I tried to push speed Up and Down the Shooter trail on Friday and I realized I was close to a Course Record for the downhill. Went back today and tried my best. The downhill is a 1.76 mile trail with lots of sharp turns and appx 600 ft descent – an average 6% grade. I averaged a 6:51 min/mile pace and just about killed myself. Unfortunately, it was 20 seconds too slow. I need to get it below a…
Driving back from a work trip in Arizona, pitstopped at the Paria Toadstools.
First Timp of the season – August 21 – and still some stretches of snow to cross on the way up to the main saddle. I was feeling good today and decided to try to push for a sub-4:00 roundtrip. I sprinted the first 1/4 mile after getting spooked by a moose. There were others on the trail that other hikers saw but I didn’t see any others. I did see a fox up in the meadow basin! That was…
The Mrs. is a school teacher, but not in the district where I kids are students. Her school year starts earlier than the kids’ so I have them for a couple of weeks each August. Two years ago we did our first Uintas hike and we went back up again. The kids did great. They did swim team all summer and I can tell their lungs and muscles built up some endurance. We went up the Lofty Lake Loop –…
I need to wake up in the morning and run more often. I hate it. I feel sluggish and my stomach is off if I eat anything (a jelly donut today). But, getting back home at 9 in the morning having already banged out a great run does feel pretty amazing.
I requested a family hike for my birthday and the wife and kiddos obliged. Stewart Falls. Beautiful as always and we had the place to ourselves for most of it. Almost there So much water There were a few sections of downed trees from avalanche slides.
So nice, I did it twice. Battle Grove Loop. Always amazing. The Battle trail is in rough shape – high water and lots of erosion. Long stretches of the trail were literally underwater.
Visited my childhood mountain bike trails with my childhood mountain friend – Ken! So great. It unbelievable how much the place has changed. Signage, first aid stations, etc. To be honest…I kind of miss how it used to be. Less-developed, possibly illegal, and more isolated. Much more crowded now.
Switzerland is every bit as charming and picturesque as everything you’ve seen in the movies – only more-so. They seem to be trying to out-Swiss themselves to the level of self-parody. It is absolutely stunning. I was only able to run in the Appenzell Alps. Breathtaking. Climbed up to Hoher Kasten summit, followed ridge line SW past Furgglenfirst to Saxer Lücke and down to Bollenwees and Fälensee Lake, then down the (often painfully steep) road past Lake Sämtisersee.
When you’re driving and a freeway exit says “Lichtenstein,” you exit. Burg Gutenberg and the royal castle.