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Hey Everybody, Chris Kampsnider here. Just about done resting and getting caught up at work and wanted to do a quick recap of the week out there and a few observations (this thing is still sinking in):
-The Tarryall detour was a grind compared to 285 however the better scenery and having the Stagestop to grab a quick bite at I think made up for it. They had my burger ready in about five minutes and I was probably out of there in under thirty.
-I had unbelievable weather after the first day only getting rained on briefly three more times the whole trip, once on Monarch Crest, once before Apple’s camp and once heading out of Silverton. The blue skies, white puffy clouds and unbelievable views had me pinching myself the whole time.
-Right before crossing Highway 550 I took a fall while climbing up a switchback, not making it over a rock and falling away from the mountain. I ended up tumbling about ten feet before a tree stopped me and I had a branch impaled about a half inch into my calf. Turns out the only thing I didn’t have in my first aid kit to patch it up was some neosporin and I’m not sure how effective the baby wipes were at cleaning it out. I got lucky and ran into a doctor from Salida who had alcohol wipes on the way up Fooses which got me through to Apple’s camp the next day where he, of course, had a whole tube of neosporin that I was able to take some of. Lesson learned on the neosporin (and making sure I have an up to date tetanus shot).
-I ran into way more thru hikers and segement backpackers than I did on my 2011 ITT which was awesome. Apple said he’d seen over 350 people during his stay which I think he said was the most ever. Definitely one of the coolest parts of the trip was the quick chats with people and hearing their different stories.
-Really happy with the way the Yeti SB95 performed on the trip. The 5” of travel made for an awesome ride and I don’t have the wrist and foot numbness that I’d gotten previously. The dropper seat post may have been unnecessary however sure was a lot of fun. When I was tired being able to get lower through the techy downhills was huge.
-As I went with the dropper and no seat bag I feel like I probably had the biggest back pack out there. The Osprey Manta 36 worked pretty awesome though. It’s got somewhat of a frame that was really comfortable and I wore it pretty low to keep the load around my hips and off of my back. With the abundance of water I would only fill up my bladder to about 1.5 liters for most stretches and it only got really heavy with the food haul coming out of BV.
-I used the Sawyer mini filter inline in my camelback. It flowed pretty well however after a couple of questionable fill ups at Tank Seven and Jarosa Mesa I had to backwash it in Silverton. Not a huge deal but not something I really wanted to mess with mid race either.
-Those cows in Sargents Mesa are hilarious. I ended up sleeping in between two groups who were mooing back and forth what seemed like all night with coyotes chiming in for a while. Haha, I’m just glad they didn’t wander through my camp.
-Some bivy sites I definitely won’t forget are the field before the Georgia Pass climb under the full moon with the whole valley lit up, Chalk Cliffs Campground once again with a full moon lighting up the cliffs and of course Sargents Mesa. Huge fan of planning the start around the full moon.
-Devin at Boneshaker Cycles in Buena Vista is the man! He helped me with a shifting issue and loaned me a bike to get some groceries at City Market and hit up the post office while I waited which was awesome. A great shop in a perfect location on the trail.
-Sections 22 and 23 are unreal.
-It was a blast leapfrogging back and forth with other riders and meeting people out there. An awesome group, I hope to run into you guys again in the future.
-Rolling into Junction Creek on a Saturday night was pretty unforgettable! Thanks to the locals, other racers, friends and family for the finish line celebration. Champagne shower, beer, chips, sandwiches…an awesome finish to the race.
-Huge thanks to Stefan, Toby, Colorado Trail Foundation and all of you other guys out there who dedicate so much time to recon, gpx files, sharing knowledge, advocating, etc. Your hard work makes it so guys like me are lucky enough to be able to do something like this. Huge thanks.
-Had to attach this picture from Rolling Pass, one of my favorite spots on the trail, pretty much sums up the trip.
Cheers,
Chris
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