More SR 50 Recon

Using blurred maps provided by the race directors, I set out to do more recon on the Silver Rush 50 course on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Luckily, the knowledge of the the mining district that I obtained and retained from completing the Leadville helped me make up for the deficiencies of those terrible maps. I honestly feel that I have a good feel for the course now.

My Tuesday morning started in Gunnison where I had found a room at the RAV. I welcomed both the 44 degree sunrise temperature and cool breeze that woke me and invigorated me. A quick breakfast led to a lovely morning drive back over Monarch Pass to Highway 24. Once on Hwy 24 I repeatedly stopped to take pictures of the 14ers I intend to climb on this trip and to read the historical signs at the pullouts. I learned a lot about the European maneuvers that eventually led to the U.S. taking "ownership" of most of our current western lower 48.

Shavano

History!

Yes, you sense a bit of an attitude in that voice. If you do not know why then you should make time study how the U.S. bought land from nations that never really had ownership or even squatting rights that land. Start with Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Then make certain that you complete your study with visits to reservations. Enough lecturing.

Because I started at sunrise, I made it to Pbville at an early hour. I visited the Provin' Grounds Cafe to download pictures and write. Two hours later I walked up and down the main drag - Hwy 24 or Harrison Avenue. I was amazed at the businesses that have taken place. Some shops moved while others, including Bill's Sport Shop and Rosie's Brewery, closed up all together. It is tough running a business that depends on tourists when those tourists only visit in appreciable numbers during four months of the year. Luckily, PG was still in business. A Mate Latte and a blueberry/chocolate chip scone hit the spot. And, again lucky for me, the Cycle of Life bike shop was well-stocked in bottles of Hammer Gel. Those thousands of vanilla flavored carbo calories will serve me well on Sunday.

Tuesday's course recon took me to a familiar place - Iowa Gulch. Not only had I run into the mouth of the gulch on Monday, I had also hiked there on a couple of occasions. In 2007 I tested my acclimatization by running high in Iowa Gulch at about 11K feet. Then, in 2008, I once again drove high into the gulch to climb the 14er Mt. Sherman. Tuesday's run had me start at what will be aid station number two; Printer Boy. I ran in the direction I will run on the return trip on Sunday. I ran two miles UP Iowa Gulch to near its eastern terminus at the foot of Mt. Sherman. The course only follows pavement for 0.75 miles in each direction and that stretch of road is where I started. From there I ran on the rough mining/jeep road up the gulch. It was an absolute blast to be chugging up that rocky road at 11K feet at 7.5-9 miles per hour. I know I cannot run that fast in the SR 50, but the pulse and perceived effort told me that I was well within my limit for the taper. Running back down was even more exciting.

Along SR 50 route

Looking down over Iowa Gulch and its mining past.  We will run up far side first.

Sherman (center) marks the end of the Iowa Gulch.

Duh!! (see next picture and note same sign)

Roadside slag heap held back by rotting timbers.

What views! The mountains and the mining remnants boast of the wildness, the industrious activities, the hopes, and the hardships experienced high in the Arkansas Valley. Gold, silver, lead, and molybdenum left this valley along with the lives and blood of many generations of natives and treasure-seekers. The reactivation of the Climax Moly Mine will breath fresh life back into this tired and economically starved community. In the mean time, all of these mining ruins reveal a lot about man's past efforts to gain economic superiority from this land. Too bad those men did not have the sense to realize how much they were hurting future generations.

Last night I slept at Stumptown. This decaying mine site sits at 11K feet and it serves as the turn around point for the SR 50. I ran another 4 miles averaging almost 8 min per mile. The sun was low on the eastern mountains. The dry air was a cool 47 degrees and it moved steadily from the north. Above me was Ball Mountain, which must be tamed twice on Sunday. Below sat Pbville and the Arkansas Valley. Beyond that, to the west, sat the monoliths known as Elbert and Massive. What an awe inspiring run. Again, the legs felt great and the lungs seemed to tolerate the air that was missing 32% of the oxygen supplied at home. I enjoyed a nice picture tour and a fully organic cold cereal and fruit breakfast before I drove down to town.

Stumptown breakfast companion - he was eating grass.

Stumptown

This happens a lot.

See what I mean?!

Morning crowd at Provin' Grounds

Provin' Grounds proved to be once again worthy of a pit stop. Today I sipped a mighty fine coffee and an even better scone. Unfortunately, the wi-fi was down all over Pbville today. That is why I am writing this at a cafe in Dillon (9187 ft). Earlier, I took in a tasty buffalo burger and a wheat beer at the Dillon Dam Brewery. I highly recommend the Dam Brewery for both food and spirits. Every trip I make to CO includes a stop there.

Mt. Massive on the horizon.

Well, back to the high country of Lake County. Enjoy the pics.  Hopefully, all of it is there.  I have lost connection and have pasted from clipboard!

Back in Colorado

Saturday turned out to be a relaxed, but fast-paced training day in Eville.  After wisely deciding not to force the Muncie trip into the schedule (only 44 competitors!), I wrapped some Stru hills around a run of my half marathon course.  The 15.5-mile run ended with some quick, but low HR(!) Stru hills.  I followed the run with a 20-mile ride at almost 23 mph.  The ride also had a low HR.   The warm and humid air during the run had dried out before the ride.  I tapered a little last week (42 run and 65 bike) and that left the legs feeling really good on Saturday.  I hope they feel that good next Sunday.

The drive to CO was uneventful.  I left late and took my time, reaching Denver at 1 a.m.  After sleeping for a few hours I continued up to Leadville with a short stop for coffee in Idaho Springs. 

Once in Pbville I drove directly to the Silver Rush 50 start where I stood and stared at the start for a couple of minutes before I changed into running clothes.

Yes, this rock-covered incline is the SR 50 start/finish.

(Click on it to isolate and then click it again to see detail.)

What an insane way to start/finish a 50 mile race!  Ken Chlubber (race director) is either evil or he possesses a malicious sense of humor.  I strapped on the GPS, started the watch, and walked up that hill before starting to run.  The start hill measured just under 0.04 mi and it climbed 56 feet.  That is almost 30% grade on loose rock.  I was a bit confused about the direction of the still-unmarked course, but I soon realized that I was on the right mountain mining road (there are MANY of them snaking around here) and settled in for a relaxed 6.6 mile/ 50 min run.  That 7:35 pace may sound slow, but it was faster than I should be running at the start of the SR 50.  The recon run took me a little ways into Iowa Gulch and about half way to the first aid station.  It was a typical rutted, rocky CO mountain road.  I hear that the challenges (FUN!) comes further up the Gulch and on the way up to Ball Mountain.

One of the mining roads used for the SR 50

As I wrote in an earlier post, the air is so dry here that I never saw sweat form on my skin or clothes as I ran along at a pulse that would be induced by a 6:15 pace in Eville.  What I did note, however, was white salt patches on my shirt, shorts, and cheeks.  And so goes sweating in the Rocky Mountains.  I definitely prefer this over the soaking sauna in Eville.

After the run I stopped by the Wolf Den B&B where I will stay this weekend.  Sweeeet.  The Den is actually very nice mountain home.  It overlooks Twin Lakes  about 25 miles south of Pbville.   The luxury of the Den will be welcome before the race, especially after spending many dozens of days on the ground or in a car up here.

Upon leaving the Den I drove 3 hours to Crested Butte.  Crested Butte (8848 ft) is known as one of America's best small towns for adventurous people.  The city is nestled in a lush valley that is surrounded by high and rugged peaks at the end of a dead end highway.  I walked around a bit and then rested in a grassy area and waited for a FREE Paul Thorn concert that was put on by the Crested Butte Center for the Arts.  Thorn played on an outdoor stage while the crowd of about 2500 sat in lawn chairs and on blankets in a large grass field.  The warmth of the brightly shining sun balanced the cool, dry breeze to create an ideal atmosphere for an outdoor concert among those mountains. It was simply awesome!

Crested Butte concert area before the crowd moved in

Most of the people in the crowd did not know who Paul Thorn was before last night, but I'll bet they don't soon forget him or his music.  There were hundreds of people dancing before he was finished.  In fact, the crowd continually warmed to Thorn's music and from-the-heart stories as he moved from rowdy numbers to sensitive ballads.  Thorn had that crowd in such a frenzy that I believe he could have kept playing for a couple hours longer without loosing a soul.  Again, it was an awesome concert.

I am typing this at the Proving Grounds in Pbville.  This coffee shop is filled right now.  People are waiting to be seated, so I will bring this post to a close.   Who am I fooling?  I really just want to get out into these big mountains!  Upon leaving PG I will trace the crew access roads and stop at the Printer Boy aid station for a run up into Iowa Gulch.

Blue Ridge Parkway Trip Wrap-up

Well, Ty and I made it back to Evansville late Saturday evening.  The antibiotic was doing its job, so Ty was not suffering a lot.  That was a big relief.  We spent much of the drive talking about our experiences, which were very different, but both equally exciting.  He saw and touched a lot of body parts!

I finished up the week by having a quick paced run in the Moses H. Cone Park.  Cone and his brother entered the textile industry and created a little denim company in the mid-1800's.  They became wealthy by becoming one of the largest denim suppliers in the world.  They have supplied most of the denim to Levi's for more than a century - so the Cone family is still collecting wealth from Moses' efforts.

Cone Manor

Old Orchard Road

Cone Apple Barn

Manor From Near Apple Barn

Manor (center) from Bass Lake

Moses built a mansion on the top of Flat Top mountain not too far from his factory.  He owned thousands of acres on that mountain.  In 1952 his family gave over 3500 acres of that land, including the mansion and apple orchards, to the government.  That land is now the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park.  It straddles the BRP which rides the ridge that goes over Flat Top mountain.  Twenty-seven miles of old property roads are still being maintained.  Many of those roads used to travel among the apple orchards, but now the orchards are gone.  Interestingly, the Cone family aided in the development of the mountain forests by planting thousands of indigenous trees all over the mountain in places they wanted them to grow.  The roads are lined with Eastern hemlock, rosebay and Catawba rhododendron, mountain laurel, and serviceberry.  Most of the runners and walkers I encountered were locals who enjoy traveling through this forest on a regular basis.  I must admit that I am a bit envious.

I ran about 7 miles on those gravel roads.  Me and a lot of other people.  Apparently, a lot of people use the park for running, walking, fishing on Bass Lake, and picnicking.  There were probably more than a thousand people on the property, mostly near the lake, on Saturday morning.  I chose to run down from the mansion to the lake and back up in a challenging loop.  I pushed the pace and was happy to find my legs are recovering nicely from the big run and ride early in the week.

Then I climbed on Bruiser for a short push along the same section of BRP I started with on Monday.  Keeping with my own tradition, I pushed hard on this day in recognition of the TdF prologue.  Pushing down the first descent allowed me to get up to 56 mph before I caught a line of cars and had to hit the brakes.  The climb back up had to wait for an auto crash, but it was a strong effort on a steep section of road.

So, the week looked like this:  110 bike miles with over 8000 ft of climbing - 42 run miles with over 8000 ft of climbing - 187 miles of BRP explored - 7 breweries toured - 2 wineries tasted - 5 Panera meals - 100+ new friends.

More BRP Pictures.

Awesome trip all around.  It was fun to get on the road.  And it was exciting to be exploring the Appalachians for the first time in several years.  I've spent a several hundred days exploring those mountains during the last two decades and I don't think I can ever tire of it.

Now it is time get ready for the big trip to CO.