Maybe I'll Blog, Maybe I Won't

Easy 11 miler.  Weather is cold and rainy and there is snow down to about 5,000 feet.  Curse this weather!  The rest of the week should be nice though.

1:24:49 (7:39/mi.)

Long run.  Young Ward loop in the nice warm sun.

2:02:53 (7:09/mi.)

Oh, and this concludes my highest mileage month EVER, by about 5 miles.  Wheee!

Jardine Juniper again.  Less snow.  Faster running, though I think I pushed less hard than last time.  Made it to the tree in 48:37, which was about 4:30 faster than last time.  The second meadow still had some muck, but barely any snow and most of it was even dry.  From the top it looks like everything between RHF and Temple Fork might be runnable.  Putting that on the docket for sometime soon.  Maybe Ephraim's Grave via Willow Creek and Steel Hollow?  Hm...the possiblities... 

1:25:05 (8:28/mi.)

Additionally, I have begun writing down information about all the trails in the area on my blogspot running blog for my own benefit and anyone else who wants to know some cool trails (along with all the other random running stuff I post).  Check it out.

Big Mountain Workout (BMW) #1

I felt really great today and wanted to get in a solid trail run.  I have 23 days until Logan Peak, so I need to spend as much time on the trails in the mountains at high elevation as possible.  Not that I'm complaining.  I got to explore a NEW TRAIL today!!!  Ran from my house to the LRT, then took the Bridger Lookout cutoff to Spring Hollow and ran up that until snow and the consequent lack of discernable trail turned me back.  I got as far as the big stand of aspens in the big bowl on top.  It was one of those "why haven't I run this trail before?" days.  Parts of the trail are brutal, rocky, steep, and snowy, and this run definitely put both my uphill and downhill capabilities to the test, but it was a very enjoyable run and the scenery was breathtaking.  Overall a great training run for Logan Peak.  The elevation profile of my run looks sick (as in beastly), with about 2400' of low-to-high elevation change in about 4 miles. 

2:26:23 (8:32/mi.)

AM:  2.2 miles with my padawans.  Including the Romney Stadium stairs.  Good workout.  

 PM:  Ran Willow Creek-Ephraim's Cutoff-Ephraim's Grave-Steel Hollow today.  Beautiful day for a run.  This run warrants more of a story, but I don't have much time.  I will post more later.  Be prepared for some comedy, drama, and tragedy.  The time should give you a hint.  Stay tuned.

2:07:20 (10:36/mi.)

Later...

Ok, here's the scoop.  Got to the parking lot at RHF and there was a guy there loading up his dirt bike (the motorized kind).  We exchanged pleasantries, and I asked him which trail he had come down.  He said that he came out of Cottonwood Canyon and had gone up Maughan Hollow, but then mentioned that he had intended to go scout Steel Hollow, but that the trail was impassible due to water in the trail before the first bridge.  He said I would probably be able to make it on foot though.  That should have been warning sign No. 1, but at least I know from that conversation that Maughan and Cottonwood are open if a dirt bike can get through.  Anyway, so I took off up the trail and he was not kidding about the water.  The former riverbed and the trail have literally switched places...except both are running water.  The trail is about 3 feet deep in rushing, ice cold water for about 100 yards.  Like you can't even tell there was ever a trail.  I was able to jump most of the way across, but nearly got swept off my feet by the water.  Somehow managed to keep my phone and Garmin from getting wet.  I took a couple of pictures, but can't figure out how to post them here.  If I get time I may post them on my blogspot later.  Once I got through that it was pretty easy to the Willow Creek trail.  There were a few more wet spots and crossings, but nothing as severe as the first one.  The rest of the first 6 miles to Old Ephraim's Grave was tough, but uneventful and very beautiful.  I had been worried that I might not remember the way since it's been the better part of 3 years since the time I ran it with Jon and Cody back in the fall of '08, but I remembered everything fine.  I got some more pictures looking back over the Naomi Wilderness.  Gorgeous.  Anyway, after Ephraim's Grave, things started to go downhill, and not just in elevation (actually I was climbing for another mile plus).  At first, it was just a few drifts in the road, which I managed easily enough.  But as soon as I turned off onto Steel Hollow I knew I was in for it.  It was too late to turn back now though, so I forged ahead.  Most of the upper part of the trail is still under 4 feet of snow.  Enough melting has happened that the spots around the trees are melted to the dirt, but in between there is still a full complement of dirty, icy snow.  So you're basically hopping from drift to drift, and occasionally breaking through and sinking to your thighs, hoping that you don't get impaled by a submerged branch or break your ankle.  That's the part that's snowy.  The rest of the trail, or what's left of it, is a river.  On top of that, there are dozens, if not hundreds of downed trees across the trail/stream.  Running is nearly impossible.  Eventually though, the stream went underground and the lower half of the trail is pretty runnable, though still very washed out in places.  Here's where I get to the tragic part.  Once I joined up with the Rick's Canyon trail, I found that it has been all but washed out.  There is still a trail there, but it is no longer the fairly smooth trail I remember.  All rocks and crappy footing--a dry wash.  Barely runnable at all.  It will be a long time before that trail is runnable again without some serious reclamation.  I hope it is more runnable farther up, or this will be a horrible loss.  But the way Steel looks, I fear both trails may end up the same way, minus the lower half of Steel.  This is a real bummer.  Hopefully I'm wrong.  Anyway, so that's my story...6 miles of bliss...6 miles of "what the heck was I thinking?"  I returned home covered in mud, with bleeding hands and shins (from the ice crust), but feeling thoroughly hardcore.  Chalk one up to training for the worst at Logan Peak.  I'll be ready for whatever it can throw at me.  Unfortunately, Scott, I did not meet up with Old Ephraim's ghost.  That would have been the cherry on top of this running/hiking/skiing/slogging/swimming adventure.

LRT-Wind Caves again.  1 million people on the trail, but that's ok.  I was tired, so in no hurry.  Legs felt better than expected given the mileage, other than some minor soreness in the shins.  Will tone it down next week.  Not taper, but back off a bit.  It would suck to get injured 2 weeks ahead of Logan Peak.  Besides, I'm happy to peak with 90 miles this week.  :)  I should not have slept in this morning.  It was downright hot.  You know you've been in Logan too long when 75 degrees is hot.  I'm a pansy.  Oh well.  Additionally, I was doing math on my run and figured out that I ran 52 miles in the past 3 days (counting today).  That is good news because it means I am within striking distance of 100 mile weeks as soon as I recover from LP.  Wheee!  Sounds like fun, doesn't it?  

2:53:00.00 No, I didn't even try.  (8:11/mi.)