July 20, 2009
Green Mountain Hiker
| Distance | 3.59 miles |
|---|---|
| Time | 02:34:57 |
| Max Elevation | 8,179 feet |
| Elevation Gain | 1,517 feet |
| GPS Analysis | Garmin Connect |
I woke up this morning kind of out of it. Had an early dentist appointment. Felt like the weekend slipped away with no mountain time. Weather was good. Reagan is in camp all week. That left me thinking — wonder what I can get Sydney to climb with me? I gave her a few choices. The allure of ladybugs at the top of Green Mountain was the easy winner. So we grabbed water and some gear to document our adventure and we were off.
Parked at Realization Point so we wouldn’t have to hike up the whole thing. Debated going all the way up to the top of Flagstaff Road and cutting over but decided she could handle the ascent up Ranger Trail — I hoped. The ascent was rather quiet. We talked, told stories, looked at the view, and drank water. Sydney mostly — lots of water. She drained her Camelbak on the way up. It was constantly in her mouth. That’s good I suppose. She had to pee about 3 times on the mountain today. That girl takes after her mommy.
As we turned on the final ridge trail, I saw another Dad out there with his daughter who appeared to be a few years older. I told Sydney that we had to beat them to the top — hoping that she would not repeat this if and when we passed them. We caught them in a few switchbacks and she told me that we did a good job getting by them. Competitive spirit! Then a few more steps and my six year old summited Green Mountain!
We sat and signed the log and took in the views. Then it was time to find out about the ladybugs everybody talks about this time of year on Green. Oddly, we passed right by tons of them on the final steps up given our (ok…my) frenzy to finish the ascent. OMG. Ladybugs!
They would land you on. Sydney would talk to them like they were all special creatures of nature coming to say hi to her. She truly loved it. It was better than a zoo for her. I got Wyatt a drink and took some photos while Sydney hike around the summit checking out all the wildlife in the area.
Wyatt did better than he did earlier this summer on Sanitas. He was tired and panting but he kept motoring. Had plenty of water for him today. The only hilarious part was when Sydney and I climbed the summit rock and Wyatt was trying desperately to follow us up. Barking and scratching at the rock. As if we were going somewhere without him!
The clouds came and went but it ended up being a great day to get high with my newest hiking bud!
On the descent, Sydney’s legs got a bit tired. She was bonking a bit half way. We took a break. Pounded some fruit snacks. Then continued on the way. Everybody got back into the swing of things. We played games including tic-tac-toe…no paper involved. Sydney kept track of the board and we just said what square we wanted. Fun stuff. Finally, it was about time to be done and we had to hike back up the valley just a bit to the truck for a successful finish. We celebrated in style — Larkburgers for everyone!
Live action, you say? You got it! No whining here.
Green Mountain Hiker from Brandon Fuller on Vimeo.
View all photos from this event.
July 13, 2009
Level 2
Sydney completed her first level 2 swim class last week. This is where they stop classifying you by animals and start giving you numbers. Big stuff. As a treat, the kids got to go down the big water slides for a finale!
Return of the Brown Girl
Aunt Natalee came into town this past weekend for a visit and a little jog. Soon after she arrived, we packed up the truck and headed to Leadville, Colorado for our weekend in the highest city in the USA.
We went out to Turquoise Lake on arrival and the kids spent time splashing in the lake. The water is straight out of the mountains so its not exactly warm.
The next day was time for my race. Kim did some off-roading and got my cheering section out to the middle of the race so I could gather a few hugs and kisses to keep the motivation going strong.
As I approached the finish line, the kids came out to join me. They flanked me on both sides as I crossed the finish line after nearly 6 hours of running.
Moments after finishing, Sydney asks me — what took you so long?
Aunt Natalee and the girls had a great time together!
