Tahoe Rim Trail Unsupported Record

[Aaron Sorensen]

Right smack dab in the middle of hiking season and I am stuck on a ship in the middle of nowhere for 3 months.
I've been putting in some solid inline treadmill runs and a weekly 20 miles for a long day on the ship (that's like 110 laps around the ship).
I figured my attempt of the Tahoe Rim Trail would have to wait another year as there was still too much snow on the ground before I left. Well there's always next year right?

A month later and I am itching to do something. It's driving me crazy on the days I can't work out or run with the op tempo we have. I am not one that likes to give up and say game over. I figured the only way I can get my but in to a high enough gear to get rid of this sheer boardem and loneliness is to go for the Tahoe Rim Trail Record as soon as I get back. This will take all what little spare time I have and make the time go by just that much faster.

Although I may not be one to say that I do not like to give up, I have gone for the Unsupported Record 3 times now, all ending by the end of day 1. Every time I have started at Tahoe City and go counter clockwise and Desolation just wipes me out while pushing through the first 50 miles in about 15 hours.
Regardless of the terrain, it has been other things that actually took me out, but each were not very big things and desolation was the multiplier.

This year I am going to start right after I get home and after about 3 days aclimating. Because of the not wanting to do desolation first I decided to save it for last and start at Echo Lakes going counter clockwise. This will take place at or around Sept 23rd.
Echo to Big Meadow is a horribly marked area to run through at night anyway so this will get me through it quickly. I also obviously know desolation by now as I've hiked it 5 or 6 times now.
Also this being my third time going for the Tahoe Rim Trail Record going unsupported, I have attempted it while there was no record, after a record had been establish and now my best friend Michael Popov has the record. It was a treat seeing him finish last year.
This year there also another challenge as a local BPL'er Brian "Phreak" Turner will be attempting the TRT Unsupported Record for the second time now in the next week, (if he is not out there already).

As a push to make this happen (and being the huge UL Backpacking junky that I am), I have decided to cut some drastic corners in dropping weight this year.
I keep saying this in all my attempts and even hiked the first record attempt of the John Muir Trail going Unsupported without a sleeping bag.

So how do I dare top that?
For starters, the pack.
If you have a small enough pack, then you can't carry anything anyway right?
So I'll be taking a 5 litter pack with me, the Salomon XT Wings 5 Pro Pack.
It has two 20 ounce bottles on the side for easier and faster pit stops.

http://www.argear.com/salomon-xt-wings-5-pro-backpack.html

I'll also have the Inov8 Race Pack 2 on the front.

http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/Product-View-RacePac-2.html?L=27

So here is the gear list for a 168 mile hiking trip…

Pack(s): Salomon XT Wings 5 Pro Pack & Inov8 Race Pack 2
Clothing worn: Long pants, short sleeve shirt, gloves, injinji socks and shoes.
Clothing in the bag: Long sleeve shirt, TNF 3 ounce wind breaker, buff, light beanie

Food: 2.5 lbs of a Perpetium/Heed mix, 30 gels and or gue’s, 10 bars, some real food to equal 5.25 lbs total food, several assorted pills.

The rest: Map, GPS, Spot, Fenix HL21, extra batteries, Deet, sunglasses and case, TP, 2 litter Platy, lip balm, sunscreen, tape for feet and a needle.

This is it. I still haven't seen what it all weighs, but I do know that it will easily fit in the packs and doesn't feel heavy on the back at all when it's fully loaded.

If anyone hears about how Phreak does out there, please let me know.

[Mike M]

sounds grueling……. in a good way :) what is the current record? what kind of day/night temps are you expecting? you've certainly whittled things down, how are you handling "sleeping quarters"?

if you don't get enough punishment, consider joining us this October for a cross Zion trek

[Eugene Smith]

Tim Long has plans to go for the TRT unsupported record in Aug.

http://nolimitsever.blogspot.com/2012/06/interview-with-tim-long-aka.html?m=1

http://footfeathers.blogspot.com/2012/02/tahoe-rim-trail-unsupported-fkt-attempt.html?m=1

[USA Duane Hall]

Who monitors your time/position to verify you have done this or any record?
Duane

[Art …]

Duane – go here, click on Read This First :

FKT

[Aaron Sorensen]

I am not sure Tim Long will be going for the record anymore? He had it on his list of runs to do and took it off after (about 2 weeks ago) he moved back to Colorado.

Temps can vary this time of year. I am hoping that the night time temps are over 40 degrees to be able to get a few 20 minute naps in each night. Your body turns into a furnace when you’re eating and moving constantly. If it’s any colder I’ll just have to turn into a raging lunatic at night and catch up on an hour or so of sleep when the sun comes up, or in the middle of the day if the temps are boiling. Anything will be better than the 92 degrees I had on top of Dicks pass 2 years ago.

One thing for sure is I will “try” not to go into the second night completely sleep deprived and go spacing off into lala land. I will try not sleep the first night if I can help it.
There have been a few times where even on the first night, I have snapped out of a strange dream while hiking and what woke me up out of it was when I fell to my knees in an attempt to go off into that lala land.

I figure my base weight will be about 2 ½ pounds with the pack being about half of that. Add 5 ¼ lbs of food and 110 ounces of water comes out to a max load of 14.5 lbs. I figure by the time I get to the 2 long stretches without water I’ll have eaten about 1.5 pounds of food so the max load will be 13 lbs.

The current record is 63:54.

Record verification will be with a SPOT.
I’ll put the Link for the SPOT on this forum so you can all follow.

[Mike M]

at 40 degrees w/o any insulation, not sure how much sleep I'd get :) not sure of the terrain, but if it's forested you might be able to dig under a large layer of duff

didn't see a headlamp on your list, am assuming at least some of the hiking will be at night

[Eugene Smith]

"I’ll put the Link for the SPOT on this forum so you can all follow."

Sweet. I'll check back in when you embark.

[Hiking Malto]

Hope everything goes well on your attempt. I tried a 4 day attempt a couple of years ago and was knocked out after 56 hours at mile 100 due to a snowstorm. I would think this could be a potential for you as well. I will be following your run, please post a post run update regardless of the outcome.

[Robert Perkins]

Hi Aaron, Brian 'Phreak' hasn't started or done his attempt yet. He will be shooting for it mid-August. He and I will be doing a warm-up semi-loop of the HST, via Shepherd Pass and a fast-pack of the JMT after that. We take off for our first hike this Sat. He was on a great pace to break the record last summer and Desolation got the best of him as well. He went clockwise from Tahoe City as well.
Best of luck to you on your attempt later this summer! Maybe we can hook up and all do some hiking one of these days!

[Aaron Sorensen]

In 6 days a group of 4 will be heading out on the TRT to go for the Supported Record of 38:32.

They will have a huge crew, film and even a helo.

Here are the details. It will also be on twitter.

http://www.insidetrail.com/2012/07/tahoe-rim-trail-speed-record-attempt-gary-gellin/

Just a week or so later Brian will be going for the Unsupport Attempt.

[Aaron Sorensen]

Just finished packing everything up.
Heading back to Tahoe on Sun and starting on Tuesday at 6am.

Here is a picture of the pack completely loaded.

[Mike M]

best of luck to you Sir!

[Bill Fornshell]

Hi Aaron,

Lots of luck as you go after a new record for the Unsupported Hike.

Do you know about "Kinesio" Taping? After a 6 day stay in the hospital I had a Planta Fascia problem in my right foot. I was taped using the Kinesio Tape and after about 3 days I am almost back to normal.

Kinesio Taping

[Elizabeth Tracy]

Hi,

Would love to follow you on Spot, if you would post the tracking link here.

– Elizabeth

[Aaron Sorensen]

Found out just how much I can't stand carrying weight on my back. I was having a great time the first 35 miles averaging 3 mph and 3.5 moving. Then came south daggett creek and a water load for the next 27 miles. As soon as I left fully loaded I was no longer having any fun. To tell you the truth, with the amount of training I've had in the past 3 months I don't think my body could have taken more than another 40 miles at that pace.
Still had a beautiful 41 mile stroll through the woods.

[Mike M]

there's always next year :)

does look awfully pretty!

[Author]

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