Oh Be Joyful! run

From CB Summer 2010

2 months after leaving Guatemala behind, I'm finding myself in the middle of training for my only real failure last year: not running the Bear 100. Sure I could have more miles under my belt at this point, but things will work out fine as usual. Last weekend was the first proper long run of the summer, 25 miles with 5,400 ft of elevation gain. About 30 other CO ultrarunners showed up to share the beauty. The race was put on by ultralegend Kirk Apt. No fees. No course markings/flagging. No aid stations. Simple simple. 5 minutes before we took off, Kirk handed us a black and white topo map of the route, tried to explain some confusion junctions, and that was it.

No one seemed to want to take off in first place, so I dashed to the front and took this pic of the crew starting up a brief stretch of doubletrack

From CB Summer 2010

I quickly joined in with Allen and Jake, but experienced ultrarunners from Crested Butte. We set the pace and were definitely a good few minutes ahead of the person in 4th. I felt the pace definitely could have been faster, but didn't want to push it too early in the race, so stayed a bit conservative. I'd later come to regret this, but for the meantime it was nice to joke around with those guys. They were hilarious and full of information on running Hardrock, the Bear, Leadville silliness, etc etc.

From CB Summer 2010

From CB Summer 2010

Another reason not to push the pace up front was to stay dry while breaking through overgrown trail. Loads of cabbage and flowers in the trail. Thanks Allen!!!

From CB Summer 2010

And then the amazing wildflower section began. For nearly a quarter of a mile we found ourselves pushing through shoulder-high flowers that grew over the trail.


yea!!!!

From CB Summer 2010

From CB Summer 2010

Finally up above treeline, and definitely not running anymore. Steady speedhiking here...

From CB Summer 2010

From CB Summer 2010

Allen and Jake were really strong hikers up this steep climb and I fell even further behind taking some pictures. By the time I reached the pass, they had dropped over the other side and were out of sight.

The view from where I came:

From CB Summer 2010

And where I was to go:

From CB Summer 2010

what an amazing course. Surely the best 25 mile race in the country?????

From CB Summer 2010

When I finally put the camera back into my backpack, I managed to lose the trail. How this happened still leaves me dumbfounded. The trail I was on became steep and more like a goat trail. This is a theme that would be repeated at the next pass. From up high I could see a switchback to the left, but while descending I never found the switchback. Wound up going a bit too low, took a quick break to swap socks (new shoes a tad too large..) and was about to break out a legit map when the two behind me (Sarah and Yarri) had just topped the pass. They were actually on the switchback that I needed. Laced up the shoes and ran uphill to chat for a minute then move on.

From CB Summer 2010

The running was fast, not as muddy as the last time I was in this basin. Passed a few backpackers and quickly realized I was a tad dehydrated. Chugged as much as I could before getting water from the outlet of Blue Lake (sketchy???) and going up to the pass. I never treated any of the water I got, and never carried more than a handheld bottle of water. Everyone else had hydration bladders that they only filled a time or two. Starting to reconsider this style before I run the Bear. After passing the last water source for a few miles, the trail dissappeared into what the maps call 'faint trail'. I could see the trail climbing up to the pass, so just went cross country and hit the trail at the base of the climb.

The pass:
see the little trail going up to the gap??

From CB Summer 2010

Runners who had previously run this route were complaining about this climb before the race even began. Now finally hiking it, I didn't think it was bad at all. Certainly not even close to the steep and loose stuff you find when doing some off-trail peakbagging in the area.

Back in power hiking mode and back in being blown away by wildflowers mode. The scent from the yellow flowers lining the trail to the top was overpowering. A few days later and I still haven't recovered. By how much conversation this received after the race, I doubt the other runners have gotten over the intensity either.

Sarah and Yarri starting the climb...

From CB Summer 2010

Up top:

From CB Summer 2010

Not sure why I didn't take any more photos after this, or even a proper wide-angle photo from Star Pass. Most likely I figured it was time to try to gain some time on Allen and Jake on the downhill, which wouldn't happen.

Next up was a crazy class 4 scramble on a goat trail to gain Scarp's Ridge. Turns out there was another trail on the otherside of the pass, much easier, and much safer. That was another 10 minutes wasted.

Now on Scarps Ridge and to a really fast downhill amidst more yellow wildflowers, and now the addition of tourist hikers. Jumped off the trail for many a hiker and then down to Lake Irwin. The trail junctions were really confusing, but luckily Allen had swung thru here earlier, placed a cooler of sodas(!!!), as well as a cairn at an unsigned jct. After connecting a few obscure pieces of singletrack and dirt roads, it was time for the last piece of trail.

6ish miles of the Dyke Trail. More mindblowing wildflowers. This trail would have normally been easy, but after 20 miles and 5,000 ft of elevation gained, the legs were a bit rubbery and were unhappy with all of the rolling and baby uphills. I didn't want to lose my 3rd place and knew that Sarah wasn't all thatttt far behind. A bit of focus on my form as a way of meditation, and I finished in 5 hrs and change.

Time for another huge run, this time the 4 pass loop in the Maroon Bells