These past few weeks have been crazy. Nevertheless, I’ve been trying to stick to sneaking in a few longs runs each week to prepare for the 50k that I signed up for months ago and which now looms in the near future. The Columbia River Gorge is a trail-runner’s paradise, hiding deep gorges full of waterfalls which within a few miles provide access to miles of trail through Mt Hood National Forest. Early in the last week I took a solo trip up Larch Mountain, a local classic, to see where the snow line was hiding, and then just yesterday, I made it out with Ethan for a run up Eagle Creek to Wahtum Lake, a run which marks my first Ultra-distance outing.
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Multnomah – Larch Mountain – Oneonta Gorge
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Stats
Parking: Multnomah Falls Parking Area, Oregon Gorge exit 28, no fee required, busy on weekends and sunny weekdays.
TH: Bathrooms, food, and water available
Stats: 17 miles, ~4200′ vertical gained. A whopper of a hill right up front with a long and gradual down to follow.
Time: 3:49, with a fair bit of time lost up running around in the snow.
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It was a hot day in the Gorge. The run began with 11 switch backs (they’re numbered!) which mellowed into a long climb. The trail is paleolithic jungle down low and becomes more open pine forest above as it rises up the crest of an old shield volcano. The views from the top of Larch Mountain are great, with Mts Adams, Rainier, St Helens, Hood, Jefferson, and Sisters visible on a sunny day.
[divider_line]Mousover to check out the view from Larch Mountain
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Eagle Creek to Wahtum Lake (Baby’s First Ultra)
Ethan Linck, of Beyond the Ranges and Wonderland FKT fame, agreed to come running up Eagle Creek yesterday. He’s headed south for the summer, and it was time for me to suck up my ego and learn some of his distance running tricks before that resource was gone. We planned to run as close to Wahtum lake as we could from the Eagle Creek drainage, but didn’t expect to get there because a friend had recently reported snow, which I’d had enough of the week before. Surprisingly, we made it to the lake with good weather and only a little bit of wet-footed snow jogging.
It’s a funny thing to realize that you’re standing at a lake 14 miles from your car and the only way out of there is to get running. Run we did, and in doing so I ticked both my first marathon-length run, and ‘ultra’ distance with a total of 28 miles. Until yesterday, my longest run had been in the neighborhood of 22 miles, and not surprisingly, I felt pretty great up until about 23. The last five miles, though downhill, were a bit psychological, and I was glad to have the ever-gracious Ethan hanging with me for support. No doubt without me as his lead weight he could have taken at least a half-hour off this time, if not an hour or more. Thanks for the company!
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Stats
Parking: Eagle Creek Trailhead, Gorge Exit 41, NW Forest Pass Required
TH: Bathrooms, camping, and water available
Stats: 28 miles, ~3800′ vertical gained. Gradually sloping uphill the entire way to the lake. Not steep, runnable descent.
Time: 4:56 with breaks, photos, etc.
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Topo for the finish to Wahtum Lake, click for full-size map (big file) [divider_line]
This run shares a beginning with the Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls run that I’ve done a few times now. It traces a funny path along dynamited ledges in the cliffside and past numerous waterfalls. Running past the last of the falls, it begins a slow climb into the forest before becoming steeper and quickly rising above the rim of the gorge. As the trail rises, the ground becomes soft and springy, and the single-track quite buff. Around 12 miles up, it crosses several short rocky slopes which signal the approach of the lake, which emerges out of the trees with little warning. Once the snow is gone, there is a lot of potential for longer runs which access the Pacific Crest Trail from here. Turning around, the grade is perfect for a fast run, but not too steep to slow you down.
[divider_line]Mousover to look around at our foggy Wahtum Lake turnaround.
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It’s been a fun experience to discover the odd freedom that comes from running long distances. While 30 miles may never be a comfortable distance for me to run, it’s a funny thing to think little of running 15 or 20. I hope to push this trail running thing farther over the summer with some longer runs and circumnavigations, but after the Trail Factor in two weeks, it’s also going to be climbing season. Flip-flops and bolts![divider_line]
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