Toiyabe Crest Trail, Nevada

Great Basin road trip part one of three: October 16-17, 2015

Ben’s been in my rear-view mirror for the last four hours. I’m sure he needed to stop for gas about an hour ago, but we’re still driving. Ten long years since I’ve been on a real road trip; the sun is setting behind the Santa Rosa range north of Winnemucca, Nevada and the Basin and Range topography is lit up in its continuous namesake pattern. The 850 miles it takes us to travel from Seattle to the Toiyabe Range in west-central Nevada is not a quick trip, but with high, remote mountains surrounding us even the fatigue of straight-line highways hardly dampens spirits.

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The Toiyabe Crest Trail is a National Recreation Trail traversing the range from the South Twin River at its southern extent to Kingston Canyon, about two-thirds of the way up the Toiyabe. Starting on the southern end at 6300’, the trail maintains an average elevation of 9300’ and dips briefly below 8000’ only once. Opting to try and stay on higher terrain and summit the range’s high point (Arc Dome, 11,773’), we took a cross-country shortcut by climbing Arc Dome’s southeast ridge from the 9100’ pass above the South Twin’s headwaters. We also summitted Cirque Peak (11,290') a few miles later. Our two-day route was ~56 miles with 15,200’+ of gain. We only saw one group of two local hunters on horseback.

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Quaking aspens flared from yellow-gold to burnt copper and even red, their colonies populating the moisture-collecting ravines and valleys across the Toiyabe. The dying grass, sage, scrub plants and pines stand by in near grayscale compared to the aspens. Cottonwoods going yellow, though slightly less dramatically, play a supporting role at lower elevations.   

Ben's single file and my files (day 1, day 2)

Surprised to find a privy at the remote trailhead

South Twin River canyon

South Twin River canyon

Mining relics

Upper South Twin River

Ascending Arc Dome from the southeast

Upper southeast ridge of Arc Dome

Ben on Arc Dome's summit ridge

Looking north along the Toiyabe Crest, from the summit of Arc Dome

Descending the trail on Arc Dome's north ridge

Cirque Peak summit register

Unfortunate shoe color coordination

The two local hunters; the only humans we saw

On the TCT; Ben's photo

A basin on the Toiyabe's west side, with the Shoshone Range

Toiyabe Crest at Ophir summit

Ben at the end of day 1, starting to look for a camp with water

Morning of day two; we camped in the Aspen basin at left, the only running water we found in 22 miles

Lower-elevation aspen-filled basins on the northern half of the TCT

Cat print

I didn't even need to ask; Ben dons a cow pelvis at will

A few fancy signs show up on the northern half

Looking south down the Toiyabe, from the final high point

Descending to Kingston Canyon, below Bunker Hill at right

Time to drive to the next destination...

Peari Izumi shoe giveaway!

UPDATE: Jason Donaldson is the winner selected at random! Jason, please see my comment below with the info required to get some PIs shipped out to you. Thanks to everyone who commented :) .

To celebrate the inclusion of the Pearl Izumi Road N3 in Outside Magazine's 2015 Buyer's Guide, I get to send out a free pair to a reader of my blog!

Photo: Matthew Widzer

While the N3 Road is a "road" shoe, I wore it for the duration of the Glacier Peak 100+ (across all sorts of trails and snow) and two weeks ago on the Wonderland Trail. It has more than enough cushion for 100 non-stop miles, a simple chafe-free upper and more outsole tread than most road shoes. It feels very similar to the Trail N2, just with more cushioning. They also work well as a recovery shoe or a general trainer if you're looking for something cushy.

A trail version of the N3 is coming out in March 2016!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post with your favorite trail, route, mountain, etc, that you have run/hiked/summited this year. The trail can be anywhere, but the shoes can only be sent to US addresses (and not a PO box).

The winner will be chosen at random after midnight Saturday, October 17, so please comment by then to have a chance. I will update this post on Sunday or Monday with the winner, so please check back as I'll need your shipping info, size and color preference (dependent on availability).

Photo by Korey Konga. on the Wonderland Trail

Photo by Ben Mayberry, descending Spider Gap

    

Burch Mountain-South Fool Hen peaks loop, Pasayten Wilderness

Although requiring a hefty commute, the Pasayten Wilderness is one of my favorite areas to visit. Even with my checkered record there (ash-whacking the 30-mile burn with my brother in 2003, glorious Devil's Dome loop in 2013, June snow in 2014 and record-breaking heat in June 2015) I don't hesitate at an opportunity to spend time in the Pasayten's vast solitude.

Unfortunately, I can now add "white-out rainstorm" to my list of Pasayten experiences (weather stations in the area recorded .7"-1.5"of precipitation).

Raising3hikers and I set out to do a lollipop from the Billy Goat trailhead to Billy Goat Pass, taking the Burch Mountain trail up to summit Peak 7697' and Burch Mountain 7782', then doing a sweeping ridge traverse all the way out to Little Fool Hen 7857', South Fool Hen 8055' and Fool Hen 8168' before descending south into the Drake Creek drainage to pick up the trail back over Billy Goat Pass.

After enjoying a relatively calm (just light rain) morning, by the time we reached the point near where we would head north to Fool Hen the rain and winds increased and we'd spent the last hour or so in a complete cloud whiteout. With the forecast predicting possible snow overnight the temperatures were decreasing. Turning around early was the right call, especially with limited-to-no visibility on the ridge.

Definitely another area that I will be going back to...

Past-prime larches and Burch Mountain, from the way up to Peak 7697'

Looking north from the summit of 7697'; we wanted to go all the way to the summit just left of R3H, but turned around at the point just right of him

Very moody morning weather looking south down the Eight Mile Creek drainage

North Craggy, Big Craggy and Eightmile Peak

We traversed this entire ridge and then dropped south into the drainage at the end; R to L: Burch Mountain, Little Fool Hen, South Fool Hen 

Yellow carpets of larch needles on the way to Burch Mountain

Descending off the summit of Burch in increasing weather

Descending South Fool Hen on time-consuming slippery lichen talus

Basin we descended into to drop down to Drake Creek, the valley in the background

Boulder River Wilderness

A family stroll for a recovery weekend...

Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park

I'm not fast; and I don't consider myself to be competitive when it comes to trail running. But for some reason in about the span of a week I decided I wanted to run the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier (93 miles, 25,000' gain) and see if I could come close to the Fastest Known Time for an unsupported trip (25:48 by Yassine Diboun and Brian Donnelly).

This is decidedly not what I normally do on my weekend mountain outings. I normally run a bit, hike a bit, take a bunch of pictures and just enjoy the area I am in. To try and move fast, not during a race, is a little foreign to me. It didn't help that quite a few of my friends (Ben, Ethan, Richard) all had done it and I was starting to feel a little left out!

So, with a beautiful forecast I picked up Sir Hikes (already planning to meet friends in the area) at 4:30am Saturday and we drove down to the White River TH. I put on my "Really I can do it!" game face, left my camera in the car and struck out to enjoy my longest solo outing thus far.

That's a pretty weak game face...Sir Hikes photo, White River TH at 6:47am

I felt weird and twingy for the first 20 miles or so but things started to click when I came upon an elk family (bull, cow and fawn all together) in the woods near Nickel Creek and the trail was smooth dirt with fall's cushy detritus. Steven's Canyon had gorgeous colors and was a nice quiet stretch where I didn't see any people; a big contrast from the crowds I'd encounter momentarily at Reflection Lakes.

Descending to Longmire a trail runner passed me going up and we managed a quick "hey!" in passing. About a mile later he came back in the same direction and introduced himself as Korey Konga, someone I'd seen on Seven Hills' team, who is quite clearly in the front-of-the-pack speedster group. He asked what I was up to and we ran together for 15-20 minutes on the way back to his car at Longmire, where he kindly took and Instagram-ed a photo of me.

It's almost like I'm on social media! Thanks Korey!

Starting at Longmire (if you're going clockwise), the Wonderland takes you on a relentless pattern of climb-descend-climb-descend, repeat ad nauseam, as you work your way over Rampart Ridge, Indian Henry's Hunting Ground, Emerald Ridge, St. Andrew's/Klapatche Park and finally Sunset Park. I hadn't been to this portion of MRNP, so to travel through all those ridges, river valleys and park lands with very few people out in the late afternoon and evening was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The mountain was fully out (morning was misty on the east and south sides), bull elk were bugling and as night started to set in the time arrives that you have to really "commit" to what you're doing. I think that feeling was especially strong Saturday knowing that in late September we have about 11 hours of darkness (maybe more when you're in the woods).

After putting on new socks and all my night-time clothes at 10:30pm I still was ahead of Yassine and Brian's FKT time (through 63 miles in 15:44). However, by the time I got to Ipsut Pass at 1:30am it was cold and windy. The trail was loose rock with a bit of brush and just not runnable for me given the circumstances. That descent of only three miles took me an hour; I got chilled and when I saw at 2:30am a hollowed-out tree that was dry underneath, I climbed in for a nap.

I needed 15 minutes to close my eyes and it was worth it. I switched GPS watches as well and started to think about when the sun would come up.

The climb from the Carbon River up to Mystic Lake was draining, but light started to creep back into the sky and when I crossed the frosty log bridge over Winthrop Creek, with morning twilight lighting up the mighty Willis Wall, it brought a huge smile to my face.

Over the last ten miles I got to say hi to a couple of people backpacking the Wonderland who I'd already run into early the previous day. That was fun to see familiar faces and hear one individual say, "I thought I'd see you again!" Those are moments not lost on me.

I arrived back at White River at 9:23am, 26 hours and 36 minutes after setting out, finishing what probably is the best "athletic performance" I've ever had trail running.

It was fun to try something new and doing it solo and unsupported gave me a very personal appreciation for what I saw, how I felt during the run and how I've interpreted it afterward. While I always enjoy posting photos here, I don't regret not taking my camera. The Wonderland is worth doing, so please, go and enjoy the views in person :) .

For anyone interested, here is what I used on the trip:

Gear and clothing

• Pearl Izumi EM N3 Road shoes
• Salomon S-LAB 12L vest - 2013 model
• Petzl Myo headlamp (primary)
• Black Diamond Spot headlamp (backup)
• Black Diamond Carbon Ultra Distance Z poles (used last 60 miles)
• Garmin 910XT and 920XT
• iPod Shuffle
• SOL Emergency Bivvy
• iPhone
• Two 20oz bottles  

• Pearl Izumi Fly In-R-Cool long-sleeve top
• Pearl Izumi ambassador singlet
• Mizuno 3/4 tight
• Champion sport compression underwear
• Injinji Trail socks (two pairs, switched at ~60 miles)
• Icebreaker Quantum merino wool gloves
• Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT shell mitts
• Arc'teryx Squamish Hoody windbreaker (outlet-store older model)
• Pearl Izumi Fly In-R-Cool hat (daytime) 
• Half Buff
• Patagonia Chuckanut beanie
• Meister compression calf sleeves (from ~60 miles to end)

A.H. Sylvester Chiwaukum loop, Alpine Lakes Wilderness

It seems impossible to travel through the Wenatchee or Entiat ranger districts without being touched by the place names given by A.H. Sylvester. The Chiwaukum Range especially bears the names of his wife (Lake Alice), relatives and friends, as well as some of the whimsical (Grindstone Creek and mountain, "named for a small grindstone which was lost from the load of a pack horse at this crossing.") and descriptive names he gave (Frosty Creek and pass, after his camp in the area received a heavy frost in early fall; Chatter Creek, for the sound of its flow). Sylvester Lake, named in memoriam, sits on Grindstone Mountain's southwest side. On a side note, Sylvester is credited with changing the name of the North Fork of the White River to the Napeequa River, a native and descriptive name I love, which also is one of my favorite places in the state.

On my first trip to the Chiwaukum last November, Ethan, Kate and I "enjoyed" a quite-cold day of solitude, but didn't get to fully experience the area.

Yesterday I did the long-form loop from Chatter Creek through the Mormon Lady Lakes, Frosty Pass and on to Doelle Lakes (pronounced "duel-ee"; named by Sylvester for William Doelle of Cashmere who lost his life fighting a forest fire in the area) and Chain Lakes, returning via Icicle Creek. Ben had done this a couple of weeks ago and reminded me I needed to go too.

All trails are in good shape and there is abundant water throughout the loop. From the Chatter Creek TH through Frosty Pass was quite busy (15 people?) but I was the only one through Doelle and Chain Lakes, the highlight of the loop. Larches on the east side are just starting to change.

Thanks to Forest Service rangers Adam and Shane, who I had a nice long chat with on the trail. Great to see them out rangering the high hunt and hear some of their thoughts on challenges the area is facing. I have a lot of time for those guys.

The loop is just under 30 miles with ~7,500'+ of gain.

Looking back down the Chatter Creek drainage from the upper basin; Cashmere Mountain peeking out

Index Creek drainage, from just below Lake Edna

Larches in the basin south of Lake Edna

Lake Edna, Icicle Ridge and Big Jim Mountain (left)

Pano from above Ladies Pass (center); Ladies Peak above and Snowgrass Mountain summit in the clouds at right

Northwest face of Grindstone Mountain, with Lake Alice

Northwest face of Grindstone

Upper Florence Lake

North face of Mt. Stuart

Lake Margaret, Frosty Pass and the ridges toward Doelle-Chain beyond

Bulls Tooth

Large meadow before Doelle Lakes

Lower Doelle Lake

Fight crowds in the Enchantments or have this all to yourself...?

Lower Doelle Lake

Upper Doelle Lake and the north end of Bulls Tooth

The upper two Chain Lakes

ID help? Maybe a baby Western Toad?

There is a lot of old growth in the upper Icicle

Fall colors through Icicle Creek