A trip in the making for at least two years. I remember the fall of 2009 Jared emailed me to see if I would be interested in exploring Zion and going for a speedy run from the west to east rim. At the time I was pretty beat up from the year of racing and though my mind was all over it, my body declined. Since then, I have seen Jared and Mindy here and there at Hardrock, Bear and a few other races and always have a good time chatting. Then three months ago my thought that UTMB would be the end of the running season for me completely changed and after a fun weekend at the Bear 100 I opted back in for a few more adventures and races to finish off the year. I can’t remember the exact wording, but I emailed Jared to see if the 2009 offer was still available.
The plan evolved so that I could work with the UltrAspire crew for a week in St. George and then make my way up to Zion for the weekend. Jared and whoever else we could rally, would meet there and we could finally run around the park a bit. Things continued to evolve when photographer, friend and adventurer Fred opted in as I was able to catch a ride with him from St. George to Zion. Afterwards we figured I could drive to Salt Lake with Jared and hop a flight back to Seattle Monday morning. Main details planned, my ticket purchased and the rest of the details (lodging, meals, weather, rendezvous points) all panned out as we moved closer to the weekend.
Fred and I arrived in Cedar City Friday night and after finally figuring out how to get around town, got some work done and then met Jared for dinner at the Ninja Sushi Restaurant. We made some plans for the morning, figured out where Fred could meet for a few photos and connected with Chad & Emily who planned to run east to west (helping both running parties avoid car shuttling) and then crashed. The next morning I woke up before my alarm and felt like a kid at Christmas waiting for someone else to stir so that I could finally get out the door. The excitement in me grew as we drove up to the west rim with the first sun hitting the beautiful sandstone. We waited for a bit more light so that Fred could video and started just after 7am. Within the first couple of strides Jared was introducing me to the features and vistas as if they were old friends of his and I was simply in awe of the beauty that surrounded us.
I learned quickly that I couldn’t become too attached to any one vista or type of terrain because within a couple of miles it would change again. Perhaps my favorite part of the first 15 miles was this huge wash was dumped into. We had been back and forth across a small creek, but after crossing the La Verkin Creek we soon popped out into Hop Valley and meandered up the wash through the sand with the sandstone walls screaming up around us.
My other favorite part about long runs is how conversation can flow and with Jared, the miles passed quickly. Fred met us at Hop Valley first and then joined us in Wildcat Canyon to shoot a couple of photos on a side trip to view the Guardians. Definitely the best photos we captured all day. I shot a short video of the surroundings as it is an incredible view from there. Once back on the trail, our pace separated us a bit so I filled the time by taking photos. We all met up when we crossed paths with Chad and Emily coming the other way. The let us know that Telephone Canyon was open and Jared said he would opt for that. When I hit the junction to choose between Telephone Canyon and the West Rim Trail, I opted for the west rim trail. On the other side of the junction I emptied my shoes and stretched a bit thinking Jared would catch me. Then I decided to keep moving and found him waiting for me on a rock. We got to run the rest of the miles together and I was really glad to meet back up with my tour guide. Fred met us near Angels landing for a few more photos and we all grunted down the paved Walters Wiggles to the Grotto trailhead where we got to fill up again.
I think at this point I lost a bit of steam and we walked up the one mile road section. I picked up trash along the way and once we made it to the trailhead, kept the mean walk going all the way to the top of the climb. I was thankful when the terrain started to roll a bit as I thought I might otherwise walk the remaining 10 miles. Fortunately we had grabbed our headlamps as we watched the sun go down on Checkerboard Mesa. A quick stint down and we were at the cars just after 6pm where Fred had the van warm and the beer cold.
We pieced together the rest of the evening enjoying a filling dinner at Oscars and scoring a deal on lodging for everyone. Some of the UltrAspire crew happened to be up in the canyon and stopped by to hear some of our stories from the day.
Day two, Sunday - Jared chooses the adventure.
I had told Jared that I really wanted to run across Zion and that whatever other exploring he had in mind for Sunday I would be game. I even brought a wetsuit in case he went as far as adding in the slot canyons. Our group of six consisted of Fred, Jared, Ryan, Emily, Chad and myself. We covered a little over 12 miles in 7 hours complete with down climbing, slab running, steep pitches, roping up and standing on each others shoulders to make our way to the Crawford Arch. I will never be able to show another how to get there because the path is seriously convoluted and I think I like it better that way. We joked about corporate team building and the guys asked more than once if I was okay. This type of terrain completely tests my comfort zone and I think my face shows it. I love the challenge and loved the feeling of stepping back into the parking lot; the feeling of real accomplishment. I was trying to explain to Jared and Ryan that the experience that day was more difficult for me than running 50 miles the day before. When I stepped back into the parking lot that fun rush of accomplishing something I would not otherwise think of doing or be able to do without the help and encouragement of that group washed over me. It is a great place to experience and to be able to offer that experience to others.
A very memorable weekend, spent in a beautiful place with incredible people. I hope/plan to go back in the spring.
