Appreciation

It was 10:00 am with a temperature of around 15 degrees as I made slow progress along the Ridge Line trail in American Fork Canyon.  The trees were still covered with snow from the weekends storm and seemed more like a post card to me.  The sky was a brilliant blue with nothing but the sun to keep it company.  Except for a solitary set of snowshoe footprints the trail was not as packed as before.

Ridgeline Trail - American Fork Canyon

It happened, much as it had the first 20 times before. The technical term for it is called "post holing". The snow had given way beneath my feet as I stood, only a torso above the snow line.  I was laughing, enjoying the moment.  The sun glowed, the the cold enveloped, and I was happy, an avalanche of wonder and joy. I had missed this.  That specific moment when a run envelops you, and everything stands still.

The moments in your life that define you can be so poignant.  As a husband and father you get many of those moments that are personal and sacred, shared between loved ones.  Those moments trump all and embed themselves in your heart, forever cherished.  Still others take on a different and yet very personal meaning.  Ultra and trail running has been the teacher that I never expected.

Trail 047 - American Fork Canyon

The Bear 100 was one of those moments that I learned so much. As Kendall said it "It's now permanently etched in your soul. " Yet there were so much more, so many times that I see and feel so vividly in my mind.  Humanity.  Not the type where you give money to someone on the street or donate you clothes to a shelter. Those are all worthy causes, but the humanity that reaches out and touches someone so personally it leaves a permanent mark.  That is what I believe is at the core of this community.  I have seen and experienced it too many times to count. Some of these still move me so much that its hard to talk about them let alone relate them to anyone else.  When you part your lips but only the sound of a whisper comes out, almost a hushed reverence.  Myst from your breath on a cold morning.

Friends: People you share moments with.  Here are just a few moments that I happen to have photographs of.  But yet its only a small sample of some of the people I have been privileged to run with.  To anyone else not mentioned, thank you for letting me share the trail with you. 

Zann, Tim, Scott - Sunset Peak

Me, Chris, Steve - Utah Tripple Crown

Me, Chris, Same, Ben, Jeremy, Jeff - Pfeifferhorn & White Baldy 

Kendall, Jen, Leslie - Deseret Peak 

Me, Ben, Jennilyn, Aaron - Jennilyn's WURL

Thank you everyone, for making this year possible.  Without your support, generosity and encouragement it would not have been possible. As for 2015, I look forward to making new memories, adventures and stories to tell. And lastly...

A Prayer

Quest for Kings

Kings Peak in the morning sun

Last weekend was the annual Quest for Kings marathon put on by Craig. This is the second time that I have come on this weekend outing.  I look forward to it every year.  When driving in from Evanston you can see Kings looming to the south.  For me it sets an attitude of adventure and exploration that lasts the entire time.  There is just something about the beauty and ruggedness of this county that I just eat up.

Earlier this year I thought that it would be interesting to try the Utah Triple Crown.  The Triple Crown is a run combining 3 of the tallest peaks in Utah for a total length of 30 miles and over 6000 feet in elevation gain.  The goal is to summit all three peaks from the Henrys Fork trail head in as fast as time as possible.  Well as it turned out I wasn't the only one thinking about doing the Triple Crown.  The Orange Trail Monkeys also known as Sam and Steve were wanting to go for it as well.  When all was said and done there were 9 people total that started in our group.

Sleeping Arrangements 

That night at the trail head I slept in my hammock.  The view of the stars was just amazing and there was also flashes of lighting from a storm off to the east.  I even got to see a number of shooting stars. This has to be my favorite ways of camping by far.  The morning seemed to come way too quick and everyone in camp was buzzing by 4:00 am. After shivering in the pre-dawn morning we headed out from the trail head at 5:00 am.

After heading out I knew I wasn't feeling all that great which had me in somewhat of a panic mode. My stomach and guts were fighting me and I quickly fell away from the lead group.  After having some "alone" time in the wilderness I was able to get past the morning blues and press on.  On my way to Elk Horn Crossing I heard something moving off of the trail.  It turned out to be a moose and it was only about 10 feet away, just off the trail.  I was said I couldn't get a picture of it, but we managed to see it on the way back as well.

The moose

Chris Pope

Steve and I on the ascent to Gilbert w/ Gilbert in the background (Courtesy Chris)

After catching up with the group at Elk Horn Crossing we ventured off to Dollar Lake and turn off and the accent to Gilbert peak.  The climb up to Gilbert was hard but it wasn't the last of it.  The initial climb gets you up the shelf where you can then turn and see Gilbert.  There isn't much of a trail and most of the way was defined by sheep trails. At the top of the shelf we ran into a herd of sheep just as the sun was starting to come over Gilbert.  Chris, Steve and I reached the summit of Gilbert just in time to enjoy the morning sun rising over the valley.  The view was simply amazing.

Peak 1:  Gilbert Peak @ 13,442 feet

Next we started descending the peak to the shelf on our way to Gunsight Pass.  On the way down Chris was bounding from boulder to boulder like the Night Fox from Oceans 12.  I was some what envious.  We eventually made our way to the southern shoot to make our way back down to the Henrys Fork Trail.  It was hard not to just want to sit and stare at the valley below.

The "Shoot"

The shelf between Gunsight and Anderson.  (South Kings and Kings in the background) (Courtesy Chris)

After reaching the shelf between Gunsight and Anderson we were back on familiar ground.  The one thing I was noticing as that being at altitude was beginning to take a toll on my energy level.  I was feeling tired.  Coming to the spring at Anderson I soon began to run into several familiar faces from the group of Wranglers that started later in the day.  The trail up Kings is much more defined that Gilbert or South Kings.  Even with that it still amounts to a lot of boulder hopping.  See the picture below.

Trail to Kings (Courtesy Chris)

Peak 2: Kings Peak @ 13,528 feet

Getting to Kings I felt much better knowing I only had one more peak to go for.  South Kings looked so close but as I was soon to find out would take forever to get to because of the boulders.  It was also getting hot and the wind was blowing hard in the pass.  By the time I reached the base of South Kings I just wanted to be done.  I was bruised and bleeding from the boulders and I needed a huge pick me up.

Peak 3: South Kings @ 13,512

After reaching the summit of Souths Kings I felt elated to know that I had accomplished my goal.  Its one of those things that you can only celebrate by yourself, because there is no finish line, no family waiting for you.  Chris soon was on the summit and celebrating with a Mtn Dew.  Something that I was insanely jealous of.  When heading down South Kings we headed around Kings trying to save some elevation gain. Steve was down at the pass for South Kings feeling very sick from the elevation.  We soon headed back down to Gunsight.  When we got to the bottom of Gunsight we saw some familiar faces with some awesome Wrangler Ladies, completing an epic 40 mile fast pack from Red Castle.   The rest of the trip flew by.  We ran the last 5.5 miles from Elk Horn back to the trail head hard.  It felt good to be moving and approaching the finish.  Chris and I crossed the trail head in 10:47.  It was a very hard but rewarding day in the mountains. One that I will surely have to try again.

Soundtracks

A new year, new decisions...

When it came time to think of a title for my end of the year post only one thing came to mind.  Soundtracks...  Or rather Soundtracks of my runs.  It might be corny but I love running to a mix of regular rock songs and soundtracks. For me each run has its own soundtrack depending on its mood, location or effort.  My favorite run is were all the songs that I have on my playlists come together to form that perfect soundtrack.  So I started thinking about my "regular" songs from my playlists that I could pin down for my best runs of this year I had a hard time picking just a few.  But here they are none the less.

#5 - Antelope Island 100k



What else can you say about your first DNF, and why would this qualify for a spot in my top 5?  Well it might sound funny but as I stood there on the top of elephant head everything in the world just felt at peace.  It was one of those moments where I knew that I needed to stop and it felt ok.  I couldn't breathe, I felt like every step on the climb before was a struggle.  Despite not going on I still was able to beat my last years 50k time by well over 20 minutes.  It definitely wasn't the outcome that I wanted. I probably could have walked the course and finished.   But I learned a lot and that is what mattered to me.

#4 - Quest For Kings



This was only my second group run with the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers.  To say I was nervous was a bit of an understatement.  With some prodding from my friend Chris I committed and had a great time.  I had been quite some time since I had been back to the Uintahs.  Its a place that I love and holds a place in my soul with such a strong connection that its hard to describe.  I loved running there, it felt like home and the company wasn't half bad either. I am hoping that Craig puts it on again so I can get back up there this August.  

#3 - Skyline and Sapper Joe 50k



I combined these two runs together because they go together like fire and ice.  Each had its different "feel" this year. I had one heck of a time at Skyline. It was actually a race that I didn't intend on running till I got the itch to try to push myself in preparation for Antelope Island 100k.  The two races were only one week apart, and I got to say that I loved every second of it.  Sapper was another one of those races that was just fun to get out and do.  I did surprisingly well too, compared to what I thought it would be like.  I hope I can do Sapper in 2014, but I am not so sure about Skyline ;).

#2 - Kalalu Trail


I still think about this run often.  Especially when running in sub 10 degree temperatures that have hit us this winter.  The views were simply amazing.  It was a challenging run, one that I hope that I can get the chance to do again.  I don't think my wife would complain about another trip to Hawaii either.  Next time I will just remember to take more food with me! It would be fun to run it with a local that could share the history of the land as you moved in and out of each valley.  Something to think about....

#1 - Squaw Peak 50



Wide eyed and all hopped up on the newness of ultra running I signed up for this race last year in December.  I was simply scared to death and had no idea what I was getting into.  I didn't really know many people who had run ultra's and was completely on my own.  I felt alone and lost in the vastness of everything that I was trying to do.  I simply had no clue.  In retrospect I think it was the best way to run this race.  It had its ups and downs, but in the end when I crossed that finish line and realized what I had done... It was just pure joy. I don't think it could be described any better.

This years stats:
Miles: 1,775.58
Vertical: 269,361

So.. Whats next?  To answer that question... Moab 55k and Zion 100k to start things off for this spring.  Possibly Bryce 50/100...  I would love to shoot for the 100 but the question for me is having a pacer.. Since I haven't done a 100 before it would be nice to have someone with me through the night and possibly another to help me to the finish.  Hopefully I can work out those issues, because I would really like to do Bryce as my first 100.

So here is to a great last year and to a fantastic new year!

In the Wasatch

Twin Lakes at Sunrise

Where do you start when your going to write about the past two months?  I think if you were to ask my friends it would start with an email, text or phone call saying something like: "Hey want to head out for a run?" Funny thing is they don't respond as much as they used too.  "Umm I have to wash the dog..."
Unlikely, but yes I realize I am slightly or rather majorly obsessed.

Mt Baldy on Alta - Brighton loop

More and more I have grown to realize that my obsession with running is mine and mine alone.  Over this last year I have grown into the community of Trail and Ultra running and now have found my home.  With the assistance of support groups such as  the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers and others I have been able to focus my obsession even more.  To make matters even worse my wife has been so supporting of my running that I think she is trying reverse psychology. Ha! Its not going to work honey!

Gobblers Knob w/ Tim

One of the hardest things that I have to do is explain what I am doing to other people, in particular family.  Most people like to hear about distance and elevation.  But for me the best part comes with the experience.  It could be a short run to a peak and back like View Benchmark or it could be an all day run through the back country like Kings Peak, but not matter the what and where its the experiences that drive what I do.  I find it almost impossible to describe these experiences, smells, feelings, sights.  Words and blog posts cannot really describe them.  

Wasatch Wranglers - Timpendance Night Run

For instance, in the picture above I was able to head out on a Timp night run with a group from the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers.  In terms of runs it was fairly standard.  We had a fantastic time.  There was one thing that made this particular summit different. I forgot my headlamp.  Being a night run this is a very important piece of equipment to have.  Fortunately someone gave me a loner. Unfortunately it had older batteries in it.  This made the decent very difficult since I couldn't see until I was on top of rocks in the trail. The experience was awesome, I felt like I could hear and see almost anything.  The night was alive, it was fantastic.

Bear Canyon trail coming back from Lone Peak

Another experience was when Tim and I decided to go up Lone Peak.  We stopped short of the summit because of weather and Tim wasn't feeling all that well.  When we were coming down the Bear Canyon trail it felt like I was running on top of the world.  I really didn't expect that from this trail.

There were many other runs that I did this summer but another that stands out was my double Timp that I did.  I had been debating on if I was going to attempt it this summer or not.  I knew in my head I could do it I just had to commit.  With the help of my Wife and some Wranglers I headed out one morning for the first summit of the day.  It was a normal busy day on the trail, many groups of scouts and students heading up and down the summit. At one point in time I had decided that I didn't think I had it in me, but by the time I reached the bottom I knew that I had to go back up. I said goodbye to everyone, restocked and headed back out.  It became more than some adventure on a mountain.  People had recognized that I was on my way back up and asked what I was doing.  Some even cheered and gave me words of encouragement.  But in a completely different way I felt like I could almost feel the mountain.  Again to complex to describe in words, but its almost like we were one.  I finished that last summit with a total time of around 8 hours.  When I got done I almost felt sad to leave, like some how I had made another friend and was now leaving them behind.  I had now earned my TURD title as Dave Crockett had put it. (BTW it stands for Timpanogos Ultra Running Dude. )

Quest for Kings w/ some really cool guys

Quest for Kings (Kings Peak) this last weekend was another one of those runs that turned out to be more than what was expected.  To be honest I was terrified of going.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to run Kings, and I wanted to run it bad. But being somewhat of an introvert I was nervous about heading out to meet with a group of guys (and gals) I really hadn't spent much time with.  It was a real stretch for me personally.  As with always my wife pushed me out the door with her great words of encouragement.  Long story short I had the time of my life.  I was hooting and hollering going up gunsight pass.  The views were amazing and the feeling was even more.  It became a very personal experience for me.

If there is one thing that I continue to learn this summer is that the distances might challenge me and push me further, but its the experience that I yearn for.  Its what keeps me going at 4 in the morning.  Knowing that when my feet hit the dirt and the sweat starts that I will be there to get that experience, good or bad.  And that ultimately it will become part of who I am and who I want to be.