Multiple Mt. Wrightson Massacre

Each year, TTR does a 'Multiple Mt. Wrightson Massacre', which is basically a challenge to summit Mt. Wrightson as many times as one can between dawn and dusk.

The record is 5, set by a guy named Wally; this year, Chase endeavored to beat that and do 6! Others were attempting 1 to 4 summits.

I decided to do it twice. I have only gone up Mt. Wrightson one other time (it was my first TTR run!) The elevation starts at 5,420 feet and Mt. Wrightson is at 9,453 feet. About 4,000 feet elevation gain per trip. Each round trip is about 10.8 miles.

Dallas and I headed up together a little earlier than the start time since we had a party to be to later on that evening (a no alcohol party, of course!) Chase, Steve, Bruce, Tonja and Stella headed up even earlier than us, as they were looking at a long day ahead of them.

Here we are at the start:

Dallas and I did the first ascent together and then we were on our own. Not far up the mountain, we ran into Chase on his first descent from the summit:

On the way up, we stopped and chatted with everyone else coming down. This was going to be a social event for sure! Here is Dallas meeting Kandi (she took me on Esperero for the first time last summer).

I love running with Dallas.

  

Dallas and I on the first summit. That's Mt. Hopkins on the left, which is another run we do in September.

Took about 2 hours to get to the top. Dallas went off on his own after that. I headed down behind him but slowed down quite a bit.

As I came down, I really started running into lots of TTR members, which slowed progress at times, but was so much fun!!!! Me and Mari - this was her first TTR run! She was so cute!

Mari also took my picture. I'm posing in the latest trail couture - my Moeben tie dye skirt! :)

I said this to Dallas in an email recently:

"I love to have fun and be kooky. I can be quite silly at times." To this, he replied, "Yes you can...Uh Lawt!" 

I ran into Dallas and he got a picture of me taking a picture of him!

I saw Patricia at the trailhead before heading back up the second time. She wins the award for the 'meatiest looking scrape from a fall on the trail'!!! Ouch!!!!

My second summit - I met Susanna, a really nice gal who was not with our group.

She heard what we were doing and decided to do a second summit of the day, too! Hopefully, she'll join us on future runs!

Many TTR's did one RT, Dallas and a few others did two round trips, some did three, Tonja did 4 (woman's record!!!! you rock!) and Chase did 4.5. He did not hit his goal of 6, but he really looked strong out there. He was the one who rallied all of us to get out there that day and do as many as we could! He always had a smile, either coming or going.

I ended up with  two summits and 22 miles even (I didn't stop my watch between my two summits when I made the trip to the bathroom at the trailhead). I took a 15 minute break at the trailhead between trips. My first round trip was 3:35.
I called it good - maybe next year I'll do three?

Total time: 7 hours and 45 minutes
All done and feeling great! I was really feeling good the last several miles downhill.

Pizza at the end! All sorts of food!

Raoul rocks as an RD! He even had a microwave out there at the trailhead - he made bean and cheese burritos. Eegees, watermelon, cantaloupe, all sorts of stuff.

What a great day! It got a little hot, but at least the trail is shady on certain sections. It is very pretty on the mountain. Thank you God for another beautiful day in your world with your beautiful people. It was one of those days where I felt wrapped in love and grace and I was filled with so much joy and hope.

I ran 44 miles for the week (well, okay, some were definitely 'hiked' miles). :)

D:

'your love is a symphony

all around me

running through me

your love is a melody

underneath me

running to me

your love is a song...'

~ Switchfoot