Colorado!

Whitewater Rafting (Clear Creek CO)

Published May 24, 2013

LOVE showing off my adopted home state. Ashton & Tom flew in from Jersey, Stephen from New Hampshire. What better way to kick off Memorial Day weekend than whitewater rafting in Colorado? Yahoo!

Woke early on Friday to drop Ro at Camp Bow Wow and squeeze in a mile-half glacier hike at St. Mary’s near Idaho Springs. Talk about troopers, my East Coast bunch faced snow & 10,300 ft elevation less than 24 hours after leaving their (almost) sea level homes. Up, down in an hour-half…then back on the road – destination: rafting company, Liquid Descent on Clear Creek.

Signed us up for an advanced ½ day rafting trip (Class 4 rapids) so asked my visitors not to share actual skill levels until we got on the boat. No regrets. Go big or go home, right? 🙂

Forward, backward – no worries. It was the multiple commands where we struggled – left back, right forward. Think I’m reaching an age where I need 5-10 seconds reaction processing time.

No more than 15 minutes into the trip, Alan (our guide) shouted ‘High side left’. Ash went left (correct), I went right (wrong) & suddenly 3 of us were out of the raft floating in the rapids reaching for hands. Ash got trapped under the boat but came up quickly & subsequently pulled in by Alan. All back in the boat & catching our breath, Alan asks Ash to let him up so he can steer our raft — yeah, we’re still floating down Clear Creek.

Gotta say the 4 of us now actively listened to Alan’s commands much more closely.

For the record, (1) the water was crazy cold (created by snow melt) & (2) Stephen was today’s only non-‘swimmer’ (often razzed for swimming during a raft trip a few years ago on Lake George, NY – guess that will have to stop :)).

On the bus ride back to Idaho Springs (shared ride with 2 other raft groups), Ash was crowned ‘swimmer’. Why Ash? Near the end of our day, Ash took a 2^nd dip & this time not successfully pulled back into the boat. She did all the right things, laid on her back with feet pointing downstream, kicking boulders to protect her head as she personally rode the rapids. Another boat guide ahead of us rescued Ash, and kept her shoreside ‘til we caught up. Bruised tail bone & some arm bruises (from being pulled out of the water) but no cuts or broken bones. Yeah she’s tough as nails. Super impressed.

Awesome way to kick off a 4-day holiday weekend. Sign me up again!

: Ash, Tom, Stephen & Alan (our guide)

: forward 2, digging in

: SPLASH!

: High-side LEFT!

: CAPSIZED!

: 2 1/2 – do the body count

: pic of the day – Tom’s hand reaching UP for help!

: one person short – Ash still trapped under our raft

: Super Heroes!

: Alan to Ash: Please get off of me (so he could steer the raft)

: approaching rapids

: steady, steady….

: tough as nails – check out Ash’s eyes

: uber intense face: Tom

: uber intense face: Ash & K*

: LEAN IN!

: uber intense face: Stephen

: boulder navigation

: 5 oars in – that’s how we roll!

: GREAT TEAM – all focused & working together!

: another all-outdoor Colorado day

Posted in Continental Divide, Family | Tagged rafting | Leave a comment

May race: Colfax Half Marathon

Published May 19, 2013

Just back from sea level, less than a week to altitude adjust my running for May’s race – the Colfax Half Marathon in Denver.

Was sucking wind at 3 miles on Monday’s training run but by Thursday not only hit my stride, but ran 20 miles – my longest distance run in 2013. So…on Sunday I felt super confident – this being my 3^rd half marathon of 2013.

Overslept my 4 a.m. alarm on Sunday (race day) by 45 minutes so rushed around, quickly walked Ro & barreled down the highway headed for the Denver Zoo (official race parking). Parking was already full at 5:45 a.m. (argh) but luckily found on-street parking only another 5 minutes away. Whew – now I could kick back and relax ‘til the 7 a.m. start time.

For today’s race I was able to use my time in Moab (my first Half in March) to qualify for a lower race wave. AWESOME! So instead of running in the thick of 3,000 people, I qualified for E corral (5^th wave) & wasn’t blocked in by so many bodies.

My time goal was to beat last month’s Fort Collins time at just under 2 hours. Focused on going out fast (kinda risky) in an effort to catch “C” wave which started almost 4 minutes ahead of me…and then maintain pace ’til race finish.

Raced thru the Zoo between miles 2 & 3, then caught & followed ‘C’ wave just past mile 5. Despite running 20 miles only 3 days prior, I felt zapped at 12 miles. My pace started dropping off fast. Finish line ahead. Relieved then stunned.

Ran a 2013 personal best today 1:49.42 – a full 10 minutes faster than last month’s Half Marathon. That’s why my energy was zapped. Additionally, raised money for my charity of choice – Autism Speaks. Enjoyed BBQ & Blues AND still managed to shower & attend church. Busy day. Did I mention ‘Personal Best’? Woo-hoo! Only 34 days left ’til my Alaska marathon.

Congratulations #6126 K R HAGA!
Here are your results for the Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon:

Your final time is 01:49:42.
You finished 672 out of 5165 in the HALF MARATHON.

: Sports Authority (Broncos) Stadium (Saturday bib & shirt pickup)

: Broncos (took pic for BFF Dawn)

: 7 a.m. START

: personal best finish time & race bling

: after race BBQ & Blues

: the Hazel Miller band

Posted in Denver Metro, Other Race Results | 1 Comment

hike #55: Pawnee Buttes (CO Plains/WY/NE borders)

Published May 4, 2013

Roggen to Fort Morgan, CR-127 to CR-104, then CR-110 thru Pawnee National Grassland to Pawnee Buttes trailhead.

Any of this sound familiar? Nope. Drove to the ends of the earth today — 13 miles south of Nebraska, 16 miles to Wyoming. Not only my first Colorado ‘Plains’ hike but my first time on a dirt road for 14 solid miles. Internet research recommended we travel with a full tank of gas – COOOOORRECT! Only visible signs of life I saw were drill wells & 3 Pronghorn antelope.

My friend Stephen travelled in from New Hampshire for a quick weekend visit – but what to do with only 2 days? Luckily, John had sent out an email on Tuesday inviting those available to join him & son Nate on a hike to Pawnee Buttes. PERFECT!

And Ro? Couldn’t have been happier – off leash & free to explore with Annmarie’s Jack Russell, Karma.

Temps in the 50’s & sunshine – beautiful day hike. Internet research warned this hike was prone to rattlesnakes & a scorcher in the summer (no trees). Mighty happy to bang out [this hike] while temps were comfortable & small pockets of snow still show.

Deviated off trail, opting to follow canyon ravines carved around both prominent buttes. Rock climbing was not an option today – these formations consisted of only sandstone & clay. Kinda like giant mud patties left baking in the sun for centuries.

Traversing around the opposite end of West Pawnee Butte, caught some amazing views while trekking above the gorge wall. Posted multiple ‘WOW’ shots — both John & Nate mugged from some sheer crazy drop-offs.

I attempted to scale West Pawnee Butte – made it up maybe 15 feet max. Had to stay loose & light – and NOT grip too tightly or the clay climbing wall would literally crush in my hands. Going up, no worries. However, climbed down blind. Hard to get a foothold without breaking clay. Whatta AWESOME life experience! Check, done 🙂

Drove State Highway 14 to Fort Collins on the return (rural but paved), stopping to eat burgers at Coopersmiths in Old Town before verving off on our respective trips home. FUN end to a crazy FUN day!