Jared Campbell's Blog

I love coming up with challenging mountain routes.  I get a huge amount of satisfaction in sharing them with others and I especially dig when others get motivated and inspired by the challenge.   For several years now I’ve been trying to perfect a super-difficult 100 mile route in the Wasatch Mountains.  My goal was to create something on-par with Nolans 14.  When I was in Corsica in April/May this year I was inspired by a route called the GR20 and was convinced that I needed to return and tackle the whole thing.  While it might happen at some point in my life I figured why not finish up the Millwood 100 idea (given that its in my backyard!) and then give it a go, it would be good training for Hardrock, afterall.  The result is a route housed in Millcreek, Big, and Little Cottonwood and has about 45,000′ of vertical gain.  It has it all, everything from beautiful smooth singletrack, wicked steep abandoned mining trails (see video above), completely off-trail sections, less than 1 mile or road, and very little flat.  It has been “designed” so that it is easy to make water/food drops, crew, bail, and start or stop in many different locations.  It might be done in a single push someday, but it is likely enjoyed most over 3-4 still very challenging days.

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Ty Draney on Knapsack Col with the Stroud Glacier, Mount Arrowhead (12,972 ft), Bow Mountain (13,020 ft), and Sulpher Peak (12,825 ft) in the background.

Short version : This route is a truly inspiring, challenging, rugged, and is easily one of the most beautiful long distance mountain runs in the country.  On August 21st, 2010 Ty Draney and I left the Green River Lakes TH, bound for the Big Sandy TH some 80 miles to the southeast.  We ended up altering the route slightly and cut it short due to slower than necessary progress, ending at the Boulder Lake TH after roughly 60 miles.

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Tomorrow morning, somewhere around 5AM, Ty Draney and I will take off to do something called the Wind River Crest Route.  It’s an 80 mile route starting at the Green River Lakes in the northern part of the range and ending at the Big Sandy trailhead in the south.  Originally we wanted to do the Highline route, but it tends to stay lower and further to the west of the exciting part of the range.  The Crest Route follows the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) for the most part, but with 3 deviations to the east climbing up to some additional passes and a bit of off trail travel. Below is a map of the route, and a Google Maps version can be found here.  More details on the route later.

The Wind River Crest Route

Also, we’ll be taking a Spot Tracker along with “tracking mode” engaged, so someone can watch our progress and as a backup measure should something bad happen.  Follow us here.

What started out as a bit of a frustrating slog later turned into one of the most fun runs of the year.  I signed up for the Speedgoat 50km at the beginning of the year given that it was 3 weeks post-Hardrock this year (past years it has been 1 week after).  My process of recovering for Hardrock is an interesting one.  Usually 1 week after I feel fabulous and then about 3 weeks after I drop into a pretty low point.  This year I was feeling better than usual though, so I figured I may as well run it.  Right from the get go I was a few dB down (didn’t feel great).  My legs were tired and sore, but I was psyched to be out.  I kept wanting to push harder, but my body wasn’t allowing it.  It was probably the slowest I’ve ever run up to the tram, but I didn’t care too much.  It was so much fun seeing friends out on the course and volunteering.  Then, over to Baldy and the rocky descent off the east side.  I hit Larry’s Hole and chatted with friends Kevin Lawlor and Kelly Lance who were running the aid station.  Then, the short but fun climb up to the saddle.  Once at the saddle there were 2 ways to go, one heavily marked to the left and one lone marker straight down.  2 other runners were confused and I was sure that it made sense to go left given how marked it was…. wrong.

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Pat and Mindy hiking up Red Mtn #1

Ah yes, the San Juans in July, nothing can compare.  Mindy, Pat, Ryan and I are enjoying the high mountain air, clear skies, temps in the 60-70s, and the occasional and very sporadic rain storms.  On the drive down from SLC we went up to La Sal pass in the La Sal mtns (outside Moab), and climbed up Mount Tukuhnikivatz.  What a stellar time of year, perfect weather, and amazing views; it was one of the sweetest panoramas I’ve ever seen.  Next, onto the San Juans.

We drove to Telluride, where we spent a few hours and inquired about the kayaking options.  In Colorado, it helps to be a solid 5+ boater….  So, onto Ophir and up to the Pass.  We wandered up to Crystal Lake and watched as the sun began to set.  What an amazing small, and rarely visited lake given how close it is to a major dirt road.  We made camp just off the pass at a great little site.  A small single-track leads out to an amazing cabin under construction.  Turns out that the owner Bob Kingsley is building a new winter ski yurt.  Trust me, this will be amazing when it is done (supposedly this fall).  See www.opushut.com for more info.

The next morning we drove into Silverton and then up to Red Mtn Pass at just under 13,000′.  We all summited Red Mtn #1, and I did a sweet scree descent off the west side.  Then we ran the ridge over to Red Mtn #1, which like we were on Mars.  The rock is so red in sections from the iron oxide that it really feels out of this world.  And the contrast with the surrounding mountains, which are anything but red, makes it that much more unique.

Today (Monday), Mindy and Pat went up to Grant Swamp Pass and then ran backwards on the course over to the KT aid station.  Ryan and I carted up six 4×8′ sheets of drywall and two 62 lb buckets of drywall mud up to the Opus Hut to help Bob out.

Pics of the trip thus far here.

More to come…

Pat McMurtry in his "Cat in the Hat" costume, coming into the Howard Creek Aid Station (~mile 57) : Photo by Glenn Tachiyama

Given the rave reviews I had heard from friends like Roch and Karl, roughly 5 months ago I decided to sign up for the Coyote Two Moon.  ”It’s more than a race, it’s an event!”, said Roch Horton.  With his talent for recreating great events using his commanding voice and dynamic body language, I couldn’t help being drawn to this race which Roch described to me back in the fall of 2009.  He described the “bonus” and “boner” minutes and how they worked.  The fact that bowling the night before the race, running into aid stations in costume, performing talent shows after running 80 miles, and eating cat food late in a race when one can barely stomach simple calories can all get you “bonus” minutes makes this event truly unique.  Chris Scott the race director sounded like a complete nut… I had to meet him and experience this event of his.

Given that costumes and being creative are part of the event, I contacted my good friend,  mentor, and hero, Pat McMurtry and explained the event to him.  Within a day or two he signed up.  He’s an incredibly talented runner and one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.  Pat is also going to marry Mindy and I in April, so he’s a special guy in my life in many ways.  He is one of the most intelligent, mathematical, and quantitative people I know, but is also somehow one of the most creative and colorful people I know.  I try to spend as much time with him as I can.  Once Pat signed up for the event his preparation began.  Not just training like a wild man, but planning out customes, wardrobe changes at aid stations, songs to sing to the aid station volunteers, gifts for people, documentation (video/photos) techniques, etc.  He embodies all things Coyote Two Moon. Read More…