Wednesday, 12/28/11 Rosalie Attempt and 90mph Wind Abuse

8 miles/3,000 vertical

Prior to this attempt on Rosalie, I thought I have endured some severe winds.  I have been knocked to the ground, staggered like a drunk, leaned on my poles with all my weight to avoid falling, clung onto rocks and have had my breath taken away on numerous occasions in sub zero temperatures.  However, the winds we faced above treeline, especially as I peeked over the ridgeline as I attempted to make it to the consolation prize, ~12,200 foot Pegmatite Point, gave me a new found appreciation for the power of wind.

We were aware of the forecast for 90 mph winds near Mt. Evans and decided that perhaps we might luck out and get a bit of a wind shadow, or the forecast might not be as bad as feared.  Either way, the drive was not too much of a commitment, the forecast was the same on all other nearby peaks and we were all fine with just taking a hike and enjoying each others company, regardless of summit success.

The approach to treeline was pleasant and unseasonably warm, but we could hear the winds overhead and knew that the conditions would be tough above.  At treeline, we ate and drank as much as we could (knowing that there would be little chance of doing so above), donned full battle regalia and got down to business.  The wind was blowing hard, enough that we would occasionally have to hunker down to avoid getting knocked to the ground, but it was not particularly worrisome, as we were on grassy tundra and snow. I was well prepared for any conditions, was having a great time and was still 100% on board for attempting Rosalie.

Soon though, the writing was on the wall that it was not to be and everyone decided to hunker down behind some bushes and wait while Kevin, Sierra and I continued to ascend the ~250 vertical feet to the summit of very nearby Pegmatite Point.  On a calm day, this would have literally taken 5-10 minutes at the most, but with each step we took, the wind seemed to increase in strength exponentially.  This was further complicated by the fact that the ground now became blocky talus with surprisingly deep unconsolidated wind drifted snow between the rocks that made the consequences of a fall or misplaced footstep much greater.

Sierra and I made it to a false summit and though we were just about as high as the true summit, it was a surprising few hundred lateral feet away, but it may as well have been on the other side of the planet.  The will to go there had absolutely no bearing on the outcome, as once I crested that ridge, the wind pounded with such force, that movement was no longer an option.  I clung to the rocks, literally immobile and for the first time ever, was fearful of the wind and what it could do.  Who knows if my estimates are correct, but I would agree with the forecasters prediction of 90 mile per hour winds and would not be surprised if it were even more than that.

I slowly crab walked, crawled, rolled and butt scooted back down through the talus and then was able to stagger down across the tundra back down to the waiting group, where we retreated for the trees with our tails between our legs.  Despite not making the summit of anything (this was a repeat anyways), we all had a great time.

Here is a 2 minute video I took that gives a bit of an idea of what it was like, though I only had the camera out when there was somewhat of a lull in the wind.  25 seconds in is where I turned around and was the worst of it.  Turn the volume all the way up.

Emily, Sherri, Allison

Dave

Sherri and Kevin

Sierra

Allison, Em, Sherri

Looks better than it is

Some cool bristlecones

Sierra was loving it.

Back down in the trees and relative calm

Monday, 12/26/11 Saddle Rock/Greenman/Gregory Loop

4.56 miles/1,618 vert. Garmin Data

Drove up Flagstaff intending to hike the upper half of Green with Allison, Sierra and the babies.  In a matter of 5 road miles it went from a nice calm, warm, sunny day, to cloudy, cold and windy.  Drove back down and was hoping to park in my usual spot, but it was of course full due to added pressure from the Gregory lot being closed and competition with sledders (not sure why they plow the Gregory lot, then close it?  I'm sure they have some twisted "logic" though).  We ended up lucking out on a spot at Chautauqua.  The entire area had a holiday feel to it with kids sledding and out of towners bumbling around in cars and on snowshoes, nobody really knowing where they were going or what they were doing.

It was still windy walking across Chautauqua, but once we got in the trees and started up the Saddle Rock Trail (skipping the usual Amphitheater approach), the day improved dramatically.  Once we got to Saddle Rock, the wind picked up again on the ridge and the trail was drifted over, so much so that we helped an out of town trail runner find his way.  At the Greenman junction, I gave the runner directions to find the summit of Green, while debating what to do ourselves.  I was of course pushing to go to the summit, but we would be stretching it as it was with the girls (not to mention the wind was a bit too much as well), so we headed down Greenman/Gregory, where the sun came out and it got really nice and warm.

Me and Isabelle

Allison and Amelie

Sunday, 12/25/11 Green Mountain

Up Front/Down Back

4.72 miles/2,278 vert./1:21 (45 up) Garmin Data

I was able to carve out a gap between holiday festivities for a late afternoon hike on Green.  Used poles and was disciplined enough to just go super easy on the up and down, walking ~90% of the up and much of the down with a little light jogging at times.  The trail/snow conditions do not get better than they are right now.

Saturday, 12/24/11 Green Mountain

Up/down front

4 miles/2,286 vert.

Homie joined Sierra and I for a nice snowy lap on Green starting a few minutes after 7am.  Perfect morning and we had a blast in the snow.

Homie

Longs

Sierra and I

Nice trench

Friday, 12/23/11 Snow Shoveling Critiques

I never gave shoveling the sidewalk in front of my house too much thought.  It snows and then as soon as I can (either before work at 6am and/or when I get home), I shovel the driveway, sidewalk, around the community mailbox, back deck, around the garbage cans, shovel piles of snow the best I can in front/back of other neighbors (who I like less) cars who ALWAYS park around our corner lot etc....  If it looks like the neighbor (who I like) is out of town, I'll shovel their sidewalk too and a path to their door so the house does not look vacant.

Aside from that, I paid little attention to what anybody else in the neighborhood did....  UNTIL I started pushing the girls around in a double jogger and am directly affected by it.  I have since become pretty interested in observing the behavior of people all over town.

Okay, I completely understand that there are many people out there who do not have nearly as much time as I have (because parents of twins have so much spare time) or have the ripped and muscular upper body that I have, so I am absolutely sympathetic.  At the very least, they could ask a neighbor kid to do it for 5 or 10 bucks.  Heck, if I had an elderly neighbor, I would jump at the chance to shovel their house out just because it is the right thing to do and I enjoy the workout.

Today I attempted a run and it turned into a 2 mile/46 minute game of dead ends, backtracking and heaving a low slung jogger through snowbank after snowbank and we were often forced into the street (not ideal with traffic and slush).  Fortunately, I had my camera and was able to document some of the sillyness that I come across.

I got spoiled right off the bat running along my own sidewalk.

Then I come to this.  No way through, so back onto the street.

I heaved the jogger through 4-5 inch deep snow for more than a block (to avoid the somewhat busy street), only to encounter this impassable obstruction, courtesy of the person hired to plow the condos across the street.  He gets paid to plow and is a professional?  I would lose my job if I did not pay attention to detail, a skill this person seems to lack.

House for sale.  Fine, but somebody should be looking after it, not a fine selling point (coming from somebody who is currently looking to buy a house).  The next door neighbor appears to have not such a good excuse.

Nice work on the driveway (well, they could have scraped it to the surface a little better), but did not even attempt the sidewalk.

I was on a roll and enjoying an unprecedented stretch of continuity, then this.  Could not shovel the extra 20 feet?  "Nope, not my problem"

Even with a snow blower, this person just can't quite get it right.

"I'll do half the sidewalk and then take a swipe at the grass"

Another dead end.

Missed a spot on the driveway and saved that energy for a few scoops along the sidewalk to be compliant with the city rule of shoveling the sidewalk within 24 hours of a storm.

C- on the driveway.  F- on the sidewalk.  Don't they realize that people see this and makes them look lazy?  It makes you wonder where else in life they cut corners.

Thursday, 12/22/11

Nothing much to speak of in the way of running up mountains, but have gotten in some quality time with the girls, pushing them through the snow in the Chariot, playing in the snow and plenty of snow shoveling.  Have a few good hikes planned for next week, hopefully a new Winter 14er involved in there somewhere as well.