monday - nothing
tuesday - htfu run (6 miles 0:48) with a couple siu pills to help along the way. this was supposed to be a quick jaunt around the roads of leadville to make sure i got outside today. when i did finally open the door (for my run, sirius and i took a walk earlier, but apparently i forgot how cold it was- the thermometer read -8 and there was some wind. the good news is i remembered gloves and a jacket. shorts are not the best choice for cooler temperatures (read below 0). It was supposed to be a quick jaunt, but as my legs were feeling good (thanks to lacy putting the hurt to me on friday and saturday:) i opted to stretch out a bit, and make it a tempo effort. about 20 minutes into it (at the low point of the run, literally and figuratively), my hands were cold, my feet hurt, even my head was tingly. the good news, i had roughly 2.5 miles with 400' of climbing, not steep, but enough to slow me down. i put my head down and tried to hold a steady effort. the wind subsided, as did the cold, though my head would continue to tingle even after i was back inside, and it took a bit for my hands and feet to thaw.
wednesday - leadville explorations (5.8 miles 0:56). a balmy 14 degrees and i found myself wandering along some plowed and packed dirt roads on the eastside of town, no ambition just wandering. i threw in some drills as a first attempt at finding some leg speed. i stumbled on a fun little loop, just need to find a better way of linking it back into town (other than running up 91 - the highway).
dillon trials (8 miles 1:30). a pleasant surprise, 2 on the day, and a run with 2 of my favorite running buddies (lacy and joula). lacy always seems to find a way to put it to me, and today wasn't any different. she is an incredible little ball of non stop energy. the more time i spend with her, the more i grow as a person and stretch in new ways (i like to believe it's like looking in a mirror, but in reality she is probably a far better person than i am. i hope to glean some of the simpleness and goodness with which she approaches life). in addition to having an interminable amount of energy, she has a very simple and interesting outlook on life. today she introduced me to some fun trails just outside of dillon. the trials were a mix of ice, snow, and even some dirt. in my infinite ignorance, i opted to run downhill through the center of an ice sheet (the best way to get me to do something is to prohibit it). not 3 steps onto the ice, me feet out accelerated the rest of me, i went horizontal, landed flat on my back and proceeded to slide down the patch of ice. add it to the list of the days lumps and move on. i got back up, dusted myself off and we carried on with our run and conversations. as we were finishing up, the beginnings of our winter storm began rolling in.
thursday - warm weather reprieve (4 miles 0:34). sirius and i had an appointment in denver today, so i figured why not enjoy warmer weather (temps in the 30's at 6am when i started), i wandered around some paved pedestrian ways, and threw in a 1/4 mile effort between 1 mile and 5k race pace (it felt close to 1 mile race pace, but in the past i am pretty sure i've held close to that for 5k, i'm embracing living in the past:) just to try and breath some turnover back into my legs.
friday - snowboarding, lots of fresh powder and a bit of re-learning how to ride in the soft stuff, and some tree runs. i've got a long way to go to be back where i remember being years ago.
saturday - boulder run (15.8 miles 4:11). what was supposed to be a nice long day on dirt turned into a really long day, Lacy, Jamie, and i set out early morning heading for boulder. unfortunately Jamie wasn't feeling well and opted out of the run. Lacy and I met up with Geoff and his buddy Phil and were joining Human Potential Running. Lacy and i would start with the group while Geoff and Phil went to drop a car so they could bail earlier due to prior engagements. Due to the previous days storms, this turned into a run much like we would have done by home, lots of trudging through snow with sections of runnable packed trail, and a bit of road just because. nothing terribly exciting to report on the run, a nice easy effort (more walking than running, though the snow forced new muscle recruitment and soreness). all in all a good day with good people topped of with dinner at Geoff's place.
sunday - turquoise lake groomer (3.1 miles 0:43). after a very late night and early morning, i woke late to blue skies and the warmth of the sun, a great day for a run. i headed over to check out the supposed groomed trails around turquoise lake. They were in fact groomed, though not packed down so well, after about 20 minutes of breaking through the semi packed trail, i opted to turn around and try to defrost my hands and feet. it felt great soaking up the sun, and likely would have been a great day for the run down in boulder, perhaps next week.
retrospective: i was hoping to keep the build of the last few weeks, based on numbers, it didn't happen, based on soreness, there was a good bit of reaching going on this week. it's been a little while since i have been sore, and i'm enjoying it. took the day easy, and look forward to a good week coming.
summary:
total time: 8:43
run time: 8:43
distance: 42.8 mile
TSS: 390
climbing: 3,684'
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
20140126 - week in review
monday - strand bike ride (22 miles 1:12) in the am, moderate effort around coronado and down the strand. felt good to be out and riding.
north fortuna run (5.5 miles 0:57) from mast parking lot up to north fortuna summit. calves were really tight on the long climbs on the way out. i definitely notice a decline in my turn over and pace on the descents. a fun run with victor.
tuesday - trail run (3.6 miles 0:36) exploring the trails behind intuit. fun little excursion.
wednesday - trail run (6.1 miles 0:56) more explorations behind intuit, the climbs felt a bit sluggish, including calf tightness.
thursday - modified black mountain camino del sur loop run (8.1 miles 0:59). 5th fastest time, and fastest pace (slightly longer than the usual loop due to some trails at the end). felt very strong throughout the run, enjoyed the climbs (all moderate grades). again i found myself lacking turn-over and pace on the descents.
mission trails run (3.1 miles 0:28) easy shake out run at mission trails with randy. started at kumeyaay parking area, ran towards equestrian center under 52, turned back to road and towards the dam then back to the parking lot. legs were definitely a little sluggish after this mornings effort. still really enjoying being out and trying to get in some faster efforts
friday - b2b trail head run (4.6 miles 0:48) with lacy. my lungs and legs aren't liking the return to elevation. i was breathing hard and struggling on the climbs. felt good to be out for a fun jaunt in the not so cold snow.
saturday - VRB group run (11.5 miles 2:20). another venture on many of the same trails as yesterday with some fun additions. again my legs and lungs do protest the altitude. feeling a little sluggish on the climbs in addition to the effects of altitude and cold weather. a fun run with a good group of people, it's good to be back on the group runs after missing a number of them
sunday - slick rock run (10.1 miles 2:11) fun little jaunt in moab. my legs were definitely feeling the weeks efforts and welcomed a leisurely (read a good amount of walking and enjoying the views:) jaunt in somewhat warmer weather.
retrospective: i definitely notice a decline in my turn over and pace on the descents, perhaps it's time to start throwing in some higher effort 1/2 mile and mile repeats. my first big week in some time, lets see if i can keep the trend going. I'm going for consistency in 2014, and feel as though i might want to have some faster efforts.
summary:
run time: 9:18
total time: 10:30
distance: 74.82 miles
TSS: 621
climbing: 5,391'
north fortuna run (5.5 miles 0:57) from mast parking lot up to north fortuna summit. calves were really tight on the long climbs on the way out. i definitely notice a decline in my turn over and pace on the descents. a fun run with victor.
tuesday - trail run (3.6 miles 0:36) exploring the trails behind intuit. fun little excursion.
wednesday - trail run (6.1 miles 0:56) more explorations behind intuit, the climbs felt a bit sluggish, including calf tightness.
thursday - modified black mountain camino del sur loop run (8.1 miles 0:59). 5th fastest time, and fastest pace (slightly longer than the usual loop due to some trails at the end). felt very strong throughout the run, enjoyed the climbs (all moderate grades). again i found myself lacking turn-over and pace on the descents.
mission trails run (3.1 miles 0:28) easy shake out run at mission trails with randy. started at kumeyaay parking area, ran towards equestrian center under 52, turned back to road and towards the dam then back to the parking lot. legs were definitely a little sluggish after this mornings effort. still really enjoying being out and trying to get in some faster efforts
friday - b2b trail head run (4.6 miles 0:48) with lacy. my lungs and legs aren't liking the return to elevation. i was breathing hard and struggling on the climbs. felt good to be out for a fun jaunt in the not so cold snow.
saturday - VRB group run (11.5 miles 2:20). another venture on many of the same trails as yesterday with some fun additions. again my legs and lungs do protest the altitude. feeling a little sluggish on the climbs in addition to the effects of altitude and cold weather. a fun run with a good group of people, it's good to be back on the group runs after missing a number of them
sunday - slick rock run (10.1 miles 2:11) fun little jaunt in moab. my legs were definitely feeling the weeks efforts and welcomed a leisurely (read a good amount of walking and enjoying the views:) jaunt in somewhat warmer weather.
retrospective: i definitely notice a decline in my turn over and pace on the descents, perhaps it's time to start throwing in some higher effort 1/2 mile and mile repeats. my first big week in some time, lets see if i can keep the trend going. I'm going for consistency in 2014, and feel as though i might want to have some faster efforts.
summary:
run time: 9:18
total time: 10:30
distance: 74.82 miles
TSS: 621
climbing: 5,391'
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
20140119 - week in review
Monday: nothing
Tueaday: nothing
Wednesday:
Easy shake out run (3.2 miles 0:24) in the am around streets of leadville
Easy shake out run along dillon lake (4.7 miles 0:45) in the pm. Joined Lacy for a quick jaunt around lake dillon prior to my departure for san diego. a fun little run, a little cold as i'm still not very good at judging the appropriate amount of clothing.
Thursday: Black Mountain Carmel Mountain loop (5.7 miles 0:40) a little throwback to one of my usual loops. I started out pre-dawn and was enjoying the moderately cool weather instead of the cold i've been running in up in the mountains of colorado. everything was feeling pretty good, so i pressed the effort a bit and turned the day into a solid tempo run. coming in with my second fastest time on the loop since i've started tracking it (33 seconds short of my fastest time). I definitely didn't feel like i had any more speed in my legs, but had some pretty solid muscular endurance. perhaps all that slogging around in the upper elevations may be doing something.
Friday: Black Mountain Carmel Mountain loop (5.5 miles 0:46) a leisurely effort this morning it just feels good to be out in shorts and a t-shirt enjoying the relative warmth, even in the pre-dawn hours.
with about 1.5 miles left, the lure of trails was too great, so i opted to finish in the dirt today. it felt good to cruise along the dirt, away from people falling into an additional layer of quite before heading into the office. I actually slid and fell on some loose rocks during one of the descents, smiled dusted myself off and got back up and continued on my way.
Saturday:
Julia's Pie ride (30.5 miles 2:10) with Victor, Julia, Stacia, Dave, and some new faces. a good little jaunt, perhaps a bit too fun. it's been a long time since i've been on a bike, and this was an excellent reminder of how much i truly enjoy riding, though not as simple as running, it offers an opportunity to see so much more.
we stopped for some apple pie in Julien before heading back over sunrise (31.4 miles 2:18) and down to the car. my legs didn't appreciate the bit of climbing to be done on the back end, and fully succumbed to the suffering with about 2 miles of rolling climbs before the final descent.
all in all a good day and great people
I was interested in testing out some fast packing gear and seeing how my legs would hold up to some simpler miles, as well as an opportunity to get away from all the people and city, so opted to head back into the mountains after lunch.
I did a short 2.5 - 3 miles hike/run with a nice little fast pack assembly: Mountain Hardwear Fluid 18 pack, Mountain Hardwear mtn speed 32 bag, Mountain Hardwear Bivy sack, Montrail Fliud feel shoes, Merrel RFE shorts, Merrell Jacket, Merrell fleece, Patagonia Houdini windshell, , Patagonia 3/4 tights, and an Asics Thermopolis 1/2 zip top.
I picked out a nice little clearing a bit off the trial and settled in for the night. The bag and bivy proved sufficiently warm with the temperatures dipping into the 40s, i woke several times and needed to vent the bag and bivy to cool down a bit.
Sunday: lagunas fast packing (6.1 miles 1:11) I worked my way back up the trail and opted to loop back to the car the longer way to get a bit more distance and see how the loaded pack felt on a bit longer outing, the pack was super comfy and stayed put during the run, no extraneous jostling our bouncing, I am going to enjoy some longer days and outings with this gear.
Retrospective
It's been a roller coaster of a ride these last 2 weeks, lots of super high points and a handful of pretty low points, i'm glad to be back out in nature enjoying some solitude and the company of very good friends, while working through another one of life's twists and the associated learnings. suffice it to say i've been smiling more and thinking less.
for more photos check out smugmug.com
Summary:
Total Time: 8:26
Run Time: 26.4 miles
Distance: 88.3 miles
TSS: 577
Climbing: 7,698'
Tueaday: nothing
Wednesday:
Easy shake out run (3.2 miles 0:24) in the am around streets of leadville
Easy shake out run along dillon lake (4.7 miles 0:45) in the pm. Joined Lacy for a quick jaunt around lake dillon prior to my departure for san diego. a fun little run, a little cold as i'm still not very good at judging the appropriate amount of clothing.
Thursday: Black Mountain Carmel Mountain loop (5.7 miles 0:40) a little throwback to one of my usual loops. I started out pre-dawn and was enjoying the moderately cool weather instead of the cold i've been running in up in the mountains of colorado. everything was feeling pretty good, so i pressed the effort a bit and turned the day into a solid tempo run. coming in with my second fastest time on the loop since i've started tracking it (33 seconds short of my fastest time). I definitely didn't feel like i had any more speed in my legs, but had some pretty solid muscular endurance. perhaps all that slogging around in the upper elevations may be doing something.
Friday: Black Mountain Carmel Mountain loop (5.5 miles 0:46) a leisurely effort this morning it just feels good to be out in shorts and a t-shirt enjoying the relative warmth, even in the pre-dawn hours.
with about 1.5 miles left, the lure of trails was too great, so i opted to finish in the dirt today. it felt good to cruise along the dirt, away from people falling into an additional layer of quite before heading into the office. I actually slid and fell on some loose rocks during one of the descents, smiled dusted myself off and got back up and continued on my way.
Saturday:
Julia's Pie ride (30.5 miles 2:10) with Victor, Julia, Stacia, Dave, and some new faces. a good little jaunt, perhaps a bit too fun. it's been a long time since i've been on a bike, and this was an excellent reminder of how much i truly enjoy riding, though not as simple as running, it offers an opportunity to see so much more.
we stopped for some apple pie in Julien before heading back over sunrise (31.4 miles 2:18) and down to the car. my legs didn't appreciate the bit of climbing to be done on the back end, and fully succumbed to the suffering with about 2 miles of rolling climbs before the final descent.
all in all a good day and great people
I was interested in testing out some fast packing gear and seeing how my legs would hold up to some simpler miles, as well as an opportunity to get away from all the people and city, so opted to head back into the mountains after lunch.
I did a short 2.5 - 3 miles hike/run with a nice little fast pack assembly: Mountain Hardwear Fluid 18 pack, Mountain Hardwear mtn speed 32 bag, Mountain Hardwear Bivy sack, Montrail Fliud feel shoes, Merrel RFE shorts, Merrell Jacket, Merrell fleece, Patagonia Houdini windshell, , Patagonia 3/4 tights, and an Asics Thermopolis 1/2 zip top.
 |
| all my gear laid out |
 |
| most all my gear rolled and crammed ready to pack up |
 |
| my multi day fastpack |
Sunday: lagunas fast packing (6.1 miles 1:11) I worked my way back up the trail and opted to loop back to the car the longer way to get a bit more distance and see how the loaded pack felt on a bit longer outing, the pack was super comfy and stayed put during the run, no extraneous jostling our bouncing, I am going to enjoy some longer days and outings with this gear.
Retrospective
It's been a roller coaster of a ride these last 2 weeks, lots of super high points and a handful of pretty low points, i'm glad to be back out in nature enjoying some solitude and the company of very good friends, while working through another one of life's twists and the associated learnings. suffice it to say i've been smiling more and thinking less.
for more photos check out smugmug.com
Summary:
Total Time: 8:26
Run Time: 26.4 miles
Distance: 88.3 miles
TSS: 577
Climbing: 7,698'
Sunday, January 12, 2014
20140112 - week in review
Friday: Boulder Multi-use paths
after a very lax start to the new year, i think i'm ready to start running again, though i'm finding it a bit of a chore when the running doesn't involve trails. The good news is i have 3 great running buddies, 1 of whom is recovering from a bit of an injury, so I'm not sure how long before he's back to running. The other two are super fun to run with, and seem to be motivated to get out and enjoy some long runs.
Combine their ambition with their good looks and great personalities, and it's really hard to find any reason not to join them for a run.
Friday was my first run in nearly 2 weeks, and 2 of my 3 running buddies invited me to join them in boulder, how could i resist:
The last couple miles were a combination of trying to hold on to Jamie and enjoying the fatigue as it built up within me. Then out of seemingly nowhere Lacy decides it's time to be done with the jaunt, and a ridiculous quickening of the pace. I start to smile, and do what i can to keep up, and before long we are done.
after a very lax start to the new year, i think i'm ready to start running again, though i'm finding it a bit of a chore when the running doesn't involve trails. The good news is i have 3 great running buddies, 1 of whom is recovering from a bit of an injury, so I'm not sure how long before he's back to running. The other two are super fun to run with, and seem to be motivated to get out and enjoy some long runs.
Combine their ambition with their good looks and great personalities, and it's really hard to find any reason not to join them for a run.
Friday was my first run in nearly 2 weeks, and 2 of my 3 running buddies invited me to join them in boulder, how could i resist:
 |
| Lacy and Jamie soaking in the sun and the days run |
I met up with Lacy in frisco, and then Jamie in dillon before proceeding down to boulder. It was extremely windy with temps very comfortable for running. We wound up doing an out and back on several of the multi-use paths around boulder. It was good to be back out and running, after the past week, i was ready to get back out and do some running.
Things started out pretty comfortable, and i found myself chomping at the bit again: I was reminded of running on the roads around san diego, all the runs in those days had a purpose other than exploration and enjoyment. After a little while i was able to let go of that mentality and settle in and enjoy being outside and moving. We continued choosing multi-use trails until slightly over 8 miles.
At that point we stopped for a bit of sustenance and to enjoy the view ahead of us before turning around and making our way back to the cars. About half way back, my legs began to protest. I had to focus on moving forward and trying to keep pace with Lacy and Jamie.
Jamie seemed to be maintaining extremely well, Lacy looked like she was in my boat, and had slowed a bit too. Despite the fatigue, i found myself looking at the surrounding mountains longing to be there instead of pounding out the miles on paved multi-use paths. Then I'd look over to either Jamie or Lacy and smile, good people is top priority, these surroundings are just temporary.
With a couple miles left we stopped to regroup and take some photos
 |
| Jamie hamming it up, making me laugh |
 |
| Lacy forcing a smile:) |
The last couple miles were a combination of trying to hold on to Jamie and enjoying the fatigue as it built up within me. Then out of seemingly nowhere Lacy decides it's time to be done with the jaunt, and a ridiculous quickening of the pace. I start to smile, and do what i can to keep up, and before long we are done.
Jamie is off to catch a flight, Lacy and i grab some food at whole foods, and make a quick stop at home depot (thanks for being patient Lacy). Thanks to both Lacy and Jamie for dragging me down to boulder for a fun little jaunt.
Saturday: Sally Barber mine
saturday's are usually my social day, i head down to breckenridge and join the VRB (vertical Runner Breckenridge) group and explore some relatively clear trails and good people.
this saturday's vertical runner run is supposed to be a snowshoe run, in my hurry to get out the door, i left my snowshoes by the door. I manage to arrive a couple minutes before 10 to a group of 5 or 6 cars, and am excited for the group run.
The cars turn out to be a group of skiers, I ask if this is Sally Barber mine parking lot, they confirm, so back to the truck to wait for Lacy and whomever else will be joining today. A bit after 10 nobody is there, so i, in my infinite lack of patience, decide to see if there is another parking lot nearby that i'm supposed to be at.
After driving around for a bit and not finding anybody, i return to the original spot and wait another couple minutes before deciding to venture out on my own. The early sections of trail are packed fairly well from the skiers and i'm able to fake a jog (boy are my legs feeling yesterday).
There's a bit of an internal discussion about heading back now or carrying on another 1 - 2 miles before turning around. I continue forward hoping to come across the VRB run and a familiar face. as the trail turns up, my jog slows and turns to a walk. I continue climbing for a bit before turning onto a lightly used section of trail.
As i work my way down this section, i periodically stop of tracks and sink almost to my waist. After a bit of this, i decide to start making my way back to the truck as this trail doesn't look like it will loop back around anytime soon.
On the way back, i find an even less used trail which points pretty much straight down, towards where i believe the original trail and Sally Barber mine should be, so i begin the descent. After a little while, i pop out at the Sally Barber mine, and turn to head back to the car. This section of trail is packed pretty solid and is very runnable.
Retrospective:
2 days hardly makes a week of running, but it was enough for my legs, today is a bit of a reprieve and housework, then back on the trails come monday.
SUMMARY:
Total Time: 3:45
Run Time: 3:45
Distance: 20.47
TSS: 213
Climbing: 1,447'
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Zion Traverse-ish
We got 1 group shot in the parking lot at what we thought was the trail head:
After a bit more rolling terrain we made another short stop to shed some more layers in preparation for the rising sun and enjoy some of the colors which were started to show in the coming light:
And quickly found ourselves dumped out on the La Verkin Creek river valley.
Again the trail crossed the creek in several places, most of which had sufficient ice to cross safely.
We checked the map (Jamie is pretty much a girl scout, not only did she bring a map, she brought a "tear proof" map, as in you can cry on it, and it would be fine, i imagine it would hold up pretty well against ripping as well, but let's not lose track of the fact that if you are lost and crying, the map will be safe:). To see which side of the creek we would ultimately end up on, so we could minimize our creek crossings.
We would make our way along the river valley, each choosing a slightly different path, Leah and Lacy took to the high ground, Jamie wound up skating down the creek for a good portion, and i worked my way between the two options. Apparently the video is too large to embed, so a link will have to do: Lacy exhibiting some rock climbing moves while Leah opts for the shorter distance and proceeds to climb through the tree.
All smiles and ready for the days adventures. We started down the trail, which seemed a bit overgrown and unkempt, but we are on an adventure, what a great beginning, and it's downhill. So on we pressed. After several minutes, the trail really began to disappear and look truly like water runoff and an old animal trail. we opted to head back up and see if we somehow missed the actual trial head.
We certainly did. Once we were back in the parking area, not 50 feet from were we parked, there was a large wooden sign indicating the trail head was a short distance down the road. Off to a good start, we recognized our error early, and corrected.
Again we started down the trail, this time a much more pronounced and well kept trail. It was a fun little descent, a little dark, and in my infinite frugality and poor planning, i neglected to check the batteries in my headlamp. The good news: the moon was pretty bright, and i was able to stick with the group and take advantage of their headlamps.
There were several small creek crossings, which we managed to stay dry through, then i ran out of patience, besides, it was pretty warm, so i started crossing the easiest routes instead of trying to keep my feet dry.
After 30 - 45 minutes, my headlamp died completely. Jamie and Leah were making good time down the trail, and created a bit of a gap on Lacy and I. Lacy stopped to make some adjustments, and I opted to shed the jacket and dead headlamp.
The sky was super clear and there were tons of stars, and pretty good visibility, except where the trail went through thick clusters of trees, at which time, i would slow pretty much to a walk, and pick my way through. Through some of the rockier or more rooted sections, Lacy would light the path for me after she cleared the technical portions. We continued on like this until the sky started to show signs of the rising sun.
My calves and lower legs started to tighten up pretty early on, no bueno. I kept moving forward and figured they would loosen up in a bit, i just needed to pay attention and take it slow. We followed La Verkin Creek for a good bit, and crossed that a couple times before we started to climb back up. As we climbed the rising sun started to show the shadows of the canyon walls looming above us. Looking at some of the walls, and the moon making it's way towards the horizon:
Once there was enough light, we were able to enjoy some fun little descents
And quickly found ourselves dumped out on the La Verkin Creek river valley.
Again the trail crossed the creek in several places, most of which had sufficient ice to cross safely.
Jamie making her way across the frozen creek
We checked the map (Jamie is pretty much a girl scout, not only did she bring a map, she brought a "tear proof" map, as in you can cry on it, and it would be fine, i imagine it would hold up pretty well against ripping as well, but let's not lose track of the fact that if you are lost and crying, the map will be safe:). To see which side of the creek we would ultimately end up on, so we could minimize our creek crossings.
We would make our way along the river valley, each choosing a slightly different path, Leah and Lacy took to the high ground, Jamie wound up skating down the creek for a good portion, and i worked my way between the two options. Apparently the video is too large to embed, so a link will have to do: Lacy exhibiting some rock climbing moves while Leah opts for the shorter distance and proceeds to climb through the tree.
Enjoying the rising sun and early adventures:
There is always time for a bit of ice skating
and back on the trail
and Looking forward towards hop valley and our first round of treats:
Blue skies and positive outlooks would be the predominant theme throughout the day. I mean how could it be otherwise, we are out on a quiet day enjoying zion national park with great people.
At the end of the climb up to the beginnings of hop valley, we found ourselves dumped into a field with no discernable trail, and the snowshoe tracks we'd been following seemed to disappear. After consulting the map again, we decided that we wanted to stay to the left of the field and that should dump us out by the trail.
That logical soon changed when Lacy looked off the the right and inquired, "Is that a gate". Nobody could confirm if it was or wasn't, since there wasn't much promise in our current direction, we opted to investigate. Sure enough it was a gate, and had us right back on the trail. Back to the snowshoe tracks and towards the hop valley trail head and stash of goodies.
We were pleasantly surprised to find our goods still there, a bottle of chocoloate milk and some odwalla bars for myself, Lacy had some salami and gouda cheese (yes Jamie, it was quite gouda:) Leah had some vegetarian hot dogs, Jamie had trail mix of some form (some bear crackers and other little goodies and raisinets:
After a little time on top of the park, we came across the pair of hikers we had seen while staging our supply drops. They were about 26 or 27 miles into the hike, and were providing a snowshoe trail which we were following. We talked with them a bit, I missed most of it, but think they had started 2 days ago, and planned on having another 2 nights on the trail. The commented on our lack of gear, and inquired where we were heading. There was a bit of discussion, but at this point much of the group had resigned to calling it a day at zion lodge and hoping to catch a ride to Jamie's truck from there.
They were kind enough to take some photos of us before we headed towards potato hollow:
Shortly after this we were at the top and ready for our final descent into Zion canyon. The initial set of switchbacks were ice covered and pretty steep:
Lacy made quick work of them letting out shouts of joy ever once so often, while Jamie, Leah, and myself chose a more cautious and slow approach. Once the switch backs opened up a bit, i was able to put in a good effort, and managed to close the gap to run with Lacy for a bit. We were descending as twilight was settling in on the canyon, making for some pretty incredible views:
As we got to the bottom of the canyon, and gathered the last of our supply drops, we made our way to the road just in time for a ride. We decided it in our best interest to save the final 10 miles of trail for another trip, so we shall be back once the weather warms a bit, and the schedule affords.
We were fortunate enough that the first car stopped, and offered us a ride. Two grad students from Cincinnati who had quite the trip planned: they flew in to vegas, and were planning on hitting up zion, bryce, arches, monument valley, the grand canyon, and the back to vegas before they returned home (i think i missed one or two of their destinations).
They were super considerate, and tolerant, offering all 4 of us a ride, so we all piled in and commenced steaming up their windows (we were very volatile according to the female). We all got a good laugh out of that, and she tried to explain she was more referring to the heat we were producing than the odor. regardless if she found our odor overpowering or not, we all agreed we each produced a noticeable odor, and were to pick up Sirius and my truck, get food, and another hotel (Colorado is making me soft:)
We got some pizza, headed back to the hotel, cleaned up and slept. The next morning, the ladies headed back to colorado, and i hung around to meet up with Mike and Catalina for some hiking in Zion over the weekend.
All in all it was an incredible trip, great views, lots of fresh air, and very good people to share it with. i look forward to the next adventure, with perhaps a little less snow as there is plenty of that locally.
More photos can be found here: http://photo-op.smugmug.com
the garmin details can be found here
in summary:
miles: 38.62
elevation gain: 4977 ft
Elapsed time: 12:40:19
Moving time: 8:50:08 (+ time slowly climbing and postholing)
There is always time for a bit of ice skating
and back on the trail
Taking some time to reminisce about the trails traveled as we look back just before entering hop valley.
and Looking forward towards hop valley and our first round of treats:
Blue skies and positive outlooks would be the predominant theme throughout the day. I mean how could it be otherwise, we are out on a quiet day enjoying zion national park with great people.
At the end of the climb up to the beginnings of hop valley, we found ourselves dumped into a field with no discernable trail, and the snowshoe tracks we'd been following seemed to disappear. After consulting the map again, we decided that we wanted to stay to the left of the field and that should dump us out by the trail.
That logical soon changed when Lacy looked off the the right and inquired, "Is that a gate". Nobody could confirm if it was or wasn't, since there wasn't much promise in our current direction, we opted to investigate. Sure enough it was a gate, and had us right back on the trail. Back to the snowshoe tracks and towards the hop valley trail head and stash of goodies.
We were pleasantly surprised to find our goods still there, a bottle of chocoloate milk and some odwalla bars for myself, Lacy had some salami and gouda cheese (yes Jamie, it was quite gouda:) Leah had some vegetarian hot dogs, Jamie had trail mix of some form (some bear crackers and other little goodies and raisinets:
After a brief reprieve here, we started on our way again, making our way through hop valley and starting to check of some of the 25 ish miles to our next supply drop. At this point my body started feeling uncharacteristically sluggish. reminiscent of last year's malaise issues. Not as bad, but definitely a solid reminder of the issues i went through. I did a good bit of walking and trying to make sure i was up on my hydration and eating.
I also opted to take a good number of photos through this section, as it would allow me to go slower and hopefully allow the feelings of lethargy to pass. i started going through my options (we are roughly 17 miles in, 23 left with a potential drop out point by the zion lodge in 20 miles. i should be good to make it to the lodge and figure things out at that point. It was very frustrating as we hadn't done any real hard efforts, yet my legs were feeling pretty tattered, and my energy levels were extremely flat. i decided i'd keep moving forward and try not to lag too far behind, eat as much as i could get in and drink a lot and see if i could push through this feeling.
My thoughts drifted back and forth between the frustration (remembering how poor the 6 - 8 months of that feeling where and how much they wore on me) to being present and enjoying the incredible scenery and company. This feeling lasted through most of the wildcat canyon trail (starting shortly after we left hop valley and subsiding at the point we started the descent around mile 30). There were some fun little descents along wildcat canyon which i was able to enjoy, and get some good photos and video:
When we got to lava point, it was time to take a food break and check the map:
At this point, the wind was starting to pick up, and the sun had been pretty well hidden for some time. There were a couple snow flurries which we encountered, and lots of relatively deep snow which Jamie and Leah took turns breaking through. I was just trying to keep moving forward at this point, hoping to get some energy back and feel like moving forward.
I also opted to take a good number of photos through this section, as it would allow me to go slower and hopefully allow the feelings of lethargy to pass. i started going through my options (we are roughly 17 miles in, 23 left with a potential drop out point by the zion lodge in 20 miles. i should be good to make it to the lodge and figure things out at that point. It was very frustrating as we hadn't done any real hard efforts, yet my legs were feeling pretty tattered, and my energy levels were extremely flat. i decided i'd keep moving forward and try not to lag too far behind, eat as much as i could get in and drink a lot and see if i could push through this feeling.
My thoughts drifted back and forth between the frustration (remembering how poor the 6 - 8 months of that feeling where and how much they wore on me) to being present and enjoying the incredible scenery and company. This feeling lasted through most of the wildcat canyon trail (starting shortly after we left hop valley and subsiding at the point we started the descent around mile 30). There were some fun little descents along wildcat canyon which i was able to enjoy, and get some good photos and video:
When we got to lava point, it was time to take a food break and check the map:
At this point, the wind was starting to pick up, and the sun had been pretty well hidden for some time. There were a couple snow flurries which we encountered, and lots of relatively deep snow which Jamie and Leah took turns breaking through. I was just trying to keep moving forward at this point, hoping to get some energy back and feel like moving forward.
After a little time on top of the park, we came across the pair of hikers we had seen while staging our supply drops. They were about 26 or 27 miles into the hike, and were providing a snowshoe trail which we were following. We talked with them a bit, I missed most of it, but think they had started 2 days ago, and planned on having another 2 nights on the trail. The commented on our lack of gear, and inquired where we were heading. There was a bit of discussion, but at this point much of the group had resigned to calling it a day at zion lodge and hoping to catch a ride to Jamie's truck from there.
They were kind enough to take some photos of us before we headed towards potato hollow:
At this point, the day was starting to wear on most everbody. Leah and I were dragging pretty noiceably, Jamie was holding strong, and continued to break a good bit of trail, and Lacy was starting to come into her own. She would take turns with Jamie breaking trail, and setting a solid pace, especially considering the requirement to break trail.
We dropped into potato hollow, 9 miles to Zion Canyon, and our final aid station, and likely bail out point. We continued following the elk tracks through the hollow and consulting the map to make sure we were on track, and as we were starting to wonder if we'd strayed too far from the path, were greeted with a welcome sign:
Another bit of a climb up out of potato hollow which Lacy broke trail for. Once we were on top again, there were some more incredible views. As Jamie and I were coming to the top, we caught a glimpse of a chunk of ice and snow as it fell from the opposing cliffs:
Leah and Lacy heard the crash as the snow and ice slammed into the canyon below.
We enjoyed the views briefly before beginning the descent. A pleasant surprise as most of the snow had melted off the trail and we enjoyed some clear running down much of the switch backs ( i need a gimball, or to learn how to run more smoothly)
After some precarious climbing over snow blocking the trail, and a slip almost of the side by Jamie, we found ourselves once again at the bottom of another climb, gazing up at the rock formations surrounding us.
We made our way up another set of climbs to scouts lookout or something like that. Along the way up, Lacy pointed out several mule deer hanging out enjoying their dinner:
Shortly after this we were at the top and ready for our final descent into Zion canyon. The initial set of switchbacks were ice covered and pretty steep:
Lacy made quick work of them letting out shouts of joy ever once so often, while Jamie, Leah, and myself chose a more cautious and slow approach. Once the switch backs opened up a bit, i was able to put in a good effort, and managed to close the gap to run with Lacy for a bit. We were descending as twilight was settling in on the canyon, making for some pretty incredible views:
As we got to the bottom of the canyon, and gathered the last of our supply drops, we made our way to the road just in time for a ride. We decided it in our best interest to save the final 10 miles of trail for another trip, so we shall be back once the weather warms a bit, and the schedule affords.
We were fortunate enough that the first car stopped, and offered us a ride. Two grad students from Cincinnati who had quite the trip planned: they flew in to vegas, and were planning on hitting up zion, bryce, arches, monument valley, the grand canyon, and the back to vegas before they returned home (i think i missed one or two of their destinations).
They were super considerate, and tolerant, offering all 4 of us a ride, so we all piled in and commenced steaming up their windows (we were very volatile according to the female). We all got a good laugh out of that, and she tried to explain she was more referring to the heat we were producing than the odor. regardless if she found our odor overpowering or not, we all agreed we each produced a noticeable odor, and were to pick up Sirius and my truck, get food, and another hotel (Colorado is making me soft:)
We got some pizza, headed back to the hotel, cleaned up and slept. The next morning, the ladies headed back to colorado, and i hung around to meet up with Mike and Catalina for some hiking in Zion over the weekend.
All in all it was an incredible trip, great views, lots of fresh air, and very good people to share it with. i look forward to the next adventure, with perhaps a little less snow as there is plenty of that locally.
More photos can be found here: http://photo-op.smugmug.com
the garmin details can be found here
in summary:
miles: 38.62
elevation gain: 4977 ft
Elapsed time: 12:40:19
Moving time: 8:50:08 (+ time slowly climbing and postholing)
Zion adventures
the trip that kept back and forthing continued to do so throughout. At first mike and i were talking about coming to zion to traverse the park from west to east. After a little bit, john and gena were going to join us, then a few weeks before the scheduled departure, leah was added to the roster. 10 days before, the party grew again, Jamie and lacy were adjusting somethings so they could join as well.
there was talk about going to the grand canyon and doing a double crossing instead of the zion. that would work, though many of us were anxious to see zion for the first time, a double crossing would prove to be an excellent way to spend the day, and logistically easier.
we all met up the weekend before our departure for Leadville Running Company's first annual reindeer run. all were in good spirits and looking forward to the coming week and our trip. after the run we met up for happy hour and to go over the logistics. We would all meet up in leadville and depart at 7pm.
The day before our departure, mike learned his hip pain was due to a labral tear in his hip, he was out. after some logistical adjustments, it was decided to head to zion and proceed with the traverse. Leah, Sirius and I would meet Jamie and Lacy in minturn on Tuesday night and we'd head out from there.
We got to Zion early Wednesday morning, set up camp, and got some much appreciated rest. Lacy, Sirius, and I woke somewhat early, and decided to wander around and check out the area. When we returned, Leah and Jamie were up, we made a meager fire waited for the sun to come out (it didn't make it on wednesday), and then started prepping things for a couple supply drops and logistics.
We dropped Jamie's truck off at the east entrance, and stopped by the grocery store to pick up some last minute treats for our supply drops.
We dropped the first bag at the bottom of angels landing a short stretch from the zion lodge, the second bag of treats at the hop valley trail head, and proceeded towards lava point for our third set of supplies. After some slipping and sliding, we chose the cautious approach and skipped the 1.8 mile drive through unplowed roads to the lava point drop location. This would mean we'd have aid at mile 13 and mile 38.
By this point we were all pretty tired and ready for food and sleep. We opted to get a hotel and have a good nights sleep and a good meal before starting on the adventure. After a little discussion and review, we opted to have mexican for dinner, and decided on a local restaurant: Lupita's.
We had no idea what a treat we were in for. We were greeted by a small mexican gift shop with all sorts of random articles. Somehow nobody thought to document any of this, i think we were just overwhelmed with the state of the restaurant. We sat down and ordered.
When the waitress came with our food, everybody was pleased and we all began eating immediately. Everything was super tastey. definitely worth visiting if you are in the cedar city area and like good mexican food.
next stop hotel. we migrated the necessary items into the hotel, packs, sleeping bags and pads, and whatever supplies we would be trekking across the park with. Sirius and i headed out for out evening walk. It was snowing, fortune was on our side, a nice warm hotel for roughly the same price to pitch our tents amongst the myriad of people that leave their homes to go camping in an undersized overcrowded tract of land on the side of the I-15.
shortly before 5 the alarms starting going off. time to get moving. a final once over of our gear, final choices of attire, which was pretty lightweight as the morning turned out to be slightly warmer than the previous day. a pleasant surprise. We transfer everything back to the truck and head to the trailhead.
Sirius would stay in the car at Lee's pass for the day while we made our push for the east park entrance and Jamie's truck.
If you are interested in the day's adventures, check out part 2:
there was talk about going to the grand canyon and doing a double crossing instead of the zion. that would work, though many of us were anxious to see zion for the first time, a double crossing would prove to be an excellent way to spend the day, and logistically easier.
we all met up the weekend before our departure for Leadville Running Company's first annual reindeer run. all were in good spirits and looking forward to the coming week and our trip. after the run we met up for happy hour and to go over the logistics. We would all meet up in leadville and depart at 7pm.
The day before our departure, mike learned his hip pain was due to a labral tear in his hip, he was out. after some logistical adjustments, it was decided to head to zion and proceed with the traverse. Leah, Sirius and I would meet Jamie and Lacy in minturn on Tuesday night and we'd head out from there.
We got to Zion early Wednesday morning, set up camp, and got some much appreciated rest. Lacy, Sirius, and I woke somewhat early, and decided to wander around and check out the area. When we returned, Leah and Jamie were up, we made a meager fire waited for the sun to come out (it didn't make it on wednesday), and then started prepping things for a couple supply drops and logistics.
We dropped Jamie's truck off at the east entrance, and stopped by the grocery store to pick up some last minute treats for our supply drops.
We dropped the first bag at the bottom of angels landing a short stretch from the zion lodge, the second bag of treats at the hop valley trail head, and proceeded towards lava point for our third set of supplies. After some slipping and sliding, we chose the cautious approach and skipped the 1.8 mile drive through unplowed roads to the lava point drop location. This would mean we'd have aid at mile 13 and mile 38.
By this point we were all pretty tired and ready for food and sleep. We opted to get a hotel and have a good nights sleep and a good meal before starting on the adventure. After a little discussion and review, we opted to have mexican for dinner, and decided on a local restaurant: Lupita's.
We had no idea what a treat we were in for. We were greeted by a small mexican gift shop with all sorts of random articles. Somehow nobody thought to document any of this, i think we were just overwhelmed with the state of the restaurant. We sat down and ordered.
When the waitress came with our food, everybody was pleased and we all began eating immediately. Everything was super tastey. definitely worth visiting if you are in the cedar city area and like good mexican food.
next stop hotel. we migrated the necessary items into the hotel, packs, sleeping bags and pads, and whatever supplies we would be trekking across the park with. Sirius and i headed out for out evening walk. It was snowing, fortune was on our side, a nice warm hotel for roughly the same price to pitch our tents amongst the myriad of people that leave their homes to go camping in an undersized overcrowded tract of land on the side of the I-15.
shortly before 5 the alarms starting going off. time to get moving. a final once over of our gear, final choices of attire, which was pretty lightweight as the morning turned out to be slightly warmer than the previous day. a pleasant surprise. We transfer everything back to the truck and head to the trailhead.
Sirius would stay in the car at Lee's pass for the day while we made our push for the east park entrance and Jamie's truck.
If you are interested in the day's adventures, check out part 2:
Sunday, December 8, 2013
enjoying the snow
It's been a couple weeks since the last write up. i like to believe i'm getting the hang of this winter running deal. it's more like the running done in Juneau during the Alaska Mountain Ultrarunning Camps Lots of scenery and enjoying the views. I haven't been very good about bringing my camera along, perhaps that will change.
One thing for sure, it's definitely a bit colder here than i've had the pleasure of experiencing during the past 15 or 20 years. As a matter of fact i can't recall running in negative or single digit temperatures before about a month ago. It takes a good bit of motivation to get moving, and i've been struggling a little trying to keep my feet warm, but once you overcome these couple of hurdles, it's an incredible experience.
This past week has been extra cold. I don't know that it's been above 10 since the 1st. The average temperature on my runs has been right around 3 degrees, lots of snow means even running on the road is like running on a trail (if you choose the right roads). surrounded by trees with the crunching of snow under foot, it's a great experience so far.
Once i figure out how to keep my feet warm, i'm sure things will be much more enjoyable. For now, i'm just focusing on playing in the snow and trying to find some new trails.
In a couple weeks, there will be an excursion to either zion or the grand canyon, either one will be a great time with good people, looking forward to some warmer weather, until then, i'll be making fresh tracks and seeking out more fun trails.
One thing for sure, it's definitely a bit colder here than i've had the pleasure of experiencing during the past 15 or 20 years. As a matter of fact i can't recall running in negative or single digit temperatures before about a month ago. It takes a good bit of motivation to get moving, and i've been struggling a little trying to keep my feet warm, but once you overcome these couple of hurdles, it's an incredible experience.
This past week has been extra cold. I don't know that it's been above 10 since the 1st. The average temperature on my runs has been right around 3 degrees, lots of snow means even running on the road is like running on a trail (if you choose the right roads). surrounded by trees with the crunching of snow under foot, it's a great experience so far.
Once i figure out how to keep my feet warm, i'm sure things will be much more enjoyable. For now, i'm just focusing on playing in the snow and trying to find some new trails.
In a couple weeks, there will be an excursion to either zion or the grand canyon, either one will be a great time with good people, looking forward to some warmer weather, until then, i'll be making fresh tracks and seeking out more fun trails.
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