Gettin' Dirty

This weekend was the inaugural running of the MS Mud Run in Winter Park CO.  It is a 10K fun run with obstacles and mud and great music and bbq and beer, but more importantly it is a fund raiser for MS.  First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who donated to me for this.  I believe I was #8 as far as the amount of money raised with a little over $1200, and the team of guys I did the run with also were the 8th highest team total for money raised.  (The wife of one of my teammates also ran with another team who were the 7th highest fundraisers).  So thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for their help!

The whole time I was doing this race, I kept thinking I need to remember what is happening so I can write about it.  And when I finished, I thought back and realized I have absolutely no clue what I did with any kind of organized memory.  The description that follows is a dump of what I DO remember, but in no particular order.  Fasten your seatbelts....

We were team "Dragon Ass".  Dave was our captain...he and his wife TC have been good friends of ours from the college days.  Tom was the other member of our team of three.  He is a friend of Dave and TC's that I had never met before, which was my loss, because he is an extremely cool guy.  His wife also ran with TC's team (Team Phat Ass).  Yes, ass was prevalent at this race.

I understood there to be between 400 and 700 competitors.  My team was in the non-competitive group, but there were also teams in a competitive group with stricter rules about completing all the obstacles and getting an official time.  When the race starts, the first thing we do is run down a long hill from the Mary Jane base towards the Winter Park base.  No obstacles here, just a nice easy jog to get into it.  It was at least a half mile to the bottom, at which point we turned around, climbed over the first obstacle (which I think were just a couple of logs), and then headed back up the first of what was going to be a LOT of elevation changes.  We were not given a map of the course before the race....it was all supposed to be a surprise, but rumor at the starting line was that this was the hardest Mud Run course they've ever created.  Needless to say, any thoughts of running the whole thing disappeared quickly (thankfully) just after the turn to run up the first big hill.  I found a map of the course after the race online....check it out, it is crazy:

Winter Park Mud Run 2011 Race Course

From this point on, it is all a blur.  I remember having to run up the mountain a bit.  Thankfully there weren't any obstacles on the climbing portions.  Shortly after the first climb, we came to the first obstacle that I thought would give me some trouble when I read about it.  We had to climb through a drainage culvert that was at least 100 feet long and crossed underground between two of the ski runs.  As I am a bit claustrophobic, this was going to freak me out, but I tried to stay right behind Dave, who alerted me to what was ahead, and I managed to get through it.  One section of the culvert, about half way through, had been crushed somewhat, so we were kind of scaling on the side of it to get around that point.  TC mentioned that this was the first time that being a geologist (and realizing that a landslide had caused this crease) was really a bad thing for her mental state.

More climbing, some descending, more climbing.  We went over more log piles, under some ropes in the mud, over a cargo net.  Another obstacle that I was not looking forward to was a wall made of 2x4s spaced maybe 3 feet apart, and maybe 15 feet tall.  As much as I love to be on mountains and love airplanes, being that far up a wobbly wall of wood was also not one of my favorite things.  Dave and Tom hopped over the thing like it didn't even exist, but it took me a bit longer to make it over.  But again, I did it without passing out or breaking any limbs.  Now that I think about it, I probably should have just side kicked one of the boards and walked through it.  THAT would have been more my style.  Here are a couple more shots of the cargo net (yep, that's me way behind Dave and Tom), and a shot from higher up the mountain.

The last mile or so of the course is where the real mud and fun came.  There was a pit of mud that we had to jump in and then climb out the side.  This was where my boots filled with water and rocks.  Running on waterlogged boots and socks was funky but not bad, but running on the rocks under my feet was not fun.  I considered stopping, but figured they would fill again soon anyway, and maybe we were almost done (we weren't).  We followed a little creek, which at one point had mud that came up to my hips (I kid you not).  It was like quicksand at one point and very hard to move through.  There was one section with four logs, that we had to climb over, then go under, and they were right on the surface of the creek, so there was no choice but to go underwater to get under them.  And finally there were a couple of much shorter pipes to climb through (a piece of cake compared to the culvert).   These are some pics of TC's team going through some of those muddy obstacles towards the home stretch:

The last obstacle before the short jog downhill to the finish was just a big pit of mud that you jump in and climb out of:

After this, you ran down a hill, past the cheering crowd and the DJ playing some great tunes (our team finished up to some Vanilla Ice and Jump Around...totally pumped us up for the final push).  We finished, and got a picture with one of our designated cheerleaders.

There are a few things that are going through my head now that I'm finished with the race.  One thing the organizer said at the starting line was that we would not know what the course held, much like someone with MS does not know from day to day what their life is going to bring.  He also said that just as we are on the starting line looking forward with uncertainty, afterwards we will look back and say "I knew I could do it".  And he was right.  I don't have MS and will never know first hand what that feels like, but I had some of my own demons to conquer on this run.  First, a 10K is not a short distance, but I was able to complete it even with its insane elevation changes.  I'm also very claustrophobic in pipes, yet I went through a 100 foot long culvert, much of it in the dark.  I overcame a fear of heights to climb over a wobbly wall of 2x4's.  And I tend to be a neat freak, almost to the point of obsessive compulsiveness.  If anything on earth is farther from "neat" than this jaunt through the swamp, I don't know what it would be. 

But most of all, this was just fun.  The atmosphere was great.  Kathy and the kids were the loudest cheerleaders in the crowd.  Dave and TC are two of the most fun people I know to be around, and they introduced me to their friends and family who were also just amazing people.  Our final time was about 2hrs 11mins, not bad at all considering how much of it was a slow, uphill hike.  I was a worthless slug the rest of the day and some of the next day, but I'll recover from that quickly enough.  My first mud run was a huge success, and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year.  Thanks again to everyone for their support and well wishes!

Foreplay

Got your attention now?  Good, because this post is actually about the hike to Chasm Lake I did today, which is kind of the "foreplay" for the 10K MS Mud Run I'm doing next weekend.  Simply saying "Here is Another Post By Someone Who Hiked Up to Chasm Lake" wouldn't have been nearly as exciting for a title.

Chasm Lake is a 4.2 mile hike one way from the Longs Peak trailhead.  It actually follows the Longs Peak trail about 3.5 miles before it branches off to the lake, which is at the base of the diamond of Longs Peak.  This was to be another one of my "high altitude training hikes" for next week's 10K, and it was definitely an amazing hike.  2360' of elevation gain to an elevation of 11760' at the lake.  The parking lot at the trailhead is usually filled long before 6 AM with cars of hikers who are climbing Longs Peak.  I got there at 8:00, passing dozens of cars along the road that couldn't find a spot to park in the lot.  Just for grins, I decided to drive into the parking lot anyway, and wouldn't you know it, one of the closest spots to the trailhead itself was actually EMPTY!  Oh, it was going to be a good day.

The first couple of miles of trail is through the forest.  There were not nearly as many people on the trail today as there were on Bierstadt last week, and the solitude was at times very refreshing and sometimes a little tense as I realized "well, if I slipped and broke my ankle here, not sure how long it would be until someone stumbled upon me", as well as "I wonder if I side kicked a bear really hard in the stomach, would it raise its eyebrows in surprised respect and slowly back away?"  Fortunately, neither of those situations happened to me today, but I probably really should hike with a buddy (and not just a buddy in spirit).

The trail follows a small creek much of the way, which I crossed several times.  Lots of small waterfalls along this route as well, all very relaxing.  Here is a picture of one of the falls on the route:

I called this one "Fallijuana", named after the two guys who were "medicating" on a rock just out of this shot.  Maybe that's why it was so relaxing up there in rocky mountain high??  Just beyond this point, around a switchback in the trail, I happened across a young couple off to the side.  They giggled and moved apart when they saw me...I just smiled and kept walking, not looking back, but in hindsight I shoulda just shouted "go on, nail her!" and gave the guy a thumbs up.  This hike was starting off on an interesting note to say the least.

After a couple of miles, the forest thins, and eventually you are up around timberline.  This is where the incredible views really begin (views of the scenery, not the couples trying to sneak in a quickie between hikers).  The Twin Sisters peaks are back towards the east, and Longs, Meeker and Lady Washington are dead ahead.

The hike meanders up through tundra now, all the while Longs Peak continues to get closer and closer.  As with all the other mountains in this fine state, I've seen most of them from the road, and I see Longs through my window every day at home, but I've never been this close to it before.  Truly an amazing rock it is.

In this area, the trail splits, and I took the path into the valley towards the base of Longs where Chasm Lake is.  This area was along the edge of very steep embankment, and although I never really felt unsafe, I could see how someone could slip off if they weren't paying attention.  And it was easy to not pay attention, because Peacock Pool was directly below.  The way the sun was coming in, the pool was a brilliant green color, and the falls that fed it were clearly visible.  Here is some video of this area:

I can't say enough how beautiful this stretch of the trail is, and no video or pictures do it justice.  You could see miles east down the valley with a handful of lakes along the bottom, and ahead were huge cliffs and some of the tallest mountain peaks in the state.  It was stunning.  This was also an area where there was some columbine growing along the sides of the trail.

There were a couple more obstacles to get across before reaching the lake.  First, there is a snow field within a half mile from the top, and you can see the boot-width trail that those before me had made in an arc around the top of it.  The snowfield was pretty short now, but as late as mid July I understand it can be several hundred feet across and not fun to slip on.

On the other side of this snowfield is the last "facilities" before the lake.  I'll try to describe it to you....imagine 4 wooden walls that would come to your chest if you stood up.  Inside of these walls was one of the coolest things I've ever seen...a huge swarm of flies in the shape of a toilet, complete with crap and everything!  As I stood a few feet beyond these walls feeling more relieved by the second, one thought crossed my mind...it is good to be a guy.

Finally, the lake is just 0.2 miles ahead.  Or rather, I should say....up.

The last little bit of the hike involves a nice scramble to get to the final destination.  Again, it wasn't terribly frightening, but there were a few places where a slip would have ended badly.  After a little over 2 hours, I climbed the last few feet over the ridge, and there was the lake.

I found some large rocks along the edge of the lake where I could just kick back and relax for awhile.  I could see a few hikers on the top of Longs if I used my binoculars.  I'm  hoping to climb Longs with a group of friends in a couple of weeks, and the thought of having to climb that much higher than I already had is a little intimidating.  There were probably 10 other people at the lake when I got there, but I couldn't see any of them from where I was parked.  Great opportunity to just clear one's mind and bask in the beauty of nature (and I understand a great remedy for nervous breakdowns, if you're so inclined to have them).  I could have stayed up there for hours, but since I did have a life to come home to, I began to head back down after about 30 minutes.

Physically, I was feeling really good.  This was a strenuous hike to the lake, but not as hard as Bierstadt through 13,000 to 14,000 feet.  The weather was warm and sunny the whole way up, but I could see some storms forming on the way back, so I tried to keep a good pace coming down.  Shortly after I got back into the forest, I passed two women and a man coming up the trail.  One of the women was singing "Like a virgin....HEY!!"  and "you make me feeeeeeeel, shiny and neeeew!".  I would like to thank her for getting that song stuck thoroughly in my head for the last 45 minutes of my hike.

Overall, the hike took about 4 hours and 15 minutes, including the 30 minutes at the lake.  It is definitely one of the most scenic hikes I've ever done, and I highly recommend it, even if it is a bit strenuous at times.  It did wonders for my body and my mind today, and I'm more confident now that a 10K through mud pits at Winter Park is not going to kill me.  Foreplay is now over....it's bidnizz time!

Mt. Bierstadt

Today was kind of a cool day for me.  After living in Colorado for 11 years (plus another 4 1/2 in college), I finally managed to climb my first 14er, Mt. Bierstadt.  Sure, I've driven to the top of Evans and Pikes, and I've looked admiringly at dozens of others from the air conditioned comfort of my car as I drove past them, but I've never actually hiked up one and done it "right".  So just a couple of days ago, Kathy (knowing I wanted, no NEEDED, to do some higher altitude training before my 10K MS Mud Run in Winter Park) said that she could take care of things at the house if I wanted to go hiking Sunday.  Of course, I jumped right from "a high altitude hike" to "hey, I want to climb a 14er!".  I was planning to do Greys and Torreys, but a couple of my kickboxing students with some 14er experience told me that Bierstadt is a good first time hike.  I LOVE the view up at Guanella Pass, and Bierstadt is one of the 14ers I've looked at from my car many times, so I decided that Bierstadt it would be.

Having never done a big hike like this, I wasn't exactly sure what I should bring with me, so I did a little online research.  Water...check.  More water...check.  Had my new hiking boots that I'm still breaking in (this could have been a disaster, but fortunately worked out ok).  GPS....check.  Helmet....wait, what???  Seriously, I need a helmet for this climb?  Guess I'll have to risk it, as I'm not going to wear my bike helmet up a mountain (and this was the right decision...no one was wearing a helmet today).  Flares...ummm, huh????  I could see my car the entire way up the mountain today.  There was not one time that I was more than 100 feet from SOMEBODY.  Needless to say, I had no occasion to use my flares today, thank God (unless of course the idea was to shoot them off at the summit like fireworks, but no one else was doing that so I will just assume they would be for more isolated hikes).  I had on shorts (nice 55 degree morning at the pass), a light long sleeve shirt, a fleece, and I had packed a windbreaker and some windbreaking pants (neither of which I needed, but they seemed like reasonable additions).  Also brought lots of Goo and some energy bars (which I used extensively).  In hindsight, I wish I had brought a pair of gloves because it was a little windy and cooler at the summit, which made it a little tougher to scramble over the rocks up there.  But other than that, I think I packed about right.  

I got on the road about 5:30 this morning, which itself was a complete miracle considering the small celebratory gathering I attended last night.  Got up to Guanella Pass, parked in the overflow lot, and got on the trail by 7:30.  Other than being tired from lack of sleep, I felt good, and Bierstadt didn't look all THAT far away.  Big, yes, but there it was, right in front of me.  Only a mere 3.5 miles away.  And another 1/2 mile straight up.

I won't go into details about every step of the hike...there are all kinds of blogs and descriptions from other climbers that pretty much sums that up.  So this is my own personal take of it....

The hike starts going down into a valley of willows.  Very cool.  Also very good at lulling you into feeling "wow, this won't be so bad".  Ummm...WRONG.

Shortly into the hike, you cross over a stream on some stepping stones.  This is what it looks like:

This wouldn't have been a big deal (I actually really love mountain streams like this...very serene for me), except that my expert mountaineering friend told me that when she hiked Bierstadt, she slipped on this crossing and had to do the rest of the hike with a wet shoe.  Fortunately, I made it across both times (the woman in front of me on the descent wasn't so lucky).

I think I was towards the end of the first "wave" of climbers that day.  Only a very small handful of people were coming down as I went up, but I passed hundreds of people in the first mile of my initial descent from the summit.  It was busy, but I didn't ever feel like I was "crowded", and only had to stop a couple times to let people come past or let me move past them. 

This was pretty typical the whole way.  There were maybe 25-30 people at the summit when I got there and a lot more on the way up when I left.  When I got back to the parking lot, both lots were filled and there was a long line of cars parked on both sides of the road.  7-7:30 was just about the perfect time to get going apparently.

The people hiking at that time of day are very friendly.  I talked to a few people for awhile on the way up...very friendly people, all of them.  And for those of us who were climbing our very first 14er, everyone really responded to us in an honest "way to go" manner, and not in a condescending or "oh I've climbed FIFTY of them" way.  Very refreshing to be around that.  And several people had some very cool dogs with them too.  I imagine if I brought Bella, she'd be half way across Colorado by now.

I made it up in about 2 1/2 hours, and back down in about 2 hours after 15-20 minutes on the summit.

I wasn't nearly the slowest going up, although I did have to stop more frequently than I thought I would on some of the steeper parts.  As I got back to the car, it occurred to me that Longs Peak is twice as long as this one.  I'd love to have a go at Longs someday, but the timing is going to have to be right, and it would be good to get a few more easier ones under my belt first.  Similar to my half marathon and not planning to become a distance runner, I don't think climbing 14ers is something I will ever get hooked on for many reasons.  I'm glad I did this one, and there are some others I'd like to climb in the future, but I'm not going to plan weekly climbs and try to bag every 14er in CO.  But today couldn't have gone any smoother, and it was great practice for the 10K fundraiser in a couple of weeks.