Weekend Fun

This was a tough week for running.  Let's just say the work/life balance was non-existant this week.  Any breaks I took from work were for post-school day family stuff.  One and two a.m. bed times were the norm.  As a result, I didn't run Mon. - Thurs.  I can't remember a time when I missed four days due to work/family commitments.

The days off were made more difficult given the fabulous weather and the knowledge that it couldn't last.

And, it didn't.


We got the first snow of the year yesterday up here at 7,600 feet in the foothills.  jP burst into our room around 7 a.m. yesterday morning proclaiming loudly, "It snowed!"

While I was grinning from groggy ear to groggy ear at his enthusiasm, I can't say I was glad to see the snow.

Thankfully, I got out Friday around 4 p.m. in the sun for a dash around the upper loop on Bergen Peak (8.2 miles; 1,631 feet o' elevation gain).  Maya was along for the ride and showed no ill effects from her running lay-off.  She was bounding ahead and exploring at will, easily adding another mile or so to her day.

After a Saturday morning of snow, the sun finally came out around mid-day, which was enough encouragement to get me our for an extended version of the Meadow View Loop at Elk Meadow Open Space (6.3 miles, 820 feet o' elevation gain).

This morning, I was up a bit early to meet up with David W. for a run at Alderfer-Three Sisters Open Space.  We started easy from the lower parking lot and ran the eastern loop through the old Blair Ranch property and over to Elephant Butte, a Denver Mountain Park property.

We picked our way up the well-defined trail to the hump's summit.  We spent a good 10 minutes soaking up the SPECTACULAR views to the west of the Mt. Evans group.  Perfect morning.

We finished up with a couple more miles on the Alderfer trail system before piling back into the cars and getting on with the non-running parts of our days (6.2 miles, 1,597 feet o' elevation gain).

A few pics from the morning:

Early morning view of Evergreen Lake with mist rising.

Obligatory summit pic atop Elephant Butte with Mt. Evans in the distance.

The Mt. Evans Group. 

Bergen Peak.

Looking south to Evergreen Mountain with upper Alderfer meadow in the foreground.

Elephant Butte from upper Alderfer meadow.

View of the Three Sisters rock formations from the upper meadow at Alderfer-Three Sisters Open Space

Hoping to get back into more regular posting here.