Green Boulder VFF Hike

On Saturday, I made the mistake of venturing into downtown Boulder on Memorial Day weekend -- bad idea. Between the Creek Festival and the Bolder Boulder, it was an utter zoo of congestion and humanity. Lots of nice legs in town, but unfortunately for me, most of them were on men. Not sure how this race impacts the town's overall ratio of shaved legs.

This was a day off from running, so I did a hike up Green Mountain in Boulder in the Five Fingers, which went well, although it was definitely tougher on the feet than shoes.

Distance was 7.26 miles, moving time 2:27, elevation gain/loss 2,567 feet.

Part of the Ranger trail
The uphill hike was pretty normal, although I was careful to tread lightly. There are certain things I just can't do in the VFFs, such as running carelessly through rocky stretches or jumping off of boulders. A couple of times I really dinged the underside of my foot, and although I don't feel it today, the potential for bruising is real.

Blooms are really out in Boulder now; I need to hit the Homestead Trail at the South Mesa TH, because IMO it's got the best wildflowers in the park.


Aside from the occasional rock underfoot, I have to say I really enjoyed the occasionally-rocky 3.4-mile trip up Ranger to the summit. I enjoy the feel of the different trail surfaces, and grip is good. My toes got a bit chilly at the top, because there's a bit less insulation. I didn't even think of that. I saw a guy running Green in these during the winter -- I'll have to try that.


The downhill section was much slower, since I found I had to down climb very carefully, almost like I was actually barefoot.


I ran most of the descent starting at the Saddle Rock/Greenman/Ranger junction, and went back down Ranger/Gregory because I didn't relish the thought of some of the steeper sections of Saddle Rock, and I knew lots of Ranger was smooth and runnable. The VFFs handled the rocky Gregory Canyon terrain well, though again I had to be careful with my footing. I didn't run down parts like this.


Since it was almost 8 PM at this point, there were many newly-opened Evening Primroses.


Grabbed some chow at Whole Paycheck on 29th before leaving town. I hate that busy parking lot, so I usually park next to the YMCA one street north and walk, but this time I noticed the parking lot on the east (30th St.) side was almost empty. Sweet. There's also a new Whole Foods liquor store next door, and the beer selection was pretty solid. Prices are typical. I still like Liquor Mart with their groovy 70s logo and great selection.

Does anyone else wonder at the number of aging hippies who look like they're homeless and yet shop at Whole Foods?

Sunday soreness: yes. As in: left foot was sore with PF lining up with the big toe, the top ligaments on the big toe, and the calves (probably from descent). I'm a bit bummed that I still have ligament pain in that toe since I stubbed it last year. I've compared feel, stability of joints, and range of motion on both sides and they feel the same to me. Then again, after years in shoes, my toes also have zero strength, which I'm hoping to change by walking regularly in the VFFs -- provided I don't make my foot worse. Small steps...

Enchanted Forest Indeed

I took a day off Friday, slept in LATE, did stuff at home, and got out for a good run at Apex Park in the afternoon.

Being an odd-numbered day of the month, bike traffic was one-way (uphill) on certain trails, which meant nobody was going to come bombing downhill past me. I could just relax and not look over my shoulder. I have to say it was really great to be able to just enjoy the canyon again, because it's a great place. I had quit coming here until they changed the trail rules.

When I think of Apex, I think of this, which is the Pick 'n Sledge Trail:


It's totally runnable, but it's rocky and all uphill, and will get your pulse going.

I passed this beetle at the beginning. Something about this posture indicated that I shouldn't get any closer:

Bad things may be emitted from my backside
I ran to the top of the mountain, then ran back down to Grubstake because I really like the north side of the park, where that trail goes up a wooded valley. The north side is also where I see elk in the fall. Even if you don't see them, you'll be on the front side trails and hear them bugling out of sight somewhere.

Then I headed back down to the Apex Trail and up Enchanted Forest, which was also one-way this Friday, and it was just fantastic.


There are lots of ups and downs through the woods as it passes through a few small drainages. What a great trail.


I think I was at about 9.7 miles when I got back to the parking lot, so I filled up my water bottle and headed up for another short lap to Enchanted Forest (900 feet up), and made it about halfway through that trail before I decided to turn around before dark.

Total distance for the day was 13.6 miles, moving time 2:44, elevation gain/loss 3,001 feet.

That was a tough run, which was exactly what I was after. It seems like the uphills are just relentless at this park; not like Boulder, but still constant. I was pretty steady on the way up, in spite of the usual stops, and my foot held up well. The goal for the day was to keep my stride equal on both sides, and not too long on the left side, which reduces the impact and keeps the pain away. My conditioning is improving.

As I was running, I was thinking about the thin air of 14ers, because that time of year is not far off...

Blocked Trail

As of this week, my favorite entry point to the nearby city open space has been blocked with black plastic sheet fencing and that orange mesh fence they use to block construction sites. Uh oh.

Today it was explained with an informative sign indicating that an underground water tank was being built.


There are several other water tanks on the mountain and they still have trails around them, so the prognosis is good that this will remain open after construction is done. I like the fact that I can get onto trails quickly on my outings.

In the meantime, it means only another 1/4-mile walk along streets.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was play around inside houses being built. We all did it, and it was a blast. The best part was trying to climb up to upper floors before the stairs were built (what could go wrong with that?). The cool, dark basements, the smell of pine, the piles of cool stuff like shingles and fiberglass, big boxes of nails; it was just fun to explore. We were harmless and generally respectful, and just used the sites as temporary playgrounds. Good stuff.

However, I'm not sure anyone would be too happy about an adult wandering around in a construction site for a new water tank. Too worried about lawsuits and theft these days. So I'll stay out. Heh.

The black lines are telephone wires
I was tired so this was a walk. The weather was just too nice not to get outside, about 65 degrees and falling.


Here's this view again with some spring leaves. I just like the strange angles and lighting of this corner, with Denver lights behind:


The walk was a bit under 4 miles, elevation gain/loss about 400 feet.

South Table Mountain Run

It was a better run today: new venue, decent distance and pace.

Run distance was 8.04 miles, moving time 1:35, elevation gain/loss 687 feet.

I've run at South Table Mountain in Golden before, but mostly on the west or south. Today I started at a small trailhead on the north side next to the entrance to Rolling Hills Country Club. I was not able to find an official trail uphill (from point "A" on this map) and had to bushwhack to the top on game trails. Running on those (intermittently) is interesting and precarious.

At the top of the hill you join the Ancient Palms trail (as in: fossil palms?). Once on top of the "flat" mountain, it's easy; you just follow trails and avoid fences and private property. There's plenty of room for roaming.

This is a view across the top of the mountain to Green Mountain in Lakewood, in the background:


What a great part of the year this is; it's not too hot, all the plants and trees are becoming green...


This photo is pretty typical terrain on the flat top of the mountain; it's either this or lots of rocks. The footing can be challenging at times to avoid the ankle-breakers, but it's not too bad:


I didn't want to bushwhack back down the hill after sunset, and I wanted more mileage, so I headed down Ancient Palms to see where it led; a runner had indicated it ended at the Foothill trailhead. I didn't know where that was -- except east, but I didn't have any deadlines and knew I could just run back on streets.


It was only about 2.5 miles from the top down to the Foothill TH and back to the golf course on Foothill Road. It's a cool street with fancy homes overlooking the plains.

I'm not so serious about workouts that I won't bring the camera at all; that seems Draconian given my interests. But I tried to limit stops, and was moderately successful; therefore it was a better conditioning workout than some others recently.

Eject!

If I believed in fate I'd say this run after work Tuesday was not to be: obnoxious humidity after the rain, sweaty yet chilly, leaden legs from a bad dream, apallingly low energy, and hunger that was utterly distracting (are those two related?). I started to mumble to myself about how delicious the trailside animals were looking. Couldn't wait for it to be over and pulled the plug at 4 miles.

At least there were no gnats, which infest this trail at certain times of year.

I do like seeing the wild hops growing alongside Coors Brewing:


So, if anyone needs free fresh hops, there are a small number of vines along the Clear Creek path between McIntyre and Youngfield (closer to McIntyre near the silo).

Certain parts of the trail are nice enough:


While other parts are apparently on land that was purchased on the cheap because it was between highways and ditches, and nobody wanted it:


However, the runners, bikers, bird watchers, water birds and the stray beaver (lower right corner, in water) don't mind. Because of the rain, the smell of vegetation was intense, dominated by willows.

Run distance was 4.11 miles, moving time... ah, whatever.

I was pretty sore in the hamstrings from my Bear Creek run the other day. See, I told you that run wasn't at 9:30 pace. It was more like 13 miles worth of 440s and 880s at 8:15, with photo stops in between.

Bear Creek Trail Run

Until Sunday, I'd missed a major trail in my area.

Several years ago when I got to Colorado, I ran down some stretch of the Bear Creek greenbelt trail and didn't like it. I forget where I started, but the neighborhood or people at the time seemed sketchy (I'm a suburban boy with a low tolerance for sketchiness), so I bailed on it.

My mistake.

This weekend I went back the trail to see if there was more to it, because recently I had driven down Garrison and crossed a huge open space with trails and a parking lot, and it seemed interesting. So I went back there and ran.


The trail follows Bear Creek from the foothills all the way to the Platte Trail near Santa Fe. It has a lot in common with Cherry Creek and Chatfield State Parks, in that they both have forested sections along creeks containing great dirt singletrack. There is a bike path alongside it, and occasionally the dirt trail more or less disappears and you cut onto the paved trail briefly.

Frankly, the riverside trail was great. Some of the singletrack is official trail, some is just social variations. There are meadows, ponds, sandy washes, and sometimes you're nearly bushwhacking through narrow gaps in willows.


On the east end (I ran to Sheridan) the creek winds through open space, farm land, and next to apartment buildings. In spite of an increasingly urban feel in that direction, it retains a feeling of a bit of wildness in the city.


In the other direction west of Garrison, it's definitely suburban, and passes through fields and alongside tidy condos and houses. In the pond near Garrison there was a pelican cruising around, and a blue heron was sailing in for a landing.


At the west end the bike path/trails cut right to avoid a golf course, then the dirt trail continues on ridges above Morrison Road out towards the mountains to Bear Creek Lake Park. Even though it was above a busy road, this section was interesting and has nice views of the rolling hills, golf course and mountains.


Aside from a few short stretches on streets, this also means there are trails that nearly connect the upper lot at Mount Falcon all the way to downtown Denver and beyond via the Platte Trail. The gaps are 1) to pass under I-470, and 2) to get from the Morrison path through town over to Falcon, which you can access via the neighborhoods on the north side near the little city reservoir.


So, the storm clouds that were forming above, and were so cool-looking as I was running, also got me a bit wet, but I just ran back through the trees. It was momentary and I outran it.


Run distance was 13.35 miles, moving time 2:06, elevation gain/loss 309 feet.

Not sure the moving time is correct, since whenever I checked my pace it was in the 8:00-8:30 range. Must have been the hills at the west end.

Five Fingers First Outing

I took the Vibram Five Fingers TrekSports for a first spin Sunday, and had a great time. Voila:


I'd really been looking forward to this, because my toes are flabby and really need to work out more. Seriously, part of my intent is to strengthen my feet and toes, part is to work on gait, and part is just for the sheer fun of it.

I didn't set out to do any running today, but sections of trail like this led me to run a bit anyway:


To my surprise, I didn't need to change my form one iota to run in the VFFs. I'm actually kind of proud of that, because I've spent a lot of time working on a low-impact stride. Even on asphalt, it just worked. My walking stride is now a bit harder on my feet than running.

Some observations:

• I immediately felt the balls of my feet, which no longer had anything significant between them and the hard ground.
• Catching weeds between the toes -- which made me laugh.
• Walking through sharp or stiff weeds did not work well, since the insides of the toes is covered in fabric.
• As expected, I really like the feel of the changing ground under my feet.
• I felt some pain in the bony parts of the foot, particularly the base of the 3rd and 4th toes. Nothing bad, but I had to lighten up a bit while walking.
• These shoes really expose weaknesses and differences between the feet. I think I've been over striding with the left foot, because I had to shorten my stride to make my footfalls sound the same.
• If I stub my toe on a rock in these, I'm betting I will break it.
• Stepping on golf-ball sized rocks really hurts -- need to be careful on gravel.
• Downhill traction was awesome, which I didn't expect. I think the fact that your foot can be shaped to the surface better means you get more grip. And the soles are pretty grippy even though the lugs are not deep.

This was a fun outing, and it didn't require quite as much adjustment as I expected. But I will definitely be careful.

Other stuff:

Things are really looking green, and my head was swiveling every which way to take it all in. Flowers, bees buzzing around, etc.


Mushrooms thriving on a burnt tree stump:


I didn't notice until I got back that there was a tiny green bug on this flower, which is a crop of a larger image. The flower is barely the size of a dime.


Great weather, and awesome singletrack. It was hot in the sun on Sunday afternoon, which has not been the case for a while.


Walk distance was 6 miles, moving time 1:36, elevation gain/loss 817 feet.

Bike Hunting

Saturday was spent shopping for a mountain bike, first at a couple of bike swaps because they were one-day-only events. I was also in Summit County and scoured every shop I could find in Dillon, Frisco and Breckenridge. Probably 7-8 places. The locals didn't know of any others.

A stormy day in Frisco
BTW I've decided I'm looking for a cheap used full-suspension bike, not hardtail.

Simply test-riding one around on sidewalks convinced me that, given my general inclination to usually do "difficult" rather than "easy", lack of rear suspension would quickly be frustrating and annoying, if not dangerous. Since I can't afford new, this also means I'm looking at something with a few miles on it.

I had two near misses Saturday:

• 2002 Kona Bear - $625 - (originally $1800) Even at the reduced price this was just too steep for a bike that seemed to have not seen the inside of a bike shop its entire life. No break power, worn everywhere, just plain beat up. I understand the gear aging process, but I'd also expect to see something new on a 9-year-old bike. I was pretty sure I'd have to put money into it, and I figured I could do better.
• 2005 Giant VT 2 - $425 - (originally $2000) Someone had just dropped this off recently at a consignment shop and they didn't have a price tag on it yet. I took it for a spin in the parking lot, looked it up on my phone, and it was ready to roll except for the size; the 22.5" frame was just too big. Tough decision. If it had been the next size down, I'd own a bike right now. But I had a 23" road bike for years and it was too big, and I just didn't want to go there again.

Based on trying sizes, I also decided to keep the Vibram Five Fingers in the size 44. Honestly, I won't know for sure until I've put a few miles on them.

Got a happy hour 471 and a bite at Kenosha. The bar there is a bit more low-key and less crowded than the Breckenridge Brewery, which owns both.

Then I did the usual hike on neighborhood trails before getting behind the wheel.

Yes, this is a "trail"
The lower part near Carter Park was clear, but the snow got deeper the higher I went, and sometimes I was post holing above my knees, or walking on rolling hills of snowpack trying not to break through. It's not summer yet folks.


When I drove home, the snow was still falling up high, and it was coming down pretty good around the tunnels, and visibility was bad due to wind whipping the snow. This clip is from around Bakerville, past the worst of it.


I'm a pretty conservative and legal driver; I set the cruise right at the speed limit, and don't follow cars closely. However, I've also spent a lot of years in snowy climates and have a pretty good sense of what's safe and what isn't.

I find that I tend to drive at odds with many people during snowy conditions. I often drive near normal speeds in conditions that some people crawl in, because I know it's safe and I'm used to it. I used to commute in blizzards where I'd have to watch the marker posts on the side of the highway to know I was still on the road. I also drive slowly in conditions I know are dangerous, when others barrel along and tailgate. And believe me, when it comes to I-70 traffic, sometimes we're talking about a Darwin Awards level of stupidity.

Anyway, the road surface in the video was actually good: wet with no ice, and it was around 35 degrees and rising. So really the only limiter was visibility.

Friday Elk Meadow Run

Wednesday and Thursday were solid rain, so I skipped them. I almost ran yesterday during a lull, but it was 8 PM, and I was beat. Then it started raining again.

Today the weather was back to Colorado normal: sunny until mid-afternoon, scattered showers late afternoon, often clearing later. This was another ridiculously great Friday after-work run, at Elk Meadow in Evergreen.


Temps were perfect for running, maybe 50-60, and possibly 45 at the highest part. This park is a good choice after showers because of the sandy soil, which doesn't get that muddy.

So, I passed my exit on the way home from work and drove the ~15 minutes to this park trailhead at 7,500 feet elevation in the mountains, which seems a world away from Denver.


Again, because it was Friday, there was almost nobody there. One mountain biker passed me going uphill, and that was it for almost 2 hours.


Since the highest part of my run was about 9,200 feet elevation, there was still snow in the woods, which was a blast. I got about 2 miles of awesome snow/slush running for my money today.


I ran Bergen Peak to Too Long, but skipped the out-and-back to the summit due to lack of daylight.

I tried to take some video of running in the snow, but it turned out terribly because I was holding the camera in my hand: waving side-to-side, shaking, loud audio. I needed my Countour HD.

Then as I descended again it became warmer, the snow became scarce, and the sun was hitting the tops of clouds and turning them orange and pink. The colors were great, and this picture conveys it pretty well. I love the descent on Too Long Trail at dusk.


Am I happy because the work week went pretty well, plus it's Friday? I don't know. Either way, a great time.

Distance was 8.38 miles, moving time 1:30 (total 1:56), elevation gain/loss 1,687 feet. Elevation was 7,500-9,200 feet above sea level.

This park starts at 2,000 feet above where I live, and I usually feel that difference in elevation. However, today I felt stronger than expected, especially considering my month off recently. Running uphill near home this winter has paid off, I think.

I'm still a bit gun shy on hard/long runs though due to the injured foot.

Saturday there are two bike swaps at Bicycle Village (Littleton and Westminster), which I want to get to starting at 9 AM sharp for the best chance of finding something, so an early run is out. Frankly the amount of time this search is taking is kind of driving me nuts. I tend to work slowly carefully on major purchases, but wow.

I'd like to try on a larger size of the Vibram Five Fingers I got in Dillon. My toes are right up against the front.

I bought some of these. I found it really funny to see my toes look like they are wearing gloves. Yes, I really am a primate.

Long run Sunday? Supposed to be great weather.

North Table Mountain Run

When I can't run hiker-only trails, I prefer to run something with good line of sight instead of blind corners, i.e. open terrain. The Table Mountains in Golden provide good afternoon sunlight and interesting open terrain, so I went here. And it's more or less on the way home from work.

I walked the gravel road towards the top, since my legs were sluggish from Sunday. It's tough to start your run with a steep uphill anyway, after sitting around all day.

I took a right part way up the road and followed a biker who passed me as I was walking up. Hopefully I will be fast like that when I start biking ;)


The Table Mountains are right next to Golden. This is from the southwest side:


For some reason I couldn't find the route around the hill this time; the trail just ended, or rather headed straight down a steep wash that I didn't want to descend. I burned some time searching back and forth for a way around, and finally just bushwhacked east, which can painful on this mountain due to spiny plants and cactus.

Oddly enough the last time I bushwhacked at North Table I saw coyotes attacking some deer, and this time I was given another reminder of the harshness of life on this little mountain:


On the other hand...


I took a route that led past some rock climbers and up through the cliff band across from Coors, and then ran back across the top and back down the gravel road to the lot.

Somehow it took me 1:05 to log 4 miles during this section of the run (although not all of it was moving time). Blazing speed. So, I got a drink, dropped off my camera, which is my main distraction, and headed out for a couple faster miles. It was probably between 8:00 and 9:00 pace on moderate inclines, not bad for me.

I got back to the car about 35 minutes after sunset and could see my breath in my headlamp. Somehow I got the idea to take out-of-focus shots of my taillight.


That's what comes to mind when I stretch out near the back of my car.

Run distance was 7.25 miles, moving time 1:22, elevation gain/loss was 1,193 feet.

Total actual time was an additional 15 minutes, so my stops (car + photos) are still eating up time. I'm not going to sweat it too much because I'm out there for fun, but at the same time I'd like to be as quick as possible.

Deer Creek Canyon Run

This was a great run on a cool, misty day.

And it was the first long run I've done in 5 weeks where my foot didn't hurt. Based on how stiff I felt getting out at the grocery store on the way home (kind of like I feel getting gas on the way home at Silverheels Market after running in the Sawatch Range), I was worried about this morning, but there's just a touch of PF. Far less than expected.

Distance was 16.48 miles, moving time 3:04 (total time 4:06), elevation gain/loss was 3,064 feet.


Since total time was 4:06 I guess my photo stops, a stop at the car, and shirt changes ate up time. Nonetheless, I tried not to stop when I was tired on uphills to try to push back to where I was a month and a half ago.

Here's a video of the "view" from this rocky outcropping. There's actually a hill in that mist, and I could barely see the trail I had been on, far below. It was incredibly quiet, except for the crow:


The forest trails were really green, and there were beads of moisture on everything from the clouds covering the mountains. The whole place seemed rich and alive.


It barely rained in 4 hours, but the mist would eventually accumulate and bead up on my clothing, slowly soaking it.

Is this what it's like to be a trail runner in the Northwest?


Coming down from the out-and-back to the scenic overlook I picked up these two running partners:


I don't know where their owners were, but once I started talking to them, they were friendly and ran with me for a while. That was fun.

However as we crossed the main trail again nobody was around, no calling, whistling, nothing. We ran past this point for a mile or so, and eventually it became apparent they were just following me because I was friendly and might lead them back to their people, so I turned around. I was about to start a 30 to 40-minute loop at the remote back of the park, and if someone was looking for them, that would not be good. I needed to refill my water bottle at the car anyway. At the Plymouth Creek trail junction they took a right uphill and didn't look back, as if they'd caught the trail of their family. So long.

The obvious moral to this story, if you have dogs that tend to wander off and get lost. Though as a dog owner, I'd prefer Boulder's policy of offering voice and sight tags so a leash would not be necessary.


At about the 10-mile mark I got to my car, drank a bunch, filled my bottle, and changed my damp cold shirt and hat.

I headed out for another lap, did the grind up the rocky Plymouth Creek canyon again and this time took the right up to where I had turned around with the dogs, and continued on Golden Eagle. It runs along a ridge to a high point overlooking the valley to the east.


The misty mountains were really cool, literally and figuratively. This is looking northwest towards Deer Creek Canyon:


Mist kept flowing through the trees, changing all the time.


At this point it was about 15 minutes until sunset and I was a few miles out, so I headed back. This running through damp forest was so incredibly awesome and fun; it was downhill, I was feeling great, and in spite of the mist it was a beautiful day for running.


It was hard to pick shots that wouldn't look like hell when I got back home, because everything seemed photogenic, and I know that's not really the case. Hopefully the shades of green and textures come through.


I ran the last downhill switchbacks in the dim light of dusk, over rocks and slippery, tracked out mud and puddles. I ran at normal speed, not slowing down, and hit every step. Unlike earlier in the week, when I felt like I could have tripped myself while standing still, I had only one minor misstep in these 3+ hours of running technical trails. What a great outing.

Aside from a slight deficit in fitness, and a need to be a bit careful, I feel like I'm done with the injury.