After a failed attempt a couple weeks ago to run the Buffalo 25k course out on Antelope Island, I tackled it again. This time with a couple friends, Glen and Spencer. I was again struck by how gorgeous Antelope Island is. It is stark. The vistas are enormous. Expansive. I don’t run many places where you can see the next 8 miles of trail all laid out ahead of you. Coming down on the bone road either going to…
While in Arizona for the last couple weeks I have been drooling over all of the beautiful snow-running pictures my Utah friends have been posting. So, having just flown back to UT (family still in AZ) yesterday, I resolved to go exploring. A number of people suggested Antelope Island for good snowy trails. I have been out there before (twice) but never to run. I was also excited to test out my new winter running gear: a Bjorn Daehlie Ambition…
I probably should have drawn an easier route for my first attempt at a marathon distance run – but it is just too easy (and fun) to draw lines on maps, tracing trails and ridge-lines, etc… In any case, I drew it, so I ran it: The South Mountain Western Ridges Marathon+. In all, it ended up tracking to 29 miles – almost a 50k. Phoenix’s South Mountain Preserve is located on the southern edge of town – a series…
My plan for this morning, since there still isn’t any snow upon the top of the mountains in Davis County, was to run to Morgan. Up Baer Canyon, over to Smith Creek Lakes, and then down Smith Creek to the network of dirt roads that lead over to Morgan. Unfortunately, someone mentioned that it is private land on the Morgan side. I spoke with the landowner and he wouldn’t give permission. Bummer. Instead, I explored up Shepherd Creek. I have…
Knowing that the high-altitude season is quickly coming to a close (winter is coming!) I decided to do one last run up at the top of the mountains here in Davis County. I did a similar route last year at this time, but by then it had already snowed (and melted some) up at the top. We are still getting up into the 50s-70s this year in late October! So, it has been a nice month and I’m glad that…
I had a lot of goals for running this season, and among them was to summit the 3 highest peaks in Davis County from the valley floor. I did Thurston and Francis Peaks back in July, so that left Bountiful Peak. I decided to bag it using the Old North Trail in Davis Creek Canyon. It is about 4.5 miles of, and 4,500 ft. elevation gain. Upness. 12.2 mile in 3:02:46 (moving time, a full 5 hours elapsed) @ 15:00…
With my family out of town, I took my free evening time to hit up Big Cottonwood Canyon to see some autumn leaves before they were all gone. Some friendly folks from the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers joined in and we had a great run (Thanks Collette, Justin and Tyson!). As it turned out, a lot of the Aspen leaves had already fallen at the higher elevations, but our route eventually took us through a gorgeous band of trees. We parked…
Here are a few recent outings: A run up the newly worked on lower stretch of the Farmington Creek Trail by Ryan Lauck, up the first section of the post-parking lot single track, and then looping across the creek to explore the Aqueduct Trail back – a first. All with a coworker, Spencer, who just moved here and is quickly getting hooked on the trails. 5.0 miles in 1:33:34 @ 18:44 min/mile and with 1,170 ft. elevation gain A night…
It wasn’t even that hot today but I have sweat like this for a while. There are a few close-by trails here in Farmington that I have yet to explore so I picked one today. The fire trail 03 that goes south from just above flag rock down into Hornet Canyon. 4.8 miles in 1:18:00 @ 15:14 min/mile and with 1,431 ft. Elevation gain. I started at the Davis Creek TH and took the BST past Steed Creek and then…
One thing that is a bummer about living in Davis County is that getting to the trails in east Salt Lake City is difficult – at least with my schedule. I have toyed with the idea of doing it as an early morning thing before work, but worried it would still put me to work too late. With summer turning to autumn and the specter of snow on the horizon I decided that I had to hit some trails up…