The Loneliest Monk

This past September I was given the opportunity to make a contribution to the Great Outdoor Stores "How to Travel" series on my recent backpacking trip on the Wind River High Route in Wyoming. Below is the cell phone footage from that presentation!

Endurance. Something about endurance has always intrigued me. Whether it be athletes, adventurers, weekend warriors or people making it through everyday life, the pursuit of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process without giving way speaks to me. Ultra trail races and the preparation for these endurance events, something that started as a curiosity, has evolved into something that I love. “You can’t really tell how much you can do until you try to do something...that’s more.” In pursuit of that I now found myself toeing the line at the Bighorn Trail 100 prepared to find a new more. Scouting hike Nervous to over-do the start of my first 100 mile race I positioned myself conservatively at the start line. Once we hit the Tongue River TH I knew that we would spend the next 13 miles climbing to the first major aid station at Dry Fork. Even though I felt my pace was slow I stayed patient and reminded myself I had no idea what would come after mile 50. See you in...

I had spent the last 7 days compulsively checking the weather. Each time expecting...pleading...for the outlook to improve. It did the opposite. Each updated hourly forecast further confirmed the reality of what the 2018 Zumbro 50 would hold. NOAA Weather Forecast The past 10 weeks had been spent in diligent preparation for this race. I had a specific goal of finishing in under 10 hours which I thought would be attainable based on my performance at the Hitchcock 50 and perceived improvements over the winter. However, based on the forecast I now questioned my motivation to even make the drive to Zumbro to toe the line. With a midnight start on Friday the 13th I took that afternoon off from work to get a snooze in before making the 4 ½ hour drive. I awoke to the sound of a wild thunderstorm that would turn into a spring blizzard that would bury Sioux Falls. This same weather pattern awaited us at Zumbro. Tyler and I weighed our options. Call the race or leave ASAP to make it ...