Climbing Mt Sneffels: 14150'

 

Climbing a mountain has been on my bucket list for a while, but the experience of climbing Mt Sneffels was more than I could've imagined. It was long, exhausting, exciting, and at times, terrifying. The peak lies only 4.5 miles north of Telluride, but the San Sophia Ridge blocks the way. So, we had to drive an hour to the trailhead in Ouray.

From the trailhead, the climb was around 6 miles round trip and over 2000 vertical feet. It started out like a normal hike, but after about 1.5 miles it got steeper and rockier. Soon there was no trail. I picked my own way up the scree field. In some spots there were big rocks lodged in the earth to hang on to. In other spots there was only loose gravel. My biggest fear was kicking a rock loose and having it hit someone below me, or getting hit myself by a rock from above. Once on top of the ridge we turned south and climbed up another scree field in a narrow chute.

It's strange seeing snow in the middle of August, but it was nice and cool at this altitude. At the top of the chute, we then climbed through a notch in the solid rock to get to the final approach to the peak. That might've been the scariest part. Falling there might not have meant certain death, but the chance was pretty high, if not from the fall itself, then from injuries and exposure while waiting to be rescued. After that it was a short, simple climb to the top. The view was spectacular - countless mountain ranges for seemingly endless miles to the north, east, and south. Blue alpine lakes in the valley to the south, and desert to the west. We could even see the Telluride ski area and the backside of San Sophia Ridge. It was definitely worth it, but we were only halfway through the journey. The climb down wasn't quite as demanding, but it was more difficult to tell which rocks were stable.

 

Oh yea, Lucy climbed it too! For the most part she did better than me. I had to help her up a few big rocks, and navigating the notch with her was a little tricky. Sometimes small dogs are better in the outdoors. During the climb I thought this would be my first and last one, but I'm thinking I may do another. The adrenaline, the view, and the sense of danger is addicting. This is why I came to Colorado, to get out of my comfort zone.

Valles Caldera PyroClassic

Last Sunday was the inaugural Valles (pronounced Viyez) Caldera PyroClassic mountain bike race, about 35 miles west of Santa Fe. Being about 6 hours away from Telluride, I decided to spend the weekend road tripping around New Mexico. My list of potential places to check out included Santa Fe, Taos, and Angel Fire. Someday I'd like to make it down to Roswell to check out the aliens, but that was farther than I wanted to go this weekend. As it turns out, just getting to the race was quite an adventure.

I cut out from work at 3pm on Saturday to get a head start on my trip. Swung by the house to get Lucy and load up the cooler. 2 hours to Durango, then into the desert. I find the dry landscape quite interesting, but it seems I have a primal hatred for such barren land. I'm always grateful when I get back into greenery. I passed through some tiny, poor villages and turned onto County Rd 126 in Cuba, NM. I had no clue what I was getting into. I saw signs prohibiting large trucks and trailers and warning that the road was impassable during inclement weather. I didn't think much of it, but soon the road turned to dirt. Then, I hit a stretch that was under construction, and it had apparently just rained earlier that day. Needless to say it was muddy for several miles. Fortunately the mud was only slick and not deep. My 2wd Tacoma got sideways a couple of times, but I had gone too far to turn back. I pressed on hoping to make it passed the construction. The thought of getting stuck in BFE New Mexico at night was terrifying. Finally I made it to dry rocky dirt again, then pavement. I continued on to find a campsite in the national forest near the caldera. That night we heard a large pack of coyotes howling, and I think it scared Lucy. She didn't make a sound, just sat attentively pressed against me.

The race on Sunday morning was fun, and I had a great time. But the trails could use some work as they were basically nonexistent. The route started off with an 8 mile climb up a dirt road that turned into double track. After that it was 10 miles mostly downhill, but there was no trail. There was a large bench cut in the hill where there used to be a road, but it was completely covered in grass. At the start of the race, I got the hole shot, but I couldn't hold it for long. Two riders passed me when the climb steepened. Cross country races are won and lost on the climbs, especially in the single speed class. So, when I reached the descent I was pretty sure I had 3rd place locked down. My time was 1:32. 1st and 2nd place were around 1:26 and 4th was 1:39. That's what I love and hate about the single speed class. There are no age groups or categories for ability levels.

 

It was 2pm when I hit the road again. I decided to check out the Taos-Angel Fire area as I had heard good things about it. The drive was interesting but nothing noteworthy. The New Mexican mountains are kind of unspectacular after living in the San Juans. I found a nice campsite in the Carson National Forest between the two cities. It started raining just as my brats were finishing cooking, but I didn't mind. I ate dinner, curled up in my sleeping bag under the Softopper, and read a few chapters in a book about a road trip. Coincidentally, Steinbeck was getting rained on too. The next day I rode some decent trails with Lucy around Angel Fire. I headed back to Taos to ride the South Boundary Trail, but a few minutes after I got to the trailhead, it started raining with no signs of letting up. I weighed my options and decided to drive to Pagosa Springs, CO.

On this drive I got to pass over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and passed by the Earthships - a neighborhood of self-sustaining homes built from recycled materials. Of course it was raining in Pagosa too. I got some camping and trail advice from a local guide shop and proceeded to find a campsite in the rain. I ended up finding a nice spot by the creek just after the road got too rough for fifth wheels. The rain took a break around dusk just long enough for Lucy and I to stretch our legs. It continued off and on all night, and I found out my Softopper isn't completely water tight. I still got a good night's sleep, but parts of my sleeping bag were wet when I woke up. This was the first night Lucy got a good sleep too with the rain and rushing water drowning out wildlife noises. After letting things dry out the next morning, we hit the trails. The ride was great, though I got lost for a little while - left the map in the truck.

 

Overall it was a great trip, but I'm glad to be showered and in a real bed. This was kind of a shakedown run in preparation for a 3 week road trip at the end of October. Next time I'll do more trail research, but still keep a loose schedule. I may be trading the Tacoma in before then for something with 4wd, but most of what I learned will carry over like the necessity of baby wipes, remembering to pack warm socks and a hat, how to find campsites, and the importance of a good book.



Ride to Rico

There's only one road here for serious riding: Hwy 145. The closest town to the south is Rico which makes for a nice 50 mile ride round trip. In my attempt to cram some training in for a race next weekend, I chose this route since the trails were still muddy from yesterday's rain. There was a good chance of rain today, but getting wet is just a risk you have to take. There's no predicting mountain weather.

The ride there was great! I rode an easy pace 10 miles up to Lizard Head Pass at 10,222ft and 15 miles down the other side. Coming back was another story. The road wasn't steep, but 5 miles into the return trip it started raining with no sign of letting up. Thankfully, there was no lightning, but it did hail for about 10 minutes. I usually don't mind riding in the rain; however, rain above 10k ft is freakin' cold. It finally backed off at the top of the pass. As I started descending soaked roads at 30mph, my tires managed sling up enough water to completely soak my underside.

As I was making this initial descent, I encountered two oncoming cars. The second driver decided that he was in too much of a hurry to wait 10 seconds for me to get by so he could pass the other car. So there I was freezing cold, doing 30mph on wet roads with a car coming straight at me. I got onto what little shoulder there was and flipped off the driver as he passed. Should've thrown a water bottle at him. It completely baffles me how normal people completely change behind the wheel. Some people have no respect for human life. They'll slow down for a deer, but not a cyclist. That's ridiculous.

The rest of the ride was fairly miserable. In fact, that might be the coldest I've ever been, definitely in the top 5. It's difficult to ride a bike when your on the verge of hypothermia. Stopping would be even worse, though. My muscles and tendons in my legs were tight. My gloves were soaked and my hands weren't getting good circulation. I had to hit the shifters with my palms because my fingers weren't strong enough. It took about 10 minutes in a hot shower before my fingers would extend all the way.

I love road riding, but I've only got one road to ride. I'm starting to think that drivers are too stupid for me to put my life in their hands. It's really only about 10% of drivers that worry me, but that's enough. I may try to employ more defensive cycling techniques, but I'm doubtful.

Debunking Myths

I've heard some pretty wild claims lately, giving me the feeling that a lot of Westerners will believe any health related thing anybody tells them. Yesterday, I saw a pamphlet for magnet therapy as an alternative to prescription drugs. Really? Magnet therapy? Also, my coworker's girlfriend bought a bracelet to help with digestive issues. Of course it came with herbal tea - like the weight loss pills that recommend diet and exercise. I've also heard that meat is bad for you, drinking warm water is better than cold water, milk is bad for you, and running is bad for you.

I'm not even going to waste my time arguing for meat. It's good. If our ancestors didn't eat it, we wouldn't be here. As for warm water vs. cold water, it's one I've heard before. The argument here is that your body can only absorb warm water, and you have to "work" to warm up that cold water. Now, I don't like ice cold water when I'm really thirsty just because I can't drink it fast, but I certainly prefer cool water to warm water. I can see how warm water may hydrate you slightly faster, but in terms of staying cool, cold water wins hands down. Your body doesn't use energy to heat the water, your stomach is already hot. Don't believe me? Read more here.

Another claim I've heard is that milk is not a good source of protein. The argument was that the protein is from another animal, and therefore, useless to humans. Unless you're a cannibal all meat is protein from another animal. We use it just fine. There was another argument against the calcium. I don't know enough about that to argue well, but I drink lots of milk and have pretty strong finger nails and bones as far as I can tell. My favorite milk myth is that it's bad to drink milk before you go work outside in the heat. In high school I drank milk everyday at lunch, then marched outside in band for an hour and a half. Never got sick. Why? Your internal temperature stays the same regardless of outside temperature, or at least it should.

I've also heard that running is bad for your joints. It's certainly a higher impact activity than cycling or swimming, but even in the peak of my running days, I was getting beat by 80 year olds in a 10k. Their joints seemed just fine. Again, if our ancestors never ran, we wouldn't be here. In any case it's better than sitting on the couch.

I'm really getting tired of hearing these things, and now that I've done a little research, maybe I can set some people straight. Most people around here are pretty fit, but it seems that some health nuts are always looking for the new thing. Personally, I think life is too short to eat healthy all the time.

A Quest for Fireworks!

My journey began about 30 minutes before sundown. Having already ridden to and from work and an hour with Lucy, my legs felt shot on the first climb. They warmed up soon enough though. Originally I had planned on going into town to catch the fireworks show, but that trip was too long and too crowded, considering I had work at 7am the next morning. Instead, I thought the top of the gondola would provide a good view, but one look at the line confirmed that it was way too long. Luckily, I was prepared with my trail lights. Finding the Village Trail in the fading light proved a little difficult having only ridden it once in the opposite direction. After a couple of detours and  over 700ft of climbing, I finally reached the top with only a minute to spare.

The show was great considering they had three years worth of fireworks stockpiled due to dry conditions previous years. The views of Telluride and Mountain Village at night were equally spectacular. There probably aren't too many places that you can view a fireworks show from above. About two minutes in, people started leaving to avoid the long line at the end. I had no issue staying the entire time, however. The ride down was awesome! I only out-ran my lights a couple times. The pain started again when I hit my neighborhood. The roads in my neighborhood were not meant to be biked, and although they've gotten easier, I doubt they will ever be easy. I got to bed a little late, but it was worth it!

My New Job

In short my new position as Groundskeeper means I do whatever it takes to keep the town looking good. My coworkers and I empty public trash and recycling cans, sweep the plazas, mow (most areas twice a week), pull weeds, plant and water flowers, and complete other random tasks. For instance, last Thursday I put on some waders and scooped algea out of a pond with a pitchfork all afternoon.

I really enjoy being outdoors, even with this crazy mountain weather. It's usually 40 degrees in the morning but quickly warms up to the 70s as the sun gets higher. But, each little rainstorm drops the temps back down to the 40s and comes with the possibility of hail and/or snow...in June! Usually I carry a fleece and a rain jacket in my backpack. Sometimes it's still not enough.

It's certainly not a glamorous job, but I'm really enjoying it. Honestly, I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing at this point in my life. It's not exhausting but still involves real work. I work 7-5:30 four days a week and get paid enough to afford good food (if I shop out of town), bike parts, and can still save a little. That's partly due to having four people living in a two bedroom house, but it's certainly big enough with a loft and a "Yoga" room (my room). I also like driving a work truck. Just feels right. Hydraulic lift gates are pretty awesome too. I think being self employed would be cool in the future, and getting paid to write and/or edit also has my interest. But for now, I'm pretty happy were I am.

First Impressions of Telluride

It's like Disney World for adults. It's a mecca for outdoor recreation whether it's hiking, climbing, mountaineering, kayaking, rafting, biking, fly fishing, off-roading, and of course skiing and snowboarding in the winter.

Some random facts:

• USPS does not come to my house; we have a PO Box in town.
• I'll most likely need 4x4-low and snow chains to get around my neighborhood in winter. Even then, I might get snowed in some days. But, it's the kind of place that you don't have to worry about locking your front door.
• It's much drier here than the Front Range, and I can now say that I prefer Aveeno over Vaseline lotion. It just feels more natural and less oily.
• Everything is uber expensive. Gas is $4.18, a 12 pack of PBR is $15, and groceries are through the roof. Sunscreen is $11 a bottle! I think I'll just wear long sleeves. Once I get paid, I plan to make a trip to the Wal-Mart in Montrose (an hour away) to stock up for a month.
• I have discovered the French Press and it is amazing, except for the last sip.
• Our fridge has a beer dispenser.
• My roommate has a Nintendo and a Super Nintendo.
• There are pretty much three types of people here. There are the tourists who are fairly well off and provide the foundation of the economy. Then there are the really rich people who own homes here and either don't have to work, work remotely, or just use this as a second home. And then there are people like me. Most in their twenties and here to play for a season or two while working backstage/operational jobs that keep this place rolling.
• There are only two radio stations. Both suck.
• Going from 5000ft to 9000ft is more difficult than going from sea level to 5000ft. There's not a whole lot of air up here, and I have a theory that smells are more intense because of it.
• It's good to have an employer that understands their employees. 4-10s and 3 days off in a row is sweet. I hardly know what to do with myself.
• It's also good to work for a small town with a lot of money. We're not lacking for equipment.

I apologize for the bullet points, but my brain couldn't put such randomness into paragraphs. I think moving here is one of the best decisions I've made. There's so much to do and so much to explore, and everyone I've met is active and adventurous. I'll try to keep the blog updated when I'm not busy playing. Upcoming trips/posts include Moab and Mesa Verde!