Sounds of the Trail

Running is a treat for the senses...the sights, sounds, temperature, wind, footing and smells all stimulate some aspect of our five senses, whether we think about it or not. Sometimes, though, a particular sense is activated and for a given run, that sense dominates.

So was the case on Tuesday's jaunt up Green Mountain as I was struck by the sounds of the mountain.

The run began around 3:30 p.m. from Chautauqua, climbing the old paved road to the Mesa Trail. The trail was, as expected, a mix of snow, ice, dirt and mud. No traction required (on the ascent).

I made my way over to the junction with the Bear Canyon Trail and started climbing. The further up I went, the more aware I become of the few sounds around me.

First, it was the pleasant gurgling of Bear Canyon Creek running beneath a layer of ice and snow, reminding me that even on the coldest days, our mountains remain invaluable water factories for the plants, animals and human communities that surround them.

On the climb up Green-Bear, I paused to listen to the distant caw of a crow, it's call forlorn and almost out of place on such a beautiful, sunny day.

Soon I was standing on Green Mountain's summit rock, marveling at the fact that there was no wind. None. It was perfectly still. I noticed then the constant, low rumble generated by the 97,000 or so souls moving around and going about their days down below in Boulder. Their collective sounds rolled up, combined and enveloped the mountain in a strangely comforting auditory embrace.

Green Mountain's summit marker. Photo: Brandon Fuller

Just then, the whistle of a train dropping down the side of Eldorado Mountain echoed through the hills, adding a new dimension of sound to the bass line of the city. The train's sound reminded me of hearing as a kid in Kansas the same distant whistle in the summer through my open bedroom window. To me the whistle is as much a warning as it is a reminder of movement, of going places...as in running.

On the run down Green's frontside, the dominant sounds became of my own making -- the scrape of Microspikes on ice and rock, or the satisfying "squench" when spikes found a solid purchase in firmly packed snow, propelling me around a sharp switchback.

Once back at the now dark Gregory Canyon parking lot, the sounds became those of others. A car driving down Flagstaff Road, a dog barking in the backyard of a house in the neighborhood adjacent to the open space.

The low rumble of humanity I heard atop Green's summit now was just the usual collection of individual sounds. The crows were quiet, and the train's whistle now was drowned out by the immediate din of the neighborhood.

Running is, indeed, a treat for the senses.

Distance: 8.23 miles
Time: 1:46 (Green descent - 20:57)
Elevation gain: 2,887

A Monochrome Day on Green Mountain

Solid run from Chautauqua up the backside of Green Mountain and down Bear Canyon.


Time: 1:47
Distance: 9 miles
Effort: Steady
Body: Average
Weather: Gray and cold

Sometimes the incongruence of a name and a place becomes suddenly conspicuous.  For example, if something terrible happens to a family that lives in a place called Happy Valley...or if no one in Germantown speaks German...or if there are no hills or dales anywhere near Hillsdale.

I was thinking about this as I was headed up Green Mountain as a light snow was falling and the fog-like fingers of a low cloud ceiling were reaching down into the furrows that unfold along the mountain's flanks. The snow, trees shrouded in white, the clouds and the poor overall visibility created a monochrome feel around Green Mountain today, a peak whose names suggests a verdant, living place.

Still, even a seemingly colorless landscape has beauty and Green didn't disappoint today...it just presented itself in a new way. Stark. Simple. Quiet.

I started late afternoon at the Chautauqua parking lot and made my way over to Gregory Canyon, slipped on the traction devices and started my trek up toward the ranger cottage. I saw one other hiker on the ascent, just a bit past the trailhead.

I ran up to the cottage at a steady, but unimpressive pace, stopping ten or so times to readjust the Microspikes. I need to get a smaller sized pair for my size 11.5 feet. The Crosslites I was wearing are too narrow for the large size spikes I have.

I was today in the mood for the mountains, so the stops didn't bother me. Everything would be taken in stride. No hurry. The temps were nice. The snow was beautiful.  All good.

I hit the summit in around 46 minutes, tagged the summit marker and headed back down to the four-way and dropped down toward Bear Canyon. Along the southwestern side of Green, the cloud ceiling really seemed to close in, heightening the feeling of absence of color.

I don't remember much of the descent. I was lost in thought and on blissful autopilot feeling like I was miles away from the bustle of work and of Boulder.

I saw my first hikers since early in Gregory Canyon shortly after joining the Mesa Trail. The appearance of others whipped me out of my revelry. I put my head down and focused on keeping a steady pace back to Chautauqua.

By the time I was back in the truck and headed home on Highway 93, the falling snow and dropping temps had made for some relatively treacherous driving conditions. Traffic slowed, and so did my commute. The upside...I had more time to reflect on the monochrome silence that enveloped Green Mountain this winter day.

Flagstaff Mountain - Plus Some Other Stuff

Got out a bit early to get in some miles before hooking up with the Boulder Trail Runners group for a pack run.


Time: 1:42
Distance: 8.83 miles
Effort: Easy
Body: Good
Weather: Sunny & Cool


Heard via the Boulder Trail Runners listserv that Andrew Skurka was going to share some stories and pics from his six-month, 4,700-mile Alaska-Yukon Expedition at Sherpa's Restaurant this evening.  So, I cleared the decks and planned to stick around Boulder post-work in order to catch the presentation and get in a few miles.


I got over to Chautauqua around 4:30 p.m. with plans to run for a while and then meet up with the BTR Thursday Happy Hour running group at 5:30 p.m.  Standing in front of the Chautauqua meadow with so many trail options before me I tried to guess what would be the least likely option for a fairly large running group of people with mixed abilities. I was keen on not running the same route twice this evening.  So, I guessed the group was not likely to run up the Flagstaff Trail, so I headed off solo in that direction.


I was feeling pretty good and ran an easy pace up the Flagstaff Trail to its intersection with the Ute Trail near the apex of Flagstaff Mountain.  Hit a spit here in 28:23 and turned around and retraced my steps back to Chautauqua.


The BTR group was already gathering as I ran up. After a quick pit stop for some water, the group of 15 or so runners set off running toward, you guessed it, Gregory Canyon, where the start of the Flagstaff Trail is. I still held out hope that the group would opt for a cruise up the Gregory Canyon Trail, but twas not to be. Up the Flagstaff Trail we went. 


The group quickly split up with three of us well off the front running a steady, but easy pace. The group didn't seem to have a pre-arranged route, so at the first trail junction we stopped to regroup. This would be the theme for the rest of the run...run, stop, run. 


We ran up Flagstaff to Crown Rock (regrouped) and descended down to Gregory Canyon (regrouped). From there, we ran down to the parking lot (regrouped) and headed up the Bluebell Trail and ran a series of trails over to the Mesa Trail (regrouping twice), then three of us ran up Mesa a bit and picked up an extra mile or so on a few trails I'd never run on that eventually led us back to Chautauqua.


It was a lot of fun running with the group, but all the stopping to regroup was a bit much for me. I thought about bailing a few times, but was enjoying running with some new folks just enough to stick with it. Glad I did.


After the run, I headed over to Sherpa's for some Nepalese food (fair) and some $2 pints of local beer (very good).  A crowd of about 40 people turned out to hear about Skurka's adventure. This was the first time he'd given a presentation about his expedition, which he returned from about five weeks ago. He had some great stories and good pics and video. He still has a lot of work to do on the presentation, but he's got a great experience to share.


One video he showed stuck out in my mind. He shot himself sitting under his tarp during a hard rainstorm. He was at the tail-end of the trip, enduring a long stretch of difficult bushwhacking through pure wilderness - a 3 and a half week stretch of no towns, no roads...just wilderness. You could tell from his voice and his thousand-yard-stare that he was walking a razor's edge of emotion. In the video, he was opining on what wilderness in Alaska is compared to what we have here in the lower 48, but his eyes and just-on-the-verge-of-cracking voice told us more about Alaska wilderness than the words. You could tell he was mentally going through a lot of difficulty. Very telling.  Very poignant. If you get a chance, be sure to catch his presentation.


Boulder Daily Camera article on Skurka and his expedition, here.

Chautauqua - Bear Canyon - Green Mtn - Gregory

Great, moderate-paced late morning run from Chautauqua, topping out at the summit of Green Mountain.


Time:  1:30-ish
Distance: ? miles
Effort: Moderate
Body: Good
Weather: Sunny and warm


Escaped from the desk at mid-morning, lured out by the perfect weather - mild temps, a bit of humidity in the air and blue skies. 


From the Chautauqua trailhead, I headed up Bluebell to Mesa, took Mesa over to Bear Canyon and climbed the canyon to the intersection with West Ridge, pausing to dunk the hat in the blissfully cool creek. From here, I climbed Green Bear up to the four-way and then on to the summit of Green Mountain. I clicked a spit here - 1:07.


Retraced my steps back to the four-way and cruised down Green's backside to the Gregory trailhead. After a short jaunt through the Chautauqua meadow, I back at the car feeling refreshed and wishing I could do it all over again.


Solid and steady climbing day. Very little fatigue. I forgot the Garmin watch today...and didn't miss it.  Just a very enjoyable day on the trails...as it should be.

Wednesday, November 4 - Mesa Trail

Run: Chautauqua - Mesa Trail

Time: 1:01

Distance: 6.60 miles

Effort: Moderate

Body: Average

Weather: Cool and clear

Got out for a quick out-and-back on the Mesa Trail this afternoon. Ran from Chautauqua, up Bluebell to the Mesa Trail. Ran Mesa out about 35 minutes and did a few minutes of the Fern Canyon trail before turning around and returning the way I came. The trail was in pretty good shape, about 90 percent snow/ice free. There was a bit of mud here and there, but not too bad.

Speaking of mud, I am often surprised and always chagrined to see people walking around muddy trail sections and creating new social trails. I love single track singletrack. From my perspective, if a little water/mud is a problem, stick to the sidewalks...don't create wide, braided trails just to keep your shoes clean and socks dry.

Another gorgeous day. Tomorrow promises to be even warmer. Elevation gain today was 1,670 feet.