Because Circumnavigation sounds so much more epic. A good pre-work 16 miles though the backcountry of AF Canyon with just under 5,000 ft vertical climbing. A rough climb on the Ridge Trail up to Rock Springs, then all good from there. Rock Springs is a mere trickle right now (FYI Wasatch 100 planners for this aid station). The Holman Trail (TR039) down is fabulous - ran into a lot of bear tracks around the springs on this trail.
Mill Canyon Trail (TR040) has been renovated and is a mountain biker's delight. Now an almost Draper'esque Corner Canyon'ish trail, designed by professionals. But the new feel adds some meandering mileage for trail runners and an easy uphill run - it used to be a killer climb in mud and rocks, with mixed stream/trail. I took a side trail shortcut to Chainbreak trail up to the Ridge - less trail, more disaster ...but fun.
The Ridge Trail is turning in to motohead's high-torque playground - too much full throttle action on the steep parts up the ridge to Rock Springs. Motos apparently don't like to ride the rocky and loose trail they create, so they ride the sides of the trail full-throttle, widening it and making it larger and rockier and looser. I watched them climb the trail, and there is no holding back on the throttle with rocks flying. To me it doesn't seem compatible with current Forest Service trail ethics (after getting ranger lectured for having 16 people in my hiking party, when the limit is 15 - which appearantly causes insane amounts of destruction compared to full throttle motorbikes just a few miles away). But, from what I hear, there is no other way to moto-climb the steep stuff, so I guess then we should be accepting of our offroad friends, no matter the price (FYI - everybody knows that motos pay more taxes than us runners, so logically they should have more access).
Off the soapbox.... Good feelings come back... OK.
This was a great run .. after the smoke and dust settled.
0 comments:
Post a Comment