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6:59 AM Nov. 10, 2008 -
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- [ post comment ] Tillamook State Forest - Trail Factor Run Report by richardabolt Wilson River/Kings Mountain/Elk Creek Trail 12.1 mile loop - by Shawn Bostad
Well, it was another great Trail Factor running adventure. Today was our third organized Trail Factor run and it included a solid crew of 7 runners. Those attending the run today were Shawn, Jessi, Ruben, Mallory, Ben, Robert, and Paul. The route was already laid out and was to take us to Tillamook State Forest (Picture Left). Our goal was to tackle the Wilson River, Kings Mountain, and Elk Creek 12.1 mile loop. This trail is very easy to access. All you do is drive west on Hwy 26 out of Portland and then exit Hwy 6 to Tillamook. The campground and trail access is just past MP (mile post) #28 and is called the Elk Creek Campground. This is a challenging loop the runs you through the Tillamook State Forest, which happens to be one of the nation’s largest reforestation projects. This is a project that was initiated due to severe fires that struck the Tillamook State Forest and burned over 350,000 acres of beautiful Oregon coastal range land. The project was very successful and now there is lush forest throughout and many FS roads in the area, which serve as excellent fire breaks in case of future fires. As we pulled into the Elk Creek Campground, we all anticipated some great running. Overcast skies, temps in the low 50’s and drizzly conditions made for a spectacular Oregon day. It would certainly make the trail slick and the running could be pretty cold once we hit some of the higher elevation trail. As with many of our runs, this run starts uphill. It’s steep, but only last for about .1 miles. This is called the Wilson River Trail. Basically, the Wilson River trail winds you through the Tillamook State Forest and parallels Hwy 6 for over 20 miles. We used the first 3.6 miles of the Wilson River Trail. We started off nice and easy by running this first 3.6 mile section in just under 30 minutes. We were using it to prep ourselves for the first major climb of the day.
All the boys and Mallory stayed together for this first 3.6 mile section just before the turn off onto Kings Mountain trail. This is the first major climb of the day, with a massive 2.5 mile climb that gains 2,500 ft of elevation. It summits Kings Mountain at over 3,200 ft. We all chatted for a second before tackling the hill. It was imperative that we all knew where to go, since the group was sure to be separated while summiting the hill. As expected, Ruben and Ben sped away toward the summit. Rob and Mallory were next, with Paul not far behind. Myself and Jessi left shortly after to bring up the rear. Everyone settled into the climb and heavy breathing was inevitable. There are sections on this climb that are nearly impossible to run. Ruben and Ben ran most of it, while I ran about ¾’s of the climb and the others ran about ½. It varies from a mild 10% grade and pitches up to as much as 25-30% sustained in some sections. It really burns the old soleus muscle and glutes.
Ben and Ruben reached the summit first and sped on to complete the rest of the run. Robert was next to summit and I summited shortly after. Mallory was next in line. Since the next section of trail was rather technical, I expressed my desire for Robert and Mallory to run the next portion together and continue ahead. This would allow them to keep each other company for safety purposes. The trail snakes along the edge of a ridgeline and includes some very steep descents and in wet conditions is better run with a partner. Mallory and Rob pushed on and I stayed behind to wait for Paul and Jessi to complete their climb. This would allow us to run the next trail together. The climb was finished and the summit was windy and cold. There would be no views today.
We pushed on through the next technical section. It would skirt a ridgeline for about 1.3 miles and actually require us to do a fair bit of scrambling in some sections. This is precisely why I felt it was important that everyone have a partner to run with in this section. Once we completed the technical ridgeline, the trail finally starts to descend and dumps you onto a bit of old jeep road. It runs along this jeep road until you reach a sign that directs you to either Elk Creek trail or the Elk Mountain summit. To complete the 12.1 mile loop, one would choose the Elk Creek Trail. If you are into a bit more climbing, you can choose the Elk Mountain Summit trail. It goes up some more, but then descends a grueling 1,900 ft in just 1.5 miles. Very steep and tough on the knees, but it also shortens the loop by 1.3 miles. We chose to descend off the mountain by running down the Elk Creek multiuse trail. This trail descends for about 4.8 miles and is much more gradual and runner friendly. By the time we started our descent, the rain had really begun to poor. It was hailing, raining, hailing and raining. The legs were cold, body was cold and the trail was slick. This was perfect. I personally love it when it rains, but you do risk going hypothermic if you don’t keep moving and if you don’t carry enough fuel. We were only 4.8 miles from the campground finish, so we hauled butt down the trail. Ben, Ruben, Robert and Mallory were already on their way down. Paul was behind them and Jessi and I were sweeping up the back. We all made it down intact. We had no Trail Factor falls today. The sun gods may not have been shining down on us, but the trail gods certainly were. In the end, Ruben and Ben finished the run in just under 2 hours. Robert and Mallory finished in about 2:30. I finished in 2:37, Paul in about 2:42 and Jessi in 2:50. As you can see, these slower times are very indicative of technical terrain and a very steep climb. It’s a trail factor favorite, but not a regular trail on the Trail Factor Diet. We’ll be back and may even run a Christmas Day run out there. It can get very snowy and is gorgeous when covered in white.
If this adventure sounds like fun and you’d like to join us, please visit: http://www.jessimoroney.com/trailfactor/index.html Be well and happy trail running. |
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6:57 AM Nov. 10, 2008 -
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- [ post comment ] Shut-in Ridge Trail Run by avlrunner Photo by: Sherri Tuggle
The race began at 10am on Saturday 11/1, a perfect crisp fall-weather day. The sun was shining & it was 38 degrees. Runners were anxiously awaiting the start of the 30th annual event of Shut-in. Shut-in is a grueling 17.8 mile single track trail race that climbs over 3,000 feet along the Blue Ridge Parkway up to Mount Pisgah. This is a race where anything can happen….. The horn sounded & the race began… It was an unusually ideal day where everything fell into place. I felt great from the start easing my way through the first 3 miles before hitting the real climb & single track at Hard Times trailhead. At this point, I was already warm & shed the armskins & gloves. Around 50 people stood either side of the road to cheer us on as we headed up the first steep climb towards Sleepy Gap. The atmosphere was great, and I was feeling good (so far). Going through the aid station at approximately 6 miles I was still feeling strong. I collected my gels and electrolytes from Stuart. He informed me that I was on pace for a good time, and that I had a lead of more than a minute over the 2nd placed female. I still felt comfortable knowing that the tough sections were still to come. Bent-Creek Gap Aid Station was the next target. This is approximately 9 miles into the Shut-In race and where seasoned participants say the race really begins. I still felt good, and at this point passed two of my local (male) competitors. Apparently I was more than 3 minutes ahead of the 2nd placed female by this stage. I was definately having a great day, but there was still a long way to go. Over the next few miles of climbing, I was able to enjoy the beautiful fall colors, I felt blessed to be experiencing this great event and to be feeling so good. My training had gone really well, and I could feel that it was paying off as I passed several male competitors who were starting to fade as the gruelling climbs began to take their toll. I made it to the final aid station, collected my last gel (I took 6 gels during the race), and mentally readied myself for the final tortorous 1.8 mile grind to the summit at Mount Pisgah. I was fortunate to have another runner close by which enabled us both to get up the final stair climb and pick off one more runner before finally arriving at the finishing chute at the Mount Pisgah parking area. It was extremely exciting, there were several hundred cheering spectators to welcome us as we collapsed across the finish. My time of 2:44.30 was almost 10 minutes faster than my winning time from 2007. The course record of 2:41:25 still stands but now appears to be a realistic goal for the future. Now for some recovery. A great day and a fantastic event that I would recommend to any avid mountain runner! |
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6:55 AM Nov. 10, 2008 -
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- [ post comment ] Stinson Beach 25k by pantilat I ran the 18th Annual Stinson Beach 25k yesterday by Enviro-Sports. The course contains the best collection of single track in Mount Tamalpais State Park and Muir Woods National Monument located just to the north of San Francisco. Aside from the first mile on the Dipsea Trail, I have never run most of these trails so there was something new around every corner. There is also no shortage of elevation gain with 3,400 feet of up. However, the big story was the weather conditions, which were some of the worst I have ever raced in - torrential wind-driven rains, almost zero visibility, and trails that turned into streams. The weather sensor on the middle peak of Mount Tamalpais recorded 4.35 inches of rain on Saturday! At least it wasn’t that cold… Despite all this, I had a great time and look forward to running this course in the future (preferably when drier   The ladder in Steep Ravine; photo by Jane Huber from www.bahiker.com The race starts at sea level, literally, in the sands of Stinson Beach. Almost immediately, the ascent begins up the legendary Dipsea Trail and then Steep Ravine, which is aptly named. The single track in this redwood-filled ravine is delightful with rock staircases, roots, ducking under trees, and even a slippery ladder. Aside for slowing down on the slick bridges and ladder, the conditions were still ok and I made my way up to Pantoll 1,500 feet above the Stinson Beach in decent time. From Pantoll, more single track runs deep into Muir Woods National Monument losing much of the gained elevation. This is another beautiful stretch of trail with towering redwood forest. It was in the depths of the old growth redwoods near the main tourist loop about 7 miles into the race that the storm began in earnst with strong winds, heavy rain, and white-out conditions in the open areas. The remainder of the course was an obstacle course of branches, water, and mud. One section of trail on an exposed ridge was particularly brutal and the descent back down to Stinson Beach was treacherous with water running over wooden steps that were already slick! Despite the inclement weather, I had a lot of fun in the gorgeous redwoods and the conditions added an extra challenge. I ran 1:51:00 coming in first place. It was also nice to shower off all the mud at Stinson Beach and chat with other runners. Congrats to the runners and volunteers for braving the conditions! |
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7:39 PM Oct. 24, 2008 -
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- [ post comment ] October 24, 2008 by BuzzI’ve been wanting to run the Nankoweap Trail, ever since I heard of it 25 years ago. Yesterday, I finally did it. Well, “hiked” it is more like it … The Nankoweap is one of the fabulous Rim-River trails; these routes all start from either the South or the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, run down thru a billion years of geologic time to the Colorado River (really fun), and then climb back out again (sometimes less fun). In early season one goes slowly over the snow and ice on top, then rejoices at the green trees and grass at the bottom; these trails start in Ponderosa and sometimes Aspen forests, rocket down thousands of vertical feet thru a spectacular desert landscape, finally arriving at the biggest and grandest river in the Southwest. According to the NPS, the Nankoweap is the hardest trail in the entire Park, and has the biggest vert: 6,000′. It is barely maintained, is remote, and not popular. What’s there not to like? And except for the Bass, is the only Rim-River trail I haven’t done (read this blog next May for resolution on that).  October 23, 6:50 AM - After a 23 degree night on the North Rim - fortunately spent in the back of my car instead of the open air - I start at daybreak. Aspens and Firs give way Oak Brush and Ponderosa’s as I leave 8,800′ elevation and go down, down, down. Massive views are immediate. The trail contours for miles on a ledge in the Supai, with cliffs above and below, before making another big drop thru the Redwall. It mostly can be followed w/o difficulty, but this is no Kaibab or Bright Angel Trail … it’s a path thru the cliffs, made by footsteps of hikers, over around and thru the brush, rocks, and cactus. The combination of tricky footing, up/down gradient, and jaw-dropping vista’s means this will take a lot of time.
Good. Sometimes I like going for a quick time, sometimes not. The Grand Canyon takes my breath away, so it makes it hard to run! The trail finally spits me out into Nankoweap Creek, which has a good perennial flow, cottonwoods changing color, and an excellent site with some campers spending 5 days down there; the only people I’ll see on the entire day. I fill up with precious water, and continue 3 miles on user paths to the River. Seeing the Colorado is a marvel. A huge river, lusty, clear, and bright blue, surrounded by dry and hard rock walls thousands of feet high and 200 miles long. If I went here every year for the rest of my life, I would be shocked and delighted each time.  On of the features of the Nankoweap, are the Anasazi granaries’ situated in a cliff face high above the river. That people lived here, made a living farming here, and built these structures on cliff faces almost requiring technical climbing skill would be unbelievable … if it wasn’t for the fact that here they are. You can walk right into them. These people make us look like total couch potatoes. As Mike Meyer exclaimed many times in Wayne’s World: “We are not worthy!!”
 The days are short and the nights cold, so time to get a move on and get back up. This is normally a 3-day minimum backpacking trip, but I’ve done these things enough to be able to guess time accurately. I left at first light and moving fairly slowly, I’ll be back up exactly at last light.
And that’s just what happened. The slog back out was actually very nice, as I didn’t push the pace, but instead enjoyed the view, the location, and the softening evening light, gradually shifting from glowing red, to amber, to soft muted hues, with the desert beyond the South Rim holding the last of the glowing colors, like the embers of an old campfire. 
Tags: Grand Canyon running, Nankoweap Trail
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7:38 PM Oct. 24, 2008 -
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- [ post comment ] October 20, 2008 by Buzz BACKGROUND East Temple and West Temple Mountains are the most prominent summits in Zion National Park. They tower over both entrances to the Valley, seemingly a stone’s throw from the highway, and are seen by three million people every year. And almost never climbed. Seriously - East probably had probably seen less than 10 ascents ever by last fall, and West maybe 4 parties per year. It’s bizarre - FAR more people climb Mt Everest than these two bad boys. Needless to say, this situation had to be rectified.  Five years ago, Bill Wright, Homie Prater and I thrashed our way up West Temple - it features a spacious summit plateau (typical) with outstanding views, a beautifully positioned if very loose ridge … and a brushy, cliffy, cactus-filled approach slope to get on the ridge. Bill later said the initial dirt-gully start - just a few hundred meters outside of town - was “The ugliest section of National Park I’ve seen in my life”. But it was well worth it, as once the ridge is gained it’s terrific, and because some of us just have to stand on top of what we can see. We brought light gear and used it on the last steep 50′ to the top of the ridge, and were happy to rap off the same section on the return. East Temple was much trickier. While the route (which is the only route) up West can be ascertained while drinking a local microbrew from the patio of Zion Pizza and Noodle, East has seemingly zero weaknesses. A moderate route frankly looks impossible, as massive, unbroken, and steep sandstone slabs, capped by a vertical white Navaho band, with another vertical red Entranda capstone above that, are what comprise this mountain viewed from any angle. I asked around last fall, calling my friend Tom, the local guidebook author and canyoneering guide, who had no idea, and Ram, who’s done everything. Ram hadn’t done this, didn’t even know anyone who had, but passed along the rumor that there was a route. Starting at the terminus of Canyon Overlook Trail, the route diagonally ascended the entire South Face, traversed around the West Shoulder, gained the sub-plateau by climbing the NW Face and West Ridge, then traversed all the way around to the East side in order to surmount the final capstone cliffs.  OK. On a cool day last October Lisa Ledet and I took some light gear, and began the long traverse across the South Face slabs. There is literally miles of this on East - if you’re not comfortable on 3rd-4th class rock with thousands of feet of exposure, East would be almost unclimbable due to the time it would take to do the rope work. Lisa and I didn’t take the best line, but we did make it across, correctly ascended the huge open gully on the west end of the Face, and then picked a doable exit to the West Shoulder, a strange groove that entailed climbing 5.6 almost entirely on and thru bushes. Whew. Once on the West Shoulder we found a thin ledge to traverse over to the NW Face, and were pleased to see some rap nylon around some small trees - someone has been here before! The face falls away 2,000′ to Spry Canyon below your heels - a fall would not be good - we simul-climbed this, putting runners around a few tiny trees and bushes. The West Ridge is jolly, with incredible position, and easily gains the sub-plateau below the final summit cap. We began the hike around the backside, but losing patience with that an eager to climb, did a nice 5.7 pitch up to the summit plateau. Finally! Huge views down valley, an excellent route on a great mountain. We reversed the route, throwing in some more raps from trees, and were back at the car in 9:25 (the fastest time to date I suspect). Cut to 2008: This April, Bill and Homie, armed with our beta, repeat our route in 7:23. Bill actually tried a couple of variations, avoiding the bush gully in preference to an open gully to the left, then calling it “the scariest pitch of my life”. The white sandstone of Zion is famous/infamous: it is clean and unbroken, creating vast beautiful expanses of attractive pure rock - and it’s really chalky, making it much harder to climb that it appears, and with almost no possibility for placing protection. Really interesting however, is they encountered another party on the climb! Probably the only other people to do it that spring, was none other than Aron Ralston, of watch-out-for-that-moving-boulder fame, and Courtney Purcell, researching his upcoming book on Zion Summits. They added new beta: one could go lower around the West Shoulder with less difficulty, and if you actually did traverse all the way to the East on the sub-plateau, a break in the capstone afforded easy passage to the summit plateau. Got it. In June, Jared Campbell is keen to give it a go. He suggests we do it sans ropes, no gear at all. I naturally had thought of that, dismissed it as too heady, but with Jared as a very strong and enthusiastic partner, off we go. The route is now more known, and we flash it in a time-shattering 2:48 r/t. I name it the ”Casual Route” in honor of Charlie Fowler and the eponymous route on Longs Peak. Years ago Chris Reveley succeeded in putting up the “Integral Route” on the Diamond on Longs Peak, which even at 5.10c, was by far the easiest on this very technical face. Charlie went out and free soloed it (!), called it “casual”, and the new name stuck. Charlie died in Tibet in 2006, there is nothing “casual” about this route on East Temple, but like the route on the Diamond it is the easiest by far, and so there you have it. TEMPLE DOUBLE  October 18, 9:50 AM - I’m real keen, Jared is real strong, so we start the watch and hit the trail running. I’m carrying only a single bottle fanny pack, and we’re both wearing La Sportiva Exum Ridge shoes (by far the best shoe for this purpose - sticky rubber outsole is key). We know which way to go, make no mistakes, and turn this formerly unknown and formidable mountain into a full-on scramble/run, tagging the top in a hot 58:50. Snapping a few pictures, we turn heel and power back down, with me taking some time on the NW Face descent (death is not a good thing), while Jared films it (!). A little more care by me coming down the big gully, and soon we’re motoring across the vast South Face. ”‘Slab running’ at it’s finest!” shouts Jared; “I love it!” I shout back. We are giddy with excitement and happiness … once one gets the feel for this, and masters the technique (head as well as feet), its beyond fun; it’s exhilarating. We execute little controlled slides on the slickstone, regaining control when hitting little 2″ ledges, and run, scramble, skip and hop back down to the TH with a total elapsed time of 1:44:40. Yikes. We drive back down while drinking water, buy some more food, and are soon at the TH for West Temple, Kinesava Estates. Noon - We start hiking up, it’s full sun, and plenty warm. The big plum in the bag, we take our time on this, choose the non-optimal route on the approach slope, and don’t gain the ridge until 2:30. Instead of the ”South Ridge”, this could be called the “Choss Ridge” route, but the position is terrific, there’s a little breeze up here, and the scrambling is enjoyable. The ridge cranks up to the crux at the very top: 50′ of surprisingly good rock, protected by 3 new bolts with a good double bolt anchor on top. Jared takes the chimney to the left, which I downclimb on the descent; they are about the same. Paradoxically, we now march across the flat brushy sub-plateau, towards the red summit cap, which on West Temple, features an obvious large scree slope providing easy passage to the actual summit. The view is killer, detracted by a telecommunications array installed by helicopter in 2004. At least we get great cell reception now in Springdale. I drink the last of my water - how many dozens of times have I been this stupid, and will I ever learn? We look around at the hundreds of miles of steep, beautiful, and largely unknown Zion Highcountry. ”Many Things Undone” becomes our slogan. We also take our time going down, partially because we are so dehydrated, but mostly because the nature of the rock does not allow safe speed. I wonder aloud if anyone has ever taken a small slip, fallen into a Yucca, and been killed, impaled alive. Everything is unstable. On East we were motoring, but felt in control and safe the whole time, while to move fast on this we would have to take some risks, which we didn’t feel appropriate for the occasion. Down in 5:29 r/t. We go the park and guzzle a quart of water each, just as starter, and feel great about our day, and the wonderful, amazing peaks of Zion National Park. COMMENTARY East Temple is now on my “Top Ten” list. It has obvious issues (take a glance at it from the road switchbacks below the tunnel), but if one can handle the grade, this is one of the finest routes of it’s type in the world, and is bound to be done more frequently. West Temple - there’s no getting around that steep and brushy first half, but the 5th class difficulties are only 50′ long, are well protected, so more people can enjoy this powerful ridge route. With these two summits now mostly figured out, it would be possible to do the Double with no car shuttle: up/down East, descend Pine Creek all the way, run the Parus Trail to the VC, a couple miles of road, then up/down West. Many Things Undone … Tags: East Temple Mountain, Jared Campbell, speed ascent, West Temple Mountain, Zion climbing
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3:31 PM Oct. 17, 2008 -
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- [ post comment ] ws='2' cols='65' class='comment_area' style='width:654px;'>
 Think your last race was steep? Does your favorite trail have some tough sections? Check out this Course Profile: Yes, we get reports back from Europe about how technical their races are compared with our gentle forest paths and dirt roads, and American trail runners tend to fare poorly when they fly over the pond, from the late 70’s when Rick Trulillo ventured to Davos Switzerland, up to the American men (not women) getting schooled at the last two Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc. Indeed, in Europe they call it “mountain running” instead of “trail running” for a reason. But lurking in America, land of the free, are some races that make the Jungfrau Marathon, the Sierre-Zinal, the Three Peaks race, or even the Dolomites SkyRace look like Kansas.  Organized by a local resident - you should be able to guess from where - this is a series of 4 races held every fall for the past 8 years. The clock starts at a trailhead, as the runners (all of whom are also climbers) bust up the trail, onto one of the local rock faces, which is climbed or scrambled to the top, followed by either a downclimb or a rappel off the backside, and then a blazing run back down to the start/finish. The downhill running can be either managed with wild abandon, a measure of technical skill and attention, or some combination thereof, and is actually the most dangerous part of the event, although a second-degree burn caused by brushing up against your red-hot rappel device can be an unexpected mishap as well. Standings are kept, course records are known and highly esteemed, and a fun, safe attitude is the rule. For example, switchback cutting is strictly forbidden - this might seem paradoxical given the nature of the event, but cutting switchbacks is bad for the environment and disrupts the honorable nature of this self-timed race. It’s not for everyone … but then, what is?
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3:28 PM Oct. 17, 2008 -
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- [ post comment ] October 13, 2008 by pantilatI had great memories of the Golden Hills Trail Marathon from last year so it was an easy decision to return this year. The marathon course does a grand tour of the East Bay (CA) Regional Parks traveling through Tilden, Sibley, Huckleberry, Redwood, and Lake Chabot Regional Parks. There is ample hill climbing on the route with elevation gain totaling over 5,800 feet. My favorite part of this point-to-point course is the variety: from sweeping views of San Francisco to lush redwood forest, the course passes through virtually all of the Bay Area ecosystems. The race is also very well organized by ultrarunning legends Ann Trason and Carl Andersen with great aid stations and a delicious post-race BBQ! I knew beating my time from 2007 wouldn’t be easy, but with excellent fall weather and a dry course (as opposed to the muddy spots experienced last year), I was confident about improving the time. I ended up feeling pretty good along the course and finished first in 3:16:53, bettering my course record from last year by 2.5 minutes. I used the Fireblades again and they worked out great!  Finishing the Golden Hills Trail Marathon The first 4 miles of the course climbs 1,500+ ft to Vollmer Peak where commanding 360 degree views of the entire Bay Area are seen. It was a crisp fall day and I felt like I could reach out and touch San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge across the bay. The scenery then changes to chapparal and hardwood forests for a stretch of ups and downs. The course passes through Skyline Gate at mile 11 and shortly thereafter plunges into the redwoods and the challenging French Trail which is much harder to negotiate after 13 miles of hilly running! After the single-track in the redwoods, the course goes back out into the chapparal and hardwood forests and one last tough climb on the MacDonald Trail. The rest of way is mainly downhill to Lake Chabot. I felt pretty good reaching the last aid station at Bass Cove with 3 miles to go, but struggled a little with the hills just before reaching the dam. When I hit the pavement on the other side of the dam I was able to pick it up and finish well for the last mile. The Golden Hills Trail Marathon is run in conjunction with the Dick Collins Firetrails 50 mile which does an out-and-back from Lake Chabot (minus the French Trail section). Hal Koerner was the winner of the 50 mile in 6:43:42 and Darcie Gorman was the first female in 8:16:05. The top female in the marathon was Caren Spore, missing the female record by just three seconds, coming in at 3:49:13. Congratulations to all the runners in both events and thanks to the organizers and volunteers for an awesome day on the trails!
October 12, 2008 by siggitysoftyAfter my crewing experience for Dave Horner at Badwater, I decided to take my first crack at a distance over a marathon. Annette Bednosky did a spectacular job for her first attempt at Race directing w/ her very ecologically friendly New River 50k. The race took place on the New River State Park Trail starting & finishing in Fries, VA.  The 8am start time gave us perfect starting temperatures in the low 50’s and a cool fog rolling off the river. I enjoyed running the 1st 3-4 miles with Nick Whithead & Tadd Morris. Around 4 miles I began to increase my pace and took the lead. This was my first race over the marathon distance, so I was interested to see how my legs would respond to the new distance. I chose to wear my Raceblades for the event, & was not sorry I did so. I’ve been training through some Plantar Fasciitis in my left heel, so I’ve been doing my long & moderate long runs in the Raceblades with Sole Moldable inserts for extra arch support & cushion. I usually train in the Fireblades & Crosslites, so I’ll be switching over to them for my next races.
The New River Trail is an old rail bed, so there is no elevation change on the trail, which wore on my legs. As the race progressed, the fog burned off by the sun, and the temperature only increased into the mid 60’s, which was perfect. The wind was very calm & never played a factor in the race. By mile 16 I had a 4 minute lead, but still ran cautiously seeing my competition as we turned around at this point in the race. Though the early miles were around 6:30-6:45 per mile, I had dropped the pace to around 6:15 from mile 5-20. I decided to carry a 4oz flask of Boost with me to take at 1 hr and 2 hrs, which helped immensely along w/ 6 Gold Honeystinger Gels, 3 20oz bottles of Heed, & 2 Endurolytes every 50 minutes. This timing took me numerous moderate & long runs to figure out, but it worked for me. At 20 miles I decided to ease up slightly not knowing what to expect with 11 miles to go. I slowed to 6:30-6:45 pace until the final 2 miles where I jogged it in at around 7 minute pace to finish 1st in 3:24. I enjoyed the a brisk soak in the New River, which helped me feel relatively good today. My thanks to Annette for a great race & congrats to all who finished! I’m happy to end my year on that note & I look forward to February when I’ll run the Uwharrie 20 mile trail race. If you can make it to NC in Feb., Uwharrie is a great trail race having distances of 8, 20, & 40 miles. Registeration opens Nov. 1st. Register that day, or you’ll miss out! It fills up fast! - Aaron Saft
October 10, 2008 by doubledmtnmanWell, not exactly a Mountain run….but I went to the summit of Mauna Kea which is called (by some) the highest peak in the world when measured from base to summit. It is 33,000 feet from the ocean floor to the top of the peak. My running right now is confined to pool and pond running while my broken sacrum heals. Mauna Kea is the highest point on Hawaii. It is the highest I’ve ever gone, and not that I’m counting, but it is my 9th state high point and my 49th county high point. More pics and stuff can be found at my personal blog. Cheers,  dd
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5:06 AM Oct. 5, 2008 -
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- [ post comment ] October 4, 2008 by Buzz “Fantastic!” ”What a course!” ”Did you see those Aspens?”  These were the comments at the conclusion of the first annual La Sportiva Ouray Mountain Trail Race. Race Directors Erin and Mel Eddy also direct the popular Ouray Ice Festival so they knew how to get this done: a well marked course and 35 volunteers. But what is really exceptional was the course: starting from a big green grassy lawn in front of the Hot Springs Pool, runners trotted down an access road before cranking up the Silvershield Trail. This Trail gets 1,000′ in the first mile, then eases up while climbing another 1,000′ , with big views of the now-snowcapped mountains before plummeting down to town again. These are great single tracks … only 12″ wide, following the micro terrain instead of being cut and graded, and with very few rocks. The perfect ideal for trail runners. The course then did a shorter loop near the Ice Park, coming back on the Hardrock100 course, then headed up into the Amphitheater for the final climb. Everyone was just hanging on at this point! But the reward was dramatic, as the final 3 miles of the 14 mile course was straight back down to town. A parachute might have been faster, but not by much. Local organizers were happy with the initial event, and hope more people find out about it and make the trip next year. The Aspens are at the peak of color, the San Juan Mountains are beautiful, and there’s something to be said for the Hot Springs Pool as well. Tags: Mountain Running, Ouray Trail Race
Posted in Race Report | No Comments » September 28, 2008 by richardaboltAt last weekend’s NW Mountain Running Championships Joe Gray (Lakewood, WA) edged out Max King (Bend, OR) for 1st place and $800 in prize money. Before yesterday’s Xterra Trail Running National Championships Max told Joe that this would be a “rematch”. True to his name, the King (Max) reigned supreme beating not only Joe Gray but also Eugene based speedsters Ben Bruce and Ryan Bak. From the official press release:
BEND, OR - Several hundred athletes from 21 states gathered at the upscale Old Mill District in Bend today for the fourth annual XTERRA Trail Running National Championship on an incredibly beautiful, crisp and clear morning along the Deschutes River. Outside Magazine called this the best trail running town in America, and some of the fastest runners from around the state of Oregon and across the nation came to put its reputation to the test. Ultimately the king of XTERRA trail running turned out to be none-other than Bend’s very own Max King. The local favorite set the standard high turning out close to five-minute miles for a winning 21km course time of 1:08:01. After just winning a six-day 125 mile race through the Rockies earlier this month and coming in second at the 2008 Northwest Mountain Running Championships last weekend, King was able to use his hometown advantage to edge out steeplechase star Ben Bruce, 26, of Eugene, Oregon by just over a minute. Ryan Bak, 27, also from Eugene and King’s teammate on the 2008 USA World Cross Country Team, took third in 1:09:41. “When I spoke to Ryan, he said he was just coming to do the race for fun. Both he and Ben entered the race at the last minute, but I knew they would be tough competition” King said. Being from Bend, King was familiar with the course and was able to run part of the upper track last night giving him a good feel for the twists and turns. “I love to run a course with tight curves. It might be because of my low center of gravity” he joked. It was a close race for the first section, but at mile 3 Max took the lead and never looked back. When talking to Bruce and Bak, they said that as primarily track racers, “The course was more technical than they were used to. Max was able to take the sharp turns and really open up his lead.” “It’s a great course and nice to show all these runners from out of town what we have here in Bend and how you can go from this really cool downtown-type setting to forested single track in just miles,” said King. “Today was beautiful in Bend, the trails weren’t dusty, just perfect. Bend is really a great place for XTERRA to be, and I think that showed today.” Overall Top 5 Men
Max King, 28 (Bend, OR) 1:08:01
Ben Bruce, 26 (Eugene, OR) 1:09:04
Ryan Bak, 27 (Eugene, OR) 1:09:41
Joseph Gray, 24 (Lakewood, WA) 1:13:53
Rich Skorczewski, 31 (Portland, OR) 1:15:01 In the women’s race it was marathon specialist Susannah Beck, 40, who took home the women’s top prize with her time of 1:23:07. This Eugene native “duked it out” for first place with Bend local Kami Semick, 42, who finished just 19 seconds later. These two ultra trail runners battled each other just six weeks ago at the USATF 50 Mile Trail Championship in Crystal Mountain, Washington where Beck and Semick also took the first and second place respectively. This morning, it was an all out tug of war as Beck took the lead from the start giving way to Semick at mile six, and then regaining the lead at mile ten to take the women’s title. 2008 Northwest Mountain Running Championships Lisa Nye, 40, of Bend, who was under the weather and only made it to the race by her children’s urging, came in an impressive third at 1:25:11. Runners for the championship 21km distance ranged in age from 16 to 84. John Keston, the race’s most senior participant from Sunriver, Oregon, is originally from England and honored the event by singing a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem at the awards ceremony. “I have only been racing competitively since I was 55” said Keston after completing the event in just 2:19:16. After a 50+ event XTERRA Trail Run Series, 22 regional champions went head to head at this morning’s race to see how they stacked up against the competition. Usually behind the scenes instead of the starting line, Philly Series race director Don Morrison said, “This was a great, fast race. The rolling hills were beautiful but not too technical. Everyone had a great time.” Overall Top 5 Women
Susannah Beck, 40 (Eugene, OR) 1:23:07
Kami Semick, 42 (Bend, OR) 1:23:26
Lisa Nye, 40 (Bend, OR) 1:25:11
Katie Caba, 37 (Bend, OR) 1:25:18
Lisa Goldsmith, 44 (Colo Springs, CO) 1:27:52 Complete results can be found at:
http://www.xterraplanet.com/xduro/nationals.html Photos can be found at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/ An article from the Bend Bulletin can be found at:
http://www.bendbulletin.com/ Tags: xterra, Xterra Trail Championships
Posted in Race Report | 2 Comments » September 26, 2008 by doubledmtnmanPercent behind the winner is just another way to look at results. I in no way mean to diminish any result as ultimately (for scoring purposes) the only result that really matters is ones overall place. The percent back can help to see how deep a field is (for example if 30 guys finish within a minute the percent back would be small whereas the places would be huge). I’m not saying for example, that Dan Verrington’s 50th place in 1994 is superior to Simon Gutierrez’s 10th place in 2005. 2005 may have had a super-fast winner, and 1994 had a lot of guys pretty close together. Again this is just another way to look at results and in no way do I mean to diminish the fine performances by our athletes. Rank % back Name Place Year Location and Country
1 100.00 Jay Johnson 1 1987 Lenzerheide-Valbella, Switzerland
2 100.16 Dave Dunham 2 1993 Gap, France
3 103.00 Dave Dunham 9 1992 Susa, Italy
4 103.22 Scott Gall 5 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
5 103.90 Dave Dunham 15 1994 Berchtesgaden, Germany
6 104.03 Rickey Gates 12 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
7 104.11 Jay Johnson 9 1990 Telfes, Austria
8 105.12 Joe Gray 16 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
9 105.48 Simon Gutierrez 10 2006 Bursa, Turkey
10 105.69 Eric Blake 11 2006 Bursa, Turkey
11 105.99 Eric Blake 23 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
12 106.36 Simon Gutierrez 25 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
13 106.37 Pablo Vigil 9 1987 Lenzerheide-Valbella, Switzerland
14 106.86 Scott Gall 27 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
15 107.48 Matt Byrne 34 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
16 107.60 Zac Freudenberg 36 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
17 107.76 Paul Low 15 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
18 107.91 Ryan Pauling 24 2001 Arta Terme, Italy
19 108.00 Jay Johnson 24 1992 Susa, Italy
20 108.40 Simon Gutierrez 17 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
21 108.49 Payton Batliner 25 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
22 108.60 Dave Dunham 12 2000 Bergen, Germany
23 108.65 Rickey Gates 25 2006 Bursa, Turkey
24 108.71 Eric Morse 37 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
25 108.85 Paul Low 19 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
26 109.07 Dan Verrington 50 1994 Berchtesgaden, Germany
27 109.08 Dave Dunham 19 1996 Telfes, Austria
28 109.37 Jay Johnson 22 1991 Zermatt,Switzerland
29 109.45 Simon Gutierrez 10 2005 Wellington, NZL
30 109.70 Eric Blake 28 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
31 109.98 Richard Shelley 31 1998 Reunion, France
32 110.28 Dave Dunham 34 1998 Reunion, France
33 110.32 Shiloh Mielke 37 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
34 110.56 Bill Raitter 29 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
35 110.57 Matthew Cull 56 1993 Gap, France
36 110.62 Brett Burt 27 1990 Telfes, Austria
37 111.17 Richard Shelley 53 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
38 111.63 Dan Verrington 56 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
39 111.68 Eric Blake 23 2005 Wellington, NZL
40 111.76 Dave Dunham 46 1995 Edinburgh, Scotland
41 112.02 Dan Verrington 48 1995 Edinburgh, Scotland
42 112.09 Timothy Parr 38 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
43 112.23 Paul Low 32 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
44 112.37 Matt levassiur 41 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
45 112.51 Mike Casner 61 1994 Berchtesgaden, Germany
46 112.57 Richard Shelley 30 2000 Bergen, Germany
47 112.99 Paul Low 42 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
48 113.02 Andy Ames 47 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
49 113.08 Robb Reece 69 1994 Berchtesgaden, Germany
50 113.32 Rickey Gates 57 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
51 113.32 Clint Wells 58 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
52 113.52 Mike Casner 41 1996 Telfes, Austria
53 113.66 Dan Verrington 50 1998 Reunion, France
54 113.69 Eric Morse 37 2000 Bergen, Germany
55 113.70 Robb Reece 70 1993 Gap, France
56 113.90 Simon Gutierrez 65 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
57 113.99 Dan Verrington 45 1996 Telfes, Austria
58 114.09 Timothy Parr 36 2005 Wellington, NZL
59 114.20 Eric Morse 47 1996 Telfes, Austria
60 115.15 Lyndon Ellefson 44 1990 Telfes, Austria
61 115.31 Tom Sobal 56 1992 Susa, Italy
62 115.56 Mike Casner 76 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
63 115.75 Eric Morse 60 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
64 115.91 Peter DeLaCerda 61 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
65 116.02 Paul Low 67 2006 Bursa, Turkey
66 116.15 Dan Verrington 79 2001 Arta Terme, Italy
67 116.15 Lyndon Ellefson 82 1993 Gap, France
68 116.19 Paul Low 50 2005 Wellington, NZL
69 116.78 Jeremy Wright 85 2001 Arta Terme, Italy
70 116.96 Richard Bolt 62 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
71 117.06 Richard Shelley 68 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
72 117.44 Jeremy Wright 63 1998 Reunion, France
73 117.59 Eric Morse 74 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
74 117.69 Ryan Pauling 59 2005 Wellington, NZL
75 117.83 Matt Carpenter 63 2000 Bergen, Germany
76 118.66 Shiloh Mielke 77 2006 Bursa, Turkey
77 118.81 Lyndon Ellefson 91 1994 Berchtesgaden, Germany
78 119.58 Lyndon Ellefson 68 1992 Susa, Italy
79 119.63 Jeremy Wright 73 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
80 119.64 Peter Heck 72 1996 Telfes, Austria
81 120.08 Dan Verrington 74 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
82 120.14 Dan Verrington 88 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
83 120.40 Richard Bolt 91 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
84 120.64 Matthew Cull 85 1995 Edinburgh, Scotland
85 120.71 Kevin Tilton 71 2005 Wellington, NZL
86 120.92 Mike Casner 77 1998 Reunion, France
87 121.09 Kevin Tilton 87 2006 Bursa, Turkey
88 121.61 Lyndon Ellefson 88 1995 Edinburgh, Scotland
89 121.86 Brad Precosky 107 2001 Arta Terme, Italy
90 121.94 Paul Low 81 2000 Bergen, Germany
91 122.57 Lyndon Ellefson 56 1991 Zermatt, Switzerland
92 122.73 Scott Gall 78 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
93 122.86 Simon Gutierrez 79 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
94 122.92 Jeremy Wright 97 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
95 123.01 Craig Fram 92 1995 Edinburgh, Scotland
96 123.46 Stephen Peterson 94 1995 Edinburgh, Scotland
97 123.72 Lyndon Ellefson 93 1996 Telfes, Austria
98 124.13 Andreas Boesel 59 1991 Zermatt, Switzerland
99 124.67 Paul Low 118 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
100 124.91 Barney Griffith 115 2001 Arta Terme, Italy
101 124.99 Scott Gall 94 2000 Bergen, Germany
102 127.12 Simon Gutierrez 121 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
103 130.07 Tom Anderson 88 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
104 130.63 Bart Yasso 106 1998 Reunion, France
105 136.01 Tom Sobal 80 1991 Zermatt, Switzerland
106 143.17 Jeffrey Adams 139 2001 Arta Terme, Italy
1 105.15 Anita Ortiz 11 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
2 106.41 Laura Haefeli 15 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
3 106.43 Nicole Hunt 9 2006 Bursa, Turkey
4 106.72 Laura Haefeli 3 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
5 106.82 Rachael Dobbs 10 2006 Bursa, Turkey
6 108.17 Christine Lundy 8 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
7 108.42 Brandy Erholtz 11 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
8 108.83 Chris Lundy 16 2006 Bursa, Turkey
9 108.89 Rachael Cuellar 12 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
10 108.96 Anita Ortiz 11 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
11 109.01 Anita Ortiz 8 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
12 109.78 Erica Larson 24 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
13 110.00 Laura Haefeli 8 2005 Wellington, ,NZL
14 112.29 Lisa Isom 31 2004 Sauze d’Oulx, Italy
15 112.69 Cindy O’Neill 30 2000 Bergen, Germany
16 112.75 Karie Distefano 21 2001 Arta Terme, Italy
17 112.89 Nikki Kimball 24 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
18 113.10 Lisa Goldsmith 30 2006 Bursa, Turkey
19 113.53 Anita Ortiz 31 2007 Ovronnaz, Switzerland
20 113.70 Rene Frazee 36 2000 Bergen, Germany
21 113.82 Chris Lundy 18 2005 Wellington, NZL
22 113.84 Megan Kimmel 33 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
23 114.82 Kirsten Ames 29 1998 Reunion, France
24 114.98 Julie Peterson 42 2000 Bergen, Germany
25 115.13 Rachel Cuellar 38 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
26 115.38 Julie Flynt-Bryan 28 2001 Arta Terme, Italy
27 115.91 Cassey Bradley-Byrne 32 1998 Reunion, France
28 116.80 Mellisa Johnson 44 1995 Edinburgh, Scotland
29 117.06 Lisa Goldsmith 41 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
30 117.13 Danelle Ballangee 31 2001 Arta Terme, Italy
31 117.15 Suzie West 30 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
32 117.21 Laura Haefeli 44 2008 Crans Montana, Switzerland
33 117.32 Danelle Ballengee 32 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
34 117.75 Amber Duncan 35 1998 Reunion, France
35 117.92 Julie Bryan 34 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
36 118.06 Kelli Lusk 39 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
37 118.22 Suzy West 46 2000 Bergen, Germany
38 118.42 Danelle Ballangee 42 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
39 118.65 Danelle Ballengee 44 1996 Telfes, Austria
40 119.45 Kari Distefano 37 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
41 119.64 Michelle Blessing 53 1995 Edinburgh, Scotland
42 119.66 Julie Bryan 37 2005 Wellington, NZL
43 121.42 Kay Graybill 47 1996 Telfes, Austria
44 122.63 Julie Peterson 42 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
45 123.01 Laura Bruess 47 1998 Reunion, France
46 123.65 Mia Stockdale 49 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
47 123.73 Cassy Bradley-Byrne 45 1999 Sabah, Malaysia
48 124.03 Anita Ortiz 45 2005 Wellington, NZL
49 124.93 Gina Poncini 19 1985 San Vigilio, Italy
50 124.94 Laura Bruess 51 1997 Upice, Czech Republic
51 125.70 Kari DiStefano 48 2003 Girwood, Alaska-USA
52 126.31 Nikki Kimball 56 2002 Innsbruck, Austria
53 129.56 Melissa Johnson 61 1996 Telfes, Austria | |
October 23, 6:50 AM - After a 23 degree night on the North Rim - fortunately spent in the back of my car instead of the open air - I start at daybreak. Aspens and Firs give way Oak Brush and Ponderosa’s as I leave 8,800′ elevation and go down, down, down. Massive views are immediate. The trail contours for miles on a ledge in the Supai, with cliffs above and below, before making another big drop thru the Redwall. It mostly can be followed w/o difficulty, but this is no Kaibab or Bright Angel Trail … it’s a path thru the cliffs, made by footsteps of hikers, over around and thru the brush, rocks, and cactus. The combination of tricky footing, up/down gradient, and jaw-dropping vista’s means this will take a lot of time.
On of the features of the Nankoweap, are the Anasazi granaries’ situated in a cliff face high above the river. That people lived here, made a living farming here, and built these structures on cliff faces almost requiring technical climbing skill would be unbelievable … if it wasn’t for the fact that here they are. You can walk right into them. These people make us look like total couch potatoes. As Mike Meyer exclaimed many times in Wayne’s World: “We are not worthy!!”
The days are short and the nights cold, so time to get a move on and get back up. This is normally a 3-day minimum backpacking trip, but I’ve done these things enough to be able to guess time accurately. I left at first light and moving fairly slowly, I’ll be back up exactly at last light.
