My Crew Chief

One of my best friends, and my Leadville crew chief, is running one of the Red Cross shelters for the Waldo fire.  He was interviewed for KOAA.  Keith is an evacuee himself (Vindicator and Centennial), and dropped  everything to run this shelter.  As proof that evacuees don't have time to grab everything, Keith didn't even have time to get his insane mop cut...



I've been impressed with the running community's response to the fires (High Park, Waldo, Flagstaff), and my inbox has been crammed with offers from runners offering their homes and resources to anyone in need.  We gave (a small amount) to the Red Cross, and encourage others to do the same.  While prayer and good thoughts are great things, the willingness to act and the extension of tangible help are the most important things right now.

Wyoming

Bighorn DNF

Not a good day for me, lots of personal mistakes ended in a frustrating shiver.  I won't bore you with the details, but I struggled from the off, slowed way down, recovered a bit, ran hard for 20 miles, got a bit hypothermic and froze my ass off.  After an hour or two of shivering in 2 jackets while sitting in front of a propane heater, I caught a ride back to the cabin.  Lessons learned I guess, and it was quite an embarrassment sitting there like a frozen idiot.  The good thing was the rest of the weekend was kick ass.  Will post photos soon.

Family Camping!

Never one to limit the abilities of my vehicles, I may have pushed it a bit too far...

Bierstadt, Sawtooth, & Evans

Managed to bail from work early and wanted to get high again.  I'd never grabbed Mt. Evans and didn't want to get it cheaply so I decided to do the Sawtooth ridge.  Mt. Bierstadt was my first 14er, so it holds some special place in my mind.  As per usual (and more now with the new road) it was a packed lot on a Friday at mid day.  Went easy and took lots of photos. I didn't spend much time on either summit as they were jam packed, but took my time along the ridges when I was alone.  Incredible weather, 74*F at the TH near 11,500' and well over 60*F on the summits.  The willows are horrendous right now, I'd avoid them if you choose to go.

False Evans, Sawtooth, Bierstadt

West from below the saddle

South from below the saddle

Sawtooth from Bierstadt summit

Proof Mt. B

Partway down to the Sawtooth, stayed low to avoid a big snowfield

Down you go

Back at Bierstadt 

Cairn

Sawtooth, rated class 3, but that's a stretch

Stay left

My friend and guide

Northeast from Evans 

Evans north ridge, stayed high to avoid people and get some extra scrambling in

Proof Mt. E, it was a zoo as you can see

Looking back up the drainage on the way home

Sawtooth and Mt. B from the drainage

Not the best running conditions

Route crosses the creek above the ponds and into the dreaded willows

Marmot

The dreaded willows.  Highly advise not using this route right now, this was only the start, gets nut deep

Great look from the drive down

Herman Lake: How Not to Glissade

An early morning wake up call (4:30AM) brought Team Gangels, Fish, and I to the high country for a run up to Herman Lake.  Our attempt to find a route to Pettingall Peak didn't materialize as we we a bit hung out and exposed, so we opted to find a way down.  Unfortunately that meant a sketchy glissade on some iced over snow.  I decided to go for it with gusto and it worked out for a while until I ate it, and ripped up my ass (photo proof below).  Fish suffered the same fate, but somehow TG made it out alive.  Perhaps there is something to wearing spandex in the high country...