Coming up just short on the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere

Here is a link to my recent climb on Aconcagua.

Trip Report

West Elk Bicycle Classic 2014

I live in an amazing state and there is no better way to experience it than on the seat of a bike.  Living in Denver, most of my rides are restricted to the Front Range and occasionally Summit County.  It is the rare treat for me to go further afield and experience some of the rides in other parts of the state.  Some of my favorite rides west of the divide are the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, Tour of the Moon and The L'Eroica, so it was with great delight that I had the chance to add another ride to this list of favorites.  That ride is the Dave Weins West Elk Bicycle Classic.  It's a tough 134 mile ride from Gunnison to Crested Butte the long way around.  It has long fast cruising, fun rolling descents and tough climbs across varied landscapes.

I actually first heard about it over a year ago from a Primal rep at a Courage Classic team captain's meeting at Wheat Ridge Cyclery.  I'd mentioned that I'd grown up in the Elk Mountains but had never really done any riding there and he suggested that, if I was up for a challenge, I should give the West Elk Classic a look.  Not one to back away from a challenge, I mentally filed this on my to-do list.  As my Labor Day weekend was looking clear in 2014, I went ahead and signed up.  It was particularly neat doing the ride this year for we'd be following the final portion of the USA Pro Challenge Stage 2 route over Kebler Pass.  My only hope was that we'd have better weather than the pros.

Though Gunnison is off of the I-70 corridor, the drive really isn't that bad and is quite pretty.  We made it from our house in east Denver to Gunnison in around three and a half hours.  Once we arrived, we checked into the Econo Lodge (perhaps the nicest one I'd ever been to) right on US 50, across from the Western State campus.  This location was ideal, for check in and the start were located just a few blocks away on the college campus.  We picked up our generous packet at check-in (sweet jersey, socks, bib, Honey Stinger gels, etc.) and then walked the few short blocks to the downtown for dinner.  Gunnison has a charming little downtown area and the people could not have been nicer.  Folks asked if we were in town for the ride and seemed quite happy to have us there. 

Western State starting line in Gunnison 
with buddy Dan

The next morning, after a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, waffles and more (Thank you, Econo Lodge!!), we were fueled up and ready to ride.  It was a beautiful morning though chilly enough to require starting the ride in jackets.  At 6:30am, we rolled over to the start area, picked up our timing tags and lined up behind the starting gate for the 7am shotgun (yes, a real shotgun) start.  While I am not sure precisely how many riders started, it seemed to be somewhere around 200-300 riders.  There seemed to be quite a few very strong, serious riders lined up for the event, but the atmosphere at the start was quite social and laid back.  If folks were riding for time and to place in the top three, it didn't show.  

After the starting gun, everyone rolled out as a large peloton and turned west onto US 50.  With a Colorado State Patrol escort, we rolled right through the heart of Gunnison and on toward Blue Mesa Reservoir. The first ~27 miles are pretty flat and we were able to maintain a strong ~23-26 mph pace.  I'd driven along this stretch of highway along Blue Mesa Reservoir many times, but it was nothing compared with the experience of riding one's bike through this beautiful area, especially early on a Sunday morning when we pretty much had the road to ourselves.  Riding in a peloton was also a unique treat.  You can definitely feel the energy savings and it was fun to have so many people to talk to as we rode.

Near Aid Station #1

I only made it as far as the first aid station at the Blue Mesa Dam as a part of the peloton, for I needed to make a pit stop and had no chance of catching them.  The weather was quite pleasant at this point and I was able to finally shed my jacket.  The rest of the ride was mostly solo, which suits me just fine.  I was able to continue the ride at my own pace and enjoy the scenery that the route offered.  From the Blue Mesa Dam, we turned north on Hwy 92 toward Crawford.  It was mostly a nice easy climb along the eastern end of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.   There were a few steeper sections, but nothing that lasted terribly long.

The next stop on the ride was the second aid station at

Start of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Hermit's Rest, 17 miles beyond the dam.  The aid station, like most of the aid stations, was very well stocked with high-quality, palatable hydration and nutrition.  I'm a huge fan of Honey Stinger products and was thus very happy with the large selection of gels, chews, waffles and bars. Yum.  After the aid station, there was a short descent followed by another easy climb and then it was a long ~10 mile downhill roll into the town of Crawford and the third aid station.  At this point, the route left the highway and followed a series of picturesque rural roads out towards Needle Rock and then continued descending down toward the town of Paonia.  

At around mile 80, we reached the low point of the route in a wide flat basin.  Looking down the road here, many of us noticed that the road looked as if it went straight up a steep wall at the opposite end of the basin.  We were all relieved to discover that the climb was short and considerably more gentle than it appeared.  The next ~8 continued along gently rolling rural roads into the next aid station in the town of Paonia, about 88 miles in.  In addition to the great food at the other aid stations, the Paonia aid station also had freshly picked apples, peaches and cherries.  I decided to take a 5 minute break here to rest up before the bigger climbs ahead and to eat as many peaches as I could manage.

 A few miles out of Paonia, the prolonged climb commenced.  The route turn northeast onto Hwy 133 and began slowly climbing along the North Fork of the Gunnison River.  Despite being almost 100 miles into the ride, I still felt quite good and was able to maintain a pretty good pace.  At mile 100, I'd managed an average pace of about 19 mph to that point.  Not blazing fast but I was quite pleased.  The route passed several coal mining operations but it was hard to tell if they were still active.  Towns like Somerset seemed like they'd seen better days.  A few miles past mile 100, the route turn off to the east toward Kebler Pass.

The road is flat or gently climbing for the first seven or eight miles.  The first couple are even paved, but the road eventually turns to dirt and remains this way for the majority of the remaining miles.  Due to the recent USA Pro Challenge, the road was freshly swept and was almost like riding on pavement on the flat and climbing portions.  As I approached the next aid station at about mile 108, I was starting to feel a bit fatigued and could tell that I hadn't stayed on top of my hydration as well as I should have.  I tried to drink as much as I could at the next aid station without making myself sick.  I also discovered that this was where the real climbing began.  

Here I am approaching the Mile 117 aid station

The next ~8-9 miles were of sustained climbing on a decent grade.  My legs could really feel the miles on them and it was psychologically challenging to keep going when I realized that I still had about 25 miles left.   I'd done many century rides and even the 120 mile Triple Bypass (both ways), but with these rides you were done or mostly had down hill ahead of you at mile 100.  I still was facing a hefty climb and I really had to push myself at several times over the last 34 miles.  I was so pleased when the next aid station came into view at about mile 117 as I'd completely drained my bottles and desperately needed fluid.  I wasn't hungry but knew that I should eat

Aid station cheering me on

something and manage to wash down a energy bar with some water.  My wife Rachel was also waiting for me here and gave me some needed encouragement.  The aid station volunteers were also very encouraging and generally just fabulous.  They cheered as we rolled in, promptly greeted us andoffered to get us food and fill our water bottles.  I was grateful to not have to get off my bike. I may not have been able to get back on.

The next few miles were rolling and easy, even being as tired as I was.  I rolled right past the last aid station before the top of Kebler Pass and started the last few miles and last decent pitch to the top of Kebler Pass with a bit of a second wind.  The pass and 2-3 miles on either side were once again paved, and, while this didn't make much of a difference on the way up, it was very nice to have a few miles of easy rolling after the top.  The seven miles between the top of Kebler Pass and the finish in Crested Butte were pretty easy but still included about 3 miles of dirt which demanded alertness and picking the smoothest line possible.  It felt glorious to turn into the finish in downtown Crested Butte and hear the cheers.  It was my longest ride I'd ever done and probably the toughest.  Completing it was very satisfying.

The finishing celebration was a blast and felt like a small town block party.  They offered great foods, great beer from 2 Rascals in a souvenir WEBC pint glass, ice cream from Third Bowl (I recommend the Cinnamon Cayenne Honey!), and a fun party atmosphere.  Rachel didn't ride this time but had fun providing ride support and taking pictures.  Perhaps the best part for her, given that she's a complete cycling groupie, was getting to meet Susan DeMattei and Dave Weins.  They are both such nice people and really made Rachel's day.  

Now, I have to wait until next year to see if I can do it faster!

Here my data-
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/580378042

Rachel with Dave Weins.   Dave is perhaps 
best known most for his six consecutive 
wins in the Leadville Trail 100 MTB 
mountain bike race including 
defeats of both Floyd Landis and 
Lance Armstrong.

Rachel with Susan DeMattei.  Susan 
is a professional mountain biker 
who won the Bronze Medal in 
Mountain Biking at the 1996 
Olympic Games and wife of 
Dave Weins.

A Worthy Cause

Friends, don't let the gloomy April weather bring you down. It is a mere 19 weeks until the Courage Classic to benefit Children's Hospital Colorado. I invite any of you to join team Jelly Belly for Kids and ride with us. There is nothing else that you could possibly be doing the weekend of July 19-21 that will be as fun and rewarding as this ride. I know you might be thinking, "but I'm afraid of exercise, clean air and stunning scenery". Fear not, as this is one of the best supported, family-oriented tours around. In addition to the numerous well-stocked aid stations, there are vans that will pick you and your bike up at any point and ferry you as far as you'd like to go. You're next excuse might be "I don't think I can afford it." Wrong! You can't afford not to do it. For the low, low price of $95 you get three fabulous days of food, folks and fun (and a t-shirt). Sure, you have to do some fundraising, but this is a children's hospital we're talking about. Seriously, this is a VERY worthy cause and Children's Hospital Colorado does some amazing things for many very sick children. Don't let your final earthly thought be "Damn, I new got to ride the Courage Classic" or "I can't believe I wasted all my money at Starbucks, Walmart and the bar on the corner instead of helping sick kids". Sign up before all the spots are gone. Join us! Click here.

Need some more inspiration? A slide show for my last four years of the ride will be posted immediately after this post.

If you have a LEGITIMATE excuse for not riding with us this summer, I would greatly appreciate it if you'd consider a modest donation in my name here . Of course, you could also make a donation on behalf of my significantly cuter son here. Enjoy that warm feeling you get when you donate to a good cause. I will be bugging folks again over the next few months but why wait.

First challenge of 2014

I can deal with brutally tough runs, rides and climbs, but a simple cold is a real struggle.  I hate staying in the house and resting and usually end up wearing myself down worse than I already am.  Three days into 2014, I caught a cold and am already feeling behind in my training.  The bitterly cold weather that hit at the same time did not help matters.  Ugh.

GEAR REVIEW: Armada ARVti skis

I just had the chance to demo some skis at Loveland Ski Area.  The first ski I tried was the Icelantic Nomad RKR.  This is a fun, light, quick ski that is a blast in powder, steeps and off piste terrain.  It was ok on the groomers but not as stable as I like.  I also tried the K2 Shredditor which was lightning quick and also great in powder, steeps and off piste terrain but did not have as large a sweet spot as the Nomads.  I'm sure I'd get into a grove if I skied it all the time, but the ski can get away from you a little bit if you are not right on top of it.  

My favorite was the ARMADA ARVti.  This ski was amazing.  It was a little heavier than the Nomad and Shredditor but was still a beast is all terrain types and snow conditions that I took it into.  Even some of my ski patrol colleague noticed the easy with which I ripped up even the steepest and most demanding terrain.  Moreover, this ski carves like a dream on the groomers.  I always felt like I was in complete control.  These skis are at the very top of my wish list.

"After 10 years spent largely unchanged, our original all-mountain tool got a new chassis, a top and bottom layer of Titanal, and the new AR Nose Rocker profile. The ARVti combines a Comp Series Base and a burly core, creating an on-piste charger that can still hold its own, and its edge, when the going gets bumpy." - ARMADA website

Committed

I just signed up for the Leadville Silver King. I'd better get myself ready!

2014 Preview

It will be tough to top 2013, but I have a couple events that I am very excited about.

• May 17 The L'Eroica Junction to Glenwood Vintage Bicycle Race-  This event recreates a 1899-1915 Grand Junction 102 mile bicycle race from Grand Junction to Glenwood Springs, CO. The organizers have researched the history of the ride and included as many of the original elements of the race as possible.

•  July 4 Firecracker 50 MTB-  Each 25 mile lap has 4000′ of climbing. The first 6 miles of that is on the climb out of Breckenridge on the old narrow gauge Railroad grade. The race starts the 4th of July Parade in a neutral start format by start wave. From there the odyssey sends you into the Backcountry. There are a couple of grunty little climbs, a couple of long lungbusters, some absolutely rippin’ descents and plenty of contouring flume and singletrack.

• July 12-13- Leadville Silver King-  Two days of exhilarating challenges. First, spend Saturday riding the Silver Rush 50 MTB, and follow it up on Sunday with the Silver Rush 50 Run. Finish both and you'll earn respect from everyone. Finish both events within the allotted time and you'll forever be known as a Silver King.

• July 19-21 Courage Classic- Three days of spectacular family riding in the mountains of Colorado.  Proceeds support Children's Hospital Colorado.
  

• August 9 Leadville 100 MTB- One hundred miles across the high-altitude, extreme terrain of the Colorado Rockies. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013, this event was created for only the most determined athletes. Starting at 10,152 feet and climbing to 12,424 feet, you'll be challenged to catch your breath- while the views try to take it away.

• August 31 West Elk Bicycle Classic- The Dave Wiens West Elk Bicycle Classic is a demanding 134 mile timed tour climbing 9,300ft (209 km, 2700m) from Gunnison to Crested Butte, CO circumnavigating the West Elk Mountains held Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The crux of the ride is a 25 mile 5400' climb over the dirt Kebler pass to Crested Butte starting at the 100 mile mark. The top of Kebler is where your time will stop for this timed event. You then will coast neutrally down to Crested Butte for the official finish and party.

• October 4 Tour of the Moon- The Icon LASIK TOUR of the MOON is a 62-mile (metric century) ride through the unique landscape of the American West.  Cyclists will start and finish at Two Rivers Convention Center in downtown Grand Junction, Colorado. Participants will depart the Convention Center in the same manner as 2012 but will ride toward Fruita (instead of entering the east entrance of the Monument) and then may choose to ride the metric century through the beautiful farm country surrounding areas of Fruita and finishing with the spectacular ride through the Colorado National Monument, a unit of the National Park System (entering the west entrance) to the Convention Center.

• November 2 New York City Marathon- The TCS New York City Marathon has grown from a Central Park race with 55 finishers to the world's biggest and most popular marathon.
  
  he TCS New York City Marathon has grown from a Central Park race with 55 finishers to the world's biggest and most popular marathon. - See more at: http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/about-the-race#sthash.6maDfwjL.dpuf
  he TCS New York City Marathon has grown from a Central Park race with 55 finishers to the world's biggest and most popular marathon. - See more at: http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/about-the-race#sthash.6maDfwjL.dpuf
  he TCS New York City Marathon has grown from a Central Park race with 55 finishers to the world's biggest and most popular marathon. - See more at: http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/about-the-race#sthash.6maDfwjL.dpuf
  
  
  One hundred miles across the high-altitude, extreme terrain of the Colorado Rockies. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013, this event was created for only the most determined athletes. Starting at 10,152 feet and climbing to 12,424 feet, you’ll be challenged to catch your breath — while the views try to take it away. - See more at: http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/page/show/315773-100-mile-mtb-race#sthash.UrndadB7.dpuf
  One hundred miles across the high-altitude, extreme terrain of the Colorado Rockies. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013, this event was created for only the most determined athletes. Starting at 10,152 feet and climbing to 12,424 feet, you’ll be challenged to catch your breath — while the views try to take it away. - See more at: http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/page/show/315773-100-mile-mtb-race#sthash.UrndadB7.dpuf
  two days of exhilarating challenges. First, spend Saturday riding the Silver Rush 50 MTB, and follow it up on Sunday with the Silver Rush 50 Run. Finish both and you'll earn respect from everyone. Finish both events within the allotted time and you’ll forever be known as a Silver King - See more at: http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/page/show/431570-silver-king-and-queen#sthash.983tYUv3.dpuf
  two days of exhilarating challenges. First, spend Saturday riding the Silver Rush 50 MTB, and follow it up on Sunday with the Silver Rush 50 Run. Finish both and you'll earn respect from everyone. Finish both events within the allotted time and you’ll forever be known as a Silver King - See more at: http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/page/show/431570-silver-king-and-queen#sthash.983tYUv3.dpuf
  two days of exhilarating challenges. First, spend Saturday riding the Silver Rush 50 MTB, and follow it up on Sunday with the Silver Rush 50 Run. Finish both and you'll earn respect from everyone. Finish both events within the allotted time and you’ll forever be known as a Silver King - See more at: http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/page/show/431570-silver-king-and-queen#sthash.983tYUv3.dpuf
  two days of exhilarating challenges. First, spend Saturday riding the Silver Rush 50 MTB, and follow it up on Sunday with the Silver Rush 50 Run. Finish both and you'll earn respect from everyone. Finish both events within the allotted time and you’ll forever be known as a Silver King - See more at: http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/page/show/431570-silver-king-and-queen#sthash.983tYUv3.dpuf
  two days of exhilarating challenges. First, spend Saturday riding the Silver Rush 50 MTB, and follow it up on Sunday with the Silver Rush 50 Run. Finish both and you'll earn respect from everyone. Finish both events within the allotted time and you’ll forever be known as a Silver King - See more at: http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/page/show/431570-silver-king-and-queen#sthash.983tYUv3.dpuf

2013 Year in Review

2013 was a year of great personal accomplishments.  As the sun rose on January 1, 2013, I reached the 19,341 ft. summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.  This feat was a mountaineering best for me as I had never previously summited a mountain over 14,500 feet nor had I ever been above 16,500 in elevation.  I felt surprisingly strong and am now eager to take on even greater mountaineering challenges.  Closer to home, I was able to reach the summit of six more Colorado 14ers (Snowmass Mountain, North Maroon Peak, Maroon Peak, Wilson Peak, Mount Wilson and El Diente Peak), leaving only Capitol Peak, Sunlight Peak, Windom Peak, Mount Eolus and North Eolus Peak for me to complete all of the state's 14ers.

I trained through the winter of 2014 for my first ultra distance event, the Greenland (CO) 50K Trail Race on May 4. My goal was to break six hours and I did it (barely!) in a time of 5:51:09.  My next big running challenge was the Bear Chase 50 Mile Trail Race on September 29.  This was by far the greatest distance I had ever attempted and had no idea how my body would respond to the last dozen or so miles.  My goal was pretty much just to finish before the 15 hours cutoff and a I happily finished in a time of 12:47.11, leaving plenty of time before the cutoff.  While I wasn't running for time, I also managed to complete the Colfax and Denver marathons to round out my running year.

My first cycling challenge of 2013 was the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Durango, Colorado on May 25th. While not terrible long (50 miles), it does have 8,000 feet of climbing along the way and gives a rider the chance to race an old, steam-powered narrow-gauge train from Durango to Silverton through the San Juan Mountains.  I felt great and the weather was perfect and I was able to complete the event in a time of 3:03:31.9.  The next cycling event I rode was the biggest disappointment of the year for me.  On July 4, I rode the Firecracker 50 mile MTB race in Breckenridge.  The was my first ever mountain bike event and I was unaware when I signed up that this is one of the most challenging MTB events in the state.  Not only did this race include 10,000 feet of climbing, but it is also incredible technical.  I had a wreck, a few mechanicals and missed the 37.5 mile/6 hour cut off by 2 MINUTES!!  I was crushed not to have finished.  Fortunately, I did not have long to dwell on it as I rode the Double Triple Bypass less than 10 days later.  This demanding event goes 240 miles over 3 mountain passes and 20,000 vertical feet from Bergen Park to Avon and then back over two days.  I was not riding for time and simple wanted to complete the two legs of the ride.  My next big ride was the Vuelta a Salida on August 17, a 100 mile ride from Salida to the top of  12,126 foot Cottonwood Pass.  The biggest thrill with this ride was the chance to ride the first 30 miles with the riders from Jely Belly Cycling Team, who were preparing for the upcoming USA Pro Challenge.  My last ride of the year was relatively gentle but always spectacular Tour of the Moon on October 5.  It is a nice change from the usual mountain scenery I get to experience, as this ride winds through the spectacular red sandstone canyons of Colorado National Monument.  Watch the the movie American Fliers to get a taste of the terrain.

My final, and perhaps greatest accomplishment of 2013 was the completion of  my first Ironman event.  On September 8, I competed in Ironman Wisconsin held in Madison.  Again, my primary goal was just to finish in the allotted 17 hours.  I can happily saw that I am now an Ironman.  I completed my first ever Ironman in a time of 13:42:18 (Swim 2.4 miles-1:31:41, Bike 112 miles- 6:17:45, Run 26.2 miles- 5:29:29). I was really tired by the end but still managed to run (not walk) the last several miles to the finish.  It was an amazing experience, but I'm not sure when I'll do another.  It takes a lot of time and commitment in three different disciplines, and I think I'll want to do too many other things.  I'm sure I'll do other triathlons, but this may be it for Ironman triathlons.

 I am keeping busy this winter after having joined the Loveland Ski Patrol.  This was also quite a challenge as I had to pass both a ski test and EMT-equivalent certification in outdoor emergency care. It will be tough top 2013 but I will certainly try in 2014.  Not entirely sure what I'll do, but I'll find out soon.

Summer event season warming up

With the Greenland 50K in the rearview mirror, several more events are now on the horizon. The summer event season is now getting into full gear. I will be running the Colfax Marathon this Sunday, will ride the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic next Saturday, and the Longmont Sprint Triathlon the weekend after that.  The events will get progressively more difficult as the summer rolls along. I am excited about the Colfax Marathon. I will be running in a relay with my family but will actually the the whole thing so that I can pace with (I was graciously granted permission from the organizers).  It is a very pleasant event and take you into different parts of Denver than the Denver Marathon in the fall. I really enjoyed this course when I ran it in 2011. I've also run the half marathon twice, but they seem to change that course fairly regularly. We will be embracing our Scottish heritage this year and the would family will be running in Clan Fraser shirts and kilts. Should be sweet.

First ultra completed

Greenland 50k

Larkspur, CO

My first ultra marathon is now in the books. It actually was not as difficult as I had expected.  The weather could not have been better.  It started out sunny and in the upper 30's and quickly warmed into the mid-50's.  Despite several inches of snow earlier in the week, the trail was dry and in excellent condition.  

The race started promptly at 7am and headed south on a wide dirt path.  I don't now why, but I had trouble regulating my breathing and had a tight chest for the first mile.  I don't usually get nervous at the start of events, but it sure felt that way this time.  By Mile 2, we reached the point where our looping course would eventually intersect with the path we were on.  I was
feeling good by now and had finally gotten into a rhythm.  Our first aid station (one of only two) was at around Mile 3.  It was also at this point that the course began its 400 climb east to the top of the route's main hill.  From the top, the course turns north and rolls along the ridge line until dropping down a gentle northeast slope.  The trail briefly climbed a smaller hill before skirting along the west side end then dropping down into the wide flat expanse near the turn around.  When I reached the turn around, I was about 8 miles in and felt pretty good.  I now have three more circuits of the course to go. The trail leading south to intersect with the original trail paralleled the original trail before climbing up a small hill which the original trail had skirted to the west.  I now knew that I had a small, medium and large hill to climb as I made my loops and I wanted to be sure I had gas in the tank when I started the last lap.  The next two loops were pretty uneventful.  I continued to feel
strong and never had to stop and walk.  The biggest excitement was a large coyote the crossed

my path about 20 feet ahead of me.  As I started my fourth and final loop of the course, I was starting to feel a bit tired.  Just prior to reaching the aid station at the base of the large hill, I noted that I'd just past the 26.2 mile point (marathon distance) and was now, with each step, was runner further than I had ever run before.  I finally had to walk most of the big hill on this final ascent.  Fortunately, once I began the descent, I was able to runner rather swiftly down the trail, maintaining the pace almost all the way to the finish.  It was a great feeling to cross the finish line.  A personal best in distance and I was able to complete the

50K(31 miles) in less than 6 hours.  You can see my data here.

My next runner event will be the Colfax Marathon.  At this, it should seem like a piece of cake.  The next big challenge will be in September when I attempt my first 50 mile trail run.  Can't wait!

Place	Bib	Name	Hometown	Age	Sex	Time	Pace	Time	In Sex	Division	In Div
85.	127	James S.	Denver CO	37	M	5:51:12	11:19	5:51:09	69th	30 to 39	24th

50K Eve

I'm now on the eve of my first "ultra".  Admittedly a 50K in not much of an ultra, but it is an ultra nonetheless.  I'm not too worried.  I trained well and the weather looks like it is going to be nice.  The Greenland 50K in Larkspur, CO is supposed to be one of the easier, faster 50K races in Colorado.  Ultrarunning Magazine’s annual “Year in Review” has revealed the Greenland 50K as one of the fastest ultras in the nation in 2012.  Hopefully this bodes well for me. The toughest part is that I'll be running four loops and I'm sure that I'm not going to be thrilled at the start of the 4th loop.  Overall, I'm sure it will be fun.  http://www.greenland50k.com/

Snow Climb of Mount Elbert

Peak:	Mt. Elbert - 14,433 feet
Date Climbed:	03/30/2013

Elbert- East ridge
  I hadn't done a climb in a while and had an itch to go up Elbert as a "winter" climb. Elbert was the first 14er I ever did back in 1996 and I hadn't been up it since. I enjoy snow climbs on mountains I've done in summer as it feels very different and is like climbing the mountain for the first time. I also got it in my head that I wanted to try some snow camping, something I've never done before. I headed out of Denver after work on Friday and made it to the 4WD road at the South Elbert Trailhead around 6:30pm. Unfortunately, my Subaru Forester got stuck in some deep slush on a steep portion of the road about 1.5 miles up, which cost me time and made me leary of trying to go any further (most folks seemed to make it almost all the way to the 4WD trailhead without any problem). I backed down the road and parked about 1.25 mile up and then started to hike until I found a spot to pitch my tent before it got dark.

Campsite

It was a surprisingly comfortable and in fact I got going much later than I had planned as I enjoyed sleeping in a bit. I left my campsite just before 7am and snowshoed the 0.3 miles to the 4WD trailhead. There was a well-worn hard packed trail through the snow but I still found the snowshoes helpful, particularly on the steeper stretches.

Snowshoeing through the aspens

I was surprised how warm it was that early in the morning and soon had to remove several layer before continuing on. The weather was perfect and the views of the surrounding mountains were beautiful as a got my first glimpse near the top of the aspen forest.

Apart from a few spots that had melted down to the dirt and rocks, I was able to keep my snowshoes on well past treeline. The summit and East Ridge soon came into view as I got a little higher into the evergreen forest.

First view of the ridge and summit

I was lucky that the snow had frozen over as I approached treeline for there were several areas that were quite deep. I could see that some folks without snowshoes had postholed pretty deep.

Deep snow near treeline

My wife wasn't overly pleased that I had chosen to climb alone and I was glad to see several tents near treeline, so I clearly was not alone on the mountain. I reached treeline at about 8:30 and had to start battling a bit of a headwind as I climbed higher up the ridge. The ridge was easy climbing for the most part. The route could clearly be seen and snow was hardpacked and smooth. It wasn't until I was about 2/3 of the way up the ridge that it became bare enough for me to cache my snowshoes. About a quarter mile later, the route became snow covered again and I wished I still had my shoes.

East ridge and Summit

Upper slopes

I had to wind my way up through the areas where I could still see rock poking though and thus figured I could get reasonable traction. It really wasn't too bad and I only broke through the crust a handful of times. The last 250 vertical feet to the summit were clear of snow and soon I was at the top. I made it to the summit at 10:40am. It was nice to have the summit to myself. The last time I had climbed Elbert was a 4th of July weekend and I got to share to summit with 30 or so other climbers. This time it was all mine. I had great visibility in every direction and the views were stunning!

View of Massive from summit

Chilly on top

I would have spent more time at the top, but the cold wind finally forced me to retreat down the mountain. My hands got so cold that I couldn't feel my finger and had zip up my jacket by sight. Even worse was the agonizing pain as the feeling returned to my fingers on the way down. While I'd had the summit to myself, I certainly didn't have the mountain to myself. I passed at least 10-15 people also on their way up the mountain. Coming down was fast but the snow was starting to soften making the footing a bit trickly in spots. The weather held the entire way down and I was able to continue enjoying the beatiful scenery.

Returning down the ridge

I made it back to my campsite at 1pm and was back to my car soon after that. As I drove past the mountain on the highway to Leadville at around 2pm, I could see that weather was rolling in and I could no longer see the summit. It had been a great climb. Just what I needed. It was actually a lot easier that I was expecting. A December climb of La Plata a year back felt twice as hard.

14ers.com Trip Report

Big benefits and buzz kill

Not all sponsorships are created equal. I have been a sponsored member of Team Refuel for a little more than a year and had benefited tremendously.  I've been give cash to support my athletic pursuits, free gear, and free entries into marathons and IRONMAN events.  This has been a fantastic sponsorship and I've been happy to spread the word on chocolate milk, a great recovery drink at a fraction of the cost of most others.  I have just recently received sponsorship from Honey Stinger's The Hive but have yet to realize much benefit.  I get a product discount but would have to order huge quantities to get a deal that is significantly better than what I can get elsewhere on line for their product, once shipping is figured in. But that's it.  I wanted to compete in the trail running and mountain bike event that they hold in Steamboat in August but they provided no benefit at all for its sponsored members.  I would have thought that they could throw in a free t-shirt or perhaps a 10% event discount.  I love their products too but I'm not so impressed with The Hive.

Garmin needs to step it up

I wish I could say that I’ve had an overwhelmingly positive experience with Garmin products, but this has not been the case.  I have an eTrex H which works well but which has a weak anchor for the wrist strap (it broke off when I pulled it out of my pocket and had to climb down into a ravine to retrieve it).  I have a Forerunner 405 which worked well when it worked but had to be replaced 3 times in just over a year.  Since the third replacement was going to cost me a lot of money, I purchased a Forerunner 305 hoping it would be more reliable.  It seemed to be ok but unfortunately the Quick Release wrist strap is a piece of crap and decide to quickly release the watch two weeks after I bought it after I gently brushed snow off of it while on a chairlift. It is gone.  I’ve spent a lot of money on Garmin products and so far one works but is broken, another doesn’t work, and the third is gone because of a poor mounting design.  My wife has a Timex Global Trainer which she got for less but which has longer battery life and is solid as a rock (I’ve had 4 Garmin devices over the same period of time).  I am mad as hell to be out another watch in such a short period of time.  Garmin needs to seriously step up its quality control before I’ll ever purchase another one of their products.