UPDATE: Thanks for all the input on trail conditions this last weekend! I've started putting the day an update has been made to a particular area on the trail conditions page. That should be a little easier to look at the most up to date information.
I've been holding off on writing this post as I was afraid I might jinx the warm weather spell we've had this week along the Wasatch Front. But with that in mind I wanted to remind everyone living here in northern Utah we have a little system in place for tracking trail conditions in the high country. Simply click on the area you are interested in on the trail conditions page and you will find current conditions, as reported by fellow trail runners.
Of course this only works if YOU log what you see on the trail conditions form. Just fill in the blanks and it will appear on the appropriate trail conditions page and you will have karma on your side, at least for your next run. It only takes a minute to let everyone know that snow is still packed in on the way to Mt Aire or that Black Mountain is good to go. I will update tomorrow with my findings from the higher elevations and I hope I find similar findings as we all search out somewhere new to run.
Thank you,
Desperately seeking the high country...
Showing posts with label trail conditions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trail conditions. Show all posts
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wasatch 100 2010 - Course Preview Pt. 1
It wasn't my intent to do a course preview leading up to the Wasatch 100, I'm not even doing it this year, but since it's our backyard and I got a new camera I figured I'd give it a shot, I even have video at the bottom. Erik, Jay, Peter, Rich and Kevin are all in this year, while Greg and I will be heading up to Cascade Crest at the end of the month. Back to the preview.
On Tuesday evening (August 3rd, 2010) Erik, Greg, Stuart Gleason, Mick Jurynec and I decided to run the infamous last 25 miles from Brighton to the finish. Setting off at a little before 5pm we didn't really have a clear plan for pace but I decided to bring along Geoff Roes record setting splits from 2009 just for grins. The start was conservative and there is nothing significant to report about from Brighton to Sunset Pass, it's still steep and it's going to hurt, prepare accordingly.
The descent off the high point of the course (Point Supreme 10,450) was actually quite pleasant. I'm not sure if I'm just getting used to it now or the trail is just a little less rocky, but all the way to Ant Knolls it was easy cruising. The fresh legs had nothing to do with it, I swear.
The trail from Ant Knolls over to Poleline is in pretty good shape. There are portions of the trail on the west side of the mountain that are pretty chewed up and dusty but not all that bad. We rolled into Poleline and found someone waiting for us.
After Poleline the conditions were interesting horrible. I only have 5 years experience running this trail, but in that time I can confidently say I have never seen the trail in such bad shape. The throttle twisters (motorcycles) have definitely done a number on it this year, or maybe it's an accumulated effect. Either way the dust was often as deep as 6 inches from here all the way to Pot Bottom.
At one point we came upon a group of three motorcycle riders that weren't moving very fast, but suddenly became motivated when they saw us. For some odd reason we ended up picking up the pace after this incident. The Dive and Plunge are just as horrific and still there despite the threat of removing them at the awards ceremony last year. Perhaps the committee changed their mind after the reaction from everyone. It seemed almost as though everyone wanted them left alone, almost like a rite of passage to finish the course. Here's a quick video of The Plunge (mile 89).
On Tuesday evening (August 3rd, 2010) Erik, Greg, Stuart Gleason, Mick Jurynec and I decided to run the infamous last 25 miles from Brighton to the finish. Setting off at a little before 5pm we didn't really have a clear plan for pace but I decided to bring along Geoff Roes record setting splits from 2009 just for grins. The start was conservative and there is nothing significant to report about from Brighton to Sunset Pass, it's still steep and it's going to hurt, prepare accordingly.
The descent off the high point of the course (Point Supreme 10,450) was actually quite pleasant. I'm not sure if I'm just getting used to it now or the trail is just a little less rocky, but all the way to Ant Knolls it was easy cruising. The fresh legs had nothing to do with it, I swear.
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| Making quick work of the descent to Ant Knolls |
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| A little two-point buck at Poleline Pass. Erik told him to run off since hunting season isn't that far away. |
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| Greg, Stuart, Mick and Erik coming around Point of Contention, Mile 86 |
Shortly after the Plunge the sun went down and put the camera away. We finished right at 5 hours, matching Geoff's pace from 2009. Now if only I could do that with 75 miles in my legs...
I did post a few more photos if you're interested. Here's one last one of my dirty legs. I can't remember ever being so dirty without taking a fall. We actually took turns being in front to give our lungs a rest from the dust. Should be a good time on September 10th. Next up: Big Mountain to Lambs Canyon this weekend.
I did post a few more photos if you're interested. Here's one last one of my dirty legs. I can't remember ever being so dirty without taking a fall. We actually took turns being in front to give our lungs a rest from the dust. Should be a good time on September 10th. Next up: Big Mountain to Lambs Canyon this weekend.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Trail Conditions
Access the new Trail Conditions page by clicking on the link(s) below the main picture (sorry, if you are using an RSS feed to read this you will be unable to see it).
As soon as the temperature starts to rise and the hills begin turning green I want to hit the higher elevations. I usually end up trying to go somewhere like Mt. Aire or Bear Ass Pass only to be turned around by too much snow. I know that others have attempted the same path because I can see their footprints or post holes. Now we can share what we learn and figure out the best options for what we have planned. Interested? Then read on.
Based on the feedback from the last post regarding a trail conditions page, I got something setup. It's not the most glamorous thing in the world but it should work. I struggled with the idea of doing a forum or something similar like a google group but I don't have the time to set it up and moderate it.
The original intent was to keep track of snow levels and when the higher elevations are runnable. But after further thought I incorporated some other factors in as well such as mud, water x-ings, downed trees and overgrowth. The last two could be used to target certain areas for trail work in the future. Are you tired of always having to climb over that one tree? If so then document it.
This is set up so anyone can record a trail condition without logging in and have it automatically populate a table. I left some room in there to add hyperlinks to pictures that reside on a public site like Flickr or Picasa and a link to a map if available (not necessary though). I also included space in the bottom of the form for a name (could be a link to you personal blog or such) and State and County for some of our friends residing outside of Utah.
If you have any questions or suggestions send them over to mrcultra@gmail.com.
As soon as the temperature starts to rise and the hills begin turning green I want to hit the higher elevations. I usually end up trying to go somewhere like Mt. Aire or Bear Ass Pass only to be turned around by too much snow. I know that others have attempted the same path because I can see their footprints or post holes. Now we can share what we learn and figure out the best options for what we have planned. Interested? Then read on.
Based on the feedback from the last post regarding a trail conditions page, I got something setup. It's not the most glamorous thing in the world but it should work. I struggled with the idea of doing a forum or something similar like a google group but I don't have the time to set it up and moderate it.
The original intent was to keep track of snow levels and when the higher elevations are runnable. But after further thought I incorporated some other factors in as well such as mud, water x-ings, downed trees and overgrowth. The last two could be used to target certain areas for trail work in the future. Are you tired of always having to climb over that one tree? If so then document it.
This is set up so anyone can record a trail condition without logging in and have it automatically populate a table. I left some room in there to add hyperlinks to pictures that reside on a public site like Flickr or Picasa and a link to a map if available (not necessary though). I also included space in the bottom of the form for a name (could be a link to you personal blog or such) and State and County for some of our friends residing outside of Utah.
If you have any questions or suggestions send them over to mrcultra@gmail.com.
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