8/24/08
Passing through Rock Springs yesterday, it was just dripping. It took 7
minutes to fill a 20oz bottle (~20sec/oz), so it is half of what was
reported on 8/14.
Andrew Barney
8/14/08
I have managed to lose track of the source of this report, however, information indicates that Rock Springs is freshly
piped with a flow rate of 10 seconds per ounce. Sorry I cannot quote a source.
8/9/08
Galland and Bryson ran from Elbow Fork in Millcreek Canyon to
Brighton. Brought 2 water bottles and 1 filter bottle. You can fill
up at Desolation Lake. The trail here is nice and smooth all the way
to Brighton. The trail is clear of all debris and overgrown brush.
Mosquitos are around the lakes. It was in the 70's while the valley's
were in the 90's. A massive thunderstorm hit up on crest trail. I was
wearing a shirt and the pearl izumi fly jacket (55 degrees). I was
quite cold. If it was race day I would have really needed a thicker
jacket and mid-layer. Great food stop at the Brighton Cafe. They take
cash or credit....chicken salad wraps! Mmmm.
Matt Galland
Matts photo tour of their run from Elbow Fork to Brighton follows:
RUNNING UP MILLCREEK TO BIG WATER
HEADING UP TO DOG LAKE
DOG LAKE
HEADING DOWN FROM DOG TO DESOLATION LAKE
DESOLATION LAKE
RED LOVER'S RIDGE
SOUTH ON THE WASATCH CREST
ON A HIGH AFTER DESOLATION
HEADED TO THE TRANSMISSION TOWERS
OLD DETERIORATED ROAD
DOWN TO SCOTTS PASS
ASPHALT ROAD TO BRIGHTON
THUNDERSTORM AT BRIGHTON
8/2/08
Update on the springs from Pole Line to Pot Bottom: Rock Springs isn't
trickling anymore on either of the pipes. There is a trickle on the ground,
but it would be a little hard to corral. The spring just past Pot Hollow
Trail Junction going toward Sandy Baker does have a very slow trickle as
does Ruminant but in both cases, Pot Bottom seems pretty close at that
point. The Dive and Plunge and most of the trail past them to Lime Canyon
Rd. Junction (?) could really use rain, but one does look... impressive when
arriving at the Homestead.
Carter Williams
7/30/08
The following is a series provided by Matt Galland as a photo tour from Brighton to the paved road headed into the Finish Line.
JUST PAST BRIGHTON AID STATION
ARRIVING AT LAKE MARY
HEADED UP TO CATHERINE PASS
CATHERINE PASS
POINT SUPREME
HEADING OFF BACKSIDE OF POINT SUPREME
ANT KNOLLS AID STATION
GRUNT PASS
HEADING DOWN TO POLELINE PASS
POLELINE PASS
FOREST LAKE
POINT CONTENTION
HEADING INTO ROCK SPRINGS
NEARING HOLMAN TRAIL JUNCTION
MOTORCYLE DOESN'T MAKE THE PLUNGE
THE DIVE #1
THE DIVE #2
THE DIVE #3
THE DIVE #4
RUMINANT SPRINGS
UP THE HILL FROM POT BOTTOM
WATER TANK PAST THE GATE
LAST MEADOW BEFORE ASPHALT IN MIDWAY
ROAD TO FINISH
7/29/08
We did another run from Brighton to the finish on 7/28. The trail is
completely dry. Since a lot of us will be running this section in the
dark I would recommend doing it once in the day time. The first five
miles out of Brighton are some of the prettiest five miles you'll
ever see! I brought just 2 24 oz. water bottles and one filter
bottle. You can fill up at Rock Springs aid station. There is just a
trickle of water coming out of the pipe but it works well enough.
From there you can run to "Pot Bottom" and get water on the North
side of the dirt road in a nicely flowing stream. We filled up here
rather than a mile earlier at "Ruminant Springs" because the water
there drips out of the pipe at a painfully slow drip. It's hot and
dry the last 6-7 miles so fill up both those bottles.
Matt Galland
7/18/08
I ran from Big Mountain to Lamb’s on Wednesday evening (July 16th). All is well except I’ve never seen the trail so grown over as it is this year.
There’s lots of hidden stuff waiting to snag your feet or roll an ankle. It’s impossible at times to even see dirt. Be careful. As long as you have a filter
though there is still a lot of water flowing in the two stream (and I use the term loosely) crossings after you leave Alexander Ridge and head up the
trail towards Roger’s Trail Junction.
George Sunderland (RunLoco)
7/18/08
I appreciate Matt's course reports - he is doing a great job and should keep it up. I traveled the course from the beginning up Chin Scraper
and did not see any Stinging Nettle, however. I did see a lot of Horse Mint in the Cool Springs area which I am happy to say is a harmless plant.
Paul Hulet
7/10/08
The following is a series of pictures provided by Matt Galland. They include various spots between the start and mile 40. Thanks Matt, nice pics.
STINGING NETTLES AT COOL SPRINGS
GREAT WESTERN TRAIL AT MILE 7
UP CHINSCRAPER
REACHING TOP OF CHINSCRAPER
COMING UP CHINSCRAPER
MILE 9.6 - THE RIDGE THAT FOLLOWS CHINSCRAPER
100 YARDS PAST LANDIS SPRING
WEST SLOPE OF THURSTON PEAK
WEST SLOPE OF THURSTON JUST BEFORE THE SADDLE
READ THOSE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY. THEY ARE DETAILED AND GET YOU THERE EVERY TIME
JUST BEFORE GROBBEN'S CORNER
RADAR DOMES IN THE DISTANCE
MILE 14.63 JUST PAST THE RADAR DOMES LOOKING WEST
THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE MAINTENANCE SHED AT FRANCIS PEAK
MEADOWS A FEW MILES PAST BOUNTIFUL B AID STATION
ON TOP OF SESSIONS LIFT OFF AID STATION LOOKING NORTH AT THE COURSE
Running Tip: If you go to the Wasatch 100 website you will find the "course
directions". A life saving tip: Print them out, get on google earth
with the course overlay, then follow the course online while reading
the course directions. Make sure you view the map in 3D...it will
show you just how darn steep the course it. We have taken the
directions on all 100 miles of the course and they (the directions)
are 100 percent accurate. However, because we are questioning human
beings you will always have this voice in your head that asks "Maybe
your going the wrong way". If you run the course at least once you
can lay that anxiety to rest and enjoy the race without getting
lost. The directions are great but it is still a challenge to follow
them.
Matt Galland
7/8/08
Galland, Bryson, and Mitchell ran from start to big mountain. Trail
is clear the whole way except for 100 yards of snow near the top of
Francis Peak. The stinging nettle is incredibly thick this year along
90 percent of the trail. The horse flies are plentiful also. Ivy-
Block, bug spray, and a hat took care of both those problems. Also,
most streams are running full still, so if you bring a filter bottle
you can run the first 40 with no water drops. Temps most of the day
were mid 70's while the valley was at 95. Have fun!
Matt Galland
7/8/08
The east side of Mill Canyon Peak is wide open, but dusty. Plunge and Dive are beginning to be skiable (brown powder). There was fresh
predator poop on the trail this morning near Pot Hollow Jct (covered with flies—did not probe for temperature). Rock Spring still is just diverting
surface flow; needs repair. Only reliable water nearby is at Mill Canyon Spring, which is not on the course (but, happily, is on my training route).
If anyone is planning the Brighton-to-finish training variant, I recommend either 60 oz on your back or a filter for the Rock Spring flow (lots of
water—just not clean). Oh, by the way, it’s hot out there.
Phil Lowry
7/8/08
July 6/08 Four of us ran from Brighton to the Homestead. There was a fair bit of patchy snow going up Catherine Pass. If you followed prior tracks
and kept a vigilant watch, it was easy enough to find the trail in between the drifts. On the way down the pass there was also snow but the trail
was always in view. After that point we didn’t encounter any more snow. The pipes at Rock Springs and Ruminant Springs were both flowing well
and we filled bottles from both of those. The trail started becoming extremely dusty shortly before Pole Line pass and continued that way in the areas
that have been heavily used by the ATV traffic. Lots of great alpine flowers are out along with some very healthy nettle. All in all, the trail is very
enjoyable right now.
Deborah Askew
6/30/08
I ran from the start to Grobben's Corner yesterday (6/28) and the trail was clear of snow until the stand of trees south of Cool Springs where
the climb to Chinscraper begins. There are several patches of snow to cross before the final climb up Chinscraper, which can be done as
a vertical hand scramble up the dirt, gravel and rocks on the right side of the bowl, which is still blanketed in snow. There are 2 snow
chutes to cross on the way to Landis Springs. After Landis, the trail is clear to the saddle that offers the first look into the Morgan Valley.
The climb from the saddle is mostly snow and I found it necessary stay on the rocks at the upper edge of the steep snowfields.
This was the case until the descent to the sidehill trail that crosses to the ATV road. There were a couple of snow chutes before the
reaching the ATV road and the road from that point was clear as far as I could see but I descended down Baer Canyon and didn't go any further.
Dean Dyatt
6/24/08
Bountiful B to Big Mountain 6/21
From B to Sessions about 6 drifts/snowfield are still on the road. Car
traffic still isn’t making it further than about 1.5 miles on the road, but
all are quite passable on foot (or ATV for that matter). Most should be gone
in a week. The main field in the area that is usually really torn up at
about 2.5 miles may be hanging on for a couple of weeks or at least the
follow-up mud. I imagine the trees across the road will be cleared as soon
as the snow makes it possible. Snow at the bottom of Sessions and at the top
and most of the way inbetween. Again, most is very passable. The only really
trick is figuring our where the trail might be in the top third. I overshot
the pass by about 50 ft aiming at something that also looked like the point
where the trail goes through. It looks like maybe three weeks until most of
it is clear. From there, there are about three crest drifts left. The others
that were there a week ago are gone. Like I said, everything is quite
passable: I don’t remember postholing more than once The view of the back
side of the Golf Balls looks like about a third of the road is still covered
over from the top well into the bowl. So Chinscraper and east traverse area
in the bowl before Gobbin’s Corner are probably still mostly snow. At least
from past experience. NO BITING FLIES ON TOP! Pure joy.
Carter Williams
6\15\08
On 6/13 ran up to Serenity Point from Loopcrest. Still a big windslab on the east side, as usual, but it’s melting fast. East side of Mill Canyon still a
couple of weeks from opening up to snow-free running. Rock Spring has been trashed by a particular monochromatically-clothed demographic
of fall forest users who shall remain unnamed (cool of Kelvin, cool of brain). It will need to be repiped and as of this moment is not reliable.
Phil Lowry
6/3/08
I ran from Rock Springs aid station to the finish and some parts of the trail are
great while others have 3-4 feet of snow. The last picture shows bear
tracks! It looks as though a black bear has been training on the
course!
SERENITY POINT
COMING AROUND THE RIDGE AT SERENITY POINT
THE DIVE
BEAR TRACKS ON THE DIVE
THE PLUNGE
JUST BELOW POT BOTTOM
Matt Galland
6/2/08
From Big Mountain pass (39.4) to Lambs Canyon is
dry. Lambs Canyon to Bear Bottom Pass still has 3-4 feet of snow (2 MILES BEFORE BEAR BOTTOM PASS).
BEAR BOTTOM PASS to upper Big Water is dry. Also, Rock Springs to
Pot Bottom had 3-4 feet of snow as of last week but Pot Bottom to the
finish is Dry.
Matt Galland
