More of the Rockies ... then Back Home!

Thursday Run at Fort Collins

We have been wanting to check out the Blue Sky Half Marathon course near Fort Collins, Colorado to see if we would be interested in running it next year, so we took a little drive down Big Thompson Canyon from Estes Park Thursday morning - might as well run it since we were in that neck of the woods.  We have not done any exploring near Fort Collins but know that there are hundreds of miles of trail waiting for our feet to cross them!

The Blue Sky course starts in Horsetooth Mountain Open Space and follows the Inlet Bay trail down to the intersection with the Blue Sky trail.  Blue Sky marks the transition into Devil's Backbone Open Space, where most of the race course lies.  Kathleen is ascending the ridge up onto the Blue Sky trail.

  Wide open spaces on Blue Sky!

After dropping from the ridge on Blue Sky, there is a steep descent into and across a drainage.  From the rise on the other side of the drainage, the course peels off onto the Indian Summer trail - quite aptly named on today's November run in the low 60's!  Most of the course is more desert than mountain, however, the Indian Summer loop reminded us a lot of the Hartmans Rocks area in Gunnison, Colorado - sagebrush landscape and lots of embedded and loose fist-sized rocks.  Don't wear racing flats to this event unless you like bruised metatarsals!  Here Steve is ascending Indian Summer.  This is the longest climb on the half course.

Kathleen rolling out on the Indian Summer climb!

At the base of Indian Summer, we caught on to Blue Sky farther down the drainage from where we peeled off to start climbing.  The marathon course deviates to the south here, but we started the trek back to the north.  At the trail junction, we crossed over and up the steep rise to gain the ridge on Blue Sky again and then headed back the way we started.  Steve is happy to be starting the gradual descent back toward Horsetooth.  We had a great time and think this was a nice course.  The scenery is a bit on the "bleak" side but it is sweet, narrow singletrack of high quality.  We can tell why they limit the racer count - there are maybe two spots where passes can easily be made once you enter the Blue Sky trail.  The course measured out at 13.27 miles - pretty good for laying out a half on all trails.  There was about 2000' of accumulated vertical, mellow by Colorado standards.

Shoes - Nike Structure Triax ESC

Friday Run at RMNP

We headed out to the Lower Beaver Meadows trailhead on Friday morning to grab one last run at Rocky Mountain National Park before heading home.  We were aiming to loop Beaver Meadows and Moraine Park but were not sure what to expect.  After the short clip out to Lower Beaver Meadows, we started ascending the ridge up and over into Moraine Park.  Kathleen is climbing in the pines here - from what we saw, elk use this trail as much as humans!

From the ridge, looking out to the Cub Lake drainage, above Moraine Park.

Steve cruising the Moraine Park trail, above the campground area.  There were long stretches of tight singletrack as seen here, combined with technical sections with lots of embedded boulders.  The Moraine was formed from glacial movement which was the cause for the large dumps of rocks in certain areas.  Once again, stellar weather for November - jackpot!

Kathleen cresting the ridge between Moraine Park and Upper Beaver Meadows.

Several of the 12'ers and 13'ers just to the west of Long's Peak - the wind was howling on the peaks!

 

Upper Beaver Meadows.  It was interesting to learn some of the natural history of this section.  The beavers are almost nonexistent here now.  The elk have all but de-forested the aspen in this valley, leaving nothing for the beavers.  The parks service is now fencing off remaining aspen stands to keep the elk out and eventually bring the beaver activity back to this area.   The elk are at approximately 180% capacity for what the herd should be here - definite population problem.

 

 Upper Beaver Meadows trail.

 

Steep climb over the ridge to Moraine Park.

Back down from Moraine Park, we caught the Lower Beaver Meadows trail and headed in for the day.  We were able to run an awesome 10.5 mile loop in spectacular scenery and once again take advantage of premium weather conditions for our run.  We fueled up on some great burritos at Ed's Cantina in Estes Park, got some go-juice at Starbucks, and headed for home with some great memories of our visit.

Shoes - Asics Trabuco

Back Home - Some Comfy Trails Sunday at Ute Valley

We're always in a little lag coming back home after a trip - kind of that "back to reality" funk.  However, we have such great trails to comfort ourselves with, we'll be just fine!  We hit the trails at Ute Valley Park Sunday to stretch the legs out after the travel and some great runs.  With trails like this, how could one tire of such a great urban gem of a park?

 

Our old friend - Pikes Peak - making an appearance through the pines!

 

Cruising through the rocky trails and enjoying the emerging sunshine after a cloudy, gray morning.  We had a blast getting back on the local trails after a week away - it was also fun reminiscing of the week behind and all the great memories we stored.  We called it a day after 9.5 miles and kicked up the feet for most of the day.  Happy Trails this week!!!

Shoes - K Brooks Cascadia

S - Asics Trabuco

Rocky Mountain High

Dropped in to Estes Park mid-week for a little battery recharge at the eastern portal to Rocky Mountain National Park. We were not sure what we would find on the trails here after last week's storm, even though they received a bit less snow than the Denver foothills. Above 7500', there is always a good chance that snow in November will last until June. We were, however, continuing with our weather bonanza as the remainder of the week was forecast in the 60's with sun - unbelievable Indian Summer for this late in the fall.

The signature park wildlife - BIG Elk!

Another of the park's frequently seen residents - Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.

We were eyeballing a couple routes that are a bit lower in the park - Lumpy Ridge Loop was our first pick. On the northeastern corner of RMNP, Lumpy Ridge sits at the base of the Mummy Range and is made up of a bunch off odd granite ridges, giving it a "lumpy" appearance. These granite walls are popular climbing routes and we saw several folks hiking in to climb. The loop is formed by the Black Canyon, Cow Creek, and Gem Lake trails. We headed out on Black Canyon trail to ascend the west rim of the loop.
The front side of Black Canyon is south-facing, so it was clear sailing (or running!). As we ascended the western saddle, snow became intermittent along and in the trail but was passable. With steep pitches of 15% and higher, you quickly find yourself 1500' above the canyon floor and the snow takes a more stubborn hold on the trails. I always enjoy climbing through the snow in shorts!
After gaining the western saddle and dropping into the Cow Creek drainage, it quickly became apparent that the northern side of Lumpy would have to wait for another day. Steep descending and shin deep snow with no traction devices put an end to the thought of doing the whole loop. We'll be back...
One good thing about the back-track - 2.2 mile descent with1500' drop - bomb those quads! Kathleen slaloms through the pines, rocks, and roots on the way down.

A little snow time.

Western end of Lumpy Ridge.

Running out through the Black Canyon trail, much of which passes through the MacGregor Ranch. These folks had the foresight to deed the ranch (or large portions of it) to RMNP to spare it from development. We are thankful for that as it would be a drag to run this 10 years from now, lined with condos! Kudos to the MacGregor family.

The Book Area - climbing hotspot.

Kathleen running under the Twin Owls, near the junction with the Gem Lake trail.

A relatively short run with high scenic value, we finished with 8 miles and big smiles! Running under brilliant sunshine in the late fall, we had a fantastic day on the trails. We can't wait to come back and run the entire loop.

Shoes - Asics Trabuco

Catching up...

Floating effortlessly along the bucolic countryside, the fresh farm air infused with much more oxygen than usual, we are mesmerized by the metronomic cadence we are able to maintain and by the crunch underfoot of - PAVEMENT? Are you kidding me...? Read on.
Last weekend we hopped a quick flight out of Denver and headed over to visit Kathleen's family in Iowa. Her mom's prognosis is on the dim side as it appears she is losing a battle with appendix cancer. We wanted an opportunity for Kathleen to have a nice visit while mom is still able to be up and about. We also know that we are getting to the sketchy weather months between here and NW Iowa and we hit the weather jackpot for our trip. Just two days before we left, DIA registered in the 20" range of snowfall, but we left under sunny skies and mild temps on Saturday. We brought our warm and sunny with us to Iowa as well - sweet! The corn farmers are working OT to get the harvest in, as seen in the pic above. As for the Happy Trails part, if you have been reading for any length of time, there are none here. Well, one 2 mile sort-of trail but that's it. So it was, gulp, road running - and no photo evidence that could incriminate us in the future... No offense to you die-hard roadies, but dirt is where it's at. Period. We slugged out 8.5 miles Sunday and 5.5 miles Monday and that was all we could take. It is, however, sweet running at 1400' elevation when you live at 6800' - it is like having an extra oxygen tank built in!!!
K's dad out mowing the north 40. Well, not quite, but a 2.5 acre immaculate lawn takes a bit of work. Two and a half hours on a Craftsman 54" mower with a couple stogies thrown in and that is dad's "quiet time"!!
We had a really nice visit with the family, and as always, got to spend some nice time with K's brother and family who live in the same town.
Got a nice visit in and had some awesome sunrise vistas over the cornfields. It was bittersweet leaving, knowing that savoring life's finer moments often involves capturing memories that sustain us in the future. So it was that we took off for a return to home - Colorado's mountains. We would be taking a little down time to process and unwind in Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park - stay tuned...

Weekend Activities

Saturday was a picture-less run day. Got up early to accommodate work scheduling and hit Ute Valley for some morning trails - about 6 miles. It was 50 and cloudy early with warm winds again. After I spent a couple hours at the office, I came home to sunny skies and decided to get a double in - another 7 miles at UVP. Good day!

Sunday was another story. Spitting snow flurries and low 30's when we hit the trail at the Garden of the Gods. No mountain vistas on this morning! The flurries let up and gave way to a biting north wind - fun. Needless to say, we had many of the trails all to ourselves. Saw one big group of horseback riders on the park tour.

Kathleen ascending the ridge on Palmer Trail - bundled up!

Backside view of the Siamese Twins - the trails were nice and tacky after the intermittent snow showers. Don't often see this side of the arch photographed, but there was not much to see through the keyhole side today!
After the wind had cleared out some of the snow showers, the low clouds started to roll back down into the park. The textures and layers of the hills are always more evident when the clouds tuck in against them. It never really got nasty out - as long as you can dress for the temps, the running is quite comfortable even in the wintery conditions.

Kathleen's new girly Camelbak - the SnoAngel.

We had a nice run, with about 10.5 miles for the day. It was good to have a little shelter in the Garden with the blustery conditions - definitely Happy Trails!

Shoes - K Montrail Odyssey
S - Nike Structure Triax

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Steve mentioned my new girly Camelbak (early BD gift, pictured above!) and I wanted to elaborate. I've been on the lookout for a larger capacity hydration pack than my 50 oz Camelbak Charm I have been using. I have run out of water on several longer runs of late - not good! Although I like the larger capacity Nathan pack that Steve uses - it is comfortable, rides well, and has convenient, easily accessible pockets in the front to carry stuff (I love to carry "stuff"! ie: gels, camera, etc.), I tend to feel a bit " smothered" by the wide straps. I have liked the more minimalist feel of the Charm but haven't been able to find a low profile, larger water capacity pack I like - until now. The Snoangel is just what I was looking for. 72 oz insulated bladder and hose (plus, Camelbak has the BEST bladders), low profile, and pockets!!! How I love pockets to carry stuff! There is a smaller pocket on the bottom that will hold lots of gels, bars, keys, phone, camera, etc. A larger pocket behind it can hold a light jacket and gloves. Even though it has a good deal of "sherpa" qualities, it is a compact package. It rides really comfortably and quiet. Steve even commented yesterday that it doesn't move at all when I'm running. And a bonus - the pink floral pattern!

After receiving about 3 inches of snow overnight, this morning smiled upon me with bright blue skies. The intense sun melted the snow quickly (a nice thing about living at altitude - the sun makes it feel warmer than it actually is!). Mondays are usually a designated "ride" day so I decided to dig out the winter riding apparel, in spite of the coolness, and hit the trail on the mountain bike. It was 36 degrees when I left the house.

I headed over to the Santa Fe Trail for some steady aerobic spin activity. Mostly flattish, the trail is punctuated by a few little hills that require a bit of force and torque - good to keep the legs alert and stimulated in the midst of the steady spin.
Above is a section of the trail we call the "Time Trial". It is 2.25 miles of a straight (very rare) false flat where we like to put it in a bigger gear and time trial. It was all good! It felt so great to be out on the bike!

Snow remained in the shady areas of the trail.

Back at the trailhead, with 25 miles in, I caught this train chugging past. Our church's green roof is in the background! Although crisp, it ended up being a wonderful day - I was so thankful for the bluebird skies and wonderful sun! Aaaaahh, life is good! Happy trails this week . . . . . .

Aaaah, Sunshine!

No, not today though. It has snowed off and on for most of the day today, though not much is accumulating. Just gray, wet, and cold. However, this past weekend, we had some awesome fall Colorado weather and tonight was a perfect evening to look back...

Red Rock Canyon trails

We put some dirt under foot at Red Rock Canyon Saturday morning under brilliant blue sky and high 50's warming our bodies - especially after our spell of 20's last week!!! From high atop Lion Trail on the eastern rim, we had spectacular views of Garden of the Gods to the north.
Stopped on the trip down the canyon on the Red Rock Canyon path to watch climbers tackling what we believe is called the Whale Tail. It was perfect weather and the climbers were staking claim to their walls early!

Kathleen enjoying the sunny day as she cruises the Contemplative Trail.

There is still a bit of fall color holding out in the canyon. The view from high on the rim looking out to Section 16 and getting ready to drop in on the Roundup Trail.

How could you not smile - out on a run together under beautiful Colorado sunshine?!?!

Roundup dropping out onto Red Rock Canyon Trail - awesome day!

Ascending Red Rock's east ridge and preparing to drop down the long descent to the trailhead - gotta love downhill finishes, right? We were soaking up as much of the incredible day as we possibly could - as crazy as our weather gets, may not have a lot of these for a while! Got to put 10 miles of fantastic trail under foot on a splendid, bluebird day - sweet!

Shoes - K Nike Structure Triax ESC
S - Asics Trabuco

Hitting the trail - Falcon Style

Steve gathering rays on the Falcon Trail.

Sunday came through with the weather bonanza - Chinook winds over night had drawn warm air up against the mountains and temps soared into the upper 60's by the time we headed over to the Falcon Trail at the Air Force Academy. With the unpredictable mountain weather, you must capitalize on days like these!

Supreme day for running combined with awesome trails - Indian Summer rules!

Kathleen rounding a switchback above the visitor's center.

There was still some water in the stream on the back side - more than usual for this late in the year. It was warm enough to splash through, but wet shoes are no fun less than half way through a run!

Kathleen catching rays while cruising the ridge above the golf course.

Blodgett Peak bathing in brilliant sun! We did not want to finish our run on such a great day. We finished our run in mid 70's and were wishing we could hold on to the moment much longer than our legs desired! We finished a solid 13 mile run and had big, silly smiles on our faces. What a great day! Hope all are having a great week - Happy Trails!

Shoes K- Nike Structure Triax ESC
S - Nike Structure Triax ESC

Thursday night - Don't miss it!

Playing one night only - October 22. Watch the trailer - WE'RE THERE!!!! Big Mountains, Big Lungs, Big Legs = Big Fun at IMAX!!!
Click for a location near you!

Spies Like Us ...

WARNING: IF YOU ARE STILL COLD FROM READING YESTERDAY'S SHORT POST, PLEASE READ NO FURTHER - YOU MIGHT POSSIBLY DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO RENEE'S TUCSON BLOG, OR MAYBE SLOMOHUSKY IN VEGAS.



... Oh, you're morbidly curious? THE WEATHERMAN LIES - There, I got that off my chest. Here is the trail leading in to Ute Valley Park at around noon. Notice the mostly sunny sky, 51 degrees, and no snow? You don't see it? That's because it snowed some more, made more ice on the trail, and was topping out around 19 with a 9 wind chill at startup!!! But I'm not bitter or anything....
As for the post title, one of my friends commented last year when he saw pix of us running bundled up that we looked like spies - cool. 007 runners! Stopped for a pic at the favorite arch in UVP - not Moab sized, but hey it's only 3 miles from home.
James Bond style running - secret mission in the Alps maybe? We even required the use of our "secret weapon" against ice today - the screw shoe. Earliest appearance for us with those beasts as they usually are not out until December/January. If you are not familiar with the species, basically you strategically place sheet metal screws in the sole of the shoe in order to avoid falling and breaking: elbows, hips, clavicles, wrists, etc....) For some odd reason, the sandstone in Ute was slicker than greased glass today - good thing we suited up!!!
It was peaceful down in the valley - the ice covered grasses were drooping under the weight and the frosted conifers were cool looking. It was also quiet because most were not courageous (or too smart...) enough to run :-0
Kathleen makes her way up a steep hill. Once we got "warmed up", it actually was tolerable to run. We settled into a nice snow pace and churned out 9 miles of trail and then got inside to warm up! We are really hoping this front is a blip on the radar, as it is far, far too early for these temps to be coming around. If winter is this early, start me a drip of double strength Prozac please! Most likely you'll see us running in brilliant Colorado sunshine again soon (unless you get frostbite and quit visiting our blog...) Happy Trails!

Shoes - K Nike Terra Ridge w/screws
S Asics Trabuco w/screws
(Clothing Note - If you are required to run frequently in sub-20 degree wind chills, I would highly recommend trying out Sporthill 3SP products - it's a spun polypropylene fabric that is windproof to 35 mph, still breathes, and is awesome.)