Been wanting to get up and do this one again since I first ran it last year. I'm still calling it the best route in our local hills. Has a bit of it all, sweet mellow single track, brutal climbs, some off trail scrambling, ridge running, lots of peaks and a big 5000 foot drop back to the car.
I was beat going in, and was prepared to turn around at any point if I wasn't feeling it. The first 10 miles climb almost 5000 feet to the top of Mt Allen, and it was slow and painful on heavy legs. I did run (with ample shuffling) every step to the peak again, and comparing to last year's Garmin data, I guess I PR'ed by less than a minute, wouldn't have guessed that at all.
Pretty much that's where all comparison's ended. The last half was a struggle, I was shot! Death marched and shuffled the last 5 miles, "Running" down Wheeler's slower than I ran up. Ha! looking forward to a few very easy daze!
Run stats: 22.5 miles, 5900 vert
Week: 17,000 vert, 71 miles
Pics from last year:
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_hNhHKMtmng/Tj7JYxTGhHI/AAAAAAAAABw/9sXG2N7xWG4/s800/IMAG0075.jpg)
Ridge section starts on rocky peak on the right (Mt Allen) and follows the skyline over all the high points to the peak on the far left.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o-O8N5syYpo/Tj7LouNarTI/AAAAAAAAACc/Iu3N_rZjjDI/s800/IMAG0059.jpg)
Mt Ogden on left and Allen on right on the way up.
|