Just an overview, the map misses much of the detail unfortunately. Click to enlarge. Neal jokingly referred to it as the “Outward Bound Course in a Day” loop. I’m not exactly sure how long it is, but our estimates put it in the 40-mile range. It had 11,000+ vertical feet climbed over five passes and it took all day (about 12 hours with stops). (more…)
The crew– Christy, Neal Beidleman and Chris Davenport. They deserve a lot of the credit for getting me here while it was still breakfast hour on Saturday in Silverton. Thanks guys, you’re awesome. In the days that follow this enormous undertaking, I’m usually so drained– mentally, physically, and emotionally– that I struggle to assimilate all that took place. I recall it in bits and pieces– mental images of the course,...
The massive ridge. With the start labeled, we first climbed south to Len Shoemaker Peak and then followed the ridge as it swung north, all the way to Pyramid. Click to enlarge. Totally psyched and somewhat surprised to have actually pulled it off, Neal Beidleman and I sat on Pyramid’s narrow summit in the afternoon sun and processed it all. It wasn’t that we thought it couldn’t be done. Through...
It’s all downhill from here, or at least from a little farther up. Neal climbs up from Taylor Pass. “Thirty-seven.” That was his answer to my question as to when he thought he had reached his top form, and after which he first noticed his speed, stamina and general physical condition begin to deteriorate– in other words, when things started going downhill. I didn’t think it to be an inconsiderate...
Island Lake and Ice Lakes Basin – just another one of the awesome views out there on the course. Click any photo to enlarge. The 2010 Hardrock 100 is done and now, a week later, I’m still trying to put it all together. In the days that followed, as I embraced my “recovery”, mostly in the form of sitting on the couch and watching repeats of the days Tour de...
Clicked in atop Capitol but not out of the woods yet. Click any pic to enlarge. So Christy pulled it off, she’s the first woman to ski the 54 Colorado 14ers. And what a finish it was, not simply due to the fact that her final peak was Capitol, considered by my many to be the most committing ski descent of all the 14ers, but in the various challenges that...
Amy Beidleman agreed it was likely more than 3-5, but couldn’t get an official number as her ruler didn’t have a measurement that went all the way to ‘waist deep’. Click pics to enlarge. I’ve seen it before, during extended dry periods of past winters, people can become a little jaded and skeptical of storm predictions. Whether the forecasts are incorrect or simply not calling for any big dumps, after...
Neal Beidleman, halfway into his second frame. Hang out at Aspen Highlands enough and you’ll eventually overhear conversations rehashing the days exploits up in the Bowl using proper bowling terms, and in a style more commonly reserved for the 10 pin, Budweiser sponsored, indoor “sport.” Basically, this type of ski slang/ Bowl-speak works like this– to ski the Bowl from the top is considered a strike, and to ski any...
Blue skies and powder- no complaints from Pete Anzalone. There’s snow up high, yet the mountain doesn’t open until Thanksgiving and because we don’t like waiting– sometimes we’re downright impatient– four of us decided to go get a sneak peek. Neal Beidleman, Pete Anzalone, Christy and I made up the eager foursome and found things to be pretty good if not downright awesome by pre-opening day standards. One run in...
The race was awesome. Reflecting on it briefly here, a few things stick out– I improved on my prior 2007 time, cutting off 1:16, with a good amount of credit due to meeting my goal of getting through aids stops faster. A crash in the early parts slowed me down for a bit, a simplified strategy for food and fluids worked better than my mixed menu last time and the...
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
