After an incredible ride the day before and an evening of pampering we enjoyed a wonderful hike in the early hours while it was still cool and peaceful on the trail. We took the Beaver Creek Trail up to the pond and then took the trail back down but meandered to the Alleys way trail. At one point we came to the Overlook junction and should’ve taken that down. But we didn’t so we ended up going straight down the mountain at the end because we needed to get back for breakfast. We love this place so much. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been here and every time we come we are renewed!
We love spending a few days in the mountains biking and hiking during the summer months. Mike and I got away for a few days to do the things that we love the most together. We stopped first at Breckenridge to bike from Breckenridge to Vail Pass and back. It was a great training ride for our upcoming Triple Bypass bike event in July. Then we drove up to the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek (one of our favorite places) to stay for the night. It was so nice to have chocolates waiting for us in our room when we arrived. We quickly showered and headed over to our massage appointments at the spa and then enjoyed some time afterwards in the hot tub section of the spa. It was the perfect way to soothe our legs after our 50-mile bike ride. After an incredible ride the day before and an evening of pampering we enjoyed a wonderful hike in the early hours while it was still cool and peaceful on the trail. We took the Beaver Creek Trail up to the pond and then took the trail back down but meandered to the Alleys way trail. At one point we came to the Overlook junction and should’ve taken that down. But we didn’t so we ended up going straight down the mountain at the end because we needed to get back for breakfast. We love this place so much. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been here and every time we come we are renewed! Since we weren’t going anywhere for the Memorial Day weekend we decided to head up to the mountains and hike the Crags with Abby and Madeline while Emma was gone racing at the Garmin Running Lane track meet in Alabama. The Crags has been one of our favorite shorter hikes closer to home. It takes a little less an hour to get to the trailhead. We knew there was a possibility of snow still lingering on the trails so we made sure to bring our hiking poles with us. It was a good thing too because as we got further along the trail there were a few sections of snow and ice mounds and using our poles was extremely helpful. This hike was the first time for Madeline and the second time for Abby. Abby has really become such a great hiker. We loved being together today and enjoyed our time at the top soaking in the views. We ate our light lunch consisting of sandwiches, cheese, crackers, and grapes. Then we made a quick video to send to Peter on his mission before making our way back down the mountain. I love that our kids love the outdoors. My favorite moments usually involve doing something outside with the people I love the most. It is during these times that I feel so lucky to live in such a wonderful place.
Running Rim to Rim to Rim at the Grand Canyon was so incredible. It was my first ultra, and Mike's first time running anything over a half marathon. This was one of the most exciting adventures ever! There were so many good moments. The atmosphere, views, and people were awesome. Dionne, who is our good friend, was our ultimate guide as this was her 7th time running this. She knew the tricks to ultra-running, and she gladly shared them with us. Those things were truly lifesaving. Here is a breakdown of our adventure: Total Distance: 43.68 miles Total Running Time: 6:14:52 Total Hiking Time: 7:23:07 Total Ascent: 11,405 Total Descent: 11,429 South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch: This 7-mile section was done mostly in the dark as we started at 4:20am. We ran the entire downhill section, and it was way more technical than even Barr trail that I trained on for the Ascent. I was so happy to follow Dionne on this section. Phantom Ranch to Manzanita: This 9-mile section was amazing. We ran 90% of the canyon floor as it was a flowy trail with a gradual ascent of almost 2000ft. We stopped plenty of times for photos and once to apply moleskin to my toe. Manzanita to North Rim: Manzanita was a zoo. There were so many people who were coming from the North Rim and South Rim since this was the last weekend before they turn off the water at the North Rim. This 5-mile ascent was relatively easy, and we hiked the entire thing except for a few flatter sections that we ran. We even got to see the solar eclipse. The only tough part was the last 2 miles. When we got to the top we were floored to see Mike wander up there only 15 min after us. We thought he was going to turn around at Manzanita! He’s a beast and even did a few pushups at the top to prove it! North Rim to Cottonwood: We thoroughly enjoyed running down this section and spent some time admiring the amazing rock formations and cliff views. We blew past Manzanita and filled our water at Cottonwood. Then it was time for the hot box. Cottonwood to Phantom Ranch: I had been warned about the hot box (Canyon floor in the afternoon) on the way back. Most people do not realize but the canyon floor is 15-20 degrees hotter than it is at the rim. We were extremely blessed with magical wind and shadier sections when we got to the canyon walls. After a few miles I knew we weren’t going to make it in time for the lemonade before it closed at 4pm. Dionne encouraged me to keep going and since I had legs left I booked it for 5 miles down the canyon floor. I flew and it was fun. I got to the lemonade stand at 3:58pm and then saw it was open until 8pm. They had changed the time. Oof. Either way, we got our lemonade. We waited around for an hour but didn’t see Mike, so we made our way out of the canyon. Phantom Ranch to South Kaibab: First 2.5 miles were spectacular with great views. We even saw Mike making his way up and he was fast. He is such a good hiker. As the sun was setting we put our headlamps back on. We eventually waited for Mike at Ooh Ahh point and made the most horrible 4 miles out of the canyon in the dark together. Those were truly grueling miles that tested everything I had. I didn’t think I was going to make it. It truly was one of the hardest things I’ve done in terms of endurance. I’m so glad we all finished this amazing adventure together! south kaibab to phantom ranch |
Archives
June 2024
Categories
All
|