I just figured I have to get 250 trips between the kitchen and the computer desk to make my 10,000-step goal for the day.  Since I don’t wear a Fitbit like Stanna or carry my iPhone in the house to measure steps in my Health Data app, I’ve decided to carry an almond from the kitchen each time and multiply the number of almonds times 40 to determine how many steps I take each day.

I’ve also learned that my favorite route tracking app, Gaia GPS www.gaiagps.com (most expensive app I’ve ever purchased at $19 – but the best value ever) now works in Airplane Mode on the iPhone and uses hardly any battery (12% on the last 5.7 mile, 5-hour total time, 2:51 moving time) during a day’s hike.  As I’ve mentioned before, having a USGS topo on your phone with a real-time GPS arrow showing your exact location is a real comfort not to mention a “which trail should I take” energy saver.  There are a number of app’s available but this one, like GPSNavX for the sailing community, gets better with each of their frequent updates.

Just like knowing how many steps you take in a day with your FitBit or pedometer, it’s fun to learn how far you’ve hiked or ridden, what the ascent and descent was, how fast you average and most interesting is how long you stopped compared to the moving time (1:52 Stopped Time in that 5-hour hike above).

I often export from the Gaia iPhone app the “track” via email to myself or hiking partners so we can view it on Google Earth or Garmin Base Camp (free apps) or post it in a blog.

10,000 steps isn’t anything compared to the total racked up in the Hardrock 100 “an ultramarathon of 100.5 miles in length, plus 33,992 feet of climb and 33,992 feet of descent for a total elevation change of 67,984 feet, at an average elevation of over 11,000 feet”.  This week’s adventure was hiking 8.5 miles in to the Pole Creek Aid Station at Mile 20 of the 2015 Hardrock 100 (thumbnail above) and nothing compared to the 153 runners who came thru our aid station.

The food and equipment is horse-packed in and the “crew” backpacks in to this fairly remote mountain point at about 11,500′ with their individual gear and food.  Water is collected at a creek a half-mile away and horse packed to the aid station where we treat the water and decant it into gallon jugs for refilling runners’ water bottles. Crew had to carry in and out the gallon jugs because the sound “spooks” the horses.

When the race is run “counter-clockwise” as it was in 2015 the runners pass the 20-mile aid station in a four-hour time-frame.  On opposite (clockwise) years when it’s the 80-mile mark it can take the runners 24 hours, and all thru the night, to pass thru the aid station because they are so spread out by that time.  This year they came between 10 AM and 2PM  so it was quick and easy, if you don’t count the effort to get there, set up, take down and pack up.  Only 3 of the aid stations are remote and inaccessible by road, this one is the most remote.

I’ve been touting ultra light backcountry travel but these runners put our base weight numbers or even total weight on your back to shame, since they carry only a vest that acts as a holster for 2-4 water bottles. Yes, they do carry a gossamer rain jacket and a headlamp, but not much more besides Gels and salt tablets.

This could be the winner, Kilian Jornet of Spain, who now holds the record, under 24 hours for 100 miles and 68,000′ of elevation gain and loss in both directions, topping off water and sampling only the watermelon before running off.  He got back to Silverton, the start/finish line, before we woke up the next morning.

It was a good three days, because I got to test a number of UL backpacking items. Most unusual was hiking in to the aid station 8.5 miles in a heavy downpour with sleet and finally snow on the pass, using only an umbrella for rain protection. Hiked with only a wind shirt and never got wet above the knees, if you ignore wet hands and of course feet. Another gear test was the 2015 version of the Gossamer Gear Kumo ultralight backpack which I’d borrowed from one of their gear testers, Will Rietveld. This will most likely be the replacement for my zPacks Arc Blast which I’ve almost worn out in five seasons. Lastly I’m experimenting with a very small fanny pack to carry my 10 essentials, iPhone/camera, toiletries, sunscreen and things I need quickly so I don’t remove my pack as often.  Bonus is that it takes 24 ounces off my shoulders and reduces my base weight in this last hike to 8.59 pounds.  Sweet.

Problem I quickly learned with the almond-counting method is there aren’t any almonds left at the desk by the end of the day.