Gaining more than you lose

Ave twins with Jun, Scott and je10, with MVH catching up to us a bit later. Started off COLD. The run on the road in City Creek canyon was brutal, my fingers were frozen in a matter of minutes and I was wondering how miserable this was going to be. Once we hit the trail and got a little higher though, the temps really warmed up, at least a few degrees. I didn't have a chance to eat anything for breakfast, so my energy was feeling pretty low on the climbs. Luckily no wind, with spectacular view of the night sky with numerous shooting star sightings. Hit the top in 1:05 and chatted on the summit a bit before heading down. On the steep section down I couldn't help myself and just blasted through the powder and had a great time cruising down. Got back to my car which kindly told me that is was 4 degrees. Brrrr...

Was hoping for a longer run today, but opted rather for some trail breaking up in the hills. Time and effort was about the same as a longer run! Aaron and I started at Davis Creek in Farmington and went up to Hell Hole. No trail once you fork off the Pretty Valley trail, so it was all breaking trail. Did come across some snowshoe tracks once the trail met up with the other part of the PV trail. Followed those up to Hell Hole, which was pretty awesome this time of year, lots of frozen water. Followed the tracks up and over towards pretty valley with about a half mile out and back detour to "Prayer Rock". Made it down to pretty valley and then completed the loop back. Slow and steady, but had a great time on a gorgeous day.

"Lunchtime Route" to the Ave Twins. Started at the upper TH, so it takes off a little bit to save time. Could have cut off more on the way back, so I will keep that in mind for even shorter days. Weather was amazing, especially on the twins, where the sky was blue and the air was fresh. 

This is in front of me - Yummy... 

And this is behind me- it was HOT 

Quick 4 on the City Creek BST west (north?) side. Trail conditions were pretty good, definitely warmer today, and could tell a few spots were starting to get icy. 

These are the days mountain running was invented for. Perfect morning, the inversion appears to have begun to clear out, and is settled much lower than it has been in the past. The fellas (Jun, MVH, and Scott) were going for a long run today, and since I had to work, I just joined them for the first part - up Wire, along the Red Butte ridgeline, down the the living room, where we parted ways and I ran back from there, with them continuing on. 

Sunrise from Wire

Always happy to be on a summit 

Craig with Wire in background 

Still looking nasty, but getting there

Craig trying his yoga moves

East Wilderness to the top of Adams Canyon and back with my brother (Warlordblade) and brother in law. It was certainly slow going, and a lot of extra work with all of the snow, but at least it was well traveled so there was no post holing involved. Weather was great, sun was shining bright on our way back. I don't run the Adams canyon section off the BST much, but I particularly enjoy it in the winter. 

Aaron Cruisin' up 

Farmington Canyon with MVH, Twinkies, my brother and a couple of others. Met dark and early at 5:30 and just took a nice easy pace up and up and up. The three of us Matts kind of pulled ahead a little, and then a few miles up (I think around 3) Twinkies split off and headed back down, so MVH and I just plodded on up ahead. Got to 5 miles, made a U turn and headed down, with the others turning when we got to them. Passed a couple of entrail piles from what I would assume was from poachers cleaning their kill and dragging it out on a sled. Left 'em right in the middle of the road. I'm sure some mountain lion will enjoy that once it thaws a little.  Good morning. 

Up at 3, running by 4 with Scott, Jun and Sam, starting from the Capitol. Sam hung with us until the BST/Twins junction before having to turn back to make it in for work. We decided to continue on the BST to see if the trail was tracked out enough to make it to Dry Fork, and then to the zoo. It wasn't to be so - after a fairly decent trail for about a mile or so, it just ended with a couple of post holes continuing on. No thanks. We turned back, ran to the junction and then up to the first twin. Trail was in pretty good condition. Tried another little jaunt out towards little black, but again, the trail got crappy pretty quick. Ran back down to the TH in City Creek (and through the inversion, yuck!), where we crossed the street and hit the BST on the northside. It was decent going for almost 2 miles and then turned to crap. Are we seeing a pattern here? We had all had about enough of crappy trail, so we jumped on over to the City Creek road and ran up about a mile and a half more, and then turned around and cruised back.

In summary - freezing cold (couldn't feel my face at the end), crap trail, and a nasty inversion (luckily we were viewing from above for most of it) - well that sounds about like a standard run for us!

Village Inn breakfast and a 20 minute hot shower was a nice way to cap it off. 

Very casual morning run up Farmington Canyon with Aaron and brother in law. The air was thick and nasty with the inversion and some morning fog. Once we got up above it though, it was a beautiful, cloudless day. Lots of snowmobilers, but they've got the road packed down quite nicely. It was nice to see the sun. 

 Running through the fog

The Sun! 

Yum - Antelope Island floating in mid air 

Ninja Aaron on the way back down

5 miles on the TM, mostly flat/low incline with a quarter mile hill sprint at 15% somewhere in there. 

Met up with the Farmington crew this morning to run up Farmington Canyon. About 5 of us started, and MVH and I ran along at a decent clip with one other guy,Casey, until VH needed his morning pit stop and peeled off. The two of us continued on until Casey decided to turn around at mile 3. Well, I was now a ways ahead of everyone and all alone, so I decided to take a pit stop of my own, and then waited a few minutes for VH and Steve to catch up. We ran a little ways and then I heard a Tarzan call coming from across the canyon and a little behind us. I figured it had to be Aaron, and it turned out it was - he had started a little late and he had forgotten his light again! Sneaky Ninja! We waited for him and then all ran to the turnaround at 5 miles.

Coming down we ended up moving at a pretty good clip, I think everyone was just trying to keep up with someone else, so the pace was pretty fast, but it really felt pretty good. There were a couple of spots where the light was so flat that you couldn't see any depth and made it pretty interesting. We strung out a little at the end and had a good time finishing it all up. 

Ave Twins with Jun, Scott and a speedy OR visitor feller named Brian. Felt super slow going up, and just fine and speedy coming down. Our jackets were covered in ice by the time we finished, as were our cars. Luckily though, we started early enough to miss all of the traffic nastiness created by all of the ice.  Warm.

Ran the first couple of miles on the BST - conditions were decent until after Adams canyon when they turned to crap (one set of snowshoe tracks). There was a semi tracked out trail up the ridgline from there, so I took that up a ways, until the tracks ended at the 'crown' of one of the rocky outcroppings. Then just bounded my way back down. Took in nice and easy. 1400 vert. 

Another early morning slog with the crew: Jun, Je10, Scott and I. I was tempted to bail since we got a fair amount of snow in Fruit Heights, but figured I needed to get myself downtown for work anyway, so I might as well avoid all of the traffic headaches. 

Started from the capitol and it was snowing and windy. The snow just pelted our faces until we were able to make it to the cover the trees provided on the trail. The BST wasn't too bad, once we got up on the ridge though, it became a lot harder for me to keep up. Those three were just scampering along the top of the snow, while I seemed to break through with every step. I was able to mostly catch up by the base of the second twin, where we all hung out for a couple of minutes once on top.

The way down was more of the same - running downhill never knowing when you'll have a good foothold or whether you will sink thigh deep, but we plodded along, laughing and complaining all in the same breath. I watched Craig try to save himself from falling, but ended up running parallel to the ground, arms flailing, for about another 20 feet before finally succumbing to gravity and faceplanting just as we were approaching a group of skiers. We laughed and continued on as they looked at us with a bid of wonder (and maybe a little awe...we'd like to think so anyway). Cruised on down the rest of the way and then I had to rush off to a meeting.

The funny part is, as stupid and ridiculous as most of our runs seem to be, and despite all of the complaining, I really do enjoy it. 

Took a couple of fellas from work for a lunchtime run on the BST, starting from the I Street trailhead. The weather was amazing, shorts and a T-shirt!! Incredible after the single digit temps we've become accustomed to.

Really, really, really casual run, trail conditions weren't too bad - a couple of soft spots, but it was decently tracked out. Lots of skiers seem to be out lately.

While we were slow, I still really enjoy getting out and helping others get a little taste of what trail running can give you.