Last night I drove down to Jack’s Cabin Cut-Off hoping to nab a Strava segment for myself. A few friends have been encouraging me to try the app and I bowed to peer pressure and signed up last weekend. Since then I’ve discovered that its really useful as a route finding tool because others go out and run (or cycle) and then return with their logs and sometimes a review. The segments that get published are going to be equal parts fun and danger it appears.
The segment I chose is a road I know well. I was hoping to show up, climb to the summit of the pass and then climb one of the peaks either north or south of the pass which go beyond the published segment.
In the spring, after the snow starts to melt or when it at least has a solid crust, or certainly in the summer my plan would have been completely possible. The snow was just too deep, too powdery and slowed me like I was running in quick sand. My problem last night came from two sources. First, I watched an Anton Krupicka (see below).
Boulder and its adjacent foothills just don’t see that much of the white stuff so when Anton is cursing along EM Greenman trail in an inch it just looks so fun. So, I watched this, enjoyed the music and got enthusiastic.
Additionally, that “segment thing” is going to cause some problems. This issue being I see the segments not only as potential trail selections, but as something to conquer. Some guy runs from A to B in time X, I’m going to try to beat time X. Why not?
Well, the snow coming up to my hips in places with a centimeter crust near the top, if anything, was a training aid I don’t think I could have found any other way. By the time I made the pass I was beat. I turned around and came down even though there was compacted snow from a cat headed south. Next time bring the skis, pack it good. Good times!
FeetForBrains 