Red Rocks

Published September 18, 2016

Lucky in life. My North End neighbor Larry had an extra concert ticket to Red Rocks Sunday nite.

Ray LaMontagne. Never heard of him – didn’t matter. Great company, great music, great venue, great night.

Don’t be afraid to say YES to the unexpected. Be spontaneous, life is meant to be lived.

: SOLD OUT!

: best amphitheatre in the USA

: first Red Rocks

: Grammy WINNER Ray LaMontagne

: check out the moon (upper right)

Grammy WINNER Ray LaMontagne (audio only)

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado, where concerts are given in the open-air amphitheatre. Red Rocks Amphitheater is a naturally formed, world famous outdoor venue just fifteen miles west of Denver. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a seating area for up to 9,525 people.

Rolling Stone magazine has ruled the best amphitheater in the United States is Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison. Red Rocks was judged to be better than even New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl, which were Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

Public, organizational and private performances have been held at Red Rocks for more than 100 years. The earliest documented performance at the amphitheater was the Grand Opening of the Garden of the Titans, put on by famed editor John Brisben Walker on May 31, 1906. Featuring Pietro Satriano and his 25-piece brass band, it was the formal opening of the natural amphitheater for use by the general public after Walker purchased it with the proceeds of his sale of Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Rock Scramble Sunday

Published September 11, 2016

Driving 4 hours post-marathon can be rough (body gets mighty stiff), scheduling a massage at 6pm – pretty sweet idea 🙂 Passed entrances to both Canyonlands & Arches National Park(s). Giddy feeling, LOVE LOVE the massive towering rock. Hotel check-in, Spa Moab on Main Street, Thai dinner. Early to bed, early to rise.

Not early enough to catch sunrise, but still able to secure parking at Devils Garden Trailhead, far edge of Arches. Backpack heavy with water. Perfect post-marathon therapy: 4.2 mile desert hike, up & over boulders, dense sand, landscaped by tall canyon walls. Panorama more reminiscent of New Mexico than neighboring Colorado.

Under a mile to Landscape Arch, longest of the Park’s natural sandstone arches. Photo stop, long drag on my CamelBak, hike terrain shifted from ‘easy’ to ‘Difficult’. Brochure description: ‘Requires rock scrambling, climbing, and descending steep slopes near drop-offs.’ Marathon Saturday, Rock Scramble Sunday – heck yeah, count me in!

Scaled large sandstone boulders, UP UP UP – uneven arid terrain, but not 14er hike difficult. Cactus, sage, whole lotta SAND & lizards. Amazing vista, landscape opened for miles. Trekked another mile to today’s hike destination: Double O Arch. Brochure description: ‘Sandstone fin, reached via a challenging hike, with a large upper & a smaller lower opening.’ What they didn’t mention? You can actually climb thru the lower arch opening. FAAANNNTASTIC!

Mercury struck 90; car returned for lunch (ice-chest’d turkey/avocado wraps). 4-5 drive hour from home, work day tomorrow, what to do? Refilled my (CamelBak) bladder & started the 3.2 mile hike to Delicate Arch (Park’s most infamous landmark) 🙂

65-foot-tall freestanding natural arch…most widely recognized landmark in Arches National Park and is depicted on Utah license plates and on a postage stamp commemorating Utah’s centennial anniversary of admission to the Union in 1996. The Olympic torch relay for the 2002 Winter Olympics passed through the arch.

…formed of Entrada Sandstone. The original sandstone fin was gradually worn away by weathering and erosion, leaving the arch. Other arches in the park were formed the same way but, due to placement and less dramatic shape, are not as famous.

UP, down, UP down, UP UP UP – temps now soared above 100. Crazy hot. Body bypassed sweating, [went] straight to secreting salt – human salt caked ’round my eyes, sides of my face. …but that view. Yea, it was worth it.

Native American petroglyphs on the hike return. WOW!

my 10 day future: enjoying a marathon mini-break. Next up: R-U-S-S-I-A #noregretlife

: desert hike Sunday

: Landscape Arch

: Double O Arch

: Delicate Arch

: today’s WOW shot!

: Native American petroglyphs

Arches National Park (Moab UT)

Posted in Rocky Mtn West | Tagged hiking, nat'l-park, petroglyphs, wildlife | Leave a comment

REVEL Big Cottonwood

Published September 10, 2016

Last marathon bus leaves at 5am — mighty early for a Saturday. Layered in Mylar & running gloves, coldest start of the Fall…temps just above freezing. Bused high in the mountains, past 2 ski resorts – Brighton & Solitude – wouldn’t leave the warmth of our transport ‘til the driver shouted ‘last call’. Elevation: 9,696ft. 33 degrees, bit chilly in running shorts. Expecting a HUGE temperature swing after daybreak.

My first downhill marathon. Obviously easier than running UP Big Cottonwood Canyon…but running downhill – for 4 hours – comes with its own set of body challenges. In hind sight, should’ve wore my trail running shoes – wider toe box. I’d go home less 2 nails on my right foot.

Lotta runners, whole lotta energy. Camped in Mylar [blanket] village, exhaling air into a make-shift tent to keep warm. Big smiles – cold weather LOVE.

Marathon Maniac group pic, 6:45 start – pop & we’re off.

Beautiful course, canyon walls lined with evergreen. Pit-stopped early at mile 2, then pushed hard 9 miles to catch the 4-hour pace group. Mostly downhill course – haven’t PR’d or broke 4 hours since March 2015. Continued to push hard, trying to build a lead distance while my body felt strong.

Another pit-stop at mile 13; half marathon done, half to go. Right foot stung. Big toe throbbing, bleeding thru my shoe. Rookie mistake. Should’ve wore trail shoes. Live & learn.

Wooded canyon course continued thru mile 18 – heat kicked in, but the scenery…mighty inspiring.

5 mile loop at 18, course’s only uphill grade – not nearly as bad as pre-posted by ‘haters’ but not super scenic either. Trees disappeared, started cooking in the day’s rays. As I looped marker 21, saw the 4-hour pacers half-mile ahead. Argh.

Downhill stretch, then finished the last 3 [miles] strangely running down the highway center lane – between 2 lanes of traffic.

Missed sub-4 by 4 minutes. Ho hum. 70^th marathon finish, 3^rd consecutive weekend run. Despite this summer’s surprise health report, still on target…shooting for #100 by 2017 year-end. I feel a HUGE party in my future – in the meanwhile, grabbed a shower, wrapped my wounds & hit the highway. Sleeping in Moab tonite. Desert hiking Arches [National Park] tomorrow a.m. FAAANNNTASTIC!

K R Haga – Sept. 10, 2016

Bib # 1503

Event: Marathon

Chip Time: 4:04:00.71

Start Time of Day: 6:45:47AM

Finish Time of Day: 10:49:48AM

Pace (min/mile): 9:18