Green Mountain - Ups

Time: 1:07
Distance: 5.38 miles
Effort: Moderate
Body: Average
Weather: Sunny & cool, but glorious


Hit the hill early this week. I started up the Gregory Canyon trail just a hair before seven a.m. The trail was almost totally clear of snow/ice until the downhill stretch just before the creek crossing downstream from the ranger cottage. As I ran this section, I was thinking about how nice it is that I'll be able to get to know this trail in a whole different way, once all the snow and ice is melted off. There will be new patterns to run through rock gardens, bigger step-ups (no packed snow to make them seems smaller) and no slippage to send unwanted waves of fatigue through the legs.


From the ranger cottage to the top, it was all ice/snow. Fortunately, there was just a bit of crusty snow on top of the ice to allow provide a bit of traction.


Splits:


Ranger cottage:17:56
4-way: 37:48
Summit: 41:12


I soon need to find a minute in each of first two sections. It's time.


Hit the summit at almost the same moment Tony arrived from the Ampi-Saddle-Green route. I was breathing hard, hands on my knees. He, well, wasn't. After a few minutes chatting atop the summit rock, gazing at the crystal clear views of the Indian Peaks, I was off back the way I came. Ran past another runner, who I think was Kraig - didn't get a change to introduce myself. Down in a relaxed (no traction devices today) 26 minutes.