Summit junkie!

December 24, 2024

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Location:

American Fork,UT,USA

Member Since:

May 20, 2009

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

6 100 mile finishes:

Wasatch 100- 2011

Wasatch 100- 2012

Buffalo Run 100- 2013

Bryce 100- 2013

Wasatch 100- 2013

Buffalo Run 100- 2014

100 mile PR- 22:42

Multiple ultra distance adventure runs every year

My running focus has been on ultra running since 2011

Climbed 348 peaks from 2010-2013

 

Short-Term Running Goals:

Race Schedule for 2014:

Buffalo 100 (Goal: 22 hours)

Bighorn 100

Wasatch 100 (Goal: Under 30 hours)

Have less than 20 trail diggers in 2014:

Diggers so far in 2014: 1

Climb 100 peaks in 2014

Peaks climbed so far in 2014: 40

Long-Term Running Goals:

24 hour Wasatch 100 finish

Personal:

Refuse2quit blog

My adventure blog

Summitpost profile

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony Kinvara Lifetime Miles: 175.05
Hoka Bondi-B Lifetime Miles: 492.55
Brooks Cascadia 6 #3 Lifetime Miles: 246.52
Altra Lone Peak #2 Lifetime Miles: 398.00
2013 Elevation Gain Lifetime Miles: 325375.00
Altra Lone Peak #3 Lifetime Miles: 409.50
Altra Torin Lifetime Miles: 268.25
Altra Lone Peak 1.5 Lifetime Miles: 380.35
Altra Provision Lifetime Miles: 44.10
Altra Lone Peak 1.5 #2 Lifetime Miles: 312.40
Altra Lone Peak #4 Lifetime Miles: 439.00
2014 Elevation Gain Lifetime Miles: 118065.00
Altra Olympus Lifetime Miles: 98.00
Altra Lone Peak #5 Lifetime Miles: 146.70
Total Distance
38.50

Gannett Peak videos:

My low point climbing to Bonny Pass at mile 19 and over 12,000 feet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wnjH3N15qU

Reaching Bonny Pass:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFeOahTKt_I

Gannett trip report (long).

Gannett Peak has always been my favorite mountain, well, at least since I first discovered it around 1997. I first reached the summit in 2001 and I'll never forget the chills that ran down my spine the first time I got a good look at it from Scenic Pass. Intimidated would be an understatement. I have heard of a few people doing Gannett in a day, but I thought they were crazy. The shortest route to the peak is 44 miles round trip and that covers some serious elevation over wicked terrain, and climbing the peak is far from a walk up.

Our group consisted of me, MatthewVH, Joe B. and Jake. All of us have a lot of exeperience in the mountains, and have climbed most of the peaks in the Wasatch. Joe had also climbed Gannett before, but did it in 3 days a few years back. It was a really good group and we all had a lot of fun.

We got a hotel in Pinedale on Friday around 6:00 PM. We hoped to get a few hours of sleep before we left for the trail around midnight. A few of us took some sleep aids to try and catch some Z's, but it was tough. It seemed like someone was constantly getting up to use the bathroom or making some other odd noise, but I did get to share a bed with Matt (a highlight :) ). I finally dozed for what seemed like less than an hour when Matt's alarm went off at 11:20. We all got ready and were at the trailhead at 12:30 AM Saturday morning. It was cold, but I didn't put on a jacket because I knew I would heat up quickly. We signed in and headed up the trail. After a few minutes of hiking Matt started to run and the next 11 miles we ran where we could and hiked pretty fast where it was steep. The conversation was good and there were a lot of laughs.

The trail was pretty wet and there were puddles all over. It was a pain and we really had to focus on the trail. Running was really hard in places because of all of the mud, puddles and rocks. The stars were brilliant and I would catch a glimpse when I could, but we were moving most of the time. We did take a few breaks, but only for a minute or two.

At Seneca Lake (mile 10) we cached some food and drinks for the return trip and  we all re-applied deet. So far the bugs were not bad, but we knew they probably would be in a few hours. I will never forget our approach to Island Lake (about mile 12). It was still dark, but the first rays of the sun along with the moonlight were spectacular. We could see the shadows of the rocky spires in Titcomb basin and the lake was really cool. Along the lake there is a beach with nice white sand and we stopped there to take a break.

When we finally reached the lower Titcomb basin (mile 13, 5.5 hours in) the sun was just starting to come up and the views were so incredible that it is hard to describe. They are as good as anything anywhere in the world. I was in awe. I made a few videos and we all took some pictures. There are two really big lakes and a few smaller lakes in the Titcomb basin and we made our way around the lakes, while taking in the views. We finally stopped to take a break at the upper Titcomb lake (mile 17) to refill our water and replace some of our energy because we would be climbing up to Bonny Pass over the next two miles. So far I had been taking a gel every hour and an S-Cap every other and I was feeling really good.

The climb to Bonny Pass (12,700) is over 2K in elevation and you do it in about two miles from the upper lake. I was feeling really good and strong for the first mile and I was leading the pack. The climb up to the pass was horrendous! It is a huge pile of loose, steep rock with an occasional snowfield mixed in. There were so many places where you would take a step up only to slide two steps back. It was frustrating and it was on the upper half of this climb where I lost my energy. I have suffered from altitude sickness many times and I was worried that I was getting it. The desire to move is gone and it takes everything to you have just to put one foot in front of the other. Everyone passed me and pretty soon they were all out of sight. I lost sight of Matt on the upper 1/4 of the climb and I was moving very slow. I started to think that I may be done for the day because I knew that once on top of the pass, I still had at least 6 hours of serious climbing to summit Gannett and get back to the pass, and then I would have to hike out 20 more miles to the car. I knew if I didn't start to get back my energy I would not risk going further.

I finally made it to the pass (mile 19.25) and I felt like I was going to puke. I had zero energy and the guys had been waiting for me for at least 25 minutes and they were freezing up there. I felt really bad that I had made them wait, but I was moving as fast as I could. I think it was the lack of sleep, some exhaustion, combined with the altitude making a terrible cocktail of 'feeling like crap'. I was shooting some video as I got to the top and the battery on my camera died, and things were just not looking good. I told the guys that unless I felt better in a few minutes I was not going to make it. They were too cold to wait and I can't blame them at all. I told them I would sit down and try and eat something if I could. Having climbed Gannett before I knew what it would take to reach the summit and then get all the way back out and it just isn't something a sane person should attempt without feeling really good and having energy. Matt gave me a two-way radio so we could communicate and they were gone, headed down to the glacier 1300 feet below.

I sat down in a wind break (a stack of rocks) and just stared at Gannett for a few minutes. The views from Titcomb are spectacular, but I think they are even better from Bonny Pass. The pictures do not do it justice. Unreal. I actually felt worse and now I was getting really cold too. I couldn't eat anything. I ended up sitting there for 45 minutes. I didn't feel any better and now I was freezing and my feet were getting numb, so I knew I had to get down. I was disappointed, but knew it was the right decision. No question about it.

I descended back down the pass slowly and I made sure of every step. The rocks are just loose everywhere. It was bad. I went down about 1,300 feet and took a nice rest on a rock. My appetite came back, so I pulled out a burrito and some taco sauce and ate it fast. Still hungry I ate another and then downed a peanut butter cup. I felt so much better, but climbing Gannett was now out of the question, so I found a rock and decided I would take a nap. I feel asleep for a few minutes, but woke up because I was soooo cold. At that point I just wanted to get down, so I slowly made my way back down into the basin.

I spent the next few hours talking to some groups heading up, and also some time under a big boulder during a lighting/hail storm that moved through. I caught a small cat nap under the boulder and it kept me nice and dry. I slowly hiked about about 5 miles, taking a lot of breaks to chat with other climbers and take in the views. I spent about an hour talking to a few guys we had met on the trail earlier in the day, and I finally decided to stop and wait at one of the lower lakes. I didn't see the guys again until about 5:00 PM. I was shocked when they came up the trail. They all looked shattered and we still had to hike out another 14 miles. They all made it to the summit and I was happy for them. We didn't talk much at all. In fact, we would go an hour without saying a word. They were all hiking really slow and getting out of there was going to take forever. I was actually feeling really good and fresh until we reached our cache at Seneca Lake. After that I just felt really fatigued. My entire body was just plain tired. Luckily my legs didn't hurt at all, but my back was killing me.

The last 5 miles were HELL. I'm sure the other guys felt a lot worse, but we had been at it for almost 24 hours and my pack that I thought felt light at the start was actually feeling like a ton of bricks. My shoulders and back were just on fire. I really didn't think it would ever end, but at about 1:45 AM we finally reached the trailhead. It was over 25 hours and for the other 3 it had been continuous running/hiking or climbing with very few breaks. We were all worked. Jake wanted to get home, so he drove all the way back to SLC (I am not sure how) and we arrived back at Joe's just after 7:00 AM. I will never forget this day as long as I live. I am now beating myself up for not continuing on to the summit, but I know I made the right call. I'll be back to Gannett again, but I doubt I will ever try it again in a day. To the other 3 guys, congrats. Well done.

Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 38.50
Night Sleep Time: 1.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 1.50Weight: 155.00Calories: 0.00
Comments
From Smooth on Mon, Aug 09, 2010 at 14:37:34 from 174.23.203.161

I'm so sorry it did not turn out as you have hoped. Stink!

Hey, 38.5 miles is a LOT of mileage and in those high altitude...more than 99% of the runners could ever dream of doing that! Hope you're recovering well and looking forward to the next adventure!

From jun on Mon, Aug 09, 2010 at 15:21:15 from 66.239.250.209

Suck it up princess and write the report already. It was good talking to you on the phone yesterday. Glad you are back safe.

From Lily on Mon, Aug 09, 2010 at 15:54:40 from 67.199.181.73

Scott! You obviously didn't feel well, don't be so hard on yourself. I think everybody knows how it goes. You are soooo tough. 38.5 miles holy freak! I am afraid of that number! For pete sake I am to chicken to run a full marathon. You are my hero!

From Scott Wesemann on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 03:41:51 from 75.162.85.132

Thanks guys. The report (looong) is finally up.

From Aaron Kennard on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 09:12:40 from 69.18.151.138

Thats a gutsy endeavor, very intense sounding. Did you sleep all day Sunday? You must have been hashed. I can't believe that dude actually drove for 5 hours after that and you all lived to talk about it.

So were you only taking a gel every hour for your calorie intake all the way through the first 7-8 hours? You mentioned that thru mile 17 that was your fueling, which sounds like it would have been 7-8 hours in based on your 13 mile time check.

If that is the case, it seems completely logical why you completely cracked and bonked shortly thereafter. I have learned that lesson the very hard way also, and in the moment I also tried to blame lack of sleep, because you feel so tired. You also cited exhaustion and altitude as the other 2 contributing factors. I'm sure those played a roll, but if you really were only taking in 100 calories an hour for 7-8 hours, that sounds to me like the only ingredient required for a massive bonk. The others are just nice additional condiments to round it out into a bonk feast in my opinion. It seems to me from what I read and from my experience that to really be capable of going hard non-stop like that you need to be intaking at least 3-400 calories an hour from pretty close to the beginning. Those are my two cents.

I'd love to see some of the pictures you got up there. It sounds pretty incredible. Jun must be right about your guts...you definitely have a crazy knack for slogging thru severe torture. Sorry you missed your goal of summitting, but well done on a big accomplishment nonetheless.

From Lily on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 09:51:31 from 67.199.181.73

Wow. Amazing. Aaron is right, you do have a crazy knack for taking on hard things. We all know this but you don't see it.

I think you should have been taking in more fuel as well Mr. Scott. I'm sure you'll be back to Gannett peak, but maybe just don't try to do it in a day. :) Sounds kind of like torture.

From jun on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 13:44:40 from 63.224.108.26

You know I don't need to reiterate what Lily and Aaron said. I've been doing this with you for almost 10 years and we both know you have had challenges with eating at altitude.

My advice to you has always been 'never second guess'. In this case you didn't and it was the right choice, for sure. You've done Gannett once, you'll do it again (with me, hopefully). I bet you learned a lot and next time you'll be even stronger. Take the week to recover. Quest for King's is coming up and I want to do Timp early next week also.

Don't beat yourself up, buddy. You are around to tell the story and that is the best part.

From MatthewVH on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 14:13:46 from 70.103.17.194

Scott, we missed you on the other side of the mountain. It would have been great to see you up there with us, but you made the right decision to go down at Bonney. The lightning storm that came over us as we descended had me pretty worried that I may have to bivy-up in some hole for a day or more. I know you are disappointed for not having the summit to brag about, but try to be consoled by what you did accomplish. That area is magical and I can't stop thinking about it. I may sound crazy, but I am thinking of doing it again next year. (Yes, I must enjoy pain.) So if you would like to make another attempt, see me next year and we'll talk about it.I belive that with another year of training under us, better legs and some lessons learned, another go-to-Gannett could be done faster, and a success--for everyone.

From Smooth on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 14:19:09 from 174.23.203.161

Just finished reading your report! I feel for you Scott! Wow! You are tougher than tough! Please don't beat yourself over it! You are smart and incredibly strong mountaineer! I'm glad you live to fight this battle another day! This attempt will just add to your depth and experience in conquering Gannett in the future!

From Bryce on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 23:54:19 from 174.52.190.220

Scott, you made the right choice given the situation. Going forward the way you were feeling would have put you and the others in a bad spot. It takes more guts to back off sometimes than it does to keep pressing forward when you shouldn't. The great thing about those times is the learning opportuntiy you get. I know I learn more when thinkgs go badly than when all goes well. Congrats on doing the right thing and on having a really big, beautiful day in one of the most stunning ranges in the world. Nice job.

From Scott Wesemann on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 01:44:45 from 75.162.85.132

Thanks for your comments everyone. I just added a few videos and you can really tell I was not feeling 100%.

Aaron- Check out the vids, and I will be putting some pics up on FB. I think you're right that I didn't eat enough. I was taking one gel per hour and then didn't eat anything solid until 7 hours in when I had a powerbar protein bar. I think next time I try it I will eat at least twice as much.

Lily- I am actually thinking I might want to try it in a day again :) It is really bothering me, so I will probably try it again next year.

Jun- We are doing it next year and the more I think about it, the more I want to try a one day attempt. Yeah, you have seen me in a similar state many times :)

Matt- See you back there next year man. Congrats again on making the summit.

Thanks Smooth- Yeah, I think I made the right decision for sure, but I'm still not happy with the result. :)

Bryce- You are 100% right. I definitely learned a lot out there and I really learned that I have a lot to learn and need a lot more training before I try and tackle the bigger days. Yeah, the Winds are so very impressive and I will be back again for sure.

From Lily on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 11:51:45 from 67.199.181.73

Sounds good, I support you :P

From Oreo on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 13:22:28 from 206.81.136.61

Wow... Awesome. WindRivers are awesome. Sounds like the adventure of the summer. How are you recovering?

From RAD on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 13:37:09 from 67.172.229.125

WOW complete awe and respect! Summit or no! Amazing accomplishment, and it seems now you've got the lessons and tools to make it to the summit next year. LOVED the report!

From Twinkies on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 14:36:44 from 63.241.173.64

Nice work Scott. Sorry to hear that you didn't make it to the summit. You still did something amazing.

If you want to attempt this again next year, I would suggest running the Buffalo Run 50 miler next Spring to get your body used to that kind of distance.

From Scott Wesemann on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 18:43:18 from 66.239.250.209

Oreo- I had some slight soreness in my calves and on my rigght toe for a few days, but I am feeling great now. yeah, it was quite the adventure for sure.

Thanks Rad. Yeah, I think I'll try againnext year.

Twinkies- I just might do that. Why don't you join me next year?

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