Like the canyon

Perfect temps tonight, a little rain yesterday made the trails mmm, mmm good!   Great run up Wheeler/East F/Green Pond/ added in the Cold Water overlook/down Maples and Icebox.

First hard run since the Loco over a week ago. A little rest last week got the wheels spin'en good.  Best times from Wheeler gate to the Art Nord gate (16:30) Bench at Middle/East fork split (41:55) School Hill (1:01).  Kept it right around a 7 minute or under pace for the 4 miles from the top of the Overlook to Icebox, at that point it was just a little too dark to keep up the pace.  Felt easy tonight, blame it on freshish legs and cooler temps. Love runs like that. 

17.28 miles, 2810 vert, 2:29,  (8:39 average pace)

Easy spin around the local trails.  6 miles 620 vert, nice and mellow.  I swear the easy ones are harder than the hard ones sometimes.  I have to go into them with the mindset of not caring if a 300 lb 80 year old lady passes me, I WILL NOT RUN HARD. 

Ben Lomond Peak with a little add on toward Inspiration Point from the North Fork trailhead tonight. First time running that section, I have always started at the top of the N. Ogden divide, running to where it intersects the North Fork trail at the base of the final climb.  Learned a couple of things about the North fork trail as compared to the regualr route.  I thought it would be shorter (it's not) I thought it might be as pretty (it's not, but close) I thought it would be more climbing (it is) I thought it might be the dreaded "green tunnel" (it was).   All in all a great run, felt a little flat going up the last climb to the peak, but might have been because I kept stopping to watch all the goats (20-30 right near the trail) All by myself up therre tonight, not a soul seen on the whole 16.5 miles.  Oh, and some Jacka$$ took the summit register.   

Run totals: 16.5 miles 4280 vert, 2:53, plus a little time on the top and goat watching.

Made the saddle in 1:10

Looking into cirque between Willard Peak and Ben Lomond

 Willard Peak from North Fork Trail

Eden, and the Ogden Valley from B.L. Summit

Looking South from peak (Lewis, Mt Ogden, Fransis)

Sorry couldn't resist the obligatory goat pic

Malan's to end of switchback above the overlook with a little BST add on.  No watch, guessing 1500 vert, 4.5 miles.  Worked on the run/hike/run thing up Malan's.  Confirmed that I suck badly at hiking.  I feel so much better running, when I hike it's clunky and and slow.  It trip on rocks, stumble around, lose footing. Running seems to allow me to float over junk that gets in the way when hiking??

Malan's is a steep pig, I forgot how much so.  Appetitie is coming on with a vengeance again with the increased effort this week.  4 weeks to the Bear.  1.5 weeks to keep the peddle down, then coast into the start line. (gotta work on hiking) 

One more random thought.  Need to go shoe shopping.  Bad timing with a 100 miler looming, but the 'Sportiva Wildcats aren't cutting it any more.  They feel heavy and clunky now after running so much in the Crosslites and Hokas.  I've also decided the shoe is too tall for the platform, seems I roll my ankles alot in them.  Crosslites are too minimal for a 100 miles (for me anyway) Hoka's are great for shorter runs on mellow terrain, but in my opinion, are terrible on loose, rocky, or off camber trail (like horrible).  Suggestions??  If nothing really feels perfect I will fall back on the Wildcats. They are sturdy, fit well, and have never given me any type of blister (knock on wood).

Easy 5 mile cruiser on the bench.  550 vert.

 Nothing better than running a long loop route through the mountains.  This one is a classic in my opinion (other than the mile long death of a bush whack straight down hill).  I have done this one once before, exactly a year ago.  I added on a little more this year, starting from the house and running the first 4.5 miles on the BST, rather than driving to Beus Canyon trail head. 

The route is best described by the Garmin link and the pictures below.  Went into it planning to go at an all day (100 mile) pace.  Beus Canyon is pretty much a hike (nasty overgrown trail and steep).  Bit of billy goating between Mt Ogden and Mt Allen.  Nice run down through Snowbasin (tried to stay out of the way of the 50K/100K mtn bike race going on).

Great run, total blast!!. Love a great loop and a door to door, got 'em both out of this one! Check it out.

Run total 25 miles, 7250 vert.

Week totals: 64 miles, 16,400 vert or so.

Started and stopped the watch at the trailhead so need to add 1.5 miles and 150 vert for the out-n-back from home

 (15:34 pace, sounds slow I know, but I am totally happy with it given some of the very slow sections, (bushwack, ridge hike) and the overall nasty terrain.  I had a lot left in the tank at the end and that is close to the pace I think I can handle at the Bear)  

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/46522611 (Earth or terrain setting on the map is best)

Beus Canyon (almost tropical in there, very humind, no wind lots of wet ferns urrhh!)

 Overgrown upper Beus trail (yep its there, now I remember why I only hike this trail every six months or so)

 Awesome section above tree line heading to Mt Ogden/Allen

 View from Mt Ogden looking north at Allen, lewis, BL (windy!!)

 Looking east to the Ogden Valley and Snowbasin (route descends to parking lot visable in center of pic) :)!!!

 Big drop to the east. (windy!!!=sketchy)

 Lookin back at Mt Ogden on the way across the Allen, route follws the spiney ridge.

 Looking down Cold Water canyon from Allen (route descends to Snowbasin and climbs back up to the ridgeline opposite of view, red line is the bushwack from he-double L)

 Top of ridge (Cold Water overlook) from previous pic looking down the line marked (hold your nose and jump in!)

 View looking out from Cold Water overlook (Mt allen can be seen in the distance)

 View looking up Cold Water Canyon from Indian Trail (Lots of people out hiking today, can't blame them it was beautiful!)

 Looking back up Taylor Canyon to where I had been from the BST ( allen/ogden) (this is taken at exactly where the loop connects)

 Perfect single track bliss of the Indian Trail