City Creek Canyon – Professor on the Run

Morning Trails with Jed

December 2, 2014 professorontherun

I recently discovered that a fellow Western historian here in SLC trail runs and immediately set to planning a time to hit the dirt together. On a couple Tuesday mornings recently we have met at 6:00 AM and put in a few miles, talking about trails, races, and history. The company has been great and he hasn’t even seemed too perturbed by how slow I have taken some of the climbs. Seriously – I just can’t seem to muster much energy that early in the AM.

A couple weeks ago we started at City Creek, ran the BST west and north, then looped up to the 3 towers, down the backside to City Creek and back to the car. 7.7 miles @ 13:31 min/mile. Slow, but nice.

Super grainy picture, early morning light on SLC. Swapped to b/w since the color looked bad in any case.

This week we started at Dry Canyon, followed it up to the very aptly named “Uncle F***er” trail climb to the ridge that leads up east to Black Mountain. We, however, turned west and followed it down, hitting the avenue Twin Peaks, then following the ridge to the BST. From there, Jed continued west to run back to his house. I turned east and followed the zig-zaggy BST back down to my car. I almost ran over a deer at one point (came around a blind corner and sent it and 2 others bounding up a hill). I have decided that I really like those stretches of the BST. 8.4 miles @ 13:32 min/mile. Slow, but nice. I also tried out a new higher capacity race vest that I plan to use for long self-supported runs. Nathan VaporWrap. So far, so good.

Here’s a little better light. Good morning SLC!

Avenue Twins in the Morning

May 21, 2014 professorontherun

I would like to do this once a week or so – waking up around 5:00 and getting in a good trail run before work. This morning I drove down to City Creek, parked at the Morris Reservoir, and ran the Avenue Twins. I ran part of the BST up to the back ridge that overlooks City Creek to the north, and then followed that ridge around, East, and up to both of the Avenue Twin Peaks.

It was a beautiful morning.

On the ridge, looking west towards SLC and Ensign Peak on the other side of City Creek

Panorama looking north from the ridge down into City Creek Canyon

From the southern Twin Peak, I bushwhacked straight down south to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. There appeared to be remnants of trails going down, and it got me back on the BST fast. I think took the BST NW back to the north ridge, ran that NW to the overlook into City Creek Canyon where it ends, and then skidded down a small trail to the trail that hook up with Morris Creek. My left IT band was hurting by the end, but more distressing was that about 1/2way through, a large knot/muscle spasm developed in my left lower back. Incredibly painful throughout the day.

5.9 miles in 1:18:00 @ 13:07 min/mile and 1,719 ft. elevation

First Early Morning Run of the Season

April 11, 2014 professorontherun

One of the Wasatch Mountain Wranglers organized a group run up city creek for early in the morning – something I tried out two times back in November before the winter (and injuries) really set in. I really enjoyed it then – getting an early run in, showering at work, feeling more awake at work than I usually do in the AM – it was great. My ankle was feeling ok so I decided to give it a shot. I trailed Matt Miller and Cory Hill down from Morris Resevoir and started back up the west side of City Creek. At that point – I no longer tried to keep up. I simply don’t have the climbing legs yet! I was exhausted. Moreover, my shins and right calf were really aching and the ankle was beginning to feel fatigued. I didn’t want to push it. I pushed up a ways and then turned back. Not my best run, but it felt so good to get out there. Unfortunately, my ankle has been more painful for the couple days after the run than after my last few. I probably need to cut back a bit. After the Zions Trail Ragnar in a couple weeks, I think I’ll go into the doctor and get an official diagnosis.

6.1 miles in 1:13:21 @ 11:57 min/miles with 1,199 ft. elevation

Always share the trail with fellow mammals, unless they have big claws and are trying to eat you

Twin Peaks in the Dark

November 19, 2013 professorontherun

Following on the smashing success of last weeks pre-dawn run up City Creek Canyon to Ensign Peak, I thought I’d go for a repeat. This time I took the trail on the SE side of the canyon, following it to the East and up to both of the Avenue Twin Peaks. Aside from a dog who brushed against my leg and freaked me out, the run up was uneventful. On the way back, I followed the north ridgeline (which looks down into City Creek Canyon on the backside) as far as I could. I reached the end of the ridge at a knoll and the trail kind of just stopped. I thought I might be able to descend and find something down on the City Creek Canyon side. Mistake. I ended up bushwacking back SW until I hit a small gulch which I followed back up to the main trail system.

7.5 miles @ 14.01 min/mile and 2,148 ft. elevation

In the gulch I did find these though. There are apparently quite a few spots up there with wrecked cars.

I was another fun run, but the last AM one I was able to do before winter set in.

SLC from the Avenues Twin Peaks

First Early Morning Run, City Creek to Ensign Peak

November 12, 2013 professorontherun

Fitting in a good trail run is tough when you have a family that A. Demands your time; and B. With whom you really want to spend quality time. The most obvious solution is to run at times when I would otherwise not be spending with family. Or, when I would otherwise be sleeping. I decided to try out waking up early and hitting a trail with a headlamp. I am 100% an evening workout type of guy. Waking up early to work out sounds miserable, and any time I have tried to institute such a policy, it usually doesn’t even make it to day 1. The alarm goes off and I balk. But, I thought that going on a trail run might just be FUN enough to get me out of bed.

I was right.

I awoke early, and rather than running a local trail, coming home to shower, and then driving down to work in bad rush-hour traffic, I decided to drive down to City Creek Canyon, near where I work, doing a run in the pre-dawn morning and then showering at work. I borrowed a headlamp from my neighbor, and hit the trail at 6:00 AM. I went up the trail on the NW side of City Creek Canyon, looped it West and eventually around to Ensign Peak and back.

7.2 miles @ 13:01 min/mile with 1,584 ft. elevation.
It was one of the funnest runs I have done.