Mountains and more mountains

The last week has been full of mountains, and I actually took pictures. So I guess its time to keep up ish by posting a little bit about the adventures. And if I have MORE time I'll go back a couple of trips, which include Josh and I running up Mt. Zion and finding new running trails (to us anyway), and climbing at Horse Flats. For now, I will start with 2 saturdays ago...when I decided I wanted to run Mt. Baldy. After looking at the area topo map I decided I really wanted to run the 3T's traverse, which is near Mt. Baldy. Josh was supposed to have work and I was originally going to drive to Mammoth, but then he didn't so he got dragged along on my latest and greatest plan.
It took us awhile to get started so we didn't even get to the Icehouse Canyon trailhead until 2:30pm. When I went to get our wilderness permit the ranger very skeptically stated that its a bit late to be just starting out for 3T's, isn't it? Not so much if you are a runner, and carrying a headlamp just in case.
Josh and I started out, but he wasn't feeling very well. He thought maybe the altitude was affecting his running (we started out at 5000ft) but I said no that couldn't be it he must be sick (I'd pay for that comment in karma later). After about 1.5 miles, Josh decided to turn around once I started looking at the map and the time. Plus, I wanted a hard run and he was more in the mood for a hike on this particular day (or he was just way smarter than I am). Clearly, the "right" thing to do in this situation is split up and I run the rest of the run by myself while he hikes down by himself and we plan various trailheads he should look for me at with the car at various times. So we parted ways, and I took off too fast up the trail. I eventually realized it was steep and it was going to be a long run so I shouldn't sprint up the mountain.
What steep elevation gain though. I sort of underestimated it and way overdid the pace, but at the beginning at least some of the hikers were cheering me on (one lady declared my run "very very cool" - yay encouragement!). I was also watching a storm come in, hoping to beat it out of there, and continuously reconsidering if I should turn around and not do the loop. I eventually passed the first of three peaks (Timber) and continued on to Telegraph Peak, the tallest of the three.
Due to my first 3-4 miles of flat out hard running, my legs were shot, and there is a lot of running at or above 8000ft. I didn't really notice this until I completely missed a switchback due to oxygen deprivation (I think...and calorie debt). I literally went down the side of the mountain in a landslide of scree. Smart. Eventually my brain realized there is no way this is a trail, and I had to scramble back up, which used a ton of energy. I'm just glad I COULD make it back up. I missed another switchback after a little while. Once I noticed I was contemplating down climbing what was easily class 5 rock, I decided to stop and eat a cookie. I turned around and magically the lost trail appeared (its called opening my eyes), and I was back on track for telegraph peak.
Once I went over the peak I was pretty committed to finishing the run, even though I didn't know the trail (but I had a map and compass), because I had just run too hard up the mountain and didn't think going back up and over Telegraph would be very time efficient. As I was full speed flying down Telegraph, I said out loud to myself, with a cookie in one hand: "Cookies are goooooood". Once I hit Thunder Peak, I continued the conversation with myself, out loud: "so are maps." I'm pretty sure this is the worst oxygen debt I have experienced, and it was pretty entertaining. I got a little confused when I got to Thunder Peak what I thought was way too early. Plus, I didn't realize it was essentially part of the Mt. Baldy ski area, so then I got a little lost and ended up running down some ski trails (not necessarily a good idea, they are not grassy like in Vermont). Once in awhile I would see hikers - maybe 3 groups total during the entire run past Icehouse Saddle (the 3 mile mark) - and ask how the weather was ahead, which seemed acceptable for running in.
Then I managed to run down a ski trail that had a lift at the bottom to bring you back up, but the lift wasn't working so I had to run back up it. Yay. Boo. I just wanted to get to the main lift that was maybe working so I could get down before Josh left the ski lift to go look for me at the next checkpoint. By this point it was getting cold and I had put on my hat and winter shirt, and I felt bad for leaving Josh to wait for me while I did the run (Josh is very cool and didn't get mad, at least by the time I got down). As the fog really enveloped everything, I turned a corner to the lift just in time. Yay!!! I wanted to run down but didn't have the time. It also didn't occur to me until I got on the chairlift that if its 50 degrees out and you're sweaty from running hard and you are wearing shorts, sitting on a ski lift for 20 minutes is not a good idea.
I did make it, ran down from the ski lift and YAY YAY Josh was waiting in the parking lot! Taking a survey from a national forest guy and not looking too bored.
Josh explained that a lady broke her ankle around Icehouse Saddle and search and rescue had to come get her. Josh found out that it wasn't me, but then had to explain that his girlfriend was out running in the mountains by herself after we split up. It definitely would have been less stressful with someone else but it was fun to do on my own too. Especially since Josh picked me up at the road part, so I didn't have to run that. My choice of direction was interesting though...the run started at 4900ft, went to 8800ft, then the lift brought me down from 7800ft. Do I really like running uphill that much?!
About a half hour later Josh and I stopped at the Hat to get a hamburger and gravy fries (split between us was just about perfect). Went I looked in the bathroom mirror, I realized my lips and hands were blue. Ummm not cool?!? That has definitely never happened before! I guess its from doing a lot of running over 8000ft, the amount of elevation gain, and the speed I was running at? The best part is I didn't notice, I think because I am just used to breathing hard running up mountains. I think I still don't fully appreciate the difficulty of that route. Or something. Because I was exhausted at the end. It is by far the hardest 10 miles I've run, for the speed I was going (I think I did one other 10 miler that was harder, but only because I was running really fast). It really felt more like a 50k. Meanwhile, Josh had a nice day in the mountains, minus the exhaustion. The trail was amazingly beautiful though, and when I wasn't breathing really hard or looking for the trail (it wouldn't be hard to find for a not oxygen debt person), I was starting off into unbelievable views, above the clouds, watching wisps of storm blow up the side of the mountain. Very very awesome.

Note: I do not advocate running or hiking alone in the mountains.