Mt. Wrightson Ascent with TTR

I've been a little behind in updating. But I want to make sure I don't get too far behind. So much has happened in the last month! Hopefully, I will get a few posts out this week so that I can catch up. :)

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A few Sundays back, I ran up and down Mt. Wrightson once again. I fell in love with the mountain when I ran it for the first time in May. It's so beautiful and very few runners show up for the the runs down there. It's too far away or something (versus the Sabino Canyon runs when everyone and their mother shows up). I love being alone when I run trails and this time was no different.

The morning of the run, it was a little drizzly outside. It made for a PERFECT run. It was so beautiful on the trail. It was peaceful with the sound of rain falling gently on the trees around me. What an amazing experience.


The forest was more alive during this visit. The rain from the monsoons had created a lush, green environment for us trail runners. And for the bears as well...there were berries everywhere! They covered the bushes and the floors And not soon after I discovered this, I also discovered there was a lot of bear poop on the trail! And I mean A LOT. I saved those photos for the end.

I felt as if running to the Josephine Saddle, about 2 miles up, went a lot faster this time. I guess I already know the trail and I had a general idea of the twists and turns. It also helped that I was "cheating". I brought my iPod with me! I know, what a terrible thing for a trail runner to do!
You're supposed to be listening to the outdoors on the trail (and possibly animals and other humans).
But music helps me think about other things instead of the pain in my lungs/legs at the time.

Josephine Saddle...and a memorial for the boy scouts
that died here in the 50's. 

The trek after Josephine Saddle was a lot slower and a little more difficult for me. After getting passed by some late-comers just before Josephine Saddle, my hopes for not finishing last were dashed. I am not the greatest uphill runner of all time, let's face it. This is something I need to work on. But I was determined to catch up with my insane downhill speed that I will bust out later on. :)

The rain had stopped and I knew where my next checkpoint was. I tuned into my music and trudged along. The uphill was getting a lot steeper and a lot harder to run. I power walked a good portion of it.

The trails were quiet and beautiful. :)

    

I love this part in the trail. It breaks away to show this side of the
mountain. It feels so mysterious and quiet here. 

  

  

By the time I got to this point in the trail, past the second saddle, I started to run into a lot more TTR people. They were speeding by! I was starting to get worried that I would not be able to catch up with them!

I also noticed a funny thing. Whenever I said hi to any of the runners, they looked very surprised. Like...too surprised.
I was starting to get a little annoyed. I would say "Hi! You're doing great!" and then get this look like, I don't know you...who are you? Why are you speaking to me??
They either don't remember me from the group or don't speak to people much. JK.

But no worries here! I am stepping up my game. I think I just need to be more involved. I have been going to more runs (first step) and next I will either try to RD a run or get a position within the group. Recently, an opportunity came up in which I was ALMOST able to do the latter. I just got to it a few seconds too late and unfortunately, it was snatched away quickly by someone else. :(

There is always next year. But it is hard being the youngest in this group. And it doesn't help that I look like I'm 18. I am truly trying my best and I may never be the fastest, but I will get points for having the most energy and spunk. That will get you far. Trust me. :)

Back to the trail!! I get so off topic sometimes. 

At this point, I have made it past the second saddle and I am on my way to the top!

All of the TTR runners have passed me, and I am trying to get myself to run faster so that I have an opportunity to catch up with them later on.

And finally...I make it.

Looking towards Mexico. 

I made it to the top! Again!
In one piece! Yay!

Looking towards Tucson.
You can see the remains of the fire lookout building to the right. 

It is so incredibly peaceful at the top. There is no one else with me, so I was grateful.
I stood up there, watching the rain clouds in the distance, and trying not to think about the run down.
I looked towards Mexico, and imagined running there one day. Maybe to the border? Maybe in the actual country? Oh, I would love to do that. One of my many running dreams. :)

I take a few more minutes for myself until a hiker arrives. It is time to go.
I start a little slow (it is very rocky at the top and the cliffs are high, I don't want to slide off!).
I really take off running when I hit the solid, dirt ground.
I want to catch up, so this is my time.

  

I decided to take the Super Trail down this time. Stupid idea. 

 

 I had this fantastic idea of catching up by taking the Super Trail, which I was told was a little longer than the other one. I thought it was great because the Old Badly Trail was shorter, yes, but much steeper than the Super Trail. I figured I could gain more ground if I wasn't tripping over rocks every few seconds. And I was never told the mileage on the Super Trail. When I was told that it was a little longer, I was thinking a few minutes longer. NOPE.

I was about a mile and a half longer. Yes, it was smoother, but I think that made it worse.
At point I looked at my watch and thought I should be done by now, but I was still halfway up the trail.
And then I got lost. For only a few minutes. I didn't stray TOO far off trail, but I was definitely being led in the wrong direction. That dampened my spirit.

Some bear poop for your
enjoyment. There was a TON
of this on the trail. 

Almost to the bottom of the trail!

Thankfully, I was only a minute away from the finish! I came running into the parking lot, with my hands up and some guy clapped. It was nice. I spoke to Gene (the RD) and ate some strawberries, a cookie and lots of pickle juice! I'm not much for schmoozing (especially when I don't hit my time goal) so I bid farewell and I was off.

 Time - 4:10
Distance - 12.17 miles

Overall, it was a beautiful run! I don't think I can say that enough!
I love running in those mountains. It is always so peaceful for me.
Next time, I will check out the trails AND the mileage before I decide to run them. I need to mentally prepare myself. Because if I don't (like this time) I get annoyed and upset at the end.

I wholeheartedly recommend Mt. Wrightson for everyone! Get out there and enjoy your trails!!!
Happy running! :)

Santa Catalina Ascent

Back in May, I decided to run up Mt. Lemmon. We would start in Sabino Canyon and end at the beginning of the Mt. Bigelow Trailhead at Catalina Highway, at least 14 miles up. The hard thing about this run obviously wasn't the mileage, it was the elevation climb: Almost 6000 feet of change! And had I completed the entire challenge (26 miles to the top) it would have been a lot more. 

We started out at 6:00 am at the Sabino Canyon Parking lot. I signed in, grabbed a map and dropped off my drop bag (Mt. Lemmon can get cold at the top, especially after all the sweating I would be doing) with the run director. I recognized some people, but I'm still too shy to say hello. I'm always the youngest on the runs and I feel as if I am not yet fully accepted. It's just a feeling, but I usually have good instincts about things, as silly as that sounds.  

We walked down the road together so we could all start together at milepost 0. And then we were off!
I will be honest, I wasn't keeping up my fitness, so I was really slow.
My goal was to make it to the top, alive, and not beat any records. That's it.
So, when the TTR group took off in front of me, I wasn't surprised. I was worried that I would be the last one, but I knew they wouldn't leave me out there alone. :)

Starting out early in Sabino Canyon, TTR runners out in front. 

A little farther down the road,
Thimble Peak in the background. 

Feeling slow, but good. 

 I finally reached the end of the road. I looked up and saw how far ahead the other runners were (there are a few switchbacks on the trail above the road). And they were booking it! They were running at such a great pace uphill I was amazed as to how they were doing it! I guess I need to train on hills more. :)

The end of the road and heading up Sabino Canyon Trail.

Looking back down at the road.

 I was already winded going up the trail so I had to slow it down and power hike it for awhile.
I knew how far I had to go (and how high) so I didn't want to completely wear myself out).

Heading up the trail. The blue mountains in the background
are where I need to be. 

I kept trucking along and finally got some energy from the gel I had eaten. I crossed paths with another trail runner (I think she was part of TTR) going the opposite direction and I wondered where she ran to. Did she make it to the top and she's coming back down!?! Holy crap!

I'm pretty sure that's not the case, but I have to keep myself entertained on these runs. :)

Take the East Fork!

I finally reached another trail sign after worrying that I may have missed it and was going in the wrong direction.  I looked at the map and decided the East Fork was the way to go. I had almost taken West Fork. Ugh, that would have made me really sad, with the way I was already feeling. 

Rounding another corner, going deeper into Sabino Canyon. 

 Sometime after the trail sign, I started freaking out. I had remembered reading about all those recent deaths from africanized bees here in Tucson and my mind started to race:
What if I get attacked today? I'm alone, no one would know until later. It's almost summer so no one is hiking this far back in Sabino Canyon because of the heat. And I'm the back of the pack of the TTR runners. Thankfully they would come look for me. But it'd be too late. I can't outrun bees when I'm this tired! Ugh, RUN FASTER! 
Seriously. This was what I was thinking. I am so paranoid sometimes!

 And then...I started thinking about mountain lions and mountain lion attacks. I was not doing a good job of motivating myself to run faster. I was slowing down, looking behind me, trying to be as quiet as possible, etc.
So, I didn't get any photos during this part of my run. And it was actually really pretty! There were large, shady trees and lots of green-ish plants (a big deal here in the southwest). But I was too busy thinking off mountain lions...

You should have seen my face when I heard noises some distance behind me. I literally froze.
Thankfully, I wasn't the last TTR runner!
Two women had taken the West Fork trail and go backtracked. So they were coming up behind me.
I was thankful because it gave me a reason to go faster...I didn't want to be passed!

Out of the canyon, heading
up some steep hills. 

 After I got another energy boost from the women behind me, I left the cool, shady trees of the canyon and started by ascent uphill. And it wasn't an easy uphill. It was some serious uphill trail. 

I kept pushing myself, and continually looking back to make sure I was still far ahead of them.
Unfortunately, they were going pretty fast. And those uphills were killing me!

So, I had to let them pass. We all stopped on an overlook of the city and chatted for a little bit. I asked them about mountain lions. They said they never saw one...ever. I think they thought I was a little crazy for my paranoia but they definitely helped ease my worry. 

However, it was too late. I was already drained from all the worrying I was doing.
Like...sleepy drained. I literally wanted to go to sleep. 

My drained self, wanting to take a nap. 

So, I did. I think. I can't really remember. I was so tried!
I remember sitting down on a rock and I think i put my head down for what seemed like a few minutes.
And I'm pretty sure it was a few minutes. Because I remember frantically texting my boyfriend telling him I may die and I needed to be saved. But I eventually just settled with telling him to meet me at the Mt. Bigelow trail-head on Catalina Highway. 

I forced myself to get up and walk to the end if I had to. I wasn't going to stay out there. 

So I pushed myself. I ate a gel, hoping to get some energy. I mostly walked, and sometime I got a minute of jogging in. But it was mostly an uphill battle, literally. 

Looking out over Tucson.

Thimble Peak, from the other side. You can even see Phoneline Trail if you look close enough. 

 I started to climb even more. I passed some fairly high cliffs and if there was running water, I'm sure there would be waterfalls. 

Looking over some cliffs on the Palisades Trail.  

Thimble Peak disappearing in the background
as go farther up the trail. 

 My next goal was to make it to Mud Springs, the farthest point I had been coming down the Palisades trail from the other direction. I was going to cover the entire trail today, something I had been wanting to do for a very long time! 

The second I hit the mud, I was ecstatic! I was so happy I got another burst of energy. I was impressed with what I had just accomplished. I never thought I would be doing anything like this 2 years ago.

I was almost there!!!

The mud from Mud Springs. The name doesn't fool you. :)

It was actually full today! If I needed some water, I may actually drink it too.
It didn't look nasty as usual. 

So, I was almost there.

I knew I had to keep going.
And I still had to keep pushing myself to get there.

Just after Mud Springs.
I knew this part of the trail well. 

 I was so happy when I saw the pine tree line up ahead!!

PINE TREES!!!! 

 I was a little delirious at this point. I was elated to be so close and so happy to be outdoors and doing what I love to do most! 

A few more uphills to go. 

 This part of the trail was really tough for me because I knew exactly how much more ground I needed to cover. My childhood summer camp is just above this trail I hiked it a lot as a kid and as a counselor a few years ago.
When I got to the top of a particularly tough climb, I met two elderly rangers sitting down and enjoying the view. They were so cute! The woman was asking where I had come from and she was amazed at my answer. I was too. :)

Looking back from where I came from, feeling
impressed with myself. 

 I came near an intersection in the trail that I used a lot as a camp counselor and I saw Shower's Point.
I have probably hiked there over a hundred times in the past 15 years. It brought back a lot of good memories.

Shower's Point! Oh, how happy I am to see you!

I was getting really tired again. My legs were cramping up and I just ran out of water. I hoping to see Chance out on the trail somewhere (not sure why I thought that, but I did) so I was disappointed when he wasn't there. I finally reached the end of the Palisades Trail and I guess who was there?? Chance! He was waiting for me!  

He gave me some Gatorade to finish the last mile and he drove alongside me for a few feet until I told him to meet me at the aid station. 

Organization Ridge Road: The final mile.

 I made myself jog even though I hurt. I rounded the corner and there was the aid station!
The TTR volunteers were happy to see me. They said they were getting worried. They were so welcoming and happy to see me. What a nice thing to arrive to. I ate some snacks, picked up my bag and told them I wouldn't be going any farther. They told me the women who passed me had quit early too. Well, at leat I wasn't the only one. :)

I jumped in Chance's truck and we went home. I felt so sick on the drive down the mountain! I wanted to throw up! Thankfully, that feeling passed and I arrived home sleepy and ready for a nap. 

The elevation gain. 

As soon as I finished, I told Chance I would never run this trail again.
But to be honest, it was quite an adventure! I hope to run it again next year! :D

We always seem to forget about the pain, don't we?

"We take these risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping us."

To the Top of Mt. Wrightson!

Last Sunday, I got the chance to finally explore the Santa Rita Mountains. 

TTR hosted a run called Mt. Wrightson Massacre. The goal is to do more than one ascent and descent. My goal was to make it to the top and back down without twisting an ankle or getting lost (which I almost did). 

I drove to the base of the Santa Rita's for a 7AM start. I was amazed at how different it looked from the rest of Southern Arizona! It was so shaded and forested. There were a few cute cabins and B&B's along the road. It made me think of what Oregon would look like (it was also pretty cloudy in the morning). 

I got out of the car and it was freezing! Okay, maybe not freezing but darn chilly because of the wind! I definitely wasn't prepared for it. Thankfully I had a jacket in my car! Way to be prepared. ;)

There were only 2 others starting with me. I signed in and got a map of the route. (This is why I love running with TTR. You have to sign in just in case you never return to the finish line and they usually provide you with a map so you hopefully don't get lost.) Another runner, Ken, started with me and showed me the way. He told me he ran Mt. Wrightson 6 times in one day! That's about 60 miles; And a whole lot of elevation!

We chatted and power-hiked for a while until I needed to stop and use my inhaler. Then we went at our own speeds (mine being a whole lot slower). Although, sometimes it's nice to run alone. It gives me time to think. :)

The beginning of the trail with Mt. Wrightson in the background. 

Starting out!

A beautiful trail, but the inclines are rough. 

     

I climbed for about an hour and then came upon a bunch of people camping. They were scattered everywhere and I tried to find the trail. I headed in what I thought was the right direction. At this point, I was looking for Josephine Saddle. I found a sign pointing down and north but it didn't have Josephine's Saddle on it; it just said Josephine's road or something like that. So I took it for about half a mile. It went down and down and down and it turned into a footpath. I got really worried when it split and there was no sign. Both trails went farther down. But Mt. Wrightson should still be going up, I thought. What also started to worry me was the amount of stashed water bottles in the bushes. With labels in Spanish. 

That's when I realized I must be on a trail that illegal immigrants use. The Santa Ritas are smack dab between the Mexican border and Tucson. A perfect crossing location. It's only about 30 minutes to the border from where I was. I asked about it later and some of the TTR members had actually run into some people who were crossing. 

I finally realized that I was definitely on the wrong path so I trekked back up the footpath and tried to find someone to ask. At that point, all the campers had left. Thankfully, there was one woman who was reading one of the signs. I asked her for the way to Josephine Saddle. She told me I was standing on it. Oh.

She pointed me in the right direction. The campers had been camping so close to the trail (basically on it) and I didn't bother to go in that direction. Hmph. 

I learned Josephine's Saddle has some sad history. In 1958, 3 boy scouts went camping and ended up setting up camp here. There was a freak snowstorm and unfortunately they did not survive the night. Another troop put up a plaque for them and some people seem to add small trinkets as they pass by. 

Josephine's Saddle - in remembrance of the 3 boy scouts that died. 

Super Trail is another way to get down the mountain.
I will have to try that one next time. 

 I continued on. The vegetation changed from scrub oak to more woodland. It got colder as I sweated more and the wind continued to blow. A few runners ran past me, down the mountain. I wondered if they were with TTR too. Some people started at 5AM. And some even earlier, like midnight. 

I started to climb out of the trees and I got some nice views of Mt. Hopkins. 

...and some great views of the valley as well.

Getting close to the switchbacks...

Finally, I got to Bellows Spring (which was another checkpoint on my map). I wasn't expecting much. And of course, there wasn't anything exciting. I don't even know if someone would actually drink out of this spring. Unless I was dying, then I definitely wouldn't. 

A sad, sad little spring. 

 

It got a little rocky after that...
this is about where the pain in the a$$ switchbacks started. 

 The switchbacks started to climb up and twist and turn. My legs hurt. I was tired of climbing. I got a little delirious. I usually talk to myself when this happens. 

And then I finally got to the top of the switchbacks!

Looking up towards the top...almost there. :)

At the next saddle, at the top of the first set of switchbacks. 

Almost there!!!

Finally! I made it to the top! In under 3 hours! 

Looking north, towards Tucson.
The dust/smog was unfortunately bad that day, but it's still a fantastic view.

Looking south, towards Mexico. Only about a half hour away...

There is a box at the top with notebooks to register in.
They kept them from a few years back!
It was pretty cool looking at the old entries. 

I made it to the top after a tough "run". I power-hiked a good part of it. ;) 

I sat down for about 10 minutes and ate an energy bar.. It was super windy at the top and I had to hold onto my hat pretty tightly. It was also really cold because of the wind and my dried sweat. I kept my hands stuffed in my pockets because they were hurting pretty bad. They swelled (maybe from lack of electrolytes or the elevation). And the wind sure wasn't helping. 

They don't look too swollen, but I could definitely feel the difference. 

I decided to head back down the mountain.
I was so fast running down that I came around a few corners sometimes and almost fell over!

I used trees to stop me if I felt like I was running too fast. I didn't want to trip and land on my face.

Done! 

My final time.
Pretty good time coming down since it took me about 3 hours to get to the top. 

I was definitely limping by the time I got back to the car. Another wonderful thing about TTR is that there is a run director who brings delicious food for every run. :) Raoul was the RD this time, and he brought pizza and Eegees! I was a happy runner (despite the leg cramps, of course).

I always forget to take photos of people afterwards, so I'll have to remember to do that for the next run! 

The climb was pretty intense and I could feel it in my legs.
I looked at the elevation profile when I got home and was amazed at how high I went!

 I can't wait until the next Mt. Wrightson run. Hopefully, I'll be able to beat my time!
What a great run!

“Try not to fight the trail. Instead, try to feel the natural rhythm, the flow… and rather than attempting to conquer it, practice becoming one with it. Begin each run with Shoshin – A Beginners Mind.             --- (Zen Running)