The first week of October in Colorado

Wow, what a week!

This is a special time of year in the mountains, and even in and around town on our urban trails. As such, my weekly mileage tends to increase around this season.

The day after my Tenney Crags run, we took a drive up I-70 west so the whole family could get some fall leaf-viewing. I'll start there.

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Thursday, September 30th, 2021:

We drove up through Idaho Springs and Georgetown and saw some amazing fall colors on the way. We decided to go for a walk in "Bakerville," which is apparently a ghost town beyond Georgetown and before the Eisenhower Tunnel.

The scenery was amazing!

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Friday, October 1st, 2021:

A nice 10 mile run on urban trails, 900 ft elevation gain. Later on, I did some standing chest flies with dumbbells. 

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Saturday, October 2nd, 2021:

Over 8 and a half miles run, with again, 900 ft elevation. At Palmer Park.

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Sunday, October 3rd, 2021:

Chin-ups with slow negatives, trying to build some supplemental strength. Also laying leg raises, engaging the core.

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Monday, October 4th, 2021:

A nice run up and through Austin Bluffs Open Space, adding 10 and a half miles and 1100 feet elevation to the running logs.

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Tuesday, October 5th, 2021:

A nice sunset walk with the family at Spruce Meadows. Lovely, cool evening.

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Wednesday, October 6th, 2021:

It was time for another long one in the mountains!!! I hadn't filled up on mountain adventure for the season yet. 

This time, I started from Red Rocks Canyon. The clouds were picturesque all day, I must say, and I took a ton of photos.

The first ridge as you enter Red Rocks Canyon from the new 26th street parking lot. A cute little cloud!

Colorful Gamble's Oak.

I took the trail from 26th street to the south and passed through the entrance to Section 16, connecting to Bear Creek Canyon.

The clouds continued to entertain me.

This time, I took the Bear Creek Canyon Trail only until the connection to Captain Jack's, the legal route.

I decidedly prefer the decommissioned trail. The legal route is longer, with little rolling bumps that are preferential for dirt bikes.

The little up-and-down bumps just made me feel tired.

But soon after the four-way junction at the base of Kineo Mountain, the aspens were EVERYWHERE! 

Their magnificent yellows were almost neon in the sunlight.

I continued on Captain Jack's (#667) all the way until I found the old Bear Creek Canyon junction at the top, near the Lake Moraine Trail split.

I could hear some kind of construction going on at the South Slopes. I was a bit curious to see what they were doing, but not curious enough. I decided to avoid the area this time, and take the Bear Creek Canyon Trail downhill this time.

I popped out into the meadow before descending, just to get a peek at the peak.

Pikes Peak, America's Mountain.

The trees and branches that the forest service placed at the top side of the trail are still there. No one has yet brought a chainsaw this far up. 😕 This made for an annoying descent, dodging and picking the best route. I guess that's what they were going for. It did start off kind of fun, admittedly.

Soon I got to Jones Park, and the classic meadow that everyone loves. It was so gorgeous!!

I didn't know before that there was actually a geological survey marker on the rock in Jones Park.

I spent a minute taking in my surroundings, and then jogged down along the leaf-laden path until I came to the junction with the Loud's Cabin ruins. 

My basic knowledge of the ruins is that Loud was a guy who built a cabin here near Jones Park with the idea of running a halfway house on the way up Pikes Peak (kind of like what Barr Camp is along Barr Trail.) However, when the planned route up through Bear Creek Canyon to the summit of Pikes was eventually nixed, Loud abandoned his 8-person bunkhouse and its logs and old chimney structure have crumbled in disrepair. A really neat historical feature of our area! 

I kept going down the trail, but the clouds still continued to distract me with their endless wavy patterns.

I soon reached the part of the trail that I'd passed through a week ago. Exactly 7 days had passed, and I was stunned by the amount of change in the foliage.

The leaves on the aspens had gone from yellow-green and light yellow to deep yellow, tinted with orange. And the grasses, which had been bright-neon yellow with a tiny bit of green at the base, were now absolutely golden throughout. What a change!

Such an amazing opportunity to view the real changing of the seasons. 

After this point, I crossed back over to the Captain Jack's trail #667 and made my descent via Mt. Buckhorn, like I did last time. 

Shadows were beginning to get long as the sun made its way towards the west.

I descended Mt. Buckhorn, then High Drive, then ran back to the parking lot I'd started at in Red Rocks Canyon along 26th street.

I ended the day with just over 24 miles and just under 5300 feet elevation gain. I could not have asked for a better day. Fantastic!

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Thursday, October 7th, 2021:

A full-on rest day, as I found myself more sore than usual from yesterday's adventure.

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Friday, October 8th, 2021:

Dips, leg raises, front raises, and lightweight lunges. A pretty comprehensive weight routine, although mostly done with light weights this time.

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Saturday, October 9th, 2021:

A good day for a recovery run in Palmer Park. 

Only 6 and a half miles, but almost 1000 feet elevation gain.

Fall truly is my favorite season for running. I just can't get enough!!

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone enjoyed the photos. See you soon.