Moose Knuckle!

So, you see, i was thinking, ok enough i went to checkout the bottom portion of the desolation trail on Friday the (a fly is driving me nuts) 9/18. i made the grid over the ridge and was surprised by how overgrown the trail was in spots and other areas it was fine. Kind of weird but once i started to run down into the bowl and began the switchbacks up to another ridge i heard some rustling in the bushes. i looked to my left and i was about 30 feet from a monstrous moosey (i named him MaximousMoosimous and moosey will be called this from now on). MaximousMoosimous is a boy with horns and all, and he stared at me. this stare was not the nice googly eyed stare i like. this stare was full of rage, which looked similar to the spanish bullfighting, bull stare. so i added a little pip to my step and tried to put some acreage between me and MaximousMoosimous. just when i thought i was ok and in the clear i heard the same damn rustling again. Fucking, MaximousMoosimous was making up ground and he still had me in his bullfighting stare. at this point i put a whole lot more than some extra pip in my steep. this was "hammer time," I rallied up the switchbacks and got on to the ridge. i musta put the hurt on MaximousMoosimous. The rest was an enjoyable run to the point, where i turned around.

on the way back i was more nervous, for the reason that i thought MaximousMoosimous was going to be hiding and waiting for the right time to get on his rears and pound my precious face into he ground. on the way to the to my battle ground i came up with the fantastic idea of grabing myself a rock. Hells yeah, no moosey is going to punk my ass now not even the great MaximousMoosimous. Rocks are 1. heavey 2. can Konk like a sludge hammer 3. have points, giving them extra penetrating powers. i felt so much better now, so care free, the way that running should be (sorry for that gay line). Bullshit, who am i fooling i still felt like i was a gladiator about to enter the Colosseum to be slain. I made it to the bowl/ Colosseum and started to make my way down slowly, while trying to be as stealthly and silant as possible while running. For your information its not easy running with a 10 pound rock in one hand. It feels like you are extremely lopsided. After i make it down a few switcheroos i see it; BIG, DEEP, and right on the trail its MOOSE KNUCKLE! MaximuosMoosimous has walked down the trail, at this point all i can say is WTF. I do all i can and that is keep a healthy grip on my rock and continue my lopsided running down the trail, while staying alert to any rustling in the bushes. MaximousMoosimouses moose knuckles veer on and off the trail for the next two miles and then a hard swithback from right to left comes, and MaximousMoosimouses moose knuckles are off into the wilderness for good. thank god im safe, and then its time for the no more MaximousMoosimous dance. I was so happy at this point i did not even think twice about my bad ankle and over it goes, rolled for the i dont know 50th time this summer. That doesn't matter that much though im only 3 miles from being done.

Desolation trail

I decided that since i was already in ok shape after doing the horseshoe traverse. I might as well keep running for two more weeks and do the Desolation marathon. Today was my first run on the trail and it was so much better than i could have hopped. It is a single track trail with wonderful Aspen trees that were changing colors. over the first few miles a fierce thunder storm rolled in and dropped some painful hail on me as well. this made the beginning even better cuz i am into shitty weather running. then as the miles went on the sun came out and dried my soaking wet cloths as well as lighting up the peaks. this added a nice beauty element to the mix of an already fantastic run. i ran a mile or mile and a half past desolation lake and then turned around. even though the running back was gradually uphill i felt great and had a negative split, which is always icing on the cake. this run got me that much more psyched for the marathon and i cant wait to boot up for the big day.

The Horse Shoe Traverse

Last August i did the alpine traverse and was completely trashed afterwards i could barley walk and it took me 13 hours. After doing this i thought there was no way i could ever do the whole Horse Shoe Traverse: however, this summer i got really psyched to start training and make this thing happen. I started running the Pfeifferhorn and sections of the traverse a few times a week and mixed in some more casual trail running as well. One day after doing a section of the traverse from the Pfeifferhorn to Lone Peak and down Bells Canyon i sprained my ankle badly. This injury continued to haunt me while i rolled my ankle repeatedly on training runs to the point i thought i would not be able to do the traverse. finally it healed enough and i knew i was ready to give the traverse a shot so i stashed watter on the Pfeifferhorn and Superior and on Monday 9/7 i started at 3am. 10 min. in i got lost in the dark and went bush whacking up a sand slop for 2o min. and ended up having to retrace my steps back to the point i got lost in the first place. i almost threw in the towel right then. The rest of the way up to the SLC twins was easy going with no problems with route finding. the sun began to rise a few peaks after the twins and this was very nice and i was able to pick up the pace a bit with the increased visibility. i felt great after Superior and i took a five min. break to chug some gatorade and refill my bladder. this is where i could start running more because you are on a trail instead of boulder hopping on a ridge this is where i thought the easiest section would be; although, i was wrong. My knees started to become very sore and my hip, which had been an issue for a while was starting to really give me trouble. i struggled and my pace showed as i was slower than i had hoped on this section to hidden peak. once on hidden peak i meet my mother, father, and my friend Miah who where nice enough to support me by coming up and giving me some extra motivation. i had another gatorade, refueled my water, and took some advil for my knees and hip. then i was off and i felt great with the advil working wonders and alleviating all my pain i was able to focus on the running and i was able to move much faster than i had anticipated. The AF Twins went by easily along with Red and White Baldy. I made it to the Pfeifferhorn in 13.5 hours i was stoked. My knees began to become tender again but i was on the home stretch and was able to keep it off my mind. I increased the amount of Gu and Powerbars i was eating to help with my extra fatigued muscles. Once on thunder ridge i saw many mountain goats and in my tired state i found some amusement in yelling at them and they happened to be on the same route i was on going up South Thunder so i had a rabbit to help me keep pace. We actually went up South Thunder and down to the base of Big Horn together before the mountain goat decided (what a sissy) to take the easier route down and right into the upper Bells Bowl. I continued up Big Horn trying not to look up for the reason that this is steep but short so i figured keep my head down and keep on chugging. This seemed to work and i was up on Big Horn and climbing up Lone Peak quickly, which seems to always be a grueling part of the traverse when your legs are worked. Up on Lone Peak in 15.5 hours and my friend Peter and his girlfriend Jules were climbing. Peter was the one who actually got me into this ridge traversing and has made some fast times on section in the past. It was nice to hear a friendly voice after so many hours of seeing no one. Down i went trying to go as quickly as possible. The shoot i had gone down in the past was clear of snow, which sucked because it is easier to glissade down than it is to hike down a bowling alley of loose rocks and sand. I made it down and then began the boulder hopping. This always gets to me and mentally i just get to the point where i am just over it. I found the trail and worked my way down Bells Canyon and back to the road where my dad picked me up and took me home where a few family friends where hanging out at the camp fire. my mom had made some pasta and it tasted so damn good after 17 hours and 48 min. of running and eating Gu and bars. i topped it off with a Sierra Nevada Torpedo and some cake and ice cream my sister made. thank you so much family and friends for all the support and inspiration. i would not know what to do without you all. here is a map from google earth of the ridge. its so beautiful and close so go play on it and do the thing.