271″ have now fallen since early December and storms continue to line up waiting to enter Little Cottonwood Canyon. The door is always open here as the Great Salt Lake keeps pumping moisture through thefamous funnel-like entrance. Snowbird Ski Resort continues to run killer specials even during high season…Utah remains a secret in theski resort popularity contest.
The last two days I’ve been runningmy”Bread and Butter” run in 16″ of the kind Utah Fluff, today I’ll go ski it! What’s next? We’ll slip away to the desert to run someof the best trails onearth this weekend and prepare for the RedHot 50k in Moab, on February 16th. Tough Life!! Speedgoat Karl
Always curious to hear takes on footwear. I have heard you say that you are done with the Vitesse. You’ve got some big, tasty tasks and terrain underfoot this year. Any thoughts as to preferred kicks for WS or the AT speed attempt? –Mike V.
Hello Mike, I have been running in those Vitesse for years, and they have been a great shoe. The real problem with the Vitesse is in slick conditions, they are almost dangerous, especially where humidity and more moisture exists…like the AT. It is not the shoe for that. If it were always dry it might be different. I have been running in La Sportiva Fireblades for the past month, and love them. They are not quite as cushy as the Vitesse, but have a low center of gravity making it hard to roll my ankle. Shoes that are posted in center and have a stiff sole are not good for me. So even on the AT, a lower-to-the-ground shoe will be good . Not to mention, I’ll have a fresh pair all the time. Columbia (Montrail) never really tells us if they are getting rid of the Vitesse, my suggestion is to go somewhere else and try the Fireblades, they are sweet. I run for La Sportiva now, and will do reviews on all their shoes as I test them. Keep in touch, and I’ll let you know what I like best. At Western I’ll probably use the Raceblades, they are similiar to the Fireblades (the fit) and Western is not really rocky, its mostly smooth singletrack. -Speedgoat Karl
Hi Karl - thanks for sharing, and congratulations on running with La Sportiva. They sound like a great company, and along with Inov-8, are making some great shoes and doing cool stuff. The Montrails I have used have primarily been Hardrocks, for trail running and fast-packing (in the Whites Mountains). I have been moving toward lighter shoes that still give good protection. I am curious to see what La Sportiva’s Imogenes are like. I enjoyed Tony Krupizcka’s recent write-up of a couple new models coming out as well. I think I read that Andrew Thompson did his AT record in Inov-8 Flyroc 310s, another low-to-the-ground, fast shoe. Thanks again for the great info, and keep the great stuff coming on your site.
Karl,
Do you like Scott’s Cascadia? I run in the White Tank mountains of Phoenix and South Mountain where there are alot of single track knarly trails. This shoe seems to hold out for approximately 900 ish miles. Also, Your AT cleanup plan is wonderfull. My Grandmother loved the AT and Peter Jenkins story ” A walk Across America.” If you have not read it , Please do before your journey.
Sincerely,
Andy Mc Breen
Sincerely,
Andy Mc Breen
Karl, I tried La Sportiva Fireblades at Rocky Raccoon 100 this weekend. The shoes are nice, but at my weight (185) I discovered that they didn’t give me enough protection, even on those soft trails. By mile 80 I finally swapped them out because of very sore feet. They were great for me for the first 40.
Davy