Category: Leadville

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Hope Pass hike June 2025

I spent the night in a cabin at Twin Lakes. I have the cabin for two nights and it’s a few miles from the trailhead for Hope Pass, which will be my second hike in two days.

On Saturday morning I was still recovering from the 10 mile hike in RMNP from yesterday and getting used to elevation. Twin Lakes sits at 9,600 ft and today my plan is to finally get to Hope Pass, 12,600 feet, after two Leadville 100 DNFs.

I found a restaurant that was open with a breakfast buffet. Similarly to how I felt last year the morning of my Grinnell Glacier hike, I needed eggs and coffee to get in the right mindset for the hike. The breakfast in Twin Lakes was okay but the eggs were a bit gross with tomatoes in them. The best part was the coffee and the pastry. Regardless, it gave me what I needed to get going. 

I drove to the Willis Gulch Trailhead and started hiking. Two years ago I started this but didn’t go much farther than the CDT Trail.

I hiked to the CD Trail and headed south to Hope Pass. 

A little way in I saw two bearded men hiking towards me with full packs. I got a bit choked up because I was so impressed that they were doing this super long trail; I wished I could be doing it, too. They wore a CDT badge on their shoulder strap. I asked them how long they’ve been on the trail and they said it’s been so long they lost count. They smiled, clearly happy to be on the trail. 

I kept on and hiked slowly like yesterday. I kept thinking “what was I thinking” – when training for Leadville 100 and living at sea-level. I remember what I felt like at mile 38 during the 100 mile race and I couldn’t imagine running this trail to Hope Pass over and back in order to finish. I just never made it this far to know what I as in for. Today when saw runners heading up the Pass, I was in awe. 

Hope Pass was fantastic. It wasn’t what it looked like in any the Leadville pictures but loved being there. 

I headed down after a break and only wore a jacket to protect my skin. It was perfect hiking weather and only one patch of snow to cross. 

I passed many heading up: hikers, runners, kids, dogs. All so happy to be out on the this gorgeous Saturday. 

I had to pay attention and look for the sharp left turn to Willis Gulch Trail from the CDT. And it was a mile back to my car. 

I was thrilled to make it to the top, and altitude sickness/headache subsided after getting down. The elevation is no joke and 3,330 feet of elevation gain. 

I got back to my cabin and didn’t want to stay another night. I booked a hotel closer to the airport so I showered and packed up the car to head back to Denver.

I drove through Leadville and saw all the happy finishers who stuck around town after the Heavy Half Marathon and the Full Marathon race. I remembered when I did my best Leadville Marathon finish in 2019. I loved that year so much. 

As I drove through the town, of which I dreamed about for years, I thought how much I loved the town, the race, and training for HARD RACES. I just don’t think I’m that athlete anymore. The athlete who can train hard and do these hard races. And just thinking that I’m done with it all makes me so sad. And writing it for this blog makes it so real.

I was so glad to be in Colorado and hike two big mountains/passes in two days. This trip has been so good for me, and is helping me face reality that maybe I’m more a hiker than an ultrarunner anymore.

Driving to Denver on Interstate 70 I thought how progressive Colorado is compared to Tennessee. Grocery stores in Colorado don’t use plastic bags and so many people have solar panels on their homes. I miss living in Colorado.

I got to my hotel and relaxed for a bit before heading out to find my last dinner in Colorado. 

In the morning I ate a $35 breakfast at Elways at the airport. The meal was very pricey but I did enjoy the coffee and little bottle of jam for my biscuit.

As I waited for my flight, and trying to get some steps in, I saw this lighted advertisement at each gate in the terminal. It was a healthcare ad but I found it so true and inspiring for me. Here’s the close up of it – and here’s my sign to what’s next:

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Colorado trip: Keystone, Leadville, Granby, Steamboat

First stop in Colorado after arriving in Denver was to drive through Rocky Mountain National Park. I followed the rules and bought a timed entry. Based on flight arrival and drive time I purchased 12-2 entry time. Little did I know that after 2:00 you don’t need a timed entry and we got to the entrance at 1:50pm. Cars were waiting on the side of the road for 2:00.

We began the beautiful drive on a perfect blue bird sky day.

I was reading Following Isabella Travels in Colorado Then and Now on the plane and how she climbed Longs Peak. All the years I’ve lived in Colorado I never hiked the big mountains. After reading about Isabella and seeing the peak from the road, the next time I come back I want to climb it. The picture above features Longs Peak in the distance.

We drove through Grand Lake and Granby to arrive at Winter Park for dinner with George and Shawn. We ate at Randy’s which happens to have the best Shepards Pie. It was great catching up with them and seeing pictures of their grandchildren.

The next morning I drove back to Granby to revisit a place I lived for five years. The above picture was my view from the house – looking west to the sunset and these sage covered hills. I was a bit sentimental and sad, and missed living here. I saw the places where I hiked, mountain biked, trail ran, skied, cross country skied, and walked. I missed doing all of this.

Then, as I was driving back to Winter Park, I thought: I’ve mountain biked and hiked so much in this county. I lived my best life here. I did everything. I didn’t get the guy but I did everything – I lived my live out loud. I tried everything.  I gave it my best shot. It was a good life living in Colorado and I chose to leave for other opportunities.

This thinking made me instantly feel better. I didn’t waste any time here. I learned so much that has brought me to this exact moment right now. I don’t have to be sad about it anymore. 

Next stop: up and over Berthoud Pass. Here’s a picture of me and Mark at the top of the pass. I used to love hiking from this trailhead when I lived here. We walked around and took in the views, then on to Leadville.

I opted to stay in Keystone to switch it up from Copper Ski Resort the last time I attempted Leadville 100. I like to be away from the fray, to relax before a race. Plus, I haven’t spent much time in Keystone so it was fun to discover.

On race morning we woke up at 2am and then out the door to get to the race start by 4am. The energy at the start was so fun. I knew I wasn’t going to make it very far but I wanted to start. Leadville is an iconic race and I want to finish it. But alas, I dropped at the first aid station. The above pictures is Turquoise Lake as the sun rose. I took the shuttle back to Leadville and Mark picked me up. We headed back to Keystone.

I love this race so much because it’s so hard and I want to do hard things. I sometimes think I am super woman and can do anything I set my mind on. But the last few years I have menopause brain; and my brain is not working well. I still have big mountain dreams and goals; I want to finish a 100 mile trail run. But maybe I will attempt a 100 mile race at sea level.

The next day, Sunday, I drove to Steamboat. I’ve been wanting to go back and revisit the place I lived for three years and hike some of the places I hiked with my first dog, Abbey. First stop was Fish Creek Falls.

I hiked in the area almost every morning with Abbey. The falls are so pretty and the trails have spectacular views.

This is the view from the Uranium Mine trail. This trail is just before you arrive at the Fish Creek Falls parking lot. I have great memories of snowshoeing this trail with Abbey.

I later met up with a friend from Granby who now lives in Steamboat. Betsy and I caught up on our lives. I would love to live back here and hope some day to. I’d have to win the lottery to afford it, but the Yampa Valley is special. On the drive back to Keystone I remember all the spots along the way from the hundred of times I’ve been on Route 40: moving to Granby, driving to the airport, driving to Silverthorne. From Rabbit Ears Pass and the rocky mountains in view, to the winding roads and a hope to spot an antelope.

On Monday, the last day Mark and I drove from Keystone to Canon City to visit the Royal Gorge. Since I work at an attraction with a bridge I was excited to do a little competitive research.

The bridge was very fun to walk on. I loved the view of the Arkansas River. We timed it perfectly to see rafters, kayakers and the Amtrak train.

Royal Gorge
TN State Flag on Bridge

Then we headed to the airport. Vacation over. I can’t wait to go back.

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2023 Races and Events – It’s going to be epic

2023 is going to be an epic year of training, racing and traveling.

I like having big goals and big dreams. But they also completely stress me out. I have moments of pure panic that it’s never going to work, that everything is going to come crashing down, and I’ll never make it to many of these starting lines. However, I can rationalize that it’s just one step at a time and I have to do the work to get to the starting line. But having big, scary goals is part of my DNA. 

This is one of my favorite Reels: “Someone asked me how I managed my nerves and I said I don’t. I just do things scared.” Pretty much my life.

I do have moments when I stop and take a high level look at this plan for 2023, and realize – this is how I want to spend my life. I want to push my limits and see new places. I want to be outside running and hiking. I want to meet my friends in cool mountain towns and run races. I’m going to do it all scared.

So there it is. 2023 in a nutshell. See you on the trails.

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November, My Favorite Month in Tennessee

November did turn out to be the best month in Tennessee as I predicted in my earlier post. 

I really like hiking when you can see the landscape around you, and see what is coming around the turns in the trail. I hiked/ran the Cove Mountain trail a few times and got farther each time. Next week when I have a 18 mile run I should be able to get to the top. It’s steepest at the beginning at the waterfall and is gentle the next five miles. I like being able to see Ober Gatlinburg and all the peaks in the park.

Laurel Falls with Melani

I had time to reflect and write, and my next book is coming along. 

I walked dogs at the Sevier County Humane Society. It’s good to walk shelter dogs but I have to admit I tried to figure out ways to adopt the ones I fell in love with. But the reality of it, two dogs is all I can handle right now. I prayed a lot for the dogs and cats to find forever, kind homes. I was so happy to see Facebook posts of the adopted ones. There are so many sad stories, but there are happy ones, too. I try to keep thinking of the happy ones.

Please adopt Maddie – she is a good, loving girl.

Please, please please adopt a shelter dog. This beautiful girl has been at the shelter for 2 months and she is a joy, and a lover. She just wants to be loved. 

Full on training for my 2023 events is happening. I’ve been sticking to my training plan and doing the miles. I follow so many runners and motivational accounts on social media and the one thing that I’m learning, and finding out to be true, ultra running is about grit and consistency. 

What is Grit? A combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal. It is the hallmark of high achievers. It is passion and sustained persistence applied toward long-term achievement, with no particular concern for rewards or recognition along the way. It combines resilience, ambition, and self-control in the pursuit of goals that take months, years, or even decades.

I’m going to keep this concept of grit in my mind and do everything to finish Leadville 100. 

Now on to December. I think it’s going to be a good month. Work. Train. Dogs. Walking shelter dogs. Celebrate the season with gratitude and love.

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Leadville Training, There are No Ideal Conditions

I’m officially registered for the Leadville 50 and Leadville 100 for 2023. This is my final attempt to finish Leadville 100 and get the buckle.

In 2019 I spent all my free time training for Leadville. I did everything right, or so I thought. However, I just couldn’t make it past mile 38 on race day. In the fall of 2021 I hired a coach and started training for the race in 2022 and by March I lost all motivation. I couldn’t recover and deferred the race to 2023.

Now it’s Go Time. It’s time to do the work. I live in the perfect place to train – in the mountains. Granted, the true perfect place to train is Colorado, but I’m here in Gatlinburg and will make the best of the Tennessee mountains. 

I have no excuses. I have a few things to do: 

  • Do The Work – follow the plan
  • Lose 20 lbs. 
  • Find training partners
  • Weight training

I’m a wee-bit still injured from twisting my ankle on the Gatlinburg Trail three weeks ago. My left ankle is still not 100%. I’ve been swimming at the Gatlinburg Community Pool for the last few weeks but it’s closing on Nov 9 for the entire month.

Such a bummer!

I’m also a wee-bit scared running alone in the park with so many trails closed right now due to aggressive bears. Officials are warning people to not hike alone on the trails. 

Twin Creeks Trail has been closed for over a month.

This is life as an endurance athlete: there are no ideal conditions. I’ve learned that every day you have to figure it out – how to get the work done, eat right, recover and sleep well. Fifteen years ago all of this seemed a bit easier. At 51, everything is harder: the body doesn’t recover as quickly, I’m slower than ever and the mental game seems to be regressing. 

Here are the books I’m reading to help me with the mental game:

I’ll be writing book reviews as I finish them so stay tuned to my blog. 

At the end of the day, Everything is Good. Hard. Fun. Difficult. Complicated.