I wrote this a while back and now I’m finally getting around to posting a “running report” about my trip to Colorado. Somewhat inspired by the “bromance report” I guess, plus a bit of my current taper madness thrown in. . .

Colorado Trail Crew Report:

I went up to the San Juans to support my DD and her friends who were doing a thru ride of the Colorado trail that stretches 485 miles between Denver to Durango.  There were five girls and six horses who started on July 1st and were looking to finish about July 29^th, they averaged about 20 miles per day if you take out their zero days. By the way my DD estimates that overall she only rode 100 miles of that, the rest she hiked (using her horse to carry her stuff).

My job was to resupply them during their last 10 days or so. My first meeting place was on the trail where it intersects CO-149 between Creede and Lake City and I’d meet them every few days until the end of the trail.

I rented a 4x4 Jeep because most of the trail access points in the San Juans required it.  I wanted an enclosed cargo space because I knew I’d leave the Jeep at the trailhead from time-to-time to go running. The other people who supplied them earlier had huge pickup trucks, so it was a challenge for me getting all the crap in the Jeep, but somehow I managed.  The thing was pack to the gills with the back sets folded down so I couldn’t see out the back, but my tent, sleeping bag and junk fit ok on the front passenger seat.

I camped out each night either with the girls or on my own at the trailhead ahead of their progress, and did lots of miles and vertical while waiting for them. My DD said that my running would be my “payment” for the support provided, and I got in some really great runs – I figure it was a great deal on both sides. I’d sometimes run backward along the trail to meet them and they got used to me showing up in the absolute middle of nowhere. . . I’d typically be up above them on a ridge or switchback and call down to them.  They gave me an honorary trail name ‘coyote’ because they would never know where I’d show up, but they knew it’d be remote.

I had an absolute blast supporting them, sharing the trail with them and they in-turn even said they looked forward to seeing me on trail and having me join their camp (probably had something to do with the fact that I’d bring them burgers, pizza and a never-ending supply of Reces peanut butter cups). By the way they’d pick their campsites each night based on the best place to have streams for the horses to drink, trees to tie some of them up and grass for them to graze.  My DD’s horse and one other were never tied up, as long as there were some tied the rest would just stay in the group.  Social animals I guess.

Unfortunately one of the horses developed very sore feet about 55 miles from the finish. Since it was near the end we were able to hike him out of the wilderness and had a trailer waiting for him (he’s now doing fine and recovering well by the way).  That rider could have continued on hiking, but she said if her partner couldn’t finish, she wasn’t going to either, but she intends to go back and do those last miles at some point.  All the other horses finished in terrific shape, the girls really tended to them the whole way.  Here are some photos.

The first resupply (lots of “stuff” ).

Me with the girls and horses when I first met them.

The high point of the CT (Zurkh none too happy with the ongoing hail and lightning storm, I didn’t meet them there).

Stony Pass jeep road east of Silverton.

Stony Pass / Canby Mt. (my tent is the red one).

Near Animas River, south of Silverton (I ran back to meet them, but not quite to this spot).

Road up to Bolam Pass

Engineer Mt. in background (I ran back on the trail but didn’t meet them that day).

Cell service!!  And the view from where we got it, who knows where the signal was coming from. . .

Indian Trail Ridge (last place I ran back to meet them).

Near Kennebec Pass

The finish, they did it !!!  (my DD is in the green compression socks).

Just awesome, I can imagine how gorgeous it must be running up and down the mountains on the rocky trails!

What a life you and your fam have! It sounds like it was a great adventure for all.

It got me to thinking though, do horses have a hard time in the altitude if they are not from areas with altitude? Or would it not affect them like it would some of us 2 legged flat-landers?

Some of those pictures make me think of the way those mountains were described in some of the old paperback westerns. That would be a very nice area to hike and run in.

Thanks Gang.  The trip was a lot of fun I really had a great time. Of course the Girls (and I guess the ponies) did too!!!!

AT – yeah the phone service was funny, I had to take that photo of them re-connecting. On a serious note though, it was good we had service at that exact time because we needed it to arrange for the trailer to meet us 5 or 6 miles down below (the valley in the lower left and around the bend to the left in the “view” photo) to transport the foot-sore pony.

Jamie – I guess that horses also have to acclimate to the altitude, the good thing about going SOBO is that there is a more gradual buildup before they hit the San Juans. Me on the other hand, I was sucking wind since I went straight there.