Final Week in Breckenridge

Sadly we have left Breckenridge after 50 days. We had a great time and the last week (or two) was especially excellent

On October 25th we had a snow storm and celebrated our 7th anniversary



On our final Saturday (Maureen's birthday) we went to our neighbours (who also own our house) and had a fun night of beers and shots. Earlier that day we had run the Blue Lakes one last time. It's a tough run - 4.2-miles round trip with maybe 900' of elevation gain













This is a Pika. It lives in the scree



One of the Blue Lakes almost ready for skating







The next day we went for a walk on a County Road in Alma - County Roads don't seem to ever be paved. Included were some old mining areas (although this looks pretty new)







So Mosquito Gulch - it is the destination for the Fairplay World Championship Pack-Burro Race. 29-miles and several thousand feet of elevation - both you and your burro. Maybe that will be my big race next year



Alma folk getting ready for Halloween...



We also saw a black fox outside our house. Supposedly rare



We also ran McCullough Gulch Road two final times. Such a good run for Hudson to be off-leash











No idea whose tracks these are - if anyone knows we'd love to know



Our last day - Friday - we went to Boulder one last time. This is a mining area along I-70



And - obviously - a pumpkin painted on the rocks by a waterfall across from Idaho Springs



Next up are the usual random pics from our 1,300 mile drive back to Redmond, WA

Boreas Pass

A great weekend. Saturday we headed down to Salida and Buena Vista in Chaffee County, home to 12 of Colorado's 14ers. Salida in particular was a very cool town with plenty of artists and fun stores. It was a beautiful drive and - being a few thousand feet lower than Blue River / Breckenridge - it was still autumn











Oh yeah...Maureen is pretty excited about Halloween...



Sunday was Day 16 not smoking. It was also possibly our final chance to run Boreas Pass as there may be a big storm coming. The storm warning is for 12-22 inches with gusts of up to 70mph. We have no idea what we should expect

Boreas Pass was a narrow gauge railway line from Como to Breckenridge, maybe about 17 miles (the line itself actually went to Leadville). The pass is 11,480' and has several ghost towns. Our run was 2.9 miles out with a 1,050' elevtation gain (from ~9,625 to ~ 10,675') to a water tank and then back. I think it was the most beautiful run I've done









View of Breckenridge ski runs







HAHA! You're not so tough, Quandary Peak. We own you!

Wheeler Trail - Blue Lakes Hike with Hudson

Hudson ran over 17 miles (his PR) with me last week, so after a few days off he was all set to explore on Sunday morning

We started at the Quandary Peak trail head and followed the bright green line as if we were heading to the summit - but turned left on Wheeler Trail. We then took a right on the first road and goofed around on both sides of the first lake and then ran to the dam (second lake). Round trip was maybe 5.1-miles with 1,250' of elevation gain, and a top elevation of 11,750'



On another section of this area a few miles away on McCullough Gulch Road was the other "portal". I can't find anything on what this is - one person thought it was "part of a water diversion project from the Pacific side to the Atlantic side" (the Continental Divide is about a mile away)



Not sure if this mining history or just an old house in disrepair



I can find no record of a Corona Placer - and this was not at 11,775 (maybe 300'-400' lower)



Random sights







Hud in the snow with a great stick



Looking at the dam (up high)





Hud possibly impressed with the views



The dam. I tried to find why this is for Colorado Springs. No luck. Actually not much luck researching this Blue Lake area (other than it was a mining area)





Heading back



Back on Wheeler Trail. An old mining shack?



??? - in the middle of the woods





Hud was equally puzzled



The Blue Lakes area was such a cool area I took Maureen there (in the car) on the way to Alma & Fairplay

I hadn't noticed all the mining ruins and remnants