2013 Year in Review

A third rate video of a couple second rate runners.

The year started out with our annual beard campout at the North Willow Cirque in the Stansburry Mountains. This is one of our favorite areas to camp because of the lack of use and the extremely beautiful sunrise on the cirque's rock formations. It was a strenuous hike that required much snowshoeing but totally worth it.

Jake, Steve, Jesse, Sam at the N Willow Cirque

This year I have met a lot of new people through the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers. In February I was able to go on an adventure run with some of them to The Wedge down in the San Rafael Swell. That was one of the funnest good times I've ever had. Rim Running is an experience everyone should take the time to do. I'm looking forward to it again in 2014.

Me, Rob, Davy, Matt on one of the overlooks of the Good Water Rim Trail

Sunrise on Antelope Island, about mile 14

Steve and I spent most of the beginning of the year training for our first 50 miler, the Antelope Island Buffalo Run. Much of this training happened earlier than ever before. Like 4:00 a.m. early. For me, that's almost the only way to get my mileage in because of my early work schedule. We started out the year meeting about once a month on the Skyline Drive, at either Farmington Canyon or the Bountiful B. Recently it evolved into a weekly meeting on Friday mornings at 4:00 a.m. usually at Mueller Park. Unfortunately, Steve suffered some injuries that prohibited his participation in the Buffalo Run, so I had to run it as a solo monkey. It was a great and terrible experience for me. Read about it here.

Umstead Park, North Carolina

The summer flew by with many small and large adventure runs. I got to run at Umstead Park in North Carolina, which was absolutely beautiful and terribly humid.



Steve's highlight of the summer was our Skyline Drive 50K loop. He pulled me along the entire time and even picked me up and carried me when I was almost dead. No, really. Steve also invented a new stretch. He was nice enough to name it after one of my regular practices right before I started a run every morning. The stretch is called: Trailheads, and it involves stretching the soleus calf muscle. Basically, all you need to do is squat down like your gonna...well you get the gist.

Steve descending King's summit

As always, one of the funnest runs we do all year is the Quest for King's Marathon put on by Craig Lloyd. Steve also put forth an awesome performance that day. I was sick the whole time and did about the same as last year. I think Jake was there but I may be mistaken.

Sam & Steve with Ibapah in the background.

The last monumental run of the season was in October. We traveled to one of the more remote areas on the Utah-Nevada border and summitted Mt. Ibapah, the 8th most prominent peak in Utah. The fall leaves were amazing and the granite boulders were spectacular. It wouldn't surprise me if we just happened to do it again next fall.

2013 was a very eventful year full of new friends, new heights, more mileage, faster times and an injury or two. Here's to a very prosperous new year to come. We hope it brings us success as we train for the Zion 100K, the HOMM, Quest for Kings, and the Bear 100 Miler, among other great adventure runs along the way.