I have been intrigued by the string of remote peaks along Great Western Divide from Milestone Mountain to Thunder Mountain since I saw them from the summit of Mount Williamson in April 2008. This interest grew with the Stanford Loop, Mount Stewart/Kaweah Gap, Winter Alta, and The Whaleback. It was great to finally explore this…
Category: Trail Running
Tamalpa Headlands 50k
I had a great time at the Tamalpa Headlands 50k last Saturday! It’s tough to argue with an extremely aesthetic single loop course traveling through the most famous trails in the Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais region including Dipsea, Coastal, Matt Davis and Miwok. These trails are renowned for good reason – the coastal scenery is…
Northern Yosemite 50
An “instant classic” adventure run of a 50+ mile loop in the remote Northern Yosemite region beginning at Twin Lakes, and including five passes, the Benson Lake riviera and a summit of Volunteer Peak. Total elevation gain was over 11,000 feet and the trip time was 15:28 starting at 5:10 am and finishing up at…
West McMillan Spire Speed Climb
West McMillan Spire is a peak in the fabled Picket Range of North Cascades National Park. Specifically, it is one of the jagged summits along the Southern Pickets “fence.” The approach to the climb entails 4.5 miles along a sometimes brushy path followed by a steep climber’s path gaining nearly 4,000 feet in a remarkably…
Whaleback, Cloud Canyon & Big Wet Meadow
On July 23rd Joel Lanz and I completed a 50 mile adventure run up Cloud Canyon and Big Wet Meadows to climb Whaleback, one of the most remote spots in the High Sierra. We started at 2:35 am and reached the summit just before 10 am. After 45 minutes on the summit, the return trip…
Sanborn Trail Quake Half
Last Saturday I ran half marathon at Brazen Racing’s Sanborn Park Trail Quake event. As with most Brazen events, the distance options include a 5k, 10k and half marathon (Brazen Racing primarily focuses on the non-ultra shorter distances with over 20 events per year to chose from). I have heard great things about Brazen races so I…
Ohlone 50k 2011
The Ohlone Wilderness 50k, always arduous but strikingly beautiful, is a classic point-to-point course travelling from Fremont to Lake Del Valle in Livermore. The terrain of this part of the Diablo Range is characterized by gorgeous grassy hillsides, heritage oaks, and gray pine forest. The high ridges leading up to the 3,817 ft summit of…
Quicksilver 50 mile
I had a great day at the 28th Annual Quicksilver Trail Races this past Saturday in the hilly and scenic trails of Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Jose. This was my first attempt at the 50 mile distance so coming into…
West Point Inn Pancake Breakfast
The West Point Inn sits high on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais with a commanding view of the San Francisco Bay Area. Close by is Mill Valley, Tiburon, and Angel Island. Most of the downtown San Francisco skyline is visible along with one arch of the Golden Gate Bridge beyond the Marin Headlands. The Inn…
Adventure Run Ideas 2011 – Cascades
The North Cascades are the most rugged and wild mountains in the contiguous United States. They are heavily glaciated and often difficult to access. I have been climbing in the North Cascades for many years and the breathtaking scenery never gets old. Here are some adventure run ideas I have for the Cascades this summer:…
Leor Pantilat's Adventures