Up/Down Back
5.37 miles/2,367 vert./1:12:12 (43:12 up)/138 avg. HR Garmin Data
After getting a less than encouraging conditions report from Green Mountain, I decided to skip it and head up Bear instead. But, as I walked out of work, I could hardly open the door as the wind was hammering pretty hard and I was unsure whether Bear was still the best idea or not. As I drove toward Boulder (watching the wind kick up snow devils in town and in the foothills), I waffled literally minute to minute between Bear, Sanitas and various routes on Green. Traffic patterns and whichever lane I happened to be in at the time, ultimately dictated my choice and before I knew it, I was at the Gregory lot.
Luckily, the wind seemed to have calmed slightly for a bit, or I might have been in a little bit of a wind shadow. I started off without spikes and put them on below the second significant rocky section in Gregory. Conditions right now are really dismal. WAY too much rock and bare ground to wear Microspikes, but simultaneously WAY too much ice (now hidden by a dusting of powder) to not wear spikes. Uggg.
Went pretty easy on the up and even easier on the down. Even going as slow and easy as I did, I still had a few good slips and close calls. All the ice kind of beats one up on the descent, as it is the hardest running surface I have ever encountered. I am almost tempted to stick to pavement (maybe do SuperFlag for my climbing days) until things improve.
