Visiting the Lady in the Clouds

A summit of Mount Lady Washington (13281 feet) this morning.  I've run around this summit countless times on my way to Longs Peak and other destinations, so I thought it was time to finally pay the Lady a visit.  I've been told that the views from this summit, especially of Longs Peak, are amazing.  All I could see of Longs today is shown above.  I took the Keyhole route up past Granite Pass and almost to the Boulder Field before hanging a left and scrambling to the summit.  Actually two summits and I wasn't sure which was higher.  I visited both and found the summit register tube on the summit to the east.  Pretty fun up there in the clouds, still warm enough for a t-shirt.  I descended blindly through the fog shooting for the Chasm trail junction.  I ended up hearing waterfalls and navigating a bit of Class 4 downclimbing as I think I was getting closer to the Camel Couloir route to Chasm Lake.  Praying I wasn't going to do something stupid and injure myself five days before Hardrock, I steered to the left and got to some easier downclimbing, coming out on the Chasm Trail only about a quarter mile from the junction.

All systems go for Hardrock.  The dominant piece of advice I have received from several Hardrock veterans (including one I ran into on the trail today) is to GO SLOW.  I know I have gone out too fast on both of my previous 100's, so I am taking this advice to heart.  Besides, there is only one guy I have to beat.  I plan to be very efficient and will spend as little time at aid stations as possible.  Aid station time (or time not moving) has been a killer for me.  Since the conditions in those mountains can change in an instant, I will actually be carrying all of my needed gear with me.  I am only using a few drop bags for restocking my fuel.  No pacers and the only thing I ask of my crew (Deanne, Megan, and Madison) is to let me see their smiling faces a couple times, most importantly the finish line.  That's all the motivation I need.  We're leaving the Fort for Silverton Wednesday morning.  Look forward to seeing many of you there.

Pics from today:

The last time I ran in the San Juan Mountains (June 2009):