10/27, Tuesday - Freeway, Spyronette, Freeway, 3rd Flatiron, Green Mtn - 7 miles, 4,500', 4:14
My first flatiron trifecta, though it wasn't too pure of a line. Started off with a warm-up scramble up the 2nd in 11:46. Since I didn't want to do the 5.6 Direct Route on the First Flatiron, I stuck to the 5.4 linkup of the Flatironette, Spy and North Arette. I figured I would downclimb Freeway just to make-up for my easier route on the 1st. Went up the 3rd in a PR (out of two times) of 13:29. Finally, I chugged my way up to Green from the backside of the 3rd, and descended the Northeast ridge back to Chautauqua.
10/30, Thursday - Flatiron Trifecta + Green Mountain - 7 miles, 4,500', 3:51
Met up with
Kendrick and we jogged to the base of the 3rd and made a casual scramble in 24:10. The downclimb was cruising until I decided to try and shortcut to the chockstone and had to actually climb rather than the normal mindless crawling; Kendrick then had to face his own crap a few feet further down. We probably spent 10 stationary minutes between us both figuring out how to do relatively simple moves that stump us for some reason. Next I was huffing and puffing trying to keep up on the Freeway. I split a 12:18, but I felt like I was working way harder than that. Last we tackled the 5.6 Direct East Face route on the 1st, I hadn't done it since May, and Kendrick had only done it once. The first pitch, which was the most hardest of the day by far, went very smoothly. The rest of the scramble went really well too. Kendrick showed me the sequence to pass through the slot which ended up being not so bad at all. We then hiked to the summit of Green from the backside of the 1st, then descended via the Amphitheater.
10/31, Friday - Freeway - 3 miles, 1,300', 1:40
For a spooky Halloween outing, my room mate and I went and did a moonlit scramble of the 2nd. The moon was bright enough that we only really needed lights for the descent in the trees. Otherwise there was plenty of light for adjusted eyes to see clearly - so it actually wasn't very spooky at all. We tried taking pictures, but we couldn't get a long enough exposure on our devices for anything to come out at all qualifiable as even a half decent picture..
11/1, Saturday - Grays (14,270') & Torreys (14,267') - 9 miles, 3,700', 6:12
Easy hike up and down Grays and Torreys with Elliot for my 5th summit of both mountains. Some snow is starting to accumulate, but I was still generally fine in running shoes. Ended up crossing paths with some CU cross-country/track/triathlon guys, one of which we both knew from elementary school. This also marked 1,000 miles and 300,000 feet climbed for the the year.
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| Coming down Grays (left) and Torreys (right) |
Week Totals:
Miles: 26
Vert: 14,000'
Time: 18:21
Fun week. The trifecta was a big goal to get done. I guess Kendrick followed Peter Bakwin on Free-for-All, 5.6. Freeway doesn't get you to the actual top of 2nd, so I'll have to do that sometime soon, and thus have the "complete" trifecta. High country is just about on the tipping point of winter, probably reached the end of light and fast 14ers for this season.
11/3, Monday- Bear Pk + South Boulder Pk- 15 miles, 4,400', 3:15
From the apartment, ran up to the Mesa Trail via Enchanted Mesa. Took the "non-enchanted" Mesa to Fern Canyon and thrashed up the 2,000' to the summit in a PR 30:58. I was basically completely inside a cloud, for about 10 minutes it started snowing really hard then suddenly stopped. Got over to South Boulder, hoping the clouds would part and give me some sort of view, but no go. Took the Bear Peak West Ridge trail down to the massively over switch-backed Bear Canyon. Finally, descended Skunk Canyon back through campus and back home.
11/4, Tuesday - First Flatiron + Green Mt- 14 miles, 3,200', 3:25
Ran to Chat, was feeling yesterday quite a bit so I took it easy to the base of rock. Oh hello, superstars;
Anton Krupicka and
Joe Grant. I offered for them to take the lead for obvious reasons, but I guess they were filming something. The intended audience must have been French because I could here Joe talking to the film crew in French. Anyways I nervously made my way up under the watchful eyes of two people I very much look up to. In my nervousness I started on probably the most slippery spot and came skidding back down a few feet. Great now I look like a moron. I restarted and got up the rock just fine. The slot pitch was a breeze now that I've done it. I've narrowed it down to one move on the first 5.6 pitch that I have to pause for, otherwise I can go pretty smoothly. I got up in 33:15, downclimbed in 6:18, and finished up to the summit of Green. Yesterday's precipitation had melted, and frozen to the trees; the trees were now snowing thin shale-like pieces of ice. I decided to descend the fire road Chapman Drive back down which was stupid, because its about -1% grade meaning it feels like 80 miles of switchbacks to get down to Boulder Canyon - way worse than yesterdays switchbacks. Thats what I get for trying to get in more pure running miles. By the time I got to the creek path I felt even more trash than I had all day so I took several walking breaks and coasted to campus. I then felt really good for the last mile. Weird day.
11/5, Wednesday - Track - 4 miles, 0', :045
Plan was to continue the summit streak, but I woke up early and could already feel my quads. So I kept it flat. I found the workout quite satisfying despite the indoor rec center track, a fun sprint pyramid I used to love doing freshman year. I did a bunch of hip mobility and random exercise afterwards, followed by an easy 30 minute swim just loosen up the muscles.
11/6, Thursday - First Flatiron + Green Mt - 5 miles, 2,800', 1:50
Drove to Chatauqua, up the 1st/NE Ridge down Amphitheater. Direct as possible, no switchbacks today! PR'ed the 1st in 26:26 as well the downclimb in 5:23. Getting to that stage where I can shave off tons of time just from knowing where to go and the most direct/easy line. Hoping to get my time in the 'teens sometime in the next month.
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| Shadow-play on top of the 1st |
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| The beautiful 3rd. The view that I never get tired of. |
11/7, Friday - Off
Stayed up till an ungodly hour doing homework last night. I would have needed another massive dosage of caffeine to do anything. Better off cutting my losses and just taking the day off.
11/7, Saturday - 1st Flatiron, Green Mt, 3rd Flatiron, Green Mt- 11 miles, 5,700', 3:55
The goal was to do as much vert as possible without much of a plan other than that. It was a typical weekend at Chautauqua with hordes of humans all over the frontside. I even had to wait a little bit at the base of the 1st for a roped party, even then I was straddling a rope half of the climb. Managed to PR the east face in 21:30 and also the downclimb in 4:54. Finished up the summit of Green, running uphills with a power I haven't felt in a long time. After briefly tagging the summit I was working the downhill still feeling good, then I slipped on a wet rock and cut my hand. The way I hit the ground, for a split second I thought I might break a bone, it was hard. I got back to the Chautauqua Ranger station, washed it, got a band-aid and set off for the 3rd. The fall sort of through off my physical and mental mojo so it was a lumbering jog. Split 16min for the face and 13 min for the downclimb. The SE ridge is something I've yet to figure out. Finally got the summit of Green where there was hardly room on the summit rock. I sat for a bit then tenderly descended. I considered doing one easy lap on Freeway or the 1st, but the sky had a tint of pink (daylight savings, ugh) and I was about due for some food and water, so I called it.
11/8, Sunday - Freeway x 2, Spyronrêtte - 4 miles, 2,700', 2:40
Felt horrible from the start so I meandered my way up Freeway twice before heading over to the first. There I found the rock covered in roped parties, so I did the Flatironette/Spy/Arête route in molasses like fashion. Joe Grant passed me on the downclimb, he must have done it in 2 minutes, but he didn't even look like he was trying to go fast, just a smooth flow. Then as I was driving back home I passed who I believe was legendary Bill Briggs on his bike.
Week Totals:
Miles: 53
Vert: 18,700'
Time: 15:32
