Yellowstone Running

Happy runner in Yellowstone.

Leah and I escaped to Yellowstone for a weekend of running and camping with Missoula friends. On the first day, we ran Electric peak from the Glen Creek trailhead. This superb 20-mile outing had us running endless smooth trail on the approach, then scrambling the clean, engaging southeast ridge in full gusty winds. Electric peak is certainly the most commanding peak in the Gallatin range, and it was great to share my third voyage to the summit with Leah.  The run out was equally enjoyable, and Leah was gracious enough to let me run over Snow pass and directly back to Mammoth among bugling elk and down through the expansive Mammoth hotsprings. The evening was spent soaking in the Boiling river and relaxing.

Leah starting the long run in to Electric Peak.

Leah floating down the Southeast ridge of Electric peak.

The Missoula crew, heading to the Boiling river.  Photo: Amy Groen

On Sunday, we ran Mount Holmes. Feeling the effects of the previous day and the Rut the previous week, Leah opted out of the summit, so we parted ways about half way into the run, and I made a hard summit push. Having only been to the summit in the winter, it was good to return and see the area without full snow cover. Thanks everyone for making the trip happen.

Mount Holmes.  I ran up the trail, which circles around the backside of the peak,
then descended directly down the talus ridge on the left back to the trail.

Bear to Big Creek traverse

A winter view in the summer.  Bear Lake and the Sweathouse spires from Sky Pilot.

I received a text over Labor Day weekend from James who had just completed the Ranger group traverse in Big Creek.  Inspired, I ran out of the Bear Creek trailhead at 8:30 am a week later, hoping for a logical extension to James' traverse.  The end result was a run up Bear Creek, a ridge traverse from Sky Pilot around the head of Big Creek and the Ranger peak group, and a run down Big Creek.  I did not do my due dillegence with trip research, so I pretty much just winged it, which was not a bad way to explore another magical corner of the Bitterroot.

The day started off with an hour long bike shuttle from Big to Bear creek. From the trailhead, the run up Bear creek to Brian lake was relaxed and fast enough. I filled water bottles just above the lake before pushing up to the pass and scrambling to the summit Sky Pilot.  Having visited Sky Pilot many times in the winter, it was rewarding to see a familar view without snow.  For future reference, the scramble up Sky Pilot from Bear Creek was quite enjoyable, and would make a great ~5 hour out and back run/scramble.  A quick descent and climb put me on the summit of the peak above East Fork lake in good spirits.  However, a preliminary look out to Ranger peak revealed a characteristically complex and slow ridgeline, so I mentally prepared for a long, scrappy grind before setting off.  The ridge turned out to be every bit as slow as I had feared, but I worked it out, making many deviations on the east and west sides, and fighting a little bit more scrub brush than desired.  In retrospect, it would have been faster and perhaps more elegant to drop to the Pearl lake group and bypass most of the ridgeline on the east.

Looking out to Ranger peak from the point above East Fork lake.  This is going to be slow.

Soon enough, I was on Ranger point, and the traverse to Ranger peak was clean and ejoyable, as was the knife edge ridgline down to Old Stormy.  I managed to find a trickle of water before Old Stormy and took a generous break, downing well over a liter of water before heading down to Big Creek lakes.  I was able to follow rock slabs most of the way to Big Creek lakes, and a surprisingly short and tame bushwack was all that was required to regain the lakeside trail.  From the inlet of the lake, I refilled water for the last time and started down the trail.  James had told me that the Big Creek trail was fun running, and I certainly agree - lots of techy but runnable sections in the upper few miles, then miles of buffed trail through dark old growth Cedar forest.  I had a blast cruising out, and was even a little reluctant to see the car at the end of the day.

Looking back to Sky Pilot from Ranger peak.

Looking east to Big Creek lake and the Heavenly Twins from Ranger peak.

I never tablulated stats, but the run was at least 20 miles on trail with perhaps 5 miles and about 4 hours of scrappy ridgeline traversing, and 7,500 vertical feet of so of climbing.  I ran at a brisk but moderate pace, and was out for 9 hours, 36 minutes, not including the 1 hour bike shuttle.

The route is in yellow (red and white are ski routes).

Happy feet at the car.

Viva la Bitterroot!

Sawtooth photo report

I have been busy, so here's a quick photo overview of a great Labor day trip to the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho.  Leah and I ran Mount Regan from Iron Creek the first day, and the remainder of the trip was spend climbing at the Elephant's Perch.  We got pretty worked on the Direct Becky (V 5.11), and I did a lot of whipping, whimpering, and aiding.  We didn't come close to making a free ascent, as I pulled on gear or fell on about 5 of the 12 pitches.  But we stayed safe, topped out before dark, and it was an amazing route.  The second day, we had a great jaunt up Astro Elephant (IV, 5.10-), and were lucky to share a rope with Jeannie Wall.  A few thoughts:

• Running in the mountains is incredibly fun.
• The run up to Sawtooth lake is impeccable, but the scramble up the Southeast ridge of Reagan was loose and convoluted.  
• The good ski terrain in the Sawtooth is by no means confined to the areas in the vicinity of the yurt system.
• The climbing at the Elephant's Perch is stout.
• The climbing at the Elephant's Perch is also brilliant.
• I can't wait to get back to the Sawtooth.

Sawtooth and Mount Regan.

Regan summit photo.

Starting down Regan.

Leah running around Sawtooth lake.

Leah working hard at the crux of Astro Elephant.

Starting up pitch two of Astro Elephant.

Also, Leah has been training consistently for the Rut 50k.  In addition to being in some of the best shape of her life, she is moving well through the mountains right now, and I'm really proud of her.  Nice work!