PSA: Wear your bike helmet!

So I've been keen on riding my bike to work lately but haven't been bothering with the inconvenience of wearing my helmet. Well, let the next few pictures be a lesson to any of you boys or girls who think you can get away with being stupid.

Getting picked up by the paramedics

SS and JR were driving to meet me for lunch when they saw me all bloodied on the side of the road. They followed the ambulance up to the U and kept me company while I blabbed on incoherently

Those sting a little

I was riding down South Temple on my way to meet my classmates at Sawadee when, while accelerating through an intersection between 20 and 30 mph, I felt a pop and my bike locked up and began shaking violently. I tried to regain control... and then woke up in the trauma bay at the U of U Emergency Dept. Actually, I remember about 30 seconds from the ambulance where I tried to tell the paramedics that I didn't need the C-collar because I could clear myself clinically (i.e. no C-spine tenderness, no distracting injury, not intoxicated, etc). They weren't buying it as I was in and out of consciousness and really goofy. I have a few recollections of having my clothes cut off and recognizing my colleagues in the ED, which was hugely comforting, as well as seeing some flashing lights in the CT scanner. But, it wasn't until nearly two hours after the accident that my head cleared, from which point my memory is intact. A friend sewed up my head, others snuck in some ice cream, and Jessie was by my side as soon as she heard about it. I feel pretty lucky that a headache, some stitches, and a lot of road rash are all I got. Maybe, if I had had a helmet on I wouldn't have had any loss of consciousness or cut my head as badly.

So again, lesson of the day? WEAR A HELMET!

Minor setback to the Speedgoat plans, but hopefully I'll be up and running soon.

My Feet and Trail Shoes

Discovery of the right shoe is important in my decision that I might be born to run. I have, off and on, dabbled in trail running. And fall/spring skiing often requires a good pair of trail shoes. Pre-B2R, I had some Salomon and Montrail shoes. I went from Salomon to Montrail because Montrail was making some shoes -- the Hard Rock and Continental Divide -- that had some big fat heels. I thought that if I had a big fat heel, more cushion, and more support, maybe my chronic ankle problems -- problems that made running prohibitive -- would go away.

Of course, after I read B2R, I realized for the first time in my life that I didn't need to heel strike to run. And so I began my search for the perfect minimalist shoe. I didn't attempt to go barefoot, but I did acquire a pair of those funny looking Vibram Five Fingers.

Vibram Five Fingers (VFF)

A few moments after I got them (I was at work), I put them on and went running. I was in dress pants and a dress shirt when I started, but after short while, I left my dress shirt hanging on a post and kept going, shirtless. I also rolled up my dress pants to my knees. And I proceeded to run up through a neighborhood and then into the foothills. By the time I got into the foothills, I realized in my over-exuberance that I had some blisters. A few moments after that, I realized that they were bleeding. I limped back down to the neighborhood, and once I got on sidewalk and pavement, I removed the VFFs and walked down through an affluent east side neighborhood barefoot, shirtless, and wearing dress pants rolled up to my knees.

My review of VFFs: Not suitable trail running for novices like me. They might make my feet stronger if I do easy runs on grass and the track. Otherwise, they will be great drift boat shoes.

New Balance MT 100
I've related an experience with these below. The first time I ran home from work in these, I DNF'd. In hindsight, my failure was more operator error, rather than shoe error. I was practicing my Tarahumara/Pose/Evolution/Chi (google them) running styles, or trying to at least. Turns out that I was over-emphasizing the forefoot landing and was running on my toes, which strained my Achilles and calf muscles. Also, my body wasn't used to the strains of running. And, I think the MT100s were too small for me. (Initially, I sized running shoes like I sized ski boots. Luke has advised and I have come to believe that a thumbnail length in the toe is the way to go.)

My review of the MT 100s: I'd like to give them another try in a larger size because I think I could like them. They are very light, and they have small heel to toe drop. The heel is only about 12 mm higher than the toe. What prevents me from giving them another shot, however, is the fear that they don't have enough traction for the kinds of trails I frequent and the uppers won't hold me on top of the shoe. Running downhill, I felt like my foot was going to burst through the front of my shoe. Then again, they are good enough for guys like Anton Krupicka . . .

La Sportiva Fireblade
I got this shoe because Karl Meltzer used to endorse them. He now runs in moon boots. Anyway, I also got the Fireblades a bit too small and they hurt my toes on the downhill. Like all La Sportiva shoes, the Fireblades are well-designed and reflect Italian craftsmanship. They also have a small heel-to-toe drop, about 12 mm I think. The toe box was sufficient and the heel cup was nice. The things that have prevented me from trying to get a better size and seeing if I can make them work is (a) I feel like there isn't enough cushion in the sole, (b) the sole is a bit stiff, and (b) I like knobbier traction. I think I could very well grow out of these concerns as I get more trail running experience and better form.

La Sportiva Wildcat
Compared to the Fireblade and the Crosslite (below), the Wildcat is beefier. In particular, it has a thicker and more cushioned sole, The upper is comfy and supportive. And they have a roomy roomy toe box. I got these in the right size, but after a 12 mile mountain run, determined that they weren't for me because the heel was too tall. If the heel is too tall, I have a hard time running downhill on my forefoot, which causes me ankle pain. Most of my shoe search has been designed to find the shoe that allows me to run in a way that makes my ankle pain go away. Like the older Montrails, the Wildcat actually causes me to have ankle pain.

La Sportiva Crosslite

I like these shoes. Compared to the Fireblade, the toe box is narrower. It borders on being almost too narrow for me. The traction on the Crosslites is awesome, and I really like the gaiter on the front. What I'm not particularly thrilled with is the heel structure. There is less cup in the Crosslite heel compared to the Fireblade and the Wildcat, and this causes some heel lift. As my shoes have broken in, the heel lift has subsided, but the cup could be better.

Another thing I have noticed is that compared to my Inov8 shoes, there is less cushioning in the forefoot. I prefer more cushioning, but I think I could get used to the relatively hard sole of the Crosslite.

Finally, I wish that the heel to toe drop on the Crosslite was smaller. At about 12 mm, it doesn't cause me to have ankle problems, but I would prefer less. I plan on taking a knife to the shoes or taking them to a cobbler to try to reduce the heel lift.

I like these shoes and run in them now and again.

Inov8 Roclite 295

These are the shoes I currently train in. They have a small heel to toe drop. They are super flexible. They have great traction. They are relatively light -- 295 grams. The have a roomy toe box. They appear to be fairly durable. All of these are characteristics I've been looking for in a shoe. The only issue I have with the Roclite 295s is that I feel rocks pushing through, and they hurt my feet, but this is a minor issue, and  I've decided these are great shoes for me.

Inov8 Talon 212

This shoe is very light for a trail shoe. And it's very minimal. Except for being as durable and having a roomy toebox, it has all the characteristics I like in the Roclite 295. In fact, the heel to toe drop in the 212 is even smaller -- 6 mm I think. Compared to the Crosslite, there is a lot more cushioning in the forefoot, although as they age, I think the cushioning will pack out. The first time I ran in the 212s was at the Wahsatch Steeplechase. I knew I was taking a risk, but I'm glad I did.

Compared to the Roclite 295s, the Talon 212s have a tighter upper. I like that because it holds my foot in place on the downhill.

Because the 212 is so minimal, there are a couple problems: (a) durability -- I've put about 30 miles on my shoes and the sole at the toe is starting to peel, and (b) the tongue on the shoe is so minimal that dirt and debris can easily enter the front of the shoe.

Hoka Mafate
Everything above this, I wrote a couple weeks ago. Since then, my feet have hurt almost constantly because I'm not yet conditioned for this running thing. So, I've got some Hokas on the way -- the exact antithesis of minimal running footwear. I'm hoping that I can still keep my running style, i.e., not heel strike, but have a lot of cushion for my wimpy feet.

Deep down, I know that my feet problem has less to do with shoes and more to do with needing to log more miles and ramp up gradually rather than going all in. But, if there is a shortcut, I will take it!

My Feet

Missing a couple toenails with others black and blue.  Seriously, is this normal?

Summer Fling

My mistress, winter, left me in the Tetons about 3 weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been wandering, running aimlessly along SLC’s abundant trails, pushing the tether out farther each time. I’ve been on runs up Ensign and Grandeur Peak, Black Mountain, and along the front side of Timp. I'm flirting with summer and some of what she has to offer...ridge runs, climbing, speed traverses. However, it's all really just a bunch of ideas right now.

But, over the 4th weekend, something resembling my winter provided some good times.

Adam, and co-interns SS and MF joined me for a run up Baldy. The snow was patchy until the mid mountain lift but I didn't care.

These guys look pretty happy too

Some more pics







Uh, only 169 days left until winter.

End of an era…a summary

Well, med school graduation has come and gone. I missed it as I was on Mount Adams at the time. Guess it’s Dr. Sherpa from here on. And, now I am at the beginning of another 3 years of training, this time with longer hours and more responsibility. But, the adventuring will continue because as Bill Brigg’s said, “What’s the point of living? Well gee, it’s to have some adventure.” So I’ll do my best to keep on getting after it even though I think it’s time to put the skis away for the year.

Looking back at the past year I realize just how ridiculously good it’s been. With over 50 different summits and partners between both climbing and skiing, it’s been my most prolific year to date. Many summits were repeated and many partners came back for more. I skied 115 days, climbed a lot, and went to school… a bit. So to commemorate the year (academic calendar), here are a couple top ten lists. Top ten climbs, ski descents, and yep…partners. All of the following come with as many stars or smiley faces as you can imagine…except maybe partner #10. Hint: He’s always mad.

Top Ten Climbs (most are easy moderates but will take you to some pretty soulful places):

10. Direct Petzoldt Ridge, Grand Teton 5.7 IV – Would have been higher but was with DD. He’s a whiner.
9. Lowe Route, Lone Peak 5.8 – Granite Patina!
8. Prodigal Son, Angel’s Landing 5.8 C2 V – A pleasure as Sam let me lead every pitch and we weren’t dealing with haul bags. ZION!
7. Lurking Fear, El Capitan 5.7 C2 VI – Muchas Estrellas!
6. Muir/Nose, El Capitan 5.9, C2, VI – The Muir is beautiful and it was here that I spent my first night on a portaledge. We missed out on the upper dihedrals because we bailed over and finished on the Nose. Any El Cap route is good though, right?
5. Full Exum Ridge, Grand Teton 5.7 IV – Take away the crowds and it might get bumped higher.
4. Regular NW Face, Half Dome 5.10.c C1, VI – Wanna feel like a hero…
3. Triple Overhangs, Lone Peak 5.10a – Maybe it was the anticipation that was building for a couple years, or maybe the hand jams through the roof sections are just that good, but it’s my favorite in the Wasatch.
2. The Grand Traverse, Teton Range 5.8, V – Alex Lowe’s favorite outing in the mountains has to be high on any list. Miles of ridgeline and spectacular terrain in my favorite range.
1. The Nose, El Capitan 5.9, C2, VI – Worthy of it’s many monikers…the King, the best rock climb in the WORLD, Warren Harding’s Finest, and on and on.


Top Ski Descents/Tours/Traverses (Chosen for the length, position, ability to ski from a distinct summit, and all around joy felt afterward):

10. Coalpit Headwall, North Thunder Mountain – Visible from nearly anywhere in SLC, it tantalizes until you go do it. Then afterwards, seeing it just makes you happy. All the time. Period.
9. Terminal Cancer, Ruby Mountains – The spontaneity of that day and being alone enhanced the super cool couloir.
8. Champagne Couloir, Mount Nebo – Sometimes forcing a line makes it that much better.
7. Cold Fusion Couloir, Mount Timpanogos – Good enough that I went back one week later and did it again.
6. South Face, Mount Timpanogos – From the Sleeping Maiden’s nipple all the way to my parent’s doorstep in Pleasant Grove. Been wanting to do that for over 10 years.
5. NE Couloir, Lone Peak – The King Line of the Wasatch?
4. Left of Heart, Mount Shasta – June powder, a gift from the Lemurians.
3. The Skillet Glacier, Mount Moran – Pretty classic descent in the prettiest mountains in the contiguous U.S.
2. Ingraham Direct, Mount Rainier – 9,000+ feet in one descent. One of the longest in the lower 48 for sure.
1. The WURLOS – A real Wasatch highlight tour. THE Wasatch highlight tour.

Top Ten Partners (selected for their charm, quality of shared climbs/skiing, and quantity of time spent laughing at each other in the mountains):

Honorable Mention: Adam and Zack

10. Tanner Bushnell – He’s in love! He’s in love! And he doesn’t care who knows it. Usually dependable, until a certain woman stole him from me.
9. Uncle Roman – OK, he’s not really my uncle. He’s cooler than my uncles though…
8. Graham/Jake – With me on two of my favorite climbs, these guys get the nod together. I wonder…are they together?
7. Jared Inouye – I could really credit this guy for getting me to buy into the light is right concept. Opened my eyes you could say. Fastest guy in Utah makes for a pretty good partner.
6. Bart Gillespie – Over the long haul, I doubt there’s a stronger guy in the mountains. He’s funny too, and Lars thinks that when Bart has a goatee he looks like Brad Pitt…dreamy. I think he kind of looks like Lars…dreamy.
5. Casey Londer – Slow and steady like a turtle. Or is it a bear. Or do I mean dependable as a dog? Whatever. How about all around solid? Well, until he bailed for the Midwest.
4. Viking Lars – The original PB would be higher on the list but he lives in Colorado limiting our time together. I love him though.
3. Sam Isaac Lau Inouye …from Gunnison, UT– My first days touring were with Sam and he still gets me in over my head…I like it. And, he’s willing to be a great belay monkey when climbing.
2. Jason Lawrence Dorais – He’s OK.
1. My buddy JD. That’s Jessie Dorais. She doesn’t do the mountain stuff, but she’s with me everyday, and that’s more than the rest of you can say.

Happy.

Mount Moran and the Skillet Glacier

Bad weather and lack of snow forced us out of Colorado and into the always stunning Tetons. We pulled into the park around 2 pm and stopped by the Jenny Lake ranger station to get some permits to camp by one of the lakes. We asked about skiing the Skillet and were told, "That is DEFINITELY not recommended right now." We were told the conditions were like midwinter with unconsolidated snow and high avy danger. They even tried to scare us off reporting an avalanche and partial burial at the lower saddle headwall that had occurred TWO weeks earlier. Sheesh. Not that we're gnarly experts or anything, but it was obviously not as they reported. We kindly asked for our permits anyway and went to check it out.

Dressed to the nines and carrying skis along the Leigh Lake trail we got some odd looksRightfully so, as we were in 3/4 tights with matching neon green shirts. But most of the quizzical looks were accompanied by questions about where the heck we were going to ski. Guess no one bothered to look up at the snow draped mountains.

Once the lakes thaw, most sources seem to recommend taking a boat across Jackson Lake or String then Leigh Lakes to approach the Skillet Glacier. We didn't feel the hassle was worth it and opted for the super mellow FLAT 4 miles along the shoreline of String, Leigh, Bearpaw, and Trapper lakes to where the trail ended. At the end of Trapper Lake, we found a campsite complete with a fire ring, chopped wood, benches, and perfectly flat ground. We couldn't resist, but decided we'd finish the approach and drop our skis at the base of the Glacier. Since the last mile would be bushwhacking through unknown terrain, we wanted to figure it out in the light. On the way out, we were attacked by shrubs, branches, thorns, and rocks. The way back by comparison, was a joy, as we followed deer trails, angling from the lateral moraine southeast through the trees. So for those who may use this approach, the easier way is to head north from Trapper Lake while always bearing slightly left (uphill into the pine trees) until you find yourselves boulder hopping directly below the Glacier.

We got an early start and had little trouble finding our way back to our skis. Pretty soon, we were skinning in the morning alpenglow.

5000 feet and a couple hours later

From the notch at the top of the upper handle, it's only a couple hundred feet south to the true summit. JD on the summit of Mount Moran, 12,605

The heart of the Tetons, now without JD ruining the picture.

The Hidden Couloir on Thor Peak beckons for another day

Perfect weather with adequate snow straight from the summit

From the notch, elated

Here's a series from the upper part of the Skillet. Photos by JD









Pretty blissful stuff. Even the hike down the broken deer trails back to the tents was peaceful. But then...
A marmot was messing with my tent as we got close to camp so in an idiotic moment I tossed a rock and it and well...put that hole in my tent. Genius.

On a little side note, the whole day was fueled by half a pop tart. No, not half a package. Half of a single pop tart. About 3/4 of the way up we realized we hadn't had anything to eat since leaving the tents. We didn't want to stop, and nothing really sounded good. Too much Gu and bars over the last few weeks I guess. Anyway, we have been on a kick lately to eat nothing on the descent and hike out so as to make our first meal that much better (we always have food if needed but try to save our appetites to really binge once off the mountain). This time, the fast was on from the beginning, and you better believe the McDonald's was mind blowingly DELICIOUS!

And, on another side note, this is a line I would highly recommend. A runnel is forming and some wet debris is present but both are easily avoidable. Better get on it soon.

As Modest Mouse says, "Blame it on the Tetons." The love affair continues.

Back in SLC...

Dead Dog Couloir, Torrey's Peak

Still bumming around Colorado with JD and my dad, we were looking for something to do the day after our RMNP adventure. My pops, who is getting ready for a trip to Mount Rainier, thought a snow climb at elevation and on the heels of a pretty big day would be excellent training. Viking Lars had skied the Dead Dog earlier in the year and said it would be to our liking.

Liking the line, JD and pops hiking toward the DDC which angles looker's right from the summit

Near the base of the climb, we bumped into some members of the Colorado Mountaineering Club. They moved surprisingly well and conveniently put in a nice booter to the summit.

Three generations

At the top, our old man decided he'd prefer the company of people without skis and walked off the south ridge with the club. Meanwhile, JD and I skied slushy, dirty snow down to a nap along the trail until Mike D caught up on foot.

Dirt, rocks, and a good runnel...Colorado's finest.



Our first Colorado 14er. It's what... 53 to go?

RMNP - Snow and Rock - w/Pops

Well, we're back on the road again. Jason, our old man, and I left SLC Tues morning and that afternoon found ourselves in Rocky Mountain National Park under stormy skies with wavering enthusiasm for our mixed climbing objective, Dreamweaver, on Mt. Meeker. We were hoping to find ice, snow, and rock up this classic line, but 90 degree temps for the past week and pesky thunderstorms the day before threatened to ruin the whole trip. Rather than sit in the rain, we ran back down to Estes Park for some DQ, then tried to sleep a bit before our planned 3:00 AM start.

Packing was quite an ordeal since I only brought my Avalung pack but somehow managed to cram rope, rack, harness, ice screws, 2 ice tools, skis, boots, poles, sleeping bag, pad, bivy sack, puffy, rain shell, my Crazy pants, gloves, crampons, and food for 2 days. I looked like a total bag lady with stuff clipped everywhere.

The hike up into Meeker Cirque or the Mills Glacier is an easy 3 miles along a wide mellow trail. We were rewarded for our diligent alpine start with brilliant morning alpenglow.

Dreamweaver ascends to the left of the flying buttress.

Jason on one of the rock steps. Obviously, no ice had formed during the unusually warm springWhy does he have skis?

My dad getting after it

Mike D near the top of Dreamweaver

Long's Peak shrouded in clouds

We caught up to a guided party near the top. Jason was still totting around those skis. Why?

Ahhh, we found some dirty snow in the Loft. Not really a destination ski line, but it was fun with a little rappel in the middle.

JD just below the rappel

Mike D took the loft bypass to avoid the rappel as he was hiking down. That guy needs to get some skis. And we needed to be in the park about 2 weeks earlier. There would be great ski descents like Keplinger's on Long's, the Dutchman, Lambs Slide, the Notch, and more, but you'd need skills like this guy with the current lack of snow.

Dreamweaver on left, Loft with tracks on right

Pretty fun day with three generations out in the mountains. We took a look at the Flying Dutchman, but it looked like a sloppy mess so we said goodbye to the park in search of more adventure. More with Mike D to come...