First RMNP hike of the year.

A panoramic shot from the trail.
As far as I went today.
Copeland mountain, or is it mt. Copeland?
St Vrain drainage.
Some cool trees.
I am sure things were dry up here less than a week ago. But since then it has been raining and snowing a little here, which means snowing alot in RMNP.
But I had a burning desire to get out! So today I got up a little early and drove up rt 7 to see what I could do.
My first idea was to do the Twin Sisters peaks. Unfortunately, I noticed large snow caps on the peaks above tree line (and a week ago there was only spotty snow, far more stone color than snow anyway). This put that plan down as I didn't have the gear with me to tackle much snow.
So I decided to head for wild basin and see what I could find there. I am not sure how it is going to work out, but I have made a goal to hike every named location from the wild basin trail head this season.
One hike I hadn't done yet was sand beach lake. The trail leaves from the parking lot right at the ranger kiosk. I though it would be interesting to do ouzel lake and see how it looked in a different season, but decided against that as the road was closed to that trail head.
Out of the car it was cooler, but not cold. Bad for me there was a ton of snow. I was thinking the trees might have helped the trail stay clear a bit, but no such luck. Undeterred, I decided to press on until I either reached the lake, lost the trail in the snow, or got cold feet.
The trail was surprisingly easy to follow. It just looked like a sunken area in the surface of the mountain, so that was no problem. My feet were. All I wore was some light summer running shoes. Really it wasn't too bad.
The snow was, with drifts up to two feet deep in places, and me often post-holing up to mid shin or knee depth. I made the first 1.4 miles to the connection with the meeker park trailhead trail, and decided there to turn around. Cold feet being high in my reasoning. If only I had snow shoes!
So I headed back. The trail was easier to find with my foot prints, and I even (GASP!) ran down some of it. I made the descent in half the time it took me to go up, so I may have to practice doing some trail running. That could be very useful this summer.
It was definitely a disappointing first hike of the season. If I had been better prepared I could have done more, but oh well. It is always nice and very peaceful and relaxing to spend time in RMNP, particularly at wild basin since you can usually avoid alot of the tourist crowds.

Back in the saddle...

With the recent warmer weather we have had the opportunity to get back out for some rides. This winter has also cooperated, unlike the last, as we have gotten very little snow giving us prime conditions.
Last week Katie and I rode picture rock and wild turkey trails of the Heil ranch trail system. I think this combination is one of my favorites for 'easy' trails in the area, and if you are planning on a longer riding day, this is a great warm up before tackling Hall ranch.
True to name, we did actually see some wild turkeys. And despite having not ridden in about a year besides for errands around town, I didn't really feel bad at all. The only part of me that really hurt were my sit bones, which definitely took a pounding.
On Sunday Katie rode her bike to work so I was able to use the car and got out to Heil ranch again. At this time of the year I just want to get some easier miles under my belt.
Again had a good ride, felt pretty good and a little stronger even. This time I also did ponderosa trail, which adds 2+ miles on, giving me around 17 for the day. I did it in the pretty reasonable time of about 2.5 hours, or around 7 miles per hour average speed. Not bad considering my high is around ten I think.
Yesterday we both had off again. We had talked about riding Marshall Mesa, a trail system south of Boulder which hosts a network of very easy trails. But since I didn't sleep well I ended up sleeping in pretty late. We talked and after some discussion ended up deciding to go to Hall ranch and just take our time there.
Hall ranch is my favorite and in my opinion the best trail in the area. Why? It has a little of everything. Very technical riding up through rock gardens, steep uphills in different soils, fun flowing swoopy downhills as well as some more technical downhill riding back through the rock gardens. It is also extremely difficult both technically and aerobically. Basically you have to be in good shape and a pretty good technical rider as well.
Well, it was a fun ride, and reminded me why I love this trail so much. I am not yet in good enough shape to ride it well, but it seems like my technical abilities are still there as I was able to clean most of the rock gardens and obstacles, including some that I have usually found difficult.
And talk about fun... Once you get to the top, the long fast downhill makes all the suffering worthwhile.
Our time was around 1:35 which again isn't bad, but is well off my best of 1:15 or so. But it'll come back as I ride more.

Isolation peak.

Yesterday I got up early and drove up to the wild basin rmnp trail head. My goal was to climb my first 13er, Isolation peak, which is 13118 feet in elevation. Since I was planning on the hike taking me 12 or more hours, I knew I would have to get started early, so I wouldn't be coming down in darkness. I did take my headlamp along just in case though.
I got to the trail head and set out at 747 am. I had reached Bluebird lake which I hiked to last week in 2 hrs 45 min. The trail up isn't too bad. The hardest part comes once you reach the turn off for Ouzel lake. Lots of steep trail from that point out, and it feels like you have done the two or some miles at least twice when you arrive at the lake.
There was a brisk wind coming off the lake, so I walked around till I found a little bit of a sheltered spot so I could pump some water. I recently bought a water filter pump so I can refill from any source. It has come in handy since I like to drink a lot while I am exercising and I won't get giardia or something else.
Refilled, I set out for Lark pond. This is one of the feeders of Bluebird lake. This is where the hiking can get more difficult, as you are now above 11000 feet and there is no maintained trail. Supposedly there is a route marked by cairns, but I have yet to find it, though I do see the cairns sporadically.
I reached Lark pond and took a turn to the north, to climb up into the saddle between Isolation and Mahana peaks to Isolation lake. This lake is at just under 12000 feet in elevation, and was already showing some ice on it's surface. I was a bit confused by the conflicting descriptions/topo map in the guide book I had, so I ended up going directly at the 1100 foot pile of talus in front of me to get to the top. It was loose and a little sketchy in places, and I was on all fours for most of the climb up just to make sure I had a solid grip on something with a foot or hand. However, it was not technical climbing.
Here is where I could really start to feel the altitude. I had to take short but pretty frequent rests and a few longer ones here and there. But I finally got to the top after about an hour! Though when heading up it is hard to tell exactly where you are aiming for and I had to traverse the ridge a bit as I ended up maybe a quarter mile north of the peak.
I got to the top and what a view. Isolation peak lies right on the continential divide. All water that falls or originates to the east eventually ends up in the atlantic ocean, and all water on the west ends in the pacific. There are great views of Longs peak, mt Meeker, mt Alice, mt Copeland, Ouzel peak and more. Literally mountains all around you, and in any direction you can see no signs of civilization whatsoever.
Ironically I was able to get three bars on my phone and talked briefly to my sister and katie to let them both know I was doing ok. I hung out at the top for a little, ate some food, and drank some water, then started back down. This time I just went directly down the talus in front of me to Isolation lake. I decided that it couldn't be any harder than the way I came up and it was more direct. It took me about an hour of butt dragging and crab walking to get back down. I stopped and pumped water at Isolation lake. That cold alpine water sure tastes good.
I was able to get back to Bluebird lake in a reasonable amount of time, and heading downhill definitely feels better than going up at that altitude. No heavy breathing or anything. But again it does take some time to climb down over (loose at times) talus.
When I was just a bit past Bluebird lake, I was able to start smelling the smoke from the forest fire. I guess the wind patterns were blowing it north and west to fill up the whole valley I was in. I could not see the bottom. The whole way down the smoke was constant.
I ran out of water shortly before Ouzel falls, and stopped there to fill up one last time. It is funny that taking the trail down it feels like you are going forever before you finally reach the trail head again. But I did eventually, getting back to the car around 630 pm, making my 17ish mile, 5000ish foot gain hike about 10 hours and 45 minutes long. Not too bad.
I saw three people the whole day. Talk about isolation.

updayte.

I have been working on a self given writing project recently. Everything seems to be flowing pretty naturally, the only problems i have been having are really outside interferences, mainly work. I wanted to get home tonight and write for two hours, but of course by the time i got settled it was already nearing 1 am and now i am feeling way too tired to really get much done.
but so far, this is the longest thing i have ever written, now on my 21st page of single spaced 12 pt typeface and i feel as though i am still introducing the story in some way. so much of it is autobiographical it is very easy to write. i have been aiming for 2000 words a day and generally falling short; 1500 seems like a more reasonable total but today i doubt i even hit 1000. right now i am at 11600 words.
I keep thinking lately about ideas and dreams and what separates those who act on them and succeed vs those who don't. i think after my cancer experience, my long term dreams became short term dreams- mostly seeing tomorrow and being contented with it. i am for the most part and that seems to be a source of frustration for katie who just doesn't understand.
a lot of people have good ideas but don't act on them. even bad ideas with good marketing bring success. but the important thing is trying.
an example that has been on my mind alot lately after watching curb your enthusiasm is larry david. he and seinfeld went to nbc and pitched an idea for a tv show about nothing (later mirrored in the show). of course nbc could have thought they were nuts, but someone took a chance on the show and the rest is history. we are left with one of the most beloved and revolutionary tv shows of all time that permeated the consciousness of america. i doubt a day goes by when i don't see a reference to seinfeld somewhere.
anyway, just some thoughts.
coming up this week is the sixth anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. i am marking the occasion with a planned hike and summit of my first 13er with a friend from work. next week is my 30th birthday. i am either dreading or looking forward to it, but it is hard to say which.

A month.

With my sisters departure today, a month of family visits has come and gone. I had a great time with all of you!! Some of my favorite things were seeing Mt. Evans with mom and dad, Estes Park with Mary and Dean, and adventures in RMNP with Jane and also Vanessa.
I like when family comes to visit because I get to do some of the touristy things that I might not normally do.
Anyway, I think all of our visitors had a good time, with Mary telling Katie that it was the best vacation she ever took, and Jane calling it a life changing experience. It was also changing for me as I think it has solidified some thoughts kicking around in my mind and I also discovered that I really enjoy hiking, an activity I thought was pointless before.
In fact I have planned a hike this week to go to Bluebird lake, which is another mile and a half beyond the lake that Jane and I hiked to. I am going to buy a water filter so I can refill up there from a stream and it should be alot of fun!

RIP Liberty.

It breaks my heart to write this, but one of my friends who had cancer passed away this week. Her name is Liberty Rebekah Dagenais. She was 29 years old.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer a bit before my own diagnosis (she was already in and done treatment by the time I started mine), and with both of us being younger people, we often talked about the things we were going through. Unfortunately, she never got better.
Her life ended with terminal cancer in her brain, liver, and bones. She lost the use of her legs due to it. I can't imagine the strength of a person to still want to get up every day and not be able to walk, let alone be in what I am sure was tremendous pain. She knew she was going to die, but still went around with a smile.
In short, it was one amazing person that the world lost this week. We will miss you Libby.

A nice day.

The weather here has been all Colorado lately. Hot all day long, with scattered strong storms every evening as the cool air comes down off the mountains.
Yesterday was nice for me. It was around 100 degrees, so I decided to skip the gym which is still very hot despite the AC and go for a ride on my motorcycle. Fortunately the weather cooperated and I was able to make my commute to work about 3 times as long.
I rode to Lyons and took rt 7 from there. I recently started reading Twist of the Wrist 2 by Keith Code as some continuing education for motorcycling, something that I think is important in general and specifically since I am soon to get a more powerful bike. Alot of the book contradicts what they taught us in the msf basic riders class, but it all makes sense!
Yesterday was really the first day I was able to practice some of his ideas and suggestions and I feel as though I am a much better rider already, though I have yet to finish the book. Normally I would spend my time going up switching between fourth and fifth gear, but yesterday I was able to ride it all in fifth until I caught up to some traffic. I feel more confident and better in turns. Unfortunately I did find myself wishing I had the power of my new bike to be able to pass the traffic I caught, but soon enough.
From there I took 72 south to Nederland, and then 119 down Boulder Canyon to Boulder. I caught up to some Harley riders and found their cornering horrible. I would start in a turn maybe 50 feet behind the guy and end up right on his ass. It was kind of scary to see him braking in a turn, which is a big nono as it can cause skidding.
One of Mr. Codes theories is that alot of accidents are caused by rider fear- am I going too fast, is the bike tracking correctly, sliding, etc. A common reaction is to then tense up which can turn fear into actual problems and crashes. His advice is to relax and allow the bike to do what it is designed to do.
There was only once that I felt I might have been going too fast and freaked out a little- felt my heart race briefly, tensed up, tightened up on the grips. I had to tell myself to relax and put into practice the lessons that I read. And it worked of course.
It was a nice ride. Up in the mountains the temps were in the 70's rather than 100's. The only bad part is that I got stuck behind someone the whole way down Boulder Canyon. It is hard to pass because the road is so twisty, I don't have the power to accelerate that rapidly, and he kept braking though every turn, contrary to what you want to do on a motorcycle. So I would have to keep my distance before entering a turn.
A nice day in Colorado!