Longs - Keyhole

Started at 4:31 am. Took the initial shortcut trail. Hit the main trail, then took the shortcut at the next switchback by the creek. I lost this trail at some point (still dark) but eventually popped out on the long flat section. Decided to skip the shortcut before the next creek crossing since I figured I'd lose it in the dark. I crossed the bridge over the creek, continued through a right switchback and a left switchback. Here I missed the shortcut trail up to Jims Grove in the dark. I could've turned back and found it, but there were other hikers there, so I just continued on the main trail up to the junction with Jims Grove. Here I took the Jims Grove trail until I hit the main trail again. I faced a pretty strong headwind as I popped out of the trees. Turned right on the main trail, through Granite Pass (where I pulled on a long sleeve shirt), and up the switchbacks into the Boulderfield (stayed on the switchbacks). Felt strong running to the privy sign. Up to the Keyhole where the wind was really ripping...until I was just a few seconds past the Keyhole. On the Ledges section, I took a lower, slabby traverse where the trail goes high. This worked nicely. Really no snow to deal with on the Ledges or in the Trough. Still a bit of snow in the upper Homestretch, but I really didn't have to do much to avoid it. My 30th ascent of Longs!

Down the Homestretch and Narrows quickly. Made pretty good time in the Trough with nobody coming up below me. Finally ran into some other hikers as I started back across the Ledges. Took the slabby traverse again when the trail went high. Back to the Keyhole. Running down the talus back to the flats of the Boulderfield, I noticed lots of folks stopping to stare like I was some sort of freak. I really wasn't moving that fast. Hit the Boulderfield and followed the trail out, but I cut over the north shoulder of MLW when there weren't any hikers nearby. Jims Grove trail again. Jims Grove shortcut. Kept my eyes open for all left turns off of this and managed to stay on it until popping out on the long flat section. The key here is that the trail kinda cuts across left more than expected rather than going more steeply downhill. Screwed up the turn off of the long flat section and lost some time in the woods. I think turning off before the Goblin Forest junction was my mistake, as I think I ended up crossing over that trail. Eventually popped back out on the main trail at the switchback by the creek. Took the lower shortcut trail where I took a minor fall while looking for a shorter shortcut. Oops.

Started with flashlight and water bottle in hands. Long sleeve shirt around the waist. Nathan pack with 3 Gus, balaclava, gloves, cell phone, whistle. Occasionally put the hand bottle into the pack.

0:00 - Longs Peak TH
10:52 - junction of the first shortcut trail with the main trail
1:02:01 - junction of the Jims Grove trail with the main trail
1:28:20 - Boulderfield privy sign
1:40:47 - Keyhole
2:02:04 - top of the Trough (start of the Narrows)
2:11:16 - summit
2:15:03 - started down
3:37:20 - Longs Peak TH

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Hardrock 100 pacing and volunteering

Paced Jennifer Roach from Grouse Gulch (42.1 mi) to Ouray (56.5 mi). Left Grouse at 11:14 pm Friday night and arrived at Ouray at 6:21 am Saturday morning.

Backpacked into the Putnam aid station on Saturday morning. I started out on the Colorado Trail from the Little Molas TH around 9:00 am and arrived at the aid station about 1:25 later.

While at the Putnam aid station, I hiked/jogged up and down the trail above the aid station quite a few times.

Backpacked out from Putnam to Silverton, following the course. I left the aid station at 8:20 am, arrived at the South Mineral Creek crossing around 9:40 am (?) and arrived in Silverton at the finish line at around 10:05 am (?).

Longs - Keyhole

Started at 7:58 am. Took the initial shortcut trail. It was in pretty rough shape from recent rains. Hit the main trail and stayed on it through a right switchback and a left switchback rather than take the shortcut. Now on the long flat section, I slowed looking for the shortcut before the next creek crossing that Bill and I had come down last year. It was further along than I anticipated, but I found it and took it. I followed it initially but lost it after crossing a small stream. A trail had continued up the stream before I crossed it, but that seemed to be going too far to the north. I ended up just heading up, trending left, until I hit the shortcut trail to Jims Grove. This took me directly to the privy where I headed hard left/south to come out of the Grove to the Jims Grove trail. Followed that up (without shortcutting) to the main trail below Granite Pass. Followed the main trail to Granite Pass and up the switchbacks to the Boulderfield. I stayed with these annoying switchbacks for the most part but did shortcut just a bit when the trail became a stream in a few spots.

Through the Boulderfield to the Keyhole and along the Ledges beyond. For the most part, really no snow and ice to deal with until about 50 yards before the Trough. I tried kicking a few steps in the snow to work my way up to the rocks above, but the snow was really firm. So, I stopped and put on my Kahtoolas while chatting with another fellow (he turned back here). I then took a low traverse to the Trough and climbed up on snow. About 2/3 of the way up, the snow ended for a bit so I removed the crampons. When I hit snow again, I went left onto the slabs which I followed to the top of the Trough. Across the Narrows which was essentially snow-free except for some patches up high which were out of the way. The Homestretch still had a pretty good snowfield in the upper half. I avoided it by scrambling up further to the right than normal. A touch trickier than the normal route.

Descending the Homestretch, I stayed closer to the normal route, still avoiding the snow, which was quite wet/verglassed and slippery. Took my time here. I decided to descend the right side of the Trough on the slabs/rock. Right near the top, I stepped on a patch of black ice on a slab. Fortunately, I didn't fall down the slab and just smacked my hand on the rock, bruising my palm. Descended very cautiously after that. Took a higher traverse across snow with good steps back to the Ledges. Back through the Keyhole and the Boulderfield to Granite Pass.

Left the trail at Granite Pass to run the ridge over Battle Mountain and over to Pine Ridge. Topped out on all of the major bumps along the ridge. From the furthest point, I then made my way back toward Pine Ridge, which I was thinking I'd follow all the way down. I had to traverse high to skirt some snowfields before I could drop down toward the ridge. Snowed a bit on me here. As I neared the ridge, it started to look less and less appealing; ie, a nasty bushwhack. After bushwhacking a ways down, I decided to give up on the ridge. It looked ugly to drop to the right toward the main trail, so I opted to drop down to the left and drop down to the Estes Cone trail. The bushwhacking wasn't too bad doing this, and I eventually picked up a faint trail which I followed to the Cone trail (Eugenia Mine trail). Jogged this a bit further than expected back to the main trail and back to the trailhead.

0:00 - Longs Peak TH
12:01 - junction of the first shortcut trail with the main trail
23:42 - leaving the main trail on a shortcut before crossing the creek
1:06:15 - junction of the Jims Grove trail with the main trail
1:34:57 - Boulderfield privy sign
1:48:11 - Keyhole
2:26:50 - top of the Trough (start of the Narrows)
2:38:45 - summit
2:47:44 - started down
2:57:15 - top of the Trough
3:22:59 - Keyhole
dup - Granite Pass
5:12:58 - Longs Peak TH

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Boulder Valley Ranch run

With Lori. Parked at east end of Pebble Beach Dr in Lake Valley. North Rim, Sage, Boulder Valley Ranch TH, Cobalt, Eagle, Sage, Boulder Valley Ranch TH, Sage, North Rim.

0:00 - "North Rim TH"
1:06:55 - "North Rim TH"

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Superior Downhill Mile

Ran with Mia. We started out too fast and had to ease off about a minute in. Mia ran nearly everything, walking just a few steps once or twice. Super fun! Mia really enjoyed it. I had 11:00 on my watch, while the race timing had us at 11:02.

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Caribou BM

BTR night run. With Chris G, Andy G, Charles D, Steve M. Started at 9:42 pm. Starting from the Glacier Rim TH, we jogged a bit but mostly hiked, regrouping a few times, until the saddle west of Caribou BM. We had considered going to "Old Baldy", but our altimeters were reading 11600ish (instead of 12300ish) at the saddle, so, figuring "Old Baldy" was still a ways off, we opted to top out on Caribou BM and call it a night. Beautiful evening with a mostly-full moon shining bright when not obscured by clouds.

Planned to go up Audubon, but an accident turned us around on the Peak to Peak just south of Ward.

0:00 - Glacier Rim TH (started stopwatch a minute or two late)
2:40:12 - Glacier Rim TH

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Green

From Gregory TH, Amph, Saddle Rock, Greenman, Green; down the same.

Started at 6:36 am. Wanted to go easy, but again, it's hard to keep the climb easy. I still felt like I was working pretty hard despite how slow I went. Sat on the summit enjoying the morning for a bit. Ran down trying to take it easy, but worked on quick feet again. This actually had me working pretty hard, but it was pretty easy on the quads.

0:00 - Gregory TH
9:58 - Amph/Saddle Rock
27:48 - Saddle Rock/Greenman
dup - Green summit (was around 49:30, I think)
58:53 - starting down
1:25:00 - Gregory TH

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