Monthly Archives: August 2015

Inspiration & motivation – key to maintaining consistency & keeping my head in the game.

 

Tammy, Marine Corps Marathon (Autism Research charity bib)

Sis – thanks for your support for Autism Research.  Much appreciate you providing a face & spreading awareness to David’s day-to-day lifelong struggle.  What an amazing journey you’ve taken us all on — crazy impressed, super inspired!

 

 

Billy Yang, Western States 100 – ‘bucket list’ endurance race

 

Kalle Ljung, Antarctica – ‘bucket list’ adventure destination

Forgotten how good a 14er hike feels.  Pre-dawn trailhead drive, first sun pop over the high peak.

Love of everything outdoors, BIG, immense, larger than ourselves.

Hour half on I-70, Exit 221 Bakerville – 8 miles from Eisenhower Tunnel.  Five mile dirt-road journey.  Struggled to maneuver the pothole minefield UP, secure off-road parking.  Not a lotta spots left at 630am, gotta love Colorado hikers.  Day starts early here 🙂

I last hiked Grays in September 2012.  Trail was lined with yellow aspens and first snow of the season.

Hiking a month earlier in mid-August, today’s views did not disappoint.  So much colour – like a Ravensburger puzzle, one of those 1000 piece projects you poke over during the summer.  Not just one shade of green – slate green, moss, lime, yellow-green, forest.

Looked forward to the horizon.  Stopped, peered back at my progress below – completing the straight puzzle edges first, framing a border, later patch-working the green inside.  Two long stretches of boulder incline, but no huge scramble at the end.

Summit SUCCESS!  Strong winds whipped so backed behind a man-made rock shelter.  Chatted up fellow hikers planning their next ascents – before the snow flies (just a few weeks left).  Parade of folks on top at 9am.

Fave quote:  “I like your dog.  He’s so warm.”  LOL>

Return hike always seems longer than the ascent – a hiker mystery.  Purposely drove West thru the Eisenhower tunnel, crossed the Continental Divide & lunched in Silverthorne before heading home (a 3 hour I-70 day mare – ARGH!)

Next 14er?  Something near Leadville I think.

Haven’t been to the Nat’l Mining Hall of Fame & Museum.  [ya’ll are thinkin’]  How can I get a ticket, right?  🙂

 

Snow UPDATE, Wed August 19th:  Colorado weather: Snow dusts high country, Denver sets record low

 

Grays Peak summit

 

Joined a new running group & ran 15 miles of trail from Tom Watson Park, just west of IBM Campus in North Boulder.

Circled Coot Lake & Boulder Rez, then hit the foothills.  Heat kicked up in the 2nd hour, lagged far behind the pack.  Typical of most marathon finishes however – “never, never will I ever…” signed up for another run in 2 weeks – a ‘sweet 16er’.

[Super Saturday continues]  Met up with Ash, Tom & friend Cliff just after noon on what would be the hottest day of 2015.  Overall’s been a mild Colorado summer – but for Lafayette Peach Festival, temps climbed to 107°F.  Crazy hot!

Fresh Palisade peaches, peach smoothies, peach cobbler – and a smoked turkey leg, promptly devoured caveman style 🙂  Supported the local artist community purchasing a pig welded from junkyard parts…another front porch addition.

[Super Saturday continues]  Home, change of clothes, a second shower, then back to Boulder.  Rare when independent films play in mainstream theatres.  Took advantage & scored tickets to Meru, a Himalayan climbing flic.  Was not disappointed.

Sitting at the headwaters of the sacred Ganges River in Northern India, the Shark’s Fin has seen more failed attempts by elite climbing teams over the past 30 years than any other climb in the Himalaya.

 

In 2008, three American climbers, Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk arrive in India to make an attempt. Surviving a massive storm on the wall and battling for 19 days through sub zero temperatures with only 8 days of food, they are beaten back just 100 meters below the elusive 21,000ft summit. After swearing off the route and returning home, family, friendship, loyalty and the will to continue dreaming of the impossible climb are tested by loss and disasters that conspire to keep them from returning to the Shark’s Fin for one last try.

 

…the film examines obsession, friendship, dreams and sacrifice, on and off one of the world’s most difficult mountains.

3 more local weekends remaining ‘til Fall marathoning season.  I see at least one more 14er in my immediate future 🙂

 

Meru