This year I walked to the bathroom, last year I crawled...
It's amazing how big a contrast yesterday's run down the Paria Canyon was from my run last year. Last year, I had to deal with freezing temps, chest deep water with ice floating on it, frozen shoe laces, running out of drinking water, finishing in 10 hrs 20 minutes. This year, the Paria was low (I never had water above my shins) and not to cold. The temps were perfect with morning temps in the high 40's and ending temps in the high 60's. There was plenty of cloud cover lower in the open sections and even a sprinkle or two to keep things cool. Drinking water wasn't an issue as I filled up this time part way down at one of the springs. Everything seemed to run quite smoothly and I was able to keep a good pace going, finishing in 6:51:11. I was very, very excited about this time as I was just hoping to go under 8 hours!
It seems that with good conditions (instead of the god-awful ones last year) and another year of running under my belt (4 years now) this years run of the Paria Canyon was better than I could have ever hoped for. Writing this post, the morning after the run, it's starting to sink in how much better shape I'm in this year. I was able to get up out of bed and walk to the bathroom like a regular person, no hobbling on peg legs, unlike last year when I literally had to crawl.
That's the short of it, now here's the full report...
NOTE: Sorry I don't have any photos from the adventure...I didn't bring a camera-wouldn't have had time to take any shots anyway. To busy suffering...
After starting the drive at 4 am in Flagstaff, we reached the White House Trailhead and the start of the Paria Canyon a bit before 7 am. There were five of us running and we all spent the short time at the trailhead doing each of our last minute organizing, applying sunscreen and other little tasks.
When my packing was finished I had two handhelds and my nathan pack for water (I only had water in one handheld to start, figuring I'd fill everything up at a spring around ten miles in), 10 GUs, 3 Margarita Shot Bloks, a Cliffbar and some Nuun. For clothes, I had shorts, shirt, long sleeve shirt and extra socks.
Shortly after 7 am we finished organizing, got our packs on, said goodbye to Phil (our shuttle) and were off. I felt like I literally sprung out of the parking lot and onto the trail when I started. I really wanted to see how fast I could go (hoping to break 8 hours). The rest of the group was happier taking a bit slower pace, hoping to finish in the 9 to 10 hour range. Consequently, after a 1/4 mile or so I didn't see any of them behind me for the rest of the run.
It was a bit weird for me to leave the pack and run by myself. I really wanted to see how fast I could go but also would have liked to run with the group and experience the canyon with them. The fact that I am very self competitive sealed the deal and it was a no brainer in the end which I would choose... Trying to get a PR.
The first few miles of open canyon went by mindlessly. The only thoughts I had were of anticipation of what lay ahead, keeping a consistent strong pace (for me) which involved strategically running through the river crossings (crossing sandy sections instead of rocky) and finding the shortest lines with the most compact ground (there is a fair bit of rocks, sand and mud to maneuver through) and remembering to keep a sharp eye out for the first springs at around 10 miles so I'd get the water I needed.
The river crossing started early but at least the water wasn't too cold (my feet never went numb) and not very deep (mostly ankle deep in this section of the canyon). I was able to keep a decent pace, never really having to slow down for the crossings.
Everything was going well to start except the feeling that I may be starting out a bit fast (I wasn't sure how moving quickly with the constant wet, heavy shoes was going to affect me at the end of the run).
When I went through the narrows of the Paria (before the Paria met up with Buckskin Gulch) I was relieved to find that the water levels were really low (still only ankle deep). Last year, this section had waist to chest deep pools to maneuver through. I continued to make good time through this section and soon passed the mouth of Buckskin Gulch.
The next order of business was to find the spring I remembered with good flow, located a few miles past the Buckskin junction. I kept my eyes peeled for the spring, remembering it on the right side of the canyon.
A bit past Buckskin I ran across the first people camped in the canyon and noticed a slow seep in the wall on the right side of the canyon just past their camp. I thought for a minute that this could be the spring I remembered but the flow seemed to be to much of a trickle to really be the spring (this spring would take forever to fill my bladder and handhelds-found out later this is called "Wall Spring"). I moved on thinking that it had to be a little bit farther, all the while wondering if I was going to miss the spring. If I missed it I may not find good water for at least another 1o miles and I had just finished the water in my handheld.
Sure enough, after another mile or two, I found the spring I had been looking for "Big Spring" and it was gushing water like a faucet out of the wall, just how I remembered it. Relieved, I filled my bladder and both handhelds, knowing now that water wasn't going to be an issue from here on out (I had planned to make it to the bottom with this amount of water).
I had made it the 10 or so miles to "Big Spring" in a little under 2 hours if my memory serves me right. I didn't pay much attention to the time while at the spring...to busy getting water, I guess.
The next 20 or so miles of the canyon is pretty much all the same which was fine because it was amazing. Huge, spectacular walls, tons of river crossings (nothing new there) and some of the most fragrant plants I have ever smelled (I couldn't get enough of that smell!).
All went well through this section and I kept to my plan of continuously trying to spy the best way of travel for shortest distance but also with the best footing. Some of the bends in the canyon were huge and finding the most efficient way was sometimes tricky, often following sandy trails to cut the bend a little, sometimes staying with the contour of the river to follow the compact sand and even sometimes torpedoing through tight trails in the thick bushes and reeds along the banks. It was always thought provoking finding the most efficient path.
By about mile 20 mark I started to feel the struggle of what I was doing. The weight of my wet feet was making my legs really tired and I started to walk all of the river crossings, rocky sections and super sandy sections. This section had a lot of all of the above so it felt a little slower moving than before. I had to start to really focus on moving fast or I was going to start moving really, really slow. I started to consume more energy than before, downing GUs every 15 to 20 minutes instead of the "every 30 minutes plan" I had been going with up to this point. If I wanted to keep the pace I flat out needed more energy.
After upping the GUs I started to feel better and started to run more of the tricky sections I couldn't bring myself to running in the last few miles. It helped that the canyon started getting easier to navigate with a good trail starting to form on one side. My feet started drying out and I was able to loosen my legs out by running faster again. By the time I reached mile 26, where the canyon opens up and the trail stays out of the creek for many miles I was feeling pretty good. I stopped here to clear all the sand out of my shoes and change my socks (oh boy, did that feel good). I reached this point in 4 hours 35 minutes from the trailhead.
Getting to this point lifted my spirits, realizing that I only had 12 miles to go. It immediately gave me a psychological lift and I made a pact with myself that no matter how bad I felt I would keep sucking down GUs and run as quickly as possible to the end. The worse was behind me (the rest of the trail is much more defined and compact-still sandy but much better than up canyon). I just had to keep it together and make good time and I could come in under 7 hours! I had to try...
For the next 5 or so miles everything went pretty well. My energy levels were pretty good and I was making good time again. After that things got a bit tougher. The nature of the open expanses of the lower canyon make it seem like you are going on forever. Many times I would look in the far distance to see a far off sandstone ridge and think that there is no way the end of the trail is past that and then, sure enough, I would pass the sandstone ridge and continue on to guess about the next one. This seemed to go on forever.
The one redeeming quality this huge expanse that went on forever what that the cacti and flowers were in bloom along this section. Very beautiful, the the flowers of the cacti in particular!
Somehow I kept my pace, except for the river crossings that popped up again near the end (I walked all of them at this point) and I walked the amazingly difficult mini hills on the far side of each crossing. Usually a 3 or 4 foot slight incline of sandy trail doesn't give one much pause when running but at this point on the Paria it was like climbing up a mountain. Every move a struggle until victory was secured on flat ground again. This little struggle happened every time I crossed the river! and every time it took me a few minutes to get my legs working enough to get a good running pace going again.
Soon enough, I saw the end of the trail and the completion the the journey. I ran as fast as my exhausted legs could carry my along the final gravel road section to the parking lot and finished in exactly 6 hrs 51 minutes and 11 seconds. I really wanted to give out a victorious yell but somehow never managed it. I could barely stand and was in a daze. I had finally stopped moving. Always a weird sensation after running for this long.
I couldn't even believe the time I got...I came in 3 1/2 hours faster than last year. I was so amazed that I kept the time on my watch the whole time home and looked at it every once in a while to make sure it was really true. I was really happy with my performance. I gave it all I had out there and everything went really smooth.
After finishing, I hung out for a few hours at Lee's Ferry, drank a ton of water, ate the Cliffbar and couple GUs I still had and massaged my legs. I felt like I was going to be broken at first but after the couple hours of hanging out there I started to feel much better and walked back to the trail. I waited there for a bit more, until Philip showed up with the car (a welcome sight). We caught up for a bit until we saw the rest of the group trickle in between 9 1/2 hours and just over 10 hours.
Once everyone was finished, we got to trade stories, drink beer and eat food and sit down (the best part). I was glad to see everyone finish with no epics. A great day in the Paria.
The drive home was highlighted by an amazing light show from the setting sun shining through rain clouds and lighting up the over 1,000 foot tall red sandstone Vermillion Cliffs and Echo Cliffs.
Once back in town, it was priceless watching everyone getting into their cars to go home. Everyone walked to their cars like zombies, gingerly got in and had to help each of their legs in the door. Priceless.
(Map of Zion-Traverse. Our run will follow the red line.)
