Wasatch Wanderings


     As Summer turned to Fall it was time to transition from Mammoth Lakes, California to Salt Lake City, Utah.  With incredible access to steep and scenic wilderness, playing outside has kept tempo into what seems to be a long awaited snow fall year.  A lot of time has been spent kicking steps and running in light snow.  With all the snow running and a little nudge from La Sportiva I'm going to have a go at Snow Shoe Nationals taking place in late February.  For a guy obsessed with trying to move efficiently snow shoe running sounds everything but.  But hey, good challenges usually lead to good things.  
     Below is a sequence of images of recent wanderings in the Wasatch. There are also a couple photos from a scouting trip to the Elwha River on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. I will be doing a story for TrailRunner Magazine this Spring, running the river's edge from the Straits of Juan De Fuca to it's source high up in the Olympic Mountains--tracing the path Salmon are now able to return to after the largest damn deconstruction in the world.  The Elwha River salmon run is back to being five species strong and, though there is a long time before normalization, it's a story worth telling.  Salmon have been a huge part of my life since as long as I can remember, and to the people of the Northwest for centuries before me.  I'll be sure to share the story here. 

Until next time.
Your pal,
Andrew


It's been pretty amazing to watch Alycia embrace mountain living...and mountain running!

Following game trail until the legs get tired. 

First dusting

Finding my way back home after a morning 'run'.

Ridge from our door heading east into Wasatch.

Slogging.


Found a great group of pro cyclists to ride with and a local brewery with darn a darn good IPA.

We found a place to live just above 5,000ft with ridge lines accessible from the back door and a 15 minute drive to Park City.  Cost of living is relatively low and life is good.

Dawn patrol

Dawn patrol

Dawn patrol

Alycia's first winter with snow

Morning run up Little Mountain


Whidby Island with the family

Tough to be mystical air, waist high surf, and snow capped mountains in the background

Looking for swell


Just south of Elwha

Elwha River Mouth



Trip prep



















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