Goblin Valley 50K: Details and photos

Adrian and friends Billy and Gar all participated last month in the Goblin Valley Ultra Marathon. The 50K race - as well as the 25K and 10K running events - is held in Goblin Valley State Park, a hodgepodge of mesas and sandstone formations located in the San Rafael Swell about 32 miles north of Hanksville.

Adrian and I drove up from Tucson and arrived a day before the race. We camped with Gar and Nicole and Billy outside of the state park off between county road 1013 and a small wash tucked alongside a steep cliff. We set up our tent and gear among desert scrub and juniper and dozens -- and I mean, dozens - of old fire rings.

The following morning, the boys were up before sunrise to prepare for the race. The sub-35 degree temps encourage me to stayed in the tent as long as possible. We all piled into the Subaru and drove to race start, just a few miles down the road.

The race began at 8 a.m. Adrian finished the 50K course in four hours, 20 minutes and came in second place overall. He was the first man to finish. The woman who won finished in three hours, 55 minutes. Gar and Billy stuck it out together for the entire race and finished in five hours, 50 minutes.

Below are a few photos from the day. 

Cold start.

Sunrise at Goblin Valley State Park.

Heading back through the wash.

The final mile is through the hoodoos.

Lost among the hoodoos.

Adrian approaches the finish line.

Adrian cheers on Billy and Gar.

Coming up the road and then a final push through the hoodoos.

Billy and Gar approach the final pumpkin

Finish!

Photos: Mount Rainer summit bid

Our three-person team -- Adrian, our friend Robert, and me -- began our Mount Rainier summit bid around noon. We decided to take some extra time and spent two nights on the mountain. The first day we hiked up the Muir snowfield and camped below the hut. The next day we hiked to Ingraham Flats. At midnight, we began our climb to the summit. We reached the summit by sunrise and were back at our tent by 8 a.m. After a nap, we packed up and headed all the way down to the car -- and later pizza and beer.

Here are a few photos of our summertime adventure.

Ready to begin our climb.

View at sunset looking south. That's Mount Hood in the background.

Another sunset shot from the Muir snowfield. 

Hiking up Muir snowfield.

Approaching Ingraham Flats, the last camp before the summit. We set up our tents here and then started our summit climb at midnight that same day.

About 50 feet from the summit. Winds were consistently above 30 mph and gusting above 45 mph. Check out the lenticular cloud behind us. That cloud would eventually hover over the summit and would close the door on any climbers hoping to make it to the top later that day.

Adrian and me on the summit.

The official summit is behind me. We were the second group to summit that morning, right at sunrise.

On our way down the mountain. Our friend, Robert, is in the back. I'm in the middle and Adrian was the leader. Check the rope for an indication of how windy it was.

A morning view to the south as we descended.