Wanted to try to squeeze in one ultra this year. I had been interested in this event last year and then frigged my right knee up, putting the kibosh on any further long distance plans last fall. After another knee procedure in April, I wasn't sure how this was going to go. Thankfully...very well! I had no major issues with the knee, it was mostly my calves/thighs seizing up late in the race which would be the issue.
But overall a very fun event. Everyone was very supportive and I met some great people. We got a bit of winter early in the day and then it mellowed out in the afternoon. I ended doing 11 laps, more than I expected. About 36 miles and 7000 feet of elevation gain. I was very happy with my performance!
Here's the grand finale to my Yosemite trip. I took my time
getting started in the morning, first moving to keep the cold at bay and soon
enough going shirtless once the sun rose over the peaks. Big temp fluxuations
on this trip. By 8:30 I was moving through the burn zones and as I climbed the
views back towards Half Dome were astounding. I also spied a small quirky peak
I was progressing towards. I dubbed him Mr. Conehead and decided to make him my
prize.
It was hot in the sun without any trees. The trail wasn't
steep or technical, just long ambling switchbacks. Finally I reached living
trees and things leveled out. Once I changed directions towards Clouds Rest I
began to think about a bushwhack towards Mr. Conehead. I waited too long and
ended up going down further than I needed to. It wasn't that difficult to cut
across and I successfully found my way to the top of his glorious head. I could
stay long as it was a hike back up to where I stashed my bag and then it would
be another two miles to the top of Clouds Rest.
The spine of Clouds Rest isn't super narrow but it still
activated my fear of heights in a big way. Something about seeing all those
sheer cliffs across the way. Once I got to the summit I was fine and the 360°
views were stunning. It was nice to see the whole of the park - it gave a new
perspective of what I had been reviewing on a map.
Then it was a long hike down to the Little Yosemite Valley
campground. The endless switchbacks were easy walking but I was now tired. I
got to camp just before sundown, quickly set up my tent and then found the
river to replenish my water. There were a couple other backpackers staying at
the camp. I learned that workers had set up their tents just beyond the camp -
they were detonating explosives on the closed section of the JMT that runs
alongside the Mist Trail. A couple other backpackers arrived late and decided
to get the communal fire going. Between them and the workers it did not end up
being the quiet night I thought. Nevertheless I eventually fell asleep.
I awoke early at 4 AM and was on the trail less than an hour
later. I had a tight timetable in order to get to a work conference in San
Francisco so that mean hiking out in the dark. It lightened up by the time I
passed Vernal Falls and I was able to enjoy the fall colors once more time. I
got back to the car right on time and then made the four hour drive back to
civilization (enjoying some splendid mountain scenery through the Stanislaus
National Forest).
With my work's annual meeting being in San Francisco this
year, I began plotting heading out a few days early to do some hiking. I
quickly set my sights on Yosemite - driving there wouldn't be any longer than
getting to the Whites for me - and I love driving through the different
environs in Cali. Things got off to a rough start when my car rental fell
through due to my own dumbassery. Thankfully I was still able to secure a car
and avoid disaster. I made the bulk of the drive that day to the mountain town of
Mariposa. I tried to get to bed at an early hour because I knew that I'd be
waking up very early thanks to the time difference as well as Daylight Savings
Time. And so it was that I woke up at 1 AM, spent a couple hours repacking
everything and began driving towards the park at 3:30 AM. It was a certainly a
quiet drive on twisty mountain roads and I knew I was missing some splendid
scenery.
So I rolled into Yosemite Valley in the dark, depriving
myself of all the splendor. I made my way to the visitor center and walked
around in circles for a good 15 minutes looking for the self-registration
forms. Turns out they were all gone due to the government shutdown. I crafted
my own using the sample provided on the kiosk and hoped that would suffice (as
there were no rangers to encounter, it was). By now light had come to the park
and the incredible granite peaks loomed above me in all directions - amazing.
There seemed to be an abundance of vanlifers taking advantage of the shutdown
but otherwise I didn't stay in the valley long enough to notice any other
issues. I drove over to the trailhead, made last minute adjustments and off I
went.
The short walk to the John Muir Trail was fantastic in
itself and I was already thinking about coming back with my family to fully
explore the valley. But this was my opportunity to explore the backcountry so I
made my way to the JMT/Mist Trail and began climbing on smooth pavement. By
this point it was 7:30 AM and I definitely wasn't alone - plenty of others
climbing to visit the falls and other speedy folks passed that were making the
trip up to Half Dome or Clouds Rest. Pavement turned to stone steps (lots of
them!) as we passed a couple big waterfalls. The water was fairly low by their
standards but they still looked great to me.
After about four miles of climbing the trail flattened and I
enjoyed the easy walking to the Little Yosemite Valley campsite. There were
several groups camping there but there were clearly plenty of places to camp
there now that it was the off-season. My plan was to stay there on night 2. But
I continued on along the JMT, passing the turnoffs for Half Dome and Clouds
Rest. Now I was truly alone and would encounter very few people until I
returned to Little Yosemite Valley the following night. I was starting to get
tired now - despite a forecast of night temps in the low 30s it was currently
70° and the pack was starting to make my back ache. And though it was still
early in the afternoon the jet lag was catching up with me. Dispersed camping
can't take place until you pass the Clouds Rest turnoff - I made it about
another mile until I found a great spot within a burn zone. It was about 2:30
PM now and I was ready to call it a day.
Set up camp, had a quick dinner and enjoyed a fantastic
sunset. Here's the video of Day 1:
Okay, probably not. But each stop 'n start is getting harder. Feels like it'll be a good little while before I'm running consistently again. Slow and steady!
The day after my Moosilauke hike I got to the Ammo Trailhead
around 5:00 AM. One other car in the lot and soon another fella arrived and
started preparing for the day. I headed out in the dark and opted to wait to
put on snowshoes. I ended up barebooting the first two miles of the trail. It
was just hard enough that I wasn't sinking in and provided just enough
traction. The good times couldn't last and I finally had to throw on snowshoes
a bit before the Gem Pool.
The steep stuff quickly put me in my place and I had to
throw my shell on due to snowmelt from the trees. Temps climbed to the upper
30s by the time I reached the Lakes of the Clouds hut. That fella and another
pair passed me on the ascent - they were going directly to Washington but I was
headed to Monroe first. The climb up wasn't bad though just enough of a pain
with snowshoes near the summit.
I thought I'd had a chance at clear skies on Washington but
by the time I returned to the hut it was in the clouds and would remain, at
least until I was well down from it. The hike up to Washington was just
wonderful, quiet with mild temps surrounded by mist. The wind picked up near
the summit and I didn't linger long up there. The wind, which had been mild up
to this point because a bear as I continued down the Gulfside Trail. Not sure
snowshoes were the best choice for this part but they were a choice. The mix of
snow drifts and bony sections meant you were always going to regret wearing
something.
The descent via Jewell Trail was slow. I was very tired
generally and my right knee, which isn't in great shape currently, was
beginning to ache. It felt like spring once I hit the trees, as my shell got
quite wet from the melting snow. This was a good hike, but it took a lot out of
me and put me in my place about my conditioning, winter hiking wise. Winter 48
peaks #38 & 39.
