Kenosha to Breck via the CO Trail (sort of) 062114

Bullets of sort …
- left Broomfield around 6:30, got going off the pass around 8:10.  I got Bob to agree to come along even though he is in the midst of wrecking himself everyday with some sort of endurance adventure.  TZ and JZ came along, agreeing to take a shorter hike down to Jefferson Creek to meet up with the in-laws, and then pick us up in Breck later in the day.
- I guestimated about an 8 hour trip initially but told TZ we ought to be to Breck at 3:30 (or about 7:20)
- the first section of this segment is wonderfully gorgeous.  It was sun coming up, the big views of South Park that I love and fresh legs and slightly downhill.  Heaven for sure.
- We stepped off the CO trail at the Jefferson Loop.  I decided I wanted to eye ball this section as I am thinking it is the route I would take with the Scouts in a few weeks.  I am thinking that I’d take this trail as it keeps us closer to a water source than the regular CO trail up to Georgia Pass.  In fact, in some areas, on the lower sections of it, it might be too much water as the trail runs as a mini stream itself.
- At about 11k feet, we hit snow.  Not huge snow, but enough to throw us from 5-6 mile an hour easy pace to 1.5 mile an hour pace, stepping over and post holing through 4 foot mounds and looking for the trail.  I was hopeful that we’d only encounter this on the east side of the pass, but that was not going to be the case (more below).  We went from being ahead of our desired schedule to dramatically behind.
- Just as we hit the trail connection (West Jefferson back into the CO trail), boom – it started snowing.  Not super hard, but enough for us to jacket up, and look back in time to see an angry black cloud coming from the east.  It gave us a loud boom and we rolled away from the pass quickly.
- For about a half mile, or the section before tree line we had a nice ribbon of single track and found a nice pace again.  But once we hit the trees, it was done:  big snow mounds over and over and over hundreds of times.  The trail did no descent in elevation, so there what snow there was seemed destined to be there.  All of it has left me wondering if this is a route I can take the Scouts on for their first big backpacking trip.  I guess there could be a huge melt in a few weeks, and it would be gone, but it is hard to imagine that as we were getting spit on with snow and some rain. I don’t want this to be an experience that breaks the kids of enjoying backpacking and I can see how wearing a 30-40 lb pack, coming over that all day would sour you.  I was less than stoked.
- We finally started a real drop and then got to the Tiger Run Road and Swan Creek.  We water’ed up.  As we were getting ready to depart to essentially put the second half of the run to bed, I noticed smoke from a campsite.  A campfire of course.  But no one there.  In fact nothing there except a campfire.  Really?  WTF?  It was not just a warm bed of coals but instead a gnarled log smoking decently with some hot embers underneath.  Bob and I used our water bottles and water bladder to look to soak the thing.  It was ridiculous – the damn thing was 50 yards from the stream.  While I doubt it would have raged up, who the hell does this stupid crap?
- At this point we had lost a lot of time due to the snow up, and probably snow down, and messing around putting out the campfire.  The sky yelled angrily.  We figured we had about 15 miles to finish this and only about 2.5 hoursto meet TZ in Breck.  Not really enough time at trail pace.  I could have had her wait, but we decided that heading down Tiger Road would be fine to finish this out.
- As we started it started to rain.  Then snow.  And then hail.  Hard.  Summer time in the Rockies baby.  Bikers came by us one way.  2 minutes later they were hell bound back to get out of the weather.  Down the road we plodded.  The weather broke and then the pace went from 10 minute miles to 9.  Then 8.  Then 7 and almost instantly after that into the sixes.  The paved road came to us and we kept churning.  Can’t say I would have done that without Bob, and it hurt for a bit but it was fun.
- We hit Rte 9, cross checked with TZ as to where she was and started a jog south to Breck to meet her, finishing with a marathon of distance over 6 and quarter hours.  I felt fine from a nutrition, lung perspective but the snow crunching along with Bob’s faster antics at the tail of the run left me feeling the effort in the legs.  Good.
- Long ride back as 70 is a freaking mess on Sunday afternoons.  Pizza and brew to finish out the night.
-72.1 on the week.

- side note, I realized on the way home that the last solstice (December), I did a big run with Bob then as well.  And was highly supported by TZ.  Lucky days for me indeed.

-REALLY ON THE DAMN FIRE?!