Rockies Ruck, Big Sur, Coyote Two Moon 100-Miler

Last weekend I visited a friend at the Esalen Institute near Big Sur. Think whatever you want about the teaching there (I certainly do) but it's in a beautiful setting, and I saw a whale breaching while soaking in a hot spring, so it's a win in my book. I definitely need to hit the Ventana Wilderness at some point.





Then I went down to Ojai and helped a friend run an aid station in the Coyote Two Moon 100-Miler. I hiked a short section of the course then helped runners at the aid station for 8 hours or so. The weather was crummy so there was a disappointingly large number of drops.

This race has an interesting set-up. Runners estimate their finish times and faster people start later so that everyone will finish at close to the same time. So Karl Meltzer, a seriously fast dude, was the last person through our aid station.
KM on his way out of the aid station

The weekend before this last one I went to the Rockies Ruck, an annual low-key hiker-trash gathering in Leadville, CO, the highest altitude incorporated city in the USA (10,200'). I had horrible dreams thanks to the altitude, but the snowshoeing was fun, as was my presentation of Sierra High Route pictures.


Mags before falling

Mags after falling

(Boulder) Skittles, Cheers, Bruiser, Wendy, D-Low

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