Zero Limits State Of Mind #01

The Beauty Of The Fail

by Ras Vaughan

Ninety-Eight Days All for Naught

n June 11th, 2017, Team UltraPedestrian achieved the biggest fail of our careers. After 98 days and 1300 miles on the trail pushing our minds, bodies, gear, finances, and relationship far past their limits, we were forced to admit that we would not be able to complete our goal of becoming the first people ever to yo-yo the Grand Enchantment Trail. (Yo-yoing a trail means traveling it from one end to the other and then back again, thus completing the trail twice in a single push, once in each direction, like a yo-yo running out to the end of its string then returning to your hand.)

The GET runs east and west between Phoenix, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, for approximately 770 miles. But the GET isn’t an official trail: it’s a route that links together existing trail, unmaintained trail, two tracks, roads, bushwacks, and cross-country sections that traverse both vast deserts and vertiginous mountain ranges. It’s an incredibly difficult and indelibly rewarding route. Being in the heart of the American Southwest, the Grand Enchantment Trail presents a very limited window of opportunity in the spring and fall, between the freezing snows of winter and the blistering heat of summer. On our final day on the trail, when Kathy inadvertently left her sleeping pad in the direct sun and it melted we knew that our window of opportunity had slammed shut.


Our GET Yo-yo attempt was the second in a series of four desert trail yo-yos that we planned as part of our multi-year Desert Yo-yo Grand Slam project. This included the Arizona National Scenic Trail, which we had successfully yo-yo’d between September 18th and December 20th of 2015, the Grand Enchantment Trail, the Oregon Desert Trail, and the Hayduke Trail. Each of these trails is approximately 800 miles long in a single direction and traverses some of the most challenging and unforgiving terrain in North America. We were attempting them in order of ascending difficulty, and we were under no illusion that our success was a given. These are extremely challenging routes, and there’s good reason why no one had ever yo-yo’d any of them before.

Not only did we aspire to being the first, but we planned to do it in “Feet On The Ground” style, not hitchhiking into resupply towns, not accepting rides of any kind, and not using public transportation or any other form of conveyance (we even avoided elevators in motels). Our goal was to cover every step of the way under our own power and on our own two feet. In or minds this would be the highest ethic we could attain, the best style, the fairest means, but it could also be summed up rather simply as, “cray cray is as cray cray does”. We had invested months evaluating the physical, mental and logistical challenges involved in the overall project and had concluded that it was Humanly possible. We wanted to find out if we were the Humans to do it. …

Read the entire article on the UltraPedestrian.com.

MAIL Caloric Burn vs Intake

Mount Adams Infinity Loop

Complete Caloric Burn Versus Intake

by Ras Vaughan

I have been fueling based on both dietary fat and stored body fat for almost five years now, since I began training for the inaugural Pigtails Challenge 200 miler early in 2012. (Here's my nutrition and fueling report from Pigtails, May 2012.) I find that fat based fueling helps me achieve a more consistent and sustainable level of performance. In addition, having my body habituated to prioritizing fat metabolization means that I can rely on fueling in part from my body's fat stores, which in turn means that I can carry and eat less food than the math would, at face value, imply. 

I assiduously saved all the wrappers, baggies, and packaging from my various fuels throughout the Mount Adams Infinity Loop. I did this in keeping with my Unsupported ethic of carrying all my supplies and gear from beginning to end, which, to my mind, includes carrying all of my trash until the finish. This also made it easy for me to reconstruct the fuel I consumed during a project by counting up the wrappers and portions of the foods I ingested. 

Below is an accounting of my total calorie intake, as well an estimate of the total calories I burned during my adventure. If anything, the caloric needs estimate is conservative. It only takes into account mileage with an offset for elevation gain. It doesn't take other factors into account that burn more calories to cover the same ground; such as cold temperatures wherein your body burns calories heating itself, or moving against a strong headwind. In all actuality, it's likely I burned a few more calories than I estimate here.

An obvious aberration in my fueling regimen is the SweetTarts. I have only extremely rarely had trouble with queasiness or upset stomach or feeling nauseous during high mileage, multi-day endurance adventures. What DOES sometimes trouble me is simply a lack of appetite. I try to take a "wierd food" of some sort on each adventure, something that tastes completely different and has a distinct texture or unique mouthfeel. This is how I first started taking toasted seaweed on adventures, and it is now a regular part of my fuel kit. I figured tart, chalky, pseudo-fruit flavored lozenges would fit the bill nicely, and they did indeed. 

SweetTarts were one of my favorite treats as a kid, and I still really enjoy them. I had forgotten I had them with me, and was quite stoked when I found them in my pack during the descent from the first summit. I realize, and freely admit, that they have almost no actual food value (or food ingredients), but they are certainly calorie dense. I'm not proud of them being part of my fueling for this adventure, but Kathy and I strive to be as transparent as we can be in recounting our adventures, and sometime that means having to publicly admit to enjoying a box of artificially colored sugar disks. Mea culpa. 

RAS' COMPLETE CALORIE LIST FOR MOUNT ADAMS INFINITY LOOP:

Total calories consumed during Mount Adams Infinity Loop

Trail Butter Expedition Espresso 2.5 x 760 = 1,900 calories

Honey Stinger Waffles 6 x 150 = 900 calories

Picky Bars Smooth Caffeinator 2 x 200 = 400 calories

Peanut Butter Crackers packet 2 x 200 = 400 calories

Honey Stinger Cherry Cola Energy Chews 3 x 160 = 480 calories

Toasted Seaweed Snacks 3 x 30 = 90 calories

SweetTarts throwback box 2 x 780 = 1,560 calories
Instant Rice 1 cup x 390 = 390 calories
Instant Refried Beans 1 cup x 384 = 384 calories

-----------------

6,504 total calories consumed

Caloric needs for Mount Adams Infinity Loop

6,600 calories = 66 miles x 100 calories per mile

2,000 calories = 20,000 feet (round estimate) elevation gain

                        x 100 calories per 1,000 feet of gain

5,000 calories = 2,000 daily baseline metabolic calories x 2.5 days

-----------------

13,600 total calories burned

Overall Caloric Burn Versus Intake for Mount Adams Infinity Loop

13,600 total calories burned

6,504 total calories consumed

-----------------

7,096 calories total caloric debt accrued

MAIL Complete Gear List

Mount Adams Infinity Loop

Complete Gear List

by Ras Vaughan

The Mount Adams Infinity Loop was my second foray into the very rarified discipline which Gavin Woody has dubbed "ultraneering". The simplest definition of this would be something along the lines of, "A route of greater distance than a standard marathon which includes terrain which necessitates the use of mountaineering skills, methodology, and/or gear." As often happens, I found myself carrying a pack full of gear for a 56+ hour, 60 mile double summit traverse and circumnavigation of Mount Adams which was substantially smaller and lighter than those being worn by other climbers for a single summit bid. In saying this, I'm not judging the gear choices of others, simply presenting the juxtaposition of techniques. 

What I was attempting, and what fascinates and exhilarates me, is the minimalist, fast and light, alpinist end of the spectrum, as evidenced by the list below. In putting together my kit for an adventure of this sort, I make every effort to avoid carrying things which serve only one purpose. Rather than carrying a number of very specific pieces of gear, I attempt to assemble an extremely flexible and versatile collection of tools and materials that can be configured many different ways to deal with any number of unforeseen circumstances.

Since this project was solo and unsupported, I did end up carrying a couple pounds worth of batteries and chargers for the electronic equipment. Much of this would be unnecessary on a trip for the pure joy of it. I end up carrying extra gear such as a SPOT transponder and GoPro in order to document my efforts and to provide some degree of interactivity for friends, family, and the general public to follow along. This comes with being a public person and a sponsored athlete, as well as an FKT player.

MOUNT ADAMS INFINITY LOOP COMPLETE GEAR LIST:

Here's a complete list of all the gear (non-food) I used:

Nathan Journey Fastpack (preproduction test model)
Nathan Insulated 750 ml bottles (qty 2)
Nathan 2 Liter Bladder
Altra NeoShell Lone Peak Mid High insulated, waterproof trail running shoes
Altra Performance Half Zip Long Sleeve Shell 
Altra Everyday Shorts
Montbell synthetic puffy jacket
Western Mountaineering Flash Pant
Sugoi Insulated Running Tights
Injinji Trail 2.0 midweight toe socks
Smartwool midweight socks
Smartwool Arm Warmers
Seven Hills Running Shop shirt by Pearl Izumi
Kahtoola KTS Steel Crampons
Julbo Glacier Glasses
Outdoor Research Expedition gaiters
Black Diamond Polar Icon Headlamp
Black Diamond gloves
Bluewater 48" webbing sling
Camp Corsa Aluminum Ice Axe
Needles 50k buff (gift from Kathy)
REI merino wool liner gloves (didn't use)
Cheap Fleece camo hat bought in a mini mart years ago
Black Diamond Ultra Distance Carbon Z Poles
Duct tape wrapped around each trekking pole, 6 feet x 2 = 12 feet total
Black Diamond Vapor Helmet
SPOT Transponder
REI ultralight 10 liter Drysack
Sony Walkman mp3 player
Asio Altimeter watch
Garmin eTrex 20 gps
GoPro Hero3+ camera
Nokia Lumia 930 smartphone
EC Technology Power Bank 3.7V/22400mAh/82.8Wh charger
Sony walkman 16gb mp3 player
Sea To Summit titanium spork
Ziplock screw top container for soaking dehydrated food
spare OR gaiter for use as a skidplate for seated glissades
550 paracord to rig above mentioned gaiter in place, 3 meters
Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAA batteries (qty 6) for SPOT transponder
Duracell Quantum AA batteries (qty 14) for headlamp and gps
caffeine pills 200mg (qty 15) used 6
ibuprofin pills 200mg (qty 24) used 12
numerous ziplock baggies

Master Amino Acid Pattern supplement (10) used all 10, 
    could have used 90 but didn't have the budget for it

Mount Adams Infinity Loop COMPLETE - Only Known Time

Mount Adams Infinity Loop Completed
Only Known Time of 56 hours and 20 minutes
Solo, Unsupported

A Combined Double Summit Traverse And 
Circumambulation Of Mount Adams

Official Start Time - 12:02 PM Saturday, September 24, 2016
Official Finish Time - 08:22 PM Monday, September 26, 2016

Total Distance measured by Garmin eTrex 20 - 60.01 Miles

                                                                     

by Ras Vaughan

At 12:02 PM on Saturday, September 24th, 2016, I began at the intersection of the Killen Creek Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the High Camp Trail on the north side of Mount Adams. This was a three mile approach from my car, so I did not plan on resupplying in between loops, as this would add a six mile out and back. Therefore, the entire Mount Adams Infinity Loop was unsupported. I didn't place any resupply caches or forage or accept trail magic, I carried all my food and gear from the very beginning to the very end, didn't drop off any trash, and I only refilled my water from natural sources.

I had never before set foot on either the North Cleaver or the South Spur routes, but I had lots of route beta from SummitPost.org and other sources. The Class 2 scramble up the North Cleaver was fun and interesting and only got challenging when I accidentally veered off the proper route momentarily. I saw three or four other climbers descending as I was ascending.

Summit Number One, 7:00 PM was very cold and wet due to very high (50+ mph) winds and low clouds enclosing the summit. It was too cold and wet and inhospitable to stop for any reason, be it eating or taking pictures. It was growing dark as I traversed the summit. I was the only person on the summit as the sun began to set, and, consequently, the last person down that day. Once I reached the summit I had a GPS track to follow down the South Spur, although this was unnecessary because of the easy to follow boot track and glissade chutes. I hiked and ran through the night, napping briefly at random intervals. 

I completed the first loop and reached the start/finish Killen Creek/PCT/High Camp Trail intersection at 8:00 AM on Sunday, September 25th. I changed out to my daytime layer, repacked my kit, and began my second assent a little before 9:00 AM. The second climb up the North Cleaver was sunny and warm and uneventful. I saw no other climbers during my ascent, and was frequently following my own footprint from the day before.

Summit Number Two, 6:15 PM was much sunnier, far less windy, and triumphant in sentiment. It was much more tolerable, so I was able to shoot a short video and take a few photos. Again I was the only person on the summit, and the last person down that day. A surprising amount of snow had melted since the previous evening, leaving the uppermost slopes bare rock. However, I was still able to glissade for about 2,500 feet of the descent.

Once I reached the Round The Mountain Trail I turned East for a mile or so, and then found a spot to lay down and nap for a couple of hours. I started moving again around 3:30 AM on Monday, September 26th.

Bushwhacking & Route Finding Across The Gap was more fun than I had expected, and easier on a technical level. However it was slow going, and for long sections I was only making a mile or so per hour. I saw a large Black Bear in the Hellroaring basin just after sun up. The next basin north was even slower going, sidehilling across scree and moraine. The creek crossings were easier than I had expected, until I came to the Big Muddy. I got stuck here for more than an hour hiking up and down the creek trying to find a safe rock hop to get to the other side. I eventually succeeded, and after another short bushwhack connected with the Highline Trail, putting the end in sight, figuratively. 

I reached the intersection of the Killen Creek Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the High Camp Trail for the third time at 08:22 PM on Monday, September 26, 2016, to establish an official Only Known Time of 56 hours and 20 minutes for the Mount Adams Infinity Loop.

Summit Number Two, self-portrait.

Facebook/Instagram Updates from the trail during  the Mount Adams Infinity Loop:

What a Blessing to be a Hominid! Give Thanks for Life!

Mount Adams Infinity Loop OKT Attempt

Mount Adams Infinity Loop
Only Known Time Attempt

A Combined Double Summit Traverse And 
Circumambulation Of Mount Adams

                                                                     

by Ras Vaughan

My only experience of Mount Adams is sleeping high on its shoulder along the PCT during the final night of my Unsupported Washington Traverse two years ago. Beginning the morning of Saturday, September 24th I hope to get to know Mount Adams much better by attempting the Mount Adams Infinity Loop, accruing approximately 50 miles and 20,000+ feet of elevation gain in the process. As of this moment, there seems to be a weather window for Saturday through Tuesday, but with some high winds on the summit Saturday; so decent conditions, but less than perfect, as is to be expected, and success is far from guaranteed. This project presents a lot of questions marks, and I'm excited about answering a few of them, regardless of how it plays out.

Intended Route And Methodology

On the morning of Saturday, September 24th, 2016, I will begin at the intersection of the Pacific Crest Trail and the High Camp Trail on the north side of Mount Adams. I will climb the North Cleaver, traverse the summit, descend the South Spur, and run and hike around the base of the mountain clockwise on the PCT back to my starting point. I will then once again climb the North Cleaver, traverse the summit, descend the South Spur, and then run and hike around the base of the mountain counterclockwise back to my starting point by linking together the Round The Mountain Trail, Bird Meadow Trail, Trail Of The Flowers, bushwacking The Gap, and finally the Highline Trail back to the PCT and my starting point. I plan to travel solo and unsupported, carrying all of my food and gear from start to finish, picking up no resupplies or caches, and only taking water from natural sources. The bushwack section is a big wildcard as far as guesstimating time goals. I would be very happy with a 48 hour finish, but expect it may be more in the 60 hour range, especially if I hit The Gap during the night and need to wait until daylight to aid in route finding. Although not on the same scale as Mount Rainier, this is another project that will be a blend of fastpacking, ultrarunning, and some light mountaineering; a mixed discipline which Gavin has dubbed Ultraneering.

History Of The Infinity Loop Paradigm

In researching and preparing for my 2015 Cowlitz Connection project with Richard Kresser (detailed HERE, HERE, and HERE), I learned of a dream project of legendary climber Chad Kellogg which he was never able to attempt due to his untimely passing in a climbing accident on Mount Fitz Roy. He called it the Infinity Loop. The idea was to traverse the summit of Mount Rainier, run the Wonderland trail back to the starting point in one direction, traverse the summit again, and then run the Wonderland the opposite direction back to the starting point, thus tracing a figure eight, or an infinity sign. This past July, Gavin Woody and I had the honor of bringing Chad's vision to life and completing the Mount Rainier Infinity Loop (detailed HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE). The Infinity Loop helped me achieve a long sought after goal regarding Mount Rainier: having as complete an experience of the Mountain as possible in a single effort. The Mount Adams Infinity Loop is an experiment to see how well that approach translates to another of the Pacific Northwest's iconic volcanoes.

How To Follow Along

My progress can be tracked on my SPOT transponder beginning sometime on the morning of Saturday, September 24th, 2016:

SPOT Transponder Tracking Page

On the rare occasions when I have cell reception I will post updates to Facebook and Instagram:

Ras' Facebook
Ras' Instagram

What an amazing time to be Alive! What a Blessing to be a Hominid!

Mount Rainier Infinity Loop - Caloric Burn Versus Intake

Complete Caloric Burn versus Intake
  

Mount Rainier Infinity Loop

Our Parks/Your Adventure Fundraiser for The Mountaineers Youth Programs - Ras Vaughan and Gavin Woody

                                                                     
by Ras Vaughan

RAS' COMPLETE CALORIE LIST FOR MOUNT RAINIER INFINITY LOOP:

Trail Calories

Honey Stinger Waffles 10 x 150 = 1,500 calories

Picky Bars Smooth Caffeinator 4 x 200 = 800 calories

Trail Butter Expedition Espresso 5 x 760 = 3,800 calories

Pringles Tangy Buffalo Wing 3 x 900 = 2,700 calories

Instant Korean Ginsing Tea 9 x 10 = 90 calories

Peanut Butter Crackers packet 3 x 200 = 600 calories

Granola Bar 1 x 190 = 190 calories

Honey Stinger Cherry Cola Energy Chews 5 x 160 = 800 calories

Honey Stinger Juneberry Protein Chews 1 x 150 = 150 calories

Kim Chee flavored Dried Seaweed Snacks 1 x 30 = 30 calories

Instant Oatmeal Packets calories 5 x 170 = 850 calories

Honey Stinger Peanut Butter & Jelly bar 1 x 170 = 170 calories

Honey Stinger Cran-Apple & Walnuts bar 1 x 150 = 150 calories

Honey Stinger Nuts, Seeds, & Roasted Serrano bar 1 x 200 = 200 calories

-----------------

12,030 total calories on trail

Calories at Resupply

Soon Vegetarian Noodle Soup 180 x 4 = 720

Stir-Fry vegetable mix 100 x 1 = 100

Energy drink 180 x 2 = 360

-----------------

1,180 total calories at resupply

Total calories consumed during Rainier Infinity Loop

12,030 total calories on trail

1,180 total calories at resupply

-----------------

13,210 total calories consumed

Caloric needs for Rainier Infinity Loop

120 miles x 100 calories per mile = 12,000 calories

40,000 feet elevation gain x 100 calories per 1,000 feet of gain = 4,000 calories

2,000 daily baseline metabolic calories x 4days = 8,000 calories

-----------------

24,000 total calories burned

Overall Caloric Burn Versus Intake for Rainier Infinity Loop

24,000 total calories burned

13,210 total calories consumed

-----------------

10,790 calories total caloric debt accrued – iViva fat fueling!

We hope to use this project to inspire future generations of climbers, runners, thru-hikers, fastpackers, backpackers, and adventurers of all stripes by helping raise money for The Mountaineers Youth Programs by means of the Our Parks / Your Adventure initiative. Please click here to learn more about the program and to donate. Whether you give $10 or $5,000 your donation will help introduce deserving young people to the fulfillment and enrichment of outdoor adventure, essentially helping to reintroduce them to their natural habitat.

Complete Gear List Infinity Loop

Complete Gear List
  

Mount Rainier Infinity Loop

Our Parks/Your Adventure Fundraiser for The Mountaineers Youth Programs - Ras Vaughan and Gavin Woody

                                                                     
by Ras Vaughan

COMPLETE GEAR LIST FOR MOUNT RAINIER INFINITY LOOP:

One of the challenges I enjoy about hard to define multi-disciplinary adventures is gearing up and kitting out. Especially when there is a serious mountaineering element combined with high-mileage travel it's of the utmost importance to carry a minimal kit which is flexible enough to do everything you need it to do. On the Rainier Infinity Loop I was very happy with how this played out. 

Loop #1 starting pack weight: 24 lbs
Loop #2 starting pack weight: 20 lbs
Ending pack weight: 15 lbs

Here's a complete list of all the gear (non-food) I used:

Nathan Journey Fastpack (preproduction test model)
Nathan Insulated 750 ml bottles (2)
Nathan 2 Liter Bladder
Altra NeoShell Lone Peak insulated, waterproof trail running shoes
Altra Performance Half Zip Long Sleeve Shell 
Altra Racer Shorts
Altra Running Ambassador Shirt (1st loop)
Montbell synthetic puffy jacket
Western Mountaineering Flash Pant (didn't use)
Sugoi Insulated Running Tights
Injinji Trail 2.0 midweight toe socks
Smartwool midweight socks (2nd loop)
Smartwool Arm Warmers
Darn Tough wool socks (1st loop)
Seven Hills Running Shop shirt by Pearl Izumi (2nd loop)
Kahtoola KTS Steel Crampons
Julbo Glacier Glasses
Outdoor Research Expedition gaiters
Black Diamond Polar Icon Headlamp
Black Diamond gloves
Black Diamond Coulior Climbing Harness
DMM Big BOA Locking Carabiner (1)
DMM Revolver Locking Carabiner (2)
DMM Shadow Carabiner (1)
Metolius Prussiks (2)
Metolius 24" webbing sling
Bluewater 48" webbing sling
Camp Corsa Aluminum Ice Axe
Northwest Endurance Events buff
UltraPedestrian fleece beanie (didn't use)
REI merino wool liner gloves
Cheap Fleece camo hat bought in a mini mart years ago
Six Moons Designs Gatewood Cape, dropped at car after 1st loop
Trail Butter "Be Trail Ready" trucker cap
Not Pictured:
Black Diamond Ultra Distance Carbon Z Poles
Black Diamond Vapor Helmet
SPOT Transponder
Sony Walkman mp3 player
Asio Altimeter watch
BRS-3000T stove
Toaks 750ml titanium pot

We hope to use this project to inspire future generations of climbers, runners, thru-hikers, fastpackers, backpackers, and adventurers of all stripes by helping raise money for The Mountaineers Youth Programs by means of the Our Parks / Your Adventure initiative. Please click here to learn more about the program and to donate. Whether you give $10 or $5,000 your donation will help introduce deserving young people to the fulfillment and enrichment of outdoor adventure, essentially helping to reintroduce them to their natural habitat.

Rainier Infinity Loop

Mount Rainier Infinity Loop
Only Known Time* Attempt

Our Parks/Your Adventure Fundraiser for The Mountaineers Youth Programs - Ras Vaughan and Gavin Woody

                                                                     


by Ras Vaughan

Rainier is the mountain that made me the man I am. I find myself constantly drawn back to simply invest time there, to delve within myself, and to try yet again to experience The Mountain as completely as possible. This recurring drive is what has led me to complete the Wonderland Trail ten times (detailed HERE and HERE), including a Double Wonderland (detailed HERE), and 2015’s Cowlitz Connection project with Richard Kresser (detailed HERE, HERE, and HERE). 

In researching and preparing for the Cowlitz Connection, I learned of a dream project of legendary climber Chad Kellogg which he was never able to attempt due to his untimely passing in a climbing accident on Mount Fitz Roy. He called it the Infinity Loop. The idea was to traverse the summit, run the Wonderland trail back to the starting point in one direction, traverse the summit again, and then run the Wonderland the opposite direction back to the starting point, thus tracing a figure eight, or an infinity sign. 

I was gobsmacked the first time I heard this route described. Everything about it sounded huge and simple and elegant, and so far out of my league as to be laughable. But it became one of those ideas that my mind refuses to let go of once gotten ahold of. It became my go to thought whenever my mind wasn’t actively engaged in something else. Whether I thought I was capable of attempting this route or not, my brain was already making plans to do so.

The Rainier Infinity Loop inhabits the extremely nichey grey area that I find so fascinating, somewhere in between mountaineering, fastpacking, thru-hiking, and ultrarunning. Ultramountainpacking? Fast-hikaineering? Such potential descriptions are far too clunky and awkward to express what to me is a very simple and elegant idea: covering long distances in beautiful and challenging places by fair means and in good style. For the record, I’m not claiming to have ever achieved this, merely to be actively pursuing the goal.

Routes such as the Mount Rainier Infinity Loop have a beauty and elegance to me that equal that of the Expressionist masters. I experience it as a something akin to a symphony, an idea that sends my heart and mind soaring and can bring a spike of adrenaline and the sound of blood rushing in my ears simply by calling it to mind. Learning of this beautiful and crazy route, fully conceived but left on the table incomplete, could be compared to finding a color-by-numbers canvass left behind by Monet. It’s an opportunity to play a part in the realization of a grand idea, something otherwise beyond my ken and conception. Attempting to make the Rainier Infinity Loop a reality is an honor of which I am unworthy, and an opportunity impossible to pass up.

On Saturday, July 23rd, 2016, around 4:00 pm Gavin Woody and I will begin our attempt to color in the masterpiece Chad Kellogg sketched out in his mind, a unique approach to experiencing The Mountain by a man with a singular understanding of that mountain. Gavin and I will depart Paradise, climb Disappointment Cleaver, descend the Emmons Glacier and Inter Glacier, run the Wonderland Trail clockwise back to Paradise. There we will rest briefly and resupply. We will then again climb Disappointment Cleaver, descend the Emmons Glacier and Inter Glacier, and then run the Wonderland counterclockwise to Paradise once again. Each of the two loops will be unsupported, carrying all of our gear, food, and trash from beginning to end, and only taking water from natural sources. Seventy-two hours would be a great performance for me on this project, but I suspect it will take more in the ninety-six hour range.

Our progress can be tracked on our SPOT transponder beginning around 4:00 pm on Saturday, July 23rd, 2016:

SPOT Transponder Tracking Page

On the rare occasions when we have cell reception we will post updates to our Facebook and Instagram profiles:

Ras' Facebook
Ras' Instagram

Gavin's Facebook
Gavin's Instagram

Our Mount Rainier Infinity Loop attempt is meant to be a celebration of the amazing and extraordinary things that Human Beings are capable of. Gavin and I are drawing our inspiration from the life and adventures of Chad Kellogg, and hope to send that energy and inspiration reverberating out into the world to inspire others as it has us. And we also hope to use this project to inspire future generations of climbers, runners, thru-hikers, fastpackers, backpackers, and adventurers of all stripes by helping raise money for The Mountaineers Youth Programs by means of the Our Parks / Your Adventure initiative. Please click here to learn more about the program and to donate. Whether you give $10 or $5,000 your donation will help introduce deserving young people to the fulfillment and enrichment of outdoor adventure, essentially helping to reintroduce them to their natural habitat.

What a Blessing to be Alive! Give Thanks for Life!

* Footnote: According to some MRNP Climbing Rangers there is a local climber who completed the Infinity Loop a couple of years ago. It was done as a project of personal accomplishment with no announcement of intent, no live tracking or transparency, no trip report, and no time posted or made public. I have the utmost respect for efforts of this sort and am not trying to detract from it at all. However, Gavin and I are playing the FKT/OKT game according to the established rules: declaring our intentions, posting tracking links, opening ourselves up to public scrutiny, and establishing a time for others to challenge in the future. Since baseball is popular, I'll use a baseball analogy. A pitcher might be able to throw the world's fastest pitch under perfect conditions outside of a game. That would be a matter of great pride and personal accomplishment. However, it would not be the same as throwing the world's fastest pitch against a batter and in front of a crowd. The pitcher throwing in perfect conditions has accomplished something impressive, but is not actually playing the game. Our Rainier Infinity Loop OKT attempt is being made according to the established methodologies of Peter Bakwin's Fastest Known Time website. We are playing the game.

AZT Yo-yo - The Final Yo

AZT Yo-yo - The Final Yo:
Patagonia To The Mexico Border

By Kathy Vaughan
                                                                     
      I sat alongside the trail, surrounded by bare aspen trees. It was just past dawn and the ground was hard with frost. There were patches of snow in the cold forest and the morning air was moving in the never ending wind. Ras and I had been hiking all night, from the time we left our final gateway community along the Arizona Trail, the small town of Patagonia. We had stayed at The Stage Stop Inn and our plan for weeks had been to push straight through our remaining mileage from there; 55 miles. We had showered, washed our clothes, ate some good food and slept well. Our packs were organized. We had ourselves set up to finish our 1,668 mile thru-hike yo-yo sometime the following day.

     We had been through all kinds of extremes and they began as early as our first day on the trail. We began in triple digit temperatures at the Arizona/Mexico border.  There were dark clouds overhead and they produced a raging thunder and lightening storm. Then came high winds, heavy rain and sleet. We made it eight miles to Bathtub Spring, where we huddled inside our tent, coming tens of miles shy of our goal for the day. 

Creek crossing north of Patagonia, AZ.

     The trials and tribulations continued to build a strength in us both. I underwent changes in the trail. I began to display very raw emotions and almost animalistic behaviors. By this final push, the challenges I'd endured had hardened me physically and mentally. I had muscles and bones I'd never felt before. I was short-tempered and edgy. I had memories of our hike racing around in my mind and causing strong emotions. Chills, tears, happiness, drowsiness and disorientation all came over me as the night wore on and the darkness came over the trail, for one final time. It was too cold to stop for long. Ras and I had already had our dinner break. We were determined to continue moving all night and not stop to pitch our tent. I remember feeling like I needed to stop and rest and trying to express this to Ras. I knew we couldn't, but I whined about it anyway. I was deteriorating and hoped to not reach melt-down stage.  I was failing. We were already going to finish way past our original goal of  70 days. We then aimed for 80 days. We would finish on Day 93 if we kept on going through the night. 

Climbing out of the Grand Canyon on the South Kaibab Trail.

     We had continued and now sitting here, just past dawn, taking in some food to wake up and get fresh energy, I was trying to come to terms with the mileage that lay ahead. Ras had given me a huge protein bar. I had a few of my own trail snacks left, but he thought the protein punch from this bar would help me keep my emotions in tact. Exhausted, I nibbled on the bar and looked up the trail. I knew we had a climb ahead. I knew I could do it. At the top of the climb, we would find a nice spot in the morning sun to pull out our Jet Boil and have some hot food. The draw of this food break would help motivate me. The climb was through Sunnyside Canyon and as the name indicates, it was down in a canyon, below the warmth of the rising sun. 

     I remember leaving Patagonia the morning before, starting out with a pleasant three mile road walk with warm temperatures. I ate as I hiked. My front pack was filled with good trail food – Honey Stinger Waffles, Expedition Espresso Trail Butter, left-over potato chips our new friend Patrick Muldowney had brought us on the trail, peppermint and lemon hard candies, Thai flavored soy curls Ras had made, chocolate, fruit snacks, an orange, and other snacks that I can't now recall. We had stopped for lunch in a wash earlier in the day. I savored that break as I had savored all of our breaks. We had always found cool spots to stop to eat lunch and dinner each day. I was going to miss those special times once off the trail.

     But after that break, much of the rest of my final nighttime miles on the  Arizona Trail become a blur. I know that sometime before dusk we saw two hunters. We had seen a couple of deer earlier. The hunters had thick Slavic accents and had been watching us through binoculars. They had seen us climbing up the steep arroyo towards them and were curious about us. After all, it was December and hikers were few and far between. We shared with them how we had been out hiking since mid-September along the Arizona Trail. They were fun to visit with and wished us well as we hiked away. We saw each of them get in their own vehicle and drive off towards a distant lake. We watched the sun set over the rugged mountains of Arizona in one direction and Mexico in the other. It was all very surreal.

Postholing among the aspen in the San Francisco Peaks.

      Now, in the frozen canyon, after having moved all night, Ras pealed off ahead of me for the climb. He was chilled and wanted to find the sunshine. I settled into a steady climb. We were heading for Miller Peak at about 9,000 feet. It was perhaps 4,500 feet at the mouth of the canyon. There were patches of snow in shady spots, but whenever the sun came through the trees, it was warming and invigorating. The switchbacks continued up and up. I had done so many of these types of climbs the past three months, I knew how to get it done. I used my poles to set a rhythm that would keep me moving at a good pace. One foot in front of the other. It had been a phrase that ran through my head many times along the trail. After lots of snowy miles on this southbound journey along the AZT, I knew this would be the crux of it. This would be the last of the serious type of snow, if there was going to be anymore. By this, I mean post-holing through deep snow or carefully moving over icy snow. My Altra Lone Peaks, both the Neo-Shells I wore northbound and the 2.5's I was now wearing, have rugged traction that work well in the snow. I imagined the possibility of twenty something miles in deep snow. That just eventually gets your feet wet when in running shoes. At 9,000 feet, I had expected there to be a lot of snow. I expected my feet to get cold, painfully cold. But instead, I was greeted with this blessed surprise of just the occasional snowy patch. We were doing it. We were going up and over Miller Peak. Ras and I often said to each other on the trail, “We're doing it!” It was one of our motivational phrases.  Other times it was a way of saying, “What we are in the middle of is kind of crazy!” ( or kind of cool). This was one of those moments. Ras was still up ahead though. I couldn't say it out loud to him, so I said it to myself anyway. I was feeling a huge sense of relief that snow was not an issue on this much anticipated ascent.

Snow on the San Francisco Peaks.

     It turns out, I was just on his tail. I came around a twist in the trail where I could see a sunny patch up ahead. I saw Ras' pack propped up against a huge fir tree. He was just beyond his pack, checking to see if he could get a cell signal to message Sirena Dufault, who would be meeting us for the final 2.6 mile out and back to the terminus at the Mexico border She would be able to drive to the parking lot at Montezuma Pass. From there, we had the out and back to reach the actual border, the fence line, the swath of land dividing the two countries. We figured we would be there in a few more hours and it was time to let her know so she could drive from Tucson. Ras couldn't get a signal, but we set out our sleeping pads anyway and pulled out our stove to heat up water for coffee. We rehydrated beans 'n' rice.  The sun dipped behind the tall trees and the wind blew. It was chilly as we sat for our final trail meal. That was okay with both of us. We just bundled up and enjoyed our hot food and drinks anyway.

     We finished our break and contoured for several miles before the final climb to the high point. We stopped when there was a signal to get the message off to Sirena. I thought of our friend Benedict who had dropped us off  in September when we started our journey. He had wanted to pick us up too and I hoped he might be there. I hoped he and Sirena had made arrangements together if he had wanted to come. Either way, I felt so grateful that we would have a friend at the end to greet us and then share in our joy, while traveling back to Tucson. Our car was waiting there to take us back to Washington after a couple of rest days at the home of Sirena and her husband, Brian. 

Twilight in the Gila River Canyons.

     The views from Miller Peak were awesome. There were small lakes dotting the landscape below, the mountainous country of Mexico to our north, huge rocks and boulders to scramble around as we worked our way along the trail and a bright blue sky overhead. We both had steely focus on moving as efficiently as possible towards the end of the trail. Some icy, narrow, north facing stretches of trail wound around the western flank of the peak. There were many downed aspen to climb over and the going was tedious. The wind still howled as we moved cautiously through this area. Then, ahead the trail was visible and snow free for the final miles to the Montezuma Pass parking lot below. It felt so exciting, so unreal. It even felt bitter sweet. 

     We started the descent towards Montezuma Pass. Ras moved ahead of me on the trail. I most often led, dictating the pace so that we could stay together. We both knew the route ahead now. It felt good for us each to do our own thing, allowing the space for us to have our own special realization that we were about to finish our biggest endurance feat yet. We had hiked from Mexico, 800 miles to the Utah border and then turned around to hike back to Mexico. We had hiked just shy of a total of 70 miles to get to our resupply packages awaiting us in gateway communities. Sirena is the Gateway Community Coordinator for the trail. She has worked hard and creatively to develop the relationships with these communities for the Arizona Trail Association, so that thru-hikers can utilize their services. All of her energy has paid off and we were greeted in these communities with respect, useful services, hiker friendly lodging, and a welcoming vibe. 

The Gateway Community of Oracle, AZ.

     Ras stopped to take off a couple of layers. We were dropping in elevation and the desert sun was warming. As I met up with him, I stopped to make a couple of adjustments too. I reached up and realized that my Trail Butter trucker cap that I'd kept such careful track of for the entire three months, had now blown off of my head. I had it over the top of my warm, ear flap hat because the sun was bright in my eyes. I had already lost my Julbo Zebra Lens sunglasses back near La Posta Quemada when stopping at dusk one evening, and so I needed the hat to block the sun. It was perched too loosely, it seems and one of the strong gusts tore it from my head without me knowing. I was pretty tired and in a focused, zombie-like state as well, so it didn't surprise me at the time that it had gone unnoticed. I had been on the trail for over 30 hours at this point. 

     We passed some hikers just before Montezuma Pass that somehow knew who we were and that we were about to finish our hike. We were hiking pretty fast, a light run even. We were both in ultrarunner mode, heading to the finish with a final burst of energy that comes out of nowhere. You “smell the oats in the barn”, or your body knows you can rest once you make this final push so it gives you all it's got. Whatever it is, it feels like magic and you just go with it. 

The final stretch to the Mexico border.

     We reached the Montezuma Pass parking lot and I didn't see Sirena or the AZT vehicle. I saw a guy running, though and he seemed to be running towards us. I didn't recognize him. He was very excited. He called out to us “Congratulations!” It was Armando Gonzales, the Trail Steward for this passage of the AZT. He had been following us and had come out to greet us at the finish. He joined us for the out and back and we soon heard a hoot from behind us on the trail. Sirena had gotten there just in time. She hustled down the switchbacks and soon caught up to us. Armando ran off ahead to take pictures of us approaching the terminus. It felt too good to be true. After all of this time, all that we'd experienced, all the miles that were on our feet, we had reached the end of the journey. We had traveled across Arizona as one, again, and then once again. 
      
     Ras and I set out to hike the 800 mile Arizona Trail as a Yo-Yo thru-hike (up the trail and then back again) on September 18th, 2015 . We finished the trail on December 20th, 2015. We had previously hiked the trail in the spring of 2014. At this time, I set the Inaugural Women's Fastest Known Time on the trail with a time of 35 days 5 hours and 2 minutes. With the completion of this Yo-Yo, Ras and I set an Only Known Time of 93 days, 6 hours and 22 minutes. We also became the first people to have thru-hiked the trail three times. These were all goals we set ahead of time in order to enjoy the rugged, mountainous desert trail; share our time out there with others to help teach, inspire and motivate; have the experience of a long thru-hike and to set the above records. We accomplished all of these things.