Spot the Summits - Lazy 6 Summits ~50k

February 03, 2018

Spot the Summits - Lazy 6 Summits ~50k

I've had this dream, not for my whole life, but a couple of months. Maybe those aren't called dreams but dumb ideas instead. Anyway, my idea was to connect the highest summits in the area with a trail run perhaps combined with some biking. Pretty small as far as dreams go, but who knows. Someday I might be called a visionary. For now, even the people (who I think) love me call me a sadistic idiot. I can’t imagine what the rest of y’all think.

Needing a 50k training run but being too cheap to pay for a race, I conceived a route starting from Quicksilver park traversing 6 summits and ending in Los Gatos. With Anil’s logistical help and company from miles 6 to 20, this was going to be a reality.

Mine Hill. I got lost. My lefts felt heavy from the beginning. Could be lingering effect of a bug that kept me home from work earlier in the week.

Bald Mtn. The climb up Barlow Rd was brutal but the finish along a grass covered hill was gorgeous.

Mt. Umunhum. My first time running this trail. Hardly felt like we were climbing. Until we were. Giant concrete box - what an attraction. In Silicon Valley, anything IRL is a novelty.

El Sombroso. El Jefe. Not as high but a lot steeper getting there. Lots of sun on a long steep ascent. 75 degrees in February. Are you kidding me?

Kennedy/Dogmeat via the DK Rollers. What stupid RD would design a course to do the rollers and descend Dogmeat at mile 28!?! This guy apparently.

Jones Tr. Ok, I got lazy. I was supposed to climb St. Joes but I was already going to be doing 33 miles as the course was longer than anticipated (see above, Mine Hill, lost). At least I climbed the wall out of Alma Bridge Rd, so I'm calling it a summit, dammit!

So I’m throwing down the gauntlet. Actually I don’t have gauntlets. I’m throwing down my Nike Therma-Fit running gloves. I challenge the rest of my dumb running friends to either do this route, which most of you could surely do swifter, or come up with another audacious, bodacious, supercalifragilicious adventure for yourself.