tail and hung on pretty good, all the while making excuses in my head like"I bet they haven't run 60+ miles and 15,000+ vertical this week" and "I bet they aren't doing 20 miles today". I'm such an idiot, realizing this, finally, I backed off and let them go and with in minutes they had both stopped and were waiting for their slower buddy. Both complimented me on the pace and said they were only going a couple more miles. Figures. Ha!
I was pretty cooked from the informal race and settled into an easy pace for the rest of the climb. There are two little climbs once you hit the ridgeline on the way to the peak, if you've run or rode this trail you know them. They both come after a relativly flat section and after you have already been climbing steady for four miles. I call the first short one the "grunt", and the second longer one the "groan". If I'm feeling good I run both of these, otherwise they are hikers. I ran 'em both today and figured why not try and run every step to the peak, something I've never been able to do. The switchbacks up the last climb were tough and the last 100 feet to the peak is almost straight up and nearly killed me, but I made it, ran every step! I must have looked like he## 'cause there was group on top and one of them said to me "we'll get out of here and let you throw up" Ha! Time to the peak was 1:41 today.
Cruised over to Willard, passing lots of folks hiking over from the parking lot at inspration point. Made a hard right and started the rough climb back up to the peak. Hung for bit, checking the view, looking through the amazingly old peak register (see pic below) and just enjoying it as I rarely get to this peak. On the way down I followed the rocky ridgeline, short cutting a half mile or so back to the trail. As I traversed the ridge I got into a huge heard of mtn goats. Like with in 20 feet of some big billys. I kept thinking I hope those things don't tend to charge folks. They gave me a good look over, decided that I was obviously not in any condition to be any sort of threat and headed on own the hill.
Made my way back over to Ben Lomond, talked for a while with some friends who had ridden up on motorcycles. Cruised down and caught up to the local Wasatch 100 veterens. These guys have finished Wasatch over 12 times each (that's a pretty small club). I walked along and talked to them for most of the decsent. I gleaned as much info about 100 mile strategy as I could. Basically they scared the hell out of me. Yikes!
20 miles, 5200 vert. long day, standing on the rim of the bucket, need some rest. 7 day block is 92 miles and just about 19,000 vert. Everything feels solid, other than tired.
Pics below.
Ben Lomond with Willard to the right from trail
http://picasaweb.google.com/110731470557570571093/BenLomond2010#5497564899805418146
View from top of Ben (mt ogden and Lewis in background)
http://picasaweb.google.com/110731470557570571093/BenLomond2010#5497564924922286274
View looking back to Ben from Willard
http://picasaweb.google.com/110731470557570571093/BenLomond2010#5497564934120698162
Next 2 are goats
http://picasaweb.google.com/110731470557570571093/BenLomond2010#5497564942951881842
http://picasaweb.google.com/110731470557570571093/BenLomond2010#5497564958663800146
Craggy Ridge I follwed back to trail
http://picasaweb.google.com/110731470557570571093/BenLomond2010#5497564970453260482
Check out the date on the peak register, its been there that long, still in perfect shape and has entries up to today 7/24/2010, There are names of friends in there from when they boy scouts, that's a piece of history! (Willard)
http://picasaweb.google.com/110731470557570571093/BenLomond2010#5497602762641279058 | 