Not attending to run this 12 months’s Excessive Lonesome 100 Mile as a consequence of contracting COVID-19 on race week was undoubtedly a disappointment. Nonetheless, within the wake of that disappointment, there have been silver linings to be discovered and lemonade to be made.

Silver Lining: An Exploration of Significance

The primary silver lining was an ideal alternative for me to ponder each what’s actually necessary to me in the mean time and what I wish to get out of my working this 12 months.

On the working entrance, did I would like or must race a 100 miler or one other lengthy race? If that’s the case, was it for me? For others? To get a qualifier for this race or that? Was I on the lookout for a cause to discover? If that’s the case, did I wish to go overseas, lastly go to a long-admired-from-afar spot within the U.S. Intermountain West, or see new spots nearer to dwelling?

What was I keen to surrender to succeed in these targets? Would I spend the cash for a resort earlier than and after a 100 miler? Would I quit the time to drive eight hours every option to a Rocky Mountain race or gap up in Europe for every week between working a race and masking UTMB?

After just a few days of reflection, and, maybe, with the objective journey pre-determined, I noticed I didn’t must race, whether or not for inside or exterior causes, nor did I want or need intensive journey. So, what did I would like? A problem, low-cost and easy.

Two Glasses of COVID Lemonade, Please

Every week and a half later, I discovered myself tenting within the Sawatch Vary of Colorado. I’d been hooked by an thought and I used to be going to offer it a shot.

Over the previous few years, I’ve grown to like combining working with fly fishing. Over that point, I’ve accomplished a handful of Troutman (a standing problem created by the conservation nonprofit Operating Rivers* to catch 4 trout species, run a marathon or longer, and climb 3,000 toes or extra in underneath 12 hours**) and, earlier in 2022, Ültroüt (catch 4 trout species plus a fifth fish species, run 50 miles or longer, and climb 5,555 toes or extra in underneath 18 hours**).

What was subsequent? An try on the newly minted Lucifish, which might require catching 4 species of trout plus two different species, working a minimum of 66.6 miles, and climbing a minimum of 6,666 toes in underneath 24 hours.**

Lucifish Try #1

Texas Creek from Brown’s Go on Lucifish Try #1.

I’ll spare you the play-by-play of this run/fish journey, however it was an unimaginable day. Some highlights embrace:

• Going through and overcoming my mountain lion concern in being the primary particular person to go up the path from the North Cottonwood Trailhead beginning at 4 a.m.
• Fishing Kroenke Lake as pastel mild stuffed the sky.
• Not seeing a soul for 4 hours from the trailhead, by Brown’s Go, and down Texas Creek till seeing a hiker camped simply off the Continental Divide Path (CDT).
• The 5 hours spent above treeline on the CDT with beautiful views, numerous sorts of wildflowers, and a handful of inspiring thru-hikers.

Wanderlust Ridge on the Continental Divide Path throughout Lucifish Try #1.

• Interrupting a self-supported run with the acquisition of three sodas and two Snickers on the St. Elmo Basic Retailer.
• Threading the needle of hours of thunderstorms to catch a grayling in a lake at 12,000 toes.
• Catching my closing fish, a rainbow trout, simply as daylight was working out.
• Operating 75 miles in a single outing with no help apart from a cease at a public retailer. I’ve run longer in a single go, however all the time with help, and I’ve run for much longer with out help, however all the time in multi-day fastpacking type.
• Considering I’d presumably accomplished Lucifish, though subsequent evaluate confirmed I’d solely caught 5 species, not six.
• Efficiently tent tenting earlier than and after a 75-mile run, regardless of reservations that it may not be comfy sufficient round such an enormous day.

Lucifish Try 1 particulars.

Operating by a dreamland on the Continental Divide Path throughout Lucifish Try #1.

Lucifish Try #2 … First Profitable Lucifish!

As soon as it turned clear that I’d fallen a species wanting the primary official Lucifish completion, I began excited about a follow-up try. On-the-ground reconnaissance two days earlier than the try confirmed a sixth species was in play within the city of Salida. Sport on.

The North Fork of the South Arkansas River and Fuller Lake on Lucifish Try #2.

Once more, skipping the play-by-play. Just a few highlights.

• Kicking off a run at midnight.
• Watching the Perseids meteor bathe for a lot of hours.
• Seeing bats and fish compete for meals as daybreak broke and 14ers mirrored over an city lake.
• Catching my first bass in lots of many years.
• Lightening the load with one resupply cache in Salida. In reality, I debated discovering somebody to crew me a couple of times for this effort, however, ultimately, it was good to as soon as once more have the outing be me and a backpack.
• Catching a first-cast cutthroat … proper the place I knew it’d be.

A primary-cast cutty on Lucifish Try #2.

• Onsighting the climb up the south aspect of the ridge between Billings Lake and Grizzly Gulch. The trail-less talus subject was past my consolation zone, however I managed it. Having targets like Lucifish or one other grand journey are nice for increasing one’s prospects.
• Remaining cool, calm, and picked up when a thunderstorm’s lightning and hail pinned me down for 40 minutes slightly below my closing ridge of the day between Grizzly and Pomeroy Gulches.
• Catching grayling at glassine excessive alpine lake moments after the thunderstorm abated.

A glassine Pomeroy Lake on Lucifish Try #2.

• A tasty IPA from path angels as I descended towards camp with solely six miles to go.
• Stopping and dancing like nobody was watching as I circled above St. Elmo whereas tacking on the final little bit of necessary distance.
• Ending the run with loads of daylight left and feeling good whereas doing it.
• Changing into the primary particular person to finish Lucifish!
• As soon as once more, having no downside tent tenting earlier than and after a really future.

Lucifish Try #2 particulars.

An Arctic grayling’s festive fin on Lucifish Try #2.

Each of those outings will keep on with me for a very long time. They had been difficult, stunning, empowering, easy, and low-cost. They had been worthwhile within the second and galvanizing for the long run. I’m not swearing off races — they’ve their place and supply their very own motivation — however the previous few years and these two runs have proven me simply how a lot pleasure I can get out of going out and exploring the world round me.

Grizzly Gulch not lengthy earlier than the thunderstorm rolled in on Lucifish Try #2.

Name for Feedback

• What have you ever discovered about your personal working motivations in recent times?
• What are a few of your most significant runs outdoors of racing?

* I tried Lucifish partly to lift funds for Operating Rivers’ conservation work. For those who loved studying about these run/fish adventures otherwise you wish to assist advance Operating Rivers’ freshwater ecosystem conservation and rehabilitation work, please take into account making a donation on my Operating Rivers fundraising web page. (Full disclosure: I’m a Operating Rivers board member.)

** Technical Be aware: Every of those challenges requires consuming a heavy beer inside the time restrict. This stands a minimum of a 12% beer for Troutman, 15% for Ültroüt, and 16.6% for Lucifish. Non-alcoholic alternate options are being developed.

A pleasant wilded rainbow trout caught throughout Lucifish Try #2.