JMT speed record attempt

[Reinhold Metzger]

Cameron wrote..do people who Yo-Yo the JMT have discussions
about where the turn around point is?

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Geeeezzzzz….Cameron,….I would say people turnaround at the half way point.
At least that's what Catra and I did.
I know, because Catra and I first met on a moonlit summer night in the summer of 2004.
I was sleeping in the Whitney Hut on the eve of my sub-five
unsupported JMT attempt when Catra, who had just finished the first half of her JMT Yo-Yo, burst into the hut and into my life.
We both were lonesome and needed each other…but soon she was gone and I was left there all alone.
Catra and I both turned around on the summit of Mt. Whitney, but you could just as well turn around at Happy Isles.

I hope this clears up this deep mistery and helps you to determine where to turn around on your JMT Yo-Yo.
This is very important to know, because if you don't know where to turn around you could wind up in Canada or Mexico.

JMT Reinhold
Still dreaming about Catra

[Jorge DeLaSierra]

I believe… most folks do… that the JMT is universally and officially recognized to be between Happy Isles and Mt. Whitney; N2S or S2N. Heck, I met a group of Germans at the Inca Trail who knew that!! There are no "start" and "finish" lines because the trail was not meant to be used as a racetrack.

To throw a twist into the equation claiming some "goverment conspiracy" is laughable at best and it could be considered disrespectful to those who endured hardship to achieve their specific goal; whether such goal was achieved in 3 days or 3 weeks.

Yes, one may start the JMT hike from his/her own front door and finish it anywhere in the planet. But, only 211 miles of that distance will be considered JMT miles. Anything extra or less will be just that. I personally enjoyed my JMT victories at Whitney. That way, I felt satisfaction and really enjoyed myself more as I passed by the early morning "conga" lines on their way up.

Hike your own 211 mile JMT hike; W2Y / Y2W.

[Aaron Sorensen]

Hey Jorge,
I agree, only as far as fastpacking goes, the JMT is one fantastic trail to try to conquer with speed in mind.
The moderate temps and the spectacular scenery are amazing any way you hike it.

When we talk about backpacking lite, an Unsupported 4.5 day trip just makes more sense to me.

I don't have 3 weeks to take off work and hike it.
I don't need to worry about resupplying and most of all it is just fun. It also makes much less of an impact on the trail getting through it in 4-5 days.

It is also pretty amazing having everybody off the trail in their tents and having it be all yours during most of the hike.
We are just backpacking lite, only moving faster.

[Jorge DeLaSierra]

I'm with you on that Aaron. I was referring mostly to folks and their "points of interests". I enjoy a good heavy packed long hike as much as I enjoy a speedhike; I am flexible that way. I have to if I want my wife to come along with me.

Well, the season is fast approaching. Got my speedhikes locked on already. Going over to Joshua Tree in March, Yosemite in April, Onion Valley to Whitney Portal on July 4th, as much of the TRT in August and the White Mountain on Labor Day. I have my own JMT aspirations (6 or less); but, that will have to wait 'till 2011.
Later…..

[Jorge DeLaSierra]

Greetings all:

Well, I went out and had a taste of a what a fast hike would be like under serveral conditions. I ran a 32.5 mile ultra marathon in my full hiking gear (17 pound pack); 9 hours. My mission was to test gear, hydration pills, stomach response to gells, name it. Most of all, to test where my boddy is after two months of trail training. The real test was to get up the next day and run a simple 15K trail race.; could not do it. My body went on strike and could not move a muscle. More training to come I guess. Next training test will be a Bishop ultra race; 32 miles at Sierra altitude on May 15. Remind me please what the %$#@%* am I doing this for anyway????????? Oh yeah, the beauty of it all…..
Happy Trails.

[Jorge DeLaSierra]

Played around in Joshua Tree, Death Valley and Yosemite in a five week period. JT had some good training day speedhikes but somehow it felt short with me. Yosemite was snowed in. I hurt my right knee on day one — run one. Death Valley was the best! Up Telescope Peak and a fabulous mountain bike ride at Titus Canyon = a grand three day week-end experience there.

[Jorge DeLaSierra]

Another successful 50k test at Bishop on May 15, '10. Went hollywood though; no hiking rig. 33.1 miles in 8:21; felt a little weak at the end there but was able to recover swiftly in about 12 hours. The difference in speedhiking with gear and going hollywood is like night and day. Next test, Onion Valley to Whitney Portal unsupported. Good times!!

[Aaron Sorensen]

Yes
The JMT is heating up again.
This year there is no unsupported or supported record.
The record of 86 was made unsupported, so beating it supported just gets the supported record.

So who is it this year that's heading out to beat the elusive time.
Well it's the same guys that have been out there doing it all along.
This year I am going for the Supported Record and Ian Alloway is going to go Unsupported.
The battle even heats up around the same time as we will both be up there for August's full moon.
This year I'll have Michael Popov helping me in the pacing. It's about time. I've driven about 1200 miles each year for the support of him over the past two years. He will be pacing me from Mono Lake to Reds Meadow and from Tuolumne to the finish.
Sarah Spelt from PCTR will be with me the final night from Reds Meadow to Tuolumne.

The gear list this year is as minimal as possible.

Pack: Salomon XT Wings 5 Pro Backpack
Jacket: The North Face Zephyrus Insulated Pullover
Vest: Mont Bell Down Inner Half Sleeve Jacket
Rain/wind shell: North Face Triumph Anorak

Other gearworn or carried ; Rail Riders Long Sleeve Shirt and Pants, a light Nike cap, REI hat, Injungi Socks, Asics 2150 Trail shoes.

2.5 pounds per day of an assortment of
Hammer Jel Perpetium, Hammer Jel Heed, Amino Vital, Gue and Honey. Maybe a few snack stuff thrown in.

The Rest: MP3 player, Camera/ video, Coast Lensor H7 Headlamp, Time splits/small map, 1aaa extra battery, safety pin and Leuko tape for blisters.

Thats it. Hoping to keep weight with water under 7 pounds at all times.
I'll have a person at Taboose Trail Jct to re-supply and a few hours sleep at mile 67 before a 2nd 67 mile day to Edison/ Mono at mile 134.

Hoping to get out of Mono in under 48 hours. Yikes!!!

For now I'm in Louisiana helping with the clean up so its running in 90* weather on sand.

[Art …]

Aaron
why don't you copy and paste what you just wrote and put it in a brand new thread.
this is turning into a super long multi year thread.

and your effort IS a brand new topic after all :-)

[Jorge DeLaSierra]

Aaron; congrats on your upcoming endeavor. I will be looking forward to your reports. There are one or two trail blazers out there who are fixing to go. One of them is named Kenneth Muller. Kenneth will be going N2S unsupported. I believe he hopes to be done in 5.

I have been in the Sierra twice this year already (training and having a good time of course) and have to say that snow and swollen creeks, although ever so beautiful, played a big factor in slowing things down a little for me. I have a couple of weeks before I go on a day hike from Onion Valley to Lone Pine Lake to test gear and myself; however, the trail reports (NPS.Gov) are not encouraging (speed in mind). My JMT trek will be in 2011; N2S in 6-8 days (I don't hike during darkness; not fun for me).

By the way, congrats on that gear list; nice. I did not see a tent or a bivy on the list. Is your support crew bringing that stuff out to you?

Hey stay in touch and much success and health to you and all of the JMT trail blazers out there.

JD

[Aaron Sorensen]

hey Art,
Already tried putting this in a different post.
Thing is if no one looks at for an hour it is never seen again.
Needless to say, 2 others replied to it and it has been lost ever sense.

JD
I'll have help and sleeping gear at each stop for the first 2 days and a bag with me from Reds Meadow to Tuolumne.

It's hard to grasp just how fast this pace is. Brett did a dang fast pace with 15-27 pounds on his back. I can do some serious running without the weight so I'm looking forward to the challenge.

[Jorge DeLaSierra]

Aaron; that is going to be an awesome challenge! It seems to me that I am reading about two kinds of athletes; a speedhiker and a fastpacker. Hence, I started a forum with that title in mind.

"Fastpacking and Speedhiking; are these different names for the same sport?"

Some good items posted on the forum already. Anyone inerested, look up the forum by the same title and pitch in your opinions, experiences, "two-cents", what have you. I think it will help define our sport (or hobby) and awaken more interest in folks out there.

Cheers!
jd

[Brett Maune]

Aaron–just saw your post. Again, good luck with your effort and I hope to be able to meet you or Ian at some point on the trail.

I didn't realize Ian was trying for the unsupported record!

Be safe out there guys.

[Reinhold Metzger]

Hi gang,
I'M BACK…by POPULAR DEMAND…for a LIMITED TIME ONLY.

I can see JMT Fever has broken out again.
It happens every year this time of the year, and the herd (JMT fanatics and record seekers) is getting restless and anxious to break out of the barn and stampede down the JMT again.
I know I caught the JMT Fever back in 1996 and have been stampeeding down the JMT every summer since and this year will not be an exeption.

I thought I share with you JMT Fever sufferers my top secret formula on how to get in JMT record breaking shape.

OK, here is what you do….
Simply sit down on your favorite living room coutch untill you feel a distinct calorie urge.
Then, "AT A BRISK PACE", walk to the "Frig", down one of your favorite beers, walk back, again "AT A BRISK PACE", to the coutch, sit down and wait for the next distinct calorie urge.
Repeat the above as often as necessary until you are in JMT
record breaking shape.

JMT Reinhold
Renowned fitness consultant

[Michael Popov]

Aaron, I think you have neglected to implement the JMT training tips from Reinhold. Simple and efficient. Instead, you trained on a 40% incline nordic track and ran in a sand for hours. BIG mistake.

Will be happy to toe the starting line with you again sometime.

[Author]

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