Adventures over 14,000 feet...

Enough of the winter snowpack has finally melted in the high-country, enabling us to grab our hiking shoes instead of snowshoes and start back on conquering the 14ers. There are about 54 of these 14,000+ ft. peaks in Colorado, give or take a few, depending on whom you talk to.

After this week, we've got 18 of them under our belt. 18 sounds like a good number, until I realize that we still have 36 to go-yikes!
We took HAM down to Poncha Springs on Wednesday night, and camped out on a Forest Service road, about 5 miles from the trail head for Mt. Shavano and Tabeguache.
Every time we're in HAM, I realize why a truck camper is SO much better than a tent...For example, an epic thunderstorm rolled through about an hour after we got there. In a tent, miserable. In HAM, we cooked dinner and played cards!

We got up at 5am to start our bid for Shavano and Tabeguache. These peaks are typically linked together, if you have the time and energy for a double summit. The fog was thick in the morning, but it lifted as we got above 13,000 feet and the view was amazing. I haven't seen anything like it, except when I've been in an airplane...

Worth getting up at 5am for!

 

We reached the saddle and actually had to consult the map to see which way the summit of Shavano was! The trail was not especially well marked...At 14,229 ft. we were on the top! One down, one to go...

Hal on Shavano, with Tabeguache in the background



Once we snapped the photo on Shavano, we headed down a ridge, roughly 500 feet, before climbing back up to reach Tabeguache. This peak had a bit more snow, and I followed closely as Hal cut in footholds for us in the wet spring snow. At 14,155 feet we were on top of Tabeguache.

 

Sometimes being above 14,000 ft. makes your face look funny!

Though the views were stunning, we quickly headed back the way we came, worried that Miss Delta Rose wouldn't make it over eight hours of being left in the camper!

All told, the two summits took us seven and a half hours to complete, covering a little over 11 miles and totaling 5,287 ft. of elevation gain. Another reason it's great to have a truck camper is that you can shower and collapse after a hard day!

 

After resting for a few hours, we packed up camp and drove north to Nathrop, CO. We drove down the Mt. Princeton road and made camp roughly seven miles from our next goal, Mt. Antero.

This peak was supposed to be easier, because it was just one summit and it was on the second day....

Well, the 4WD road to the trail head was so beat up that we had to walk an extra 5 miles round trip just to get to the start of the hike! I would highly recommend either using a motorcycle to get to the trail head or walking, because it's going to take as long in your truck, and your insides will be so jostled that you'll be too beat to do the hike!

 

Mt. Antero is completely different from Shavano and Tabeguache, even though they are close together and in the same mountain range. Antero has been and still is being mined for aquamarine (my birthstone) and topaz, and possibly other minerals as well. I know it seems strange to personify a mountain, but Antero just seemed tired. Tired of being mined and dug into, tired of having countless jeeps and motorcycles drive up its slopes....

 

Even though there is a 'road' going up to almost the summit, it made the hike no easier. The spring run-off was so high that it was pouring down the road, making it difficult to stay dry. And the road itself was so rough and covered in rocks that walking was downright dangerous. My neck was sore at the end of the day because I spent so much time looking down and watching my footing!

 

We decided to bring Delta with us on this hike, and she enjoyed the outing! Instead of following the road the whole way up, we decided to take a 'short-cut' straight uphill, mostly on some leftover snow.

 

Looking down on what we just came up!



Turns out old crusty snow is no good for little Chihuahua feet, so this is how Delta handled the remainder of the day...

Getting a ride!



The road stops above 13,000 ft. and you have to take a rocky, exposed ridge line the rest of the way to the summit. I don't know if I was tired, or because it was so windy, or because there was a lot of exposure, but I was a bit nervous on the final climb. We made it safe and without incident, but I was happy to be coming back down. Our 'easy' day turned into an eight and a half hour, 14 mile adventure, with about 5,000 feet of elevation gain.

 

Possibly the Clark Family Christmas photo?!



 



It never ceases to amaze me how different each peak can be. The previous day, on Shavano & Tabeguache, I felt like a million bucks! Life was awesome, climbing 14ers was awesome!

Then on Antero, the return hike seemed to take forever and I swear the truck moved itself further down the trail and away from us. Always fun to look back on my emotions/experiences a few days later...

 

So now we have 36 to go, not to mention planning and preparing for our biggest event of the summer-the Colorado Trail! We will be leaving in late July, stay tuned for updates!

Running the White Rim-Day 4...Airport to Shafer Trail and Done!

Day 4 started earlier than any other day, seeing us up and out of camp by 7am. We had a wonderful crew to send us off!

The wonderful Marc and Judi!

Mom and Dad!

After three full days of running side by side, Hal and I took a bit of a break, while he ran ahead just enough to create some space. This meant that we played the 'Quiet Game' for almost an hour, which is almost impossible for me, as anyone who's ever been around me for even a little bit knows ;)

 

Solitude (or the illusion of it!)



 A few hours into our run, Marc and Judi passed us in the Jeep, prompting us to make a last minute food stop before the final push up Shafer Trail.

Too much food...ugh!

Turns out our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, leaving us with bellyaches as we trudged back to the trail!
Since it was the final day of our big run, we chose to implement a system that had previously worked well for Hal on the Kokopelli Trail-run a set distance, then take a short break and bend down to stretch or walk for a set distance. We decided on running 2.5 miles and walking 0.5 miles, giving us 3 mile segments. Before we knew it, we were looking up at the ascent up Shafer Trail!
 

Marc's shot looking down Shafer-we ran/hiked up this!



Breaking our day into smaller, bite sized chunks was mentally refreshing and much less monotonous than trying to think about the whole 16 miles in one piece. By the time we were ascending our final climb, we had a renewed spring in our step and were feeling almost as good as Day 1.

It's amazing to experience the ups and downs, highs and lows, as you put your body through something like this. Sometimes it varies day by day, other times my mood would swing minute by minute. Quite the roller-coaster! I'm told by those more experienced (mainly Hal) that it gets easier the more we do. Goodie... :)

Crazy viewpoint of Shafer Trail!

Marc and Judi were cheering for us the entire way up Shafer, making it that much more fun and exciting! It also renewed my theory that having people there to support and cheer you on makes anything easier, whether it's your own crazy run or a race.

Final seconds of running-note that Hal is already unbuckling his pack!

We completed our final stretch of the White Rim Trail in four hours, covering 16.5 miles and 2,857 feet of climbing.
Of course, any good Moab adventure must end at Milt's Diner, where Marc and Judi graciously treated us to burgers and root beer floats-yum yum!

It was a wonderful adventure, thanks to all who helped us out there, we could not have done it without your support-Mom and Dad and Marc and Judi!

And thanks for reading, it was fun to re-live it in the comfort of our home :)
Our next epic escapade will be thru-hiking the Colorado Trail sometime late summer.
Let us know if you're in the area for some fun between now and then!


Running the White Rim-Day 3...Murphy's Hogback to Airport...

Day 3 was a personal best for me. Believe it or not, I had never before run 26 miles. I hiked with Hal for 40 miles on the Kokopelli Trail last year, but this day was my first time running the full marathon distance, after two back-to-back 20 mile days! And we wonder why people call us crazy!?
26.4 miles, and six hours after we left Murphy's Hogback, we arrived at our Airport campsite.


The start of the day...

Fortunately the terrain was mostly flat and rolling, only gaining 1,600 feet of elevation over 26 miles. Miraculously our legs felt better, and descending and squatting down weren't as painful.
All was well as we ran along for the first half of the day. We even passed by numerous of my new favorite flowers, sego lilies.


Sego lilies... The Utah State Flower!

As the clouds melted away and the sun came out, my high spirits began to evaporate. Negative little demon thoughts began infiltrating my previously positive outlook.
"My legs ache, it's so hot out here, my hydration pack is heavy and hurting my shoulders, my feet are sore, the desert looks the same, I'm hungry..." and on and on.
Hal tried to lighten my mood by pointing out that we could be inside a cubicle, behind a desk, but that sounded better than running. Actually, anything sounded better than running!

I sometimes wonder if people assume that these adventures of ours are easy for us, because we do them so often. Well, this one sure pushed my limits. At the time, when it's happening, it's uncomfortable and seems as if the pain will never end. But now, I'm so glad we did it. I guess that's why we keep doing it, because the sense of accomplishment when we're back on the other side is so gratifying. But this run put me on my knees.

When we rolled into camp that night, I had to excuse my cranky self from setting up tents and go and sulk in Judi's Jeep while the wind roared outside. Emerging almost two hours later, I felt rested enough to be civil. Thanks to everyone at camp for letting me be and not hassling me!
And thanks to Hal for being the super trooper by running with me the whole way, smiling the entire time, and then helping everyone else set up camp when we finished the 26 miles!!!

After our cold solar shower, I pulled off my socks to find these beauties...

Note the big blister forming on the right side of my big toe!

The 'pearl onion' looking blister on my middle toe!

Funny thing was, I didn't even know I had blisters at all until I took my socks off! Ignorance is bliss...Of course, once I was barefoot, all I could do was think about how uncomfortable the blisters made me-ha!

Once again, the wind died down around 8pm and we were able to have dessert and watch the stars come out. Sleep was fast coming as we lay down in the tent, only one day away from the finish...

Running the White Rim-Day 2...Potato Bottom to Murphy's Hogback...

Day 2...
I don't think my liver could have taken any more Advil, and yet I still could not bear to squat down on the ground to get in and out of the tent, much less to go the bathroom...
All the fun and easy running of Day 1 were long behind us. My fresh mental state had fogged as I forced myself out of the tent on Day 2. Today's run would total 21.3 miles and take us from Potato Bottom to our campsite at the top of Murphy's Hogback. 2,098 ft. total elevation gain for the day, which meant that we walked uphill a lot!  Since my mood was less than positive as we struck out from camp, Hal kept reminding me to look around at the amazing view, and what great scenery we had!

 

Another fun break in the monotony of running was our lunch break at the Holeman Slot canyon. Mom ventured into the canyon with us, trusting that her son-in-law Hal wouldn't leave her stuck down there, having to pull an Aron Ralston and cut off her arm to get out! The canyon got pretty narrow, but was beautiful and a great distraction.

 

Note the camo piece of webbing in Hal's hand for emergency use...!





The great thing about running the White Rim as opposed to riding it in one day is that we got to see all these amazing sites that we had previously pedaled right on by.
Marc was the master tour guide and facilitated all of our non-running day events!

Mom and Daughter...

We left the slot canyon feeling full and slightly more rested, only to have me wither in the hot afternoon sun. We started walking the descents as well as the ascents, as my poor quads couldn't take anything other than perfectly flat terrain. Judi and Marc pulled up in the Jeep right before we had to climb up Murphy's Hogback, making it the perfect time for a break.

Thank goodness for our support crew :)

 

We trudged up the final miles to camp, having spent another 5 hours out on the trail, not including our slot canyon deviation.  Upon arriving at camp, I had to take some 'me' time to sort out how I felt during the run, and the emotional roller-coaster that I went through. My mental highs and lows were as frequent and fluctuating as the trail, and I thank everyone for helping me through the dark spots and putting up with my moodiness. Little did I know that Day 3 would be the toughest, and longest, for me...

 

Stay tuned for Days 3 and 4...!

Running the White Rim-Day 1...Mineral Bottom to Potato Bottom...

Ah the joys of being fresh and rested at the start of an adventure! 
Our White Rim run was made possible, and more fun, by the loving help and support of Mom and Dad and our dear friends, Marc and Judi.
We left Moab, not so bright and early, on Wednesday morning, all piled into Judi's Jeep and Dad's trusty old truck, and headed out to Mineral Bottom to start our trip.

In the back seat of Judi's Jeep!

Hal and I have both mountain biked the White Rim multiple times, going the opposite direction, but this was our first time running it, and doing it counter-clockwise.
Our goal for the first day was Potato Bottom, where our first campsite was. It was 14 miles away, with about 1,800 ft. of elevation gain. Dad made our run start 'official' by waving an orange trash bag that we found in the parking lot!

Official start!

Our run began by descending the Mineral Bottom switchbacks, which was a nice easy way to begin. The route was mostly flat and rolling, with a big climb up Hardscrabble Hill about 2 miles from
camp.

Stopping to admire all the desert wildflowers!

We took a lunch break at Fort Bottom and added in a 4 mile side hike with Mom and Dad and Marc just to make sure we were getting enough miles in-ha!

A much needed lunch break!



Oh, did I mention the wind?! Dear god, it was as if someone had set the world's most powerful fan on high, and then pointed it directly at us, all day...

 

Everyone hiding from the wind!



We arrived at camp roughly 5 hours and 17.8 miles after we started (including the side hike), in good spirits and feeling strong! Too bad we ran the downhills so fast, as we knew we'd be paying for our indiscretions the next day...

 

Hal looking strong...

 

We had such a fun first day, minus the gale-force winds, and it was great to get to camp and be greeted by everyone and enjoy the evening together. The wind died down at about 8pm and we were able to sit out under the desert sky and relish in the completion of our first leg of the White Rim!

 

Food supplies!



 

 P.S. All of the good pictures are courtesy of Marc Thomas, any others that are blurry and not in focus can be attributed to me and my aspiring photography skills :)

 







 

Which camper is best for you?

 

A reader asked us why we chose a truck camper. This is not an easy question to answer. To fully understand what worked best for us we had to go through some crazy research and changed our minds several times. In the end we think the research and time spent going through every different RV made helped us make a well informed choice. 

Our wants list looked like this;

Affordable, shower, toilet, a bed that was always made, one that we did not need to turn into our table, four season, meaning we would be comfortable in freezing temps, Safety= hard-sided, removable so we could sell it or use the vehicle for other things. We could leave the camper and drive the truck to other destinations. We also wanted to be able to travel with the comforts of 4 wheel for snow or off road. Clearance on the vehicle. We wanted to get decent mileage, Ha! Maneuverability was huge on the list. Our camper needed to fit in a regular parking spot which is typically about 19 feet.  

That list narrowed our choices to a truck camper or a small class b or c which means a van conversion or a van or truck chassis with an rv put on the back. The vans rarely come in a four wheel version that are affordable. The rv types are usually not built very well or are in the hundreds of thousands for a quality rig. If we chose the later we would be stuck with a vehicle that had a single purpose. 

There is more to it than this but I had to finish this post in a reasonable time. We have a deep understanding of rv systems and capabilities after our research. If you have more in depth questions we would love to discuss. Just add a comment. 

Thanks for reading!

                                                        See you out there!

To Cali and Back, or 2,600+ miles!

We just returned from a delightful workation (work + vacation) in California! We were able to attend Sea Otter, one of the bike industry's biggest trade shows, and work with my previous cycling sponsor, Primal Wear.  And just as we did for Mexico, we drove our aging Suzuki there and back. Sitting inside our 12 year old car, I started fantasizing about a new Subaru...

On our way out to the Laguna Seca Raceway, outside of Monterey, we were able to squeeze in some quality family time and visit relatives on both sides of our families.
While we were staying with my Gramma in Santa Barbara, we checked out their local zoo. Little known fact about me-I could live at a zoo! Which means while I could stay all day, Hal and Gramma were done after about an hour.

Gramma and I and a macaw!

And of course we did our typical biking, running, and hiking gig. My wonderful aunt took us on a super steep trail, in preparation for her own Grand Canyon adventure! So grateful to have relatives who appreciate the outdoors...





After our short but sweet time in Santa Barbara we decided to drive up the coast, on Hwy 1, on our way to Sea Otter.
We stopped in Morro Bay, where childhood memories of sea otters and seals resurfaced.  One thing I had forgotten about the California coast, it's almost never bright and sunny-always foggy and overcast.

On the waterfront in Morro Bay

Once we arrived at our hotel in Carmel, we went to work at the venue the very next day. And by work, I mean hanging out with great people, riding bikes, and 'modeling' in different cycling kits (outfits).  A huge thank you to the folks at Primal Wear for inviting us along and making it so easy and fun! I doubt we would ever have attended Sea Otter as regular consumers, so it was great to have an excuse to go and play, I mean 'work'!

"Working" hard in the hotel lobby...!

Some people have asked me whether or not I missed the racing at Sea Otter (I raced at the event professionally in 2011 and 2012) and my answer is "NO".  I thoroughly enjoyed my racing while I was immersed in it, but now that I'm on the other side, I'm much more relaxed and able to experience the whole event. Not to mention Hal was with me, and Delta Rose! I'm ever thankful for the opportunities and experiences that my racing afforded, after all, I wouldn't have even known about Sea Otter if not for competing, but now I am very happy and content with working on the retail, coaching, and development side.

And it is always nice to come home after being gone for two weeks, yet another perk of a small condo. No yard maintenance and minimal cleaning!
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for our next adventure-running Moab's White Rim Trail!

Maiden Voyage

Welcome to Hamkin's first outing. Some things we have learned along the way: Read all directions first.  Don't just start taking apart the refer to try to get it to run on propane. Turns out just a simple push of a button would be enough. I will never get those three hours back. 

                                           The new rack for our trusty steeds

We have spent untold hours prepping HAM for travel. It has been fun but now we travel! We are almost self-sufficient boon-docking for a couple of weeks. A solar panel will be all we need to top us off each day.

                               Pushkin with the weight of the world on his back!

A 2001 Dodge will deliver us to the hills of freedom! The side entry was why we like this camper so much. Our condo will be lonely this summer, if we don't decide to rent it out. 

                                     Rabbit Valley campground out of Fruita.

Running and riding are endless out here. The Western Rim trail was nice. Always hear about it and now we finally rode it. Worth the drive! McDonald Creek trail to Jouflas for a little run. And then sitting around in the sol. 

         This photo helped me decide that I should never go out in public with those tights or any tights for that matter...

McDonald Creek Trail was Awesome! Beauty and the Beast. 

Delta-sized arch on the disappointing Trail Through Time. Dinosaur bones fossilized in rock....If you say so!

                   Kasey taking a break on the Western Rim.

Great first time out. The point was to iron out some problems so we could spend quality time outside not messin' around with Hamkin. 

We hope to see you out on the trails. On bikes, feet, anything just get outside. If you're going out some place neat and want to adventure, send us a message!

 

Introducing...HAM

 

HAM stands for Highly Adventurous Mobile.

KC and I have pulled the trigger, phase 1+1=2. We are starting a new chapter of adventure and we would like you all to come along for the ride, literally or just vicariously through my poorly chosen and often out of place words.

A while back we thought about living small, how small? Fairly small, HAM small is all. Last week we purchased a HAM to put in the bed of Pushkin. To those who don't know, Pushkin is phase 1 and HAM is phase 2. Pushkin is a 2001 Dodge Ram. Together they will be a home base for summer fun and potentially a home. Follow us as we explore the potential of living in a small HAM.

We bounce the idea around quite a bit. The scenario plays out this way:
Rent out our condo and live in Hamkin. You got it, I think. HAM + Pushkin. Yeah. Anyway, sounds easy but it takes a little courage it turns out. So, for now we prepare Hamkin and ease into camper life. Remember we still work full time and party in the dirt the rest of the time. We also need a little down time to stay organized and rest, lots of rest.

We will see what shakes out after the first few trips. We will hopefully enjoy the company of you on a run, ride, climb or just sitting around camp.

Knowing when to Go, and when to say No...

Hal and I were all set for a quick mini-vacation down to Nathrop, CO, to stay at the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort next week. We were planning on summitting Mt. Princeton, and possibly a few other 14ers.
However, given the massive amounts of recent snowfall in the high country and all the tragic avalanche deaths associated with such unstable snow-pack, we decided to cancel our trip.
Fortunately there is a fantastic website in Colorado that highlights current avalanche danger and rates each area: Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
We checked this site daily, and finally made the call to bail on the trip this evening.
Are we bummed? Yes. Sad to not get in a fun trip, plus a summit and hot springs? Of course.
But is it better to be safe than sorry? In this instance, absolutely.

It is important to know when to "go" and when to say "no" to an adventure or outing. Especially when dealing with avalanches, the backcountry, and mountains in particular.
Sometimes we get so caught up with our 'goals' and our epic adventure ideas that we can become blind to the all-too-real and present dangers associated with each trip.
We know we are facing potentially hazardous conditions each time we venture out into the wilderness, but knowing how to mitigate that risk makes the difference between someone who goes all-out all the time, and someone who is wise enough to know when to bag it and stay home.
I think it is also selfish to go out in a high risk area, placing not only yourself but your potential rescuers in danger.

Fortunately Hal and I have each other to keep ourselves checked and in line. And of course there's always that sound of relief in Mom's voice when I call home and tell her we've decided not to attempt a winter 14er summit in highly dangerous avalanche conditions!

Each time you go out, know the conditions you are likely to encounter and make sure you are prepared for any scenario.  And always always always let at least one person know where you are going and when you should be expected back.

Just because we love to seek new thrills and adventures doesn't mean we throw all caution to the wind. Staying behind this weekend may save our lives, and it will definitely allow us to do something else equally as fun!
Thanks for reading my soapbox backcountry safety post!