The fundraiser consists of runners/hikers summiting Granduer Peak via the west side route. The route has over 3,300 feet of vert in just over two miles. It is extremely taxing. Each time a runner/hiker summits a pledge or donation is made. My goal this year was 3-5 summits. Jared's was 15. He is an animal.
This was my first day of major climbing since my surgery. I was unsure what to expect but excited to spend a day on the hill with several friends. On Friday night the wind and rain beat against our house. It kept me up a fair part of the night. I was really looking forward to a great nights rest but it was not to be. As such I started an hour later than the other runners. I figured I would see them coming down as I was headed up.
I started my first lap and felt really good. I was taking it easy but pleased with my pace. A little under half way up I saw Jared and Luke Nelson coming down. These two are legit! Luke took second at the Wasatch a few years back and is a member of Patagonia's ultra team. They were both jumping into the wind and it was moving them back a bit. It was crazy. The wind howled more than I had ever seen. It beat against me so hard a couple of times that I became fearful that it would blow me off of one of the many open faces.
I trudged up the hill and ran into many other great runners and great running friends. The higher I went the more the winds beat and the icier the conditions. I ended up putting on my micro-spikes and that helped with the ice. Nothing would help with the wind. At one point I literally had to lay down to protect myself. Many runners making their way down said that it had literally blown them off of their feet. I saw this happen to two different runners. The other report was that the wind calmed on the summit. I heard it was peaceful up there.
I pushed on and ran into QB and Kara. It is always good to see them. I reached the summit and was greeted with beautiful clear skies and temporary respite from the wind. I ran into a great gal named Bethany. She was flying up the hill and we had a nice chat on the summit. We would leap frog each other on the way down.
The decent was awesome until about a quarter mile from the bottom. That is when I realized that I do not have the quads that I once did. They were FRIED. It hurt bad! When I reached the bottom I was pleased with the first go. I decided to drive home, shower, get fresh clothes and shoes and head back for lap 2.
I felt good for the bottom half of lap 2. I ran into Ty Draney who I have seen at a race or two. He is the race director for El Vacquero Loco in Afton, WY. He is a very strong athlete and later this year will attempt a double Bear 100 or in his case Bear 200. We climbed together for a bit and had a nice chat. He is a good dude.
I hit the hole and really started to struggle through the wind. I caloried up and started to feel better but I had no bounce in my legs. After a grudge match I reached the summit for the second time of the day. Conditions on the way down were brutal. I can best describe it as running down a very steep grade on soft butter. I fell three separate times. One of which was feet to shoulders. OUCH! My foot began to ache and by the time I reached the bottom I had a pronounced limp. I figured two summits would be enough today.
I look forward to climbing this mountain several more times this summer. It is an essential trainer for the Wasatch. Today I can barely walk. My quads are DESTROYED. My foot is sore but not injured. I will continue to nurse it and ease my way back in. All in all it was a great day. Jared finished with 12 summits. I was able to raise $620 to donate to Breathe Utah. I was pumped about that. I will likely remember that wind for the rest of my life.
Here is a view from the top. Summit 1 and summit 2.
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