Mt. Harvard and Mt. Columbia
07/09/10
~14 miles/6,600 vertical
From the N. Cottonwood TH
Partner: Sierra
After a quiet night sleeping in the car about ½ mile down the road from the trailhead, I took my time getting ready, waiting for it to warm up a bit and get a little lighter. Again, Rick was already on the trail, the plan being for him to hike directly up Harvard on the standard route, while I go over Columbia and traverse to Harvard, anticipating a close arrival time.
The first few miles are relatively flat and easy going and I was enjoying the warm up, as my legs were feeling the previous day’s effort on La Plata. I took it relatively easy through here, not too anxious to get to the steep slopes that lead to Columbia’s South Ridge and was enjoying Sierra’s steady, yet reasonable pace setting.
After about 40 minutes, I bumped into Rick about ~1/3 of a mile before the Columbia jct. and chatted with him for a bit. Once I got running again, I was a bit surprised by the junction, as I thought it was a bit further up, but just hung a hard right without breaking stride, as it seemed familiar. The trip up the steep West slopes was a bit of a slog on the occasionally loose terrain and the ridge seemed to taunt me, just out of reach for what seemed to be a long time. Once I made it to the ridge, I made much better progress and was only ~10 or so more minutes to the summit, which was shorter than I remembered.
I poked around on the summit, looking for a summit register, but was unable to find one. After a quick assessment of the weather and enjoying the view, I dropped off down the mostly stable talus field to the NE, aiming for the gentle and grassy terrain below. With a little bit of good route finding and a little luck (when in doubt, trend East), I managed to stay on grassy, though sometimes steep terrain. This meant dropping further down into the basin, to about 12,200 feet vs. negotiating a sea of talus and scree if one tried to avoid losing too much elevation. It took me a surprisingly long 30 minutes to drop the nearly 2k vertical into the basin, but I was taking it somewhat mellow since I was by myself, carefully route finding and not on a frequently travelled route.
After letting Sierra gulp down a gallon of water in the swift moving creek, we started up the initially steep and thickly vegetated slopes toward Harvard. The going was pretty easy and before I knew it, Harvard’s sub summits came into view and it seemed as though I would be there in no time. I plodded along up the grass, constantly debating whether or not to trend right or left as I approached the initial crags. I opted to keep right and stay on the crest of the ridge. Before long, I was making some easy 3rd class moves, aware of the exposure on either side. Sierra is always very good about scouting around and finding the path of least resistance in this type of terrain, but needed some enthusiastic encouragement from me to make it through one or two moves. We soon came to a step that was a bit exposed, but easy enough for me to work my way up. I knew Sierra could not do it and we both spent a good bit of time looking for an easier way. I found a weakness that might have worked, but as I down climbed to it, I realized that it was more treacherous and exposed than it looked from above. I was very impressed with her judgment to not attempt it despite my earlier instructions to do so when I viewed it from above. This exposed bit of scampering, combined with the snowy rocks (left over graupel from the previous day) and the nervousness of Sierra got me a bit on edge and I was wondering how we might both safely bypass the tower. If I were not with the dog, I could have continued on and it would have been fun, but I did not want to put her at risk or stress her out any further.
As if on cue, I noticed two climbers descending the ridge above and heading for a traverse to the South, beneath the tower we were on. From my perch on the tower, the talus traverse below did not look all that appealing, but it was now making sense that it is the path of least resistance. We backtracked down the ridge and I was kicking myself for opting for ascenders right vs. left, as I think it would have been more obvious which way to go.
Once we got back on track, the remainder of the hike to the summit was no big deal, just some minor scrambling (fun and optional), then a bunch of awkward boulder hopping, nothing hard, just impossible to go fast on.
Once on top, I could see some hikers below and was hopeful that one of them was Rick, but it quickly became evident that he was not in sight. I figured I would jog down the trail until I met him and decide whether or not to hike back up with him depending on how far down he was. Down and down I went, but still no Rick. I bumped into a couple at around 12,500 and they relayed a message to me that Rick had turned around. I was hoping at that point to run quickly back to the car, but I was getting tired and the trail was too technical in many spots to really cruise, so I just resorted to a casual jog, stopping at all the creek crossings to let Sierra drink. The trail on the way out seemed twice as long as the way in. Even though it was downhill, I was finding myself clocking comparable splits to my morning run up the trail, I was tired and I could not arrive at the car soon enough.
Splits:
1st Bridge :01
2nd Bridge :17
Kroenke Lake jct. :18
Columbia summit 1:44:02 (avg HR 152)
Harvard summit 3:32:47 (1:48 for the traverse, but at least 20 minutes of that was messing about on the dead end tower (avg HR 143))
Finish 4:55:18 (1:22 Harvard summit to car, 140 avg. HR)
Sierra
Sierra
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thursday, 07/08/10 La Plata Peak (14,336)
La Plata Peak (14,336)
07/08/10
Northwest Ridge
9 miles/4,300 vertical
Sierra and I
Splits (starting at the trail register):
Begin ascent out of La Plata Gulch: :24 minutes
Reach the NW Ridge at 12,700: :54 minutes
Summit: 1:26:59 (avg. HR 164 for the ascent)
Drop off of NW Ridge: 1:47:xx
Back at TH: 2:23:31 total (descent split 56:32/145 avg. HR)
Rick Canter and I had been talking about meeting up in the high country for several months, as he was planning to focus his annual Colorado 14er fest on the Sawatch Range with a home base in Buena Vista. Tentative plans varied as the time drew near, but I was pretty open as to what peaks we might be able to cross paths on. Though we did not necessarily plan to hike together as we had different agendas and variations in pace, we both thought it would be fun to be on the same peak and hopefully summit at/near the same time.
Sierra and I left home in Louisville at 4:40am and arrived at the trailhead off of Highway 82 around 7:15am (after 2 quick pit stops along the way). The forecast for the day was for 50% chance of storms afternoon and although crystal clear at 7am, I had a hunch that storms would be certain and probably before noon due to all the moisture in the air and just an overall feeling. I immediately recognized Rick’s rental car and knew he was on the trail ahead, but was not sure what time he had started. I took my time getting ready, as I had a good idea of how long the trip would take me and I also wanted to hopefully allow Rick to get that much closer to the summit.
We started off running at a fairly casual warm-up pace, enjoying the undulations and fresh morning air, but all too soon, the trail tilted up steeply and it was now time to dig in a bit and up the effort. I was able to run the steepest sections of trail, but opted to power hike short sections to save my legs a bit for later. Fortunately, the trail is not steep for long and before I knew it, we were cruising on very gentle terrain, with Sierra leading the charge. It was through this flattish section, after ~20 or so minutes of running that I first bumped into Rick. He had unfortunately gotten a later start than he had hoped and was a bit behind. After some chit chatting, we were off again, with the loose plan of meeting later, higher on the mountain. As I ran, I felt bad for leaving him behind, but was really enjoying what I love doing most, moving fast through high mountain trails.
Soon the trail began to climb out of the valley and the gradient for the most part was primo for running. Even the steeper switchbacks only required a few steps of hiking at their apex. My legs were feeling great, Sierra was moving fast and I was in my happy place. Once on the ridge, the summit looks tantalizingly close, but I knew from past experience that it is further than it appears and the trail to the top would not be entirely runable as it passes through some dense talus fields. I worked my way through steadily, running when I could, but often times power hiking, being careful to not slip on the occasionally snow and ice covered rocks (remnants from the previous days’ storm). Higher on the ridge, I opted to travel on a long, well consolidated snow patch that made for more efficient progress, but soon was interrupted by a melted spot near where the trail again intersects. I considered continuing on the snow that extended nearly to the summit, but several steps in, it was obvious that the snow was of much different consistency than the lower snowfield, so I cut back over to the trail instead.
As usual, my stopwatch increased in speed as my legs slowed in sync, the summit mocking me as I pushed forward. The smooth and runable trail became intermittent and footing became slippery and unstable as my desire to sprint it out for the top increased. Finally, I tagged the summit in 1:26:59 and spent a few minutes taking in the views, eating a gel and petting Sierra. I poked around for a register, but was unable to locate one, as I wanted to leave Rick a congratulatory hello.
The sky was still nice and clear a bit after 9am, but I was anxious to get back down the trail and check on Rick’s progress. Down and down I went, moving cautiously on the looser/trickier sections of trail, riding a fine line of speed/efficiency/safety. Once the trail dropped off the ridge, I spotted Rick just a few switchbacks down and stopped to chat. Clouds were beginning to form, but were not at all threatening and it appeared that we had a few more hours of decent weather. With this in mind, it was my hope to get back to the car with enough time to drive a mile up the road to the unofficial trailhead for the S. slopes route on Lackawanna, my final remaining Centennial Peak in the Sawatch Range. I gave Rick some information on what to expect higher up on La Plata and reiterated that he keep a close eye on the sky before parting ways. From the ridge back down to the car, I was able to open up my stride a bit, but still kept the pace reasonably conservative for the most part.
Back at the trailhead, in the ~30+ minutes or so since leaving Rick near the ridge, the sky had completely darkened over Lackawanna. My enthusiasm waned significantly to mild optimism. As I drove the mile West on 82, mild optimism dropped further to having no hope, as I watched bolts of lightning strike out from black clouds just a few miles away. Without letting off the gas, I continued on to the top of Independence Pass, where I would relax in the car for well over an hour, eating, reading and watching developing storms strike out in fury and cloak the surrounding summits in a coat of white.
Worried about Rick, I knew there was really nothing I could do, but wait for his return. As I drove back down the pass, the storm overhead/over La Plata continued to intensify and I watched in shock as long lasting bolts of lightning made direct strikes on the very ground I stood on hours earlier and where Rick might still be. I waited out the worst of it in the car at the trailhead and once the storm subsided, started hiking up the trail, asking several storm battered hikers about Rick’s possible whereabouts. Though we were not necessarily hiking together, I still felt somewhat guilty and responsible for leaving him up there at the mercy of the mountain gods.
Eventually, I got word that he was OK and only ¼ mile up the trail, so I continued on until we crossed paths. Turns out, he had made a friend from Nebraska who he hiked with most of the way down after reaching 14,000 feet. On the way back down to the TH, the clouds broke, revealing a bluebird afternoon. Though it was 3:15pm, I figured I would have a go at Lackawanna after all and just keep a careful eye on the sky. Less than 10 minutes and ~600 feet up the steep hillside, I started to hear distant rumbling and hoped it was a jet. After the second or third time, I turned around to see massive black clouds billowing to the South and the writing was on the wall. I was more than happy to bail in favor of going to meet Rick for dinner in Buena Vista.
Pictures
07/08/10
Northwest Ridge
9 miles/4,300 vertical
Sierra and I
Splits (starting at the trail register):
Begin ascent out of La Plata Gulch: :24 minutes
Reach the NW Ridge at 12,700: :54 minutes
Summit: 1:26:59 (avg. HR 164 for the ascent)
Drop off of NW Ridge: 1:47:xx
Back at TH: 2:23:31 total (descent split 56:32/145 avg. HR)
Rick Canter and I had been talking about meeting up in the high country for several months, as he was planning to focus his annual Colorado 14er fest on the Sawatch Range with a home base in Buena Vista. Tentative plans varied as the time drew near, but I was pretty open as to what peaks we might be able to cross paths on. Though we did not necessarily plan to hike together as we had different agendas and variations in pace, we both thought it would be fun to be on the same peak and hopefully summit at/near the same time.
Sierra and I left home in Louisville at 4:40am and arrived at the trailhead off of Highway 82 around 7:15am (after 2 quick pit stops along the way). The forecast for the day was for 50% chance of storms afternoon and although crystal clear at 7am, I had a hunch that storms would be certain and probably before noon due to all the moisture in the air and just an overall feeling. I immediately recognized Rick’s rental car and knew he was on the trail ahead, but was not sure what time he had started. I took my time getting ready, as I had a good idea of how long the trip would take me and I also wanted to hopefully allow Rick to get that much closer to the summit.
We started off running at a fairly casual warm-up pace, enjoying the undulations and fresh morning air, but all too soon, the trail tilted up steeply and it was now time to dig in a bit and up the effort. I was able to run the steepest sections of trail, but opted to power hike short sections to save my legs a bit for later. Fortunately, the trail is not steep for long and before I knew it, we were cruising on very gentle terrain, with Sierra leading the charge. It was through this flattish section, after ~20 or so minutes of running that I first bumped into Rick. He had unfortunately gotten a later start than he had hoped and was a bit behind. After some chit chatting, we were off again, with the loose plan of meeting later, higher on the mountain. As I ran, I felt bad for leaving him behind, but was really enjoying what I love doing most, moving fast through high mountain trails.
Soon the trail began to climb out of the valley and the gradient for the most part was primo for running. Even the steeper switchbacks only required a few steps of hiking at their apex. My legs were feeling great, Sierra was moving fast and I was in my happy place. Once on the ridge, the summit looks tantalizingly close, but I knew from past experience that it is further than it appears and the trail to the top would not be entirely runable as it passes through some dense talus fields. I worked my way through steadily, running when I could, but often times power hiking, being careful to not slip on the occasionally snow and ice covered rocks (remnants from the previous days’ storm). Higher on the ridge, I opted to travel on a long, well consolidated snow patch that made for more efficient progress, but soon was interrupted by a melted spot near where the trail again intersects. I considered continuing on the snow that extended nearly to the summit, but several steps in, it was obvious that the snow was of much different consistency than the lower snowfield, so I cut back over to the trail instead.
As usual, my stopwatch increased in speed as my legs slowed in sync, the summit mocking me as I pushed forward. The smooth and runable trail became intermittent and footing became slippery and unstable as my desire to sprint it out for the top increased. Finally, I tagged the summit in 1:26:59 and spent a few minutes taking in the views, eating a gel and petting Sierra. I poked around for a register, but was unable to locate one, as I wanted to leave Rick a congratulatory hello.
The sky was still nice and clear a bit after 9am, but I was anxious to get back down the trail and check on Rick’s progress. Down and down I went, moving cautiously on the looser/trickier sections of trail, riding a fine line of speed/efficiency/safety. Once the trail dropped off the ridge, I spotted Rick just a few switchbacks down and stopped to chat. Clouds were beginning to form, but were not at all threatening and it appeared that we had a few more hours of decent weather. With this in mind, it was my hope to get back to the car with enough time to drive a mile up the road to the unofficial trailhead for the S. slopes route on Lackawanna, my final remaining Centennial Peak in the Sawatch Range. I gave Rick some information on what to expect higher up on La Plata and reiterated that he keep a close eye on the sky before parting ways. From the ridge back down to the car, I was able to open up my stride a bit, but still kept the pace reasonably conservative for the most part.
Back at the trailhead, in the ~30+ minutes or so since leaving Rick near the ridge, the sky had completely darkened over Lackawanna. My enthusiasm waned significantly to mild optimism. As I drove the mile West on 82, mild optimism dropped further to having no hope, as I watched bolts of lightning strike out from black clouds just a few miles away. Without letting off the gas, I continued on to the top of Independence Pass, where I would relax in the car for well over an hour, eating, reading and watching developing storms strike out in fury and cloak the surrounding summits in a coat of white.
Worried about Rick, I knew there was really nothing I could do, but wait for his return. As I drove back down the pass, the storm overhead/over La Plata continued to intensify and I watched in shock as long lasting bolts of lightning made direct strikes on the very ground I stood on hours earlier and where Rick might still be. I waited out the worst of it in the car at the trailhead and once the storm subsided, started hiking up the trail, asking several storm battered hikers about Rick’s possible whereabouts. Though we were not necessarily hiking together, I still felt somewhat guilty and responsible for leaving him up there at the mercy of the mountain gods.
Eventually, I got word that he was OK and only ¼ mile up the trail, so I continued on until we crossed paths. Turns out, he had made a friend from Nebraska who he hiked with most of the way down after reaching 14,000 feet. On the way back down to the TH, the clouds broke, revealing a bluebird afternoon. Though it was 3:15pm, I figured I would have a go at Lackawanna after all and just keep a careful eye on the sky. Less than 10 minutes and ~600 feet up the steep hillside, I started to hear distant rumbling and hoped it was a jet. After the second or third time, I turned around to see massive black clouds billowing to the South and the writing was on the wall. I was more than happy to bail in favor of going to meet Rick for dinner in Buena Vista.
Pictures
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday, 07/06/10 Green
Started at Chautauqua, warmed up to the Gregory TH and then hit it hard through Gregory Canyon. I was feeling great and moving well and was sure I would be close to or ahead of PR today. My legs were rock solid, but my breathing seemed to be a bit sub-par. Surprisingly (and a bit to my dismay), the numbers were just not adding up in line with the effort. Passed the cabin at 15:53, but figured I might be able to rally and still put in a decent time. I think I got caught up to PR pace for a bit, but then faded near the top (I still felt great, but the watch does not lie). I tagged the summit and headed down Greenman/Saddle/Amphi and bumped into Kraig K and had a short chat.
Oh well, if there is a silver lining, that is bad days don't ONLY happen on race day, they can happen any other day as well. No biggie though, it was a good workout and I don't feel the least bit taxed by it, so I'll save it for another day soon.
Splits:
Ranger Cabin: 15:53
Ranger/Greenman jct.: 19:3x
Flat/Downhill section on ridge: 23:58
4 way: 32:53
Summit: 36:22 (this split mystifies me, as I was running most of it, 100% sure the watch would read 35:xx at the top despite it not being a great run, but the watch seemed to go into hyperdrive in the last few)(avg HR 172/max 181)
Descent: 23:22 (avg HR 145)
Oh well, if there is a silver lining, that is bad days don't ONLY happen on race day, they can happen any other day as well. No biggie though, it was a good workout and I don't feel the least bit taxed by it, so I'll save it for another day soon.
Splits:
Ranger Cabin: 15:53
Ranger/Greenman jct.: 19:3x
Flat/Downhill section on ridge: 23:58
4 way: 32:53
Summit: 36:22 (this split mystifies me, as I was running most of it, 100% sure the watch would read 35:xx at the top despite it not being a great run, but the watch seemed to go into hyperdrive in the last few)(avg HR 172/max 181)
Descent: 23:22 (avg HR 145)
Monday, July 5, 2010
Monday, 07/05/10 Green Mountain
Got out early with Sierra before work, up/down the front. The trail was pretty washed out from the heavy rain last night and the morning air was damp, cool and refreshing. My legs felt great, but I was content taking it easy and patiently waiting for Sierra, so I just jogged slowly the whole way, occasionally pausing to wait. It was great having the mountain to ourselves, as we did not see another soul.
Up: 39:55 (avg HR 140)
Down: 25:21 (avg HR 110)
Up: 39:55 (avg HR 140)
Down: 25:21 (avg HR 110)
Saturday, 07/03/10 S. Boulder Peak and Bear Peak
Since my mom was visiting, I needed to get an early start so I could be back home by ~7:30am or so, as we had plans to meet our friend Rick in Boulder for breakfast at The Original Pancake House. I started from the S. Mesa TH a few minutes after 5:30am and knew immediately that the run was not going to be as quick as I had hoped as my legs felt a little heavy. I plodded along, just giving into it being a mellow run and just enjoyed the scenery. I went up S.Boulder first and hung out for a few minutes enjoying the cool air, calm and quiet of the early morning. I debated Bear, as I was running tight on time, but bumped up my pace a bit heading over there and back, hard to resist when it is so close.
Splits:
End of Towhee: 14:3X
Mouth of Shadow jct: 21:??
Saddle: 46:??
Summit: 52:28 (avg. HR 150/max 167)
Bear: 1:01:56 (avg. HR 141 to Bear)
Finish: 1:36:24 (avg. HR 136 for the descent)
Splits:
End of Towhee: 14:3X
Mouth of Shadow jct: 21:??
Saddle: 46:??
Summit: 52:28 (avg. HR 150/max 167)
Bear: 1:01:56 (avg. HR 141 to Bear)
Finish: 1:36:24 (avg. HR 136 for the descent)
Friday, 07/02/10 Pawnee Peak (12,943)
Pawnee Peak
07/02/109.4 miles/2,450 vertical
From Long Lake TH
My mom was in town for several days, so Allison and I figured it would be fun to escape the heat and take her on an easy, yet scenic hike in the mountains, so we figured Lake Isabelle would be the perfect destination.
Getting out of the car, shortly before 10am, it was a bit cloudy and I was immediately chilled by the moderate breeze and was debating how much I should wear, as I knew this would be a fast run on the up and then some easy hiking back from the lake. Hoping/assuming that the day would warm, I opted to go somewhat light, carrying my hooded Go-Lite windbreaker, glove liners and wore shorts and a t-shirt with arm warmers, which turned out to be just the right combination.
The trail to Pawnee Pass makes for an excellent run, as it has a nice and fast rolling start which allows for a great warm up, followed by very mellow to moderate gradient all the way to the pass. My effort was on the high side of moderate for much of the run, but my legs and lungs felt great, making the effort seem much easier. Above Lake Isabelle, the trail resembled a creek for much of the way, as there was quite a bit of runoff from the melting snowpack and recent rainy weather. Before long, I began to encounter patches of intermittent snow that were solid enough to walk on for the most part, but made for slow going at times as I was being careful not to take a side slip.
As I crested the final rise before Pawnee Pass, the venturi winds were in full effect and it was difficult to keep my balance at times. Ascending the steep, but short rise from the saddle toward the summit provided minimal relief where the talus hopping required some additional care to not get knocked off balance by the gusts. I kept my summit stay brief, as I was eager to reconnect with Allison, Mom and Sierra. I made quick work of the downhill, but did not push too hard, as I was being cautious due to the rocky and technical nature of the trail.
We reconvened back at the lake where they had been sitting and snacking for about 15 minutes and relaxed for a bit, before talking them into heading back up the trail a short ways toward Pawnee Pass. Progress was a little slower this time around, as we stopped at each patch of snow to let Sierra go nuts, while Mom and Allison caught their breath (not so easy when coming from sea level or being 20 weeks pregnant with twins). How far we went up this trail was soon decided by a threatening thunderstorm that snuck up from the South, so we hustled out of there as fast as we could. Fortunately, we were spared the brunt of the storm as it passed to the South and West and before long, the sun was shining warm and bright.
Splits:
Lake Isabelle/Pawnee jct. : 18:34
Pawnee Pass: 55
Pawnee Peak: 1:03
Lake Isabelle/Pawnee jct: 1:33
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thursday, 07/01/10 Green Mountain
Early morning "dog jog" up Green via Gregory/Ranger. Not sure how I would feel after having a few days of feeling sluggish and waking up to a massive charlie horse in my left calf (felt like somebody stabbing me with a knife and twisting). Started off mellow through Gregory, made the Ranger Cabin in 16:33, which I thought was decent considering how easy it felt and how much I was waiting on Sierra. Greenman/Ranger jct. in a touch over 20, 4-way in 33:4x, waited for Sierra to show her mug, then pushed hard to the summit, knowing she would come lingering in eventually. Tagged the top at 36:53 (avg HR 155/max 180), spent a minute or two, then returned the same way (26:43 down at 124 avg HR/max 142). Awesome morning to be out.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, 06/30/10 Green Mountain
Started at 5:19am with Sierra. Went up the front side, somewhat easy for the first half, then moderate with a few minutes of not so fast hard toward the end(trying to go fast, but was feeling sluggish). Was surprised to bump into two other runners on the summit, Zack and Aaron from Westminster, plus a hiker enjoying the views to the East.
Headed back down the front side, felt a little better and more sure footed while descending. Waited a bunch on Sierra today, but was glad to get her out (more difficult now that work has decided to ban dogs from work since they are a "liability" and "unprofessional").
Every day now, as I walk in/out of work, passing the smokers on the side of the building huffing away, I can't help but to recite the recent e-mail announcing the banning of pets from the workplace with my own slant, replacing "animals" or "pets" with "smokers".
"While adoption of this new policy may be disappointing to some, the policy is being put in place in recognition of the need to respect our employees and visitors that may have allergies to animals, may be uncomfortable around animals or may find the presence of animals in the workplace to be a distraction. Given our increasing focus on security, the increased customer and VIP visits to our facilities, and the continued growth of our workforce, the presence of pets has become increasingly inconsistent with our commitment to provide a safe and healthy environment for all of our employees and visitors."
Gotta chuckle at that one. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.
Up in 37:50 (avg HR 155/max 178)
Down in 23:45 (avg HR 135/max 172 (not sure how I hit 172 on the down?))
Headed back down the front side, felt a little better and more sure footed while descending. Waited a bunch on Sierra today, but was glad to get her out (more difficult now that work has decided to ban dogs from work since they are a "liability" and "unprofessional").
Every day now, as I walk in/out of work, passing the smokers on the side of the building huffing away, I can't help but to recite the recent e-mail announcing the banning of pets from the workplace with my own slant, replacing "animals" or "pets" with "smokers".
"While adoption of this new policy may be disappointing to some, the policy is being put in place in recognition of the need to respect our employees and visitors that may have allergies to animals, may be uncomfortable around animals or may find the presence of animals in the workplace to be a distraction. Given our increasing focus on security, the increased customer and VIP visits to our facilities, and the continued growth of our workforce, the presence of pets has become increasingly inconsistent with our commitment to provide a safe and healthy environment for all of our employees and visitors."
Gotta chuckle at that one. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.
Up in 37:50 (avg HR 155/max 178)
Down in 23:45 (avg HR 135/max 172 (not sure how I hit 172 on the down?))
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, 06/28/10 Bear/South Boulder
Felt a little sluggish, probably a combination of heat and 14er running over the weekend. Jogged to the mouth of Fern, hiked the remainder of the way up Bear, jogged to South Boulder and then back to the Cragmoor TH. Coordination was a bit off, felt really slow/uncoordinated.
47:04 up Bear
59:11 to SoBo (139 avg. HR/156 max (ascent))
1:44:56 total (118 avg. HR/152 max (descent))
47:04 up Bear
59:11 to SoBo (139 avg. HR/156 max (ascent))
1:44:56 total (118 avg. HR/152 max (descent))
Monday, June 28, 2010
Saturday, 06/26/10 Missouri/Belford/Oxford
Missouri/Oxford/Belford
06/26/10
14.5 miles
7,400 vertical
Start from Missouri Gulch TH at 7:20am
Finish at Missouri Gulch TH at 12:45pm
Partner: John Prater (Homie)
Homie is training hard for the upcoming Hardrock 100 and wanted to get in some quality time up high. Missouri/Oxford/Belford stood out as an empty spot in his June grid, so we hit the road early Saturday morning for a good mountain outing. Though tired and groggy at 4:30am, conversation flows quite easily and almost non-stop with Homie and the trip to the Missouri Gulch TH passed quite quickly. At the trailhead, John was ready in an instant, while I hurriedly futzed around, as I had just thrown a bag together without much thought the night before.
We got on the trail at 7:20am and settled into a comfortable/conversational hiking pace that we maintained all the way up the switchbacks, through the valley and to the ridge below Missouri’s summit. There was some snow on the trail just below the ridge, so we avoided it on the left. John smartly went straight up to the ridge on more solid rock, while I performed an ascending traverse through scree and dirt toward the ridge in the general direction of the summit. This turned out to be somewhat inefficient, so I figured I should gain the ridge asap, but was blocked by a long/soft/impassable lingering cornice. This meant I was forced to traverse further than I had hoped as the ridge got higher and higher above. Once there was a gap in the snow, I bee lined directly up the steep fall line, but was on “conveyer belt” scree and dirt. I clawed, kicked and cussed my way through as my heart rate was nearly maxed to make what seemed like backward progress. Once on the ridge, Homie was long gone and I took off at full steam to try and catch up, as we had just speculated that we might be able to break 2 hours for the ascent. The ridge made for excellent running, except for the hard class 2+ section that required a little care. After carefully negotiating the steep gulley, I bolted for the top as Homie waited just below the summit so we could top out together in 2:05. After a ~10 minute break, we jogged down the ridge off the summit and back down the trail into the basin, re-filled water bottles in the creek and started up the trail toward Elkhead Pass. From Elkhead, it was a nice gradual hike to the high shoulder of Belford where we hiked along at a moderate pace conversing the whole way.
For much of the hike/run, I was quite preoccupied with the painful blisters developing on my heels (even though I stopped to cover the developing blisters with Band Aid brand blister coverings , they unfortunately did not work and my blisters continued to progress throughout the day). I was stupidly using a brand new/untested pair of Montrail Hardrocks I got for free the day before. The new shoes are super sturdy and protective, but that comes at too high of a price, as the sole is as stiff as a Vibram soled mountaineering boot and they are very heavy. The Hardrock is really a hiking boot in trail runners clothing and will think twice before using them for such an outing.
From the Belford shoulder, we upped the effort a bit over to Oxford, dropping to the saddle in 7 minutes, then another 16 to the summit, arriving there in 1:38 from Missouri and 23 from near Belford’s summit. We again took a nice long break, taking time to refuel and enjoy the summit for a bit. I was not looking forward to the return over Belford. My energy level and mindset were great, but my heels were in pain and my legs were feeling a little tired from the combination of Quandary the day before and gassing it through the scree and sprinting to the top of Missouri earlier in the morning. We again ran back down to the saddle on the good trail and I was expecting to dog it back up to Belford, but I dug in a bit, my strategy being to hurt worse for less time, arriving on the summit after 26 minutes. After another break on Belford, we started down the standard route with the intent of cruising somewhat easy, but before long, I was in a good groove and ended up pushing the pace at times. I felt better and better as I went, my legs were rock solid and I felt like I could cruise the most technical sections with confidence. Half of it was mental I am sure from having such a great time out in the mountains on such a great day with a great friend. Our goal was to do the whole loop in under 6 hours and I had it in my mind that we could run the final descent in an hour or less. I was occasionally checking my watch to mark progress. We were down off the ridge in 22, made the Elkhead Pass jct. in 25 and were back at the TH in 46. It was like a controlled freefall.
Moving time: 4:56
Total time with breaks: 5:25
TH to Missouri: 2:05 (avg. HR 138/Max 174)
Missouri to Oxford: 1:38 (avg. HR 140/Max 166)
Oxford to Belford: :26 (avg HR 156/Max 169)
Belford to TH: 46 (avg HR 155/Max 167)
On the way home, we got in touch with Brandon who happened to be at Twin Lakes after running part of the Leadville course (part of his training camp), so we gave him a ride back into Leadville. One of the more entertaining exchanges of the day as Brandon got out of the car and was using his i-phone 3 to call his wife:
Homie: “What, you don’t have the new i-phone 4?”
Brandon: “Dude, I’ve been gone!, there is no Apple store in Leadville!”
Homie and I later agreed the funniest part is that he was totally serious.
What an awesome day. I am very much looking forward to more runs like this soon.
06/26/10
14.5 miles
7,400 vertical
Start from Missouri Gulch TH at 7:20am
Finish at Missouri Gulch TH at 12:45pm
Partner: John Prater (Homie)
Homie is training hard for the upcoming Hardrock 100 and wanted to get in some quality time up high. Missouri/Oxford/Belford stood out as an empty spot in his June grid, so we hit the road early Saturday morning for a good mountain outing. Though tired and groggy at 4:30am, conversation flows quite easily and almost non-stop with Homie and the trip to the Missouri Gulch TH passed quite quickly. At the trailhead, John was ready in an instant, while I hurriedly futzed around, as I had just thrown a bag together without much thought the night before.
We got on the trail at 7:20am and settled into a comfortable/conversational hiking pace that we maintained all the way up the switchbacks, through the valley and to the ridge below Missouri’s summit. There was some snow on the trail just below the ridge, so we avoided it on the left. John smartly went straight up to the ridge on more solid rock, while I performed an ascending traverse through scree and dirt toward the ridge in the general direction of the summit. This turned out to be somewhat inefficient, so I figured I should gain the ridge asap, but was blocked by a long/soft/impassable lingering cornice. This meant I was forced to traverse further than I had hoped as the ridge got higher and higher above. Once there was a gap in the snow, I bee lined directly up the steep fall line, but was on “conveyer belt” scree and dirt. I clawed, kicked and cussed my way through as my heart rate was nearly maxed to make what seemed like backward progress. Once on the ridge, Homie was long gone and I took off at full steam to try and catch up, as we had just speculated that we might be able to break 2 hours for the ascent. The ridge made for excellent running, except for the hard class 2+ section that required a little care. After carefully negotiating the steep gulley, I bolted for the top as Homie waited just below the summit so we could top out together in 2:05. After a ~10 minute break, we jogged down the ridge off the summit and back down the trail into the basin, re-filled water bottles in the creek and started up the trail toward Elkhead Pass. From Elkhead, it was a nice gradual hike to the high shoulder of Belford where we hiked along at a moderate pace conversing the whole way.
For much of the hike/run, I was quite preoccupied with the painful blisters developing on my heels (even though I stopped to cover the developing blisters with Band Aid brand blister coverings , they unfortunately did not work and my blisters continued to progress throughout the day). I was stupidly using a brand new/untested pair of Montrail Hardrocks I got for free the day before. The new shoes are super sturdy and protective, but that comes at too high of a price, as the sole is as stiff as a Vibram soled mountaineering boot and they are very heavy. The Hardrock is really a hiking boot in trail runners clothing and will think twice before using them for such an outing.
From the Belford shoulder, we upped the effort a bit over to Oxford, dropping to the saddle in 7 minutes, then another 16 to the summit, arriving there in 1:38 from Missouri and 23 from near Belford’s summit. We again took a nice long break, taking time to refuel and enjoy the summit for a bit. I was not looking forward to the return over Belford. My energy level and mindset were great, but my heels were in pain and my legs were feeling a little tired from the combination of Quandary the day before and gassing it through the scree and sprinting to the top of Missouri earlier in the morning. We again ran back down to the saddle on the good trail and I was expecting to dog it back up to Belford, but I dug in a bit, my strategy being to hurt worse for less time, arriving on the summit after 26 minutes. After another break on Belford, we started down the standard route with the intent of cruising somewhat easy, but before long, I was in a good groove and ended up pushing the pace at times. I felt better and better as I went, my legs were rock solid and I felt like I could cruise the most technical sections with confidence. Half of it was mental I am sure from having such a great time out in the mountains on such a great day with a great friend. Our goal was to do the whole loop in under 6 hours and I had it in my mind that we could run the final descent in an hour or less. I was occasionally checking my watch to mark progress. We were down off the ridge in 22, made the Elkhead Pass jct. in 25 and were back at the TH in 46. It was like a controlled freefall.
Moving time: 4:56
Total time with breaks: 5:25
TH to Missouri: 2:05 (avg. HR 138/Max 174)
Missouri to Oxford: 1:38 (avg. HR 140/Max 166)
Oxford to Belford: :26 (avg HR 156/Max 169)
Belford to TH: 46 (avg HR 155/Max 167)
On the way home, we got in touch with Brandon who happened to be at Twin Lakes after running part of the Leadville course (part of his training camp), so we gave him a ride back into Leadville. One of the more entertaining exchanges of the day as Brandon got out of the car and was using his i-phone 3 to call his wife:
Homie: “What, you don’t have the new i-phone 4?”
Brandon: “Dude, I’ve been gone!, there is no Apple store in Leadville!”
Homie and I later agreed the funniest part is that he was totally serious.
What an awesome day. I am very much looking forward to more runs like this soon.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Friday, 06/25/10 Birthday Run up Quandary Peak
Quandary Peak
06/25/2010
East Ridge from Monte Cristo TH
5.4 miles/3,370 vertical
1:39:57 RT (1:03:34up/36:23 down)
To celebrate my birthday, Allison and I decided to go to Breckenridge for the day to enjoy some time outdoors in the morning, get some lunch afterwards and take advantage of cooler temperatures than the high 90’s forecast for home.
We left the house a bit later than normal, but I was on the trail by 10:10am and started off at a quick, but reasonable pace with Sierra leading the way up the dusty trail. There were a few fallen trees to negotiate that cost a bit of rhythm. The morning was perfect, sunny, warm, calm and although there were a surprising amount of cars at the trailhead for a weekday morning, we had the trail completely to ourselves until above treeline. At this point, I got a warning that there were some goats on the trail up above, so I paused to put Sierra on leash as to not take any chances of her practicing her herding skills. Putting her on leash happened to coincide with the first patch of snow and she was determined to make the most of it.
I let her soak it up for a few seconds, but ended up having to coax her along the trail with promises of more snow near the summit. Although Sierra was moving well, it was a bit awkward running with her on leash, as it was hard to push and really get into a groove. We finally passed the goats near the false summit before the final steep pitch, but the wind was blowing just right and despite passing within 20-30 feet of the goats, fortunately, she did not even notice they were there.
Once a safe distance beyond, I let her off leash and I was able to get into a better groove. Thinking that I had gone too slow in the beginning, combined with 20+ minutes of awkward leash running, I figured that I was not even close to PR pace. As I approached the summit, I realized that it might be closer than I first thought, so I upped the tempo a bit, but was once again deceived by the convex nature of the summit. I efficiently negotiated the final snowy pitch and then sprinted along the final flat section to the true summit, topping out in 1:03:34 (avg HR 169/178 max) but was about a half minute shy of PR.
I took a few minutes to wait on Sierra, chat with some hikers and take in the day, completely comfortable in a t-shirt and shorts. I was eager to cruise the downhill, as this was where I hobbled and limped in pain just a year ago, not knowing how close I was at the time to topping off my stress fracture to the point that I would spend the remainder of summer 09 in a stiff boot. I made quick work of the upper section and felt super solid in every way, effortlessly gliding over technical terrain as if it were a paved road. I pushed hard at times purely for the exhilarating fun of it and backed off at other times to be sure that Sierra was still in sight. I made it down to the trailhead in 36:23 (avg HR 154/max 169) for a total time of 1:39:57, shaving a little over 2 minutes off PR, which felt great, especially since I knew that without the dog, I could shave a few more minutes on the up and the down.
An excellent way to celebrate another year of life.
06/25/2010
East Ridge from Monte Cristo TH
5.4 miles/3,370 vertical
1:39:57 RT (1:03:34up/36:23 down)
To celebrate my birthday, Allison and I decided to go to Breckenridge for the day to enjoy some time outdoors in the morning, get some lunch afterwards and take advantage of cooler temperatures than the high 90’s forecast for home.
We left the house a bit later than normal, but I was on the trail by 10:10am and started off at a quick, but reasonable pace with Sierra leading the way up the dusty trail. There were a few fallen trees to negotiate that cost a bit of rhythm. The morning was perfect, sunny, warm, calm and although there were a surprising amount of cars at the trailhead for a weekday morning, we had the trail completely to ourselves until above treeline. At this point, I got a warning that there were some goats on the trail up above, so I paused to put Sierra on leash as to not take any chances of her practicing her herding skills. Putting her on leash happened to coincide with the first patch of snow and she was determined to make the most of it.
I let her soak it up for a few seconds, but ended up having to coax her along the trail with promises of more snow near the summit. Although Sierra was moving well, it was a bit awkward running with her on leash, as it was hard to push and really get into a groove. We finally passed the goats near the false summit before the final steep pitch, but the wind was blowing just right and despite passing within 20-30 feet of the goats, fortunately, she did not even notice they were there.
Once a safe distance beyond, I let her off leash and I was able to get into a better groove. Thinking that I had gone too slow in the beginning, combined with 20+ minutes of awkward leash running, I figured that I was not even close to PR pace. As I approached the summit, I realized that it might be closer than I first thought, so I upped the tempo a bit, but was once again deceived by the convex nature of the summit. I efficiently negotiated the final snowy pitch and then sprinted along the final flat section to the true summit, topping out in 1:03:34 (avg HR 169/178 max) but was about a half minute shy of PR.
I took a few minutes to wait on Sierra, chat with some hikers and take in the day, completely comfortable in a t-shirt and shorts. I was eager to cruise the downhill, as this was where I hobbled and limped in pain just a year ago, not knowing how close I was at the time to topping off my stress fracture to the point that I would spend the remainder of summer 09 in a stiff boot. I made quick work of the upper section and felt super solid in every way, effortlessly gliding over technical terrain as if it were a paved road. I pushed hard at times purely for the exhilarating fun of it and backed off at other times to be sure that Sierra was still in sight. I made it down to the trailhead in 36:23 (avg HR 154/max 169) for a total time of 1:39:57, shaving a little over 2 minutes off PR, which felt great, especially since I knew that without the dog, I could shave a few more minutes on the up and the down.
An excellent way to celebrate another year of life.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, 06/24/10 Green Mountain
Because of a mistake(s) courtesy of Comcast, I had to waste the entire morning not getting outside. It wasn't until early afternoon where I had a chance to finally get out and I had grand plans to run Green/Bear/SoBo. I started "running" up Amphitheater trail and it was immidiately obvious that simply summiting Green today would be a lofty goal. It was so hot, I was just draining my hand bottle of electrolyte drink and if I had not restrained myself, it would have been gone halfway up. Several minutes in (or 1:30 to be exact), I elected to just hike this one out. I jogged perhaps 5 percent of the ascent and was surprised to see a fair amount of other people out there. Conditions were perhaps equally as miserable as the coldest/snowiest day this past winter.
Up: 41:05
Down: 27
Up: 41:05
Down: 27
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, 06/22/10 Green Mountain
Solo this morning and feeling recovered from the race (I was recovered by the time I got home Saturday which is a bad sign that I did not give much), I decided to push a little to see how I felt. I started off up Amphitheater fairly conservative, but two minutes in I fully breathed a fly straight into my lungs. This sent me into fits of gagging, hacking and coughing, which I felt the residual effects of the entire run up. I hit the 1st jct. in 6:45, not great, but still within range of putting in a decent time. I upped the effort a bit, but really just did not have as much as I had hoped. My legs felt great and I plugged along, going at the low side of hard, but my cardio system was just not in sync and I felt as though I was fighting the hill a bit. My chest has still been bugging me more than I have wanted to admit since slamming it on my knee two weeks ago and I was mentally acknowledging some awkwardness this morning while trying to go a little harder than I have since it happened. It does not actually hurt so much while running (even though it still hurts if I lay on my stomach in bed), but I think the combination of it somewhat limiting my breathing (it still hurts a bit taking in a full breath) and just the overall feeling of being a bit more fragile than usual is having a bit of an affect both mentally and physically.
I tagged the top in a somewhat disappointing 35:46 (avg HR 165) which seemed slow to me given my overall perceived effort. I am looking forward to Bike to Work Day tomorrow and then hopefully a slew of 14ers over the weekend to usher in my 39th year.
I tagged the top in a somewhat disappointing 35:46 (avg HR 165) which seemed slow to me given my overall perceived effort. I am looking forward to Bike to Work Day tomorrow and then hopefully a slew of 14ers over the weekend to usher in my 39th year.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday, 06/21/10 Green Mountain
Went up the front side jogging/hiking casual with my most frequent hiking/running partner who insisted today to stop and take in all the smells, sights and sounds, so I was happy to just go with it and enjoy a perfect morning on the summer solstice. Took things easy again on the down, found a nice overlook on NE Ridge on top of a surprisingly high cliff and spent ~5 minutes taking in the views of Longs, Audubon and the divide. Is there anything better than the long days of June filled with the endless possibilities of high mountain outings for the summer?
Up: 39:41 (avg HR 146)
Down: 25 (avg HR 114)
Up: 39:41 (avg HR 146)
Down: 25 (avg HR 114)
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