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.

Perfect Summer Training and Three Weeks Till Milwaukee

The countdown continues until USAT Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee and while the training is ramping up in intensity and specificity for shorter races it doesn't mean you can't throw some fun days into the mix.  This past week I hit the bike for an extended day in the saddle, Jess and I got some beach time, and new trails were explored.

With sport, you have to love the process, otherwise motivation will come and go and so will improvements.  I told myself day 1 that I wouldn't stop the little things I love even when I decided to commit my focus to road triathlon.

This past week I joined my buddy, Marcus, for his Ironman Boulder training ride including a backloaded 2,500 feet of climbing from miles 40 through 70.  We took the eastern Colorado Springs roads where the only cars seen are the ranchers trucks and you pray it's not a windy day.   I found I need more practice shooting with the GoPro on the bike as this was the only real quality shot I managed.  This next week I'll promise to do better as I've seen impressive shots on Instagram from other riders.

Growing up on the east coast, one of the things we constantly discuss missing is the beach.  So, Jess and I spent some time on the beach in Boulder at the Reservoir.  Who said you can't spend some time shoreside on the sand in landlocked Colorado?  The surprising part is how wicked hot it can get when you don't have an ocean breeze at the beach.  We are pretty sure our Colorado beach dates hit the heat index harder than our previous home in Virginia.  Colorado Springs doesn't have the beaches like Boulder but they are well worth the drive north for the variety.

This summer we have taken on seeing a bunch of new places, whether by bike or foot, and trail running is fantastic cross training for the legs and the brain.  When the snow finally melts by the end of June the high elevation running and hiking goes a lot faster and requires less equipment, which is a runner's dream on technical terrain as safety becomes less of an issue.  I like trails all year long and I'm not sure when the scars on my back from Crags Trail will go away, but at least in the summer we don't have to worry about the hidden ice!

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!