Early Fall & September Storms!

During August & September we've had tons and tons of rain storms, and as you can guess later into September as the temps started cooling we started seeing snow in the high mountains. This is a photo taken driving along Freemont Pass on my way back to Leadville from Summit County the first weekend in September.

Brian's first Elk Hunting season was Sept. 14 through Sept. 20. He was in an area just southwest of Leadville, near Granite and Twin Lakes, and had some great opportunities to get one. There was a lot of activity, and Brian learned a ton. He was out before dawn, usually around 5:00am. He plans to buy an over the counter tag and maybe do some more hunting with Jacob, in the next several weeks. Hopefully between the two of them they'll get one. Here's some pics of the Aspen's changing color to that beautiful gold.

Ok, this is after my co-worker's Baby Shower, just after we got home thought we'd take some updated photos. I wish I had another one of us on a mountain top, but we've been busy in town.

Look at how much snow Mt. Elbert has already! This was taken Sept. 22, SO beautiful. Brian is ready to go skiing, like right now!

Here's the snow we got in town from the early week's storm.

We just added heavy plastic sheeting to the chicken's run, to protect them from snow & wind. We also replaced the heating light bulb with a green one...we'll see how that works, it looks like they're watching TV. OH! and also we've been getting about 3 eggs a day now, since the last week of August! So cool, they are a really pretty brown color, still on the small side, but very tasty!

Brian found this partial fencing at the dump, so we could enclose an area for the chickens to roam around in and eat bugs and green grass. Besides the chicken food we buy, we also give them scrap lettuce, kale, pac choy, and whatever other greens are wilting from our veggie share. We think they're pretty happy chickens!

Our deck is a little disheveled currently as we're using chairs to block off when the chickens roam in the yard.

Ski season is just around the corner!

Boom Days & Building the Chicken Coop

Boom Days 2009 - Leadville, Colorado

Bobby Lewis, former Camp Director of Adventure Unlimited Ranches, and now School Director of the Link School in Buena Vista, begins the third leg of the Triple Crown Burro Race. He won the first two legs, one in Fairplay, and the second in Buena Vista during Gold Rush Days. The Leadville leg is a 22 mile course beginning and ending in the middle of town, and heading up Mosquito Pass and then back down and around toward California Gulch. If he wins this leg, he is named the Triple Crown Winner, of which no one has won in years.

The ladies Triple Crown Burro Race, also had a women in the same runnings for the Triple Crown, as she also won the Fairplay and B.V. races. Her name is Karen, who is from Salida, who's husband was a main organizer for the Salida Omnium Bike Race. We got to know them a bit since Brian raced with their teammates and also spent time volunteering. This woman below, however is NOT Karen, this poor women's burro was being a stubborn ass! :)

While we waited for the burro race we walked around town, got some Kettle Corn of course, and checked out some of the mining competition performances. This was a drilling competition with steel drill pieces and pure muscle to see which team in 10 minutes could hammer out the deepest hole. This was a set of brothers who have been doing this together for years.

Here's Bobby at the finish with Dave Bailey behind the camera, Natalie standing behind Wetstone or Welstone, and Cody and Jessie. Bobby did WIN the Triple Crown!! He and Natalie actually drove in from Montana all night and arrived in the morning as he decided last minute to cut their trip short to come back and take a shot at winning the Triple Crown. He did an excellent job!

And the Burro Racing wouldn't be complete if old Curtis Emrie wasn't there. Yup, he's still racing. Although just after he finished, he went to adjust his burro's harness and it head butted him. "Ouch!" I guess it's probably not the first time, he just got a little unedged but was fine.

After the morning of Boom Days it was time to build the chicken coop! Toby couldn't wait!

Brian's brilliant design coming to fruition. All we had to buy for this project was chicken wire, we got palletes from local shops and had the dog house on our property.

Toby checking out the new chicken run, while Brian was installing the heat lamp in their little house.

Chickens scoping out their new pad.

The white ones are the Light Brahmas which as you see below have feathers down their feet to keep them warmer in cooler temps. The also don't have much of a crown or waddle (the thing under their chins) which is also a benefit in cooler temps.

Mt. Democrat, Mt. Cameron, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Bross 4 14ers in 5 hours!

Mt. Democrat- 14,148', Mt. Lincoln-14,286', Mt. Cameron- 14,238', Mt. Bross- 14,172'

On the hike up to Mt. Democrat, Toby and I posing gracefully for a pic!

On top of Mt. Democrat, one down three to go.

View of Mt. Cameron, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Bross from Mt. Democrat.

Summited Mt. Cameron and almost to the summit of Mt. Lincoln! It did snow on us a bit hiking up Mt. Cameron...nothing too bad, this is why we always carry gloves, hat, and extra warm layers!

Hiking over to Mt. Bross from Mt. Lincoln, skirting along the northeast side of Mt. Cameron. Mt. Bross is the high point on the very left. The sky cleared up beautifully after the short snow storm for the rest of our hike!

Pretty waterfall at the base of Mt. Bross. Which was not a fun Mt. to hike down. It was very very loose gravelly rock, which I did fall on my rear once, so I recommend skooting low on your feet/tush for parts.

Toby enjoying the snow beneath the waterfall...his little legs and paws were worn out!

Mt. Sherman - 14,036' - July 2009

The route up to Mt. Sherman from the Leadville side. Mt. Sherman is in the Tenmile-Mosquito mountain range, 10 miles west of Fairplay and 8 miles south of Mt. Democrat (14,148') and Mt. Bross (14,172')

The summit of Mt. Sherman is toward the right side of the pic, although when you get to the top of this ridgeline you wind around to the northwest, so you can't quite see it in this photo. Brian is standing in front of the snowbank looking down toward the Fairplay side where the standard approach for hiking Sherman begins.

Getting closer, this is where we'll cross the snow fields near Toby...and then wind around to the northwest to the summit! It was soooo windy, we're talking like 50mph winds!!

This picture shows how windy it was, look at my hair flying about!
Leadville sits behind us, and you can see Mt. Massive to the left.

A shot looking toward Leadville with Mt Massive in the background, still lots of snow.

2009 Leadville Trail 100 MTB Race Start on 6th St.

Saturday Morning, Aug 15, 2009 Leadville Trail 100 MTB Race

Roxanne's Recovery- Leadville 100 MTB

Here's a spirited woman ready for her "Comeback Ride" in this years Leadville 100 MTB. Roxanne, principal partner in the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center and Cookhouse, who last year was hit by a car at speeds of 50-60mph while training for the LT 100. It was June 2008 when everything came to a halt. She was rushed to St. Anthony's in Frisco where the doctors were able to care for her. Watching this video makes one grateful for the simplicity of just being alive and well. Come to Leadville next weekend Aug. 15 and join me as we cheer Roxanne on in her "comeback ride"!

Chickens behind Bars...or the Basement

I realize, holy cow, it's been awhile since I've added any trips. Since the last post we have hiked Mt. Sherman, Mt. Democrat, Mt. Lincoln, Cameron Peak, Mt. Bross, and Huron Peak. Brian has competed in the Salida Omnium consisting of three races: a time trial, a 60-mile road race, and lastly but his definite favorite, the criterium. I'll get photos up soon, since I know you've been waiting! :)

In the meantime enjoy the video/pics of our illegal chickens living in our basement until we can get them moved outside...hopefully soon!

Rhode Island Reds and Light Brahmas- three of each kind! And I think we thankfully only have one rooster.

Saturday June 27, 2009-Missouri Gulch Trip: Mt. Belford, Mt. Oxford, and Missouri Mountain

Our plans for the weekend of June 27th and 28th originally consisted of bicycling in the MS150 road ride from Broomfield to Fort Collins, CO. However, in the process of organizing our team with friend Troy the registration had closed. I had already received Saturday off, making a four day weekend, so we decided to take advantage of this and enjoy a long backpacking/peak bagging weekend in the Missouri Gulch area west of the Clear Creek Reservoir near historic towns Vicksburg and Winfield. Our hike started from the Missouri Gulch Trailhead where below we are all pictured excited for our weekend!

Toby hikes in his own food/treats and usually helps pack out trash.

Brian registering us in at the trailhead just after crossing the bridge across Clear Creek. I ended up working about 6 hours anyway, trying to finish the newsletter so it was ready to send out on July 1, so we didn't start hiking until 5:00 pm.

I decided to try-out some trekking poles this weekend, to see what all the hub-bub was about, and to educate myself in order to sell them better to our customers. They were great on the backpack in and out, but I didn't like them so much when climbing the peaks. "To each there own!"

We reached these cabin remains after an hour of hiking, and from what we had heard from our friend, Spencer, there were some good camping spots further up the trail where it began to level out at the basin. Thankfully this time of the year we have light until almost 9:00 pm so we didn't have to set up camp in the dark.

Another half hour past the cabin, we found some great camping spots, nestled amongst trees with no one insight. Just us, the deer, chirping birds, and the well-fed marmots!

Our night one camp spot. We used the trekking poles to set-up our tent vestibule as an awning. It was fantastic!

Pretty blue wildflowers that speckled the meadow.

HELLO! Happy to be outside enjoying a break from work!

Our view from the tent just as the sun was beginning to set and the clouds were changing color.

Brian and Toby enjoying the cool evening while waiting a couple minutes for our JetBoil to boil water for our Veggie Lasagna dinner and hot tea.

Brian's squishy bowl with Irish Breakfast Tea...Yum!

The nearby stream, snowmelt-runoff, where we filtered water.

These are the beautiful wildflowers lining the stream beneath the willows. So vibrant!

The sun setting on Mt. Belford above, and below the clouds fiery orange to the west of us. It was such a relaxing evening as we drifted off to sleep to the last chirping birds and faint sounds of the rushing stream.