June 15 - June 27
6/15, Monday - 2nd Flatiron + Green Mtn - 8 miles, 2900', 1:35
The RMR group was sort of broken tonight with everyone doing their own thing. A bunch of people are doing the Bighorn 100 this weekend, other had just ran Quadrock 50, others were normal and Jack and I scrambled the 2nd to meet them on top. Jack and I maintained a great pace standing on the summit 47 minutes after leaving Chautauqua (a 9:30 scramble). What was most encouraging was that we both didn't feel like we were really pushing that hard. Ran into Kendrick who is finally back in CO coming down, so Eric and I chatted with him for a while before getting back to the TH.
6/16, Tuesday - AM: Locomotion Lab - 4 miles, 0', 0:30 - PM: 2nd Flatiron + Spyronette - 4 miles, 2100', 2:00
Another AM session as a lab rat doing my 3km time trial. I felt really strong on this one, curious to know how it compared to last week (when my times are revealed to me next week). In the evening I got in some low key scrambling with Kendrick and his friend Max who is here from Chile for the Bighorn 100 on Friday.
6/17, Wednesday - AM: 2nd Flatiron, 1st Flatiron, Chase the Sun, 1st Flatiron - 8 miles, 3100', 3:05 - PM: 1st Flatiron - 3 miles, 1600', 4:40
First day to meet up with Satan's Minions for scrambling. We first tackled the Dodge Block route on the 2nd, finishing with the tunnel varation. From there we moved over to Atalanta (not a typo) on the 1st Flatiron, new to me but a super mellow route to get up the 1st. Next was Chase the Sun, a route I've debated for the last year but been to lazy to explore. It was generally straight forward with a couple tricky notches. Last, I did an easy ascent of the 1st with Peter Bakwin. After being home for a few minutes I was invited to do an easy ascent of the 1st so after a quick breakfast I headed back out with Logan and Yves. Logan and I soloed up then Logan belayed Yves on top rope. Longer than expected so I was (literally) burnt by the end.
6/18, Thursday - 1st Flatiron + 2nd Flatiron - 7 miles, 2000', 2:23
Should have seen this sluggish day coming with how long I've been out lately. That being said I jogged easy to Chautauqua, hiked to the 1st then scrambled like a slug with several stops. I downclimbed the Freeway and jogged home. I'll maybe try and take tomorrow easier so I have a better weekend. Maybe.
6/19, Friday - Off
First true rest day in about a month, so it was warranted.
6/20, Satuday - Mt Elbert (14,433') & S. Elbert (14,134') - 11 miles, 5300', 3:01
A good effort up to S. Elbert from Black Cloud Creek, then it was feeling my way around the snow patches up to Elbert proper. I ran into Peter Bakwin coming down the West ridge of Elbert (heading to Bull Hill) as he prepares for backpacking the entire Sawatch Range next week (essentially, Nolan's 14 +1 in 7 days).
Week Totals:
52 miles
21,700'
21:39
The massive amount of time I spent on the 1st on Wednesday really had me burnt on energy (thus the slow and miserable Thurs and Fri off). Thankfully, the off day made a big difference for a productive three days up high. I'm ready for the snow to meet its demise so as to not be spending 20-30 minutes trying to navigate through the knee deep snow, then once in the snow fear that I'll hit a rock and break my leg.
6/21, Sunday - La Plata Pk (14,336') - 10 miles, 4500', 3:31
Jack and I started 30-40 minutes after his dad and brothers and caught them just below the Northwest ridge. I was probably stopped for 30 minutes-ish of the time as I would often get too far ahead then wait. We hiked together then I descended quickly alone (I hadn't brought water and it was clear it would be a while otherwise) and met them back at the trailhead.
6/22, Monday - Mt Princeton (14,197') - 12 miles, 5400', 3:48
My CR-V could have easily made it up to the radio tower, but it was fine adding on some honest running and bonus vert with the 2000ft/3mi forest road up to the second parking lot. Since I was traveling especially light today I decided I would turn around regardless at 2h30m so I wouldn't get too dehydrated or calorie depleted. Conveniently, I summitted in 2:27, which I was very pleased with given the vert and conditions. The descent was soft wet snow and talus (similar to the ascent, really) until I was back on the forest road. Instead of wasting my time and legs with the <5% grade downhill, I opted to just take the forested ridge back down.
6/23, Tuesday - Locomotion Lab - 3 miles, 0', 0:30
Another 3km time trial, I got to learn my times today, and they are highly unimpressive. Some conciliation was learning that even most of the CU track athletes run dramatically slower on our antiquated indoor track.
6/24, Wednesday - Torreys Pk (14,267'), Grays Pk (14,270'), Kelso Mtn (13,164'), Torreys Pk, Grays Pk - 16 miles, 7900', 5:13
Big day. Started on the Steven's Gulch road 1.5 miles from the TH which I felt phenomenal on all the way past the TH to the turnoff for Kelso Ridge. From there I enjoyed the snow free scramble until the last 25ft of kick in steps up snow. After a quick tag of Grays I wallowed through some snow field and on the fly decided to head up Kelso's south slope. Might as well do the whole loop again. The full ridge from Kelso to Torreys was fantastic, aside from really losing my lungs on the final push to Torreys. I somehow found plenty of energy to march up Grays before descending back down ~4000ft to the car.
6/25, Thursday - Mt Sanitas - 6 miles, 1500', 1:11
Easy group run with RMR
6/26, Friday- The Slab & Harmon Flatironette - 5 miles, 2100', 2:48
Morning with the minions. We first took "Syzygy" up The Slab as an easy cruise before some went up to Bear and I, along with Kendrick and Stuart went out to find something else to scramble. Somehow we ended up on Harmon Flatironette (known only after later conferring with my guidebook), which was also cruiser before jog/hiking back down.
6/27, Saturday- Steven's Gulch Traverse - 11 miles, 6000', 4:49
I was celebrating my friend Elliot's 21st Friday night and I arrived home at 3:45AM before a painful 5:30AM alarm clock - bring on the coffee! Logan and I parked right at the foot of Kelso Mtn and stormed across the stream for a casual meander to the summit. Kelso Ridge was certainly the highlight of the day, so we gave a bit more effort in surmounting Torreys. Grays was disposed of quickly and soon we were on the far less traveled route to Mt Edwards (13,850'), McClellan Mtn (13,587') and Ganley Mtn (12,902'). These relatively small peaks were a lot further away than we initially thought, but offered the greatest views I've seen of Grays and Torreys. We descended arguably prematurely down a ridiculously steep scree field which terminated in an unsettled graveyard of microwave size rocks. Then it was a mile-ish jog down the road to the car.
Week Totals:
62 miles
27,300ft
21:53
A strong week with eight 14er summits, four 13er summits and some Boulder area tally marks. While Kelso Ridge is open, I'm still a bit hesitant on other alpine scrambles; maybe one more week of class 2's before I can settle into some more engaging peaks (Elks, IPW, Longs, etc). I finally went and submitted a pair of used (~110 miles on them) Inov-8 RocLite 255 to be resoled with climbing rubber; they are scheduled to be done by July 7th and I'm very excited to try and improve my scramble times in them (especially on the 1st).
6/17, Wednesday - AM: 2nd Flatiron, 1st Flatiron, Chase the Sun, 1st Flatiron - 8 miles, 3100', 3:05 - PM: 1st Flatiron - 3 miles, 1600', 4:40
First day to meet up with Satan's Minions for scrambling. We first tackled the Dodge Block route on the 2nd, finishing with the tunnel varation. From there we moved over to Atalanta (not a typo) on the 1st Flatiron, new to me but a super mellow route to get up the 1st. Next was Chase the Sun, a route I've debated for the last year but been to lazy to explore. It was generally straight forward with a couple tricky notches. Last, I did an easy ascent of the 1st with Peter Bakwin. After being home for a few minutes I was invited to do an easy ascent of the 1st so after a quick breakfast I headed back out with Logan and Yves. Logan and I soloed up then Logan belayed Yves on top rope. Longer than expected so I was (literally) burnt by the end.
6/18, Thursday - 1st Flatiron + 2nd Flatiron - 7 miles, 2000', 2:23
Should have seen this sluggish day coming with how long I've been out lately. That being said I jogged easy to Chautauqua, hiked to the 1st then scrambled like a slug with several stops. I downclimbed the Freeway and jogged home. I'll maybe try and take tomorrow easier so I have a better weekend. Maybe.
6/19, Friday - Off
First true rest day in about a month, so it was warranted.
6/20, Satuday - Mt Elbert (14,433') & S. Elbert (14,134') - 11 miles, 5300', 3:01
A good effort up to S. Elbert from Black Cloud Creek, then it was feeling my way around the snow patches up to Elbert proper. I ran into Peter Bakwin coming down the West ridge of Elbert (heading to Bull Hill) as he prepares for backpacking the entire Sawatch Range next week (essentially, Nolan's 14 +1 in 7 days).
Week Totals:
52 miles
21,700'
21:39
The massive amount of time I spent on the 1st on Wednesday really had me burnt on energy (thus the slow and miserable Thurs and Fri off). Thankfully, the off day made a big difference for a productive three days up high. I'm ready for the snow to meet its demise so as to not be spending 20-30 minutes trying to navigate through the knee deep snow, then once in the snow fear that I'll hit a rock and break my leg.
6/21, Sunday - La Plata Pk (14,336') - 10 miles, 4500', 3:31
Jack and I started 30-40 minutes after his dad and brothers and caught them just below the Northwest ridge. I was probably stopped for 30 minutes-ish of the time as I would often get too far ahead then wait. We hiked together then I descended quickly alone (I hadn't brought water and it was clear it would be a while otherwise) and met them back at the trailhead.
6/22, Monday - Mt Princeton (14,197') - 12 miles, 5400', 3:48
My CR-V could have easily made it up to the radio tower, but it was fine adding on some honest running and bonus vert with the 2000ft/3mi forest road up to the second parking lot. Since I was traveling especially light today I decided I would turn around regardless at 2h30m so I wouldn't get too dehydrated or calorie depleted. Conveniently, I summitted in 2:27, which I was very pleased with given the vert and conditions. The descent was soft wet snow and talus (similar to the ascent, really) until I was back on the forest road. Instead of wasting my time and legs with the <5% grade downhill, I opted to just take the forested ridge back down.
6/23, Tuesday - Locomotion Lab - 3 miles, 0', 0:30
Another 3km time trial, I got to learn my times today, and they are highly unimpressive. Some conciliation was learning that even most of the CU track athletes run dramatically slower on our antiquated indoor track.
6/24, Wednesday - Torreys Pk (14,267'), Grays Pk (14,270'), Kelso Mtn (13,164'), Torreys Pk, Grays Pk - 16 miles, 7900', 5:13
Big day. Started on the Steven's Gulch road 1.5 miles from the TH which I felt phenomenal on all the way past the TH to the turnoff for Kelso Ridge. From there I enjoyed the snow free scramble until the last 25ft of kick in steps up snow. After a quick tag of Grays I wallowed through some snow field and on the fly decided to head up Kelso's south slope. Might as well do the whole loop again. The full ridge from Kelso to Torreys was fantastic, aside from really losing my lungs on the final push to Torreys. I somehow found plenty of energy to march up Grays before descending back down ~4000ft to the car.
6/25, Thursday - Mt Sanitas - 6 miles, 1500', 1:11
Easy group run with RMR
6/26, Friday- The Slab & Harmon Flatironette - 5 miles, 2100', 2:48
Morning with the minions. We first took "Syzygy" up The Slab as an easy cruise before some went up to Bear and I, along with Kendrick and Stuart went out to find something else to scramble. Somehow we ended up on Harmon Flatironette (known only after later conferring with my guidebook), which was also cruiser before jog/hiking back down.
6/27, Saturday- Steven's Gulch Traverse - 11 miles, 6000', 4:49
I was celebrating my friend Elliot's 21st Friday night and I arrived home at 3:45AM before a painful 5:30AM alarm clock - bring on the coffee! Logan and I parked right at the foot of Kelso Mtn and stormed across the stream for a casual meander to the summit. Kelso Ridge was certainly the highlight of the day, so we gave a bit more effort in surmounting Torreys. Grays was disposed of quickly and soon we were on the far less traveled route to Mt Edwards (13,850'), McClellan Mtn (13,587') and Ganley Mtn (12,902'). These relatively small peaks were a lot further away than we initially thought, but offered the greatest views I've seen of Grays and Torreys. We descended arguably prematurely down a ridiculously steep scree field which terminated in an unsettled graveyard of microwave size rocks. Then it was a mile-ish jog down the road to the car.
Week Totals:
62 miles
27,300ft
21:53
A strong week with eight 14er summits, four 13er summits and some Boulder area tally marks. While Kelso Ridge is open, I'm still a bit hesitant on other alpine scrambles; maybe one more week of class 2's before I can settle into some more engaging peaks (Elks, IPW, Longs, etc). I finally went and submitted a pair of used (~110 miles on them) Inov-8 RocLite 255 to be resoled with climbing rubber; they are scheduled to be done by July 7th and I'm very excited to try and improve my scramble times in them (especially on the 1st).
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| Top of the 1st with Max (right) and Kendrick (photo cred: Kendrick) |
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| On top of Elbert with the snow spotted ridge to S. Elbert behind |
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| La Plata Pk (right) from Black Cloud Creek |
Stevens Gulch Traverse was in top shape! Linked up Kelso, Torreys, Grays, Edwards, McClellan, and Ganley with @cordisimo . If you're comfortable with avalanche gulley's, I couldn't recommend this enough. #14ers #13ers