Kendall

8 late afternoon on the JRPT.

Timpanogos summit (Timpanooke). Full-moon hike with Traci and Brigham (started at 10 pm). Froze my can off. Should have brought a jacket.  

Pfeifferhorn summit via Maybird, back via Red Pine.  First time on White Pine trail. Incredible! Summit from Maybird side a bit dicey. Next time I'll go Red Pine both directions.

Third 11'er of the week: Lone Peak, Timpanogos, Pfeifferhorn.

  First view of the Pfeifferhorn via Maybird

 Red Pine Lake

From Thanksgiving Point up the JRPT though Jordan Narrows to Redwood Road, down new 2100 North back on to JRKT to Thanksgiving Point.

JRPT up through the narrows to Redwood Road and back (to work--Thanksgiving Point). Hot.

Pfeifferhorn: 1:42 summit / 2:57 total (part deux)

Evening run back up the Pfeifferhorn (I get cooler every time I say "Pfeifferhorn").This time summit via Red Pine lake. Ran it hard including small diversion to Upper Red Pine Lake, then up the ridge and summit. I finally found where the trail leads up to the ridge from Red Pine lake so I won't have to rock-hop and scramble as much. I think I can go sub 1:30 next time.

Lots of smoke, eyes and lungs burning from fire out west. Very lonely run...nobody up top and only 1-2 in between (I like it that way).

Didn't bring my headlamp and ran out of daylight 1/2 way down. Fortunately had Flashlight App on my phone which helped immensely. I really should be smarter about such things...no shirt, no light, solo evening run--duh.

Love this place!

Sugarloaf 11,051 (from Alta)

Was going to do Pfeifferhorn again but ran out of daylight. Decided to grab another peak. Debated between Baldy and Sugarloaf but since I just did baldy at the Speedgoat and had never done Sugarloaf...Sugarloaf won.

Great short run/hike up to the top of Sugarloaf lift at Alta...incredible views, blah...blah...blah.

just a cool lookin' tree stump

Sugarloaf Summit

View north from Summit--can't help thinking about Wasatch (up and down...up and down). 

Great evening run up in the foothills. Evening summer rain shower and fast fluid legs made this a special run.

8 hours of trail work up Lamb's Canyon in order to complete Wasatch application. Nice to spend time swapping stories with other ultra guys including 15 time finisher and past winner Lee __?___. Tough work but good conversation.

Evening run up the face of Big Bald mountain (utah county--Timp). First time up the face, over 3,000 ft elevation gain in 2 miles--most of that in 1 mile. Tough hike up and race down to beat the dark. Amazing sunset up top as I chased three false summits eventually making it to the top. Ran into rattlesnake near bottom--too dark to see it but heard it close. Hate that.

Treadmill speed workout.

4 mile warm up at 7:30 mm pace.

(6) .25m repeats at just under 6 mm, last .30 mi at 5:27.

1 mile cool down. Soaking wet when finished...why do they keep those gyms so warm?!

10 miles along the JRPT. Better speed due to previous days speed work out--even on tired legs.

10 miles on the JRPT.

On any given day on the Jordan River Parkway Trail (today!)...

• Fox
• Hawk diving for a mouse
• Sparrow hawk with a mouse
• Garder Snake
• Carp (Jordan River--flopping out of the water)
• Lizards and lots of little baby lizards
• Gray Squirrel
• Beaver swimming across the JR
• Tons of birds (swallows, robins, magpies, tweety birds--little ones that I can't identify)
• Lots of red ants tonight
• Stink bug

...but who's counting.

PFEIFFERHORN

Not a great energy day but now that I've found the more direct route up from Red Pine Lake, I PR'ed by 10 min (summit #3 in the last two weeks). Still looking for the sub 1:30 which I think I can do on a higher energy week/day--not much sleep the last two days with a busy work load (3-4 hours per night).

Met a great couple up top who are visiting SLC on vacation--she's from Argentina, he's from _?_. They've been nailing several hikes in the area. Enjoyed chatting them up about the various peaks surrounding the Pfeifferhorn.

Up: 1:37 / Total: 2:47

CASCADE--DNF

13 miles round-trip (via Rock Canyon, 2 miles? from the Summit)

5,201 Elevation Gain

Lived in Utah County practically all my life and have never gone to the summit of Cascade mountain--been on it, around it, up & down much of it, but never to the top of it.

Starting from the Rock Canyon trailhead (this lower access vs starting from Squaw Peak road adds about 3 miles  one way to the trip) I ran this entire section climbing about 1,700 ft, 3 miles to Squaw Peak road then to the trail heading up toward Provo Peak and cirque.

I've never particularly enjoyed this section of trail (Kat'cina Mosa follows this same route)--hot, exposed and too steep for running. Relegated to power hiking, I continued up another 2,000 ft and a couple miles until the trail takes a big southern loop toward Provo Peak before heading back north to the ridge. I opted to head straight up (left-north) the terraces to the ridge. The straight up route involved some bush whacking and an extremly steep, rocky, and dustry climbing for another 1,000 ft.

Getting to the ridge I headed west to the base of the Cascade mountain ridge and traverse which leads to the top. At this point I realized I was in trouble. I had been running/hiking for about 7 miles/ and coming up on 3 hours, peeing copper and only about 1/2 a bottle of water left. The summit was about 2 miles and 1,000 ft from my location. I was hot, tired and falling apart. I had been rationing water and already dehydrated and did not feel right about going for the summit without more water.

I stopped, phoned a friend and asked them to check the net to see if they could find any information about water sources near the Cascade summit. As suspected, we found nothing.

As much as I hate quitting anything, I continued on another half mile to get a better look at the traverse, turned around and headed back.

Summit in the distance--would have to wait for another day.

The retreat was a fast descent the same way as I came up. I was glad to get water once back in Rock Canyon. Drank 2 bottles right on the spot, douced myself and wrapped it up.

Cascade is a long tough hike. Next time more water, more food and more time. Oh, I hate that hike--agghhh!

9 miles on the treadmill. 

New strategy as I get closer to Wasatch (inspired by Anton Krupika):

At the expense of my long runs, I've spent more time on my feet climbing and peak bagging--2-3 peaks per week for the last month. The benefits I hope will be the training at altitude as well as strengthening my power-hiking (which has been a weakness of mine). As I near Wasatch I fear I need to get more nimble, lighter on my feet, and a faster turn-over.

In the remaining three weeks, I'm going to divide my training into thirds =  1/3 Treadmill, 1/3 Trail running, 1/3 Hiking. Priority: I need to get faster in the remaining three weeks.

Tony K in his post leadville interview speaks of a lack of long runs in exchange for a lot of hiking and climbing--net result is that he blew his quads early in the race and struggled to finish. He killed the hope pass sections and then fell apart on the flats. http://www.irunfar.com/2012/08/anton-krupicka-post-2012-leadville-100-interview.html. I listened to the interview and realized I may have just made the same mistake. Time to move my feet and run. 

8 on the JRPT.

Didn't get away until late-late, hit the treadmill for a quick 6.

5 on the JRPT

Brighton to Homestead or last 24 (24.39) of the Wasatch 100 course. Great to connect with this part of the course before race day, now less than two weeks away.

The last 25 out of Brighton, mentally, is to be considered the last half of the race. It's a long, rocky, dusty, scrappy section of climbs (5200 gain) and descents (8362 drop) to the finish, which will be run entirely in the dark on race day--at least I hope so, if it's light, that would be morning light, meaning I'm waaaay off pace.

Ran with speedy Bob (Meuller), Seth Hales, Emily Brackelsberg, Amie Blackham all bseasoned Wasatch finishers, except for myself who will be attempting for the third time a Wasatch 100 finish (0-2).

Lots of runners on the trail on Saturday, nearly all of which are training for Wasatch, including David and Derek Blaylock, Ken Jensen (Derek and Ken are both 22 hour finishers, Ken finished 3rd just behind Karl in 1999). Hooked up with fellow blogger MatthewVH on the descent and he stayed with the group the rest of the way to Homestead--talented runner and he'll do well at Wasatch.

The taper has officially begun. Ready or not the beast is around the corner.

7 on the treadmill. 1 mile warm up; 2.5 miles at 7:30 mm; .5 mile at 6:30 mm; 2 mi at 7 mm; 1 mile cool down. Legs feel good after big run on Saturday and some speed today--good combo. Trying to focus on being light on my feet and fast turn-over (a la Jay Aldous and zen running).

Late night on the treadmill to "Casino Royale"...james bond theme is great to run to.

Rest day...tapering and trying to okay about it.

Run after work out on the JRPT. Got a bit wet when the storm rolled over.

Feeling pretty good. Light on the feet today and quick turn-over--exactly where I'd like to be one week from now.

Late night run up in the foohills (11 pm), double-loop over point. Warm evening, run watching storm roll-in over Utah Lake, lighting up the sky.