Storm Mountain (More Race Scouting)

So the latest course iteration for the proposed trail ultra event is looking like a 100K (62 mile), with 4 summits, and just under 20,000 feet of climbing. A challenging course for sure. One of these summits is Storm Mountain. This is the lowest of the 4 summits at 9918 feet, but the toughest one to access based on the latest route. The goal is to tie in this summit via a loop from the Dunraven Trailhead/Miller Fork area. The word from the Forest Service seems to be that if we can find existing routes (maintained or unmaintained) then the areas we are now looking at should be ok. The Storm Mountain section will rely on quite a bit of unmaintained trail that hopefully is still in existence. From what I found today, Storm Mountain could still be an option. I definitely found some trail that hasn't seen much use recently, but still a trail by definition. It's going to take at least one more scouting trip up there before deciding to include it. Unfortunately, I didn't get to summit Storm today. Pete and Nick got to the Donner Pass area on Saturday, but had a little trouble finding some trails up there. They had a good excuse since it was all covered in snow. It looks like we might get a lot more snow up there tonight.

More pictures from today's scouting trip here

GPS data here

The high peaks of the National Park covered with snow and clouds.

Flowers Road and White Pine Mountains

I don't usually seek out runs along mainly jeep trail, 4wd road, double-track, or whatever the correct terminology is, but I had no complaints after this run. Starting a few miles west of Stove Prairie on Flowers Road, I ran another 3 miles of this road after it was no longer safely passable for my vehicle. I then headed south and climbed over the pass between East (elev 10248') and West (elev 10305') White Pine Mountains. There was a little over a mile of nice single-track trail to the north of the pass, but otherwise all jeep trail. The scenery was just spectacular and at peak fall foliage. I descended down the south side of the pass to Box Prairie and the trailhead for Donner Pass where I turned around and returned the same route. A total of 16 miles and 4100 feet of climbing. While motivated to run here so I could scout some potential trail racing routes, what I found was an area that I expect I will run many more times in the future.

Signal Mountain (left) spared by yesterday's snowstorm

Flowers Road approach to the mountains to be hurdled

GPS data here

Fish Creek Trail

We have been pretty much snow-free in the high mountains of the Northern Front Range, and I was hoping to squeeze in another run "up high" this morning, but it wasn't to be. I had planned a nice loop around the Zimmerman Trail and Crown Point starting and ending at Browns Lake Trailhead. As I drove up Crown Point Road early this morning the snow was flying and accumulating. Concerned that I might not be able to drive back down the road later, let alone find my way around on unfamiliar and snow-covered trails, I headed for lower elevations.

Browns Lake Trailhead (elev 10,480') a no-go for today

With so many great trails around Pingree Park, the trip was not wasted and I decided to run the Fish Creek Trail starting from its northeastern trailhead. Its about 6.5 miles one-way mainly between 8000 and 9000 feet in elevation, but still with a few decent climbs mixed in. The other trailhead sits by Sky Ranch. This trail offers a nice mix of dense forest, open meadows, and moderate ridges as it rolls through the Fish Creek drainage. Plenty of beautiful aspen stands this time of year.

On my return for this out and back run I added another little out and back on the Little Beaver Creek Trail and then the connector trail to Flowers Road by Jacks Gulch Campground. My total miles for the day ended up a little over 16 miles (about what I was expecting for my proposed loop up high).

A nice blanket over the Mummy Range

GPS Data for today's run

Blue Sky Marathon/Half Marathon

Blue Sky Marathoner Bill Moyle still going strong at 71.

The Fort Collins trails played host to about 200 trail runners today for the 3rd running of the Blue Sky Marathon and Half Marathon. While most of the course is out and back along the Blue Sky Trail, the marathon course consists of about a 7-mile loop up in Horsetooth Mountain Park, with a sweet climb up the infamous Towers Road. It was at the top of this climb that I got to hang out with Nick, Alistair, and Crew at the Towers Aid Station and played amatuer photographer (more photos here) while cheering the marathoners through the top of their toughest climb of the day (about 5 miles into the race). Last year, a 50K distance was added in addition to the marathon, but this race was dropped. I think it was wise to stick with just one or the other, instead of having both so similar in distance. Anyway, there is hope for a mountain ultra race in the northern Front Range that could be something special, hopefully next year. Probably either a 50-mile or 100K in and around the Comanche Peaks Wilderness. A proposed 50-mile course can be seen here.

I did get in 16 miles around Horsetooth Mountain Park this morning (about 11 before and 5 after the marathoners came through). Still no snow in the high country and I will try to take advantage of that, if possible, as October rolls on.

The morning course:

Southridge-Audra Culver-Horsetooth Rock-Soderberg-Wathen-Westridge-Towers-Mill Creek-Loggers-Carey Springs-Towers (down to aid station)-back up Towers-Spring Creek-Herrington-Stout-Spring Creek-Horsetooth Falls

Start/Finish at Horsetooth Mountain Trailhead.

GPS Data

Stromy Peaks Pass to Signal Mountain

The North Fork Big Thompson and the Bulwark Ridge (Signal Mountain) trails out of the Dunraven Trailhead are two trails that I have run many times, but always in out and back fashion. A few weeks ago, I finally hit both of these trails in a single loop. The "big loop" was about 30 miles and took me all the way to Pingree Park. Hoping for a shorter loop option, I decided to explore the unmarked trail that extends from just about a half-mile up the Stormy Peaks Pass Trail from the North Fork Trail (about 2 miles South of the pass) over to Signal Mountain. This trail is shown on old USGS topo maps, but not on any recent trail maps. There are also no signs indicating this trail option.

The start of the trail from the West is easy to find, just take a right at the first mileage sign (7.9 miles to Pingree Park?) near the top of the steep switchbacks heading up toward the pass. The first half a mile of the trail is easy to follow. I lost the trail when it reached a meadow at the headwaters for Pennock Creek. Instead of spending much time looking for the trail, I just headed straight toward Signal Mountain in hopes that the trail would come back to me. I would have been better off trying to maintain the top or close to the top of the ridge, as I dropped down too low toward the valley and got into some rough travelling. I ascended back up the ridge and did find the trail again, only losing it slightly a couple times after that. Luckily, quite a few cairns have been placed along the trail to guide the way. The trail opened up too many great views in all directions along the way, eventually climbing up above treeline on the approach to Signal Mountain. After about 4 miles, I hooked up with the Bulwark Ridge Trail on the saddle between Signal and South Signal Mountains and made my descent back to the Dunraven Trailhead. The total loop is about 17 miles with a just a little under 4000 feet of climbing. I'm sure that I will be back to do this loop many more times (in both directions) and eventually should have little problem following this great connector trail.

GPS data

The view to the West (The Mummy Range)

The view to the South (Longs and Meeker)

The view to the North (Pennock Creek Valley)

Approaching Signal Mountain around the North shoulder of South Signal

Above the Clouds

It was nice to get a little moisture here over the weekend, but we could still use a lot more. Fort Collins sat in a dense fog for most of the morning while it was clear up in the foothills. Just like last week, I put in about 17 miles and 4000 feet of climbing. This time it was all within Horsetooth Mountain Park. I like to plan routes where I don't retrace (no out and backs) or criss-cross any of my tracks along the way. This was a pretty good one with plenty of climbing.

Today's route:

Southridge-Audra Culver-Horsetooth Mountain-Soderberg-Wathen-Westridge-Towers-Mill Creek-Loggers-Sawmill-Stout-Towers-Spring Creek-Herrington-Stout-Spring Creek-Horsetooth Falls

Start and Finish at Horsetooth Mountain Trailhead.

GPS Data

Reservoir Road Fire outbreak last Sunday

Storm Pass Trail

The aspens are starting to glow and the elk are bugling, just a great time to be on a Colorado mountain trail. The Storm Pass Trail is a great trail run option in Rocky Mountain National Park. Despite having one trailhead near Longs Peak and the other near Bear Lake, I find very little traffic on this trail. I took off from Lily Lake (the eastern trailhead) before dawn and ran the entire length of the trail to its western trailhead on Bear Lake Road. The one-way length is just a little over 7 miles and tops out at Storm Pass, elevation about 10,300 feet. I crossed Bear Lake Road and tacked on the climb up to Bierstadt Lake for a little extra mileage and climbing. Bierstadt Lake is rather uninspiring, but the views from the ridge just below the lake were worth the climb.

The Glacier Basin as viewed from just below Bierstadt Lake

I turned around at Bierstadt Lake and returned the same route. This out and back totalled just over 17 miles and just under 4000 feet of climbing. There is a great loop option which I've done a couple of times taking Boulder Brook/North Longs Peak up to Granite Pass and then back down the main Longs Peak trail. There are also endless trails heading out of Bear Lake. I was happy staying below treeline today, however, especially after doing big miles last Monday.

One of many great views from the Storm Pass Trail

I'd like to give a shout out to Nick C for winning his first 100-miler (first of many?) at Wasatch this weekend. Also, to Pete S for finishing Wasatch to complete the Grand Slam.

GPS data for today's run.