Between marathon training, work & this year’s extreme run schedule, I sometimes find myself overextended/time crunched. If only a few more hours in the day…right?
Luckily last week I synced the calendar in my head with the one on my wall & found an extra weekend – SWEET surprise!
Laundry, groceries, sleep? Nope. Mountain time – much needed time in the mountains.
Despite the weather forecast, woke Saturday a.m. with ‘hike’ on the brain & no snow on the ground. Grabbed water & light snacks, sat my backpack on the kitchen floor. Begging, almost crazed…Ro knew we were going somewhere. Road trip!
Decided on Horsetooth Rock in Fort Collins. Altitude, check. Only an hour half drive north, still on the Front Range…but just east of our snow pounded Rockies. Didn’t disappoint.
With the exception of a few icy patches & an intermittent burst of flurries, very little precip. Nearing the rock scramble finish, I unleashed Ro (for both our safety) & led the boulder climb UP.
Few feet more to summit, Ro found his way & bounded to the top. Stopped for a half hour & soaked up the immensity of our surroundings, the peaks, thin air, quiet – almost complete stillness.
During our hike return, my hiking partner Cliff suggested we drive to Severance & try Bruce’s world famous Rocky Mountain Oysters – a.k.a. bull testicles. 25 minutes to the east, Severance is a small blink of a town near Greeley on the Plains.
Bruce’s menu is anything but ordinary. What I call: “cowboy exotica” 🙂 Bison, elk & yak burgers (yeah I said yak); both Rocky Mountain & Black Hills oysters. Settled on elk & yak (each of us took a half) and a combo plate of oysters.
We were split on game burgers – I prefer elk. However, hands down Black Hills over Rocky Mountain. MyCOLORADOLife foodie review: Rocky Mountain oysters are more sinewy, a bit chewy. That said, tastes good going down. YUM!
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- highest point in Larimer County
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- good day to be a dog
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- Severance – Where the Geese Fly & the Bulls Cry
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- elk, yak AND a combo order of oysters
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- hands down winner – Black Hills over Rocky Mountain
6 days after Ironman – couldn’t wait to hit the mountains, jump in & rejoin everyday life.
Kicked off the weekend at Louisville Street Faire listening to live outdoor music, filling up on pizza & ice cream. All summer, every Friday night on Front Street (just off Main). Haven’t been once this year – good to be back.
Woke late Saturday plus the weather’s been a bit unpredictable, so Lake Isabelle was today’s target. Ash & Tom’s dog Marty injured his shoulder a few weeks back so decided on a shorter hike to best assess his recovery.
Hiked Lake Isabelle 2 years ago during my 52 week hike challenge – actually overshot the Glacier, resulting in Ro & I hiking down to our end destination. Good memories.
Paid the park fee & queued 30 minutes for our turn into the Park. So many people flocking to Indian Peaks this day, that rangers limited car entry into the Park.
Located parking on the west side of Brainard Lake & hit the trail. Good to be outside, always enjoy the smell of pine.
Quickly made our way to Long Lake – much easier without waist-high snow – and continued on Isabelle Glacier trail. Memory failed me thinking I’d passed glaciers before Lake Isabelle. In actuality these were only leftover snow banks from the heavy winter season which socked the Rockies this past year. WOW – it’s August. Not expecting these drifts will melt before snow flies again. LOVE my escape from the summer heat – only an hour from home.
Sat on a large rock, Isabelle lakeside & shot landscape pics as dark clouds gathered. Rain, gusty cold wind, ice pellets, rain again, then sunshine – all within a 20 minute span. LOL>
What turns a good hike day into a GREAT hike day?
Saw 2 HUGE moose on our hike return. I’ve seen moose from a distance in New Hampshire & Alaska. These guys however were close (10-15 feet away) and H-U-G-E. Their rack, their heads – just enormous. Tried to keep our distance & not startle these giants…but in reality, they could have trounced us. SPECTACULAR!
Bear & bighorn sheep last month – moose today. Travelling to Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks over my birthday – excited about the possibilities. Life is good, really really good 🙂
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- perfect day for a hike
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- wet summer = lush green colour
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- snow melt & runoff…in August
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- snow silhouette – LOVE this place!
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- Lake Isabelle
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- Isabelle Glacier
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- he’s baaaaaack – my hiking buddy, Ro
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- Moose!
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- outdoor music & brew every Friday night (local summer fun)
A week ago I ran a marathon in Minnesota. This weekend my first triathlon, Tri the Boat in Steamboat Springs.
With Ironman only 6 weeks away, using this race to figure out the logistics of competing 3 sports same day. Felt a bit intimidated at sign-in. Boulder & Steamboat Springs are both athlete meccas, attractive for altitude training & the arid climate – sunshine, no humidity. I waited behind a trim zero-body-fat group, picked up my race packet & intently listened to instructions – where to park, where to leave my bike, starting time, transition area…becoming a quick study of everything Triathlon.
Sunday morning came early, an hour drive from my hotel in Kremmling. Parked, carried the bike over my shoulder (like the true triathletes) & headed to transition slot 169 – my home for the day.
Pulled & tugged at my XTERRA wetsuit – crazy tight fit – but eventually managed success, zipped up ready to go. Lined up on the shore of Stagecoach Reservoir. Have never done this before – super nervous.
Air horn sounds & in we go. Sub-60 degree water, C-O-L-D. Panic, can’t breathe. Up for air every stroke. And unlike my gym pool, open water is murky – and deep.
Two strokes right, rollover, two strokes left – ok, moving. Steady swimming, no longer swallowing water.
BUMP – I strike a small boat outside of boundaries. They point the way – my goggles useless — scratched, dingy for months now. In a pool, no big deal. In open water, can’t see a thing – pulling them on my forehead to catch a glimpse of other swimmers.
BUMP – now it’s a kayak on the other side. Ridiculous.
I continue zigzagging my way across Stagecoach – back n forth, back n forth ‘til 2 kayakers guide my return home. I hear them talking: I think he’s disorientated. I tell them I’m fine – just can’t see. They say I’ve swam full Ironman distance – yeah, that far off course. I stumble onto shore and spew breakfast just past waterline.
I look at rows of empty bike racks – only 2 of us left…then the lady behind me quits. Ugh – dead last 🙁
Sun beating down, I start the 56 mile bike ride – almost 3,000 feet elevation change.
No other human around. That was the worst of it – the solitude.
Stopped at both bike aid stations but kept at it. Last 2 stations already closed – but I finished. I reached transition & slipped on my Hokas. Asked directions from a volunteer & started the half marathon run.
Was pulled at the first aid station – too far back, time limitation. Argh; it is what it is.
Hottest day of the year in Steamboat, I finished both the swim & the bike. Not a complete fail, but gotta figure this out.
Beyond exhausted, I stop an hour later & rent a room. Sun burnt and sleep deprived, I down a ginger ale, shower & set my alarm for 4 a.m. – back to work tomorrow: Monday, start of the work week.
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- SWIM
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- BIKE
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- RUN
