Northern ridge up, eastern granite field down on Stove Mountain!

Thursday, May 5th:

On my last mountain run a couple of weeks ago, I had ascended Columbine Trail to Daniels Pass, and I wanted to do this route again before the road up North Cheyenne Cañon opened, while the trails were still (relatively) quiet. 

I decided to attempt a mountain I've long looked at, but bypassed in favor of other adventures: Stove Mountain.

I figured this would be a good one for this week, as it is below 10,000 feet and also a shorter round-trip than some of the higher mountains. 

There were gorgeous deep blue afternoon skies with puffy, non-threatening clouds as I began my journey at the base of the Cañon. 

I went the same way as last time for a few miles, up Columbine Trail to Mt. Cutler Trail, bypassing Mt. Muscoco and using Daniels Pass Trail to connect to Gold Camp Road.

I jogged the gentle uphill on the road as it winds south towards Stove Mountain.

There is a junction to the west with a trail that I've been on before that I know connects to the St. Mary's Falls Trail eventually. I started out on this trail, and eventually split to the south, up the north ridge of Stove Mountain. 

At this point the real climbing began. I was following a social trail that faded in and out, trying to stick to the ridge as much as possible. The ridgeline reminded me of a tamer version of the northern Almagre ridge that I'd scrambled up last summer.

I came to an open area with a big square boulder, and looked up at the summit.

At this point, I tried my best to follow the ridge but I guess I ended up scrambling slightly too far to the west and came to the northern edge of the big rock face that makes the "cookstove" appearance of this mountain.

I climbed out on a ledge along the northern edge of this face that hung above the valley below. 

The exposure felt extreme!

The photos don't do this little ledge justice. It hangs out over the valley below, with what feels like a thousand-foot drop.

After this overlook spot, I rounded the bend to continue climbing, but I was too high up on the cliff face and I would have to descend into the valley on the back side of the mountain before I could continue to ascend towards the true summit. 

I decided if I was going to descend, I was going to retreat from the mountain, not just descend so I could ascend again.

After all, I'd made it up to a lookout point, and nearly the top of the mountain, so I didn't really mind skipping the true summit for today. 

Instead of descending the sandy ridge that I came up, I thought I'd be able to find more solid footing in the wash on the eastern face.

After a short portion of gravel/ scree, I came to a HUGE boulder field!

I was instantly so glad that I had picked to go this way. I am very comfortable down climbing on boulders. This wash was composed of huge chunks of Pikes Peak granite, with their characteristic pink and tan colors.

Pikes Peak granite is known for being loose and crumbly, so I still had to be cautious when stepping down, "testing" each foot placement before bearing my weight on it. Many of the rocks did move slightly underfoot.

This boulder field reminded me of the one on Blodgett Peak. A nice steep downhill slope! With a great view across to the broad western face of Cheyenne Mountain.

I felt like my strength training really benefited me for this downclimb, hopping from rock to rock, grabbing on to handholds as the steepness of the slope permitted.

I soon returned to Gold Camp Road, and now I just had an easy downhill jog remaining. My favorite part! Instead of descending back through the Cañon, I simply stuck to the road, enjoying the smooth, fast descent. Even once I reached the part of the road where vehicles are permitted, I saw more cyclists than motorists. It was a great day to be active outdoors!

The sun disappeared behind the mountains just as I rounded the last portion of the gravel, still shining brilliant streaks of light on the foothills.

I continued downhill on the asphalt for a couple miles before Alex arrived and picked me up. The total for today was 16 miles with 4000 feet of climbing. Those 4000 feet were hard-won on the  scree-covered steep slopes of Stove Mountain!

One more thing from today - the high altitude flora is already showing its intricate patterns and vibrant colors.

I look forward to seeing more of the high altitude plants soon! 😄 

***

Saturday, May 7th:

I just wrapped up another lovely, warm evening jogging in the bluffs.

I set out for a "recovery run" after Thursday's mountain adventure.

I planned on 8 miles initially, but ended up with 10. A little long for a typical recovery run, but I felt good and figured I'd take what I could!

Aravaipa Running has a new race series in Colorado Springs called Ring the Springs which Jim mentioned when I ran into him in the Garden. This race utilizes many of the trails that I frequent, and I thought about this when I was running through Palmer Park and the adjacent open spaces today. 

It was hot during the day today, and summer definitely feels like it will be here soon. It was still very warm when I set out in the early evening, although the breeze helped.

I've long heard Colorado Springs being called "the gateway to the southwest" and it definitely felt like that today, as I jogged in the warm dry air along sandy trails amidst the yellow sandstone formations.

I love the varied environment zones that exist here right along the southern Front Range, from high desert and grasslands to mountain forests and alpine tundra. Such an amazing place to live and play! This really is an ideal place for a trail runner 🏃‍♂️.

Today's run included a small loop with an overlook. I felt a little like the king of the mountain atop here, stretching in the golden setting sun and enjoying the cool rock formations all around me.

As a bonus, when I returned from today's recovery jaunt, I weighed in at 140 - and that was after drinking a whole bottle of water. That's been my target weight. Although I could probably get down to 135 and be a little faster, I'm still feeling pretty good about it. Especially since my diet hasn't been perfect lately.

When I was standing atop the rock in the warm wind, I realized that it's about time to put in motion the plans for my first 40+ miler in a while, before the weather turns to true midsummer heat.

I'd like to do a flat long one before it gets too hot, along the Front Range Trail. I think I can make it to Columbine Open Space in Larkspur within about 40 miles or so. This seems like a good way to start a strong summer. 

***

Sunday, May 8th:

Took the whole family for a picnic (mild rock scrambling too) by Cheesman Reservoir. It was windy! 

***

Monday, May 9th:

8 and half miles with 950 ft of climbing on a cool evening jog, followed up with machine butterfly and machine chest press.

***

Wednesday, May 11th:

Today was hot, hot, and more hot! 85 degrees at the outset. I kept thinking of how it felt like a desert out along the trail. In the two and half decades I've lived here, it seems like the cacti, yucca, and high plains grasses are converting the landscape slowly towards more of a high desert. Maybe I'm slowly witnessing the environment change as the globe warms? Or maybe it just feels way hotter than expected for early May!

I did a similar loop to last Saturday, enjoying the yellow-orange sandstone rock formations along my local trails.

I ran up to the overlook in Austin Bluffs Open Space, then down on different trails, adding 10.5 miles and 1600 feet elevation to the logs.

Also, beware of snakes on the trails. I encountered two today and several during my last couple runs as well.

Fortunately, I've only seen garter snakes and bull snakes so far, but I know rattlers are out there too. Just watch where you step!

I realized today that I'll have to wait for a little bit cooler weather window before I will be able to do a long, flat run. It's just too hot already.

The road up to the top of North Cheyenne Cañon will open on June 1st, so I'm hoping to get up there soon after that and hit some of my favorite summits like Mt. Rosa and Almagre, and maybe some new summits too.

***

Thursday, May 12th:

A busy day, but still fit in some weighed squats, then rotating pushups.

Still feeling pretty good about the balance between the weight room and running. I'd like to focus on some more core work in the next session, though. 

***

Friday, May 13th:

8.5 miles on the bluffs, 1150 ft of ascent. An overcast evening helped temper the afternoon heat.

***

That's about it for this past week. It was a busy one! At this time of year, I get really excited for the upcoming summer trail season. I'm really looking forward to this summer especially, because I hope 🙏 to be able to meet with friends for a few runs 🏃‍♂️! It's been a long couple years of solo running, so I'd love to return to adventuring with others soon.