The sun is up, the air is fresh, the stone is old

Is that against FAA regulation to admit you only slept 3 hours before flying?

Why are people upset about R2R2R? I really would love to run it with you guys but I don't think there is any way I could get ready by then.

I'm "dozing for dollars" today, get paid to sleep in the back for two legs. People are upset because they believe we are jeapordizing the canyon for everyone by going this much. They also believe we put people in danger. It's all valid. I really can see both sides of this.

I can't think of another person I'd rather run it with. Someday again!

Thanks, but I think you are thinking of the "other" Rob. But I'd love to run it with both of you.

Oh wow! I just read the Facebook post. I didn't realize it was such a big deal. I'm not sure I trust advice from some guy on a lifelong suicide mission (crockett) but I suppose the warnings are valid.

Quite the hubbub you and Walter created on Facebook with your event. Passionate people, a lot of "opinions" that truly seem unwarranted. Did they really think all 500 people would even consider coming let alone go? I expect you will have a dozen people.

Too many Robs. :-) Almost as many as Steve. Still love to catch a run there with you. Jeff, I understand their position. Walter caused a ruckus by the invite amount, not intentional. I also cannot agree though with anyone's position that they can run a trail but some other person can't. If anyone is the least bit honest in this, that's what it's about.

I initially thought they were legitimate concerns but it started becoming apparent that it really was just a power struggle. They really feel entitled and don't want to share it with everyone. I think they feel it will somehow diminish their achievement if "everyone" else goes and does it.

i totally get disagreeing with a persons objections to this proposed trip, but I lack the prophetic ability to judge a persons motives. I take people like Davy and Jon at their word when they say they are mostly concerned with the risks this sort of trip entails.

I'm jealous of y'alls ability to get in other people's heads.

A group of guys running the Canyon is a trail run like any other. There's always risk. You don't do anything significant without occasionally getting close to the edge. I don't mind advice, or even someone telling me I'm not good enough for something, but I'm not keen on sitting on my butt while things degrade into name calling and folks getting angry because they can't control someone else. You start posting stuff that isn't true and belittling others, I think it's gone too far. If standing up against that pisses some off, so be it. This is just running.

We're grown men, we can argue things out once in a while. It's life.

The funny thing about it is how they seem to think only the super human elite can go jog down a dirt trail. It's not a race, when you get tired stop, when you get thirsty drink. I realize this is a technical challenging course but it's not like you invited a group of cub scouts. Everyone on the list is an experienced runner. It turned into a really weird thing, are these people just anti Walter?

Or if you get stuck you spend the night. It's not a life or death thing. Everyone already knows this. You might be right about Walter stirring it up. Running is a place where all that can be set aside. Doesn't matter who you are running with, or what your differences are. It's one of the few places you just leave it all.

As far as Walter goes, he gets a lot of flak. Maybe even a lot from me in the past. I'll tell you what, he has a heart of gold. I've watched him set his entire life aside to help a beginning runner. Over months of time. He's driven up several times from Salt Lake and stocked up my fridge unasked when he knew I was getting home from a trip and would be picking up my kids. He has a genuine interest in other people's lives which is beyond rare. He enjoys people's company just for the base sake of it. I've learned a lot from him. We also differ a great deal in our views or how we approach life and joke about that a lot.

Whatever the "Canyon Controversy" is, it's free entry all weekend to the park. I'll be taking the kids down the Bright Angel trail this weekend. If I can convince them it will be better than a beach somewhere.

I'll just throw in my two cents. I don't really give a damn one way or another - but I think what ticked a lot of people off is that the facebook post was like an advertisement for a keg party at a frat house. Its obvious to me that you guys know what you are doing and are going to have a 99% chance of success... but the invite didn't come off that way. And that is probably what set off the subsequent discussion (which in a lot of ways, when the extreme viewpoints were eliminated, was a good discussion).

Yep, I think that's right. I invited about ten people, and maybe a couple of those would actually do it. The others just like to follow or catch up with me on some of these adventures so I include them. I don't know 500 people if I counted all their relatives, neighbors, and dogs. Last time the basic idea was inviting people to the run with a very basic amount of info, then working through it on the details with the small actual group interested. After that came calling up those who I didn't feel could do it and telling them no. I hated that. This time it came across like you said, a frat party invasion.

I felt within minutes of the event posting it should be taken down and approached in a different way. Walter felt he wanted to leave it up and air things out both sides. Probably good since I learned a lot. He pulled it off this morning and we'll see how we approach it in the future. But yeah, I agree with you, there were some good discussions mixed in there.

I learned never to get in an argument with an endurance athlete.

en·dur·ance

enˈd(y)o͝orəns/

noun

noun: endurance

1. the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way.