Winding It Down

Hike up Tenderfoot Mountain

August 2014

 

Hey y'all! I just got back from the Farmer's Market here in Dillon. It's been one of my Friday highlights. Love, love a farmer's market! I've just bought some of the plumpest corn I've ever seen. The farmer said, "This corn is the bomb! It's from Pueblo." HaHa! Hope it doesn't explode in the microwave. Have you ever microwaved your corn, shucks and all? I'm telling you, it's the way to go. Just throw a ear of corn in the microwave, left completely in the shucks, and heat for 3 minutes. It will be steamy hot when you pull it out. I grab it with a paper towel and peel back the shucks and the silk just pulls right off. Perfection!

 

Anyway, I was actually going to keep this post short, but as it turns out, I have lots to tell you. Cliff and I are winding down our Colorado trip. I know I sound like a broken record here, but this place is breathtakingly beautiful. There is 360 degrees of pure gorgeousness! I love how one minute you are in long pants and a jacket and the next, you're in shorts and short sleeves. I've learned to be prepared when stepping out the door. I've gotten caught in the rain several times, also. As a matter of fact, right now, the sun is shining so brightly and it's misting rain. We have slept with the windows and doors open every night. And let me tell you, it's been in the 40's every night. But, we just snuggle up and enjoy it because we know before long, it's back to the heat and humidity. I could definitely get used to the climate out here. However, the thin air is another thing. I am looking forward to being able to breathe again, without effort.

 

Last weekend, Whitney and I did our last long run....9.1 miles. We ran down the second crookedest street in the world.....and of course, it was all downhill. Remember, the one I called switchback city? So anyway, we went 5 miles out and turned around at Cliff's triathlon spot and headed back. The closer we got back to the condo, the more the clouds were rolling in. And just when we got back to switchback city, Cliff and Jason pulled up to take us home. I really wanted to finish the 10 miles, but they insisted that we were getting ready to get caught in a big storm with lightning. So Whitney and I called the long run, done!

 

On Sunday, Whitney, Jason, Cliff and I went on a short hike up Tenderfoot Mountain. It was an easy hike, and once again, so beautiful! This trail has reported bears in the area. I'm sure glad we didn't see any, but I was hoping to at least see a moose. They frequent the area around Lake Dillon. But, no moose sightings, either. The picture above is one from the hike with Lake Dillon in the back ground. You see what I mean? Isn't it breathtaking?

 

Here are a couple more pictures from that hike:

 

The Tenderfoot Mountain Trail meandering off into the distance.

Tree stumps, wild flowers and the lake in the background. Ahhh!

 

More wildflowers. I love purple flowers of any kind! Oh, by the way, do you see the fallen trees in the background? There's a pine beetle infestation here that's killing off the pine trees. I don't know how they are treating the problem, but we have seen so many dead trees standing and some cut down. It's so sad!

 

 

 

Oh, wait! On a run the other day, Cliff and I saw runners coming toward us with numbers on. We saw a group cheering on the runners and stopped to ask about the race. As it turns out, there was a Ragnar 200 Relay Race going on.  The leg these guys were running was 10 miles. They began at Copper Mountain and raced all the way around that chain....through Breckenridge, Keystone, Dillon, Frisco and I think, finish up at Vail. Two hundred miles of running hills is not for the faint of heart, but it was a relay race so I guess it wasn't too bad. They seemed to be having a ball.  This particular group was from Utah. I don't know any of them in this picture, but who knows....maybe someone reading this blog will. I wish I had gotten their email so that I could send them the picture....it turned out pretty good. And of course, that's Cliff in the back.

 

So, that's it for today. The Revel Rockies Half-Marathon is Sunday.  Ready or not, Whitney and I will be there. To top it off, I have been battling a cold all week. I could barely breathe, yesterday, on my run. I hope this won't be an issue. But honey lamb, nothing is keeping me from this race. I've been looking forward to it all summer. Worst case scenario, I won't have a PR (personal record). I am feeling better today, fingers crossed that I'm on the mend. So, it's off to Denver tomorrow for packet pick-up and then to The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. Yum!!!

 

I'll be back with another post highlighting the half-marathon next week. For now, have a great weekend!

 

Running the Rockies,

Laurie

 

P.S. On one of our rides, Cliff and I found a cemetery unlike any I've ever seen. I'm going back to take pictures. I'll post those soon, too.