Summit junkie!

My legs feel great after the trail run yesterday, and I have no soreness in my knee at all. I ate waaay too much crap today, but I did manage 40 minutes on the elliptical.

Have a great week/month everyone.

I went to the gym to lift tonight. I did 3 on the TM just to loosen up my legs, and then I didn't have enough time for a good lifting session. I did lift for 40 minutes, but it was crowded in there and I just wasn't able to work everything I wanted to, so I might go back tomorrow.

I also found out yesterday that I will be running/climbing Gannett Peak (highest peak in Wyoming) on Saturday. It will be 40-44 mles in some of the most scenic terrain in the US. I am really excited about this, but also kind of nervous. It will require us to carry in some climbing gear, so I am still not sure about what shoes to wear and what to carry. I may try crampons on my running shoes. If anyone has any experience with this let me know.

I went to the gym to finish off my weight work from last night. I spent 20 minutes working my lats, delts and biceps. Then I ran 4 miles on the TM in 34 min.

I would have liked to get out on some trails this week, but it just didn't happen. Oh well, I will be spending at least 20+ hours on trails in the Wind Rivers on Saturday, so it will all work out.

Tonight it was too wet to go outside, plus the hail was HUGE, so I did 3 miles at the gym. My splits were 8:40, 8:10 and 6:40. Pushing the pace on the last mile was fun and I could have held it for another mile, but I want to save my legs for Saturday.

I am really getting nervous for Gannett Peak on Saturday. Lack of sleep, fickle weather, long distances from civilization, bugs, rugged and remote country, along with a serious climb make me a little uneasy, but I am confident it will work out. Yesterday when the storm was pounding my house with rain and hail I just couldn't help but think that weather like that is pretty common in the Winds, and what if we are 20 miles out and get blasted in a similar fashion? Not a good thought. It should be a fun adventure though.

I went to sleep at 1:00 am and woke up at 6:00 to lift. I want to make sure I am tired, so that I can catch a few ZZZZZ's before our midnight start tonight. I am still debating on whether I want to take trail runners or my hikng boots. There will be a lot of good trail, but a lot of rugged terrain as well. Most of all though I am just worried about crampons on running shoes. I am leaning toward the trail runners. I'm really nervous about this, but excited too.

Lifted for 35 minutes, but I didn't want to push anything.

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.

Everything is feeling really good after the Wind River trip. I hit the gym to lift for 50 minutes (upper body/core) and had a really good session.

I had a really busy day, so I only had time to get in 45 min on the elliptical. My legs are feeling great, so I want to get out and climb something tomorrow.

Kids soccer games after work make for a busy night. I did manage to squeeze in 4 on the TM. 9:30, 9:00, 8:30, 8:00. Everything feels good. Hopefully I can get into the mountains the next few days.

I had a really fun lunch run with Jun up in Albion Basin. We started down by the guard shack and ran the service road up to the Catherine Pass trailhead, where we continued on up to the pass and then to Sunset Peak. We didn't stay long on top and the run down was really fun as well.

It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun, but the cheese steaks afterward might have been better than the peak. So good! Jun took me to what looked like a dive, but the sandwiches were impressive.

I had a really fun work out at the gym this morning. I lifted (upper body) and had the weight room all to myself for the first time in ages. It was nice because I was able to grunt and moan freely. 50 minutes and I was worked.

I just didn't have a great weekend. There was a lot going on and I didn't sleep well either. I wanted to get out and do a trail run, but that didn't happen. I did manage 45 min on the elliptical at 10:30 PM.

I also just registered for the TOU marathon. I'm excited. I will also probably be running in St. George. I have a friend that is signed up but doesn't want to run and I'll probably go in his place.

Mondays are usually weights at the gym, but I was really busy and by time I got home it was too late to make it over there, so I settled for a good ab/core work out with my ball. More grunts and groans, and lots of burn.

I woke up early this morning to run the Provo River Trail before work and it was one of the best mornings of the year. When I got up there it was still dark and the stars were out, so I spent some time stretching and getting warmed up and it is amazing what a little stretching will do for you before a run. I felt amazing. The run was really fun and I got in some good hill work and everything felt great.

I wish I could start off every morning like this. I guess I could if I want to give up some sleep.

**PM update**

Since I missed the gym last night I made up for it tonight and had a nice session. I lifted for 35 minutes (upper body) and had a really good work out. I also loosened up the legs some on the TM.

I ran the Wasatch Crest Trail this morning with Jun and Twinkies. We had a really good run. The weather was just about perfect, and the views did not disappoint. I was a little worried about the amount of gas I had in my tank, but I decided to push it anyway and by time we reached the trailhead my indicator said I had zero miles remaining before I ran out of gas. Ha.

Jun and I didn't use headlamps and after about 15 minutes they weren't needed. Twinkies was nice enough to let us use his light for the fist few minutes. We took a detour to climb Scott Hill and that was a lot of fun. It was a small bushwhack, but a great view from on top. After about 15 summit jumps we headed back down to the trail.

The trail is still so green and lush right now and the entire morning was just enjoyable. At Desolation Lake Twinkies and Jun opened it up a bit and I didn't see them again until the end. My legs felt so good today, probably the best they have ever felt on this trail. I really cruised the last mile. It was fun.

I coasted most of the way down the canyon and made it to 7-11 for some gas. It added a bit of amusement to the day.

Pull ups, chest and lats at the gym.

I had a really fun day running in the second annual Quest for Kings Marathon. The distance of the race is the same as a typical marathon, but the route to the top isn't even close to typical. The object of the race is basically getting to the summit of Kings Peak (Utah's highest point) and back as fast as you can, regardless of the route taken. There were 4 of us running in this race and I knew there wasn't much of a chance of winning, but my main goal was to get a personal PR for the course, and have a great time in the process.

This would be my eighth time to the summit. The first 4 times I climbed it on multi-day backpacking trips. In 2008 Jun and another friend and I did it for the first time in a day and we thought we were pretty cool, but our time was almost 14 hours. We didn't run at all, but we hiked pretty fast the whole way. In 2009 I did it again and shaved about 30 minutes off of our 2008 time by hiking a little faster. Last month was the first time I have ever tried to run to the top and my time was 10:40. I knew I could run it faster, but I was having some knee pain on the way down so I didn't push it. My goal for the day would be 8 hours. I knew it would be tough, but if things went well I knew it was doable.

I arrived much later than I had planned to the trailhead and I didn't get to sleep until about 2:30. With a 6:00 am start time I figured I would get a few hours of sleep. I woke up at 5:30 and I didn't see any signs of life in Jun's camp, so I went over there to make sure they hadn't left. He said they were going to leave a little later, so I went back to my car to get ready. I was listening to some nut job on AM radio while I ate a banana and a boiled egg and then I forced down a Powerbar gel for the 2X caffeine. I finally got ready by 6:30 and went over to see that Jun and Aaron were just waking up. We chatted for a few minutes and then I rang the cowbell and I was off.

I started running right from the start and everything was feeling good. I had plenty of energy and I got into a really good groove. My goal was to beat the other two guys to Elk Horn Crossing (5.3 miles). They looked like they would be about 10 minutes behind me and I knew they would be faster than I was, but it gave me something to push myself. I also wanted to shave time off of my run from last month and I hit Elk Horn at 1:05, which was 15 minutes faster. I was really happy about that and the other guys hadn't caught me yet. Instead of stopping for a break like I usually do at Elk Horn, I got a gel an S-Cap out of my pack while I walked and ate it on the move. I passed a few hikers while I gulped it down, and then started running again as soon as I was finished.

When I came out into the meadow I saw a few moose off of the trail, so I shot some video and took a few pictures and then kept running. I passed 4 hikers that I saw start at 5:30 and they told me nice job. Running through the meadow I kept looking back, but I didn't see Aaron and Jun. I was still feeling really good and I was definitely moving faster than I had been last month. Around Dollar Lake I finally spotted Jun and Aaron and I kept running instead of waiting for them. I finally stopped after the lake to take some pictured and shoot some video, and they finally caught up to me. I noticed that Jun didn't look like his typical happy self, so I knew something wasn't right. Usually you can't wipe the smile off of his face.

I stayed with the guys until just before Gunsight Pass. We passed several groups of hikers from the lake to the pass. Aaron pushed ahead and I stopped to get water at the spring because I wasn't sure what I would find beyond it. Jun kept going and I didn't see them again until just before the summit. Several of the hikers passed me while I was getting water, so I made a goal of passing all of them on the switchbacks and I passed all but one guy that was going pretty fast. The pass was windy, so I didn't stay long. I passed the fast hiker and two other groups on my way over to the plateau, but while I was scrambling through some boulders I slipped and fell and dropped my water bottle, which rolled off of a cliff and kept going for about 100 feet. I wasn't happy and I had to climb down over some loose boulders to retrieve it. I wasn't happy about that, but quickly got back to where I had fallen and made my way up to the plateau. From this point to Anderson Pass I didn't run much because it is really hard on your knees and legs. There are boulders everywhere and the ground is not very level at all and there isn't a trail. I hiked fast across it though.

Just before Anderson Pass I saw a familiar face. Faceless Ghost was coming down from the summit and it was really good to see him. We chatted for a few minutes and then he headed back down. Even though I didn't spend much time on the trail with the other guys, when I saw them it always lifted my spirits.

I made pretty good time from Anderson Pass to the summit. This section is basically a few million + boulders stacked in a huge pile. I know the route well, and I moved fast scrambling up the boulders to the summit. I passed everyone I saw and about 15 minutes from the top I passed Aaron as he was coming down from the summit. He looked really strong and we chatted for a minute and then he headed down. It was just a few minutes and Jun passed me on the way down as well. He still didn't look like he was enjoying himself and I was worried maybe he was sick. I pushed on to the top and made the summit in 3:50, over an hour faster than my time from last month.

It was so windy on top that my hat nearly blew off into Painter Basin. I tried to take some pictures with my timer, but the wind blew my camera over every time, so I finally just snapped a few shots and went down. I made pretty good time on the way down and didn't stop at all until I reached the pass. There I pulled some food out of my pack and snacked all the way across the plateau.

Back at Gunsight Pass I was still feeling really good, but I needed to make some gear adjustments, so I got into my tank top and put on some sunscreen. I was stopped for about 10 minutes (my longest break of the day) and when I finally got going I was feeling really good. There is some nice downhill trail back to Dollar Lake and I seemed to be making pretty good time, but as soon as I hit the lake and the trail leveled off I lost my energy. It seemed like the run back to Elk Horn from there took forever! I just couldn't find the gear I needed to crank it up. I think it would have helped to be chasing someone or have someone on my tail, but since I was by myself it was tough.

When I finally reached Elk Horn I was at 7:00, so I knew that I would have to push pretty hard to come in under 8:00. I had to stop and purify some water, and for the first mile I was trying to push the pace, but the trail was so annoying with all of the boulders and I never could get into a groove. I found myself hiking a lot more than I had been on the way in and it was tough to make myself run and run fast. With about 3 miles to go I knew I wasn't going to hit my goal of 8 hours, so I set a new goal of finishing in less than 8:30. It kept me going and I even pushed really hard the last mile to hit it. I think the last mile was probably my fastest mile of the day. Everything was feeling really good, but I was just tired. When I finally reached the gate I had just barely made it under 8:30 and I was pretty happy that I had a new PR for the course by over 2 hours.

I know that I can do this faster, but I am not going to worry about that until next year. There are several things that I know I can do better. It was still a fun race and I'll be back every year for it. I was really tired and had a tough time staying awake on the drive home, so I stopped in Wanship and took a two hour nap in a church parking lot.

Congrats to Aaron Kennard who took first place. His time really blows me away. Anyone that has run this course knows how insane that time really is.

I wasn't feeling well last night, but I forced myself to the gym and I am glad I did. it always makes me feel better. Lifted for 50 minutes. Worked arms, chest, lats, and shoulders. Fun.

My legs aren't sore at all and they feel great after Sat, so I am really feeling good about TOU. I resisted the urge to run on the TM just to give them one more day to recover.

I wanted to get some cardio in and still give my legs another day of rest, so I did 40 minutes on the elliptical while watching some lame TV.

I went to the gym to stretch my legs and did 3 miles on the TM. Everything felt really good. 8:40, 7:40, 6:50. 

I had some extra time today, so I decided to climb an un-named peak here in Utah County. It was seriously steep with a lot of loose rock and sand on the trail, without many switchbacks. It was so steep that I couldn't run much of it. It was fun though and the views from the summit were some of the best of the year. I really enjoyed hanging out on top.

Long day. Tough day. Needed to get to the gym for a work out and it helped a lot. Lifted for 45 min.

I had a really busy day today with soccer games and family parties. I did manage to sneak in 4 on the TM in 34 min.

I went out for a nice run on the road today. Yes, the road. It has been quite a while since I did any runing that wasn't on a trail or TM. I actually kind of enjoyed it, although there was a stiff head wind on my way back that wasn't fun at all. I just ran from my house down to the N. Alpine Highway 3.5 miles and then back.

56:31

Mondays = weights at the gym. 60 minutes working my upper body and core.

Will be running Timp tomorrow night with Jun. Come join in the fun.

Jun and I ran Mt. Timpanogos last night and had an excellent time. We met at Kohlers grocery store in Highland just before 10:00 pm and Jun jumped into my car and we headed to the Timpanookee trailhead.

It was cool, but not cold, so I went with a long sleeve synthetic shirt and a synthetic t-shirt on top, which worked great until the summit ridge. I also tied another thicker long sleeve on my waist.

After a few miles we spotted some headlamps about a half mile ahead and we both got excited to have someone to pass. After about 10 minutes we passed two women that were hiking up to ski the glacier in the morning, which we thought was pretty cool.

The run up to the saddle was a lot of fun and we really made good time. Both of us were feeling strong and we both took a few gels on the way to keep up our energy. I did have one fall that was a little below average. I fell right on the same elbow that I fell on at Quest for Kings race, and it was a sharp pain, but went away after a few minutes. Once on the saddle the wind hit us in the face pretty good and I put on my extra shirt. It was cold. It only got colder as we made our way to the summit and by time we were on top (2:15) my hands were numb.

We didn't stay on top long. The run down was fun, but my legs and knees got sore from all of the pounding and I couldn't see all that well, so I wasn't speedy. The trail seemed really good on the way up, but running down it seemed extra rocky and it was hard to get into a good groove.  Jun waited for me a lot. At around mile 12 I took another nasty fall and banged up both of my knees. It took me a few minutes of hiking before I could run again, and I wasn't feeling so hot, but the more I ran the less they hurt.

We made it down in just over two hours and the total time was about 4:28, although Jun did wait for me a lot on the descent. I was home and in the shower by 3:30 and in bed about 3:55 AM. The run beat sleeping by a miiiiiiiiiile!