Run Log Catch-up through Hardrock

I am back in New Hampshire now and have some time to write about my adventures of the last couple of months. In the next couple of days I am going to attempt to complete serveral things:

1. An update to my run log through to Hardrock
2. Hardrock Race Report
3. A look forward to Mountain Masochist in November

Here is the Run Log update.

June 03-09 2012: This was preparation time for departing for Colorado so I only ran three times this week. The schedule revolved around my long run: the 31.9 mile Pemi Loop on my birthday (see write-up). Weekly Summary: 41.0 miles, 9450' vert.

Along the Buckeye Trail, CVNP.

Along the Buckeye Trail, CVNP.

Along the Buckeye Trail, CVNP.

Catching the train back to my truck.

June 10-16, 2012: The majority of this time was spent traveling towards Silverton, my home until Hardrock. On the way I was able to pull off an 18-mile long run along the Buckeye Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park as well as a 10 mile run up Bear Peak and Green Mountain in Boulder with Brenden. Additionally I was able to jog up Mosquito Pass in Leadville unacclimatized but still feeling pretty good. It was a week of classics across the country. Weekly Summary: 34.5 miles, 6700' vert.

The pass to Dives.

June 17-23, 2012: My first week in the San Juans was fruitful. A long run out-n-back from the Bear Creek Tunnel to Virginius was hot and dusty but boosted the amount of reconned run route greatly. Other runs included a quick jog to the South Mineral crossing, an out-n-back to Dives-Little Giant Pass from Silverton, and a jog up to Oh! Point. Weekly Summary: 56.4 miles, 12,750' vert.

June 24-30, 2012: A week broken up by being needed on an Outward Bound course. My long run was a two-day adventure involving 4WDing up Maggie Gulch, riding my bike and camping at Grouse Gulch, and running to my truck again (see my previous post) - a pretty neat way of reconning some run route. Other runs included a run from Cunningham to Dives-Little Giant Pass and a run from Molas Pass down the 34 switchbacks to the railroad to Needleton to Ruby Basin at 11,600' of elevation. Despite being choppy I think it was a good week mileage-wise: 49.2 miles, 14650' vert (does not include hiking out from Ruby which would have added another 15 miles and 2400' of climb).

July 01-07, 2012: Helping out with an Outward Bound course, helping with the Aid Station supplies, and a backpacking trip with Bob cut down on my mileage for the week. This was the middle week for tapering, anyway, by my mileage was sightly less than I had planned. Besides the backpacking my runs included a run up Arrastra Basin cut short by a thunderstorm, a short run to Kite Lake from Beartown, and a long run of only 6 miles part of the way up Kendall Mountain. Weekly Summary: 9.5 miles, 2600' vert.

July 08 - 14 (and 15), 2012: Did a little more running than I had hoped in the week leading up to Hardrock with an 8 mile high altitude run on the CDT looking for a lost OB patrol. Took the rest of the week off up until Hardrock and then ran a great race. I'll post a race report soon. Weekly Summary: 110.5 miles, 35600' vert.

Hardrock 2012: Grouse to Maggie, June 24, 2012

"Shit!" I said. I looked frantically down at my campsite, 500' below me. 6 switchbacks. 1 mile. I turned back to my backpack again and removed all of its contents again. "Where are my salt capsules and electrolyte tablets?" I asked myself aloud. I knew the answer. As I repacked my backpack for the third time the debate raged in my head. Should I go back down to my campsite and get my electrolyte tablets or should I just push on without? I could use this as a lesson in humility and put the extra miles on to have them. I could also use this as a lesson in problem solving and find my way to my destination 26 miles away using my resources (the large amount of food in my pack). Finished with the repacking I decided to push on. "Let's just see what I can do with this body and my food," I thought.

My plan had been executed fairly well to this point. Yesterday I had "four-wheeled" my truck up the Maggie Gulch road and left it parked, waiting for my return. I filled my large backpack with enough food and gear to last a comfortable night out and rode my bike the 2000' descent back to the Animas River and then up the road toward Animas Forks, stopping at Grouse Gulch. I spent a comfortable night in a comfortable spot. No key piece of gear or food had been left behind.

At least until I discovered my electrolytes missing causing my mind to start the constant loop - assess my state and take actions according to my resources: If I start to feel sick, eat some more food and slow down. If I feel good keep going.

Show me your "Duh" face!

Sloan Lake from the trail up Handies.

Though quite dehydrated from my night of sleep I hiked 2200' to the top of American-Grouuse pass and dropped into American Basin. Reaching the bottom, I started the climb up to the highest point on the Hardrock run route, Handies Peak, standing at an elevation of 14,058' above sea level. I reached the summit in 2:36, meeting two Hardrockers at the top we had a long pleasant conversation about the upcoming race and the race in years past.

Handies from Gizzly Gulch.

Departing the summit of Handies I was able to run all the way down to to Burrows Park. Running the Cinnamon Pass road, a nice gentlemen stopped and offered me some gels, cliff bars and Doritos. Calculating the sodium content of each I took a huge handful of Doritos and started walking down the road. Folks in passing cars smiled and waved at the gentlemen walking the road with the orange hands and orange ring around his mouth. The gentlemen waved back enthusiastically.

The 2600' climb up Cataract Gulch was slow. Most of the elevation is gained quickly and then the trail flattens out for several miles as it slowly climbed to the continental divide.

On the far side of Pole Creek the elevation was lost even slower. The section is pleasantly mellow and running the entire trail was possible. The scenery changed abruptly from steep, rocky, loose valleys and peaks to mellow, wide, grassy valleys with meadows in the bottoms and rounded peaks standing above. The ease of travel in this terrain makes for a tangled web of trails which caused confusion in the vicinity of the Pole Creek Aid Station. I spent about 35 minutes tromping around the meadows and hills looking for the spot by the lake where the Aid Station would lie. All I found was a dried up mud hole where the lake should have been. The trails and location of the Aid Station at Pole Creek remain to be seen.

Ominous looking clouds but ultimately just a tease.

The final climb up to Maggie-Pole Pass was long. Mostly because the trail doesn't really gain any altitude for about 1.5 miles. Though running up the West Fork of Pole Creek seemed endless it was broken up by the small herd of 15 or so Elk on the other side of the basin. I could have sworn I heard a male bugling. Isn't it too early?

Pulling over the summit of the endless climb that is Maggie-Pole pass, I was greeted with another climb as the route continues along the ridge for several hundred feet before leveling and then plunging toward the Maggie Aid Station at the end of the 4WD road. Because the directions could use some updating in this area I gave up trying to find a trail used by the Hardrock in past years and beelined it to my end point of the day.

Arriving at my truck I grabbed my can of Chef Boyardee Ravioli and Coke that I had stashed and replenished did my best to replenish my lost salt. This was my final long run, three weeks before the race, marking the start of my taper period. What a relief. I could use a rest!