If you’re lucky enough to be in the mountains, you’re lucky enough!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Can we go back to Christmas?

... OK, so not really go back to Christmas and start over or anything.  But maybe go backwards from today on the SD card in the camera and see what's been going on.  Sort of like a photo dump with commentary.  Aside from a few periods of Old Man Winter showing his mug, it has been extremely non-winter weather here.  While this is premium for outdoor enthusiasts (except skiers) who need their weekend fix in the great outdoors, it is really, really super uncool for our heinous drought scenario. However, since we are in no way able to control the climate, might as well capitalize on the bodacious weather and maximize the outdoor time!  Beside that - and without mentioning any names of people in Vermont or Oklahoma - we have been under a bit of outside pressure to get some stinking pictures up - so here we go!


Sweet Ride on Falcon Trail
So we have been mixing it up with trail running and mountain biking, and it has been working out really well.  Today, with highs forecast in the upper 50's, we headed over to the Air Force Academy to do some riding on the Falcon Trail.  We were hoping that a bunch of the snow from our last trip over there was gone, and sure enough it was.  We started at the stadium and headed clockwise.  Instead of riding it as a loop, we had a plan today to get some extra mileage in.
Kathleen climbs out just below the BX and Community Center
 New display at the Chapel Overlook
 The Chapel and cadet commons

So we rode clockwise around to the Chapel overlook, which is at mile marker 0, the official trailhead.  However, for us it was already mile 8.  We turned around here and headed back the way we started.  We were hoping to avoid the last remnants of snow on the north end, extend our riding mileage beyond the standard 13 mile loop, and cash in on the super sweet descent off the back side - the one we had just grunted our way up a half hour earlier!
Brilliant sunshine on Falcon Trail

As expected on an awesome day like this, traffic on the trails was quite heavy.  In fact, there was more traffic today than any time I remember on Falcon Trail during all of last year!  By the time we circled back to the stadium lot, it was in the upper 50's and just fantastic outside.  (Sorry east coast frozen people...)  We just couldn't stop, so we rode past the lot and headed around the trail past the golf course and around to the first road crossing on the north side of the course.  We turned around here and had a blast flying through the singletrack in wide open meadows to the east of the course - which by the way had plenty of activity today!  We rolled up to the truck after 21 miles of sweet trail riding with big grins on our faces.  Yep - this weather is bogus for January in the mountains - but man are we enjoying it while it lasts!!  Between today's ride, a Monday ride (and run = brick), and last Sunday's ride at Cheyenne Mountain State Park (sorry, no camera), Kathleen got in over 60 miles on the mountain bike - 3 technical trail rides in a week - sweet!


Saturday Run at Garden of the Gods
Kathleen cruises past the Giant Footprints
  
Yesterday, I headed out the door for the Garden of the Gods, with Kathleen planning to meet me at the park to start her run.  This allowed me an extra 5 miles without Kathleen having the pressure to go too long on the run.  While it was not too cold out, it was pretty gray most of the day which wasn't real fabulous for the motivation.  But 50's in January is what it is, so quit whining and run, right? 
 And why would you NOT want to run here???
Steve cruising the Strausenback Trail

Oddly, trail traffic was light and we were able to cruise at will, circling all of our favorite spots in the park.  Kathleen was shooting for 10 or 11 miles, which was perfect as 15 or 16 is about my top end at this time of year.  While we were both tired, it was again hard to peel off the trails with such unbelievable temps in winter.  We stopped in to see our favorite crew at the neighborhood Starbucks and then kicked it for the rest of the day.  With a boatload of people sick around here, we made certain to stay out of crowded (aka germ factory) areas as much as possible this weekend!!

Back a couple weeks
 The previously mentioned ugly stuff

Just so you don't think we're getting all cream puff weather this winter, we did have this spell a couple weekends back - can you say "ride the indoor trainer"?  Two words - butt cold.  Glad it's over.  For now.....


Ride at Pueblo Reservoir
 Kathleen riding out the mesa on Voodoo Loop

Back a few weeks, we took advantage of some sunny weather to get some time in at Pueblo Reservoir.  New Years weekend, we spent a couple days down at the desert oasis mountain biking with friends (just over 50 miles on Sat/Sun) and going for a long run on dry trails after some quick snowstorms left the home trails a little snowpacked.  So the next weekend, we were itching to ride again and headed back.  The quick 1 hour drive is easily justified when dry singletrack - miles and miles of it - await your tires and/or trail shoes.
 Western end of the trail system ... for now

We have been to Pueblo quite a few times for a winter get away but had never been on the newest loop - Voodoo - which is the farthest trail loop to the west.  From what we hear, there is yet another loop in the works for the next mesa west of Voodoo - holy trail stash Batman!  So we made a point to head straight for Voodoo to start the ride and it is an absolute blast.  It has some fast, open stretches that are really made for the bike, but might be a bit "out there" for running.  We'll report on that the first time we get back there to run the loop.  It is awesome riding - long wide open stretches of twisty singletrack, punctuated with typical desert riding in and out of drainages and arroyos.  There really are no long climbs at Pueblo, just a lot of punchy, leg draining ups and downs - hardly any flat areas. And lots of loose, broken shale - can be a bit tricky to ride or run.  The shale is noisy, too.
Steve on the Outer Limits Trail
Looking north across the reservoir, with Pikes Peak 50 miles to the north
  Our route for the day - we covered less than half the trails available

We had a blast riding our legs off, eventually calling it quits after 28 miles of splendid desert trails.  While there are several mountain biking races held here, we are really surprised that there are not any ultra trail races held here.  It would seem to be a great early season ultra with the mild weather Pueblo generally receives.  Anyway, we had a great ride and really enjoyed the dry trails in the middle of winter.  There is a pretty good chance we'll be back down before it gets blazing hot - both to run and ride these awesome trails.


Christmas in the Park
 Group photo in Beaver Meadows

And now for that whole Christmas thingie - We generally do not go anywhere at Christmas, as in years past we have had limited time off work and most often also have family in town.  This year, no family in town and 10 days off between Christmas and New Years holidays meant we had a little freedom to roam.  So we booked our favorite spot in Estes Park and spent Christmas in the quaint little town at the east portal to Rocky Mountain National Park
 Kathleen running the park service road above Beaver Meadows

We were unsure of how much recreation we wanted to plan while in Estes Park.  We did not even bring snowshoes due to the poor snowpack so far this year.  Christmas Eve, we headed over to the park to get in a little trail run.  Little being the key word since it was 17 degrees and windy - well, it is always windy in Estes Park...  We started at the visitor's center, took the service road out to the trail junction, and ran the trails in Beaver Meadows.  While there were some nice stretches of dirt, there was also a fair amount of running on crusty snow and a wee bit too much post-holing through windblown and drifted sections.  It was good to get out and stretch the legs a bit and we rolled up 9 miles before calling it a day.  With snow in the forecast for Christmas Eve night, it was looking like a white Christmas for the first time in many, many years.
 Finishing up the run with weather moving in
Christmas Day - 6" of fresh powder - Fall River entrance

Sure enough, the weather moved in and delivered 6" of fresh snow, leaving behind brilliant blue skies and numbing temps to start Christmas Day.  We decided to get out and enjoy a drive in the national park to check out the freshies - it was magnificent.
  Old Fall River Road
 Horseshoe Park, looking out toward the Alluvial Fan area
 Group mug - loving the White Christmas!
Windblown snow crystals add highlights to Longs Peak

Thanks for checking out the time capsule - Happy Trails!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Merry Christmas and some trail RIDING

What, you say, TWO biking posts in a row???  Well, the day after the week after the last post, Kathleen was riding in Ute Valley Park and descending a series of root steps that we have ridden and run down a thousand times over the years.  For whatever reason, at that moment, Ole Bessie snapped a chainstay - see below (probably had something to do with that "thousand times" thing):
 R.I.P. - 12 years of good service from that frame!!

Now, we had been itching to get back to some off-road riding, so the plan was to start perusing new bikes in the spring.  However, this incident left us in a quandary and had us looking a little sooner.  Lo and behold, we found a sweet deal on a couple of gently  used 2011 Santa Cruz Superlight's and snatched them up.  Merry Christmas to us :))  Back.In.Business.  Now we haven't had much winter yet, so we were hoping to get some riding in this weekend.  Thanks to a nice little storm mid-week, we had just enough snow to be a nuisance but decided to head out anyway.  We took off on Santa Fe from Woodmen Road, cut over from Ice Lake to the Falcon Trail, and rode that awesome loop before heading back.
 Breaking in the new machines
Cruising out one of the dry sections

While the snow on the north side was pretty chunky and made a mess, the ride was awesome and we ended up with a nice 25 miles of trail for the day.  For Steve, it was the first significant off-road ride in years, but the feel for the bike was back within the first hour.  All in all, a great day and lots of fun.  And if you're in to bikes at all, we have a couple super sweet sets of Stan's tubeless wheels on the way to lighten up the ride - nice!  Rest easy, though, we are now off to do a nice trail RUN.  Happy Trails!

Have a Merry Christmas!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Yup, we are still alive!!!

The Happy Trails duo is still alive and kicking despite a serious absence from blog activity.    Steve has settled into and is enjoying his new job.  We are both settling into the short, colder days of winter although we certainly have been happy with the overall mild weather Mother Nature has delivered thus far.  Everyone, locally, knows we need moisture in a BIG way but not having to wear our heavy duty cold weather gear sure is NICE!!!

Even though we have been on a blog hiatus, we have continued to run our local trails which is always a wonderful thing.  The not-as-wonderful-thing is that I am still not physically back up to speed.  For reasons unknown, it is taking me longer to "come back" than what we had hoped.  I am not able to rebuild much in the way of strength, speed, or endurance.  The body is just not able to build and accept much in terms of training adaptation yet.  Many runs feel a bit like a slog/sufferfest - the body just doesn't work quite right and won't "go".  Occasionally, I have been able to pop off a run where I feel pretty good - not normal - but pretty good and feel encouraged of what "could be".  There have been brief glimpses of promising potential but have been unable to make those brief glimpses last.  But, it is what it is and we are trying to roll with it.  The doc said, in some cases, it can take at least a year to get back to normal.  I am 7 months in - only 5 more to go.......

Nevertheless, I am still trying to do what the body allows.  I am thankful that I can still do "stuff" - I count my blessings - it certainly could be much worse.  I am also thankful for my most wonderful, patient, and long suffering husband.  Steve has been the model of love, support, and encouragement. He comforts me when all I want to do is curl up and cry.  He is my cheerleader and priceless treasure and I am grateful beyond measure for him.

So, here are a few pics from the last few months, a little proof that we are still getting out and getting after it:  
 Beautiful fall day at Red Rock Canyon
 Another beautiful autumn day up the Incline and down Barr Trail.  Magnificent Pikes Peak in the background.
I was graced with a visit from dearest Jillery.  We hit the Incline, Barr, and The Mate' Factor for lunch.  ALWAYS a FUN time together.
 Another stellar day, this time at Palmer Park
 Doesn't get much better than this - food and family on Thanksgiving.  Getting ready to eat at Steve's sis's house - his mom and sis - see how food makes everyone smile???!!!
 The work center trails in Monument the day after Thanksgiving......  notice the continued fine weather theme???

We encountered many mountain bikers while running in our beloved Ute Valley Park on Thanksgiving morning.  Steve and I remarked to each other that it sure looked like tons of fun which led us to ask why in the world hadn't we done it in oh, say, 4 years or so???  We don't know why.  We just haven't.  It caused us to wonder whether or not we could still RIDE our mountain bikes on anything bumpier or more technical than a paved street and not kill or permanently maim ourselves.  We decided to find out.  

Steve hauled the bikes off the garage wall, wiped off the inches of dust that enshrouded them, and proceeded to give them a quick "once over tune-up".  The final verdict:  Kathleen's bike, other than a couple of the pivots which need to be adjusted, a little air in the tires and front and rear shocks and lube on the chain, was in good working order and ready to roll.
Steve's bike, on the other hand, was not so lucky.  It seems that the seals on his rear shock were shot rendering the machine unrideable.  Boo-hoo.

We decided to head down to Cheyenne Mountain State Park yesterday.  I planned to run a 6 or 7 mile loop and then hop on the mountain bike and see if I had ANY technical skills left in me.  Steve planned on running long.  I figured CMSP was a good starting point for a first, semi-technical trail ride in 4 years - the trails are mostly flowy, smooth, albeit off-camber decomposed granite, punctuated by rocky and rooty sections.  Just enough challenge to help regain some feel for the bike but not too much so where a person could hurt herself.
 
 Group photo halfway up the Talons

The primary goal was to NOT kill or seriously injure myself.  Secondly, to not ride stiff as board after not being on dirt for so long.
I kept telling myself to keep the elbows soft and shoulders relaxed.  It's really funny how the body remembers the flow and feel - after a couple of miles it felt natural, familiar, and instinctual - just a little more tentative and stiff than years past but good.  Very good.  I even made it up and around a few of the tighter switchbacks near the top of the Talons where there are quite a few embedded rocks and loose scree which can cause some balance and traction issues.  I was ecstatic on how the feel for the technical aspect came back.  The thing that was a glaring weakness, though, and a reminder of some physical limitation, was my lack of strength.  I just don't have the torque strength to power up, over, and around rocks, roots, etc.  I made it over everything, but sometimes barely, and it HURT A LOT doing it. No amount of "try or train harder" can remedy it - it's just not an available option to the body yet.  It's frustrating to have absolutely zero control over the situation.  I just keep reminding myself that it will get better, eventually, and to continue to be thankful that I am able to get out to run AND ride.  That counts for much. 
 Finally made it to the top of the Talons and getting ready to start down.....
Grimacing while looking toward the rocky switchback that starts a sweet descent

Long story short - I had a BLAST on the mountain bike.  I don't think I have had as big of a grin on my face on any of our trail outings as of late as I did yesterday.  Probably because I wasn't in continuous slog/sufferfest mode - just was at play and having good old fun.  The Geico commercial with Maxwell the pig came to mind many times during the ride, particularly on the faster, flowing descents.  All I was thinking was "Weeee, weeee, weeeeeeeeee!"  I love Maxwell - he embodies what life should be -  such fun!  

Because I was moving fairly slowly, Steve wasn't ever too far behind on the climbs.  It was nice to have him nearby - not only because I adore his fine form and company, but also he was close by to scrape me off the rocks if I had a magnificent wipe-out on my maiden mountain bike voyage.  Thankfully, no scraping was needed.  Once he gets his shock re-built, I will look forward to us getting out together on the bikes again.  It is just too much fun!!!  How did we stray away for so long???

Steve ended the day with a great 18 mile run - a nice accomplishment since CMSP is more of a challenging effort.  I ended up with a 7 mile run and a little over 15 mile ride and a big grin on my face - a grin because I didn't kill or hurt myself and for the overall fun factor of the day.

As a follow-up, I saddled up the bike and headed over to UVP this morning despite the windchill registering at 18 degrees - that's cold on a bike.  But I HAD to give it a whirl at Ute.  It's where we learned to ride trails 20+ years ago and I figured if I could make it around the very rocky, rooty, sandy, and technical nature of trails there, there was hope.  I made it around the basic loop unscathed and finished feeling super excited.  Again, I was reminded of how weak I am physically.  But I made it over everything so it's a starting point and the mountain bike will serve as another tool to help rebuild and keep the fun factor high and fresh.

Hopefully you will all be able to find some FUN FACTOR over these coming winter weeks and months and do like Maxwell the Geico pig - be a little silly and exult in the ride whether it's humming along perfectly or not so much.  Enjoy the ride!  

Happy Trails!!!
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