Report Coming…

Finally found some time this evening to go through my pics from my hike on the Colorado Trail last weekend.  I didn't get a lot of outstanding ones, as I didn't take a lot of time to setup the perfect shots, as my friend isn't an avid picture taker (in fact, I don't think he took one the entire time), so I didn't want to slow our progress too much.  Still, I got a few keepers and finally got 'em processed.  The views out there were awesome.  I'll get the report, along with some more pics, posted over the weekend.

Yes, I'm still here… :)

Haven't been writing or processing photos much lately, as I've just been busy with other things.  I've been having my fun, though.  I've had a few good mountain bike rides with team mates, been hitting the gym a couple times a week (just cardio so far), watched the first race of the Leadville Winter Series at Copper Mountain last weekend, got in a hike with the family above Hoosier Pass, and tomorrow morning I'm heading out with a friend for a couple days of hiking on the Colorado Trail (scouting out sections 2 & 3 for CTR recon).  Hopefully I'll get back to more regular updates here on the blog soon.

Anyway, have a great weekend, everyone!  I'm off to the hills!

New, Local Gravel Grinder!

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Introducing the AntiEpic Gravel Grinder!  That's right, kids: free, gravel-grinding bike race action is coming right to our back door!  So start getting those training miles in, if you aren't already, as April is coming up quick, and 150 miles on gravel roads is a long haul – especially if we get some of our classic Spring snows (though any snow right would be most welcome)!

This new event is being included as part of the Colorado Endurance Series, so if you're one that already tries to complete that entire series, you've now got one more race on your calendar this year (actually, more than that, as there are a couple other new ones, too).  It's being held on April 7th at 6:30am, though they state the time and date are subject to change, so keep your eye on the site.  It's already moved up a week since becoming a part of the Endurance Series (originally scheduled for 14th, but that conflicts with the Durango Gravel Grinder, also a part of the series).

I've decided I'm going to participate in this inaugural event.  It's a little early in the season for such distance for me, but I've been waiting for an event like this to pop up around here, so really want to support it.  It'll be nice not having to travel over a hundred miles to do an endurance race, and also not having to pay for it!  It's also nice to have something besides the usual road or mountain bike race around here.  Plus, I figure it'll be good training for the Almanzo in May.  If I can do 150 in April, I can do 100 in May…

This actually works out  nice as a substitute on my race calendar, as I'm no longer doing the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde as hoped/planned.  The registration on that race filled up QUICK, and we missed the boat; couldn't get in.  I'm debating on also doing the Durango Gravel Grinder, but I'm not committing to that one yet; have to see what my schedule, budget, and motivation look like as I get closer to it.  I signed up early last year, but then had to back out because I ended up not being able to fit it in, so don't want to sign up again this year unless I know I can commit.  Also have to see how wrecked I might feel after the AntiEpic, as it's only a week out from that one.  For now my schedule remains more or less the same, with the exception that the AntiEpic replaces Mesa Verde.

Anyway, I hope to see you out there on April 7th.  Start training!

Getting the motor running again…

Well, since my last workout post, I've gotten in a couple mountain bike rides at Ute Valley Park, one at Red Rock Canyon (including Intemann, Section 16, and White Acres), an elliptical session at the gym, and a couple small hikes.  I may not have put together a solid training structure yet, but I'm at least getting in some regularity in terms of schedule.  Slowly starting to feel more fit…

Today was a particularly fun day.  I had an unplanned hike up Mt. Fonkert with my dogs (was just going out to get something out of my car, but they insisted on continuing up the mountain, so up we went), and then later got in a mountain bike ride with a couple guys from my team.  We rode up through Red Rock Canyon to Intemann Trail, over to Section 16, up into White Acres, and finally back down into Red Rock Canyon.  It was a great ride.  There was quite a bit of ice on some sections of the trails, but nothing unmanageable as long as one was careful.

It'll probably be a run day tomorrow, either outside or at the gym.  Then on Tuesday I think it's time I finally delve into my strength training, as I definitely need to build some of my strength back up, as I don't feel like I have the punch on the climbs that I used to.

Aside from all that… The pic above is from a hike I took with the family yesterday on the Intemann Trail in Manitou Springs.  We started at the cemetery trail head, and walked out a little ways past the middle school.  At that point the girls were starting to get cold hands and feet, as the temperature was dropping due to the cold front moving in, so we turned around and went back.  The girls all had great fun, though, and in fact, Katelyn said several times, "This is one of my favorite trails!  We'll have to hike it again in Summer!"  Though hopefully we'll get there again before Summer…  Our timing was perfect, too, as right when we got back to the car, it started to snow.  We warmed up by going down to Savelli's Pizza and ordering up some breadsticks and bacon-cheeseburger pizza.  It was a pretty good afternoon.

2011 in Pictures

I've decided, like many other bloggers out there, to do a quick look back at the past year in pictures, so here's my looking-back picture post.  It was a busy year, and we crammed a lot in, so a lot will be missed here, as I'm only posting one pic for each month.  Without further ado, here we go…

Over MLK weekend in January, we made use of the free National Parks weekend, and finally made it out to Florissant Fossil Beds.

In February I was to enjoy a ski vacation out at Tahoe with my friend Gene, who lives out in Sacramento.  However, it was just before that scheduled trip that I injured myself and thus couldn't ski.  The trip was already booked, though, so we just changed our plans and headed for wine country and the Sonoma Coast instead.  It was a great trip!

In March there were no grand adventures or trips, but we did acquire a new member of the family.  Meet Cosmo!

In April I really stepped up the amount of hiking I was doing.  The above photo was taken on a hike I didn't previously blog about, a long, almost 6-hour hike up in the mountains south of my house.  It was an awesome hike, but also a bit scary.  About 20 minutes after this photo was taken, and I was on my way down the mountain, I would first take a spill in some snow that would almost have me sliding down the hillside.  However, I managed to grab hold of the tree I was next to when I hit the ground and was able to prevent myself from sliding down.  However, all of my body weight jerked hard against the one handhold due to gravity, and it really messed up my shoulder; still plagues me a bit to this day.  At least I saved myself though, right?  Well, not even a minute later I lost my footing again, and this time I wasn't able to stop myself.  I was sliding down the mountain on snow rather fast, when all of the sudden I just see a rock edge and then…  …sailing through the air…  …and then 15 feet or so later, bam!  My feet plant in some snow and I immediately reach my hands out to the stump that's in front of me and manage to stop my face about an inch form the jagged stump.  I tell ya, my face was nearly implanted into that stump – scariest moment of my life.  Ironically, even though it was snow that sent me flying, it was also snow that saved me, as if I hadn't landed in soft snow and thus had my feet plant down in something, I don't think I would have been able to stop before hitting that tree stump.  Severe injury, or even death, was possible.  Scariest moment of my life, and this was just a routine hike…

In May, I got to spend some time in Minneapolis after racing the Almanzo.

In June, I finally made my long-awaited return to the Tour of Colorado.  It had been 8 years since I'd last ridden it.  This year's route included the Peak to Peak Highway, pictured above.

I think July was the "mack daddy" of all months for me.  I got to hike on the south slope of Pikes Peak, made a second summit on Cameron's Cone, added another 14er to my resume with Quandary Peak (picture above from that hike), and finally summited the mountain I've been dreaming of summiting for years, Mount Guyot.  Of course, I would split my knee open on a rock while coming down from Mt. Guyot, landing myself in the ER and needing stitches for the first time ever in my life, but it was so worth, and I hardly even think of it as much of a negative because the hike was just that awesome.

In August, I'd add another 14er and a couple 13ers to my resume – Mt. Sherman, Mt. Sheridan and Gemini Peak.  I also had a repeat summit on Pikes Peak, as I took part in the Pikes Peak Ascent again this year; the first time in six years.  My friend, Mark, and I also made a run at the Buffalo Peaks, pictured above, but alas, didn't make it as bad weather moved in shortly after this pic, and we had to abandon our attempt about 500 feet short of the first summit.  Maybe next year…

On a hike with the kids in Garden of the Gods on Labor Day weekend in September, I discovered that my UV filter and newly acquired polarizer didn't work so well in tandem, creating a bit of a vignette when shooting in wide angle…

October brought general Fall family fun (and beauty) around town.  Above is pictured the family walking along the creek in Manitou Springs, heading back toward our car after enjoying ourselves down at the annual Emma Crawford Festival.

In November I finally I made it out to the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation wolf sanctuary, out by Guffey.  Loved it!

December, as you can imagine, centered much around family and the holidays.  In early December, we headed up to Fairplay to take part in their annual holiday festival.  One of the activities setup by one of the local businesses was free cookie decorating and baking for the kids.  The kids got to decorate the cookies, the owner would bake them, and then we got to take the cookies with us.  The girls loved it!  There was a reporter/photographer there from the local country newspaper, too, and a picture very similar to the one above was published in the paper!