September is quickly approaching, and with it, cooler temps. And what better to do with a reprieve from sweltering summer days than bag peaks and win prizes? SkyRun is excited to partner with the not-that-serious run club for a nine-peak September challenge!

First things first: If you aren't already a member, please head over to Strava and join the not-that-serious run club. Next, head over here and sign up to link your Strava account and log your summits. Now that the difficult part is complete, you can visit as often as you like to find out who you are ahead of and who's bettering you!

The challenge: Pretty straightforward, here. You have all of September to run, walk, or hike (crawling is permitted) the nine peaks on the list. Full stop.

The peaks: In no particular order.

1. Mount Raymond: A beautiful peak with outstanding views of upper Big Cottonwood Canyon, Mount Raymond straddles the Mount Olympus Wilderness and has several ways to its 10,196' summit. An ~11-mile effort from Bowman Fork offers 4,249' of gain, whereas the route from Butler Fork is under 8 miles and just over 3,000' of up.

2. Mount Olympus: Hovering over the Salt Lake Valley at a proud 8992', Mount Olympus is so called because of the staunch law that the early settlers must name landmarks and high points after other landmarks and high points. The shortest route, on trail, from your vehicle to the summit and back to your car is 6.4 miles with 4172' of grueling elevation gain, so long as you're parked at this trailhead on Wasatch Blvd. (SkyRun has something extra for those who choose Guert's Ridge as their route to the summit)

3. Kesler Peak: Named after Fredrick Kesler, Kesler Peak was moved to Big Cottonwood Canyon in the late 1800s to provide shade for the significant mining activity in the area. Mispselled Kessler for a time, due to the in-vogue use of two esses, Kesler was changed back to its original form in 2008 by the United States Board on Geographic Names. Best approached from the Cardiff Fork Trailhead, if common sense and efficiency are your jam, Kesler is a 6.5-mile round-trip adventure with 3358' of elevation gain.

4. Sunset Peak: Just a short hop, skip, and jump from Catherin's Pass, adjacent to Alta ski area, you will find a high point named for the setting of the sun. Maybe an unpopular opinion, but Sunset Peak is a much better location to watch the sun rise rather than set. To be clear, the setting of the sun can be observed from this location. However, if you had to choose, we'd suggest using this locale for viewing the sun as it begins to rise from the great unknown in the east, rather than watching it disappear from view in the west later in the day. On Tuesday evening, September 23rd, not-that-serious and SkyRun will be tackling the 7 miles and paltry 2013 feet of gain of this behemoth as a group run. There will be Dynafit shoe demos, and Petzl will provide demos of headlamps, as we are swiftly approaching that time of year.

5. Mount Timpanogos: What would a peak bagging challenge be without a run up this massif that hovers over Utah County? Beautiful Mount Timpanogos offers several ways to its unobstructed summit views, and they will all hurt you tomorrow. You can safely plan on spending several hours in the area for your effort of almost 15 miles, which tops out at 5,000 feet above your starting point. If you're feeling speedy, the round trip can take as little as 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 13 seconds, making it an excellent option for those with limited time. Consider postponing this one until later in September to enjoy some incredible fall colors!

6. Monte Cristo: The Monte Cristo is a take on the Croque Monsieur. Made with ham, turkey, and Swiss, then dipped in egg batter and pan-fried, this artery clogger is served with jam and dusted with powdered sugar, so it's probably best saved for a summit snack, rather than trail fuel. Monte Cristo is also a delightful high spot just a stone's throw west of Mount Superior. Lots of ways to tackle this peak, but this trailhead is great for a quick after-work outing.

7. Grandeur: Most cities with mountain access have a run with somewhat significant elevation gain that has turned into the area's test-piece or challenge. For the Seattle area, it's Mailbox Peak. The Flatirons are Boulder's go-to routes for fast ascents. Grandeur Peak's West Climb is Salt Lake's version for people who love to train for vertical kilometer races or just love pain. With 3301' of gain in just 2.2 miles, the West Climb will have you wishing you hadn't heard of trail running. Luckily, there is a palatable route from Mill Creek Canyon, and a trailhead called Church Fork. SkyRun and not-that-serious will be hosting a group run from this trailhead on Tuesday, September 9th, and La Sportiva will provide stoke and shoes to demo. Don't miss out!

8. Pfeifferhorn: The mighty Pfeifferhorn sits on the crest of the upper Maybird and Hogum drainages and is one of the Wasatch's 11,000-foot stunners. Easily recognizable from most vantage points, the Pfeif's summit pyramid offers 405' of fantastic scrambling, incredible views of the Wasatch Mountains north and south, and the valley floor 6000 feet below. The nearly ten-mile round-trip adventure has just shy of 4000' of up, and is no small task, but is one of the most rewarding summits on the list.

9. Twin Peaks: Another victim of the no-original-names rule that the Salt Lake Valley's settlers were obliged to follow. Not to be confused with the Twin Peaks in American Fork or the Avenues, the Broad's Fork Twin Peaks stand proudly over Salt Lake, and the east peak's 11,328' summit is the first high point for the W.U.R.L., rising almost 6,000 feet above the valley floor. Luckily, the route from the Lake Blanche Trailhead, up through Broads Fork, is stunning, which should lessen the burn of climbing 5100 feet in an 8-mile round trip.

Prizes!! - Dynafit and NNormal are providing footwear for the first female and male to complete all nine summits. The first person to finish the challenge will get to choose whether they want a Dynafit or NNormal shoe, and the other sex's first-place finisher will get their choice of shoe from the remaining brand. SkyRun will also be providing $75 SkyRun gift cards to the female and male who have the lowest combined time for all nine peaks, from car to car. All of the challenge's finishers will receive a discount code for a one-time purchase of nutrition at SkyRun.

We look forward to following along as you all crush September!