On Black Friday I usually avoid the stores and go for a very long run. This year I chose to run around the San Pitch mountain range in Central Utah. These low mountains run for 40 miles and divide massive Juab Valley to the west and Sanpete Valley on the east. I started my run at 1:00 a.m. in the small town of Levan. My goal was to reach Gunnison, 30 miles to the south by dawn. It was 25 degrees when I started and I ran through bitter cold air near Yuba Lake. It was very tough mentally to continue. I debated turning around or hitching a ride from an occasional vehicle. But I toughed it out. As the road climbed toward Gunnison, the temperature rose back into the mid-20s and I felt much better. I stopped for a quick breakfast at the gas station, and then headed east toward the rising sun. I’ll let the video tell the rest of the story:
Will I try again? Maybe. A more runnable route through Sanpete Valley would be on dirt roads running closer to the mountains. However, that bypasses all the towns with their “aid stations.” Perhaps I may someday run the length of the valley. It is a beautiful, unique place.