Rae Lakes Loop Run July 10, 2020

Checkout the video of this run here.

Mission 30x30 continues.  Highlight of the week was double digits of runs done and double digit entry into our fundraising (we are at 11% of our 30k target now).

This week concluded with 14 half marathons, last 3 of which were a single run in Kings Canyon National Park. 

Kings Canyon is glacier carved canyon, in Kings canyon national park CA with a rich history.  The area is home to world's tallest trees, the giant sequoias.  The park is rugged, and least visited amongst the Sierra parks in CA.  Over the last century, loggers wanted to log, gold diggers had plans for mines, development interests wanted to build hydroelectric dams and then there was constant push back by conservationist.  Finally the sense prevailed the park was designated a national park and all tourist resort/dam plans were shelved.  Thank God!

Me with AR

I had plans to do it with V, my regular wilderness run partner.  After our High Sierra camp run in summer of 2019, I had mentioned to him about doing 42 miles Rae Lakes Loop.  This year, he is training for a full ironman so couldn't join and luckily, old friend AR was planning this run as well - so I joined him.  AR is a good buddy to have on run...especially wilderness.  An accomplished endurance athlete, he has a many 100 milers under his belt and few 200 milers as well (including Tahoe Rim 200 mile race last year) and lately is he doing multi-day races where you chase your own target.

Bubbs creek

 AR's running group had 8 folks, all accomplished ultra marathoners, so I did mention to him about me being a misfit and be ready if I take my own sweet time finishing.  He is a kind soul and mentioned that he will be the sweeper (and as it turns out, he ended up staying with the last group where one guy wasn't feeling good at altitude).

42 miles, with 18 odd miles of up and rest down, we expected about ~16 hours day and if conditions permit and we find our running legs, may be 1-2 hour less. 

In COVID-19 times, we couldn't get campsite close to trailhead and managed a campsite an hour away....Drove 4:30 hours to campsite, got our running gear ready and called it a night around 10pm.

Lake Charlotte

230am wake up, get ready and off to trailhead at 330pm and we were at parking lot by 430.  Last check of checklist of items and off we started.

First 40 minutes were with headlamps, until we came to junction of rae lakes loop.  Left you go woods creek, right you go bubbs creek.  Today we were doing the loop counter clock wise, so off to bubbs creek we went. 

Roads end -> Paradise/Bubbs Jct (1.9) -> Sphinx Junction (4.1) -> Charlotte creek (7.5mile) -> Junction Meadow (10.3 mile) was a nice little uphill and given the sun hadn't come out in full glory, we were able to maintain 20-25 minutes pace per mile. Seemed we will finish the day by day light.

Looking back at Rae Lakes and Glen Pass

Well, not quite. The right at PCT/JMT junction and the ascent there after, took us into 10,000' zone (tree line being 10,400' - oxygen tends to get about 1/3rd of sea level).  My pace slowed a bit and I could feel my lungs wanting breaks more often.  AMS (Altitude/acute mountain sickness) is a typical thing in high altitude and if severe you have no other option but to turn around and go down as fast as you can.

Took couple of hours to do vidette meadow -> Charlotte Lake Junction and I finally made it to Glen pass right about 1:30pm (a few hours behind schedule). It was clear that we are gonna have to finish in dark. Good news was that it was all downhill and we were to be greeted with some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet.  The way down we were greeted with Rae Lakes (both upper and lower Rae Lakes) with their turquoiseblue waters tempting us for a swim.  Had we been on schedule that was the perfect thing to do :)  

Kept going, and met ranger at lower Rae Lakes (there is a ranger station where a guy stays for summer, checking reservations permits - a good summer internship to apply for if you have kids - I am sure it's pretty sought after job given the scenery you get to live in).  He was a bit surprised to see me without a backpack.  When I mentioned we are doing a day run, he wasn't so sure and asked if we had provisions to spend the night in wilderness if needed.  I assured him that the group is solid runners with mountain experience and we should be able to make the next 23 miles down to Roads end parking lot. 

Arrowhead Lake

Post that was the double reward of watching serene Arrowhead and Dollar lake.  Post this was down in the canyon, where you get to see centuries of glacial work at play, that carved the "paradise valley"....its a perfect U.  Got to the hanging bridge at woods creek crossing, with 15 miles to go, which meant 5.5 miles by the river to make it to bottom of paradise valley.  The South fork of kings river had a bridge which got destroyed in 2016 and give it was still early season, there was knee deep of water.  We wanted to make it to the stream crossing by day light so pushed a bit and did make it in time.   It was me, CJ and AB.  I had gotten 2 extra pair of dry socks expecting this. Changed into dry socks (which was gonna help just a bit as shoes were still wet).  That coupled with the fact that I had stepped on a pointed rock at Glen pass, I had this blister the size of Africa under my feet.  To top all that, my headlamp gave up and won't start.  Beautiful! 

Had I been doing a solo run, this could've been tricky (note to self, have back up headlamp, not just extra batteries) ... I was not looking forward to next 10 miles...given dark, the group decided to stay together all the way down to car - a good decision and I was able to manage behind runners with headlamps.  The hike wasn't that bad and having done it back in 2005, I knew there were miles of "steps" waiting (not a good thing with blister under feet).  Rest of descent was uneventful, with eyes down on the trail and dark surroundings around.   We were probably interrupting sleep of some deer, some bear or some rattle snakes...luckily we didn't bother them for them to complain...and found ourselves at the bubbs creek/Paradise junction....a sign that we were 2 miles from car. 

We had taken alternate trail in the morning for these 2 miles, but were now on main trail which is wide and  all sand....40 minutes later...and we were at parking lot and an hour drive later ...back at campsite.   While the group went about cooking dinner (yup, at 230 am!)..I didn't have much of an appetite thanks to all those energy drinks, gels and protein bars, so just went straight to bed.  

All in all, it was a great day with blue skies and I couldn't have asked for a better company.  Made some good friends and I am sure our paths will cross in some future adventure.