The end of the 2009-2010 Ski Season

Well the end is near. Powderhorn closes next weekend and I've gotten in 21 days of glorious skiing--16 of them at our own little ski resort. I've added to my list of black runs skied at Powderhorn and other resorts:
Powderhorn: Racer's Edge, Showdown, Equalizer, Upper Snowcloud when bumped out, Bear Claw, Diversion, Wonderbump and Cow Camp. Snowmass: The Edge. This was a great accomplishment for me to ski a black run at a bigger ski resort because I felt like I was really accomplishing things. The Edge is a great, groomed black at the top of the High Alpine lift at Snowmass. It's wide open with only 2 fairly steep walls but it gives you a super long run if you ski from the top of the High Alpine all the way back to the Alpine Springs lift via "The Naked Lady" run.

Saturday we headed up to the 'horn for 1 last day of skiing together. There were 11 inches of new powder and there was a gorgeous bluebird sky overhead. Here are some shots of us on Diversion and Hooker (the BF on Hooker). What a great ski season!







Here we are headed up the West End lift for our final run. We'll be back next year though--better than ever!

2010 Bike Season Begins!

It's official: The 2010 bike season has begun! I took Ellie the Rocky Mountain Element with many many custom features from the BF out today for a ride on Rustler's Loop in Loma, CO. I like Rustler's for my first ride of the season because it's not too long or too tough. I can warm up my legs, my saddle, my bike brain...on a nice 45 minute loop with great views of the Colorado River. Today I even had a great view of a cow as i passed him on the trail...and plenty of views of cow crap! It's cool though, I like the free-range cows, so I'll deal with dodging patties on the trail.

Along with the first ride came the first bruise and it is going to be a doozy! Rustler's has 4 sets of ledges about 1/2 way around...the first ledge is literally beside the sign telling you how to ride ledges. I've made it up that ledge several times and I've biffed on it several times. Today was a biff day. My bike tire slid out from under me when i started up and I landed on my hip. Ouch. The funny thing is, I sat up, and just sat there for a minute staring at the landscape around me and wondering if I should try this ledge again or keep going. I just sat there. Finally I got up, looked at the line I should have taken, walked back down the trail and tried again. I would have made it, but I chickened out and just stopped pedaling about half way up. That's the thing about biking...there's always something to work on, something to get better at...you can't ever be perfect at it and if you are, it's because you're just riding down the frontage road.

Skiing Season

Well it's been a while since my last post, but that's mostly because I've been tearing up the ski slopes.  I'm at Day 19 and I've got 20 as a goal, so I'll reach it this weekend!  Here are some photos from the last couple of months... 

this first one is from the "Long Shot" run at Snowmass. 

The second one is a nicely groomed "Racer's Edge" at our own Powderhorn Resort.  They were testing a new snowcat!

Here's another 

Powderhorn shot from right where Diversion/Lower Snowcloud and Hooker and Hooligan are over on the West End.

This is, I think, Pyramid Peak...from the top of the Elk Camp Lift at Snowmass.

The next one of me skiing is a black groomed run at Snowmass-"The Edge" up on the High Alpine Lift.The last one is the view from the Big Burn lift at Snowmass.

Moab Winter/Sun 10K

I may look like crap in this picture, but at least it was for a good reason!  December 5, 2009, I ran my first 10K (6.2 miles).  Never in my life did I think I'd run...especially not 6 miles...but I did, and here's how I did it.

My buddy Lynn (with the peace sign/bunny ears going on) said to me back in October, "Hey Julie!  I'm going to run this 10K in Moab in December...do it with me!"  I thought to myself, "well self...you've been saying you were going to give running a try...this will give you a reason."

So up I signed.  I invested in a good pair of running shoes after 2 runs in old Merrell hiking shoes.  Adidas Supernovas worked for my big feet with a tendency for blisters.  Fortunately I was already in pretty good shape.  I bike, I backpack, I ski...so my legs were strong and my lungs could hold air.  It doesn't matter though, because nothing can prepare you for running.  It's unlike any experience unlike any other exercise.  Before you know it you're gasping for breath and your legs will barely pick themselves off the sidewalk.

That's when you realize, "OH.  I have to focus on my breathing."  That's what I did anyway.  I ran my two miles.  I focused on a breathing rhythm, which also helped me to even out my pace.  I ran 3 miles.  I did the same thing--focused on breathing, focused on pace.  I ran a 5K with Lynn for a great program, Girls on the Run.  I finished it in 37 minutes and I was pleased with that!  It certainly wasn't fast, but I did it!  I'd never raced before.  

I love the feeling of teamwork and how everyone is relaxed (at least at the back of the pack) and joking.  I love starting out and the excitement that goes with it.  Yelling, "Less than 3.1 miles to go!" after 5 steps, or "Less than 6.2 miles to go!"  I kept training, even sometimes on the DREADmill when it was cold or dark...

Then came the big test.  The 6 mile predictor race with the Mesa Striders.  6 miles...I'd only done that once before...on a treadmill.  What if everyone passed me?  What if I was dead last?  What if I got lost on the course out in Orchard Mesa?  Those of us predicting more than 60 minute times lined up 10 minutes early and started off down B 1/2 Road.  Lynn was ahead of me but I kept my steady pace and just ran.  The first 2 miles are always the worst.  I think of all the reasons this is ridiculous.  All the reasons I should just stop.  And then the two miles are over and I'm zoned out and following a small group of people.  Then i hear it:  thump thump thump!  The fast guys come flying past me!  5 1/2 minute mile paces!  Foomp foomp foomp...and they're gone.  "Good job!" they yell.  "Nice going!  Keep it up!"  They're so encouraging to those of us who are just getting started.

In the end I wasn't last in that race.  6 miles in 72 minutes.  I ran for 72 minutes.  

Finally the big Saturday arrived.  The race we'd been training for was in sight.  It was cold and cloudy and I debated between wearing long underwear or leaving them behind...I opted to leave them behind and instead covered up everything else!  Gloves, hat, windbreaker...we got to the start and Dan took our pictures all pumped up and ready for the race!  Lynn and I lined up well behind the 9:00/mile marker, leaving room for even those 10 minute/mile people ahead of me! The countdown began..."Four, three, two, one, GO!"  A wave of people swept down the hill from the Moab Golf Course.  Back in my  neck of the woods we joked that this slow jog heading out was perfect!  Soon though everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts, routines and pacing...down the hill, around the corner, down another hill, 1 mile down!  

"Only 5 to go?  I got this licked!"  Two miles down!  YES!  "What the F is that?  A Hill?  An UPHILL?"  I'll admit I made it halfway up running and then I walked.  Everyone as far as i could see was walking it.  I picked up the pace again at the top and made it to mile 3 in 34 minutes...just as Marty Wacker was finishing the race.  Fast bastard.  No seriously, he's super fast and he deserves to win!  He's super nice too!

When I finally made it to the finish line I was SO happy.  I ran and I ran and I ran.  I made it in 70 minutes and 40 seconds...almost 10 minutes behind Lynn who ran her best time ever too!

Running.  Who'd have ever thought it?  It hurts, but the feeling of accomplishment it so great...almost as great as conquering an obstacle on a mountain bike.

Crested Butte and the 401 Trail

Whoa! What a view! This is the top of the 401 bike trail outside of Crested Butte, CO. The elevation here is at least 11,000 feet. Someone up there stole my lung. To get here you drive right through Crested Butte, past the ski area and out towards the Gothic biological research area. You'll see signs, eventually, for 401 trail parking. Then it's a 4.5 mile climb up the jeep road to Schofield Pass and another 1 mile climb through the deep dark forest on switchbacks to get to this view. Worth it? Probably. The ride down certainly is!


I have no idea what the grade of this slope is, but it was enough to have me gripping my brakes for a bit until it evened out a little! There was NO MORE pedaling after that viewpoint above.
Eventually, the flowers get so high there's no fear of falling, only of wondering where in the world the trail will go next! By the end, when you zip across the creek and hit the jeep road again, you're smiling and the long climb is forgotten! Next we hit the Snodgrass trail. Personally, I would have loved loved loved about 4 more miles of this trail. It climbs for a bit and then just takes off through an Aspen forest. The trail rolls and winds through there and some times the distance between trees is barely enough to get your bike through! It's super sweet.

All this biking makes you hungry though! There are some great little places downtown to eat, but we headed back to camp and downed a can of Pringles! Good times were had by all!

Wonderful Weminuche

Well you know, it's July and for John and me that means it's time to head to higher elevations--this year we hit 12,000 ft! We left Wednesday afternoon, July 1 and headed down towards Lake City, Colorado and the Rio Grande Reservoir. From there we forded the Rio Grande River and took off up the Ute Creek Trail into the Rio Grande National Forest and the Weminuche Wilderness.

We've been close to here before--last year we backpacked from the Pine River/Weminuche Creek trail which starts just before the reservoir. This year's trip was 6 or 7 more miles down the bumpy "improved" road.

Back to the river...you can see the walkway leading up to it--it was fine for the first 2/3 and a little iffy towards the end, but we just plowed through with our trekking poles and kept going!

A 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms had haunted us for the past week--the weather forecast seemed set in stone and seemed to follow the same pattern we'd seen all spring! We lucked out though! NO RAIN! One thunderstorm at about 11,000 feet the night of my birthday and other than that, skies like this:

This picture was taken high up on the Continental Divide Trail that we merged onto after the junction for Twin Lakes. Neither of us had ever hiked on the CDT and it was amazing! So well maintained!

Lots of people have asked what we ate...mostly dehydrated stuff for breakfast and dinner--Mountain House makes great granola with blueberries and good lasagna too! We plan to start making some stuff of our own though. Lunches, we've decided, should be almonds, dried fruit, and string cheese. Things like tortillas make us too tired. Clif bars, Honey Stinger bars and Paydays are fabulous snacks!

We also worked hard to get our backpacking weight down this year. When we left for our trip, with our packs containing EVERYTHING we'd need, including some water to start with, each of our packs weighed 31 lbs. That's our lowest weight ever. When we got home mine was 24 lbs and John was 26! Sweet. You can see here that my pack is WAY lower than the top of my head--we saw one poor guy whose pack went from his tailbone to about a foot above his head! Too much weight!

The Weminuche is remote, but beautiful. We've seen elk, deer, moose, and yes, a bear out there--they aren't used to people so they always run. This place is filled with rolling meadows and valleys, and beautiful mountains and creeks! We love it here--even when I get a little loopy and can't remember if I purified the water or not! (I did, we discovered the next morning when I found the empty tablet packets.)

One piece of advice: The Chicago Basin area is SUPER popular, so I say avoid it! Why go somewhere where you'll see 50 to 100 people a day? From Thursday at 3:00 p.m. when we got to our first camp site, to Monday at 10:00, about an hour from the trailhead, we saw SEVEN people. SEVEN. 4 of those were on Saturday in about a 2 hour span on the CDT, and the other three were within 3.5 miles of our car.

So all went well and we finally, finally had a perfect summer trip! Coming up: Crested Butte and Te-Ah!

Summer has come to the Valley!

Well Spring has come and, though the temps are holding steady in the 80s, Summer is almost here! We've been camping and hiking and biking and have spent as many possible minutes outside as we can manage.

First there was the not-so-spectacular Bullet Canyon trip which ended with us spending 2 nights in Durango--gotta love Durango...

Bullet Canyon is part of the Grand Gulch area. Most people start their treks here down Kane Gulch and because of that we decided to be rebels and go down Bullet Canyon. As you can see, there WAS water, but it was gross water. We took 10 liters and that got us through 1 night and back out! The area where this picture was taken was cool, but other than this there was a LOT of bushwacking and that got old really fast.
Still, the weather was pretty sweet and the sky stayed blue the whole time. You can't ask for much more than that!

Next was our camping trip to Mesa Verde National Park. Unfortunately the sky did NOT stay blue the whole time there! We enjoyed a weekend of ruins and hiking trails interspersed with rain, rain, and more rain. Fortunately for us, our Big Agnes Seedhouse 3 tent was amazing and did not let in a drop of water!

We made a loop of our drive and headed down over lizard head pass and Dolores and came back through, you guessed it, Durango. I'd live there if I could. This time of year heading over all the passes is fun because I can while away the hours looking for runoff waterfalls. The picture on the left shows the impending storm on Day 2 of our trip. Spruce Tree House is on the right. It's amazing what the Anasazi were able to do with mud and rocks. The fact that we get to visit these places and see them, preserved for hopefully many many more years, is pretty impressive.

FINALLY, there has of course been tons of mountain biking. Only 2 "minor" accidents--okay, I probably could have used a stitch or two one of those times, but still...nothing horrific or requiring LifeFlight! I've biked everywhere around here so far this season, except out in Palisade. The BF and I have conquered Tabaguache a few times, I've seen Joe's Ridge up close and personal out at 18 road, and have savored the drops and ledges of Horsethief Bench in Loma more than once. Robert S. and I even managed to enjoy parts of the Gunnison/Old Spanish Trail loop one extremely windy day this spring!

I think this picture pretty much says it all though. So far the season has been pretty freakin' fabulous.