From Jason:
After running two different canyon loops in the same day (Spooky+Peekaboo and Ding+Dang), I convinced Ashly to attempt this canyon loop as a mixed-gender team, even though she had already done "Shorty's Well to Telescope Peak" round trip and another canyon loop in the week. We knew we needed to best either the men's or women's fastest time for a mixed-gender effort to qualify as an FKT so we did our research finding the fastest times for the loop according to this segment. We managed to best the fastest standing women's mark. I am stoked to go back solo and try for the fastest men's time.
From Ashly:
"After an already big week, I was hesitant to take this one on, but the idea of exploring and running around an ew playground was too much for me to pass up! I decided to give it a go and if I fell behind pace... well at least I got to enjoy the canyons!
We went pretty light as far as gear goes. A couple of headlamps (just in case I blew up and had to walk it in) and no water. I started off pretty achy and slow, but once I was warmed up I felt pretty good. I think that running through these slots was enough fun to keep me motivated! As soon as we hit the high point on the backside of the loop and were still on pace, I knew I had to kick it up a notch. So I put the hammer down as best I could and ran it in on sore legs. It was the icing on the cake for a fantastic week of exploring and FKTs. The Hoka One One Stinson ATR 6 shoes were great for running in the sandy canyons.
This is a great, classic, adventurous loop that I would run this one again and again. It's definitely worth a visit, even if you're not running.
Pro tip: run this loop in the evening when all the hikers are on their way out, but it's too late for many hikers to be going in - it allows you to have these otherwise packed canyons all to yourself."
We both finished with Athletic Brewing before starting our drive home!
Jason Hardrath (Follow on IG or FB)
Ashly Winchester (Follow on IG or FB)