GZ pointed out an article on runners struggling to make ends meet while training.
Of course money (or lack thereof) is not some sort of moral value judgment. It's simply a reflection of what others want to trade for what you have.
Ultimately, it's due to the fact that our economy has been slowly crushed by increasingly bad laws over the last century, and when citizens are stripped of the so-called "excess" earned income that everyone seems to claim is a moral affront to those who don't have it, there's not much left over for stuff like trail running.
You can't have your wealthy and your economy, and eat them too.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
South Table
I tried to redeem my running a bit on Friday, and actually enjoy it, unlike the painful grind the day before. I did. I ran up and over South Table in Golden from one end to the other.
Distance was 7.94 miles, moving time 1:23, elevation gain 990 feet, moving pace 10:31.
I saw this young buck and a couple of does on the north side above the houses and golf course. I also caught a magpie in flight:
I swear I didn't touch the colors in the next photo; the mountains were really that shade of blue:
On the way back I ran to the top of Castle Rock and looked over. A young couple was sitting there, they guy spitting over the edge and the girl giggling. Glad I wasn't climbing up.
This is the view over the edge to downtown Golden, with part of the Coors plant on the right:
Distance was 7.94 miles, moving time 1:23, elevation gain 990 feet, moving pace 10:31.
I saw this young buck and a couple of does on the north side above the houses and golf course. I also caught a magpie in flight:
I swear I didn't touch the colors in the next photo; the mountains were really that shade of blue:
On the way back I ran to the top of Castle Rock and looked over. A young couple was sitting there, they guy spitting over the edge and the girl giggling. Glad I wasn't climbing up.
This is the view over the edge to downtown Golden, with part of the Coors plant on the right:
Green Saddle-Greenman-Gregory
Man, I hate running hard.
That was all I could think as I trudged up Saddle Rock trail on Thursday, thighs burning and gasping for air during each 20-yard stretch, between which I would stop and breathe. I just threw in the towel and walked up. What a horrid uphill. No summit for me.
I ran at "Green North" in Boulder after work, because it was raining down my way and I craved something different. I just barely made the last hour of daylight.
The whole time up I pondered the above declaration, and why I should feel any different. I couldn't think of anything.
The downhill on Greenman-Ranger-Gregory was better but I was really just sort of going through the motions. Is this Post-Cascade Depression?
I missed a fiery sunset because I was locked in tree-covered Ranger, and by the time I escaped the skies were gray.
Woe is me, having to run a mountain trail after work ;)
Distance: 4.72 miles, moving time 1:01, elevation gain 1,645 feet, average pace 13:00.
That was all I could think as I trudged up Saddle Rock trail on Thursday, thighs burning and gasping for air during each 20-yard stretch, between which I would stop and breathe. I just threw in the towel and walked up. What a horrid uphill. No summit for me.
I ran at "Green North" in Boulder after work, because it was raining down my way and I craved something different. I just barely made the last hour of daylight.
The whole time up I pondered the above declaration, and why I should feel any different. I couldn't think of anything.
The downhill on Greenman-Ranger-Gregory was better but I was really just sort of going through the motions. Is this Post-Cascade Depression?
I missed a fiery sunset because I was locked in tree-covered Ranger, and by the time I escaped the skies were gray.
Woe is me, having to run a mountain trail after work ;)
Distance: 4.72 miles, moving time 1:01, elevation gain 1,645 feet, average pace 13:00.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Stymied On Trail
I got stuck for an hour on the trail on Sunday because I came across this tree and didn't know what to do. There's nothing in the manual about this.
* In case you're wondering why I'd post a dumb photo of a bent-over tree, it's a reference to this Springs biker saga.
* In case you're wondering why I'd post a dumb photo of a bent-over tree, it's a reference to this Springs biker saga.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Video: Cascade Creek Waterfall
The cool air and mist was coming off of this waterfall like a huge fan was blowing it. From the Cascade Creek Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness.
Warning before you click play: it's loud.
Warning before you click play: it's loud.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Crater Lake Run
If your Internet connection was slow Monday night, it's because I was uploading all the photos for this post. The scenery was spectacular on this route, so I took 400+ photos; now that's some training volume.
Distance was 22.04 miles, moving time 4:57 (total 7:12!), and elevation gain 3,462 feet. Elevation range was 8,300 - 10,400 feet.
The core run to Crater Lake was about 18 miles round trip, because I ran along the side of Crater and did some small extra detours. I clocked roughly 6 hours for that portion, but a fast runner could probably do it in 4 hours with plenty of time for stopping.
Average moving pace was 13:29 min/mile, which is good for me given the steady climbing, and indicates the overall runnability of the trails.
Monarch Lake
To get to the Cascade Creek Trail, you either have to go over 12,500-foot Pawnee Pass and descend a few thousand feet, or drive to the Lake Granby area. I'd already done the former by doing this tough loop. This time I opted for the Monarch Lake trailhead, so I could focus on getting up to Lone Eagle Peak and have a more relaxed outing.
The first part of the trail follows the left side of the lake, and is a mix of small meadows and pine forest with some slight exposure, with a good grade for running and maybe a dozen rockier ascents.
There's also an alternate trail around the right (south) side of the lake at the beginning, which follows the shoreline about 100-200 feet up in the forest and merges with the other trail after the lake. It's on a north slope so it's shaded.
The lake is also the western start of trails to Arapaho Pass and Devils Thumb Pass.
The first several miles are mellow running through woods and meadows at a moderate incline. There's enough terrain variation to keep it from getting too monotonous if you do a lot of this type of running: meadows, creeks, rocky hillsides, big boulders and flowers and vegetation of every kind.
Cascade Creek lives up to its name, and above the Buchanan Creek junction things really start to get interesting. The creek quickly becomes a raging torrent sliding down through a rocky canyon. There are quite a few visible waterfalls, but the best is after the bridge around mile 5. Cold air and spray was rushing off of these falls, which were full from the continuing snowmelt:
There is also a great section of falls visible below this, which you can see later in this post.
Along the way there's a good mix of terrain, with rocky outcroppings and occasional meadows and creek crossings. Here's a shot from the point at which you start to see some of the upper peaks:
Although a lot of the trail is smooth dirt through the woods, it also alternates with technical rocky sections like the photo below. This is what I've come to regard as typical Indian Peaks trail surface, and it requires your attention. After a while you'll get really good at picking lines over and between rocks.
Soon the valley opens up, the walls rise higher, the trees become more sparse, and you know you are nearing the end. As you reach an open area with large boulders on the left, be sure you don't miss the stream crossing onto the right bank, because the huge boulders are tough to get over. I tried and had to backtrack.
First you hit the idyllic Mirror Lake, and get the full-on view of Lone Eagle:
It's so unlike any other mountain around here that I just kind of stood around muttering to myself and staring. I was giddy seeing it "in person".
After another short uphill stretch through beautiful alpine woods is Crater Lake, which is bigger and surrounded by jagged peaks on 3 sides. This was my lunch spot:
Waterfalls were streaming down the face of the mountains across the lake, and you could hear the roar from a distance. I set off around the lake to see if I could get a closer view.
Yellow Avalanche Lilies
Cascade Lake also reveals the secret of Lone Eagle: that its pointy summit is actually the end of a long knife-edge ridge, which is impressive in its own way:
I tried to imagine what it must be like to climb those sheer walls of rock, and gain that knife edge.
Over these jagged cliffs lies the basin containing Pawnee Lake, and of course Pawnee Pass:
I didn't reach the waterfalls, but got pretty close. I got to a point on the shore where I had sheer rock on my right, and about a foot of water and slippery rocks in front of me, with who-knows-what beyond. That was a good enough turnaround point for me.
On my way leaving Mirror Lake I got a three-quarters view of Lone Eagle.
Lone Eagle Peak
Back down at the falls I stopped at the top to check out the water rushing down before going over the edge. Don't slip:
And here's the lower section of the same falls:
As I was running along I was a bit startled to see this odd form in the middle of the woods, looking like some sort of petrified orc staring at the sky:
I was well-hydrated, but I think I was getting tired, because I started misinterpreting shapes more as I neared the end of my run. That often seems to happen on long runs. On a really long one I'd probably be hallucinating.
There was a lot of nice forest running, about 5 miles of it. The terrain is easy and fairly well-shaded:
I took this picture while filling my water bottles from a small cascade:
Back at the lake, I stopped at my car, got a drink and took some stuff out of my pack, intending to walk around and cool down.
However, I hadn't run over 20 miles since April when my foot problems began, and since I had 18.6 (?) miles on the watch and was feeling tired but OK, I decided to jog around the lake and see what was there. I ended up going to the far corner of the lake visible in the back, which was around 1.7 miles each way:
The trail on the right (southern) side of the lake is a really nice rolling, trail through the woods. It rises to as high as maybe 200 feet above the lake, and goes inland just to follow the lines of ravines, so the lake is always barely visible through the trees. It merges with the other trail after the lake.
Spanish Moss
There were some structures scattered here and there in the woods, along with this rusting steam engine:
I was going to continue on around the lake, but the other side was hot and sunlit, and the wooded trail was great. This is the trail along the shoreline a few hundred yards from the parking area:
For those of you who are curious about the snow conditions up there, here's a photo from near Fraser, with Parry Peak in the middle, looking very different than it does in the winter:
Some facts that only I may care about:
"Publish Post".
Distance was 22.04 miles, moving time 4:57 (total 7:12!), and elevation gain 3,462 feet. Elevation range was 8,300 - 10,400 feet.
The core run to Crater Lake was about 18 miles round trip, because I ran along the side of Crater and did some small extra detours. I clocked roughly 6 hours for that portion, but a fast runner could probably do it in 4 hours with plenty of time for stopping.
Average moving pace was 13:29 min/mile, which is good for me given the steady climbing, and indicates the overall runnability of the trails.
To get to the Cascade Creek Trail, you either have to go over 12,500-foot Pawnee Pass and descend a few thousand feet, or drive to the Lake Granby area. I'd already done the former by doing this tough loop. This time I opted for the Monarch Lake trailhead, so I could focus on getting up to Lone Eagle Peak and have a more relaxed outing.
The first part of the trail follows the left side of the lake, and is a mix of small meadows and pine forest with some slight exposure, with a good grade for running and maybe a dozen rockier ascents.
There's also an alternate trail around the right (south) side of the lake at the beginning, which follows the shoreline about 100-200 feet up in the forest and merges with the other trail after the lake. It's on a north slope so it's shaded.
The lake is also the western start of trails to Arapaho Pass and Devils Thumb Pass.
The first several miles are mellow running through woods and meadows at a moderate incline. There's enough terrain variation to keep it from getting too monotonous if you do a lot of this type of running: meadows, creeks, rocky hillsides, big boulders and flowers and vegetation of every kind.
Cascade Creek lives up to its name, and above the Buchanan Creek junction things really start to get interesting. The creek quickly becomes a raging torrent sliding down through a rocky canyon. There are quite a few visible waterfalls, but the best is after the bridge around mile 5. Cold air and spray was rushing off of these falls, which were full from the continuing snowmelt:
There is also a great section of falls visible below this, which you can see later in this post.
Along the way there's a good mix of terrain, with rocky outcroppings and occasional meadows and creek crossings. Here's a shot from the point at which you start to see some of the upper peaks:
Although a lot of the trail is smooth dirt through the woods, it also alternates with technical rocky sections like the photo below. This is what I've come to regard as typical Indian Peaks trail surface, and it requires your attention. After a while you'll get really good at picking lines over and between rocks.
Soon the valley opens up, the walls rise higher, the trees become more sparse, and you know you are nearing the end. As you reach an open area with large boulders on the left, be sure you don't miss the stream crossing onto the right bank, because the huge boulders are tough to get over. I tried and had to backtrack.
First you hit the idyllic Mirror Lake, and get the full-on view of Lone Eagle:
It's so unlike any other mountain around here that I just kind of stood around muttering to myself and staring. I was giddy seeing it "in person".
After another short uphill stretch through beautiful alpine woods is Crater Lake, which is bigger and surrounded by jagged peaks on 3 sides. This was my lunch spot:
Waterfalls were streaming down the face of the mountains across the lake, and you could hear the roar from a distance. I set off around the lake to see if I could get a closer view.
Cascade Lake also reveals the secret of Lone Eagle: that its pointy summit is actually the end of a long knife-edge ridge, which is impressive in its own way:
I tried to imagine what it must be like to climb those sheer walls of rock, and gain that knife edge.
Over these jagged cliffs lies the basin containing Pawnee Lake, and of course Pawnee Pass:
I didn't reach the waterfalls, but got pretty close. I got to a point on the shore where I had sheer rock on my right, and about a foot of water and slippery rocks in front of me, with who-knows-what beyond. That was a good enough turnaround point for me.
On my way leaving Mirror Lake I got a three-quarters view of Lone Eagle.
Back down at the falls I stopped at the top to check out the water rushing down before going over the edge. Don't slip:
And here's the lower section of the same falls:
As I was running along I was a bit startled to see this odd form in the middle of the woods, looking like some sort of petrified orc staring at the sky:
I was well-hydrated, but I think I was getting tired, because I started misinterpreting shapes more as I neared the end of my run. That often seems to happen on long runs. On a really long one I'd probably be hallucinating.
There was a lot of nice forest running, about 5 miles of it. The terrain is easy and fairly well-shaded:
I took this picture while filling my water bottles from a small cascade:
Back at the lake, I stopped at my car, got a drink and took some stuff out of my pack, intending to walk around and cool down.
However, I hadn't run over 20 miles since April when my foot problems began, and since I had 18.6 (?) miles on the watch and was feeling tired but OK, I decided to jog around the lake and see what was there. I ended up going to the far corner of the lake visible in the back, which was around 1.7 miles each way:
The trail on the right (southern) side of the lake is a really nice rolling, trail through the woods. It rises to as high as maybe 200 feet above the lake, and goes inland just to follow the lines of ravines, so the lake is always barely visible through the trees. It merges with the other trail after the lake.
There were some structures scattered here and there in the woods, along with this rusting steam engine:
I was going to continue on around the lake, but the other side was hot and sunlit, and the wooded trail was great. This is the trail along the shoreline a few hundred yards from the parking area:
For those of you who are curious about the snow conditions up there, here's a photo from near Fraser, with Parry Peak in the middle, looking very different than it does in the winter:
Some facts that only I may care about:
- I focused relentlessly on using a soft foot landing, as if I were barefoot. This helped keep the legs fresh until the very end.
- Only very minor PF issues, mainly because of point number one -- or could it have been the fact that I broke out a new pair of Cascadia 5s for this run (I bought up several pairs of last year's model)?
- I still get an uncomfortable tightness in the tendons along the knee and the hamstrings (even with stretching along the way) and a pounded feeling. Not sure if everyone feels that or it's just me.
- I drank 7 bottles of water: 2 bottles + 3 refill stops with the water filter. I finished the 8th and a bottle of G2 by the time I got home.
- I lost 5 pounds in spite of all the liquids.
- Between the water and about 7-8 S-caps, I had zero cramping in the legs, on a warm, sunny 22-mile day. I think I've got the water and electrolytes dialed in.
- I ate real food as necessary: a PBJ at the halfway mark, and jerky as needed after that. I used to have nausea on long runs (for me 22 miles is long), but seem to have conquered it between this, water and salt.
- I tried one bite of a "protein" bar but it tasted like solidified syrup. Ick. Way too sweet.
"Publish Post".
Monday, July 25, 2011
Lone Eagle From Mirror
Ever since I saw Lone Eagle Peak on the cover of Gerry Roach's Indian Peaks book, I've wanted to see it for myself from up close. As he says, it appears apocryphal, i.e. as if it couldn't really be true. But it is.
As I stood on the shore of blue-green Mirror Lake on Sunday, with this pseudo-Bhuddist stupa rising above, I was beside myself. Amazing. But, the entire upper part of my run was like that: just staring at my surroundings in wonder.
More later.
As I stood on the shore of blue-green Mirror Lake on Sunday, with this pseudo-Bhuddist stupa rising above, I was beside myself. Amazing. But, the entire upper part of my run was like that: just staring at my surroundings in wonder.
More later.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Mt Galbraith Run
I did the Tour de Galbraith (run all trails) after work on Friday, which I'd aspired to on several other occasions, but had run out of daylight for.
Distance was 7.86 miles, moving time 1:38, and elevation gain 1,934 feet, avg. HR 140.
I've decided that an HR of 131 on this type of run is just not going to happen if I want to run at a decent pace. It was still slow, but at least I felt like I was actually moving.
This was only ~8 miles, but aside from a short flat-ish section at the top, it's all up or down.
I was racing the sun when I took the next photo, looking over Golden towards North Table Mountain. It's about 3 miles/800 feet from the neighborhood below back over the ridge to the other lot.
Below is a shot looking south, with my home hill Green Mountain in Lakewood in the distance and Golden in front of it. It's all Great Plains to the left, and Rockies to the right.
I saw a cute Husky puppy running with its owner at the top, which was very friendly. The owner said he had to move a couple of rattlesnakes out of the path for them (with a stick I assume, because my rattlesnakes haven't "moved" at all). When they passed me on the way down, the puppy stopped to say hi and the owner had to put on the brakes and patiently encourage it to follow. What an awesome little dog. Aside from the 15 years of commitment and thousands of dollars of expenses, I want one just like it. Wish I'd thought to snap a photo.
Distance was 7.86 miles, moving time 1:38, and elevation gain 1,934 feet, avg. HR 140.
I've decided that an HR of 131 on this type of run is just not going to happen if I want to run at a decent pace. It was still slow, but at least I felt like I was actually moving.
This was only ~8 miles, but aside from a short flat-ish section at the top, it's all up or down.
I was racing the sun when I took the next photo, looking over Golden towards North Table Mountain. It's about 3 miles/800 feet from the neighborhood below back over the ridge to the other lot.
Below is a shot looking south, with my home hill Green Mountain in Lakewood in the distance and Golden in front of it. It's all Great Plains to the left, and Rockies to the right.
I saw a cute Husky puppy running with its owner at the top, which was very friendly. The owner said he had to move a couple of rattlesnakes out of the path for them (with a stick I assume, because my rattlesnakes haven't "moved" at all). When they passed me on the way down, the puppy stopped to say hi and the owner had to put on the brakes and patiently encourage it to follow. What an awesome little dog. Aside from the 15 years of commitment and thousands of dollars of expenses, I want one just like it. Wish I'd thought to snap a photo.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Green Mtn. Lakewood Ride
I was going to do some chores after work, but it was so nice out I had to take advantage. It's great to have a break from the rain after work.
Ride distance was 8.22 miles, moving time 1:13, elevation gain 1,132 feet.
This outing was at about twice the average speed of my first couple of rides, because I was standing up on the bike more and just letting the wheels roll on the nasty stuff. It seems to work better that way. No jumps, but lots and lots of really mixed dirt and gravel, with marble-to-avocado-sized rocks scattered everywhere.
I found it was smoother if I just stood up and let it go with a light touch on the brakes. Almost lost it a couple of times due to slippery spots, but was largely within control.
This bike wants to go faster than I do. It's like a set of big skis that are more comfortable at speed.
The mountain was great today. Fantastic weather, wildflowers everywhere, slightly cool as it headed into evening.
I have some sort of clicking noise in the bike that I can't determine the cause of, and will drive me nuts if I can't pinpoint it.
Some time I will tell the story of a camping trip on Lake Huron where I almost got blown over in my tent, but all I cared about was the rattling of the zipper in the wind. Yeah.
Ride distance was 8.22 miles, moving time 1:13, elevation gain 1,132 feet.
This outing was at about twice the average speed of my first couple of rides, because I was standing up on the bike more and just letting the wheels roll on the nasty stuff. It seems to work better that way. No jumps, but lots and lots of really mixed dirt and gravel, with marble-to-avocado-sized rocks scattered everywhere.
I found it was smoother if I just stood up and let it go with a light touch on the brakes. Almost lost it a couple of times due to slippery spots, but was largely within control.
This bike wants to go faster than I do. It's like a set of big skis that are more comfortable at speed.
The mountain was great today. Fantastic weather, wildflowers everywhere, slightly cool as it headed into evening.
I have some sort of clicking noise in the bike that I can't determine the cause of, and will drive me nuts if I can't pinpoint it.
Some time I will tell the story of a camping trip on Lake Huron where I almost got blown over in my tent, but all I cared about was the rattling of the zipper in the wind. Yeah.
Bergen Peak Non-Summit
I haven't gotten up to Evergreen much this year, mainly because it's farther after work now, but the change of pace was good. It's nice to get out of the car and feel that rush of cooler, pine-scented air.
It was late and I did't have the 2.5 hours it usually takes me to get to do a round trip to the summit from the lower lot, so I just ran until I thought I should turn around. I nearly got to the wildlife area sign, about 3.5 miles.
Distance was 7.11 miles, moving time 1:15, elevation gain 1,243 feet (always seems like more), avg. moving pace 10:38, which is pretty good for me up here. Top elevation around 8,700 feet.
After many successful attempts at self-repair, my Forerunner 405 has reached the end of the road with internal corrosion, so I took the plunge on the 310XT (I need longer battery life and waterproof case -- for rain -- anyway), and wore it for this run. The 405 made it a little over two years of everyday wear; not what I had hoped for, but still good value if you compute by the day.
Initial impressions are good on the 310, but it's sure honkin' big! And I thought the 405 was oversize. If it's the battery, it'll definitely be worth it.
It was late and I did't have the 2.5 hours it usually takes me to get to do a round trip to the summit from the lower lot, so I just ran until I thought I should turn around. I nearly got to the wildlife area sign, about 3.5 miles.
Distance was 7.11 miles, moving time 1:15, elevation gain 1,243 feet (always seems like more), avg. moving pace 10:38, which is pretty good for me up here. Top elevation around 8,700 feet.
After many successful attempts at self-repair, my Forerunner 405 has reached the end of the road with internal corrosion, so I took the plunge on the 310XT (I need longer battery life and waterproof case -- for rain -- anyway), and wore it for this run. The 405 made it a little over two years of everyday wear; not what I had hoped for, but still good value if you compute by the day.
Initial impressions are good on the 310, but it's sure honkin' big! And I thought the 405 was oversize. If it's the battery, it'll definitely be worth it.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Monday Short Bike
I had intended to take the day off from running, but still wanted to get out on the bike again, so I did a short easy jaunt near Green Mountain (Lakewood).
Fifty yards past this photo another biker warned me there was a rattlesnake ahead, but I didn't see or hear it. I rode carefully and kept my eyes open.
The horses had been up here from the fairgrounds again, as certain parts of the trails had hoof prints and were all torn up. Pretty rough for a bike, and I got bogged down a couple of times. Some sections were a foot wide, with overgrown grass and small boulders grabbing at my pedals. It was fun though.
Distance was 5.63 miles, moving time 51 minutes, elevation gain 583 feet. Nice relaxing ride.
Fifty yards past this photo another biker warned me there was a rattlesnake ahead, but I didn't see or hear it. I rode carefully and kept my eyes open.
The horses had been up here from the fairgrounds again, as certain parts of the trails had hoof prints and were all torn up. Pretty rough for a bike, and I got bogged down a couple of times. Some sections were a foot wide, with overgrown grass and small boulders grabbing at my pedals. It was fun though.
Distance was 5.63 miles, moving time 51 minutes, elevation gain 583 feet. Nice relaxing ride.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Devils Thumb - King Lake Loop
I liked running this tiring loop last summer, so it was my choice for Sunday, mind you much earlier in the season and after heavy winter snows.
In short, it was splash-tastic.
Distance was 17.11 miles, moving time 4:13, elevation gain 3,559 feet. And frankly given the snow, rockiness and altitude (8,900 - 12,100 feet), that understates the difficulty somewhat. It was a good workout.
The Hessie trailhead is busy in the summer, so I aimed to get there by 8 AM, and was a bit late but still hit "Start" at about 8:45.
As I ran up to the trailhead I came upon three runners, including a tall guy with dark curly hair who seemed familiar. Yep, it was Scott, so I introduced myself (not that he would know me), said hello to his running partners from Europe, got the beta on the snow conditions, and since I had utterly no chance of keeping up, wished them well and went on my way. They started soon thereafter and passed me around the first zag above the abandoned cabin when I stopped to take a picture (surprise). I sort of kept up until before the bridge, then lost them completely.
They ended up being my rabbits for the day, and I tried to catch up, which was kind of fun but futile. I'm an OK runner on technical terrain, but not that fast. That, and the few dozen stops I made.
It was still pretty snowy up there. And just like my early summer run at Pawnee, this was a blast. Running up and down snow and through water, I felt like a little kid. After a while I quit trying to keep my feet dry and just splashed through it all (not a good idea when there are other people on the trail). Here's a typical upper section of trail in the trees:
This is just below Jasper Lake:
Sunday workout: this is why I live here
On this run I took two bottles (one in hand, and one on my pack) plus a water filter. I ended up drinking five+ bottles, stopping twice to re-fill. It's a pain, but I've gotten it down to about 5 minutes.
Jasper Lake
Below is the outlet from Jasper Lake, which is where I crossed. To my left about 100 feet, the creek passes over a cliff and under a snow field. Although it's not that deep, I didn't want to fall here. There were several spots like that along the trail.
The trail follows the snow field up:
Looking back down the final push to Devils Thumb Pass:
These carpeted the entire mountainside:
Once you get to the top of the pass, you can see Winter Park and Fraser in the valley below. This shot is typical of trail up there, basically rolling singletrack through tundra, high above the trees:
The trail runs for a little over 2 miles over to Rollins Pass, and then drops down into the second valley over, past King Lake. There are fairly recent snowboard tracks coming down off the ridge:
The long valley back home. They should call this Really Long Trail:
I ran straight down the snow in the middle (not the peak, but below that):
The skies were threatening, but there were only a few sprinkles until I got to my car, when it started raining pretty hard. Timed that one well.
Body-wise, I kept up with hydration and ate when I felt like it, so strength was pretty good considering, even though I was tired and the legs were tired of the downhill after a while. I kept trying to pretend I was barefoot and it works fairly well to minimize impact. I took S-caps on the hour to half-hour as needed. I had no cramps.
The plantar fasciitis was a pain, flaring up alternately in my heel and arch. I had to pamper it by stretching and stopping to massage my foot once. If I hadn't done this, I'd be right back where I was in the spring, limping down the hill. What a stupid condition. I did discover this week that being more regular with the foam roller seems to help.
In short, it was splash-tastic.
Distance was 17.11 miles, moving time 4:13, elevation gain 3,559 feet. And frankly given the snow, rockiness and altitude (8,900 - 12,100 feet), that understates the difficulty somewhat. It was a good workout.
The Hessie trailhead is busy in the summer, so I aimed to get there by 8 AM, and was a bit late but still hit "Start" at about 8:45.
As I ran up to the trailhead I came upon three runners, including a tall guy with dark curly hair who seemed familiar. Yep, it was Scott, so I introduced myself (not that he would know me), said hello to his running partners from Europe, got the beta on the snow conditions, and since I had utterly no chance of keeping up, wished them well and went on my way. They started soon thereafter and passed me around the first zag above the abandoned cabin when I stopped to take a picture (surprise). I sort of kept up until before the bridge, then lost them completely.
They ended up being my rabbits for the day, and I tried to catch up, which was kind of fun but futile. I'm an OK runner on technical terrain, but not that fast. That, and the few dozen stops I made.
It was still pretty snowy up there. And just like my early summer run at Pawnee, this was a blast. Running up and down snow and through water, I felt like a little kid. After a while I quit trying to keep my feet dry and just splashed through it all (not a good idea when there are other people on the trail). Here's a typical upper section of trail in the trees:
This is just below Jasper Lake:
On this run I took two bottles (one in hand, and one on my pack) plus a water filter. I ended up drinking five+ bottles, stopping twice to re-fill. It's a pain, but I've gotten it down to about 5 minutes.
Below is the outlet from Jasper Lake, which is where I crossed. To my left about 100 feet, the creek passes over a cliff and under a snow field. Although it's not that deep, I didn't want to fall here. There were several spots like that along the trail.
The trail follows the snow field up:
Looking back down the final push to Devils Thumb Pass:
These carpeted the entire mountainside:
Once you get to the top of the pass, you can see Winter Park and Fraser in the valley below. This shot is typical of trail up there, basically rolling singletrack through tundra, high above the trees:
The trail runs for a little over 2 miles over to Rollins Pass, and then drops down into the second valley over, past King Lake. There are fairly recent snowboard tracks coming down off the ridge:
The long valley back home. They should call this Really Long Trail:
I ran straight down the snow in the middle (not the peak, but below that):
The skies were threatening, but there were only a few sprinkles until I got to my car, when it started raining pretty hard. Timed that one well.
Body-wise, I kept up with hydration and ate when I felt like it, so strength was pretty good considering, even though I was tired and the legs were tired of the downhill after a while. I kept trying to pretend I was barefoot and it works fairly well to minimize impact. I took S-caps on the hour to half-hour as needed. I had no cramps.
The plantar fasciitis was a pain, flaring up alternately in my heel and arch. I had to pamper it by stretching and stopping to massage my foot once. If I hadn't done this, I'd be right back where I was in the spring, limping down the hill. What a stupid condition. I did discover this week that being more regular with the foam roller seems to help.
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