~8 miles
~2,700 vertical feet
Allison and I got out for a late evening run up Flag and over to Green. It was a nice cool evening and once I got warmed up, I was really into it, as I was feeling lazy at the start and was hinting at bailing. 1hr 50 minutes.
Sierra
Sierra
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Flagstaff
~4 miles
~1,500 vertical
At the last minute I decided to join Allison and Sierra for a hike up Flag. I was feeling a bit lazy and did not want to go, but even more, I did not want to pass up time on the trail. Allison ran and I powerhiked/jogged to keep up. We went up in about 22, then did the loop around the top. Nice and cool out, fall is right around the corner.
~1,500 vertical
At the last minute I decided to join Allison and Sierra for a hike up Flag. I was feeling a bit lazy and did not want to go, but even more, I did not want to pass up time on the trail. Allison ran and I powerhiked/jogged to keep up. We went up in about 22, then did the loop around the top. Nice and cool out, fall is right around the corner.
Monday, September 1, 2008
S. Boulder Peak Attempt
~4 miles
~2,500 vertical
Got out with John today for an attempt of S. Boulder from Eldo up the ridge. Some 5th class, lots of 4th and 3rd class, bushwhacking, boulder hopping. We only made it about 1/3 of the way after about 3 hours. Tough going, but really fun.
~2,500 vertical
Got out with John today for an attempt of S. Boulder from Eldo up the ridge. Some 5th class, lots of 4th and 3rd class, bushwhacking, boulder hopping. We only made it about 1/3 of the way after about 3 hours. Tough going, but really fun.
Sunday, 08/31/08 North Apostle and Ice Mountain
N. Apostle (13,860) and Ice Mountain (13,951)
8/31/08
9 miles
4,000 vertical
Jeff Valliere, Dave Hale, Dave “Hoot” Gibson, Dale Peterson, Sierra and Shep
Starting from our campsite ~.3 miles below the 4wd TH above Winfield, we got off to a prompt 6am start and headed up the road at a good pace. I was familiar with the Lake Ann trail to just above the junction of the Three Apostles Trail and was a little uneasy about how easy it would be to follow the route up into the basin, as I have read numerous TR’s where people have had mixed results finding the route.
Roughly .2 miles past the junction, the Three Apostles Trail crosses the creek on a large log. Beyond this, the trail continues to be well worn and very easy to follow along the West side of the creek up into the basin to 11,300. At around 11,300, the trail crosses over to the East side of the creek and loosely meanders through the willows S/SE to the base of a large rock pile below the headwall. From the large rockpile, we headed East up a steep grassy slope, until we saw a cairned route head SW up the hill toward the lake at 12,100 feet, exactly as described in the Roach guidebook.
Up the talus and scree we went to the saddle under less than inspiring gray skies. We topped out at the saddle after a surprisingly long ~2:40 from the campsite where we bumped into a solo climber named Ryan who asked if he could join us. He seemed like a nice enough guy and he immediately meshed well with our group as we made the short jaunt up to N. Apostle. The peaks were in/out of the clouds and this did nothing to relieve my trepidation for Ice Mountain.
Dave, Dale and the dogs opted out of Ice., while Hoot, Ryan and I carried on. The climb up the ridge is very straight forward and is easy class 3. I was starting to think Ice was cake and a bit over rated until we reached the crux. We got to the first gulley and Hoot went up and checked out a steep chimney. While I was waiting, I traversed over a minor rib at the top of the same gulley and found the route as described in the guidebook.
I crossed the gulley and started up the right side and reached the class 4 crux. The rock in this section is loose and the move up the crux was a bit awkward. Once past the crux, I missed the crossover on the right to the class 3 finish and kept heading up the gulley on ever steepening rock. Hoot noticed this and pointed out my mistake, but I was committed at this point. Up I went, testing and retesting each small and suspect hand hold. A few grunts, some foul language and a few stemmed out stretchy moves on knocking knees saw me to the top safely, arriving about the same time as Hoot who had taken the easier way.
I was a bit on edge and did not linger. I followed Hoot down to the class 4 crux down climb and knowing how awkward that one move was going up, I opted to find a better way down as Hoot accompanied Ryan to the top. I was able to gingerly descend the exposed rib to a point where I could cross over into the gulley below the crux. In my opinion, this was easier, but it was exposed for longer with many loose rocks and ledges to negotiate.
Once we were below the crux, it was easy street back to the saddle. Unfortunately, I let my guard down a bit and stepped on a rather large rock that looked stable, but just the slightest bit of weight from me stepping on it set it into motion. I surfed it for a foot or so until I was able to leap to solid ground and avoid going off the edge with it. It crashed 20-30 feet down the mountain and stopped just short of the big drop. This really startled me and I was ready to be done. From then on, I was on a heightened sense of alert as we picked our way back to the saddle and then the valley floor.
The trip out was a cruise and I sped ahead to catch Dave, Dale and the dogs and we walked the last mile together, arriving at camp around 1pm.
N. Apostle and Ice did not disappoint. As advertised, Ice is more dangerous than it is difficult. If you take your time, you can keep it at class 3, but it certainly is loose and a good bit of care needs to be taken.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Ice/
8/31/08
9 miles
4,000 vertical
Jeff Valliere, Dave Hale, Dave “Hoot” Gibson, Dale Peterson, Sierra and Shep
Starting from our campsite ~.3 miles below the 4wd TH above Winfield, we got off to a prompt 6am start and headed up the road at a good pace. I was familiar with the Lake Ann trail to just above the junction of the Three Apostles Trail and was a little uneasy about how easy it would be to follow the route up into the basin, as I have read numerous TR’s where people have had mixed results finding the route.
Roughly .2 miles past the junction, the Three Apostles Trail crosses the creek on a large log. Beyond this, the trail continues to be well worn and very easy to follow along the West side of the creek up into the basin to 11,300. At around 11,300, the trail crosses over to the East side of the creek and loosely meanders through the willows S/SE to the base of a large rock pile below the headwall. From the large rockpile, we headed East up a steep grassy slope, until we saw a cairned route head SW up the hill toward the lake at 12,100 feet, exactly as described in the Roach guidebook.
Up the talus and scree we went to the saddle under less than inspiring gray skies. We topped out at the saddle after a surprisingly long ~2:40 from the campsite where we bumped into a solo climber named Ryan who asked if he could join us. He seemed like a nice enough guy and he immediately meshed well with our group as we made the short jaunt up to N. Apostle. The peaks were in/out of the clouds and this did nothing to relieve my trepidation for Ice Mountain.
Dave, Dale and the dogs opted out of Ice., while Hoot, Ryan and I carried on. The climb up the ridge is very straight forward and is easy class 3. I was starting to think Ice was cake and a bit over rated until we reached the crux. We got to the first gulley and Hoot went up and checked out a steep chimney. While I was waiting, I traversed over a minor rib at the top of the same gulley and found the route as described in the guidebook.
I crossed the gulley and started up the right side and reached the class 4 crux. The rock in this section is loose and the move up the crux was a bit awkward. Once past the crux, I missed the crossover on the right to the class 3 finish and kept heading up the gulley on ever steepening rock. Hoot noticed this and pointed out my mistake, but I was committed at this point. Up I went, testing and retesting each small and suspect hand hold. A few grunts, some foul language and a few stemmed out stretchy moves on knocking knees saw me to the top safely, arriving about the same time as Hoot who had taken the easier way.
I was a bit on edge and did not linger. I followed Hoot down to the class 4 crux down climb and knowing how awkward that one move was going up, I opted to find a better way down as Hoot accompanied Ryan to the top. I was able to gingerly descend the exposed rib to a point where I could cross over into the gulley below the crux. In my opinion, this was easier, but it was exposed for longer with many loose rocks and ledges to negotiate.
Once we were below the crux, it was easy street back to the saddle. Unfortunately, I let my guard down a bit and stepped on a rather large rock that looked stable, but just the slightest bit of weight from me stepping on it set it into motion. I surfed it for a foot or so until I was able to leap to solid ground and avoid going off the edge with it. It crashed 20-30 feet down the mountain and stopped just short of the big drop. This really startled me and I was ready to be done. From then on, I was on a heightened sense of alert as we picked our way back to the saddle and then the valley floor.
The trip out was a cruise and I sped ahead to catch Dave, Dale and the dogs and we walked the last mile together, arriving at camp around 1pm.
N. Apostle and Ice did not disappoint. As advertised, Ice is more dangerous than it is difficult. If you take your time, you can keep it at class 3, but it certainly is loose and a good bit of care needs to be taken.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Ice/
Saturday, 8/30/08 Mt. Yale (14,196)
Mount Yale (14,196ft.)
8/30/08
9.5 miles RT
4,300 vertical
Jeff Valliere, Kevin Lund, Dale Peterson
When making plans for the weekend, Kevin proposed climbing Mt. Yale on Saturday before we met Dave and Hoot for a climb of Ice and North Apostle the following day. At first I was a bit hesitant as I was not really interested in climbing Yale for the 3rd time on a busy holiday weekend, but I started thinking that it might be fun to go take a stab at the fastest known time of 1:32 set back in 2001 by Bill Briggs. FWIW, fastest known times (or FKT’s) don’t really mean all that much and carry little weight, as there may be faster times but not known or posted anywhere, but at the very least it was a good benchmark time to shoot for.
We arrived at the Denny Creek TH at ~7:40am (snagging the last parking spot in the lot) and prepared for our ascent. Kevin was planning on hiking, Dale was planning on hiking/running at a moderate pace and I was intending to dig in deep and go for broke. While Kevin and Dale were packing their packs, I was already set to go, but used this time to get in a short warm-up. I started up the trail for a bit and it was a bit steeper and rockier than I recalled, but I knew my legs were feeling great and was eager to get on with it.
Back down to the car, I got Sierra leashed up for Kev and I gave a few route instructions and we agreed to just meet on the summit. I started my watch at the parking lot at 8:07am. Although the trail starts off steep and rocky, I was feeling even better than I anticipated and knew at that moment I was going to have an awesome day. The weather was cool, but not cold, sunny, clear, no wind.I kept a quick cadence up the steep trail, going hard, but knowing that I needed to pace myself just right for maximum efficiency. The loose and rocky trail was not conducive to maintaining an even rhythm, but I did what I could, always looking for the path of least resistance and cutting the apex whenever possible.
Before long, the trail leveled a bit and I was really able to up the pace. At 10:3? in, I came to the creek crossing and tip-toed my way across a few small logs and wet rocks (completely overlooked the nice, big dry logs spanning the creek slightly upstream) and was happy to have not gotten wet going at such a quick pace. In 5 more minutes I came to the junction and took right hand turn for Yale.
At this point, I was really starting to hit my stride, I felt like I was absolutely flying, cruising effortlessly up the trail and tearing through the rollers, my feet, legs and brain all working in perfect sync. By this point, I was starting to pass crowds of people who had started earlier and they were all great about stepping to the side as they heard me coming up behind them. As I passed, most people made some sort of complimentary remark, either to me or to one another. All of this super positive energy from others on the mountain only added fuel to my already hot fire.
There were some surprisingly steep sections as I neared tree-line and I was careful to not blow my quads and power hiked when necessary, all the while assessing the terrain ahead planning on where I would resume my run and always staying focused on maintaining a steady output regardless of the gear I was in ("changing gears" quickly was key here).I reached tree line at 38:?? and could now start to see the summit and the general path of the route. At this point, it was starting to seem somewhat unlikely to me that I would better the FKT, but I was hoping to come close.
Skeptical, but not deterred, I pressed on up the hill, now in full on, “hands on the knees” power hike mode, always looking for the best traction as the steep trail is pretty slick with loose dirt on hard pack.The trail just gets progressively steeper as it works it’s way up to gain the ridge, but occasionally there was a brief flat section where a running pace could be temporarily initiated, if only for 20-30 seconds. I got to the base of the headwall at an hour even, the point I would consider to be the start of steepest section of trail as it rears up to gain the ridge crest through a braided mess of loose dirt and rock.
The ridge still looked distant, but I caught a glimpse of a few guys topping out and it was closer than I had thought. I arrived on the ridge at 1:08:?? and knew it would be a quick boulder hop to the summit along the ridge. I cruised this section fast, hopping from rock to rock with surprising speed and agility, as the “super computer” as George likes to say was working at full capacity, everything was just coming together perfectly.At this point, I knew I had the FKT in the bag, but now it was a matter of how much.
I looked at my watch and was bent on getting in under 1:20, but could not up the effort any more, as I was already at my max speed, you can only go so fast across this type of boulder strewn ridge. I tagged the top at 1:19:24 and felt the most unbelievable runners high I have ever felt. I paced a bit and laughed aloud as I soaked it all in, looking down toward the parking lot, 4,300 feet below, feeling fresh still and not the least bit winded.
I poked around for a while checking the views and then built a nice recliner chair facing Harvard and Columbia, where I sat until Dale arrived at 10:20 and then Kevin/Sierra at 10:45. Everyone on the mountain was quite friendly and many asked about my run and offered congratulations or some kind words. I felt a bit awkward receiving so much fanfare (especially in the company of Dale who has placed top 10 at Pikes 20 or so times) but he and Kevin were quite excited for me.
We then headed down at a casual pace, talking to more people along the way. About a mile from the cars, we bumped into Shep and Dave who walked up to meet us, awesome surprise! We all had a great time chatting on the way down.
I felt absolutely amazing on my run, it was awesome hanging out with great friends, the weather was perfect and even though crowded, the energy and spirits amongst everyone on the mountain was at such a high, it was truly inspiring. I would have to rank this as my best run yet this year, perhaps one of my best ever, I sure wish all days could be this great!
Splits:10:3? to creek crossing
15:?? to Yale/Browns Pass jct.
38:00 to treeline
1:08:?? crested ridgeline
1:19:24 summit
8/30/08
9.5 miles RT
4,300 vertical
Jeff Valliere, Kevin Lund, Dale Peterson
When making plans for the weekend, Kevin proposed climbing Mt. Yale on Saturday before we met Dave and Hoot for a climb of Ice and North Apostle the following day. At first I was a bit hesitant as I was not really interested in climbing Yale for the 3rd time on a busy holiday weekend, but I started thinking that it might be fun to go take a stab at the fastest known time of 1:32 set back in 2001 by Bill Briggs. FWIW, fastest known times (or FKT’s) don’t really mean all that much and carry little weight, as there may be faster times but not known or posted anywhere, but at the very least it was a good benchmark time to shoot for.
We arrived at the Denny Creek TH at ~7:40am (snagging the last parking spot in the lot) and prepared for our ascent. Kevin was planning on hiking, Dale was planning on hiking/running at a moderate pace and I was intending to dig in deep and go for broke. While Kevin and Dale were packing their packs, I was already set to go, but used this time to get in a short warm-up. I started up the trail for a bit and it was a bit steeper and rockier than I recalled, but I knew my legs were feeling great and was eager to get on with it.
Back down to the car, I got Sierra leashed up for Kev and I gave a few route instructions and we agreed to just meet on the summit. I started my watch at the parking lot at 8:07am. Although the trail starts off steep and rocky, I was feeling even better than I anticipated and knew at that moment I was going to have an awesome day. The weather was cool, but not cold, sunny, clear, no wind.I kept a quick cadence up the steep trail, going hard, but knowing that I needed to pace myself just right for maximum efficiency. The loose and rocky trail was not conducive to maintaining an even rhythm, but I did what I could, always looking for the path of least resistance and cutting the apex whenever possible.
Before long, the trail leveled a bit and I was really able to up the pace. At 10:3? in, I came to the creek crossing and tip-toed my way across a few small logs and wet rocks (completely overlooked the nice, big dry logs spanning the creek slightly upstream) and was happy to have not gotten wet going at such a quick pace. In 5 more minutes I came to the junction and took right hand turn for Yale.
At this point, I was really starting to hit my stride, I felt like I was absolutely flying, cruising effortlessly up the trail and tearing through the rollers, my feet, legs and brain all working in perfect sync. By this point, I was starting to pass crowds of people who had started earlier and they were all great about stepping to the side as they heard me coming up behind them. As I passed, most people made some sort of complimentary remark, either to me or to one another. All of this super positive energy from others on the mountain only added fuel to my already hot fire.
There were some surprisingly steep sections as I neared tree-line and I was careful to not blow my quads and power hiked when necessary, all the while assessing the terrain ahead planning on where I would resume my run and always staying focused on maintaining a steady output regardless of the gear I was in ("changing gears" quickly was key here).I reached tree line at 38:?? and could now start to see the summit and the general path of the route. At this point, it was starting to seem somewhat unlikely to me that I would better the FKT, but I was hoping to come close.
Skeptical, but not deterred, I pressed on up the hill, now in full on, “hands on the knees” power hike mode, always looking for the best traction as the steep trail is pretty slick with loose dirt on hard pack.The trail just gets progressively steeper as it works it’s way up to gain the ridge, but occasionally there was a brief flat section where a running pace could be temporarily initiated, if only for 20-30 seconds. I got to the base of the headwall at an hour even, the point I would consider to be the start of steepest section of trail as it rears up to gain the ridge crest through a braided mess of loose dirt and rock.
The ridge still looked distant, but I caught a glimpse of a few guys topping out and it was closer than I had thought. I arrived on the ridge at 1:08:?? and knew it would be a quick boulder hop to the summit along the ridge. I cruised this section fast, hopping from rock to rock with surprising speed and agility, as the “super computer” as George likes to say was working at full capacity, everything was just coming together perfectly.At this point, I knew I had the FKT in the bag, but now it was a matter of how much.
I looked at my watch and was bent on getting in under 1:20, but could not up the effort any more, as I was already at my max speed, you can only go so fast across this type of boulder strewn ridge. I tagged the top at 1:19:24 and felt the most unbelievable runners high I have ever felt. I paced a bit and laughed aloud as I soaked it all in, looking down toward the parking lot, 4,300 feet below, feeling fresh still and not the least bit winded.
I poked around for a while checking the views and then built a nice recliner chair facing Harvard and Columbia, where I sat until Dale arrived at 10:20 and then Kevin/Sierra at 10:45. Everyone on the mountain was quite friendly and many asked about my run and offered congratulations or some kind words. I felt a bit awkward receiving so much fanfare (especially in the company of Dale who has placed top 10 at Pikes 20 or so times) but he and Kevin were quite excited for me.
We then headed down at a casual pace, talking to more people along the way. About a mile from the cars, we bumped into Shep and Dave who walked up to meet us, awesome surprise! We all had a great time chatting on the way down.
I felt absolutely amazing on my run, it was awesome hanging out with great friends, the weather was perfect and even though crowded, the energy and spirits amongst everyone on the mountain was at such a high, it was truly inspiring. I would have to rank this as my best run yet this year, perhaps one of my best ever, I sure wish all days could be this great!
Splits:10:3? to creek crossing
15:?? to Yale/Browns Pass jct.
38:00 to treeline
1:08:?? crested ridgeline
1:19:24 summit
Friday, August 29, 2008
Twin Sisters Peaks
Twin Sisters Peaks, RMNP
NE summit 11428'
NW summit 11413'
S summit 11376'
TH: ~9000',
Twin Sisters Trail/Lily Lake Visitors Center
approx 9 miles, 3400' gain
After a slothful day yesterday (we wanted to get out, but the smoke was too bad..... cough cough), Allison and I decided to get out and do something somewhat close and not too committing.
I was a little stumped to not see any signs for the TH where it should have been. As soon as I started to really wonder, I saw a sign "Twin Sisters TH 1.6 miles". That is odd, I must have a pretty old map, as all the maps show the TH just North of the Longs Peak TH, not Lily Lake.
Anyways, we easily found the parking lot where they do not allow parking and then parked a bit down the road in line with 20 other cars. Funny stuff.
We started up the trail at 10am and casually strolled the endless switchbacks in the cool morning air. Back and forth, forth and back I was not sure where this trail was taking us! Anything but up it seemed. Eventually the views started to open up and we had great views of Longs and we could start to verify that we were indeed gaining altitude.
After passing nearly 20 people of all shapes and sizes, we topped out on the crowded NW summit at 11:15am, then cruised over to the NE summit for some solitude. After a bit of a break, we decided that we had to head to the S. summit to cover all of our bases. On the way there, we mostly stuck to the ridge down to the saddle and enjoyed some really fun class 3 scrambling on surprisingly grippy metamorphic rock (anyone have the scoop on the geology of this peak?). Going up to the S. summit, there was a great fin of rock that offered some very enjoyable and non-committal class 3 scrambling and it took us 25 additional minutes to traverse between the two summits going easy. We took a huge break here, taking in the views and split when 3 guys arrived, way too crowded!
On the way off the summit block, Allison really bonked her noggin on an over hanging rock. Knocked her senseless and she had to sit for a while to regain her composure. Maybe we should just start wearing helmets on all hikes harder than class 1 from now on!
On the way down, we were getting dizzy from all the switchbacks. I was on a mission for us to make it down faster than we got up (without running) and we really had to focus to pull this off, as it seems pretty much equal effort both ways. We were able to pull the descent off in 1hr (15 minutes faster than the up), without running one step. 4hrs RT, a sweet little walk in the "park".
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Bear/S. Boulder
9 miles
3,300 vertical
Hiked these two with Allison and Sierra at a leisurely pace from the S. Mesa TH with some long breaks on the summits. Tried out my new Chaco test shoes on trail for the first time. I really like them, but they are certainly not trail runners. Excellent grip on rock and very comfortable, stylish enough for a night on the town (in Boulder of course), (if you're into that sort of thing).
Was very thirsty at the end, as it got warmer than anticipated, 14oz just does not cut it for 3+ hours in the sun.
3,300 vertical
Hiked these two with Allison and Sierra at a leisurely pace from the S. Mesa TH with some long breaks on the summits. Tried out my new Chaco test shoes on trail for the first time. I really like them, but they are certainly not trail runners. Excellent grip on rock and very comfortable, stylish enough for a night on the town (in Boulder of course), (if you're into that sort of thing).
Was very thirsty at the end, as it got warmer than anticipated, 14oz just does not cut it for 3+ hours in the sun.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Bear Peak and S. Boulder Peak
~10 miles
~3,500 vertical
1:58 RT
Started at the Devils Thumb TH, headed up to Bear Canyon to Bear Peak W. Ridge, topped out on Bear at 1:04 going easy. 12 more over to SBP, then 42 back to the car via Fern. Felt OK, but still feeling lots of hard days in the legs and still working on getting back to "normal".
~3,500 vertical
1:58 RT
Started at the Devils Thumb TH, headed up to Bear Canyon to Bear Peak W. Ridge, topped out on Bear at 1:04 going easy. 12 more over to SBP, then 42 back to the car via Fern. Felt OK, but still feeling lots of hard days in the legs and still working on getting back to "normal".
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 24th Pt. 13,546 (aka Montana Mujeres)
Pt. 13,546 (aka Montana Mujeres)
8/24/08
Me, Allison and Sierra
After a peaceful 10+ hour restful sleep, we got up at 6:30am planning to get in Pt. 13,546 before we packed out. We headed up to Willow Lake at 7:35am and then found a steep grassy slope heading due North that led us up into the basin below 13,546 and Mt. Adams.
After travelling about 1/3 of the way up the basin, we headed West and climbed steep grassy slopes to attain the SE ridge. There is nothing I prefer more than solid, 35-40 degree grassy slopes for ascending where I can speed up on all fours!
Once on the ridge, it was easy going all the way to the summit, all on grass where we topped out 1:05 after leaving camp. The weather was perfect and we were in no hurry, so we lingered for quite some time enjoying the views and solitude. The views from this peak are stunning and I would highly recommend fitting it in if you are looking for something to do while lounging around camp, or before the hike out.
To spice things up, we opted to descend the easy ridge down to the 13,546/Adams saddle and then walk the entire length of the short valley, arriving back in camp shortly after 10am.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/
8/24/08
Me, Allison and Sierra
After a peaceful 10+ hour restful sleep, we got up at 6:30am planning to get in Pt. 13,546 before we packed out. We headed up to Willow Lake at 7:35am and then found a steep grassy slope heading due North that led us up into the basin below 13,546 and Mt. Adams.
After travelling about 1/3 of the way up the basin, we headed West and climbed steep grassy slopes to attain the SE ridge. There is nothing I prefer more than solid, 35-40 degree grassy slopes for ascending where I can speed up on all fours!
Once on the ridge, it was easy going all the way to the summit, all on grass where we topped out 1:05 after leaving camp. The weather was perfect and we were in no hurry, so we lingered for quite some time enjoying the views and solitude. The views from this peak are stunning and I would highly recommend fitting it in if you are looking for something to do while lounging around camp, or before the hike out.
To spice things up, we opted to descend the easy ridge down to the 13,546/Adams saddle and then walk the entire length of the short valley, arriving back in camp shortly after 10am.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/
Friday-Saturday, August 22/23 Challenger, Kit Carson, Columbia Point
Challenger Pt. (14,080), Kit Carson (14,165) Columbia Pt. (13,980)
8/23/08
From Willow Creek TH
Jeff and Allison Valliere, Dave and Emily Hale, Kevin Lund, Sierra and Shep
Allison, Kevin and I had Friday off from work, so we headed down to the Willow Creek TH in hopes of getting ahead of the weekend crowds and securing a campsite roomy enough for the 6 of us (Dave’s sister Sharon was also joining just for the camping trip).
We arrived to a nearly full parking lot around 3pm and began readying ourselves and our packs. Soon after, 2 vehicles pull up and out hop 9 guys with overnight packs and I knew it could get competitive to secure a camp spot, as options up at the lake are somewhat limited.
Started on the trail at 3:35 and I was itching to speed up the trail and stay ahead of the other group. I ran my idea by Kevin and Allison and they both encouraged me to go ahead, so off Sierra and I went, up the endless low grade switchbacks through the woods. I was really feeling the heat, the 40lbs on my back and the previous day’s run up Pikes Peak. It seemed that no matter how fast I tried to move my legs, I was going nowhere fast and it seemed as though I was unable to put any distance on Kevin and Allison as I could hear them for what seemed like a long time.
Sierra was feeling the heat too and was going even slower than me, so I stopped often to let her drink from the numerous side creeks and main creek. We finally reached the lake after 1:45 of hiking and began looking for Sharon who I erroneously believed to already be up there. I could not find her, so I backtracked a short ways down from the lake (can’t camp near it anyways) and found a great spot on the South side of the trail next to a large open meadow with plenty of room for all of us.
Allison arrived about 20 minutes later, as she was feeling a bit competitive after being caught by two of the guys from the group of 9 (they said something to her that she interpreted as a bit sexist), so she felt the need to dust them. Kevin arrived not long after and we spent the evening eating and taking things easy while waiting for Sharon, Dave and Emily to show up.
After a miserable night in the tent (hardly any sleep due to my gastrointestinal distress and Allison’s throwing up due to a touch of food poisoning from her former favorite restaurant in Buena Vista), we were on the trail by 6:45am. Surprisingly, even at this “late” hour and considering how crowded it was with people camping, there was only one person ahead of us on the standard route on Challenger and we were playing leap frog with 3 others.
Allison was still feeling a bit under the weather and was having a tough time trying to keep up and not hurl. She hung in there though and we were able to make slow and steady progress up the increasingly steepening slopes. Dave, Emily and Kevin opted to take a slightly different variation to climbers left of the “standard” route on the other side of the snow gulley. From below, it looked a bit steeper, so I opted to stick to the main trail since Allison was not feeling so well.
This turned out to be a HUGE mistake, as the trail and surrounding terrain got loose and crappy. It was not too difficult, but was very dangerous, compounded by the fact that we opted to leave our helmets at home. The one guy ahead of us at this point, managed to knock a few large rocks. He yelled and I was looking up trying to pinpoint their location and trajectory, yet could not see the falling rocks. I kept thinking that they were coming to a halt, then would hear them again and I was searching for a place to take cover. Suddenly, I see several rocks, one larger than a basketball come whipping around the corner down the gulley I was in and I had no place to hide. They were skipping this way and that, so I sprinted across the slope as fast as I could, narrowly avoiding certain death by mere feet. Fortunately, Sierra and Allison were far enough out of the way of the rocks, that they had no chance of being hit.
My heart was nearly pounding out through my head as I screamed a loud “WHAT THE F…!!”. The guy (Steve) stopped and waited for us to catch up to him and I sped past on pure adrenaline to the ridge. Not sure if a helmet would have saved me in this instance had I got hit, but I really admit that it was a huge mistake not taking them on this route, what were we thinking?
Once on the ridge, we all regrouped and were soon on the summit, 9:09am I think Dave said. It was an easy cruise around Kit Carson on the avenue and just prior to reaching the ascent gulley that most people follow, we ascended a steeper, but more solid gulley. In my opinion, this is the best way to go, as the climbing was very easy and enjoyable class 3. Using our hands were hardly even necessary going up and down, super fun!
By the time we had reached the summit of Kit Carson, we had befriended (and forgiven) Steve, as he turned out to be a pretty nice guy. Ironically, he and I decided to team up for the trip over to Columbia Pt., as we both felt it would be good to have company. Dave led the rest of the group back toward camp, while Steve and I descended toward the Kit Carson/Columbia saddle.
I had read up on the route and got a great picture from Ryan Kowalski where he outlined where he and Pete had climbed earlier in the month, but of course I forgot the picture back in camp and we had to just wing it. As it turns out, we went a completely different way that started lower in the gulley (the large cairn and obvious ledge caught our attention), which was not too difficult and quite easy to navigate.
Sooner than anticipated, we reached the summit of Columbia and for good measure went to the East summit also. I contemplated heading over to Obstruction, but I could tell Steve was feeling uncomfortable about finding his way back through the difficulties (he admitted that he is the “worlds worst route finder”) and I was feeling less than stellar after not sleeping the previous night and was eager to try and catch back up to the group.
We headed back down through the class 3 (me always above) without any problems and once back onto the avenue, bid my adieu. I power hiked/ran the avenue and made quick work of Challenger, staying on the ridge crest all the way to the notch above the snow gulley. Instead of taking any risks on the now crowded slopes, I opted to descend the way Dave went up on the East side of the snow gulley. Although steep, it was mostly solid and much less travelled. Going fast but safe, I quickly caught the group taking a break near the bottom of the steep slope and we all hiked back to camp together.
All in all a great day, despite the near death experience with the rock. As always, it was great getting out with Dave, Emily and Kevin and the weather was perfect. Allison is now just 6 peaks away from finishing the 14ers and I was quite impressed that she pushed on despite feeling so sick at the start.
It has been nearly 10 years since I have climbed these peaks, where my hiking partner and I did not see another person all day. We also took a slightly different route that avoided the loose slopes that are part of the standard route and these factors led me to underestimate the danger and leave our helmets at home. Stupid mistake on my part that I really regret, I just feel lucky that we avoided that rock, as things could have been a lot worse.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Kit%20Carson/
8/23/08
From Willow Creek TH
Jeff and Allison Valliere, Dave and Emily Hale, Kevin Lund, Sierra and Shep
Allison, Kevin and I had Friday off from work, so we headed down to the Willow Creek TH in hopes of getting ahead of the weekend crowds and securing a campsite roomy enough for the 6 of us (Dave’s sister Sharon was also joining just for the camping trip).
We arrived to a nearly full parking lot around 3pm and began readying ourselves and our packs. Soon after, 2 vehicles pull up and out hop 9 guys with overnight packs and I knew it could get competitive to secure a camp spot, as options up at the lake are somewhat limited.
Started on the trail at 3:35 and I was itching to speed up the trail and stay ahead of the other group. I ran my idea by Kevin and Allison and they both encouraged me to go ahead, so off Sierra and I went, up the endless low grade switchbacks through the woods. I was really feeling the heat, the 40lbs on my back and the previous day’s run up Pikes Peak. It seemed that no matter how fast I tried to move my legs, I was going nowhere fast and it seemed as though I was unable to put any distance on Kevin and Allison as I could hear them for what seemed like a long time.
Sierra was feeling the heat too and was going even slower than me, so I stopped often to let her drink from the numerous side creeks and main creek. We finally reached the lake after 1:45 of hiking and began looking for Sharon who I erroneously believed to already be up there. I could not find her, so I backtracked a short ways down from the lake (can’t camp near it anyways) and found a great spot on the South side of the trail next to a large open meadow with plenty of room for all of us.
Allison arrived about 20 minutes later, as she was feeling a bit competitive after being caught by two of the guys from the group of 9 (they said something to her that she interpreted as a bit sexist), so she felt the need to dust them. Kevin arrived not long after and we spent the evening eating and taking things easy while waiting for Sharon, Dave and Emily to show up.
After a miserable night in the tent (hardly any sleep due to my gastrointestinal distress and Allison’s throwing up due to a touch of food poisoning from her former favorite restaurant in Buena Vista), we were on the trail by 6:45am. Surprisingly, even at this “late” hour and considering how crowded it was with people camping, there was only one person ahead of us on the standard route on Challenger and we were playing leap frog with 3 others.
Allison was still feeling a bit under the weather and was having a tough time trying to keep up and not hurl. She hung in there though and we were able to make slow and steady progress up the increasingly steepening slopes. Dave, Emily and Kevin opted to take a slightly different variation to climbers left of the “standard” route on the other side of the snow gulley. From below, it looked a bit steeper, so I opted to stick to the main trail since Allison was not feeling so well.
This turned out to be a HUGE mistake, as the trail and surrounding terrain got loose and crappy. It was not too difficult, but was very dangerous, compounded by the fact that we opted to leave our helmets at home. The one guy ahead of us at this point, managed to knock a few large rocks. He yelled and I was looking up trying to pinpoint their location and trajectory, yet could not see the falling rocks. I kept thinking that they were coming to a halt, then would hear them again and I was searching for a place to take cover. Suddenly, I see several rocks, one larger than a basketball come whipping around the corner down the gulley I was in and I had no place to hide. They were skipping this way and that, so I sprinted across the slope as fast as I could, narrowly avoiding certain death by mere feet. Fortunately, Sierra and Allison were far enough out of the way of the rocks, that they had no chance of being hit.
My heart was nearly pounding out through my head as I screamed a loud “WHAT THE F…!!”. The guy (Steve) stopped and waited for us to catch up to him and I sped past on pure adrenaline to the ridge. Not sure if a helmet would have saved me in this instance had I got hit, but I really admit that it was a huge mistake not taking them on this route, what were we thinking?
Once on the ridge, we all regrouped and were soon on the summit, 9:09am I think Dave said. It was an easy cruise around Kit Carson on the avenue and just prior to reaching the ascent gulley that most people follow, we ascended a steeper, but more solid gulley. In my opinion, this is the best way to go, as the climbing was very easy and enjoyable class 3. Using our hands were hardly even necessary going up and down, super fun!
By the time we had reached the summit of Kit Carson, we had befriended (and forgiven) Steve, as he turned out to be a pretty nice guy. Ironically, he and I decided to team up for the trip over to Columbia Pt., as we both felt it would be good to have company. Dave led the rest of the group back toward camp, while Steve and I descended toward the Kit Carson/Columbia saddle.
I had read up on the route and got a great picture from Ryan Kowalski where he outlined where he and Pete had climbed earlier in the month, but of course I forgot the picture back in camp and we had to just wing it. As it turns out, we went a completely different way that started lower in the gulley (the large cairn and obvious ledge caught our attention), which was not too difficult and quite easy to navigate.
Sooner than anticipated, we reached the summit of Columbia and for good measure went to the East summit also. I contemplated heading over to Obstruction, but I could tell Steve was feeling uncomfortable about finding his way back through the difficulties (he admitted that he is the “worlds worst route finder”) and I was feeling less than stellar after not sleeping the previous night and was eager to try and catch back up to the group.
We headed back down through the class 3 (me always above) without any problems and once back onto the avenue, bid my adieu. I power hiked/ran the avenue and made quick work of Challenger, staying on the ridge crest all the way to the notch above the snow gulley. Instead of taking any risks on the now crowded slopes, I opted to descend the way Dave went up on the East side of the snow gulley. Although steep, it was mostly solid and much less travelled. Going fast but safe, I quickly caught the group taking a break near the bottom of the steep slope and we all hiked back to camp together.
All in all a great day, despite the near death experience with the rock. As always, it was great getting out with Dave, Emily and Kevin and the weather was perfect. Allison is now just 6 peaks away from finishing the 14ers and I was quite impressed that she pushed on despite feeling so sick at the start.
It has been nearly 10 years since I have climbed these peaks, where my hiking partner and I did not see another person all day. We also took a slightly different route that avoided the loose slopes that are part of the standard route and these factors led me to underestimate the danger and leave our helmets at home. Stupid mistake on my part that I really regret, I just feel lucky that we avoided that rock, as things could have been a lot worse.
Pictures:
http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/jeffvalliere/Kit%20Carson/
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thursday, 8/21/08 Pikes Peak, 5 Days Late and 21 Seconds Short
Pikes Peak
8/21/08
13.32 miles
7,815 vertical
2:53:55
Since the weekend, the thought of going back to Pikes for a re-match has been cycling in and out of my consciousness. I know it sounds crazy, but I have worked so hard all year to get my fitness to a certain point and I was ready to go on the 16th to perform better than I ever have. Without a doubt, the nasty weather had a significant impact on me during the race and I was just sure that I could do better.
I packed my gear last night and figured I would get up in the morning and see how I felt. I was a bit sore this week after the race Saturday and then my 17 mile/4,300 vertical foot “recovery run” on Sunday (which included the Incline), so I was not 100% confident that I would be fully recovered. I felt good when I rolled out of bed this morning and took a chance and headed out the door at 5:18am in search of redemption.
I arrived at the “start line” in Manitou about 90 minutes later and geared up/warmed up and put the bathroom at City Hall to the test.
Got underway a bit later than I hoped at 7:23am and just resolved to make a steady pace and see how things went. As soon as things started to get steep on Ruxton, I know that my legs were not in the condition that I had hoped. They felt OK, but I knew I was still tired from the weekend.
I went a similar pace to Saturday, maybe making it to Barr Camp about 90 seconds behind, but still about where I wanted to be. Above Barr, I actually felt better than on Saturday and I am sure I went quicker to the A-Frame, arriving there in 1:57 total. From here, it was all starting to catch up to me. I held it together somewhat for the next mile, but I knew I was losing a bit of time. The next mile is normally much easier and about 2.5-3 minutes faster, but I was deteriorating quickly. The last mile was an absolute disaster where I lost all kinds of time. Uggg.
It is amazing how quickly the time starts getting away from you once the wheels fall completely off, then you get to a point where you start to not care.
It went from:
"Yeah, I think I might be able to finish in the low 2:40's"
"OK, I should still be able to sneak in at 2:45"
"OK, I can live with sub 2:50"
"Holy $h!t, I might not even beat my crappy time from Saturday"
"Dang, I just want to get to the top, I can already smell the french fries"
I considered waiting until next week, but an upcoming backpack trip will for sure make me a bit gimpy and feeling a bit turtle like.
Even though I was 21 seconds slower today than on Saturday, I feel better about it all. I gave it a shot, failed and now I just need to let it go. I am looking forward to a break from pushing myself and I am eager to just take things as they come for a while, forget about Pikes Peak until next year and focus on climbing some new peaks, riding my bike a bit more and spending more time with Allison and Sierra.
Splits:
2:50 Ruxton
9:26 Hydro3
1:2? Top Ws
46:45 No Name
1:21:50 Barr
1:57 A-Frame
2:16 2 to go
2:32 1 to go
2:53:55 summit
8/21/08
13.32 miles
7,815 vertical
2:53:55
Since the weekend, the thought of going back to Pikes for a re-match has been cycling in and out of my consciousness. I know it sounds crazy, but I have worked so hard all year to get my fitness to a certain point and I was ready to go on the 16th to perform better than I ever have. Without a doubt, the nasty weather had a significant impact on me during the race and I was just sure that I could do better.
I packed my gear last night and figured I would get up in the morning and see how I felt. I was a bit sore this week after the race Saturday and then my 17 mile/4,300 vertical foot “recovery run” on Sunday (which included the Incline), so I was not 100% confident that I would be fully recovered. I felt good when I rolled out of bed this morning and took a chance and headed out the door at 5:18am in search of redemption.
I arrived at the “start line” in Manitou about 90 minutes later and geared up/warmed up and put the bathroom at City Hall to the test.
Got underway a bit later than I hoped at 7:23am and just resolved to make a steady pace and see how things went. As soon as things started to get steep on Ruxton, I know that my legs were not in the condition that I had hoped. They felt OK, but I knew I was still tired from the weekend.
I went a similar pace to Saturday, maybe making it to Barr Camp about 90 seconds behind, but still about where I wanted to be. Above Barr, I actually felt better than on Saturday and I am sure I went quicker to the A-Frame, arriving there in 1:57 total. From here, it was all starting to catch up to me. I held it together somewhat for the next mile, but I knew I was losing a bit of time. The next mile is normally much easier and about 2.5-3 minutes faster, but I was deteriorating quickly. The last mile was an absolute disaster where I lost all kinds of time. Uggg.
It is amazing how quickly the time starts getting away from you once the wheels fall completely off, then you get to a point where you start to not care.
It went from:
"Yeah, I think I might be able to finish in the low 2:40's"
"OK, I should still be able to sneak in at 2:45"
"OK, I can live with sub 2:50"
"Holy $h!t, I might not even beat my crappy time from Saturday"
"Dang, I just want to get to the top, I can already smell the french fries"
I considered waiting until next week, but an upcoming backpack trip will for sure make me a bit gimpy and feeling a bit turtle like.
Even though I was 21 seconds slower today than on Saturday, I feel better about it all. I gave it a shot, failed and now I just need to let it go. I am looking forward to a break from pushing myself and I am eager to just take things as they come for a while, forget about Pikes Peak until next year and focus on climbing some new peaks, riding my bike a bit more and spending more time with Allison and Sierra.
Splits:
2:50 Ruxton
9:26 Hydro3
1:2? Top Ws
46:45 No Name
1:21:50 Barr
1:57 A-Frame
2:16 2 to go
2:32 1 to go
2:53:55 summit
Wednesday, 8/20/08 Flagstaff
3 miles
1,300 vertical
Got out for an easy run up Flag today, did not even look at the watch. I only went because I was running errands in Boulder and needed to make the trip a little bit more worthwhile.
1,300 vertical
Got out for an easy run up Flag today, did not even look at the watch. I only went because I was running errands in Boulder and needed to make the trip a little bit more worthwhile.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Monday, 8/18/08 Sanitas
3.5 miles
1,300 vertical
Allison, Sierra and I got out for a casual stroll up Sanitas today. I was a little tired, but it felt good to get out and enjoy the morning. Allison was cruising and she went up in 23 while I putted along with Sierra a good bit slower.
1,300 vertical
Allison, Sierra and I got out for a casual stroll up Sanitas today. I was a little tired, but it felt good to get out and enjoy the morning. Allison was cruising and she went up in 23 while I putted along with Sierra a good bit slower.
Sunday, August 17th Incline/Barr Trail to 11,000 feet
~17 miles/4,300 vertical
Sunday morning it was my intent to watch the Marathon from a few switchbacks up the Barr Trail, then head in to town, eat breakfast, relax and kill time until the finish. The weather that morning was however far better than anyone had anticipated, so as I arrived at the trailhead, I pounded a handful of pretzels, a swig of gel and made a last minute decision to head up the incline, leaving the car at 6:38am.
As I was nearing the top of the incline, I could hear the race start, 4 minutes early by my watch and I was worried that I would not make it to the trail in time. I topped out on the incline after 24 minutes and searched for the proper trail. I of course picked the wrong one and had to do some wet bushwhacking to get back on track, but was soon on the Barr Trail.
I felt great, so I started running at a quick pace and was moving through the aid stations fast, No Name, Bob’s, Barr Camp. As I went through, people were looking at me confused, as if I may be the lead runner. I made some funny comments and everyone laughed, it was quite amusing. I got to a point about halfway between the Bottomless Pit sign and A-Frame and decided that I had gone far enough, so I stopped there to wait. In about 5 minutes, Matt came flying by, then 7:45 later Dave Mackey came through and I gave him the split. I then started down and ran with/cheered/video taped friends Justin Mock, Kraig Koski, George Zack and Jeff Kunkle who were all doing great.
Having been quite annoyed on the way up by all the gel trash on the trail well outside the feed zones, I asked for a trash bag and I spent several miles of the descent picking up every piece of trash I came across on and off the trail. Just about everyone who noticed this on their way up shouted a “Thanks” as if I were a volunteer.
It was fun running down getting to see everyone in the race and I enjoyed giving cheers and encouragement.As I got closer to the bottom, I was getting a little sick of running downhill and was thankful I was not participating in the double. I arrived back around 9:45 and then killed time until the finishers started to arrive a little after 10:30.What a blast it was to watch this race, super cool and kudos to Jeff and George for doing the double. George was 2nd amongst the doublers and Jeff was 7th, way to go!!!
Pictures and Video from the PPM:http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r...PA/2008%20PPM/
Sunday morning it was my intent to watch the Marathon from a few switchbacks up the Barr Trail, then head in to town, eat breakfast, relax and kill time until the finish. The weather that morning was however far better than anyone had anticipated, so as I arrived at the trailhead, I pounded a handful of pretzels, a swig of gel and made a last minute decision to head up the incline, leaving the car at 6:38am.
As I was nearing the top of the incline, I could hear the race start, 4 minutes early by my watch and I was worried that I would not make it to the trail in time. I topped out on the incline after 24 minutes and searched for the proper trail. I of course picked the wrong one and had to do some wet bushwhacking to get back on track, but was soon on the Barr Trail.
I felt great, so I started running at a quick pace and was moving through the aid stations fast, No Name, Bob’s, Barr Camp. As I went through, people were looking at me confused, as if I may be the lead runner. I made some funny comments and everyone laughed, it was quite amusing. I got to a point about halfway between the Bottomless Pit sign and A-Frame and decided that I had gone far enough, so I stopped there to wait. In about 5 minutes, Matt came flying by, then 7:45 later Dave Mackey came through and I gave him the split. I then started down and ran with/cheered/video taped friends Justin Mock, Kraig Koski, George Zack and Jeff Kunkle who were all doing great.
Having been quite annoyed on the way up by all the gel trash on the trail well outside the feed zones, I asked for a trash bag and I spent several miles of the descent picking up every piece of trash I came across on and off the trail. Just about everyone who noticed this on their way up shouted a “Thanks” as if I were a volunteer.
It was fun running down getting to see everyone in the race and I enjoyed giving cheers and encouragement.As I got closer to the bottom, I was getting a little sick of running downhill and was thankful I was not participating in the double. I arrived back around 9:45 and then killed time until the finishers started to arrive a little after 10:30.What a blast it was to watch this race, super cool and kudos to Jeff and George for doing the double. George was 2nd amongst the doublers and Jeff was 7th, way to go!!!
Pictures and Video from the PPM:http://s147.photobucket.com/albums/r...PA/2008%20PPM/
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