Friday, July 11, 2014 RACE, BULLION KING, BLACK BEAR, MOOSE

Quite an interesting day.  The Hardrock 100 Race for "INSANE" people started at 6:00 a.m. this morning.  We were going to go see them off, but chose to sleep instead.  This race lasts for 48 hours; no stopping for the night.  The race starts and ends in Silverton, making a loop thru several cities, UP and DOWN the mountains on game trails.  The total elevation change is 67,984 feet (33,992 feet up; 33,992 feet down).  The average elevation is 11,186 feet, with the lowest being 7,680 feet at Ouray and the highest 14,048 feet on Handie Peak.  This race is beyond brutal.  We are tracking the runners via internet and ham radio.  I expect the first place runner to hit town shortly after midnight tonight. I will be in my warm, cozy bed.  Whew - that's all I'm gonna say about that.  Maybe some pictures tomorrow.

Now for today.  We did two trails with totally different looks.  Then, saw a moose and a beaver on the way home.  Took over 100 pictures and had a tough time culling out the best.  Scenery is just so awesome. 

First trail was to Bullion King in the Porphyry Basin; elevation 12,488 feet.

Sign?  What stinking sign?

 Shot from the backseat.  Following Dale; Charles went ahead to make sure road was open:

 

 Charles imparting words of wisdom to Levi & Tommy.

Neither seem particularly interested:

 

 

Tommy breaking some rocks:

 

Charles & Jane's Jeep almost off the edge?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's the trail we rode up & will take us back down again:

Just around the corner is a Jeep that pulled to the outside edge & let us pass.

Glad it was at a spot where there was "almost" enough room!!! 

Raining . . . again:

 

On toward Black Bear Trail:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The waterfall chute we like to drive up is packed with snow.

I doubt we will be able to do this at all this summer; probably 30 feet deep.

 

 

 

More rain!

Good for the wildflowers though; they are starting to pop up: 

 

 

Everybody else headed to U.S. Basin, but we headed to Silverton & stopped off at the site where we know a big bull moose hangs out.  Didn't see anything and were about to leave when I saw something dark brown moving in the willows.  Turned out to be the ears of a female.  She stepped out into the clearing and posed:

 

 

 All the years coming here; all the beaver "condos," we see, today is my first beaver sighting:

 Tommy said that he's tired today.