Sierra Nevada Traverse - Taboose Pass to Piute Pass

This year's backpacking trip took us on an 8-day traverse in the Sierra Nevadas.

We left Corvallis on Thursday evening and headed south, our permit was for a Saturday start at the Taboose Pass trailhead.  On route we rented bear cans at Mono Lake and dropped a car at North Lake, our final destination.  It was hot (100+ degrees) on the east side of the Sierras!

We spent Friday night in Big Pine and headed to the Taboose Pass trailhead early Saturday morning.  The road from Highway 395 to the trailhead is rough, it takes us about 30 minutes to go 5 miles, we are thankful to have a high clearance vehicle, but we wonder how the Prius will do in 8 days.

The Taboose Pass trail starts in Onion Valley in the desert, full of black lava rocks and sage brush at 5430 feet .  It climbs to 11,352 feet in 8 miles.  And we find out it lives up to it's unfavorable reputation.  There is minimal shade and it is already hot when we start.  Up we go, not too bad but Todd is hot, we take long breaks about every hour in the available shade and finally make it up the pass in early evening.  The top is definitely breathtaking; above timberline we pass meadows, tarns and endless wildflowers, it's as if we have entered another world!  We see Bench Lake and Arrowhead Peak, our destination 2 years ago.  We head down through the meadow and look for a place to spend the night, stopping to watch 7 large bucks foraging in the meadow as we descend.

Start of Taboose Pass Trail

West side Taboose Pass, Arrowhead Peak in distance

Day 2 starts with some mosquito swatting and we head down through lodgepole pines to the John Muir Trail (JMT) and go north.  We stop just short of Mather Pass and climb Split Mountain, just over 14,000 feet which offers a great view of the Southern Sierras.  The climb takes us 5 hours round trip from the JMT, not the 3 hours we had planned.  The elevation is definitely slowing us "sea level" folks.  Nonetheless we make a quick ascent of Mather Pass and head into the Palisade Lakes, Anne has incorrectly calculated the mileage to the lower lake and it's 4 miles not the 1.5 miles she thought.  Thankfully we find a tent spot above the upper lake and make it into the tent just as it gets dark.

Flowers on Split Mountain

Mather Pass

We wake early on day 3 and head to the lower Palisade Lake, we watch fish jump out of the water to grab their breakfast of mosquitoes as we hike by.  It is just past the lower lake where we leave the trail to join the Sierra High Route (A 195-mile cross-country hiking route through the Sierra Nevada that primarily traverses off-trail meadowlands, granite slabs and at high elevations difficult loose talus terrain.  We completed part of the Cirque Country section 2 years ago).  We have read, reread and studied our maps as we start the ascent of Cirque, Potluck and Knapsack Passes.  We pass some beautiful tarns as we ascend Cirque Pass and thankfully find a route that isn't too treacherous.  At the pass the mighty North Palisade greets us and looking south we can see Mather Pass.  The descent from the pass starts in a narrow steep chute and thankfully Andrew shuttles Anne's pack through this obstacle (a maneuver that will be repeated many times over the next several days; Todd, Andrew, and Jacob all graciously helping Anne in the difficult sections).  Our next obstacle, Potluck Pass, takes two tries to ascend but eventually a relatively simple scree slope and some narrow shelves lead us to the top.  Looking north the huge Palisade Basin lies in front of us.  We descend the pass and head toward "inconspicuous saddle", en route we pass a grouse with 3 little fluff balls camouflaged as rocks.  It is in this section that we once again encounter bothersome mosquitoes.   We head over the saddle and towards the Barrett Lakes, we avoid swampy areas on the descent and consequently end up on the wrong side of the largest Barrett Lake.  We make the best of it and decide to find a tarn to cleanup in along with a tent spot and call it a day.  The mosquitoes continue to be bothersome but we do get a quick dip in a warm tarn and find a spectacular tent spot on a ledge.  We spend the evening in the tent and play the first of many games of Froggy Farkle.

Ascending Cirque Pass

Grouse at "inconspicuous saddle"

We are greeted by the buzz of mosquitoes on the morning of day 4.  We find a path off the ledge, Anne again needing a pack shuttle to descend and head toward Knapsack Pass.  The ascent goes quickly and we are eyeing Columbine Peak at the top of the pass.  Andrew is ready to climb but the rest of us are intimidated by the jagged ridge of talus.  We meet 3 other cross country backpackers on the pass and a request for a picture with the Western States Winner is granted.  We make a careful descent of the pass down a series of granite benches and make our way through Dusy Basin.  We make our way past the lowest lake and join the Bishop Pass trail and drop into LaConte Canyon.  The trail drops over 3000 feet to meet the JMT.  We are distracted during the hot descent by watching a stream flowing madly down an impressive granite slab along with viewing an enormous Sierra juniper with a circumference of nearly 30 feet.  We again join the JMT and head north toward Muir Pass.  It's on this section we pass Andrew and Jacob's K-5 Physical Education teacher along with our first horse packers.  One rider remarks that he is tired and we all hold our tongues and walk in silence.  We stop short of the pass hoping to find the tent spot we stayed in 3 years ago.  To no avail we find an adequate spot to spend the night.

Heading toward Knapsack Pass (low spot)

Creek following Bishop Pass Trail

Day 5 we head toward Muir Pass.  We leave the JMT near Helen Lake and head toward Black Giant Pass.  We decide to loop through the Ionian Basin instead of crossing Muir Pass.   The Ionian Basin is a region virtually devoid of vegetation and it's unique and beautiful.  Once we gain the pass we get a quick snack and climb Black Giant.  Again the sweeping views are impressive from the summit, we can see where we've been and where we are headed, the Sierra Nevada is immense.  We spend a bit of time on the summit, descend quickly and reach the pass just as rain drops begin to fall.  We start to descend the pass and it is now raining, we are surprised at how quickly the weather changed.  We also realize we are lacking proper rain gear, Anne is not sure how we overlooked bringing rain pants and substantial rain jackets.  Thankfully we do have pack covers.  Things do not improve quickly; the talus field is steep, it's becoming wet and slippery and now it's hailing.  We make it to the bottom of the first bench where we easily pass a large tarn and head down another section along a waterfall to a lower bench with a smaller tarn.  The hail continues and Anne and Andrew are freezing.  We take cover under a rock to try to wait out the storm, we are above timberline so this is our only cover.  Things don't improve quickly, it's now hailing with lightening and thunder.  We are getting colder under the rock and Todd and Jacob decide to make a mad dash out to find a tent spot to set up the tent; they take off, Anne and Andrew soon follow; they thankfully have found a level spot and have the tent set up when Anne and Andrew arrive.  We all take cover in the tent, take off our saturated clothes, put on our long underwear and down coats and warm up in our sleeping bags.  After 4 hours the storm is over.  We head out of the tent to eat and hang our wet clothes on a make shift clothes line.  The sky is now clear.

Ascending Black Giant Pass

Black Giant Summit View

Day 6 dawns and we are headed over Wanda Pass back to the JMT.  After reviewing the maps we realize we need to drop down to Chasm Lake before we head up to the pass.  The descent takes us past one tarn before we drop into Chasm Lake.  Chasm Lake is surrounded by steep rock walls, there was no wind, so it's blue color makes it look magical.  We don't drop to the lake but climb up a waterfall to leave the bench, we ascend to a higher bench with another tarn, we then identify and head toward Wanda Pass and cross the Goddard Divide.  The ascent of Wanda Pass is straight forward, the descent a bit trickier as we need to avoid sheer drop offs, the talus is huge which is slow but we make it to Wanda Lake.  We head around Wanda Lake back to the JMT, this traverse is also slow due to the huge talus.  We make it to the JMT and head toward Evolution Lake our destination for the night.  During our descent the sky again darkens.  Andrew wants to know the plan if it starts to rain again.  We put the pack covers on and shortly it starts to sprinkle.  Andrew says look for a family size rock to get under, Anne spies one near Sapphire Lake and heads in that direction.  We all make it to the rock and take cover.  It's now raining and we're in for a long wait.  We stay under the rock for almost 4 hours before the rain subsides, we have a great vantage point to watch other backpackers take cover and share the rock with 2 JMT hikers for a while.  When the rain finally stops we decide to head down to Evolution Lake primarily to warm our wet feet.  We find a tent spot, eat and head into the tent as darkness settles in.  In the tent we review maps and make tomorrow's plan.  We need to cross Alpine Col and given the last 2 day's thunderstorms decide we need to be over the col by 2 pm to be safe.

Climbing along waterfall above Chasm Lake

Anne descending Wanda Pass

Todd "relaxing" in our rock shelter

Day 7 we wake early and head down the JMT, after 1/2 mile we again leave the trail and make our way to Darwin Bench.  There is a use trail heading to the bench so the going is easy.  Darwin Bench is beautiful and full of wild flowers.  We pass the first lake and make our way toward Alpine Col.  We had hoped to climb Mt. Goethe but as the clouds start to build we decide to forgo this ascent.  We continue to head toward the col, the next lake again is surrounded by large talus and this time steep snow slopes.  Thankfully the snow is soft, Andrew and Jacob kick in steps and we are able to cross, Anne again needing a pack shuttle.  We ascend a bit and reach the final lake before the col.  We assess getting around the lake and can't make a definitive call even after Andrew scouts the route.  We chose to go around the west side of the lake only to find difficult large talus with numerous snow crossings; here we split, Anne and Todd going back to traverse the east side, Andrew and Jacob traversing the west, they also take Anne's pack and help both of us up the col.  We spend minimal time on top and try to quickly descend, only to find it difficult.  Once again we encounter large talus and drop offs.  After almost reaching a dead end we find a chute we can descend, get into large talus and make it to the bottom.  Clouds are building.  We decide to go around Goethe Lake, another tedious talus heap, make it through, go around the tarn on the bench below, again crossing another tedious talus heap.  Then we are in the meadows above Muriel Lake.  After moving slowly all day it was a just reward.  The clouds never did build enough to rain on us but once again we are in mosquitoes and seeing people.  The primary bonus of off trail backpacking is the solitude.  We spend the night above Muriel Lake, enjoying the open Humphries Basin and playing Froggy Farkle.

Goethe Lake from Alpine Col

The last stretch through the talus heap 

The just reward

We are up early on day 8, hike cross country to Piute Pass, quickly descend the trail, our descent slowed by two groups of horse packers, and arrive at North Lake by 9:30.  We load the Prius, stop in Bishop for fresh produce and bread at Eric Schat's Bakery, and head back to Taboose Pass trailhead to get the other car.  Todd is able to maneuver the Prius through the mine field and we make it to the trailhead only to find the battery dead in the Subaru! ****!  We are able to get enough cell service to call AAA but help isn't arriving soon and trying to explain exactly where we are seems pointless.  To top things off the temperature is over 100.  Nonetheless Anne and Andrew decide to stay with the Subaru and send Todd and Jacob to the highway to flag down the AAA vehicle should it actually show up.  Todd and Jacob have a long drive home ahead.  As Anne and Andrew wait 2 backpackers come down the trail and miraculously have a battery jumper!  They give us a jump and we were finally on our way heading to Flagstaff where Andrew will spend the rest of the summer.

Descending Piute Pass

Droppings from our horse friends, yet we are asked to carry out our toilet paper ?!?!

The trip was wonderful, late July posed challenges (mosquitoes and snow) but the wildflowers were incredible.

Shooting Star

Columbine

Lily

Fourth of July Weekend

As has been our tradition for the last few years, my family went backpacking by the three sisters over 4th of July weekend.  We hiked in Saturday morning and pitched our tent part way up South Sister on top of a ridge a little ways from the trail.  That afternoon we hiked across a snow field and caught up with the trail on our way to the top of South Sister.  We had a fairly clear day, but unfortunately the clouds blew in and were thick on top of South Sister so we never had much of a view.  By the time we made it back to the tent it had cleared off, so we were a little disappointed not to have had a view from the summit.

Sunday we descended down some snowfields to Green Lakes.  We roughly followed the trail from Green Lakes to South Sister, but since the trail was under snow, we mostly just headed straight down the snowfield.  From Green Lakes we followed the climbers trail up to Broken Top.  This year we scrambled up to the top which involved a short little bit of climbing (that's why we stopped short last year).  The climb isn't too hard, but if you fall, it wouldn't be good.  We enjoyed the view from Broken Top before heading back down to Green Lakes and slogging back up the snowfields to our tent.

Monday was our last day so we packed up the tent and headed back down to Devil's Lake Trailhead.  It didn't take too long to get out and we were happy not to have to deal with many mosquitoes.

Here's some picture from our trip...

Moraine Lake with South Sister behind

Dad with Mt. Bachelor in the background

Mt. Bachelor as the clouds roll in

Looking toward Broken Top from South Sister

Starting the descent off South Sister

Descending down to Green Lakes the next morning

Indian Paintbrush

Climbing out of Green Lakes toward Broken Top

Middle and North Sister

Looking down the ridge toward South Sister

The end of the Tam MacArthur Rim

Dad and Jacob with the Three Sister in the background

Mt. Bachelor from Broken Top

Green Lakes

Broken Top behind Green Lakes

Broken Top

Climbing back up the snowfield toward the tent

Descending back to the car on Monday with Mt. Bachelor on the horizon

Western States 100

Before I get talking about my run on Saturday, I want to say thanks to all the people who helped me along my way and offered kind words after the run.  Without you guys, I'd never be able to accomplish what I did.

Saturday I woke up at 3:15, got dressed and soon was in the car heading to Squaw Valley.  I was staying at friend's house about 25 minute away so I ate breakfast in the car to save some time in the morning.  After I checkin I ran into a few runners I knew, but mostly sat around with my family waiting for it all to begin.  With just a couple minutes left on the clock, I gave my parents each a hug, then lined up near the front of the pack.  In just a few moments we counted down the last 10 seconds and then headed up the hill, all hoping to make it Auburn, 100 miles away.

As we ran up in the morning cool, the pace felt comfortable and I felt good, so I was excited for the day ahead.  I ran near the front of the pack for the first half the climb, but then more people started to catch up so I crested the climb around 10th place.  I felt comfortable so I focused on moving efficiently and didn't worry about what other runners were doing.  I switched spots with a few runners as we moved along, but mostly hovered around 10th.  Early on I wasn't thirsty at all, I didn't even bother to stop at Lyon Ridge to fill my bottle as I had hardly drank anything.  I knew hydration would be important in the heat, but over hydration can be a huge problem so I trusted my body and only drank to thirst.

I kept rolling along in the high country soaking up the views and wondering which of the climbs I should hike and which to walk.  I was mostly hiking early on, but after Red Star Ridge, I realized that running the climbs was no problem, so I started running more and soon was passing a few people.  I rolled into Duncan Canyon, saw my crew for the first time, and was out quickly on my way.

I left the aid station feeling good, despite the ice bandana that was absolutely freezing, so I picked up the pace a little bit and ran strong to Robinson Flat.  The trail crossed a few creeks on the way over to Robinson Flat, so I made sure to soak myself in each creek, heeding the advice of Pam Smith who told me to get wet whenever I could, even if the water was disgusting.

I ran into Robinson Flat feeling strong and in good spirits.  I saw the other half of my crew, and was quickly out of the aid station and climbing up Little Bald Mountain.  The downhill on the backside opened up to some beautiful views as I cruised along.  Soon the trail leveled out turning into a jeep road.  I was expecting the downhill from Robinson Flat to be steeper but I accepted what it was and kept running.  Some of you may know that flat running is not my strength, but I was happy with how well I ran on that section.

I soon ran through Miller's Defeat, got some ice, refilled my bottle and was on my way.  The trail continued to roll along on dirt roads which gradually got steeper as I approached Dusty Corners.  I was in and out of Dusty Corners quickly with the help of my crew, but don't really remember too much about that section.  Honestly, almost all the way from Robinson Flat to Last Chance was kind of vague.  I was still feeling good in this section, so I was trying to keep soaking up the views and not think too much about running.

Dusty Corners to Last Chance put us back on some trails which rolled along slowly losing some elevation.  At this point I was starting to get tired of all the easy running, but I reminded myself that just a few miles off I'd enter the canyons which offered some steep climbs and descents.  I focused on running to Last Chance.  This was the first time I really focused on running aid station to aid station, but it was a theme that would continue throughout the day.

The descent from Last Chance was steep with a few rocks, but never too bad so I was able to run pretty fast for the whole descent.  I knew the canyons would be my strongest section on the course so after a strong downhill I focused on making good time up to Devil's Thumb.  I found myself power hiking early on in the climb, but soon the trail started to level and I mostly ran up to the aid station after that, only hiking on brief steep pitches.

Up till Last Chance I was just running along and enjoying the views, but once I headed down to the Swinging Bridge and back up to Devil's Thumb, my mentality started to switch.  I knew I was in 6th place at the time so I finally started thinking about other runners.  I ran pretty well from Robinson Flat to Last Chance, but really started to move on my way over to Devil's Thumb so somewhere on the climb I had a feeling that I might reel someone in.  And just few minutes before the top I saw David Laney hiking along.  I dropped into a walk behind him then ran past as the trail leveled off.  We didn't say much but I could tell David was struggling a bit so I moved by and continued to focus on myself.

I ran into Devil's Thumb aid station and saw Joe Uhan, a good friend from Oregon, working there.  We exchanged a few words then I headed out of the aid station quickly.  I rolled along a mile of trail before dropping down to El Dorado Creek.  The descent still felt easy, so I focused on my nutrition as I headed down the trail as I knew that I put in a pretty hard effort on the climb to Devil's Thumb and would repeat that effort going up to Michigan Bluff.  I had been eating a gel every 45 minutes earlier on, but this is where I switched to eating every 30-40 minutes.  Just before El Dorado Creek I caught sight of Thomas Lorblanchet and made sure I passed him before the aid station.  I rolled into the aid station and caught sight of Didrik Hermansen leaving so I was in and out of the aid station as quickly as I could.

I hiked the first bit of the climb up to Michigan Bluff, then switched to a run and soon saw Didrik ahead of me.  I ran past him and kept climbing hard and soon he was out of sight.  I looked back on a few switchbacks, but was feeling strong so I was pretty sure he wasn't keeping up.  The climb up to Michigan Bluff went well, but I felt a little tired toward the top.  I had eaten my last gel nearly 45 minutes earlier, so I backed off the pace a little and made sure to fuel up when I reached Michigan Bluff.

I rolled into Michigan Bluff and was soon on my way with the help of my crew.  I headed out of the aid station and ran well on the rolling sections that followed until the road turned uphill and the grade steepened.  I knew I was a bit low on calories, and starting to feel the fatigue setting in, but I kept running up the hill, knowing I could quickly fix the calorie deficit.  I turned off onto the trail and started down into Volcano Canyon.  I ran the descent pretty well and was starting to wonder how far ahead Sage and Jim were.  There descent went by quickly, but I was starting to heat up and was hoping to find a creek in the bottom of the drainage.

After dunking in the creek I began the climb out of Volcano Canyon and ran up toward Bath Road.  I felt better than I had a few miles earlier, and did a good job of running up to Bath Road.  After reaching Bath Road, I knew I'd see my crew soon and pacer soon so that gave me a good mental boost.  Shortly after starting the climb I ran into my brother who was going to pace me from Foresthill to the River.  The climb seemed less steep than I remembered from two years earlier when I paced Jason Leman which was a nice surprise.

I saw my crew just before the Foresthill aid station so I grabbed a new bottle and some gels and ran right through the aid station.  Somewhere in the confusion, I saw my friend Dennis with Pam Smith standing next to him.  It was pretty awesome to see them there!  Dennis was racing that day, so I felt sorry that something went wrong.  But seeing him and knowing he came to see me after a tough day was really special and kept me inspired for the miles ahead.

My brother caught up to me at the end of Cal Street, as he had stopped at the aid station to fill his bottle, and we headed down the trail together.  We moved along pretty well down to Cal 1 and the going was still pretty easy for me at that point.  We filled up at Cal 1 and headed along to Cal 2.

Somewhere in this section, things started to heat up and the endless winding trail started to take its toll.  I never had to walk anything I wouldn't have normally walked, but I could tell that I wasn't moving very well.  I kept going and finally we started to near Cal 2.  I recognized a couple places from 2 years ago and soon we rolled into Cal 2.  I got some ice filled my bottle, and just as I was leaving Didrik Hermansen rolled in behind me.

I took off.  That was the first time someone had come from behind me all day so I started flying down the descent to Cal 3.  I never saw Didrik when I looked back up the switchbacks but I kept pushing.  Soon I hit short steep section of dirt road that lead up toward Cal 3.  I felt strong hiking up this section so I figured a had a short gap on Didrik.  I was in and out of Cal 3 quickly and didn't see anyone come in behind me so I knew I had run the last couple miles well.

After Cal 3, we stayed on trail much longer than I remembered.  I thought that we hit the river road right away so I was thankful for every extra mile of trail.  I felt that I still moving well in that section and soon I was about halfway to the river.  Shortly after a creek crossing I asked my brother if he had seen anyone behind.  He said yeah, he's right behind us.

That was a shock!  I thought I was pulling away but he was right on my heels.  I was a little startled for a few minutes, but then I calmed down and realized there was still a long way to go.  I was running better on the hills than Didrik so I planned to build a gap heading up to Green Gate and if he still stuck with me, then I'd try to pull away climbing up to Highway 49 or Robie Point.

Soon we hit the river road and I focused on getting taking care of myself.  The road was hot but never too bad and I slowly pulled in front.  Shortly after we hit the road there was a short little climb that I tried to pull away on.  I opened a small gap which I had hoped to have coming into the aid station and the river crossing.  I knew if I had a small lead going into the climb I should be able to get out of sight which hopefully would demoralize Didrik.

Rolling into the River crossing I saw Joe Uhan waiting there with a yellow 11 bib on, he'd be pacing Didrik.  We just looked at each other for a second then I was passed him and had reached my crew.  A quick stop and I took off down to the river with my pacer Cary Stephens who would take me to the line.

We jumped in the river and started making our way across.  The cool water felt great and I took a few seconds on the far side to stick me head under water before we began the climb.  Hopping out on the far bank my legs felt refreshed and we started climbing quickly up toward Green Gate.  Didrik wasn't in the water yet when I left the river so I knew I'd have a lead of a couple minutes.

I hit Green Gate and then began rolling along on the winding single track to ALT.  I was a little worried I might give up some time along this section so I made sure that my pacer kept me from getting into a lull and running slow.

Once I hit ALT, I heard the Jim was still way ahead, but I had gained some ground since the river.  I knew I wasn't going to catch him unless something happened or he totally blew up.  Still, it was nice to know I was gaining ground and that gave me confidence I could hang onto second.

ALT to Brown's Bar was similar to the last section as the trail slowly rolled along. I'd lead on some of the steeper ups and fast downhills, but Cary usually stayed in front and kept me going.  I was moving a bit slower than I had hoped, but I was able to keep a reasonable pace which would make it difficult for anyone behind me to catch up.

Brown's Bar went by and soon I was starting to climb up to Highway 49.  The road rolled along and shortly after we turned off onto a trail and continued the climb.  I was getting tired at that point, but was still running well on the uphills so I was happy with the temporary break from flat running.  The trail started to level out as I neared the top of the climb and soon I caught sight of the aid station.

As I ran into the aid station I was asked if the course marking was alright.  I said yes and didn't think anything of it.  Maybe they just wanted to be sure.  Then I saw my crew and they were yelling at me that I was in the lead because Jim had missed a turn.  I quickly got my bottle and gels and headed out but I listened enough to know that Jim was still off course and I was in the lead with 6.5 miles to go.

I took off on the climb up to the meadow and quickly dropped my pacer.  I was feeling great.  Adrenaline is truly the body's equivalent of rocket fuel, but it doesn't last long and as I hit the meadow I felt my the added energy wane.  I knew I needed to keep running fast, but I also focused on eating and drinking like I had all day because there was still a few miles to go.  The descent to No Hands Bridge was longer than I thought but I kept moving and soon I came within sight of the bridge.  I ran down the last switchback and headed across the bridge.  People were telling me I was surely going to win but I wasn't going to back off yet.

I ran up the road from No Hands, moving well and soon found myself climbing up the trail which lead to Robie Point.  The whole time I was running along the road, I kept waiting to hear cheers, but they never came so I was starting to believe that I really would win.  The climb was a little bit of a grind but I told myself to run it all and soon was in sight of Robie Point.  Then I heard the cheering begin and soon was running along a paved road lined with people.

The last mile was pretty special.  I've never seen so many people at an ultra, so I kept moving but made sure I was soaking it all up.  I spend nearly a mile with Connor Curley, my contact at Salomon, on the trip through town and a quarter mile or so with my pacer.  He managed to get a ride from No Hands Bridge which made me happy because it would have been disappointing for him to miss the finish.

And then I hit the track.  People lined the inside and I held out my hand to high five everyone as I rounded the last corner and came down the homestretch.  I crossed the line, Craig put my medal around my neck and that was the end of the run.

After the race I got to enjoy the rest of the day with my family, pacer, and everyone else around.  It took me a while to start to understand what I accomplished and I still think I'm struggling to fully realize what I did.

One thing I know for sure is that it wouldn't have happened without a lot of help.  My crew and pacers did an amazing job out there, and the countless volunteers made it possible for the race even to happen.  The people of Auburn made the experience one of the greatest I will ever have with their unbelievable support and excitement over the last mile.  Also, I need to thank Salomon for providing me such great gear to use throughout the day.  Additionally, Injinji provided great socks which kept me feet happy and blister free.  There are countless others who I need to thank but I really want to say thanks to all my friends back home in Oregon for providing so much positive support over the years.  Without all those kind words, I might not even be running today.

Western States was truly a special event, in large part because the great community that puts on the race.  It will always have a special place in my heart and I look forward to returning next year.

Also, I want to congratulate all the other runners, but especially Jim Walmsley.  He ran and incredible race and was unfortunate to get off course so close to the finish.  His run was incredible, but his actions after the race were even greater.  Jim took the whole ordeal in stride showing how special a person he is.  Although he didn't win, he is a true champion.

Thanks again to everyone!  I've received countless kind words and am thankful for all the time people have taken to reach out and share their support.  See you all on the trail soon.

New Hance Rapids

Its taken me a while to get this up, but two weekends ago, Jacob and I headed down the Grandview trail, then followed the Tonto to New Hance Rapids.  As always the scenery was incredible and a few flowers blooming made the view even better.  Only a week after the Georgia Death Race, this was a totally experience as I had time to slow down, take in the view, and stop to snack.  The whole trip put me in a rather reflective mood, so I'll share some of the thoughts I pondered.

Indian Paintbrush in bloom

The Tonto Trail

Looking out across the Tonto Platform

Some cactus in bloom

As we made our way down to the river, we stopped a few time to look at flowers, take some picture, and just appreciate the view.  After racing just a week earlier, I was thankful for the chances to stop as there were times the previous weekend when I wished I could slow down and explore a little instead of pushing on.  This got me thinking about running as a whole...specifically what I loved the most.  

Initially I got into running because I enjoyed joining my mom for runs in the woods and loved our hiking and backpacking trips which took us across many beautiful places.  Reflecting on that, I realized the spending time with my family and enjoying the scenery were a couple main reasons why I run.  And these thoughts were more in line with the current trip in the Grand Canyon which offered a chance to soak up the beauty around me and spend some time with my brother than the Georgia Death Race.  So does this mean I don't like to race as much?

Well, I realized I don't like to race as frequently.  Over the last few years I found myself running more and more, and racing more and more.  This seemed like the natural progression but I've realized I had lost a little bit of the excitement those last couple years.  Races kept coming up and I wanted to run them all, it just felt like I didn't have time to get excited for them.  Looking specifically at the Georgia Death Race, I asked myself if I was excited?  Yes!  I hadn't raced since Bighorn in June so getting to race again was an awesome experience for me.  I was excited to run, excited to see how far I could push myself, excited for the whole experience.  Over our trip in the Grand Canyon, I realized I love to push myself as far as I can.  For me, this is the true thrill of racing.  But I realized that it takes a huge physical and mental effort to push hard during a race, and that I can only give that effort once in a while.

So do I like to race as much as simply enjoy the outdoors?  Yes, but spending time enjoying the outdoors will probably be a bigger part of my running over the years to come.  I love exploring new places and soaking up great views which is something I strive to do as often as I can.  If fact, I'm blessed to have the change to soak up a beautiful view every day here in Flagstaff, Arizona.  But racing is still important to me as many of my best memories are from racing.  So with racing, I'm simply trying to find the balance where I get to race, but feel fully prepared and excited to run.  Over the years, I have said my running is much more than just racing.  I find that statement to be more true now than ever before.  And I that finding the balance between exploring and racing has made me a happier person.

Running down to New Hance Rapids

The River

Some rapids upstream of New Hance Rapids

You can't quite appreciate the river's power until right next to it

Exploring a neat side canyon 

After reflecting on adventuring versus racing, I was capture but the thrill of the Western States 100.  I can't quite express what it means for me to be heading to California in June.  The race is the most storied ultra on Earth, and is known to all in the ultra community.  Its the proving ground for ultra runners, where they can see how they stack up against each other.  So to get a chance to see how I can do against the best of the best is a huge thrill.  Racing is about pushing myself as far as I can, but I'm competitive too, so I'll be aiming high when I head to Squaw Valley.  I'm thrilled about getting to run the race, but I'm even happier at the excitement I'm finding in my running.  Some days, I can hardly wait till June.  It will be an awesome day when race day comes.

Climbing out the next morning

Those Cottonwood trees are just so green

More cactus blooms