The Goat In Pictures

Wild Week

My friend Tom from San Antonio came into town this past week (picking up a hiker along the way), and we’ve had a blast.  After showing him around Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride (including some of my favorite hikes), we headed to Moab, UT, where we camped and toured Arches National Park.  We then drove up to Ogden to stay with our friend Joe T, followed by a trip down to Snowbird for a little 31 mile jaunt through the mountains known as the Speedgoat 50K (Karl Meltzer’s race).  What a fun week!

(Ice Lake) 

(Looking Up Towards Grant Swamp Pass On Hardrock Course) 

(Island Lake Seen From Grant Swamp Pass)

(Looking At Oscar's Pass From Grant Swamp Pass, both part of Hardrock 100) 

(Fun Descent Down A Scree Field) 

(Wildflowers Abound) 

(Heading Up Bear Creek Trail w/ Tom) 

(Tom Descending Bear Creek)

(Beautiful)

(Tom at Blue Lakes) 

(Relaxing at Blue Lakes) 

(Setting Up Camp In Hal's Canyon - Moab, UT) 

(Tom Heading Up To Delicate Arch) 

(Delicate Arch)

(Turet Arch) 

(Running With Joe T and Tom Outside Ogden, UT)

(Balanced Rock) 

(Tom and Joe T at Salomon Store)

Blue Lakes Pass

The more I run around Ouray, the more I realize how immense and interconnected the trail system is here.  One of my first runs was up to Blue Lakes (still my favorite run to date) from the Ridgway side.  After looking at maps, I realized you could get there from the Ouray side as well via Yankee Boy Basin.  Here are some pics from that run.  One day (may have to wait until next summer) I want to run the full loop from my door.  I think it would be 25-30 miles.  Epic for sure in these mountains.

(Looking Up Into Yankee Boy Basin) 

(Blue Lakes Pass in the distance with Wright's Lake in foreground) 

(Blue Lakes Pass with the Class 3 approach to Sneffels on the right) 

(Upper Blue Lakes seen from the pass) 

(Yankee Boy Basin with Governor Basin in the background) 

(The initial approach to Sneffels.  It only gets gnarlier from there)

Grays and Torreys

Still working on that Hardrock report.  In the meantime, I have been busy playing in the mountains.  Today I hit 2 peaks over 14,000’, Grays and Torreys.  Ok, I have to admit that I don’t consider today a “double” summit since there is only a drop of 500’ to a saddle from Grays before you ascend Torreys.  Either way, I was on top of 2 different 14ers, and I got there on foot J

(Grays on the left, Torreys to the right)

(Torreys)

(Tons of people on the summit)

(Looking back into Grizzly Gulch from the saddle)

(Torreys Peak seen from Grays summit)

(Looking off back of Grays)

(Rocky ascent up Torreys)

(Grays Peak seen from top of Torreys)

(Looking back up Grizzly Gulch)

Columbine Lake

I will eventually write a recap of my Hardrock experience, but I am still processing it all in my mind.  It was one of the most incredible endeavors I have ever been a part of.  That course is both stunning in its beauty and its difficulty.  2 days later, I am still in awe.  Surprisingly, my legs felt great today, so Jacob Evans (another Texan who came up to pace at HR) and myself explore the Columbine Lake area between Silverton and Ouray.  The beauty of this hike was on par to anything I’ve seen in Colorado.  Here are a few photos.

(Breaking out above treeline) 

 

(Columbine Lake is to the left of picture.  We headed to the pass on the right at just over 13,000') 

(Jacob traversing across a rock field from the pass to the lake) 

(Columbine Lake nestled at just over 12,600')

(Still some snow in Mill Creek Basin)