For our 9-year anniversary, Andrew and I did what any cheap couple would do to have a good time almost a decade of marriage…
18.2 miles with 4,921 toes of climbing alongside a course with 200+ downed timber (Andrew’s estimation), 4 mountain lakes, and one Re-Lyte snow slushie (at mile 13ish, we got here throughout snow and I added that to my bottle that had 2 ounces of Relyte left) that saved my soul.
I can’t inform you how good it felt to start out with a long-sleeve high as a result of it was chilly.
Perhaps one 12 months we’ll have a good time by sleeping in and doing one thing lowkey…
We left the lovable little farm the place we stayed at 5:30 am and drove about 45 minutes to the Prarie Lake Trailhead. We have been each afraid of what we have been about to do, however truthfully, we should always have been slightly extra afraid;)
The primary lake (Prairie Lake) is 4.75 miles into the run and breathtaking. It was the craziest optical phantasm as a result of after we ran up nearer to it, it regarded such as you wanted to drop right down to get to it… nope, it was proper there. We frolicked right here for a bit earlier than we began going once more.
I knew we have been going to be on the market for a really very long time and so I made certain that I took in a gel or sweet each half-hour. These seashore day gummies from TJ’s >>
We then climbed climbed climbed to our first peak. I may really feel the elevation change (we stay at 4,500 ft), nevertheless it wasn’t too unhealthy. My race in Wyoming can be just like this. At house I’m all the time doing trails the place you go up after which right down to the tip however my race seems extra like this the place you might be climbing once more after taking place.
After which our first down. We cruised down this portion and it was very runnable. Bonus factors = there was a restroom on the base!
After which we began the following set of climbing that took us to decrease Norton and higher Norton lakes. Each have been gorgeous.
After these lakes we had one other mile of climbing to our ultimate peak. From Andrew: “I can’t inform you what number of occasions I draped my physique onto my handlebars and went limp and needed to speak myself into going once more.” Hahaha issues was survival right here.
The views of the lakes from the climb.
After which we received to the highest and right here is the snow that I took for my Re-Lyte slushie (I used the clear snow beneath):
This subsequent down part was sort of sketchy to run down… I felt like I used to be going slower down this than the earlier up. However I didn’t fall the whole run which is a brand new file.
Our ultimate lake–> Miner Lake! The unique purpose was to leap into this one however at this level we have been out of water and have been dreaming of cheeseburgers. It was about three miles from right here to the automobile!
A couple of extra ideas:
*Andrew crashed at mile 13. He scratched his shoulder fairly badly, however we’re so grateful that it wasn’t worse.
*I dissociated these final three miles as a result of I used to be past thirsty. I have to study to carry 3x the water I feel I ought to.
*We solely noticed three path indicators the whole time, which felt like Idaho’s means of claiming, ‘Good luck on the market.’
*As we have been doing this, I stored interested by the entire folks that do 50 and 100 milers on programs like this… I can’t course of how.
*This was my longest run since final September!
*Nothing like coming house from a getaway extra exhausted than we left.
*WHY DID I THINK IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO GET A PEDICURE BEFORE WE LEFT?!
*Operating/mountaineering/backpacking-> I can’t advocate this path sufficient. It was all the pieces I used to be craving. Simply carry sufficient water/electrolytes/energy… anticipate it to take double the time you’ll assume it does. Mountain biking… most likely not essentially the most mountain biking pleasant path however doable!
*Right here is the path that we did on AllTrails. I’m so grateful for AllTrails. If we hadn’t downloaded the map earlier than we misplaced service, we might most likely nonetheless be within the mountains of Idaho. We did take one incorrect flip earlier than checking to see if we had taken the right fork, which ended up including near a mile.
I don’t assume we talked from this level till we had eaten half of our burgers and drank three glasses of water at a restaurant in Ketchum, Idaho. After which we have been again to ourselves once more.
PS if you’re seeking to do what we did, we stayed at this farm. It’s on acres of land, has gorgeous views, the host was so candy to us, and it was 1/third of the worth of staying anyplace else within the space. Really, essentially the most charming space with canines, cats and horses in every single place. We sat and talked for hours in these chairs below the celebrities and moon. It was excellent.
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