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| Hiking | 5.60 Miles |
2,780 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.60 Miles | 2 Hrs 19 Mns | | 2.42 mph |
| 2,780 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Did some Ironing before work.
Last night while drinking Kiltlifters with Anna and my friend Rand, I decided that this morning was going to be my shot at knocking out Flatiron before I go to work. I had already created a timetable for myself a few weeks earlier (McKellips TH to the Basin in 35 minutes, Basin to Flatiron in 45 minutes, Flatiron down to Basin in 40 minutes and Basin back to Trailhead in 30 minutes. 2.5 hours total). That was the goal anyway.
I woke up at 4am, threw on some clothes, grabbed my pack, and was out the door by 4:12. I arrived at McKellips TH at 4:40, jumped out of the Tahoe, strapped on a headlamp, and started my hike. I noticed three new benches that were recently installed along the trail. I did not use them. I made it to the slick rock basin in 31 minutes (ahead of schedule).
I caught my breath for a minute then continued up through the slick rock. Soon there was enough light to turn off and stow the headlamp. I watched the Flatiron get closer and closer as I maintained a steady ascent. This is where the garmin is nice. You can't really measure your progress on distance as much as you can on elevation. Final goal = 4600 feet. It felt good to hit 4000 feet. I stopped to take a pic with my camera phone, and kept going.
This part was taking longer than expected. Just when I thought I wouldn't even make it up the 12 foot rock wall before 80 minutes, I looked up and there it was. I've come to like the climbing route to the left. I reached the top of the wall and checked my progress...79 minutes to the top.
I hustled across the trail toward Flatiron. The last time I was here, I was stomping through 6 inches deep of fresh snow in the thick fog.. I could move a lot faster this time. I had the wind in my back. Is it ever NOT windy up there?? Holy cow! It felt like a steady sustained blast of 30+ mph winds the entire time I was up there. I arrived at the cliff edge of Flatiron in 82 minutes and didn't stay long.
At about 89 minutes in I was back at the rock wall. I made my way down the other side of the wall this time. I had lost about 9 minutes off my target, but made it up on my way back down to the slick rock. I arrived at the Basin right at the 120 minute mark. I didn't really feel like I was trying to go fast. The downward momentum was "making" me go fast.
With the slick rock behind me, it was all easy for the rest of the way. Even though it wasn't cold out this morning, when I finally broke free of the shadows of the Superstition Mountain, it sure felt good to feel that sun hit the back of my head. I maintained a light jogging pace and arrived back at the trailhead 11 minutes ahead of my target. Flatiron in 2 hours, 19 minutes. Felt great to tackle this goal and beat it.
Now, I look around my office, and things don't seem quite as exciting in here. I don't even have a window.  |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate
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| This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee. |
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