Mid-April 2024 update

In the middle part of March and over four years into the COVID-19 pandemic, my family and I tested positive.

Although we all only suffered mild symptoms, we took some time off and isolated.

Our first adventure back to the outdoors was for my son's birthday at the end of March. We returned to the Aiken Canyon, where we'd hiked three years ago in the early part of the pandemic.

For my first trail run after recovering, I went to Rampart Range Road.

The clouds were stormy and brewing something up over the Peak when I first got started.

I made it to the swing, way up above the city, and the clouds disappated.

I enjoyed the quiet, solo downhill.

I brought Pippin with me the next time to the same location, for our first trail run together in several weeks.

The warm days and desert-like conditions persisted when we visited the Palmer Park bluffs in our next run.

And a nice, clear evening for a night hike with my kids.

The next day, I took Pippin to the Red Rock Canyon inner loop. It was a beautiful day for it, if a little warm at the start for Pippin.

I thought the overlook might still be icy, so I stayed to the inner loop, which showcases some of the best formations in the canyon.

I got a double dose of southwestern beauty this day, because I took an afternoon walk with my husband and a friend at Garden of the Gods, and took a photo from the famous rock view window at the Siamese Twins.

For our next session, I wanted to find somewhere a little cooler with more tree cover for Pippin. It's unseasonably hot already for this spring in southern Colorado, at least along the bluffs and the sandstone formations.

So we started from the Mt. Cutler trailhead. There was some ice at the very start and a few patchy spots, but it was fairly clear all the way through Daniel's Pass trail up to Gold Camp Road.

Gold Camp was largely clear, but had some big patches of snow on each side of the road. We followed the road for a few bends to the south before joining the trail that cuts over towards St. Mary's Falls.

Unfortunately this connection trail was completely snowed in at the top of the first small hill.

So instead of progressing towards the falls, we turned and climbed the nearest high point, which afforded wonderful views into North Cheyenne Cañon.

From this viewpoint, just the very summit of Pikes Peak looks down through the valley.

We soaked in the views for a few minutes before heading back down, this time taking the road down the whole way back to the Mt. Cutler parking.

This was our longest trail run since getting back to it, adding up to almost 11 miles.

The trails are definitely in spring condition in the local mountains. There are some very steep snowfields where the drifts landed, broken by dry patches of trail that get the most sun.

At the end of the month, I'll be heading down to Arizona for a few days. I hope to get at least one desert run in while I'm there.

In the meantime, I'd like to get at least one more longer adventure in the local mountains. But I'll have to temper my expectations, because of deep, crunchy, postholing snow. At least it's great for our water system - there's still quite a bit of snowpack that has to melt off!

Mid-March 2024 update

Hope everyone is having a fun winter!

Pippin and I have had a lot of adventures in the month since the last update.

***

In mid-February, in between snowstorms, Pippin and I had a long day in the mountains.

It was a clear and nice day, and we made it up past our usual overlook.

Way up on trail 667, the snow began to get very deep, and we were following the trail gully that was trekked in by others, but it eventually became too time-consuming and we had to turn around.

We still made 10.3 miles and almost 4200 feet of climbing on this nice day!

***

One evening in February, we went to Cripple Creek to see the lighted ice sculptures.

Another evening, we had a family walk in Larkspur along the railroad tracks, and the train conductor waved to us as we watched the sun disappear behind the Rampart Range.

And we attended the Carnivale Parade in Manitou!

***

One day, I didn't have Pippin with me and I decided to run an out-and-back on Rampart Range Road.

It was then that I discovered that it was far harder to run without a dog! I've had Pippin on every run this year prior to this.

The muscles and balance involved in canicross are slightly, yet in a significant way, different. Pippin is so strong and such a good teammate that he contributes more working force to our combined effort. Maybe I'll have to look for some canicross races so I can bring him along!

***

A few days later, we took a day trip to Denver with the family, visiting the Denver Zoo and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge.

This little prairie dog was a curious fellow!

***

After another round of snow fell on the mountains, I took Pippin to our usual snow run in Bear Creek Canyon.

I love snow days in the canyon, and this was another picturesque foggy day.

We wound our way up through the foggy hills towards our overlook.

Above the junction of 776 and 667, the snow was completely untouched!

Pippin was pretty great at breaking trail for me.

We made it to our overlook, and climbed up and down the rock outcropping in the deep snow.

On our way back down High Drive, I met some folks who I'd passed earlier on the uphill. Jeff was kind enough to snap a photo of me and Pippin cruising on the downhill!

Pippin is determined and stoic; meanwhile I'm a goofy looking human! But I'm so thankful to have this photo of me and my adventure buddy on this snowpacked day.

***

Our next run, quite the opposite of our snow day, was filled with blue skies and dry trails.

I took Pippin for the Section 16 loop from 26th Street.

Pippin was enthusiastic as ever, zooming on the beautiful trail as we completed this classic trail loop with a lot of newer singletrack at the beginning, getting 9 miles for the day.

***

Before the biggest snowstorm of the season, Pippin and I topped out on a small hill in Palmer Park and watched the calm sunset (upper left in the photo collage.)

Then it snowed and snowed for several days. When the clouds finally parted, Pippin and I returned to Palmer Park to a very different magical landscape.

The clouds rolling off of Cheyenne Mountain were just the tail end of the cold front, ushering in warm days to the Front Range once again.

And now it's officially spring in Colorado, so the erratic weather will probably continue! But that's the beauty of spring in the Rockies - blue sky days followed by big waves of the white stuff.

***

First half of Feb 2024 - snowpacked runs and tons of elevation gain!

Whew, what a great start to the month!

I have been pretty active this first half of the month, and I feel good about my training.

Despite an everlasting lack of speedwork, I've done a LOT of uphill running and elevation gain.

And it's been a very picturesque few weeks.

***

A nice snow run in Palmer to start the month, watching small cold fronts roll in over the mountains.

***

A few days later, we went to Rampart Range Road and did the Gate to Gate twice (plus a little extra at the top).

The Gate to Gate involves going from the winter closure gate at Balanced Rock (at the base of the road) up to the National Forest Gate. This upper gate marks the end of private property, about 3 miles up.

The first time up, there was a huge cloudburst above Pikes Peak. It was incredible.

Then, the clouds began to come in and a light snow fell on us, but quickly cleared again.

We got a solid 12 miles, and 2300 ft elevation gain this day.

***

Pippin got so dirty with red mud on our Rampart outing, that I decided our next run had to be a (clean) snow run.

This day was the most beautiful of all our runs this in this half of the month.

It was a day where the snow clouds kept rolling in over the mountains, then disappating into sunlight over the city.

Pippin found the deep snow again, and dove right in.

I really loved the way the clouds played with the lighting.

Big puffy flakes filled the skies, while sunlight simultaneously filtered through broken clouds.

We wound our way up through Bear Creek Canyon, connecting to the Captain Jack's 667 trail.

We made it to the overlook.

I just loved the way the clouds rolled thick off the mountains behind, but couldn't hold their steam. They parted to reveal Colorado blue skies above.

And the city, far below, was mostly sunny.

To the west, each new cloud brought a fresh layer of soft powder, before meeting the same fate: vanishing away.

As we descended from the overlook down Mt. Buckhorn trail, a foggy cloud settled in over Sentinal Rock.

What a stunning day, netting us over 8 miles, and another 2300+ ft of climbing.

***

Our next run was a very cold one in Palmer Park, 10k.

***

The next day, I wanted to play in some of the fresh powder that had fallen, so we headed to the South Blodgett Open Space, and ran up the open mesa into the National Forest.

The trail continues up the open hillside until it dips into a steep drainage. We crossed the small rock bridge over the stream, and at this point the real climb began.

The trail in the forest was extremely deep in snow, and VERY steep. I always forget how steep this particular trail is, and it's especially challenging in winter.

Pippin was an absolute workhorse in the deep snow. He pulled me up, up, through the canyon. I kept thinking how much I was going to regret this on the downhill!! 😂 But I was enjoying the climb too much to stop, and Pippin was absolutely in sync with me.

We finally topped out on a small overlook.

We enjoyed the sunlight for a few minutes, but soon it was time to head down the mountain.

I pretty much dreaded the downhill, and it was about as bad as I'd imagined, which was fairly unpleasant.

But after slip-sliding all the way down the steep National Forest trail (even with spikes!), we finally came back to out to the top of the long hillside that returns to the city open space.

We looked back at the mountain ridges from where we'd just come as the cold, clear winter sunset settled over the land.

We added 5.6 miles and over 2400 feet of climbing to the books in today's steep, snowy mountain run.

***

What a great start to the month, with a fulfilling amount of front range winter adventures. What a classic February feeling!