Deep Freeze
I spent this weekend above Leadville camping in the snow.
Next morning, when I got back to my car, after the sun had been up for an hour, the temp inside my car was 15F. So that means the temps last night were probably single-digit.
It was partly cloudy all night. Only an inch of snow dropped since sunset. I camped between two frozen ponds near treeline.
It was what my soul needed. I read Meditations from the Mat, looked at the stars, listened to the jets, er, I mean the wind!
Only two deer, a fox, and some rabbits stirred in my area. I drank Chamomille tea and ate jerky and pretzels for dinner - real gormet fare, oui?
The snow was so fluffy, no need for snowshoes. I love plowing through powder. Great weather, great night, great weekend.
Made reservations in Leadville for a two-bed room for August 17-20, 2007. It's not close to the start/finish, but the price is great. The owners are Lead-men, meaning they've done the LT100 bike and run back-to-back, but they did one better and won both belt buckles! There are 10 finishers in their co-op giving training runs to counter the LT100 Bootcamp. They seem miffed at inadequacies in the Bootcamp, so their camps are to counter what they see wrong with the Bootcamp. I might give them a try.
Live smart. See the forest and the trees.
posted by JeffO @ 12:49 PM
2 Comments:
Hey JeffO, Ran accross your blog from Catra Corbett's blog. That is interesting that you do so much winter hiking, biking, camping...
When I run in the winter my hands get so cold I can hardly stand it. It must be about having the right gear?
Would like to try some of that winter camping around here sometime. Any place to get info on winter camping/gear on the internet.
Thanks,
Steve
Hi, ultra okie! I was born in Norman!
Yep, it's all about the right gear. Most people complain about cold feet, but it's just a matter of gear.
I like fleece gloves because they breathe so well. I bought a pair at Walmart for $3. I bought another pair of thicker, fancier ones at EMS for colder weather. They have the finger tips cut off like fleece bike gloves, but they also have a pull-over mitten sleeve that buttons back when not in use.
I never use cotton, but in normal weather, I like to wear regular bicycle gloves. If I fall, the gel palms save the hide on my hands, and during races I can use the terry-cloth backs to wipe sweat out of my eyes and drool off my face (one of the grodier aspects of intense racing). That way I don't look gross for the cameras!
For the rest of the body, it's all about layers of polypro fabrics and fleece. I got all my long-sleeve shirts from race "swag". So they came with the price of the race.
When running, I don't normally care about staying dry. If I'm not wet from weather, I'll be wet from sweat. So I worry about layers and breathability - and staying hydrated.
Good luck in the snow!
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