Events – MyCrookedPath

Events, Featured, Trip Report

Sun Mountain 50 Miler – or We’ll Make it I Swear … Livin’ on a Prayer

May 11, 2019August 26, 2019

A 50 mile ultra that I was way undertrained for but was way more fun than I expected

Events, Travels, Trip Report

What a year! 2018 Recap

January 18, 2019January 17, 2019

It’s been a while …

mycrookedpath

Adventures on a beautiful sunny fall Saturday. Som

Adventures on a beautiful sunny fall Saturday. Some Jeep trail. Some hiking trail. All mountain 🏔| #mycrookedpath #pnwadventures #larchmadness

I’ve been avoiding making this post because I’

I’ve been avoiding making this post because I’m still pretty bitter about it. I got my first DNF at the #teanawaycountry100

6 weeks before the race, I wrecked my ankle running off Mt. Whitney. It feels like an excuse (tho I’ve been assured it’s a “reason”) and I hadn’t been able to run at all for weeks.

My training was not where I wanted to be and nowhere close to where I was 2 years before when I first ran the TC100.

I knew going in to this race it was going to be a long hard day on a less-than-stable ankle, but I toed the start line anyway.

That first descent, less than 10 miles in, was the first real test of my ankle in weeks and a tiny cloud of doubt grew in the back of my mind. I blew it off.

Throughout the day I kept a smile on my face and enjoyed the adventure of it all, even as my frustration grew - I was moving way slower than I’m used to.

Leaving the Miller aid station at mile 45, I was tired, but mentally strong. While on that loop, that black cloud of doubt began to unleash its fury much like the literal storm that pulled me off that section of the course 2 years before.

Once I reached Miller again at mile 60, I was way behind schedule. Although my mind was fully prepared to keep going, my body wasn’t moving fast enough to make the next cutoff 10 miles later. I didn’t want to put the race crew in a position to have to sweep me in the dark on a pretty remote section of the course just so I could maybe make it one more station.

I called my race due to time. It was a hard decision that I’m angry I even had to make. Even now, I’m pissed.

But I’m making the choice to turn that anger into motivation.

I’m accepting injury was out of my control.

I’m remembering that, tho the failure stings, the adventure part was awesome.

I’m remembering I got to hang with some really rad people (@kelsormeat @iamnotmadeofsugar thanks for the (s)miles! You two are rock stars!)

I’m remembering the crew and volunteers were top notch (@runningwiththeo thanks for ramen and encouragement!)

And instead of shaking my fist at the sky, I’m already planning for next year. | #mycrookedpath #pathprojectskrew #trailrunning #ultrarunning

Scrambly fall day of peak bagging’ Kaleetan. Gre

Scrambly fall day of peak bagging’ Kaleetan. Great to be out on the trails again with the trail bruh @adellario after weeks of travel, misaligned schedules, and injury kept us apart 😝 | #mycrookedpath #pathprojects #pathprojectskrew #trailrunning #mountainrunning #peakbagging #

Spent a day giving back to the trails I love to ru

Spent a day giving back to the trails I love to run. Volunteered to help out on a #WTAtrailcrew and cleared some obstacles on the #MtTownsend trail to prevent path migration. Pretty proud of how my section turned out - getting dirty, smashing rocks, and removing roots is rewarding work! This trail also looks like it would be a beautiful #trailrun. Definitely a smooth highway compared to what I’m used to running 😆 I’ll have to come back once my ankle is healed.
| #mycrookedpath #pathprojectskrew #pathprojects #pnw #trailwork #mountainrunning #trailrunner

Finally summited the highest peak in the lower 48

Finally summited the highest peak in the lower 48 - #MtWhitney 14,505’! Started at the Whitney Portal trailhead a little after 6am and felt pretty strong until about 13,000’. Why’s it so hard to get oxygen at elevation?! 😆

There were some nice camps around Consultation Lake and Trail Camp and it looks like most people started their summit bids from there that morning.

Made it the 11 miles to the summit in just under 4 hours and spent about 40 minutes just soaking in the views and enjoying the 5G cell service 😆 There we’re about 15 people there when I arrived, and those I had passed on the way up began to trickle in.

Not wanting to hang around for the standard afternoon thundershowers, I started off the top and began my descent. About 1/2 mile off the summit, I met with disaster. Hopped onto a rock that should have been totally solid but my foot met with a layer of granite dust, slipped off, and twisted in a way none of us like. Gave it a little test for a 1/4 mile and realized it wasn't a "walk it off" roll. 😖 After some choice words, I stopped and busted out my ace bandage, shored up my ankle, and clamped it tight with my #Buff. It was sore but stable so off I went. Really wasn't happy about my ankle slowing my descent ...

However, to be realistic, I don't think my ankle really slowed me down. It was more me being smoked from the ascent! 😝

I ran when I could and hopped along when I couldn't and was still able to make decent time back to the trailhead. The last 2 miles were quite runnable on soft sand and my ankle didn't put up too much of a fight.

Got back to the trailhead in just over 7 hours moving and 8 hours elapsed (with a nice long break at the top and a stop to filter water before the climb after Trail Camp). Anything was gonna be a PR and I'm glad I got to check this off my bucket list, despite having to sacrifice my ankle as payment.

Gear:
🩳🧢: Sykes 5" shorts, Torch FX liners, hat @pathprojects
👕: Echo tank, Echo hoodie @outdoorresearch
🎒: Distance 15 @blackdiamond
💧: Hydration by @tailwindnutrition
| #mycrookedpath #pathprojectskrew #pathprojects #trailrunner #trailrunning #mountainrunner #mountaintested

Well this certainly doesn’t suck. 😍⛰🌅 |

Well this certainly doesn’t suck. 😍⛰🌅 | #mycrookedpath #airbnb #lostinparadise #frontporch #california #sierranevada

🦣⛰🚵🏼‍♂️ What a banger of a day to

🦣⛰🚵🏼‍♂️ What a banger of a day today! Wrapped up work and then hit the trails on #MammothMountain. Took @liltydings to the top of the mountain where the wind was fierce and the views were amazing.

Did 2 laps of the 8.5 mile top-to-bottom route with Lil while firefighting planes passed overhead on their way to battle a fire that had sprung up in the distance sometime that morning.

After the 2nd lap, I raced to the gondola to get in a final solo lap before the mountain closed. Such a fun route to bomb down!

Met back with Lil at the bottom and we cruised down the 5 mile #DowntownTrail back to the hotel.

After dinner in town, we drove up to #MinaretVista and caught the sunset.

Overall, I’d say this day was good 😎 | #mycrookedpath #mountainbiking #specializedbikes #stumpjumper #iwantomovetothere

Recap: 17 days on the road, approximately 5000 mil

Recap: 17 days on the road, approximately 5000 miles, 11 states (WA, ID, MT, WY, CO, NM, TX, AZ, NV, CA, OR), 9 National Parks (#Yellowstone, #GrandTetons, #Dinosaur, #PecosPueblo, #PetrifiedForest, #GrandCanyon, #DeathValley, #LassenVolcanic, #CraterLake), countless historical places on the #MotherRoad #Route66, multiple stints above 10,000’ with a high point of 14,115’ (Pikes Peak), the lowest point in the US (283’ below sea level), the highest temperature we’ve ever been in (120°F), stood on the corner of Winslow, Arizona, drove past a Joshua Tree forest, a burro-infested mining town, a motel shaped like tipis, explored a death cave, had a canyon adventure, saw wild horses, a moose and her baby, the bug apocalypse aka the windshield, ribbons of backroads, dirt highways, interstates, and the remnants of #Americana and a time before people sped across the states. That was on helluva #roadtrip and definitely worth the gas prices! 😆

Glad I got to share it with some really great people. On to the next trip! | #mycrookedpath #ontheroadagain #gasupletsgo

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