Just a warning that this is a super log entry!!!! I had today off
because I had to take care of some teacher license stuff that I never
have time to do. I decided to have a little adventure and do something
that I have never done before and that might not be so fun, and run around
Willard Bay. I started at about 11:00 am at the main park entrance. I
had no clue how far it would be, how long it would take, and if I would
make it or not? I made sure I told my wife where I was going and if I
wasn't back in 4 hours to send out the search party. I packed up my
water bottle, some GU, a granola bar, and some extra warm gear and
headed out around the bay.
There is a causeway that goes around the entire bay and it is
flat and dirt. The first part of the run seemed the same because I was
on a road in the middle of water, bay on my left and wetlands on my
right, and running into the sun the whole way. The sun is always in the
south this time of year and so if you run west, south, or east it is in
your face, and those were the three directions that I went first. The weather was nice and I tried to just relax and not
think about how much further I might have to go. There were a lot of
big birds of prey around, infact, there were a lot of birds period.
The causeway seemed everlasting and I would look back at where I came
from at times and it would appear to be as far away as antelope island
that I could see in the distance; although it was only 7 miles or so at
the time. Once in a while I would see a river boat in the wetlands or
a biologist out checking the area, but I was pretty much on my own for
the first half. About 10 miles into my run I hit a park, that is
about 8 miles west of Smith & Edwards. This park had a big
campground and was probably the south entrance to the Bay. The
causeway that I had been on split where a huge canal, that was about 70
feet across in places, ran into the bay. I couldn't find a place to
cross and get back on the main causeway so I ran up the road out of the
park. I quickly decided not to keep heading east because I would end
up running an extra 10 miles, because the causeway was headed
north/east, so I turned on the first road I found and headed north. I
could see a point where it looked like the road I was on and the
causeway met up, so plugged down the road in that direction. I ran by some huge farm
house, all of which had a pack of dogs that weren't used to having
visitors. One house had three big sheepdogs that came out after me,
but after the one got a baseball sized rock in the side of the head
they let me pass though in peace. By now I was approaching the
causeway and was anxious to get back on it so I would be in peace and
could find my way home. I had a couple more obstacles ahead still,
about two thousand cows, five big dogs, and a dead-end road that lead
straight into the canal, that I had hoped I had went around after 3
miles. I threw a few rocks and made it through the dogs and then
started down through the middle of the two biggest corrals I have ever
seen. I thought for sure some farmer was going to shoot me for
stampeding his two thousand cattle, but I never got a bullet. The
worst part was when the road ended at the canal and I could see that crossing the corner
of the cattle corral was the only way to get on the road again, so I could try
to find a way to cross the canal and get back on the causeway that
I missed so much by now. There were a few big bulls that had followed me,
and were challenging me, and I might say intimidating the crap out of
me, as I stampeded their herd. A big white bull had been following me and wanting to trample me
for a 1/4 mile but was held back by a frighteningly low electric
fence. I decided that the 20 meters across the bull field sounded
better than running back into Ogden and calling my wife, who by then
would have probably called the cops because I was gone too long. I
picked up the two biggest rocks (softball sized) I could find and charged the gate
screaming blood murder! I hit the white bull in the butt with one rock
and let the other one fly at the other few bulls. They scattered
long enough and far away enough for me to make my move. Like lightning
I was over the gate and sprinting across the corner of the field toward
the other gate, the name isn't monaflash for nothing!. The whole time
I was thinking how this was not the way I wanted to die, being trampled
by ten angry cows, 10 miles in the middle of no-man's land. I knew
that those bulls would be in pursuit as soon as they realized my bluff
and I was hoping that I didn't trip. I flew over the next gate and
kept going at a spirit for a good 100 yards before stopping to see that
those bulls were waiting at the gate that I had crossed, hoping I would
come back so they could trample me. For the next mile I headed
north/east through a farmers field, along side the canal, toward I15.
At the end of this field I found a pipe bridge that went across the
canal and back over to the causeway. I never thought I would be so
grateful to see that stupid causeway again, but it was a joyous
occasion! I then followed the causeway back toward I15, and then north
to the main entrance for the next 4 miles. I only had to add a block
onto my run to make it an even 18 miles. I was so glad to see my truck
again and to make it home after my big adventure! In talking with my
father in-law later in the day, who has been on bike rides around the
bay, I missed a canal crossing around the first farm with big dogs,
which would have made my life a lot less stressful. Oh well, it is a
story to tell and a run that I will likely never forget nor do again. However, I
was glad that I accomplished the run, and I was happy to see that I can
still run an 18 miler in hostile conditions, especially since I usually
only run 5 milers lately. 2:13:04 for the run (7:24 ave), not bad since it seemed like 6 hours of running! (Adrenaline-459 miles) | 