Busy with the family up here in Fairplay most the day on the holiday break. Got out in the later afternoon, and headed over to Mosquito Pass. The road was fairly clear until the bridge at the lower London Mine. Did a fair amount of shallow post holing from there. There were a few long slabs of ice where I was able to check my new Microspikes. I will admit, it is weird coming down the ice and you are not going to fall – but all the history of your brain is screaming “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
Slow going for 8 miles up there. Really cold and windy. I had four layers on top, gloves, mitts, 2 layers on the legs, balaclava – and even working was having issue staying warm. Didn’t get started until 4 so I was in the dark in the finish. The rising stars, and setting moon were epic. Didn’t quite make it to the pass because it would have put up the alarms with me not getting back by my predetermined time.
Probably not the most effective day physically. Huge mentally.
Looking north, and east – back down towards the up London Mine.
Nice.
ReplyDeleteSnow is thin over on this side of the pass. How's yours?
ReplyDeleteQuite a nice view for a run!
ReplyDeleteJV - thought of you several times because the last time I was that high on that route was with you.
ReplyDeleteBrandon - variable depending on the wind. In some cases I was directly on top of the ice, in other cases I'd punch through just shin deep. Sometimes I'd get eaten up - suddenly to thigh deep. Not bad overall ... as I think the wind keeps it all less snow bound than Green. Given the motivation and time, I could make it over.
HappyTrails - yes, while light pretty spectacular.
Agreed--it is wild running over ice in MicroSpikes. Everything is telling you to stop or slow down, but with MicroSpikes you don't need to. They are infinitely better than YakTrax. I know of not better product for running in snow and ice.
ReplyDeleteWyatt
Dang, you have a sweet spot to run there! Nice job.
ReplyDeleteWyatt - it was nuts. Seriously I had to force myself to run down these long sheets of ice that I would normally take great care to avoid. And it was like I was spider man.
ReplyDeleteWoody, you and the rest ... come up in the summer. We'll run to Leadville and back. And then we cut shit up with a chainsaw, burn it and have some brew.
Will do! I remember you posting some stuff a few months ago about a running/cutting/burning/eating/drinking retreat of sorts and it sounded fun then...and still does now. Bring on summer!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that is so pretty!! That looks a lot like the area on our way to climb Mt. Sherman. ?? Hope you're having a nice time up there!
ReplyDeleteWoody - yes, I am ready for summer. The willingness to abandon winter is probably a sign of age on my part.
ReplyDeleteJill - this is pretty close to Sherman, but not the route I would take to get that summit. This is a little north of that summit. Without looking at a map, I think from Mosquito Pass, you could get to Sherman via the ridgeline over a couple of miles ... including a jaunt over Dyer Mountain, and the Gemini Peaks. You ready to knock out that marathon?