The Tale of Six Summits

I started feeling nervous about running Six Summits last night. I was thinking to myself that I hadn't done a real trail run since Orcas last February, and that was hard, hard work. What if I couldn't do it? What if I wasn't tough enough? Eric was off running in Cle Elum and wasn't home to help calm my fears. In fact, he didn't roll in till after 9:00 last night - pretty late considering the others would be at our house at 6:30 am. I packed up all my stuff, dithered a little about what I might need for warmth, prepped some peanut butter multi-grain tortillas and tried to think positive.

The house felt cold this morning when we got up. I checked the outside temp - 57 and from what I could see through the skylight we had cloudy skies. The forecast called for rain starting about 3 pm - I thought we'd be done by then. I pulled on shorts and a short-sleeve. A few minutes later Eric pointed out I had my shirt on backwards. Whoops. Fixed that, gathered the last minute stuff and pulled a long-sleeve over the top. Eric told me he was taking his big pack and could carry stuff if I wanted him to, so at the last minute I added my goretex jacket to his load. Fixed a cup of tea, loaded the car and we left. Jenny and Linda were in the back seat. Jamal drove his own car so we could set up a shuttle - he said he'd ride alone so he could blast his music and wake up. We had a fun ride up - driving straight to the main trail head. Once there, we shifted stuff to Jamal's car and used the restrooms. That is when I noticed I had my long-sleeve on backwards! Jenny had noticed, but wasn't really sure, so she didn't say anything. I must of been really sleepy this morning. We crammed all five of us into our car with four seats and drove back to where we wanted to start.

As we started down the trail at a slow jog, Eric told us not to get too excited about running, because we were about to start climbing. He suggested we might want to save our energy. It was beautiful and green. There was a slight drizzle, but it wasn't making it through the tree canopy to us. I warmed up quick and pulled off the long-sleeve. We were having great conversations and cruising along - sometimes walking, sometimes running. Jamal, the youngest and the fastest, wanted to get 20 miles today, so Eric would send him down the trail, Jamal would reach a point, then turn around and run back to us. The woods were dark and foggy and kind of spooky and twice I startled when I looked up to see Jamal standing above me.



The climb to our first summit.

I was excited when Eric told us we'd reached the trail that takes us out and back to South Tiger - because there was the stump with the face, the one I'd seen in Eric's pictures. The path was a little overgrown - ferns and blackberries and devils club. Not too bad, except everything was wet so pushing through them soaked the legs, and eventually the feet. Since this trail run was set up at my request and with the announcement that it would be done at my pokey pace, I got to lead all day. It was fun, but I don't know how a person finds their way on to some of those trails - there were points where Eric would tell us to take a left and I swear, there was just the barest trace of a trail to follow.



The stump with the face.



We were told that there was a ritual at each summit - something we had to touch each time. At this first summit, there is a box with a sign-in and we all signed. On the run back to the main trail, the others ran ahead, while I took my time coming down. I'm not very sure footed on rocky, rooty downhills. We met at the stump and had our first snack break. Then it was down the trail again.

I'm not going to write about the climb to each summit. I will say that there were some very steep sections on the climb to Middle Tiger - our second summit. It was somewhere in here where we started laughing every time Eric gave Jamal directions. One time he sent him off, then as soon as Jamal was out of sight, Eric says "Uh-oh. I just sent Jamal on a really tough mission." He'd suddenly realized we weren't quite where he thought we were and he'd sent Jamal the wrong way. Fortunately, (and also something we found hilarious) Jamal's imagination was in overdrive and each time he ran out alone, he'd start looking at the fog through the forest, would get a little spooked and would run back to us, so he made it back before he took Eric's wrong turn. The funny part was, Eric did this several times. Jamal got smart though and never went quite as far as Eric suggested. The other funny part was walking in single file, then we'd hear Jamal's voice from the back, bringing up yet another scary movie or show he'd seen, or commenting on the fog in the forest again.

We came to a green, green clearing on one section of trail, leaving the woods for just a few minutes. It was amazing to look ahead and see how dark it was in there under the trees, and to see the fog blowing through.





Touching the rock at Middle Tiger

The weather was getting progressively worse. Look at the progression of clothing in the photos - from short sleeve, to long sleeve, to wind shell, to goretex and hat. We were thoroughly and completely soaked by the end. We enjoyed another snack break sitting in the hikers hut on the fourth summit - outside the rain was coming down and the wind was blowing. We walked out, then Eric and I turned around and went back inside to don the goretex jackets. Much better. The toughest part of the course came at the end, when we had three miles of downhill on tired quads, and for me, on beat up and blistered toes. I rolled my left ankle at least five times today - twice on that three mile section down. No worries though, it doesn't hurt at all. Now that we are home, the only thing I'm feeling is the throb and tingle of a nettle sting.




Jamal on the trail with the giant devils club. Do you see a trail?



At the Christmas Tree on the way to East Tiger

Here is what I learned. I learned that this run today that took us 6:09:11, others have done in three hours. I think Eric said his best time was around 3.5 hours. The garmin reports 15 miles, but Eric says it loses some in the trees, and it is a 17 mile run. So, my pokey pace is pretty pokey. Doesn't matter though, because I did it and I'm happy. I wonder about trying a trail marathon or 50k though, because it would take me an awful long time. I learned, or re-learned that I'm not at my best running down trails - I don't do steep well, and though I can see obstacles (rocks and roots) ahead, it takes too long for my brain to process where to step - at least when I'm tired. I see it, but my foot is often down before I realize where I should have planted. Oh, well, I never fell, though I did a few hops and twists. I also learned what a "tc switchback turn" is - and that they make me dizzy. Best of all, I learned I am tough enough and I am in way better shape than last February. Though my feet hurt (think pounding on toes and a couple blisters) I could have kept going. I could even think about turning around and going back to get 12 Summits. Amazing! I also learned that I should look carefully at what I pack. Once we got to Jamal's car, I sat down to put my Birkenstocks on. Imagine my surprise when I pulled out a brown one and a blue one and discovered they were both for the left foot! I had dry socks, but had to put them back in wet shoes. Bummer. Two shirts on backwards and two left shoes...




Thank you to Eric, for agreeing to take me on a Six Summits adventure, so I could experience the trail I hear so much about. Running a 50k yesterday turned out to be a good idea for him, he was just tired enough to find hanging out at my pace a good deal. It was a great trail day and I am looking forward to doing it again!


Touching the rock at Tiger Three