Here are a few things I've been doing since my last post.

The last couple of years have been pretty good in the quality of places and races I've done.  Below is a video of what I've been up to.

10 Mile Range

10 Mile Range Traverse

Mt Royal, Mt Victoria, Peaks 1-10

Start: Frisco (parking lot off I-70) Finish: Breckenridge (Beaver Run base)

Total Miles: 18.67

Total Elevation Gain: 7,887 feet

Total Time: 8:31:18

View from Peak 2 looking at Peaks 2 and 3

I read about this route a couple of years ago.  After reading the trip report I couldn't look at the range the same way.  During the climb I asked myself, "When did I stop looking at mountains for their pure beauty and start looking at peaks and wondering how to link them together?"  I spend a lot of time up in Summit County and I feel like the mountains are taunting me at times.  Saturday I was determined to knock this one off the list.

Ptarmigan on Peak 1

My dad dropped me off at the parking lot off of I-70 in Frisco.  From there I ran to the TH for Peak 1.  I climbed Peak 1 before so I knew what the first 3,500 feet would be like.  It would be crazy to do this route without adding a very short side trip to Mt. Royal.  Mt Royal is the first high point on the range.  As I was climbing the sun rose up.  The climb up to Mt Royal is fairly straight forward and steep.  It's nearly 1,000 feet of gain in the second mile alone.

Peak 1 after you hit tree line.

After hitting Mt Royal I backtracked about .3 miles to the Peak 1 trail.  I gained another 1,000 feet in the 3rd mile.  Knowing it was going to be a long day I kept a moderate pace. Along the way to Peak 1 the route passes over the summit of Mt Victoria.  I averaged 24:00 minute miles to the top of Peak 1 which comes at Mile 4.4.  There is some fun scrambling between Victoria and Peak 1.

Saddle view to Peak 2.

Peak 3 and Peak 4 loom ahead.

 Peak 1-4 requires some route finding and a lot of scrambling.  Miles 5-7 miles took me just under 3 hours.  There is no trail and there are only a few cairns.  I feel pretty confident in my ability to find the weak spot of a line and with the exception of one point on Peak 4 I felt I picked the right line each time.

I dropped down off of Peak 1 to the saddle between Peak 1 and 2.  I was able to bounce from each side of the ridge line comfortably.  I had read that staying right on this route is a good rule of thumb so I followed that rule.  Peak 2 came up without any issue.  I was happy with the time I was making.  I didn't spend too much time on Peak 2.  I had a long way to go and the ridge line ahead represented the crux of the climb.

I may have misread but I thought the crux was between 2-3.  I dropped down to a keyhole and followed my rule and went right.  It was the right move.  I dropped down a scree field and then continued along some rock.  I can't recall all of the details but I followed what I felt was the easiest route and went right when in doubt.

Approaching Peak 3 summit.

There was some fun climbing to get to Peak 3 and when I hit the top I was feeling really good about the next ridge to Peak 4.  From what I remembered the crux was between 2-3 and I was very comfortable with the climbing thus far.  The rock all along the route is very solid but it is sharp.  The hand holds are great and footing is solid.

Looking back at Peak 3 and 2.

A couple of notes.  1- The crux of your climb can be completely different than that of another climber.  It always depends on the line you take.  There is no clear line on these ridges and it's very likely that everyone does a slightly different variation in choosing their route.  2- Be prepared for anything.  My rule is don't leave myself without an "out".  This means be prepared to backtrack if needed or be sure of your line if you commit to it.

Climb up to one of the false
summits of Peak 4.

Peak 4 tested me.  I followed my rule and even backtracked once when I realized it was not the right call.  I got to a point where right and left both didn't look good.  Figuring the crux of the climb was behind me so I went left.  It was a bad decision.  I ended up getting exposed with thin benches and backtracking wasn't a very good option either.  At no point was I in any real danger but I had to be very deliberate with my moves.

Climb up towards summit of Peak 4.  Cool colors.

I spoke out loud my thought process and verbally confirmed my hand holds before committing.  I congratulated myself on several moves and reminded myself that that the only thing that matters is the next move.  It kept me focused and eventually after some very tough sections I found a weakness that brought be back up to a saddle.  Once I gained the saddle I was very happy to find more comfortable terrain.

A long way down to I-70.  Final pitch up Peak 4.

Looking back at Peaks 3 and 2.

Please excuse all the commentary.  I was alone for 8.5 hours and had a lot of time to think.  I've always been drawn to the mountains.  There are many obvious reasons why but I think for me the main reason is the "truth" that exists up high.  We are constantly being shoved the daily buzz and we are all products of our surroundings.  When you are in the mountains you are finally in the moment.  It has become increasingly difficult to find this truth.  I hear my breathing.  I feel my heart beat.  I feel thirst and hunger.  I feel the solid rock and the warmth of the sun.  I find my line and I commit. I am alone and it is perfect.

View towards Peak 5.  Easy sailing.

It was probably the stress of the bad line but I got fooled by a false summit on the way to Peak 4. Fortunately, the lines were clear to me from this point on but they definitely provided a lot more challenge than anything between Peaks 1-3.  I was very happy to gain Peak 4.

I sat down and texted my family and let them know that the dangerous part was over.  Green pastures laid ahead.  I ate some food and filled a water bottle up with snow.  I then marched on.  The next few miles were pretty easy going.  The route is simple.  Just follow the high points.  Don't mistake the cairns as peaks.  There is a small portion of the CT that runs across the range.

Peaks 8-10 are pretty strenuous climbs.  They are steep. There is no trail.  Peak 10 is a rocky pile of suck. I decided to to go straight up the rocks instead of taking the road.  It is shorter but a heck of a lot harder. Peaks 9 and 10 are both over 13,000 feet with Peak 10 topping the route at 13,633 feet.  I did this route on July 5th and there were several skiers climbing to get about 800 feet of vertical snow.  You gain all your elevation if your first 14 miles.  From the top of peak 10 take the jeep road all the way down to Beaver Run.  I don't have much to add to Peaks 5-10 as they were pretty uneventful.

This is a very rewarding run.  You want to be very sure of your weather.  The route is very exposed.  Check out the rest of my pictures below.

CT 

Top of Peak 6

Peak 6 chutes

Peak 7 ahead.

Peak 10 on left.

Snow field on Peak 10.

Peak 10 summit.  Flag needs to be replaced.

Looking back on the route from Peak 10.

Jeep road coming down off Peak 10.

San Juan Solstice

The San Juan Solstice 50 was meant to be my last race of the year.  I say "meant" because I felt I needed a break but this race totally reenergized me.  The course is a loop course around Lake San Cristobal that starts and ends in Lake City with 3 distinct climbs.  2 of the climbs are sustained climbs of over 4,300 feet of gain.  After the second climb the course tracks above 11,500 feet for 11 miles before dipping down for the final climb.  After the final climb the course dumps back into town.

The race is very well run.  From the pre-race dinner, to the course markings and aid stations, to the post race breakfast and award ceremony it is one of the best run races I've run in.  I hope to be back.

I managed through the first climb without any issue.  I had a little trouble pushing pace down from that climb but felt pretty good.  The second climb was pretty brutal.  I kept good pace but it took a lot out of me.  This climb tops out above 13,300 feet and it was a long time coming.  Once on top I had looked forward to making some good time for the 11 high altitude miles.  The affects of 2 major climbs and altitude slowed me down considerably.  I didn't have a chance to get much high altitude training prior to the race and I think it hurt me in this section.

By mile 30 I was feeling spent.  I stopped at the aid station fueled up.  They had some instant potatoes that I took down.  It reenergized much like they did at Leadville.  It is my power food.  I need to put this stuff in a flask!  I rolled the next 10 miles at a really good clip.  I felt great as I descended down to the final climb.

As I dropped down from 13,300 feet to 9,550 the temperature increased significantly.  I would guess it increased by over 25 degrees.  My stomach turned a bit and I lost all energy.  The final climb up Vickers Ranch was disastrous.  It took me 1 hour and 22 minutes to climb the final climb of over 1,700 feet over 3 miles.  At that point I reconnected with David for a few tough miles.  It was nice to have company.  I took it easy dropping into town and finished in 13:39:44.  The last 10 miles took me 3 hours.  I'd like to have those back but overall I was very happy with completing a very difficult race.  About 200 runners started the race.  169 runners finished.  My time was good enough for 107th.

Dakota Jones crushed the course record set by Matt Carpenter by over 24 minutes with a time of 7:35:09.  He ran an unbelievable race.

Here is a short clip of photos from the race.

Rim to Rim to Rim

Grand Canyon from S. Rim looking straight up towards the N. Rim

The group at camp before the big run

I put the Rim to Rim to Rim on my bucket list soon after I start running ultras.  The canyon is in an unforgiving place and this run demands a lot of respect.  There is no dropping out; you make it or you spend a night in the canyon and spending a night in the canyon after a day of extreme exertion wasn't an option I wanted to experience.  So it wasn't until after a couple of years of committed running that I felt ready.

After Zane Grey I was feeling a bit lost as a runner; I had just DNF'd my first race and physically and mentally I wasn't in a great place.  Completing the Rim to Rim to Rim was good medicine.

Ryan, Jerry, John, David and myself a couple miles in.

The first serious descent.

Our group of 15 met in Morrison to head to the Grand Canyon.  The drive to the Grand Canyon goes through some insane country, and 13 hours later we got to the campsite on the North Rim.  We set up camp and took a walk out to the rim.  It was a pretty awesome view, and all of us were fired up for the next day.

Sherpa John had planned the whole trip.  He provided us with some great information about the run and cooked up a pasta dinner.  We prepared for the next day and and called it a night.

Some people in the group headed out for an early start.  John, Ryan, Jeremy, David, Jeff, Maverick and I all started at 5:10.  The sun had come up enough that we did not need headlamps, and I was hoping to be back before I needed one again.                                                                            

The look down off the side of the trail.

We ran 1 mile from our campground to the North Rim which sits at an elevation of over 8,300 feet.  The North Kaibab trail drops down to the Colorado River in just over 15 miles to 2,400 feet.  The first 4 miles winds through a spectacular network of switchbacks and cliff hugging trails through the steepest section on the North Rim.  The last 7 miles down to the Colorado River has a mild pitch through amazing canyon country.

The water had been turned on the first time this year so we had plenty of water opportunities on the way down the trail.  These watering spots usually had a bathroom and some camping opportunities.  On the way down from the N. Rim we passed Roaring Springs, Cottonwood and Phantom Ranch.  The morning was cool and we stayed in the shade all the way down to Phantom Ranch.

Phantom Ranch is at the bottom of the canyon.  There are some cabins, camping spots, bathrooms and a rough restaurant.  We stopped for water and the bathroom before heading up to the South Rim.

Cliff hugging trail early in descent.

Some great trail.

I was running with my Nathan Vest.  I had a 2 liter bladder, one handheld, food, gel, E-Caps, and salt.  At this point forward, I made sure all were full before leaving a water stop.  I must have drank over 500 oz, yet I was still severely dehydrated after the run.

The Canyon heated up considerably as we started up the S. Rim, and the group began spreading out with this climb.

Nearing Phantom.

We chose to climb up the Bright Angel Trail instead of the S. Kaibab trail.  The S. Kaibab trail is shorter and is also the trail that is used for FKT's but there is no water and little shade.  The Bright Angel Trail is spectacular as it winds along the Colorado River for a mile before ascending up the south side.

The walls start closing in as we near Phantom Ranch.

Bright Angel climbs up over 4,000 feet for the next 10 miles and winds through steep canyons and shaded oases.  Indian Gardens and Bright Angel  are the two water stops along the way.

The South Rim is where most tourists go when they visit the Grand Canyon, so the Bright Angel trail has a lot more traffic.  In many ways it helped by providing a little extra energy.

The heat of the day began to take its first toll.  I had a bandanna and hat that I soaked in every stream or water opportunity to help keep me cool.

The climb was relentless and the miles went by slowly.  I tried to handle the run like a 100 mile race.  I knew I would have to track back the other side of the canyon but it was better to focus on the next water spot instead of focussing on the whole.    This seemed to help, but the climb was still a challenge.

I ran with Jeff for the majority of the climb.  We passed Maverick a few miles up after he had blazed ahead around mile 5.  We caught up with Carley and Val a couple of miles from the top.  Jeff pushed ahead of me and John pushed ahead soon after.  They remained a couple of switchbacks ahead as the climb continued to grind.  That was when I began thinking about an ice cold coke and some food. It was enough motivation to push on.

Jeremy was on his way down after running up S. Kaibab and across to Bright Angel.  Jeremy was running strong and looking good.  David, Jerry and Ryan started heading down as I got to the top, also looking good as they started back.

John, Jeff and I hit up the cantina; I got that ice cold coke, a gatorade, a banana, an orange, and a turkey sandwich.

It's kind of funny coming up to the South Rim.  Although you pass by a lot of people on the trail you always feel like your are in a serious canyon. But the S. Rim is Disney World compared to the 25 miles of trail that lead there.

                   

South Rim

Many people come to the Grand Canyon and enjoy the views from the top.  Some will venture down the trail for a mile or two.  I know we looked like some sort of freak show to most of the people up there.

It was nice to fuel and clean up, but it was time to go.  I felt like a new person after lunch.  Jeff headed out a bit early and John made real good time down the canyon.

I had a little pressure behind my left knee for about a mile.  I ran with Carley and Val for a few minutes before taking off on my own.  The knee shook out and I felt great.

The run down was a blast.  It was the first time in the day I was running by myself.  It was a good time to reflect on where I was and how lucky I was to be there.

I thought back to when I moved out to Colorado.  I was 40 pounds heavier and only ran 3-4 miles a run for occasional exercise.  Who would have thought that running would become central to my life?  It made all this winter's runs in the snow, cold and dark worth it.  I was running the Grand Canyon!  I felt totally blessed.

I let out a couple howls to hear them echo off the walls and coasted down Bright Angel while taking it all in.  I was drinking a lot of water trying to counter temps in the low 90's.

Fortunately, some clouds and light rain moved in as I reached the last couple of miles before the Colorado River.  The temps dropped a bit and the rain was

refreshing.

There were a lot of people doing the Rim to Rim that day.  It was impressive to see people young and old, large and small getting out there and accomplishing something bigger than themselves.  There is something special about being in nature and pushing ourselves to places we've never imagined; I was happy to be part of a day when so many people were fulfilling their dreams.

As I approached the river I started getting excited at the idea of food and a cold drink at Phantom Ranch.  I got into Phantom Ranch and was pretty happy to only have 15 miles left.  I bought some Peanut M&M's, an ice cold lemonade and a couple of postcards to mail to Bre and Brady.  I sat down and wrote to both of the kids.  I think about them a lot on my long runs; I feel so lucky to have them, and I am so proud of them.  It was so cool to be able to write to them and tell them how I feel.

Some clouds and rain were a welcome relief.

The post cards will be brought up from the bottom by mule and

hopefully be delivered sometime in the next week.

It was nice to escape for a little while but I had 15 miles and about 6,000 feet of climb ahead of me.  I gathered my things, grabbed a salt shaker, and took about a half a teaspoon down.

Off I went.  The next 6 miles were fairly flat, so I ran all the flat and downhill and walked the uphills.  The sun was back and beating down like it has for millions of years.  I was hot!  There were far fewer people on this side of the canyon.  You had your day trippers who were staying at Phantom Ranch wandering around along with some runners doing the Rim to Rim to Rim back to the south.

It became tough to keep running after a while, and I was not looking forward to the climb out, but at that point I had no choice but to keep pushing on.  It was amazing how the canyon

looked so different in the afternoon light.  There was an occasional deer and many lizards.  The Aloe plant shot out its amazing flower as if it were laughing at the Canyon.  It was quiet.  It was about this time when it hit me just how big and unforgiving this place really is.

I caught up with John and Jeremy who had just finished a side hike off to a waterfall.  Apparently 50 miles wasn't enough!  I trucked along with them for a bit until we rolled into Roaring Springs.  Jeff and Gary were both there.  I was feeling rough and I wasn't alone; we were all at different stages of fatigue.

I kept up with John and Jeff for about a mile and then had to slow it down; I was feeling weak and a little light headed.  One foot in front of the other.  On I went.  It was quite possibly the hardest 4-5 miles I've ever done.  The climb was relentless.  My legs began cramping badly and the sun was going down.  I kept on, and after what seemed like an eternity, I topped out on the North Rim!

Big Canyon.  Running alone.  Pretty unreal!

I still had another mile to go to the campground, so tossed on my jacket and marched on through the dark.  I finished in just under 15 hours.  50 miles; 12k of climb.

There was a fire going at camp, and Jeremy was cooking up a never ending supply of kabobs.

What an incredible day!

Looking up  the last big climb.

I went to my tent to change into something warm.  My legs seized up and both cramped into  the kind of cramps that wake you up at night. I couldn't do anything about it.  Jerry bailed me out with some pickle juice and coconut water.  It took a few hours to get hydrated and get my body temperature up.  I drank more than I ever had but I was still very dehydrated.

I ended up peeing blood that night.  Fortunately, it was only one time.  I got back from the doctor today and all systems are in good shape.  I'll never stop learning about nutrition and hydration on these runs.

I want to give a special thanks to Sherpa John for putting on a great Winter Fat Ass Run Series.  I enjoyed several of the runs and they were always well planned.  He put a lot of his own time and money into this Grand Canyon trip.  I am grateful for all the work he did.  Thanks John!  I encourage you to join him on his runs in the future.  He promotes community and has some very fun runs.  Check him out at http://sherpajohn.blogspot.com.

Special thanks to Jeremy for supplying and cooking all the kabobs.  Thanks to David Hill for driving out there.  It was a great run and great to meet so many good people.

Check out Sherpa John's video of the run: http://networkedblogs.com/LqP38

"If my path is to worry then I'll walk in shame because I'd rather find beauty and pain."

 Greensky Bluegrass