Skunked

Someone is already on Santa's bad list...

Breckenridge Trail Run

Headed up to Breckenridge to run the half-marathon course (the actual race is next weekend - will be a last minute decision)

Left just after sunrise



I-70 was fairly empty of the usual dangerous drivers



Tomorrow Boulder is expecting something crazy like 150,000 people watching Stage 6 of the USA Pro Challenge (like a Tour de Colorado). As I pulled into town I found out Stage 5 was beginning today in Breckenridge. I was early enough to get a parking spot



Here is the start while I was in the clouds at about 12,475' sucking wind



Getting on the Burro Trail. This section is 1,200' over 4 miles





Getting on the Wheeler Trail. This section is punishing - 1,500' in 2.5 miles at elevation







Two things went through my mind as my legs got tired:

1. This guy is trying to do all 58 CO 14'ers in less than 11 days (over 140,000' of gain).  I think he summitted Green Mountain 20 or 40 times on his 40th birthday
2. This trail began as a trail to move Judge Wheeler's sheep to Copper Mountain - I have no idea how someone thought "there, that's how we'll go" and then got the sheep to trudge on the steep single-track

Looking down through the clouds at Breckenridge



Once again I took a wrong turn at mile 11.5 which is ok. 3 hours on great trails and no injuries

Bear at Green

Fruit is falling from the trees and the bears are pretty happy about that. 2 bear sightings on 2 runs the past 2 days

Here he is not worried about me - 6'1 and 175-pounds - at all







Here he is when a 50-pound dog showed up

Spring Brook Loop / Fowler Trails

Ended a pleasant enough week of work by heading out for an afternoon run. Headed to Doudy Draw and decided to explore new-to-me trails

In addition to the usual bear / mountain lion signs were these - apparently this trail is the most dangerous place to be in Boulder County







The run began on wide-open trails





Spring Brook Loop - recommended by Maureen - weaved through not-so-healthy looking trees



Spent 12 minutes here talking to my boss's boss. Better cell reception than at home



Really? Wonder what's back there



Bear scat



South Boulder and Bear peaks are to the right. Bear is back open after the fire - sadly South Boulder is not



The town of Eldorado Springs - where we were last night for the 4-mile race. Maureen looked at a house a few weeks back and I saw it last night before the race. Looks fun - if only it were $151,000 less expensive





I knowingly took a wrong turn at some point - expecting it would somehow get me back to the trailhead. It did. By running along 170 for half a mile. At least I got to see the Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram Center - just read about this in the book "Colorado's Sanctuaries, Retreats, and Sacred Places"

Here is Google Earth's fly-over view of my run. It's amazing how accurate it is - although not 100% as I was not running down the middle of the road at the end

Mount Audubon

Woke up early and headed to Indian Peaks to run/hike Mount Audubon. It was 38F when I started at 7:30am



A Ptarmigan - plenty at about 12,000' - lots of Pikas too



Half a mile and over 500' up talus to go



Views from the summit. 4 miles and 2,789' in about 1:35









The run down started poorly with a wipe-out down a loose trail. No serious damage. Aside from banging up my ankles on the rocky trail all else went well and back to the trailhead in maybe 1:10

No moose sightings today. Speaking of, here is the moose from last weekend's races up at Eldora in Nederland (pic not by us)

Park County Runs

Last post from the weekend. Yes, it was a great weekend. I had hoped to run more but still got some time on cool trails above 11,000' with Hud

Hoosier Pass / North Spur to Mt Silverheels

Just a short drive from our rental and no one else around - great for Hud to explore





Quandary on the right





Clouds moving in - wasn't sure at first but not normally 2 miles high

McCullough Gulch Road

Not a trail as much as a road from the Quandary Trailhead. First two from a stormy afternoon myself, last two from a sunrise run with Hud