The inaugural Aspen Backcountry Marathon was this past Saturday. Christy and I both took part in the fledgling event that saw 240 starters, a majority of which seemed to be from out of town, an impressive number considering it’s first year status. Kudos to Aspen’s Special Events Department for getting this one off the ground. Permit issues and liability concerns can make it nearly impossible to start new events these...
And here they come with less than 1km to go. The leaders– Tee Jay Van Garderen, Tom Danielson, Javier Acevedo, George Hincapie and Eduard Beltran, pictured here from right to left, finished in front. In what was one of the coolest new events to come to Aspen, the second stage of the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge finished in town Wednesday. The 130+ mile course started in Gunnison and climbed...
Still smiling. Click to enlarge. Go Christy. It’s your birthday. Actually, if you know Christy it’s more like a birth-week, or even month-long celebration, a notion confirmed by the candles that came with the dessert at the restaurant last night, some six days after the actual date. (more…)
When it was all said and done, I kissed the Hardrock on Saturday, 31 hours and 55 minutes after starting the morning before, for 9th place. It was the 4th time in as many attempts to do so, yet despite the experience I’ve accumulated through those years,
Well, it’s not my lucky number, but it’ll do. It’s time for another lap. Hardrock starts tomorrow at six. It’ll be my 4th time participating, and my 3rd trip in the counter-clockwise direction. That is, the race heads towards Lake City, then over Handies Peak, to Ouray, then Telluride, Ophir, and back to Silverton. Familiar as it has become, like a lot of Colorado, the San Juans are still buried...
Nice work, Christy. If you do this stuff long enough, at some point you’re going to make a wrong turn. That said, I’m sure some watching thought it was cute that Christy and I finished together at the San Juan Solstice 50 miler last Saturday. If they only knew what different days we had out there. Due to excessive snow, an alternate course had to be put together for the...
Spring snows and June skiing aside, the summer running season is here. Jumping right into things, Christy and I ran the Dirty 30 last Saturday, a 50K course run along the trails of Golden Gate State Park, located northeast of Blackhawk, CO. Now in its 3rd year, the event hosts three races– a 7, 12, and 31 miler (50K)– and in addition to being really scenic, very hilly and just...
Lo Semple, rocking the fanny pack, on the second climb up to Burnt Mtn. after skiing the Hanging Valley Wall in the background. Click any image to enlarge. That was fun. At least in a sort of “now-that-it’s-done” kind of way. Seriously though, despite the sore feet and added challenge of having to finish on a broken ski, Christy and I both felt that it was one of the coolest...
So it’s all set. The new Power of Four race is officially “sold out” with 75 teams of two registered to start in the morning. I was out yesterday with Dirk and Pete Swenson, helping with the course marking between Snowmass and Buttermilk. About 11,000 feet of vertical gain with ski descents of the Hanging Valley Wall, Highland Bowl and Silver Queen, all under forecasted sunny skies have it shaping...
The 12 Hours of Sunlight was yesterday and I’m sure everyone who was there would agree– it’s nice to have that done. The 12 hour race requires skiers or boarders to ascend, on foot or skins, 1,500+ vertical feet up Sunlight Ski Area and then ski down and repeat, for half a day. It can be done as a solo, duo relay, or a four person “firedrill” team. Christy and...
We met in Aspen in 2000 and have been happily stuck in the rockies ever since, getting out in the mountains every day we can, in every season and by all means possible. Read More
