Our 3 Perfect Days in Zion

We arrived in Zion mid-day Sunday after a short drive from St. George and we set out to take care of some business as we knew we had a lot to see.  First we needed to get our backcountry camping permit for Monday night which required a long stop at the visitors center due to the parking situation as the park fills up quickly and you need to park in town and shuttle or run into the park from Springdale.  Luckily, we got changed at our hotel for that night and put on some running clothes, it was time to get a move on.  I would highly recommend you do not go to Zion during peak season unless you like running rather than shuttles and occasionally waiting in theme park like lines which were already starting in early May.

Day 1:A half day of hitting the easy hikes of some of the must sees.  We ran up the Pa'Rus trail to the third shuttle stop at Canyon Junction which was about 2.5 miles from upper Springdale.  From there we boarded the shuttle.  The Narrows was fully closed to hike up due to high water so we headed to the Riverwalk and viewing area first where we saw as much of the Narrows that we could that day.  This was a 2 mile round-trip run that took about 30 minutes with pictures and other play time.  The Narrows is the last shuttle stop at Temple of Sinawa so we started taking small hikes as we headed back down the valley.  The quick hikes or short paved trail walks that Zion offers right off the shuttle include the Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, and the overlook of the Patriarchs.  (pics below!)

Day 2:  We had big plans.  A morning hike/run up Angel's Landing, a 5.4 mile round trip to up to the dangerous and beautiful peak followed by a 7.5 mile day with our camping gear into Kolob Canyon and the Kolob Arch.  We caught an early shuttle to start the Angel's Landing hike and got into the front of the line (thankfully) by running the 2 miles to the chains.  These chains are not to be taken lightly as they are at times the only thing keeping you from plummeting 1,000 feet to your death on rocks below.

It took a while to get used to hiking Angel's Landing, the initial climb is a couple miles and, in our opinion, runnable.  It will take some gas out of the tank however.  After that, the sand-coated smooth rock means you will be hiking and if there is crowd you'll be waiting to use pieces of the chain as there is only one way traffic.

Some pictures of Angel's Landing shows why people go on such a dangerous and sometimes frustratingly crowded and slow hike.  Wear your hiking/trail shoes and do not be like us, do not plan to be done by a certain time because you have other places to be.  The crowds in Zion, and especially on this trail where for some reason people who are scared of heights continue to push on and occasionally freeze while latching to the side of a chain on a downward angled rock, will make the round-trip time unpredictable.

We were able to get down from Angel's Landing albeit a little later than expected and were happy with what will likely be a once in a lifetime experience.  Hurriedly, we hopped on the highway and headed to start our backpacking trip.

Panorama from our Campsite in Kolob Canyon

We chose the Lee Pass Trailhead and Kolob Canyon hike for our backpacking trip.  After stopping by the Wilderness Desk at the Visitor's Center we were able to get campsite 7 which was about 7 miles in on the trail and 0.5 miles shy of the Kolob Arch which was our goal for a short hike after setting up our campsite.  The hike drops into the La Verkin Creek valley and comes with a lot of biting flies along the creek.  There are multiple creek crossings on the hike but most were low flowing which likely varies heavily based on recent weather in the region.  The 7 mile hike took us 2:45 each way with camping gear but could be done as a 14 mile trail run with relative ease if you're into that.  Take a good amount of water, or as pictured below, get yourself a Katadyn BeFree and fill up from the creek as you go.  The campsite was beautiful with views in all directions due to its location on the ridge and the Arch glowed magnificently when we got there during sunset.

Kolob Arch - Largest Freestanding in the World?

Day 3:  We hiked out of our beautiful campsite back out of the canyon.  We had booked another night in Springdale and planned on taking care of more of the highlights that Zion offers.  Unfortunately, you will likely have to choose to forgo certain excursions if you're on a time crunch while at Zion due to the length of some of the big attractions.  We were unable to get to the Subway and Observation Point with the way our plans fell and our decision to head to Kolob Arch.  That being said, we made sure to get to the Museum, Zion Brewing, and enjoy the views during date night to celebrate a successful trip.  Spotted Dog provided a nice upscale western dining experience if you like a little civilized dining after eating freeze-dried meals during camping.  Check out the pictures and get yourself to Zion if you haven't already!  Just be prepared for some unique excursions and crowds.

It was a rainy last day! Luckily we weren't looking to cling to the side of cliffs anymore.

This is the overlook from Weeping Rock, a short steep uphill hike that can easily be a small part of a day.

 Weeping Rock with a wide stream of misting leakage dropping from above and a beautiful overlook

 The view from Angel's Landing hike

Emerald Pool 1 being filled by a water fall from the rock above the trail.  A similar and beautiful scene similar to Weeping Rock.

Got our electrolytes back the old fashion way.  Utah beer is an interesting experience...  do your best to avoid the IPAs.

Tents attempting to be kites and Hikers wishing to have sleds: 14er Hiking Trip in Colorado

Last weekend we packed up our tent, hiking gear, food, and anti-bear attack supplies to get in a final mountain hiking excursion before snow takes over the peaks.  In Colorado there is an obsession that some catch to climb all of the 14,000 feet peaks in the state and if you did one a week for a year you'd still not be finished.  We aren't quite enamored as some with the idea of Class 3 and above climbs so instead we decided to knock out some Class 2 climbs and live to run and race this weekend.

We drove to Alma, Colorado on Friday as the sun was setting and pitched our tent on a campground near Kite Lake at an exposed 12,000 feet.  The wind and cold quickly ramped up with no where to hide.  After a quick meal of rehydrated lasagna and teriyaki rice compliments of our JetBoil we retreated to the tent for warmth at the late hour of 8 pm with the goal of starting our trek at sunrise.  

The best thing about camping up in the mountains in Colorado is the view at night.  The Milky Way was out in full force and the stars were beyond beautiful as they filled the sky.  If you have a nice camera where you can adjust shutter speed and capture the night glow of the stars and galaxy on the mountains it would be time well spent.

After struggling to sleep (holding down the tent) in 30+ mph winds all night we woke up cold and reluctant to leave the little warmth we had in our sleeping bags.  So, after quickly lighting fire to our coffee (Pumpkin Spice Latte Via will go up in flames if some of the powder floats into your JetBoil flame) we began our hike with the goal to summit four-14 thousand foot peaks in one nice bundled 7 mile hike.  

First, with our hearts struggling to help our legs warm up we went the traditional route and summitted Mt. Democrat.  Here we are below...

The 2.5 miles to the top of Democrat took more of a toll than expected, most likely from the lack of sleep, shivering, and having already spent the last 12 hours at 12,000 feet or above.  Looking across we saw the long high altitude trek to the next two peaks of Mt. Cameron and Mt. Lincoln.  As we hiked the saddle between the mountains the exposure increased and the trail led us into snow and scree.  It became much slower and more brutal than expected as we transversed packed snow/ice occasionally with skids or using all fours.

On of the easier parts in the snow heading to Mts. Cameron and Lincoln

Eventually, after a few more hours had passed, we achieved our summits of Mt. Cameron and Mt. Lincoln and turned our attention to hiking towards Mt. Bross which was ... closed ?? ... but the enforcement of closure was to be done out of respect to the land owners who have not given 100% blessing for the Forest Service to allow access to the summit.  Many people were resting and enjoying the summit of Mt. Bross, and as a 14,000 ft high peak, many wanted to bag it while they were there to count towards their tally.  The bypass trail and summit trail of Mt. Bross take you down a scree field at a nice 40 degree angle where skidding and using your hands is necessary.  It appeared that there was another trail across the valley, I would recommend seeing if you can find a way over there to make your descent back to your car less of a frustrating and slow experience.

All told we hiked 4.5 hours and spent 6.25 tiring hours getting it done - here is our strava data: https://www.strava.com/activities/410426542 

A nice size camelbak and some lunch/snacks should get it done for ya.  If you finish up early enough stop at our favorite little local diner in Fairplay/South Park - the Brown Burro - to refuel as well.  Happy hiking!

Hiking Scree up Mt. Democrat was much preferred to sliding down it on Mt. Bross

Strength Training? A fun run up Pikes Peak to Barr Camp

Every once in a while you remember that you live in Colorado and that despite your triathlons being road races you still must pay homage to some of the incredible runs which Colorado trails provide.  Today was unseasonably cool, foggy, and rainy for Colorado Springs and also a great opportunity to hit a very popular trail with weather-reduced crowding.

We started up the Manitou Incline from Manitou Springs - less than a mile of sore leg creation that climbs to over 8,000 feet.  Don't underestimate this "short" trail, it's a steep climb that often takes an Olympic athlete longer than 20 minutes to climb for less than a mile!  There have been many rescues by El Paso Search and Rescue this year due to the strenuous nature of this climb - keep your heart healthy.  The foggy day limited the ability to well document progress as each step just revealed another step ahead.  After summiting the Incline we connected onto the famous Barr Trail which, if you are feeling good and have planned for it, allows you to climb to Pikes Peak's Summit at 14,110 feet.  Our goal today was Barr Camp located in the trees over 10,000 feet and a part of about a 14 mile round trip.

Topping out today at Barr Camp where a chilly 40 degree rain welcomed us to 10,000 feet. 

Barr Camp hosts hikers year-round and is a nice stop to pick up a drink, hit the necessary room, or just rest your increasingly fit legs.

We weren't gifted with the views of America's Mountain today due to our location inside of clouds but for a 10 minute drive we didn't do so bad!