Bay Area 9 Peaks Challenge: what about 4 in one day?

These Bay Area 9 Peaks Challenge and Open Course Triple Crown got me on a roll, just the motivation I needed to get back on my toes, after a 2-year injury hibernation. I started to catchup a bit with my blog posts but then I'm falling behind again,  2 weeks behind... It's tapering weekend, let's see if I can squeeze a few in between a 10-hour fence sealing project this Saturday and some work, always, this Sunday...

As you read form these last 3 posts, I ticked 3 peaks with the 3 Open Course races of the Triple Crown, with at least one I'd like to redo to improve (Jam on Tam).

The same Saturday as Jam to Tam (March 20), after our picnic in Mill Valley, we stopped by Slacker Hill, not even hiking from the bottom of it but starting from the tourist parking lot, what an embarrassment! ;-) I ran so many hilly miles in Marin Headlands, passed by this hill many times, and we only honored that peak with a climb shorter than a mile?! Our excuse: we had two more peaks to visit in the afternoon! Besides the challenge doesn't impose any particular course except for the three Open Courses covered in previous posts. Actually, not even imposing to be on foot to go to the top (you can drive or bike if there is a road or trails allow)!

That being said, what a view of the City by the Bay from the top, so much worth it in such a perfect weather!

From there, we drove back to San Francisco, dropped Greg and parked near the entrance of Mont Davidson. I had never heard about this hill, always thought that Twin Peaks was the highest point of the city, with its emblematic relays at the top. Well, their respective elevation only differs by 3 feet or 1 meter, that's pretty close. Although slightly higher, Mont Davidson hides its history and panorama gem very well. Even the majestic 1-3-feet (31.5 meters) cross at its top disappears in its tree line, from afar. No parking lot to attract the crowds. Little and antiquated signage at its two entrances. No fence (urban park). Again, grateful to PCTR for the invitation to visit through this challenge. Yes, with 928 feet (282m), this is the real and official top and peak of San Francisco, check it out next time you are in town!

We got back to the car by 3pm and I felt we still had time to climb Montara Mountain, further South on the Peninsula, above Pacifica. We started from the trailhead at 3:40, Agnès Nordic walking and Max and I running.

The trail to the top is straight forward. Not straight but easy to follow: you just go up. And up, and up. 

There are several tops: the one with the main relay isn't meant for the public to go around, kind of blocking what would be amazing 360-degree views otherwise. Still, you can look at the infinite horizon pretty much all around the Bay Area. And map out the other... 8 Bay Area Peaks!

Maxime did beat me on the climb by several minutes, and stayed behind on the way down to take pictures. 

I bet Agnès would have passed some runners on the way up, with her super strong power hiking.

On more 3D fly-over from Relive (click on this link or the image below):

Overall, what a wonderful day with the family: 4 of these 9 peaks checked, about 17 miles with 4,750 feet of cumulative elevation, all that around mythical San Francisco. Thank you again, PCTR, for inviting us to discover these new places so close to home! Highly recommended challenge, check it out!

Jam on Tam: a classic I didn't know existed!

Does Jam on Tam resonate with you? Am I the only one who thought that was Greg or Todd's invention? I have to love that ultra running is so humbling, a never ending experiment in which you always learn something, a sport in which there are always people having done more and harder stuff than what you just did or thought was doable!

Living in the Bay Area, I had my fair share of seeing pictures of people summiting Mount Tamalpais, on a weekly basis, if not daily. And I've seen that mountain top many times, racing in the Marin Headlands for more than 10 years (Miwok 100K, Headlands Hundred miles or 50K, Quad Dipsea, Tamalpa 50K, etc.). But another super popular place which I felt embarrassed for not having visited yet.

My previous two posts were about two of the three Open Courses constituting the Bay Area Open Course Triple Crown, Streak to Mission Peak and Hum up Um. With Jam on Tam being the third one. All under 8 miles, how hard could that be, I thought... Let's do them over 7 days, Mission Peak on Sunday, Mount Umunhum on Thursday and Mount Tam on Saturday!

I had a chat with Greg (Lanctot) on Friday and he mentioned that a gal had just broke YiOu Wang's 38'30" FKT for the ascent (Fastest Known Time), with a new time of 37'03" (Bailey Kowalczyk). He didn't say Jim Walmsley clocked a 30'38" on that course. But he warned me it was a tough one, and asked I'd be careful. Run carefully, I can do! Since several bad falls in mountain races, including breaking my shoulder while training on the Tahoe Rim Trail, I know how to be slow and extra cautious on tricky trails! But Mount Tamalpais isn't a mountain in the Alps or the Rockies, right? At least all the races I've been doing in the area have been on typical smooth trails (except for the Dispea stairs). Well, Jam on Tam is different, read on...

After accompanying me on the two Open Courses, Max got hooked and was all in for starting from the bottom, at the clock tower in Mill Valley, while Agnès and Greg were going to hike from mid way. Max even let me start ahead but, like on Thursday for Hum up Um, that didn't last long. I just didn't have the stamina, started walking before the end of the first mile, still on the streets (the first 1.5 miles are on asphalt).

We reached the trail as Agnès and Greg had just found a parking spot, and what a trail for a first comer: straight up! And steep rocky ravine style or irregular stairs.

Oops, so much walking, slogging, barely power hiking. Not really running against the clock at that point, just trying to reach the summit, my first visit to the famous and emblematic fire lookout station! With gorgeous views over the City by the Bay, and the whole Bay as a matter of fact!

I remember checking my Garmin watch and seeing 46' when we were in the last switch backs, actually quite close to the station.

Just underneath though, I noticed on maps.me that we had to leave the trail to climb... oh my... a wall! I was definitely prepared for rock climbing. Nothing difficult but spent a few minutes trying to find our way.

Finally touching the door, 53 minutes in the run, ouch! I already felt like I'd have to come back and redo it on fresh legs.

The down hill starts with another technical trail before we reach a segment of road.

There was a good moving runner ahead who took a trail which didn't look like the one we were supposed to be on. Max and I tried a few other options as I was not sure how long we had to stay on the asphalt section from the maps.me trace. Coming back on that section of road, we crossed three hikers and I almost missed the start of a trail on the left side. I stopped abruptly but Max was still looking to the hikers on the side and hit me at full speed: I couldn't avoid a bad fall on my back, although I was happy my head didn't hit the asphalt. My right but hurt really bad, skin scratches on my back and a bloody hand, it could have been worst, nothing broken at least, phew!

With that, I did what I know best these days, being careful and slow on the next single track section, a wonderful trail if you aren't in a hurry! ;-)

On the fire road, we went all out, crossing quite a few mountain bikers.

Then, after a few other hesitations at the next fire road junction, finally found the trail going straight down to Mill Valley. 1:42:59 total (1:35:19 moving time), I can't believe how long this back and forth took us. Really interested in trying it again now that I know the course.

Here is the corresponding 3D flyover in Relive:

On a very practical matter, I loved the brand new super clean public restrooms on the back of the café and bookstore. We pick-nicked on the Depot Plaza then stopped by the gallery of our friend Emebet (whom we went to Ethiopia with at the end of 2009), the Desta Gallery, just by the course start (exhibits change every 6 weeks, check great artists out!).

A excellent way to start the day, before checking 3 more peaks off our Bay Area 9 Peak Challenge list, Tamalpa being #3 of 9.