John Muir Trail Adventure- My wanderings

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

- Robert Frost

3am the alarm went off in Lone Pine and I struggled to get up. I forced myself to eat some oatmeal and a banana and off we went to the trail head. I was trying to get going around 4am. It has been about 15 years since I'd been up Mt. Whitney so we fumbled around in the dark looking for the trail head. At 4:08 I gave Ryan a goodbye kiss and told him I'd see him on the other side. 

The temperature was perfect for climbing, and I felt good. About 2 miles up the climb I felt a hot spot on my left heel and decided I should stop and check it. Crap... a blister already. This isn't starting well. I never blister on my heels. I sat down and pulled out the tape. I used KT tape on the blister (which had already popped) and put a patch of duct tape on the heel of my shoe. I'm not sure why this happened, but I think it's carrying 20 pounds versus my normal super light hydration pack. I got up and continued on up the climb thinking that at least it's not smoky.... yet. I passed MANY day hikers on the climb. I stopped and filtered water once on the climb knowing that the second half of the climb was dry. Shortly before 10am I got to the summit. I sat down and ate a bit and chatted with some south bound hikers. I asked about the smoke and was told it wasn't that bad, but varied each day with the wind. One lady said she was glad they kept going. I tucked this in the back of my mind and off I went.

Got to stop and enjoy the view! You can see the inversion layer over Lone Pine.

It's all downhill from here right....

On the down hill heading into Guitar Lake I ran into a guy (Oly) that was trying to to the trail in around 7 days before flying home. We chatted a bit and then he headed off when I stopped to filter water. I ended up seeing him later on in the day when he had stopped to set up camp as I carried on into the night.

It did get a bit smoky on the first day on the climb up to Forester Pass, but it was never so bad that I thought I needed to stop. Talking with all the south bounders the afternoons were the worst time. Heading up Forester I couldn't imagine how the mule trains get over that pass. I couldn't imagine how I was going to get over it. I don't have a fear of heights, but I was definitely paying attention. I pushed on towards Glenn Pass still feeling good with the full moon coming out to light up the night. 

On the descent towards Rae Lakes I started getting sleepy. Looking back I should have pushed on to a lower elevation to sleep, but I found a nice soft spot and curled up for a couple hours. I woke before my alarm feeling fresh and was off. Descending towards Woods Creek bridge I saw the first set of eyes looking at me. Crap. What is that? I couldn't quit tell in beam of my headlamp. Then it started running.... away from me. It was a deer.  The first of many I would see in the dark. 

The smoke had settled overnight into the Woods Creek area, but as soon as I started climbing I was above it again again. Sunrise was spectacular as I climbed up Pinchot Pass. I remember thinking that I wish Ryan was here to share it with me.

Coming down Pinchot Pass... I think... the days are a bit jumbled together.

Reading others trail reports I was expecting technical trail, but I didn't expect the amount of technical trail. I thought I'd be able to jog a bit more that I did, but between pack weight and rocks I ended up mostly hiking. 

Mather Pass went by in a blur. I stopped at the top and took a break to enjoy the view and took my socks off to let my feet air for about 15 minutes. I re-taped the heel and headed off.

As the sun was dipping lower I passed Palisade Lakes suddenly jealous of all the people setting up camp for the night and hanging out in such a beautiful spot. Darkness hit somewhere after Deer Meadow and I began to think about camp spots for the night. I didn't want to spend another night up high so I decided that I'd start the climb to Muir Pass but still try and stay below 9000'. Just before the Bishop Pass Trail turn I found a nice spot and fell asleep quickly. I slept though my first alarm, and woke up on my own about 45 minutes later. I think I got about 4.5 hours of sleep. It was cold and I quickly got moving. Muir Pass seemed to take forever to get up. This is where my lack of experience on the trail was getting me. I would think I was almost there and then I'd come around the corner and see how much further up the pass actually was. Fatigue was starting to kick in.

 

The view behind me as I climbed Muir Pass.

 

Helen Lake

 

Sunrise on Muir Pass. So beautiful!!

Muir hut. You can see the smoke up high in the back ground. 

Clear skies behind me on Muir Pass

 

I could see the smoke up high as I headed north. I was hoping that I could skirt through it before it had a change to build over the day.

Just above Evolution Lake

Descending into Evolution Valley. 

 

Still the only blister I had. I kept my shoes dry crossing Evolution Creek and let my feet dry on the other side and re-taped. 

As I descended along Evolution Creek I did get stuck in the smoke, but it wasn't too bad and quickly faded as soon as I made the turn at Goddard Canyon Trail. 

I had a long low period during this time and just wanted to take a nap. Sleep monsters were closing in. I ran into my first ranger after passing the Florence Lake Trail cutoff. He said I need to see your permit and there's no way you have a bear can in there. With a smirk on my face I produced both my permit and bear can. I then got quizzed on where I'm going to the bathroom and where my toilet paper. I replied, "burying it and using rocks and leaves".  He asked about camp set up, and I explained about my bag and poncho/tarp/bivy set up. I got a "nice work" and "that's the smallest pack I've ever seen" and then was allowed to carry on.

Darkness set in as I climbed over Seldon Pass and the moon was once again lighting my way. The sleep monster was again attacking and I was a little uncoordinated as I descended the other side. This was my first super low time on the trail, but I pushed through wanting to get to a bit lower before sleeping. I finally couldn't take it anymore and stopped somewhere around the Lake Italy Trail. I didn't get a great sleep with leg spasms waking me up over and over again. After a couple restless hours I finally just got up and started moving. I didn't feel good climbing over Bear Ridge or descending towards Edison Lake. Lack of sleep and general fatigue were starting to wreak havoc.   Roller coaster emotions were setting in, and maybe just too much time in my own head. I took a short break on the climb to Silver Pass and felt slightly better..... for a while.

Squaw Lake. I was feeling pretty low here and just wanted a nap. 

I pushed on, but the descent was starting to hurt, and I had no energy. I felt more and more uncoordinated on the descent and finally lay down in the dirt. I was going to pull the plug. I set up camp and texted Ryan on the Delorme. My right knee hurt. I had no energy. I had sores in my mouth from ??? crap food? braces? stupid wires were poking holes in my lips? the sun flower seeds made my tongue feel swollen? I couldn't I looked at the map and saw that McGee Pass was going to be about a 16 mile hike out over 1 pass where Reds Meadow was about 19 miles. My text to Ryan was that I was done and was going to nap before hiking out and I'd send him another message when I woke up. I napped for about 45 minutes and woke up feeling sluggish. I ate before packing up and then started hiking again. There was about a mile before the turn to McGee. By the time I got to McGee I felt really good. I quickly shot Ryan a message letting him know that I was going to keep going. I felt so bad and I could feel the stress in his messages. He was super worried even though he was supportive.

My pity party nap spot that ended up saving the day.

 Not a bad view to wake up to

On the climb to Lake Virginia. 

I felt like I was flying on the climb to Lake Virginia. The views were amazing and the skies were clear. As I got to the top I suddenly found runnable trail. I think it was a combination of my now much lighter pack (I'd eaten most of my food) and more dirt than rocks on the trail. 
 

Virginia Lake. Need to camp here next time (on a fun trip with my husband) 

This section of the trail seemed to fly by and before I knew it I was passing Reds Meadow. Coyote howls sounded out throughout my descent.  I felt more awake than the previous night which was surprising so I decided to on going. I found the Devils Postpile section challenging on route finding with some of the intersections poorly marked. I'd have to warm up my phone to get it to power on so that I could use the Gaia app to make sure I picked the right trail. Going the wrong direction at this point would have been incredibly demoralizing. I took my time at trail junctions and slowly picked my way through the dark. I ran out of water here briefly due to dried up creeks. This was also my first night of hallucinations. Rocks and tree stumps all became creatures with weird faces. Things were moving that weren't.  Finally around 6am I was descending towards Garnet Lake. I was super tired and uncoordinated again and decided it would be good to sleep for a couple hours. I slept HARD for 3 hours. I had tied the top of my sleeping bag mostly closed to keep out the cold and when I woke I couldn't get out of my bag. Panicky sweaty moments later I escaped my bag to look around startled. I said, "They must have moved me".  I had no idea where I was or how I got here. I took me about 5 minutes to figure out what was happening.

Packing up my camp spot above Garnet Lake

I slowly packed up while wishing I had a cup of coffee to sip and enjoy while taking in the view. I was also eager to wrap this thing up. I was ready to be done. 

The climb to Donahue Pass was long and hot. Finally I was at the top and entering Yosemite!! The end was in sight but still so far away.

The view into Lyell Canyon

The descent was uneventful other than everything was hurting. My feet were sweaty and blistered this day despite desitin. They were done with me.  4+ days in the same shoes with 2 pairs of socks on a very dusty trail will do that. A nap would have done wonders by this point, but I just wanted to finish. I was also worried that if I lay down and took my shoes off I would never get them back on my feet. I decided to keep moving until I couldn't anymore. It started to get dark as I got to Tuolumne Meadows and again needed to pull my phone out to do some more route finding. No wrong choices at this point. Hallucinations solidly set in as night fell. Creatures were living in the rocks and logs beside the trail. I ran out of food on the climb to Cathedral Pass. No big deal, right? Only one more painful downhill to go. I was having some solid type III fun by this point. See here for explanation of type III fun.  http://www.tetongravity.com/story/adventure/the-three-and-a-half-types-of-fun-explained

My emotions were super labile and all I wanted to do was sleep. The descent seemed to take forever, but finally I was at the Half Dome Trail!! I was invigorated at the sight of day hikers on their way to Half Dome at 2am. Seeing other people would give me some momentary energy highs and I looked forward to seeing more and more people as I descended. After crossing over the bridge at the top of Nevada Falls I started hiking.... up?? I got confused and sat down to try and figure the route out on my phone. Again I had to stick the phone in my sports bra for about 5 minutes before it was warm enough to power on. I wasn't sure if I had passed the turn off or had missed it and continued up to the Panorama Trail. While sitting I fell asleep for a minute. It was a good thing it was cold and I hadn't put my jacket on or I might have slept until morning or at least until another hiker had stumbled across me.  I figured the route out and slowly made my way down to Happy Isles. I was cursing the downhill and every switch back at this point. Finally I saw headlamp flashing in the distance that belonged to Ryan. I burst out in tears. No use holding back at this point. 

I had been on the lowest lows during my time on the trail and pushed through. Such an amazingly difficult journey. It's hard to describe the emotions felt on this journey. I learned so much about myself during this adventure. Thanks so much to Ryan for believing and supporting me on this journey. 

Now back at work (wearing compression pants under scrubs) I yearn to be back in the wilderness. Next time will be at a slower pace and sharing the memories. Off to Tanzania next week to climb Kili!!

Portal to Happy Isles 5 days 37 minutes
Mt Whitney to Happy Isles 4 days 19 hours 50 minutes

John Muir Trail Adventure Part 1 planning

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.”
― Jack Kerouac

The John Muir Trail has fascinated me for a while. When Ryan and I got married we had the JMT book by Wenk down on our registry. Despite this and living so close neither of us have made it down due to other adventures and work obligations. In February I decided to put in for the lottery and see what happened. We got lucky and got our first pick of a full moon weekend. Initially we had planned to fast pack together, but as the date grew closer we decided to see what I could do on a solo unsupported attempt. The timing was good with an early season 100 miler and Trans Rockies Run 2 weeks out. About 2 weeks out I started hearing about the Rough Fire and contemplated pulling the plug. This would also be my last chance to do this for a while as we are hoping for a baby next year.

In the end the hotel in Lone Pine was already reserved and permits are hard to come by so we decided to drive down and see what it looked like. The smoke on the drive down was awful and it was looking like I'd be bailing at some point of my journey. Having never been on the trail before I was game to try and get some experience on the trail before pulling the plug. 

I'd done quit of bit of reading on the trail and of other reports to get as much information as I could since I was doing this blind. I was hoping to not have to bring a bear can, but after doing research I ended up carrying one and was happy with the decision. It opened up my sleeping options and I didn't have to worry about making it to the permanent bear box locations in SEKI or hanging food while in other areas. After experimenting with several packs I went with the Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20L. I pulled out the back liner and put in a z-pad that had been cut down from shoulders to hips. It fit perfectly in the pack and gave it some rigidity for the weight I'd be carrying.  I chose the Sea to Summit Spark II bag because it was light and offered some warmth. I tend to get cold easy and decided I could live with being uncomfortable, but I didn't want to freeze. I brought a poncho that would serve multiple functions. It would work great in the rain, but would also be a ground sheet to sleep on and wrap around my bag like a bivy to add some extra warmth. I brought 2 Black Diamond Storm headlamps with 1 extra set of batteries. I wanted one extra in case one headlamp broke. For maps I went with the John Muir Trail Pocket Atlas. I also use the Gaia app on my phone with the entire map downloaded beforehand. I use this app all the time for trail finding in snow conditions and love that you don't need cell service to find your location as long as maps are already downloaded. To save battery I turn my phone off or to airplane between uses. I used a sawyer water filter for the first 2 days and then became too tired to continue so I used iodine tablets. The sawyer worked well, but the time to stop and squeeze each time became frustrating. For tracking we use a delorme regularly and I love it. According to their website the battery is supposed to last 100 hour on 10 minute tracking. When I started I thought I'd be okay using 1 hour tracking, but after the first day I was already down to 72% so I started turning it on and off to conserve. I like that I can two way message and know if my message has been received. If things go sideways it would be nice to know that someone is aware and coming. Ryan was running a 100K on Saturday in Truckee, but other that that he was ready to pack in and help if I needed it. I packed my credit card and drivers license with me in case I hiked out and needed a place to crash until he could come.



Z-Pad placed against my back for protection and provided rigidity. Bear can placed in on top of poncho so it wouldn't sink to the bottom. All other items were loosely placed inside.

Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20L (removed back liner)   472g
Therm-a-rest z lite pad cut to fit shoulders to hips           150g
Bare Boxer Contender 101                                               750g
Black Diamond Storm x2                                                 224g
extra batteries x4                                                                46g
Sawyer filter +bag                                                              88g
JMT pocket atlas minus some pages                                  60g
delorme                                                                             196g
Sea to Summit Spark II                                                    526g
Rain poncho/ground sheet/bivy- frogg toggs                   196g
REI puffy                                                                          286g
buff                                                                                     50g
gloves                                                                                 66g
fleece                                                                                 160g
arm warmers                                                                       44g
extra socks 1 pair                                                                38g
shorts                                                                                 114g
meds/tape                                                                            38g

total weight 3504g= 7.7lbs

Food
Sunflower seeds                                                          2700 calories                  450g
Perpetuem                                                                   7040 calories                1800g
Justins Nut butter hazelnut mixed with coconut oil   10200 calories                1602g

total calories 19940 =3904g=8.6lbs

I missed some items when making this list like water bottles, NUUN (2 tubes with 1 wrapped in duct tape), toothbrush (I have braces and must clean my teeth), small container of sunscreen and desitin, cell phone, credit card and ID

Pack weight was 19lbs with both bottles filled at the trailhead. Items I wore at the start were not added in to pack weight. 

Upon getting to Lone Pine I discovered that I left my poles (Black Diamond z-lite) at home and made a last minute rush to go find some. We lucked out at a fishing store and found some decent telescoping ones. Not what I planned on, but in adventures sometimes you just have to roll with what happens and not let it freak you out.

My dirty gear upon getting home. Should have gotten a before photo when it was all neat and orderly. 

I absolutely love this pack. It fit everything I needed without being too big to allow me to bring stuff that I didn't need. The external mesh pocket was great for stashing gear that I was taking on and off frequently. There were nice little loops to attach my socks or other clothes to dry on the outside. 

Just under 20 pounds fully loaded with food and water.

Not too bad considering I'm carrying a bear canister.

 Off I go.....

Grin and Bear it- Bear 100

The Bear 100 has been by far the hardest and most scenic 100 miler I've done. I don't know if it is because I'm so spoiled by Tahoe terrain, but the fall colors here made for a stunning course. The course profile and tough weather conditions made for a brutal course. 

I signed up last winter after looking at some pictures of the course and taking a peak at the course profile. I was intrigued by running somewhere new and completely different to home. What I hadn't planned on was running the entire Tahoe Rim Trail 3 weeks prior. Recovery from that included a lot of work and standing on my feet. Not the best recovery, but the week before the race I was feeling okay and I really wanted to run this course. I had spent lots of time with the foam roller and one visit to the chiro to get my all realigned before I beat myself up again.

Race week itself was slightly chaotic. I worked through Tuesday and Ryan was going to be my pacer and he was working until Thursday morning at 8. Packet pick up and the pre race meeting was Thursday afternoon. This left me solo to complete the 10 hour drive out from Tahoe on Wednesday while Ryan got stuck flying out Thursday and taking a bus to Logan. In the rush of throwing stuff in a bag to get on the road Wednesday I forgot to grab key things like my nutrition. Thursday I got a quick 20 minute jog in to shake the legs out after sitting in a car the entire previous day. I felt tired and had heavy legs, but brushed that off thinking it was the car ride. After that it was a chaotic packing of drop bags and buying items I had left at home. I didn't have a crew to meet me at aid stations so I needed to pack everything I thought I might need into drop bags. Usually this is fairly easy, but the weather predicted made this slightly more complicated. Friday had highs in the 80-90s with a storm blowing in Friday night with the prediction of rain and cold. Ryan was going to pace me from mile 45 to the finish where we had planned to leave the car. Race morning for him was going to be driving to the finish and hitchhiking to the Temple Fork aid station. Not having a crew definitely made this more of an adventure for both of us.

22,518ft of climing, but it felt like a whole lot more

All smiles pre race

The start went smoothly and after a short section of pavement we were funneled onto a 3500 ft single track climb. I tried to stay near the front as we formed a conga line, but others were running hard from go. I was slightly frustrated as the line of people that had been running hard now slowed to a slow walk, and I had to remind myself it was going to be a long day. Obviously many of these people started too hard as I came through the first aid station in 139th place and eventually moved up to 31st. 
The first hour of this climb was in the dark and I'd really like to come back and see it in the light. There were sections of it that had a golden trail weaving around the trees. Fall here is really magical. It started getting light after this first climb and I was wishing I had brought my camera. After the initial climb there is short descent and roughly another 1500ft of climbing. 

The 9ish miles from aid station 1-2 are mostly downhill and the crowd of runners was finally spreading out a bit. There was about a 45 minute section here where I didn't see anyone. My legs weren't feeling great and I could feel some niggles in my right shin and left glute. I took note of the pain to see if it stayed the same or increased over the coming miles. The pain I was in here was manageable, but this was awfully early to be hurting. Only 80ish more miles to go..... I suspect that this was residual from my TRT run.

I was power walking the steeper parts of the climbs and shuffling the mellower parts and trying to run flats and downhills. The downhills on this course are hard to run. Most are steep and rocky, and with somewhat broken legs I'm sure my "run" looked pathetic. I remember it getting really hot on the run into the Right Hand Fork aid station (mile 36). I've had a particularly cold summer with no heat training. August was spent in Colorado where it rained almost every day. I was suffering in the heat. I made note of the creek leading into the aid station and promised myself to hop in after refueling. After leaving Right Hand I got in the river and lay flat to allow the icy cold water to cover my entire body. Wow that felt good. For the next 30 minutes of climbing I felt great and then the heat started in again. Thankfully on this 8 mile segment there was a water refill. Yep, in 8 miles I went through 4 bottles of fluid. On the descent into the aid station there was thankfully another creek and in I went. This might have been my favorite part of the day. A couple miles later I found Ryan at the aid station waiting to pace me for the last 55 miles. Little did I know that the last half is way harder than the first half. 

Heading into Tony Grove. Beautiful camping spots here!

 I wasn't moving great, but I was still moving. Storm clouds were blowing in, but I was still warm so I opted to leave my first pair of tights and wait until the next drop bag where I had another pair. The 10 mile section from Tony Grove to Franklin were some of my favorite of the race. It had it all. Beautiful fall colors and crazy rock formations. The descent into the aid station was a really rough one and it was starting to get dark. We stopped quickly and put headlamps on and kept on cruising. 

 At Franklin I switched out my vest for a hydration pack. Up to this point I had been carrying one handheld and kept the other in the back pocket. Placing my rain jacket, puffy, hat, gloved, hot hands, and pack at the mile 61 aid was a bit of a strategic decision. I knew I would need the warm stuff and rain gear at night, but I didn't want to have to carry it during the hot day. The bet paid off and we did get a little rain leading into Franklin, but the skies didn't open up until afterwards.

It was cold during the night, but as long as I kept moving and didn't stop too long at aid stations I kept the shivers at bay. I did have a 15ish mile stretch where I felt horrible. I have never felt so tired during a 100 miler. I kept wanting to take a nap, but I knew if I lay down I probably wasn't going to get back up. I was falling asleep while running/shuffling. I started tripping over rocks and roots and took a couple diggers. I went down hard once and was really glad I had tights on to protect at least some of my skin. I lost some skin on my hand, knee, and elbow and used my ear warmer to stop the bleeding. I stubbled into the warm den of Beaver Lodge aid station and didn't want to come out. About this time it really started to downpour. I pried myself out of the warm chair and stumbled back into the dark wet night. This is fun right! Somewhere in here the dirt turned to slip and slide mud and I was wishing I had poles. I was in road Hokas that had zero traction. Anytime I tried to push off or change direction I would slip and nearly fall. I think I did go down half a dozen times between mile 80 and the finish. Strangely I started feeling better and was laughing as I fell. I don't remember a lot of details about the dark section. I do remember a section where the trail seemed to branch off in a couple different directions and not seeing markers. Turns out all trails went to the same place. I also remember sitting down on a paved road when I wasn't sure which way to go and waiting for the runners behind us. Maybe I was just using this as an excuse to sit down. 

We slowly picked our way towards the finish and I finally found myself at the last aid station where they warned us that the steepest hill on the course was coming up. Yeah!! As we started up the hill there was a river of water coming down the hill. The road was a slippery river. Every step I took I slipped backwards and fell onto my hands. Ryan and I both ended up using branches as poles to claw our way up this steep bit. Meanwhile as we are climbing up there was a lightning show going on around us. I was moving with purpose. I wanted to get up and over this thing before the lightning closed in on us. My relief at hitting the top was short lived as the downhill was a mud disaster. What probably would have been a tough descent in dry conditions was downright treacherous when wet. The mud was both slippery and sticking to the bottom of our shoes. I was grabbing the branches of the bushes on the side of the trail in an effort to stay upright. Finally after many tumbles we were at the bottom. I could see a gravel road on the other side of the cattle guard! When we got there the trail turned left up another mud hill to add further insult. Wohoo! I was not stoked about this turn and may have dropped a couple 4 letter words. I was no longer appreciating the beauty of the fall leaves. Finally we made our way to the finish line in 26hr 14min. This ended up being good enough for 31st overall and 4th female. 

Overall this race had everything I wanted. The course was scenic, challenging, and fairly well marked. I also liked that it didn't coddle the athletes. There were long sections without aid and one had to be prepared and pay attention. I was tested me every step of the way. The weather only added to the fun. Part of running ultras for me is to learn something about myself and how I handle adversity. I highly recommend adding this race to your list if you like a challenge.

Lessons learned are to put dry socks/clothes in zip locks so that I do have dry stuff to put on. The other thing I would do different is have poles. With the rain they would have been amazing. Even in dry conditions I would have liked poles on the climbs, and I might have kept rubber side down.

Somewhere in the dark of night crossing the border

Trying to find any traction on the last downhill

Second sunrise and the finish in sight

And done!

Amazingly supportive husband and pacer

Grizzly buckle and course profile on plaque

Trail Runner article

Had a great time doing a photo shoot with Dave Clock the week after my run. Did a quick run out to "The Bench" on the TRT section from Spooner to Kingsbury.

 http://www.davidclockphotography.com

The article with Trail Runner is linked below

http://trailrunnermag.com/people/adventure/1484-9-qs-with-amber-monforte-new-tahoe-fkt-holder

Tahoe Rim Trail FKT

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." —T.S. Elliot

The Tahoe Rim Trail has been my favorite trail for the 12 years I've been running. When I was living in Reno I would often drive up to Mt Rose Meadows to get my long run done as an out an back heading south from Mt. Rose. The views along this section are stunning. In places one can see both Tahoe and Washoe Valley. About 3 years ago I first thought of doing the whole trail, but originally my plan was to do it as a fast pack over 4 days. After moving to South Lake Tahoe a year and a half ago I first thought about doing the trail in one shot. 

With the low snow year the backcountry opened up early and I made a go at the trail in the end of June. I started in Tahoe City and went clockwise. My goal was to get Desolation done in the daylight. It is a brutal section around 35 miles with no easy access should things go sideways. I made it nearly 80 miles (Freel Pass) before Ryan pulled the plug for me. It was the right decision. I hadn't consumed enough calories and was having trouble taking in fluids. I had audible wheezes and was having difficulty breathing. After a brutal 6 mile hike out I was back at the car. I was bummed, but I looked at the experience from a learning standpoint. 

We learned a lot about how to plan for this in the future. Doing something like this is a bit of a logistical nightmare. Planning included food, fluids, crew, maps for crew, lights, clothing for day and night running, pacers, and what to bring on each section. For each section I carried my own water, food, and lightweight windbreaker. The pacer carried the water purifier and puffy jacket, gloves, extra lights, and space blanket. The pacer was also my extra set of eyes to make sure I didn't miss a turn and in case things went sideways they were my safety.

I wanted to try the TRT again this summer but between other planned trips and work my summer was completely full. August included a 3 week racecation in Colorado for the Trans Rockies Run. I'll try and get a post about this up soon. The Trans Rockies Run was 120 miles in 6 days with Ryan as my teammate. We had a great time during the run and the next week we slowly meandered our way back to Tahoe through Southwest Colorado. We did a couple mountain bike rides in Crested Butte and Durango, but the highlight of the trip for me was 2 runs we did on the Hardrock 100 course. One was up Bear Creek Trail and the other was up to Island Lake. On the long drive home I started thinking about TRT. We had plans to run the Wonderland Trail the first weekend in September with friends, but the crew fell through. A couple text messages to friends later and TRT attempt 2 was in the works. 

FKT Tahoe Rim Trail

One of the hardest things about this run is all the planning. We had a little bit of a skeleton crew on this attempt with 2 main pacers running 7 of the 8 segments, one additional pacer, and family coming along the way to help at some of the major crossings. The day before we sat down and went over the plan. Ryan and Keeven were planning on running about every other segment up until Brockway to Mt Rose. After pacing they would them jump in the van and get to the next trailhead where they would organize and hopefully get some sleep. 

Section 1: Kingsbury to Big Meadow- 27 miles

We started at Kingsbury at 6am. I actually turned the delorme (tracker) on at the car and then walked to the trail. Because of the road construction we started on the trail that connects into Buchanan Road. The first 15 minutes were dark, but then we had our first sunrise. 

 

The view over Garnerville

Me cruising past Star Lake. We filtered water here and refilled. With the low water year I wasn't sure if the streams would still have water and I didn't want to chance it.

Climbing up Freel

On top of Freel Pass. One mountain down

Section 2: Big Meadow to Echo Lake - 17 miles

After a quick refill of my pack and restock of food I was on my way. Keevin paced me on this section. He was one of my friends I had initially planned on running Wonderland with, and we were super excited to have him along on this adventure. This section is one of my favorites when I run it in the opposite direction. Clockwise there is a ton of climbing, but the scenery is stunning. Earlier in the year running here there were waist high flowers overflowing onto the trail.

Still smiling at Round Lake

Meiss Meadows

The view of Tahoe on the descent to Echo Pass

The descent here is steep and a little technical. I was really glad to have it done on somewhat fresh legs.

Section 3: Echo Lake to Barker Pass - 34 miles

Echo Lake was a welcome site and I ate and relaxed for about 10 minutes. It was also my first shoe and sock change. I ran in Hokas for most of the run, but for this section I put on a lower profile shoe. I was headed into nighttime and this section is a super technical rocky section. Ryan was with me again on this section. This is my favorite section of the trail, but it's not an easy one. It was the longest time we would be without crew support. 

Ultraman sighting!! Jen (super crew) from Hawaii was here crewing an athlete for the Tahoe 200 and popped over to say hi. It was really good to see a familiar face.

There was a beautiful glow as we got to Aloha Lake. The lake had been drained since last time I was here.

Heather Lake

Full moon over Heather Lake

Our plan was to a partial water refill at Susie Lake and then fill up at Fontanillis Lake. At Susie we stopped and Ryan discovered he forgot the bag part of our water filter. Crap!! I didn't freak out too much. I was ready to just fill up from the lake and worry about Giardia later when Ryan saw a couple backpackers. Turns out they had the same water filtration system and we borrowed their bag. 15 minutes later with full packs we were on our way hoping the water would last until Barker. This was about sunset and we were into our first night!

Top of Dicks Pass

The rest of the section went smoothly and the water lasted the remainder of the segment. At about 10 pm we came across a guy standing alongside the trail just past middle Velma Lake. He asked, "Are you guys lost too?" I replied no and asked what he needed. Turns out they had passed Velma Lake where they had wanted to camp. I left Ryan behind to help him with directions.

Section 4: Barker Pass to Tahoe City -17 miles

At Barker Pass I got in a sleeping bag and tried to sleep for about 30 minutes. My legs were too achy to sleep, but I do think stopping and letting my heart rate drop helped. Keevin ran this leg with me and I was bummed for him because it was still dark. It's a stunning section in the light. A couple miles from Tahoe City I got to see sunrise number 2 of this adventure.

Section 5: Tahoe City to Brockway - 20 miles

I took 10-15 minutes and ate in Tahoe City and changed my shoes and socks again. Thankfully my sister and brother in law Sami and Dan were there to help the boys out and keep me moving. It was such a mental boost to see them. Ryan was supposed to run this section with me, but he looked cooked. I told him to sit this one out. I wanted him on the night section from Mt. Rose to Spooner more than this leg in the daytime. The nice thing about this section is that they could drive in and were planning on meeting me at Watson Lake. It was a good thing they did because about a mile out from Watson I ran out of water. It was getting hot out, and I ended up sitting in a mud hole for a minute to cool off. After a quick fill at Watson I asked Keevin if he wouldn't mind riding his bike with me for the last 6 miles of this section. I usually like running solo, but this was getting long and I was enjoying seeing people.

Trailhead in Tahoe City

Using the stick on my ouchy legs

  

My brother in law Dan and Keevin getting me ready to head out

Somewhere past Watson Lake

Section 6: Brockway to Mt Rose Meadows - 21 miles

It was getting hot out and I wasn't looking forward to this next section. It is basically one reaaaally long climb with a short descent. There are no water sources to filter at so the crew was going to drive in a couple miles to top us off. Sienna an ICU RN was my pacer on this section. I was moving slow here and she was power hiking faster than my shuffle. I was having solid type 2 fun with dashes of type 3 fun. Food was not easy to force down, but I kept on moving. The last section of the climb up to Relay Peak seemed to drag on forever. Once on top it was just a little descent to the next trailhead right? nope! We passed a sign that had 2.5 miles to the the trailhead posted, but since that sign went up they extended the single track and keep us off the fire road. Amazing new single track, but I wasn't so jazzed about the added miles at the time.

Cooling off at Brockway

Quick top off 

Pringles were my go to salty snack

Relay Peak

Eating soup before my "nap"

attempting nap #2, eyes closed but no sleeping

Section 7: Mt Rose Meadows to Spooner -23 miles

After a 40 minute rest and attempted nap at Mt Rose I headed out with Ryan. I was excited about seeing some of the Tahoe 200 runner that would be coming from the opposite direction. This section was pure mental as everything hurt and I started wheezing. Shortly after the sun went down I started hallucinating a little. Unless there really are human sized lizard sitting along the trail. It was a little chilly going over Snow Valley  Peak and I put on a puffy and gloves. We saw a couple runners coming the other way and cheered them on as we moved along. Just before getting to Spooner I saw a guy curled up in the fetal position on the side of the trail. Unsure if he was real I asked if he was okay. He replied, "Yes, I started hallucinating so I'm taking a little nap". He didn't want anything so I carried on and was soon at Spooner.

Somewhere on the spine above Washoe Valleys and Tahoe

Section 8: Spooner to Kingsbury - 15 miles

Keevin and I were quickly off for our last segment. I had a handheld (usually bar mounted) bike light because my headlamp had called it quits. I was in solid type 3 fun by this point and having a hard time breathing. I think breathing the fine dust for over 2 days was the problem.  My breathing was limiting my pace at this point. It was a little nerve wracking not being able to get a good breath. 

We started to see more and more of the Tahoe 200 runners that kept telling us we were going the wrong way. It was a big boost to see other people out there from the middle of the night to the early morning. About a half mile from the finish Ryan was waiting. Right before crossing Kingsbury Sienna and here fiance Scott were waiting. We all jogged in to the finish together where family and friends were waiting.

Final finish time was 49hrs and 17 minutes. This stands as the current women's FKT. I have no doubt that one day this time will fall. That's what records are there for. I enjoyed the challenge of pushing myself further than I thought possible and look forward to new challenges.

Ryan and Keevin herding me in to the finish

And done!!

My pacers Sienna, Keevin, and Ryan

So glad there is a bed in the van

Thanks so much to my amazing crew and family for coming out and supporting me on this crazy adventure. I am so lucky to have you all in my life!