Mon (2/13) - sick
Tue - sick
Wed - sick
Thu - 6 mi, 1,300', 1:06 - Mesa Trail - After being sick for the last few days, I got itchy for a run. Hopped on the Mesa trail from Chautauqua to the top of Bear Creek Canyon. Nice morning.
Fri - 6 mi, :52 - Twin Lakes PM run - A little evening stroll after work. I've actually been enjoying doing laps around the lakes as a departure or rest from the usual mountain runs.
Sat - 8 mi, 2,800', 1:53 - Green Mt via Amphi, Saddle Rock, Greenman, down Bear Creek Canyon - I had a ton of energy built up from not running this for a few days. Hit the summit with a PR of :45. Pretty exciting.
Sun - 15 mi, 5,300', 4:28 - Green Mt, Bear Peak, SoBo Peak, Mesa - I've been eager to check out South Boulder Peak, so I went a little gonzo and made a rather large effort to do so. Starting at the Gregory trailhead, I went my usual route up Green Mt (Amphi, SR, Greenman) and reached the summit in :48. On the Green summit I saw some trail runners smoking a joint, pretty ironic I thought. Almost an hour later, I reached Bear Peak, 1:40. I was delighted to have the summit to myself, especially with the perfect conditions: clear skies, mid 50's temp, no wind. After hanging out for 8 minutes, I made my way to SoBo Peak, reaching the summit in 12 mins, 2:00. I enjoyed the great views of Walker Ranch and the southern peaks. I then made my way down Shadow Canyon where the track was perfectly sticky snowpack. Towhee was a different story entirely - really muddy from melted snow. Eventually, I hit the South Boulder trailhead in 3:08. I headed back home via the Mesa Trail and reached the car with an ending time of 4:28. This run was officially the kick-off of the long mountain runs for the season.
I screwed up my nutrition, only having a piece of toast and a coffee before walking out the door. On the mountain, I ate two GUs (one on Bear Peak West Ridge and another on SoBo Peak). Thus, I fell apart by the time I hit Eldorado Springs. For next time.
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Week Totals:
Miles: 35
Vertical: 9,400'
Time: 8h,18m
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Going Up (and Down): 2/6-2/12
Mon (2/6) - 4.1 mi (:38) Twin Lakes - Easy PM run
Tue (2/7) - 3 mi (1:29, 2,400') Green Mt - All the snow has yet to be packed out, so tricky footing. Summit in 1:00 flat.
Wed (2/8) - 3 mi (1:20, 2,400') Green Mt - Better track this morning, ran a bit of the ascent. Summit in :53.
Thu (2/9) - sick
Fri (2/10) - sick
Sat (2/11) - 3 mi (:29, 600') Mesa Trail to Skunk Canyon - I was planning on another Green run, but I was still feeling pretty crappy, so I checked out Mesa from Chautauqua. The track was perfectly packed out with just enough fresh snow to make things sticky. Too bad I couldn't run the whole trail today.
Sun (2/12) - 4 mi (1:17, 2,400') Green Mt - What a perfect morning - sunny, low 20's. I felt much better, so I ran as much of the ascent as I could. As with the Mesa, the trails on Green are so perfectly packed that most of the rock steps are filled in, making for some really smooth track.
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Totals:
Miles: 17
Vertical: 7800'
Time: 5hr, 15min
My recent trips up Green Mountain have inspired me to approach training from a slightly altered perspective. I realize that gaining miles is important, but vertical feet play just as much, if not more, of a critical role in preparing for mountain racing. This first dawned on me when I ran the Moab Trail Marathon back in November and faced the Scorched Earth Wall trail, where the climb was relentlessly steep (~1,200'/mi) and, at mile 15, taxed my energy level by a staggering clip. I remember wishing the summit would be around the next bend as I hiked, hands on knees and panting like a dog up the muddy and rocky trail to the top of the mesa. After this I knew mastering steep ascents is essential to mountain trail running.
Choosing to run up a mountain on a consistent basis is a tough routine to get into because every run is mentally and physically exhausting - at least initially. The physical demands of ascending a mountain are obvious, but descending (especially steep terrain) is equally challenging - staying in control of tired quads while trying to run as quickly as possible and not tripping or misstepping on rocks and roots. Also, there are so many easier options for trails to dissuade one from going up a mountain, especially in Boulder. I've caught myself on many occasions saying to myself, "should I get miles this morning or vert?" My typical route up Green (Amphitheater/Saddle Rock/Greenman) is only five miles roundtrip, but it takes a solid hour and twenty minutes. In that same time, I could just as easily put in ten miles on so many other flatter trails. Ignoring the miles devil on the left shoulder for the vertical devil on the right is a tough proposition, but no less worthy.
There comes a point where measuring a run by miles is meaningless on trails with significant climbing because the grade of the trail can be so steep that any amount of time running it is pretty much incomparable to the same distance on flatter terrain. Particularly in long distance running, time, irrespective of miles traveled, is the most important yardstick so long as either miles or vertical feet are being accumulated during that period. There are plenty of steep trails (Fern Canyon and Shadow Canyon come to mind) where running is less efficient as hiking and even then the task is a formidable one - no matter the level of fitness. Merely keeping the body moving in a strained stated as fast as possible for X amount of hours is what ultimately determines fitness in my opinion.
I noticed this week that with enough time and consistency, gains are eventually realized as I caught myself running sections of Amphitheater and Greenman that I could barely hike quickly weeks prior. To see progress was really gratifying because it ignited a reassuring confidence in the choice I made to concentrate most of my running going up and down a mountain. Feeling that sting in the legs is no longer a dreaded warning sign of fatigue, but an addictive feeling of forward momentum and a signal to keep pushing. No longer stumbling up rocks and over roots, but precisely controlling each foot-fall and push-off I cruise up the mountain knowing that with enough time, mastery will be achieved.
Tue (2/7) - 3 mi (1:29, 2,400') Green Mt - All the snow has yet to be packed out, so tricky footing. Summit in 1:00 flat.
Wed (2/8) - 3 mi (1:20, 2,400') Green Mt - Better track this morning, ran a bit of the ascent. Summit in :53.
Thu (2/9) - sick
Fri (2/10) - sick
Sat (2/11) - 3 mi (:29, 600') Mesa Trail to Skunk Canyon - I was planning on another Green run, but I was still feeling pretty crappy, so I checked out Mesa from Chautauqua. The track was perfectly packed out with just enough fresh snow to make things sticky. Too bad I couldn't run the whole trail today.
Sun (2/12) - 4 mi (1:17, 2,400') Green Mt - What a perfect morning - sunny, low 20's. I felt much better, so I ran as much of the ascent as I could. As with the Mesa, the trails on Green are so perfectly packed that most of the rock steps are filled in, making for some really smooth track.
---------
Totals:
Miles: 17
Vertical: 7800'
Time: 5hr, 15min
My recent trips up Green Mountain have inspired me to approach training from a slightly altered perspective. I realize that gaining miles is important, but vertical feet play just as much, if not more, of a critical role in preparing for mountain racing. This first dawned on me when I ran the Moab Trail Marathon back in November and faced the Scorched Earth Wall trail, where the climb was relentlessly steep (~1,200'/mi) and, at mile 15, taxed my energy level by a staggering clip. I remember wishing the summit would be around the next bend as I hiked, hands on knees and panting like a dog up the muddy and rocky trail to the top of the mesa. After this I knew mastering steep ascents is essential to mountain trail running.
Choosing to run up a mountain on a consistent basis is a tough routine to get into because every run is mentally and physically exhausting - at least initially. The physical demands of ascending a mountain are obvious, but descending (especially steep terrain) is equally challenging - staying in control of tired quads while trying to run as quickly as possible and not tripping or misstepping on rocks and roots. Also, there are so many easier options for trails to dissuade one from going up a mountain, especially in Boulder. I've caught myself on many occasions saying to myself, "should I get miles this morning or vert?" My typical route up Green (Amphitheater/Saddle Rock/Greenman) is only five miles roundtrip, but it takes a solid hour and twenty minutes. In that same time, I could just as easily put in ten miles on so many other flatter trails. Ignoring the miles devil on the left shoulder for the vertical devil on the right is a tough proposition, but no less worthy.
There comes a point where measuring a run by miles is meaningless on trails with significant climbing because the grade of the trail can be so steep that any amount of time running it is pretty much incomparable to the same distance on flatter terrain. Particularly in long distance running, time, irrespective of miles traveled, is the most important yardstick so long as either miles or vertical feet are being accumulated during that period. There are plenty of steep trails (Fern Canyon and Shadow Canyon come to mind) where running is less efficient as hiking and even then the task is a formidable one - no matter the level of fitness. Merely keeping the body moving in a strained stated as fast as possible for X amount of hours is what ultimately determines fitness in my opinion.
I noticed this week that with enough time and consistency, gains are eventually realized as I caught myself running sections of Amphitheater and Greenman that I could barely hike quickly weeks prior. To see progress was really gratifying because it ignited a reassuring confidence in the choice I made to concentrate most of my running going up and down a mountain. Feeling that sting in the legs is no longer a dreaded warning sign of fatigue, but an addictive feeling of forward momentum and a signal to keep pushing. No longer stumbling up rocks and over roots, but precisely controlling each foot-fall and push-off I cruise up the mountain knowing that with enough time, mastery will be achieved.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
The Runs: 1/30-2/5
Mon (1/30) - 5.3 mi, 44:25 Twin Lakes PM run - Decided to take a few more laps than usual around the East lake. Really warm night.
Tue (1/31) - 4 mi, 1:17, 2,000' Up/Down Amphitheater to Flagstaff Mtn - I initially planned on summiting Green Mtn, but once I reached the top of Amphitheater (~10mins), my excitement ceased and I made my way back down. At the Gregory trailhead I decided to run up Flagstaff trail and tag the summit of Flagstaff Mountain (7,283') for the first time. Nice little trail with some decent climbing - 1,400' in 1.6 mi. Saw a couple bucks.
Wed (2/1) - Nada
Thu (2/2) - 2 mi, 17:36 Twin Lakes PM run - I intended to go for a longer run, but running at night with the headlamp under falling snowflakes makes for a difficult task. Not only were the flakes lightly stabbing my eyeballs, but they also reflected heavily under the light of my lamp. Turned around at the lake.
Fri (2/3) - Nothing - Can't believe I bailed on another run this week, but the snow was still falling and I wasn't about to waste my time like the prior night.
Sat (2/4) - 2:12, 2,600' Green Mountain via Amphi/SR/Greenman - After a mega-storm dumped upwards of 20" of snow in town, I made my way (slowly) up Green. I started from Chautauqua and was fairly spent by the time I got to the Amphi trailhead after 8 minutes (.6 mi) of running through knee-deep snow. I hiked the rest of the way to the summit. The depth of snow made running fairly unfeasible. Upper Greenman had serious accumulation - nearly waist-deep. I reached the summit in 1:26. Ran/floated back down, ~ 3 mi. Snowshoes would have been ideal.
Sun (2/5) - 2 mi, 33:58, 300' Doudy to Springbrook - Not learning my lesson from the day before, I set out to get my ass kicked again. The snow was packed a bit more on Doudy, but still really tough to run. I decided to blaze trail and run over a hill in knee-deep snow.....again. Exhausted, I retreated.
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Week Totals:
Miles: 16
Vertical: 4,950'
Time: 5hrs, 5min (1:26 of hiking)
January Totals:
Miles: 146
Vertical: 32,241'
Time: 33hrs, 31min
This week was far less fruitful than I had planned, but the snowstorm on Friday and Saturday really warped my plans. I should have packed some more miles on earlier in the week in preparation. Oh well. A little break in mileage never hurt I guess.
However, I am quite pleased with my January totals as this has been the highest mileage January ever for me. In fact, I didn't run a single step in January of 2011.
In other news, I registered for the Golden Gate Dirty Thirty for June, so the real work begins in earnest now. Since this is technically an "ultra" race, I don't know if I should get another 50k or possibly 50m race in this year. I really want to do White River 50, but I don't want to jump into it without enough preparation or base miles and have a crappy race. We shall see.
Here are some pics from Saturday's grunt work.
Tue (1/31) - 4 mi, 1:17, 2,000' Up/Down Amphitheater to Flagstaff Mtn - I initially planned on summiting Green Mtn, but once I reached the top of Amphitheater (~10mins), my excitement ceased and I made my way back down. At the Gregory trailhead I decided to run up Flagstaff trail and tag the summit of Flagstaff Mountain (7,283') for the first time. Nice little trail with some decent climbing - 1,400' in 1.6 mi. Saw a couple bucks.
Wed (2/1) - Nada
Thu (2/2) - 2 mi, 17:36 Twin Lakes PM run - I intended to go for a longer run, but running at night with the headlamp under falling snowflakes makes for a difficult task. Not only were the flakes lightly stabbing my eyeballs, but they also reflected heavily under the light of my lamp. Turned around at the lake.
Fri (2/3) - Nothing - Can't believe I bailed on another run this week, but the snow was still falling and I wasn't about to waste my time like the prior night.
Sat (2/4) - 2:12, 2,600' Green Mountain via Amphi/SR/Greenman - After a mega-storm dumped upwards of 20" of snow in town, I made my way (slowly) up Green. I started from Chautauqua and was fairly spent by the time I got to the Amphi trailhead after 8 minutes (.6 mi) of running through knee-deep snow. I hiked the rest of the way to the summit. The depth of snow made running fairly unfeasible. Upper Greenman had serious accumulation - nearly waist-deep. I reached the summit in 1:26. Ran/floated back down, ~ 3 mi. Snowshoes would have been ideal.
Sun (2/5) - 2 mi, 33:58, 300' Doudy to Springbrook - Not learning my lesson from the day before, I set out to get my ass kicked again. The snow was packed a bit more on Doudy, but still really tough to run. I decided to blaze trail and run over a hill in knee-deep snow.....again. Exhausted, I retreated.
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Week Totals:
Miles: 16
Vertical: 4,950'
Time: 5hrs, 5min (1:26 of hiking)
January Totals:
Miles: 146
Vertical: 32,241'
Time: 33hrs, 31min
This week was far less fruitful than I had planned, but the snowstorm on Friday and Saturday really warped my plans. I should have packed some more miles on earlier in the week in preparation. Oh well. A little break in mileage never hurt I guess.
However, I am quite pleased with my January totals as this has been the highest mileage January ever for me. In fact, I didn't run a single step in January of 2011.
In other news, I registered for the Golden Gate Dirty Thirty for June, so the real work begins in earnest now. Since this is technically an "ultra" race, I don't know if I should get another 50k or possibly 50m race in this year. I really want to do White River 50, but I don't want to jump into it without enough preparation or base miles and have a crappy race. We shall see.
Here are some pics from Saturday's grunt work.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Runs: 1/23 - 1/29
Tue: 5 mi, 1:26, 2,400' - Green Mountain via Amphitheater, Saddle Rock, Greenman - This makes Green summit #20 and it couldn't have been a nicer day for it - low clouds, no wind (finally), running the whole way. Super icy on lower Greenman.
Wed: Off
Thu: 4.1 mi, :34, Twin Lakes PM run - Quick run after work
Fri: 5 mi, :44, East Boulder Trail PM run - I was itching to get some miles and a bit of rollers in, so I ran Teller at night for the first time. By the time I made it down to the last hill before the farms, I heard the howling and yelping of coyotes - probably five or six. So, I turned around before entering the den so to speak. Fun night though, really quiet with the exception of the rabid wild dogs.
Sat: 12.7 mi, 2:55, 3,045', Bear Peak via Bear Creek Canyon - Went the same route as last week. Strong gusts made for a really chilly and tedious summit. Bear Peak West Ridge was a bit more manageable than last week with most of the trail packed out a little more. Really digging the track through Bear Creek Canyon right now.
Sun: 8 mi, 1:24, 1,264', Doudy, Spring Brook North, Fowler, Goshawk, S. Brook South - I headed to Eldorado Springs to check out the Goshawk trail, which I hadn't previously run. Accessing it from Doudy and Spring Brook North made for a really pleasant loop - meandering through the forest on pristine track the whole way except for a short dirt road on Spring Brook North. Nice morning. Legs felt good from the day before.
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Week Totals:
38 miles
7,209 vertical feet
7 hours, 36 mins
The latest weekly routine (running a couple of summits, flat short runs, and cross-country stuff) has made for a refreshing variety. I get bored quickly with too much of the same terrain, so I may stick with this pattern for a little while. If anything, I may push for one more summit during the week, but I'll see how things go. I can almost see the 60-mile weeks ahead!
This month is shaping up to be an unprecedented January in that I have started the year with a fair amount of mileage, which will hopefully springboard me into much higher mileage summer months than last year.
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| Bear Peak |
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| Bear Creek |
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| Spring Brook North, Summertime (Photo: Protrails.com) |
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| (Photo: Protrails.com) |
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Weekly Update: 1/16 - 1/22
Monday (1/16) - 5.5 mi (51 mins, 787') East Boulder Trail - Haven't been to Teller Farms for a bit, so it was nice to get some cross-country running in on the rolling doubletrack. Pretty muddy in spots though.
Tuesday (1/17) - 2 mi (17 mins) Twin Lakes - a quickie to shake the legs out a bit following three days of decent climbing.
Wednesday (1/18) - Nada. The 60mph+ winds did little to inspire.
Thursday (1/19) - 4.1 mi (34 mins) Twin Lakes - Easy PM run. Crazy winds finally died down.
Friday (1/20) - 6 mi (1:02, 1,000') SoBo Trail to Mesa to 2nd Shadow Canyon junction - Got out at dusk for a little evening stroll on the Mesa. Getting re-acquianted with the climb from Eldorado Canyon. Huffing and puffing the whole way up.
Saturday (1/21) - 12.7 mi (3:10, 3,045') Bear Peak via Bear Creek Canyon - The first real full mountain run since November. Started at Chautauqua and hopped on the Mesa Trail to Bear Creek Canyon. Took things slow, really slow. Pulled the microspikes on at the entrance of Bear Creek Canyon. Bear Peak West Ridge was mostly post-holing through dense snow, making running nearly impossible. Apparently, few people have been summiting Bear from this route. A fairly large downed tree blocked the trail - remnants of the strong gusts earlier in the week. Great views from the summit and warm temps made for a nice outing. I was totally spent on the way down. I'm still not sure how this was a three hour excursion.
Sunday (1/22) - 7 mi (57 mins) Bobolink - Easy shake-out from the day prior. Really tired starting out, but got into the groove quickly. Really warm, low 50's.
Week Totals:
Miles: 37
Vertical: 4,832'
Time: 6hrs 54mins
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Great week of running. The long run up Bear was very encouraging, despite being super slow and exhausting. I took some time away from Green Mountain this week to focus on getting some mellow/moderate vertical before tackling Green from a purely running approach.
Tuesday (1/17) - 2 mi (17 mins) Twin Lakes - a quickie to shake the legs out a bit following three days of decent climbing.
Wednesday (1/18) - Nada. The 60mph+ winds did little to inspire.
Thursday (1/19) - 4.1 mi (34 mins) Twin Lakes - Easy PM run. Crazy winds finally died down.
Friday (1/20) - 6 mi (1:02, 1,000') SoBo Trail to Mesa to 2nd Shadow Canyon junction - Got out at dusk for a little evening stroll on the Mesa. Getting re-acquianted with the climb from Eldorado Canyon. Huffing and puffing the whole way up.
Saturday (1/21) - 12.7 mi (3:10, 3,045') Bear Peak via Bear Creek Canyon - The first real full mountain run since November. Started at Chautauqua and hopped on the Mesa Trail to Bear Creek Canyon. Took things slow, really slow. Pulled the microspikes on at the entrance of Bear Creek Canyon. Bear Peak West Ridge was mostly post-holing through dense snow, making running nearly impossible. Apparently, few people have been summiting Bear from this route. A fairly large downed tree blocked the trail - remnants of the strong gusts earlier in the week. Great views from the summit and warm temps made for a nice outing. I was totally spent on the way down. I'm still not sure how this was a three hour excursion.
Sunday (1/22) - 7 mi (57 mins) Bobolink - Easy shake-out from the day prior. Really tired starting out, but got into the groove quickly. Really warm, low 50's.
Week Totals:
Miles: 37
Vertical: 4,832'
Time: 6hrs 54mins
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Great week of running. The long run up Bear was very encouraging, despite being super slow and exhausting. I took some time away from Green Mountain this week to focus on getting some mellow/moderate vertical before tackling Green from a purely running approach.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Jan 9 - 15
Monday (1/9) - 3.5 mi (31 mins) PM run around Twin Lakes - I keep seeing the same fox. I'm sure he or she is thrilled. Had to get out to see the massive full moon. I barely need my headlamp.
Tuesday (1/10) - (1:24, 2,400') hike/run Green Mountain - Kept things pretty mellow on the ups, only running a little bit. Ran the whole way down, but at a pretty slow clip. The full moon from the night prior was rather amazing in the early dawn light. ~2.5 mi of running
Wednesday (1/11) - 3.5 mi (32 mins) PM run around Twin Lakes - mellow run.
Thursday (1/12) - (1:30, 2,400') hike/run Green Mountain - Started pretty late, 6:40 am. In addition from feeling tired going up, the snow from earlier in the week was quite wind-blown near the summit, making for some exhausting post-holing to the summit. I trenched it out nicely for everyone else after me that day. Arrived to work a tad late because of the extra effort needed. Drats. ~2.5 mi of running
Friday (1/13) - 7 mi (59 mins) Bobolink Trail - Got out for a night mission after work. I've never run this trail at night, but it was pretty sweet. Easy effort the whole way. Ran by a skunk on the trail - close call.
Saturday (1/14) - (1:58, 2,900') Bear Peak via Fern Canyon - I reserved what would have been the 20th summit of Green for another day and chose to hit up its steeper, taller brother. So nice. ~4 mi of running
Sunday (1/15) - 5.7 mi (1:05, 1,100') Mesa Trail to North Shan junction down Big Bluestem - I haven't run Mesa since I got injured on 11/13, so I was glad to be back. The climb from the South Mesa trailhead served me up a piece, but I still managed to make it to the top in ~21 mins. I did't want to bite off more than I could chew, especially following the trek up Bear the day prior, so I made it an abbreviated outing and coasted down Big Bluestem.
----------------
Weekly Totals:
Miles - 29
Vertical - 8,700'
Time - 7 hrs 59 mins (includes about 7 miles worth of hiking, which I don't include in mileage)
With the additional summit of Bear this week, I backed off the long run and broke it into two smaller runs on Friday and Sunday. I'm glad the Achilles is accepting the uphill running. I think I'll be back into the 60 miles/week range in the next four to five weeks, hopefully.
Tuesday (1/10) - (1:24, 2,400') hike/run Green Mountain - Kept things pretty mellow on the ups, only running a little bit. Ran the whole way down, but at a pretty slow clip. The full moon from the night prior was rather amazing in the early dawn light. ~2.5 mi of running
Wednesday (1/11) - 3.5 mi (32 mins) PM run around Twin Lakes - mellow run.
Thursday (1/12) - (1:30, 2,400') hike/run Green Mountain - Started pretty late, 6:40 am. In addition from feeling tired going up, the snow from earlier in the week was quite wind-blown near the summit, making for some exhausting post-holing to the summit. I trenched it out nicely for everyone else after me that day. Arrived to work a tad late because of the extra effort needed. Drats. ~2.5 mi of running
Friday (1/13) - 7 mi (59 mins) Bobolink Trail - Got out for a night mission after work. I've never run this trail at night, but it was pretty sweet. Easy effort the whole way. Ran by a skunk on the trail - close call.
Saturday (1/14) - (1:58, 2,900') Bear Peak via Fern Canyon - I reserved what would have been the 20th summit of Green for another day and chose to hit up its steeper, taller brother. So nice. ~4 mi of running
Sunday (1/15) - 5.7 mi (1:05, 1,100') Mesa Trail to North Shan junction down Big Bluestem - I haven't run Mesa since I got injured on 11/13, so I was glad to be back. The climb from the South Mesa trailhead served me up a piece, but I still managed to make it to the top in ~21 mins. I did't want to bite off more than I could chew, especially following the trek up Bear the day prior, so I made it an abbreviated outing and coasted down Big Bluestem.
----------------
Weekly Totals:
Miles - 29
Vertical - 8,700'
Time - 7 hrs 59 mins (includes about 7 miles worth of hiking, which I don't include in mileage)
With the additional summit of Bear this week, I backed off the long run and broke it into two smaller runs on Friday and Sunday. I'm glad the Achilles is accepting the uphill running. I think I'll be back into the 60 miles/week range in the next four to five weeks, hopefully.
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| Brewing over the Divide |
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Bear Peak
After a lazy morning of sleeping in, chasing a finch out of my house (how a bird broke into my house overnight is beyond me), and eating breakfast with Mehri, I decided to do something different today and head up 8,461' Bear Peak.
I had summited Bear Peak only a couple of times during the Summer, so I had yet to visit the peak in the Winter, moreover via Fern Canyon. I've heard Fern is particularly steep, similar to Shadow Canyon. The allure being the most purely direct route to the summit - probably the most straightforward of any summit between the three prominent peaks of Boulder (South Boulder Peak, Bear Peak, Green Mountain).
I chose to start at Shanahan Ridge and ran the 1.5-mile trail up to the Fern and Mesa junction. From there the remaining 1.4 miles climbs an additional 2,400', which means things get pretty steep pretty quick, so I grabbed a lower gear and maintained a fast hike to the summit. Fern Canyon is a tightly switchbacked trail through a steep ravine tucked into the East face of Bear Peak, providing much appreciated shelter from the afternoon chinook winds. The trail was entirely snow-packed and surprisingly smooth compared to the upper reaches of Shadow Canyon where many high-step rocks make the trail less of a discrete path and more like a cascade of large boulders.
At the saddle, I was greeted with stellar views of Green Mountain and the high country. Hanging a left up the trail, things got really real. Approximately two feet of mostly unpacked snow covered the remainder of the peak. The trail was trenched out, but still very loose and I'd imagine much steeper than dry conditions. Whoever made first tracks up this trail earlier in the week deserves a serious pat on the back. Most of the last .2 miles are pretty much all hands-on-knees or hands-on-trail (due to the immense incline). The final forty feet or so to the summit rock is pretty much scrambling up large ice-packed boulders. It's highly exposed, where loose footing could mean taking a not-so-fun fall. I reached the summit in just over an hour and was rewarded with immaculate views of the mountainous West. Descending was entertaining as I didn't run, but rather pointed both feet forward and skied all the way down to the saddle - with microspikes! From there I ran the rest of the way back to the car. A nice Saturday, indeed.
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| Bear Peak (left), Green Mountain (right) |
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| Nebel Horn |
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| Final scramble to summit. A bit more precarious than Green's summit. |
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| Green Mountain |
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| Me, the Indians and Longs |
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