As this happened earlier than I anticipated, the thought of having to constantly evaluate where I was at in the run and the potential for an afternoon storm was ever-present in my mind. By the time I made it up Vagabond a decision had to be made as it looked like some clouds were forming and the afternoon was approaching. Although I preferred less scrambling, the summit was worth it, and with Cloudripper in view I decided that I had enough time and energy to make the push. 

Extreme exposure is the name of the game on Cloudripper, and with a ridge to run down I was starting to feel a bit better about the decision to push for the summit. Sitting at the base of Cloudripper, I found myself staring down at the treeline and in between was a steep screefield.

"Good thing I brought gloves" I thought to myself as I hurled myself down the mountain, half-running and half-sliding using my hands to catch myself on the turns. 

Boulders the size of a large SUV or small studio apartment led me from the scree to the single track where I could finally put my legs into running motion againfeeling the rhythm and crunch of the trail once more. No high alpine run is complete without a lake dip and there were plenty to choose from. In Fourth Lake I washed off the dust from the scree and came out feeling refreshed for the final push to the trailhead.

I don't think I've snoozed an alpine-start alarm since. And I definitely count on having to route-find more often than I initially planned for, and anticipate taking a bit longer on routes with no defined trail. However, as important as it is to be prepared (especially when doing solo high alpine runs), I hold on to the idea that it's equally important to let go and see where you can take yourself. I find it's important to challenge yourself, and in that challenge you will learn more often that you're capable of much more than you think .