Well, it's been a long time since i've updated this blog, but with blue skies, sunshine, and the first snow free trails of the year, at least at lower elevations in the valleys, this seems like the appropriate time to get back on track with this site. Despite the amazing conditions for running in the late fall here in Southwest Colorado, early December brought winter with a vengeance to the mountains and valleys of the San Juan's. The trails at all elevations quickly were buried for the duration of the winter under an avalanche of snowfall, one of the deepest and coldest winters for some time in this part of the state. Durango was buried by a succession of blizzards, one after the other, dumping 3 to 4 feet at a time, leaving about 60 inches of snow on the ground that lasted from early December through early April. after witnessing the infancy of this winter, I decided to invest an a season ski pass at Purgatory, our local ski mountain. Good decision on my part - the amount of snow both in town and the mountains rendered trail running virtually impossible. So, instead of training through the winter, I made the best of the conditions facing me, probably skiing 45 to 50 days this winter with some of the most amazing powder days ever. The constant 3 and 4 foot dumps spoiled me, and epic powder days seemed to become the norm. January was a month abroad for me, spent traveling around Nicaragua in Central America with my little brother Mike. While I'd planned on running there, the hot temperatures and tasty rum meant I didn't run quite as much as i'd planned. My return to Durango at the end of January was a brutal encounter with winter, as more blizzards and epic powder days pounded the area. So, I continued to ski, enjoying what nature had to offer.
Now, milder temperatures have graced the area over the last month or so, and the deep blanket of snow that buried town has finally melted, leaving dirt trails for the first time since late November. last week was the first time that my runs on sailing hawks have not been disturbed by the constant presence of snow, ice, slush, and of course my personal favorite, heavy thick mud. For now, I am happy as each trail gradually dries out and opens, leaving me with longer and more varied options as each day passes. Today marks the opening of Animas City mountain for the season, and I plan to head up there with the dogs in short order. The trails on this mountain are one of my favorite training grounds, literally right out my back door, about 7.5 mile loop with about 1500 feet climbing foloowed bya steep 15oo foot descent. Fun fun... Should be interesting up top, especially the different aspects and exposures - we'll see if it's really snow free. So, for Now, one day at a time, enjoying the trails day by day as they open. based upon the 130 inch snow pack high in the San Juan's, it's going to be some time before the high peaks are accessible for running once again... maybe in July.
Because of the heavy winter here in SW Colorado, several weeks ago I headed out to Canyonlands National Park in Utah for some snow free trails in the desert and some fun on the slickrock. while it was cool there with temps in the high 60's during the day and about freezing at night, it made for perfect running conditions. the trails were amazing, especially because they were DRY without any snow... what a treat. Over three days there, I ran 34 miles on various loops in the backcountry. Friday was an 8 mile run, Saturday 15 mile run, and Sunday an 11 mile run. After a winter of skiing and "snow running" I was very happy with how good that many miles felt. Of course, the scenery didn't hurt either. canyonlands is such a special place, almost otherworldly, and running in that kind of environment allows you to see so much more while getting away from the crowds that tend to populate the shorter trails. Anyways, it was a great trip, and really got me excited for the summer training and racing season. Here are some pics from the running in canyonlands... I'm off to Animas now with the dogs...
Running Log for Last Month
All Runs on Sailing Hawk Trails
3/17 - 3/23 - 35 miles
M - 5 miles
T - 5 miles
W - 5 miles
T - 5 miles
F - 5 miles
S - 5 miles
S - 5 miles
3/24 - 3/30 - 49 miles
M - 5 miles
T - 5 miles
W - 5 miles
T - Off
F - 8 miles in Canyonlands (Big Spring Canyon - Squaw Canyon)
S - 15 miles in Canyonlands (Lost Canyon - Elephant Canyon)
S - 11 miles to Confluence (Confluence Overlook)
3/31 - 4/6 - 35 miles
M - Off
T - 6 miles
W - 6 miles
T - 6 miles
F - 6 miles
S - 6 miles
S - 5 Miles
4/7 - 4/13 - 38 miles
M - 6 miles
T - 6 miles
W - 6 miles
T - 6 miles
F - 6 miles
S - 8 miles (Animas City Mountain - 1st tme this year!)
S - Off
No comments:
Post a Comment