22 Miles of Fun!

First I have to thank Lisa, I didn't take my camera on this run and my brother took a ton of pictures.  All of these pictures were poached off of their wonderful blog!  Thanks guys!

As I said in my previous posts, Dad, Erik and I ran a 10 mile run one day as a "warm up" for this run.  This run was to the top of the Matterhorn.  22 miles total and we will climb to about 9830 feet.  This is my dad and I at the beginning just arriving at the trailhead.  Erik is behind the camera!

There is one place that the Forest Service had to take out a bridge.  Fortunately a nice big tree fell right in that area to cross.  This river is  really cold so I was glad that we didn't have to wade across.

Here we are going up...  there is a lot of that on this run! 

My awesome Dad...

8 miles in is Ice Lake.  It holds fond memories for Erik and I.  He came home on leave from the Navy when I was about 14 and we backpacked in and spent the night.  We caught fish and just had a great time.  Those high lakes are so beautiful, I never get over it.

Erik (my amazing brother) and I with Ice Lake behind us.  Actually the Matterhorn is also behind us, but I don't think you can see the top from this angle

Two great guys!

Although we are about 9 or 10 miles in...  I apparently still have a little sass!

 

There are notebooks on the top of the peaks that you can write messages in...  It is a neat opportunity to look back and see who has been there in the past and read what they wrote. 

Here are the three of us on top!  It was so beautiful.  It totally reminded me of goat hunting with Clint last fall.  Made me wish he was with us so I could share the experience with him as well. 

Dad always tells us to "suck in our gut and stick out our chest" when a picture is about to be taken.  It always makes everyone smile!

Views from the top

Erik on top of the world!

Erik remembered this little arch from a past trip he took up there.  He found it again and we had to get a picture!

On the way back down to Ice Lake

Our trail back down.  If you look hard you can just see us towards the bottom of the switchbacks.

Erik on the way down.

The downhill is actually kind of tough as well.  You aren't really breathing that hard, but your quads take a beating and your legs can feel kind of shaky after that many miles.  (Okay, mine did.  There was no indication from Erik or Dad that they felt anything but amazing...  they both have this incredible toughness that goes way beyond the physical component.  It's this amazing mental drive.)

We did it!  I wish Erik would have told me he was taking my picture and I would have mustered up a smile or a thumbs up or something.  (Okay maybe he did tell me and I flipped him the bird.  He may have waited until I put my hand down to take the picture!  Ha ha!  Just kidding!) 

Truth be told, I was spent.  I have never ran that far and honestly I'm proud of myself for doing it.  However, my quads were pretty tight for a few days!  (everyone got a good laugh every time I went to sit down or go down stairs... ) 

I can see how my dad and brother enjoy it so much though.  It is a completely different style of running that is really fun.  I look forward to the next time I can do it with them!