50k mountain run

To have this experience was a long time goal of mine – the feeling of running 50k in the mountains! I wasn’t supposed to do this until April/May, but I decided to give it a go yesterday and was able to finish it (March 8, 2025).

I have enjoyed 90% of the training process. I started building my running base slowly about a year ago, and the last half year I’ve averaged around 3x a week running. It’s been great to have a concrete goal to work towards and then achieve it. I’ve had injuries along the way, but I just adjusted and kept running. I didn’t follow a concrete training plan, but my goal initially was to run intervals once a week, 10-12k fast run once a week, and a long slow run once a week…that didn’t happen. Mostly, because of the injuries I’ve had to manage, but I also like to go more on feel. For me it keeps it more enjoyable, and when it’s something I do in my free time, it has to be somewhat enjoyable. I pulled my calf muscle late last year, and then re-pulled it once or twice. So, I ended up not running intervals at all, and only the last month or so I’ve started to run faster on my 10-12k’s. Everything else has been very slow runs which was a new experience for me.

I didn’t really get to run beyond around 19k in training, and I was supposed to build those longer runs over the next 1-2 months…but I ran out of patience. Yesterdays run was far from planned, the days leading up to, my diet was horrible and I didn’t anticipate giving the 50k a go until I was actually running. From the get-go my body didn’t really feel great, but when I got on the trail it was very enjoyable and the conditions where great. The first half of the trail is awesome, it starts from Arthurs Rock parking lot in Lory State Park with a big climb of around 650 m elevation going over 7,5k up to Horsetooth Rock, then from there a beautiful downhill on the Southridge trail with views of Longs Peak. Then from the Horsetooth Open Space parking lot it goes back up the Spring creek trail and connects with a big downhill along the Towers road and then connecting with the nomad trail that goes back to Arthurs Rock parking lot. Those first 25-26k are so beautiful and was really enjoyable. Still, after this first half I wasn’t committed to do the 50k, but I wasn’t ruling it out either. Initially, I was supposed to finish my run after that first part. But then I was thinking, “I already spent 3,5 hours running, let me try to do this 7,5 k loop around the valley and see how I feel”. So that’s what I did, and now I only had 17-18k left to go. I could see the end now, it’s doable! So I set out for another loop and counted down every k. I was talking to myself and hyping myself up the whole time. The second loop started getting painful but when I finished it I had just short of 10k left. Now, there was no way I was not going to do it. So I did the last loop which was pretty painful, and then finished the last 2k left. Man, what a great feeling!

In a sense, it was good that I wasn’t fully prepared for it, because a big part of doing the 50k in the mountains was to get the feeling of pushing myself beyond what I normally do. So, when I’m not fully prepared it becomes more a test of my will since it gets more painful.

The numbers (Strava link):

50K

1541 meters of elevation (5056 feet)

Run time: 6h 51 min

Total time: 7h 53 min

I wanted to share my experience here, and hopefully this is the kick start of writing more on this blog again. Between starting my own business and raising a little kid, I havn’t had much time for this blog. But, as it says on the welcome page, this is a life project and I plan to write about more adventures this year…I have a few planned 🙂

Bikepacking Frisco to Buena Vista and climbing Mt. Massive (4 days)

I’ve been wanting to explore the Mt. Massive and Collegiate Peaks area for some time and I finally had some time to do it. The Bustang buses here in Colorado are great, very comfortable, cheap, bring the bike for free, and they go all over Colorado into the mountains and the cities. I took the bus from Fort Collins to Denver and then from Denver to Frisco, 22 usd total including the bike.

Day 1 – Frisco to Mount Massive

I arrived in Frisco around 12 noon and started out with a sandwich. The plan was to bike to the Mount Massive trailhead and pitch the tent in that area so I could wake up and climb it the next day. The route went over a pass through Leadville so I thought it would be a good idea to get some food for the trip in Leadville to keep the weight down a bit. There’s a beautiful bike trail that runs along the main road for the first 10-15k or so and then you connect with the road. It is not the most fun biking on a narrow shoulder on the road Friday afternoon when everyone is going in the mountains, but it is not the worst either. It’s a beautiful ride and I’ve done it in the car before but being on the bike is just way different having time to really enjoy the scenery. There’s a big mining history in the Leadville area and I keep thinking about those people coming here to settle. At the very top of the pass before reaching Leadville I met this cool guy selling beef and Elk jerky. The business started in the climax mine area some years back. He was fun and I took a few pictures with him and also got some water since I ran out (I only ran out because I didn’t fill up earlier, there are plenty of options to fill from creeks and rivers). Reaching the pass was nice since from hear it was mostly downhill to Leadville. I wanted to grab a beer in Leadville but I was a little pressed for time so I did my groceries, got some extra patches from the bike store, and a beer can to go for later in camp. The way from Leadville to trailhead was really nice, no more traffic! The area around Massive is wilderness and national forest so I could basically pitch my tent wherever, so I found a great spot right on the river (don’t worry – more than 100 ft from it) close to the trailhead. So first day ended up being 69k and 986m of elevation, what a great start to my trip – and the beer was still cold and tasted amazing!

Day 2 – Mt. Massive climb

I got up already at 6:15 to make some coffee. I grinded fresh beans before I left and that paired with the MSR coffee filter is a winner every time. Best way to get good coffee on trail unless you want to bring the grinder. It was only my second night in my new tent (Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo) and generally i was very happy with it the whole trip. It stayed dry the whole trip so still have to put it to the test in rainy weather. It’s a one man tent but i can still have all of my gear inside which i like. The first part of the trail is on the Colorado Trail so I already met a bunch of people that were going all the way to Durango. The whole trail usually is 4-6 weeks. After around 6k on the CT the trail breaks off and goes up the mountain. Theres a nice big stream just before it breaks off so I took a little break and filled up my bottles. I climbed it on a Saturday so I met quit a few people on the way. To my surprise I didn’t need to cross any snow and it was not a very technical climb. I could basically walk the whole way up (it’s classified as class 2). The views where amazing as always when you climb a mountain and I met a family of mountain goats all the way on the top. It was a very cool experience since it was my first time seeing them. I got down after 24k, 1400m elevation, and almost 7h of walking, and had a really good lunch in camp. The rest of the day I was just eating and chilling in camp, another great day.

Day 3 – Mt. Massive trailhead to Turtle Rock Campground

On day 3 I decided to take it very easy, I felt it a bit after the first two days so I didn’t want to rush anything and I just wanted to take my time. I spent a loooong time drinking coffee and eating Müesli, packed up and started riding down the mountain around 9:30. I rode south in the direction of Buena Vista and there was a lot of dirt roads running along the main road so it was a really beautiful ride and mostly downhill which I truly appreciated! I thought about biking to Huron Peak and climb it on the following day but decided against it and leave that for another day. I rode past Twin Lakes and onwards to Clear Creek Reservoir where I had lunch. I had brought tomatoes and cucumbers which are super heavy but definitely makes me happy when I’m eating it in the tortilla sandwiches that I make. It’s a fine balance – my food definitely weight a lot this trip but I also packed for 5 days. After lunch I rode down the main road for a few k’s and then connected with and old dirt road running on the east side of the Arkansas River. It was so cool to ride on that with beautiful views of 14’ers to the west, amazing rock formations to the east, and the river running right next to me. I went up to Turtle Rock campground which was still free. Riding up the hill I met this cool guy Brian who was living in his car for a few months and kayaking in the area. I was out of water and thankfully he had some extra. We talked for about half an hour before I rode up the last bit to the campsite. It was a beautiful site with views of Mount Princeton, Yale, and Havard. It ended up being another amazing full day riding almost 80k.

Day 4 – Turtle Rock Campground to Buena Vista

It was time to go to Buena Vista and catch the bus early. I had an amazing sleep and felt like I was just getting used to it now. Man I could continue forever doing this! But I have a 2,5 year old son at home now that depends on me. When he gets older I can do it and bring him on some trips and introduce him to this life. When I do this for a longer period of time I feel like I can almost tap into another dimension of life. I still have big plans of doing long epic trips like this in the future, so I stay mobile and in shape, but for now it has to wait. Anyway, I packed down my stuff and went early to ride the last 5k to Buena Vista Roastery Café to get some coffee and pastry before catching the bus. The bus ride to Denver from Buena Vista took around 2,5 hours and was beautiful. It cost me 24 usd with the Bustang Outrider bus.

In Denver I had to kill a few hours before catching the bus to Fort Collins, so I went to Denver Beer Co and tasted a few of their beers. They make really good stuff. While I was sitting there I reflected on my trip and how nice it was to have had a few day with no distractions to affect my thoughts and mindset, everything came from within and that is an amazing feeling and where original thoughts and ideas are born. Sure, it can be scary to set out on your own but once I’m out there the fear is gone. I’ve never regretted it and the knowledge I get about myself facing fears and challenges is invaluable.

Maps & stats

Below is the 4 day overview screenshot from Strava (Day 2 climb was 6h 54min, not 3h 15min. My watch wouldn’t track the last two days so I plotted the route manually in ridewithgps, I guess it’s getting old).

Here’s the link to the route on google maps and below is the screenshot

Comanche Peak Wilderness overnighter

I recently found out about Outdoor Trail Maps and got a bunch of the wilderness areas in Colorado. I really like them, well priced, good size, and there’s nothing like pulling out a physical map when you are planning a trip. The Comanche Peak Wilderness is very close to where I live in Fort Collins so it has been on my list for a while. I had a failed attempt of going there on my bike a few weeks ago but it’s definitely doable in a day on a bike from Fort Collins if you are ready to eat some elevation.

The route I planned for this trip turned out to be perfect: Even better views that I could imagine, and a perfect mix of terrain and difficulty. I had planned this weekend with my friend Josh which is always fun. He mostly brings a great energy but sometimes whines a bit too much to my liking. He’s new in the game so I suppose it’s okay, hopefully it will change for the better with more experience…(I know he’s going to read this with a big smile).

Day 1 – Beaver Creek Trail & Brackenbury Cabin Trail (Strava link)

The trail goes along Beaver Creek and is a really nice trail and super beautiful. Most people either go to Comanche Lake or Browns Lake so after that the trail becomes a bit more rough. We saw a lot of bear, deer, and Elk poop but never saw the animals. There’s a gentle climb out of the woods where it connects with the Brackenbury Cabin Trail. It was a little tricky to follow the trail because of the snow but if we lost the trail we used MapOut to steer us back. When we crossed the pass an amazing view of the Never Summer Range opened up (see pics) and we found a perfect place to pitch our tents on the other side right around treeline. We cooked some couscous with tuna and broke out the whisky.

Day 2 – Camp spot to Comanche Peak to parking lot (Strava link)

We got out of the tents and made some coffee and Müsli and just took our time enjoying this awesome place. We started moving towards Comanche Peak with the hope of climbing it. We had picked the easiest route which you can walk up (class 1). The Mirror Lake Trail was pretty rough and very wet this time a year so we just had to accept getting wet feet which I don’t mind at all when I know they are going to dry out really fast in the weather we had. It was a really nice hike into the woods again and then the ascent towards the top. It turned out there was almost no snow on this side of the mountain so it was a relatively easy climb with amazing views. From the top you can see both Rocky Mountain National Park, The Never Summer range, and the Rawah Wilderness range (which I think technically is called the Medicine Bow Range, but it goes through the Rawah Wilderness and State Forest State Park). After we reached the top we came back down and hit the Hourglass Trail that follows the ridge down and hits Comanche Reservoir. Coming down Hourglass Trail we walked through a burnt area, it’s like walking through a cemetery. I thought it was really cool to see the yellow flowers were still able to grow there. It ended up being a quite long but very awesome day.

Maps & Stats

Link to my Strava

Screenshot of the route (Google Maps route):

All in all a 10/10 trip, I will be going to Comanche Peak Wilderness again!

3 day backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park

I managed to tag along on two of my good friends backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). Nicole & Dave-The-Rave reserved (well in advance) the only campsite spot by Lake Verna on the less busy west side of the park.

Day 1 – Parking lot to Lake Verna campsite (Strava link for hiking details)

The trailhead of the East Inlet Trail starts from the east side of Grand Lake and works its way into the mountains. There are 5 lakes going into the valley and Lake Verna is the second one. It’s a beautiful trail hiking along the river and very gradual ascent. Since we had the same campspot for 2 nights I didn’t pack very light so the pack was heavy hiking up the first day and the pace was very “hygge”.

The weather in general was very mixed the whole trip which I like, it makes the scenery chance all the time so you experience something different even staying the same place for days. We got to the campsite and pitched the tents just before it started raining. Immediately we got a new campsite friend, a deer that kept coming by our camp for the 3 days. Maybe he was hoping for scraps but I got the sense that he felt more secure from other predators being around us…I could be wrong though.

Rave broke out the flyfishing rod and we spend the rest of the day fishing and cooking in camp.

(Click on pictures and read captions for more details).

Day 2 – Lake Verna to Fifth Lake and back (Strava link for hiking details)

Nic and I wanted to explore the valley and possibly get to one of the mountain passes. After a bucket full of coffee we all head up the valley. After reaching Spirit Lake, Rave decided to turn around and try to turn his no-fish-failure on the previous day into succes. Nic and I kept hiking deeper into the valley. Immediately after Lake Verna the trail becomes more rough (but still pretty good) and we had a sense that we would see wildlife at anytime. Ones we passed the fourth lake we could either go up to Boulder-Grand Pass or hike to the fifth lake. It was still very cloudy on the pass so we kept on going to the fifth lake. After the fourth lake it ascends above the treeline and Nic spotted two moose further up the game trail that we were hiking on. They spotted us at the same time and we stayed for a moment then moving a bit closer and stayed there, maybe 200 metres away from them we stopped. It was a male and female and they started coming down towards us. It was my first real moose encounter in the wild (which is crazy given the places I’ve been) so I was a little nervous but watching their demeanor I calmed down, they didn’t look aggressive at all. They kept coming down the game trail towards us until maybe 30-40 meters away from us they veered off to the side and passed us down the hill so we could continue. I really got the feeling that they recognised where we were going and they came down to let us pass, amazing experience!

We went up to the fifth lake which is very beautiful surrounded by mountain tops and took a food break (Nic – thanks for the amazing salami sandwich!). We considered wether to continue up the pass or hike back down, and as we were conversing it started thundering so we made the wise decision and went back. On our hike back it started clearing and we could see all the mountain peaks – amazing. There’s a beautiful beach on the east side of Lake Verna and right as we reached it the sun came out so it was a perfect opportunity to take of the shoes, dry our stuff and put our feet in the water. We agreed there was 3 possible scenarios for how we would find Dave-The-Rave: 1) Happy having caught trout, 2) Depressed in his tent because he didn’t, 3) Molested by a chipmunk. Luckily we came back to scenario 1). He had caught 4 brook trouts (we believe) that we cooked up and ate, they tasted AMAZING!

(Click on pictures and read captions for more details).

Day 3 – Lake Verna to parking lot (Strava link for hiking details)

We woke up to an amazing sunrise and had coffee by the lake before packing down our stuff and hiking back. There was this mist almost dancing on top of the lake, it was pretty amazing. Here’s a couple shots…and check out the video on my Strava where you can see the mist moving on the lake.

Here is the full trip on maps…

Winter day hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

Here’s a couple of really cool winter day hikes to do in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). If you want to go straight to maps and stats scroll down the post, otherwise keep reading.

Winter landscapes are amazing: The cold, the snow, the ice, the beauty, the challenges, everything. Besides, I love that there is no crowds especially during the weekdays (sometimes the weekends can still be busy on the popular trails, especially in sunny weather). The weather and temperature in RMNP varies a lot so check before going and prepare accordingly.

Glacier Gorge Trailhead – The Loch – Sky Pond (almost)

It was pretty cold and snowed a lot when I did this hike (in snowshoes all the way). My camera died because of the cold when I got up there in the wind, it was probably -15 to -20 degree celsius. It is approved to -10 so totally fair but I was still hopeful though. I had it on my chest the whole time so it was constantly exposed to the cold, if I had kept it covered or in a pocket I think it would have been fine. Anyway, the idea was to go to Sky Pond or as long as I could. Turned out that I had to turn around just below since I wasn’t too sure about the last part. I knew there was a river and a waterfall somewhere, but I couldn’t see it because of all the snow. I didn’t want to take the risk of something bad happen so I turned around and have to return to Sky Pond some other day. I got just above the tree line, so still really nice views, and it’s also really nice at The Loch. There’s a winter trail (it appears on maps.me and most other hiking apps) that shortcuts some of the way to The Loch that’s faster than the usual one. It’s a pretty easy and rewarding hike. Here is some pictures, map and altitude profile. For more details on the route see my strava here.

If you wonder about the mystical creature in the pictures it’s Dave-The-Rave…as far as I know nobody has ever seen his face!

This is around when my camera gave up, so unfortunately no pics above the tree line…luckily it came back to life when it warmed up later.

And the stats…

Longs Peak Trailhead – Chasm Lake

Really loved this one!! Also not too hard, of course with respect to the altitude. Once again, Dave-The-Rave showed up and again I didn’t see his face!

The Longs Peak Trail begins from the parking lot and is very easy to find. The trail goes through the forest and once you get above the tree line the views start to open up, and what amazing views! Theres a plateau above the tree line that would be great for pitching a tent, I imagine people do it sometimes when they go to the top of Longs Peak if they want to break it into two days or more. In high season you have to have a permit in advance though. Thats part of why I love going to RMNP in winter, you can just go to Beaver Meadows Visitors Center and get a permit if you want to stay overnight. Anyway, once you get up to the ridge that runs south of the plateau you can either hike up to Longs Peak or go to Chasm Lake. In this junction there are great views also but I went along towards Chasm. There’s a part thats a bit sketchy in winter since it’s very steep and I had to walk on snow. Luckily it was overcast and pretty cold so the snow seemed firm. There was another guy, Sean, up there who wasn’t sure to cross either, so we talked a little bit. I actually decided it wasn’t safe and was about to turn around but then 55 year old climber, Dan, came along geared up and everything since he was gonna climb The Diamond the following day. He said it was safe to cross as long as the snow was still hard and we could just follow his footsteps. He looked like he knew what he was doing (in his own words: “FUCK YES I know what I’m doing!”) So we followed along…

We got up to Chasm Lake and it was absolutely stunning…

Just after the junction with Longs Peak in the background.

The trail (on the right) leading to the snowfield, if you look carefully you can see Sean in the snow debating with himself wether to cross or not. The vertical face of Longs Peak that Dan was gonna climb is in the background .

Crossing the snowfield with Dan in front.

Going back from the lake the sky opened up, it was really nice.

Stats for the nerds…(go to my Strava for more details)

Please leave a comment if you’d like – I’d love to interact with whoever is reading this stuff.

All the best,

David

Trip report: Winter BikeHiking in Colorado (overnighter)

It’s been a little bit since the last post but long story short I’ve been in the process of moving to Colorado. Finally here, so I anticipate to post more often now since I have mountain adventure right on my doorstep.

Adventuring in Colorado presents more challenges in terms of wildlife compared to what I’m used to: Black bears, mountain lions, moose, mini bears, snakes etc. So that’s obviously a concern and something that is a big mental challenge to me. The thought of bears and mountain lions scares the shit out of me! In terms of preparation I have to think more about how I handle food and be more aware when I’m hiking. At the end of the day I have to remind myself that animals in general prefer to stay away from humans and animal attacks are extremely rare and most times they could have been avoided. When it happens it’s usually either because they want to get to your food, you surprise them, or come too close to them. To put things into perspective Colorado has had 4 fatal black bear attacks since 1971 and in 2017 and 2019 there where 5 total black bear attacks both years (not fatal). There has been 3 fatal mountain lion encounters since 1990 with 25 total mountain lion attacks since then. Finding moose stats is a bit harder but it looks like there’s about 5 recorded last year (2021, none fatal). Looking objectively on these stats I should be extremely unlucky if something bad happens to me, especially if I take good care of my food handling. Also if you look closer into every incident most of them happened because of the before mentioned reasons.

I’ve been doing some research of how to handle food and decided to get the Ursack in combination with two odor proof Opsak’s, so I have one for my food and one for my trash. I keep both of them in the Ursack and tie it to a tree or hide it under some rocks in good distance away from the tent when I’m sleeping. Bears are hibernating now so they don’t pose much of a threat but I still want to practice doing it right. This method is recognized as a pretty safe way to do it and I think the best way for me and what I plan to do (the bear canister would be the safest but with obvious downsides like weight and bulk it would be hard to fit on the bike). However different methods works better in different areas so do your own research. In addition to the food gear I got a bear spray and a good knife.

Anyway, I decided to bike towards Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) from Fort Collins and pitch the tent somewhere on the way before sunset. Normally I can make it to RMNP in a day but I was off to a late start. Packing and setup took longer than expected but it’s also a new approach bringing snowshoes and everything. In addition to the bike setup I carry a 58 L lightweight pack so I can pack everything into that when I transition to hiking or snowshoeing and lock the bike somewhere in the woods. Check out the setup below…

Day 1

Started out with a nice uphill ride from Fort Collins to (almost) Glen Haven where I found a nice spot for my tent in the mountains. Check out the stats for day 1…

Day 1
Time on bike:	3:12 h
Distance:	59 k
Asc:	774 m
Dsc:	149 m
Average speed:	18,4 km/h

In addition to this I hiked 30 minutes ascending 151 m into the mountains to find a good spot for the tent. I would have liked to take more pictures up there but I was a bit late and it was getting dark and I had to figure out all the new routines with cooking and food handling. By the time I was done cooking and about to eat it was already dark, SUDDENLY I see 3 sets of eyes staring at me and immediately I go into fight mode thinking it’s mountain lions! Adrenaline runs through my body and I let them know I’ve seen them by letting out a short deep roar. One of them runs to the side and immediately I’m thinking they are attacking me by one flanking me and the other two going straight at me. To my own surprise I stayed pretty calm staying where I was and finishing my food but paying close attention with my headlamp. The two of them where still staying up there looking at me, I couldn’t see the third one anymore. I was at a pretty flat space so they couldn’t surprise me since I could see in all directions. I had my knife in my hand and was ready if something happened. However, nothing happened and they probably just wanted to check me out or maybe they had been there the whole time and I didn’t see them until then. I never found out if it was mountain lions. Thinking about it afterwards my best guess would be coyotes since they were the only tracks I could find. I packed my food into the Opsacks and into the Ursack, tied the Ursack to a tree and went back to my tent. Once I was in the tent I was pretty calm and ended up with a descent sleep…I didn’t get up next morning until after sunrise though.

Looking down the valley I had been biking earlier

Day 2

I was already in a hurry since I got up a little late. I had to meet Dave-The-Rave in Estes Park. Packed up everything, got my food sack…it was still there, and went down to my bike…it was also still there, great!

It was a gentle climb up to Glen Haven but right after there was a brutal climb and I had to push the bike for a little bit. But once at the top it was a beautiful downhill to Estes Park. I had breakfast with Dave-The-Rave and we went for a great snowshoe hike where we broke trail up to Fern Lake in RMNP.

Highlights: Frozen waterfalls, huge boulders, winter landscapes, breaking trail in deep snow, a frozen lake, big mountains, beautiful elk with huge antlers, and a beautiful sunset.

Besides it being a great little trip I learned a lot with regards to the winter bikehiking approach, what gear to bring, and how to handle food. I’m pretty happy with my preparation and packing, everything worked great!

Day 2 stats:

Day 2	Bike	Showshoe hike
Time on bike/hike:	1:07 h	5:07 h
Distance:	15,1 k	12,8 k
Asc:	329 m	505 m
Dsc:	176 m	505 m
Average speed:	13,5 km/h