The start and finish of the Hardrock 100 is at the Silverton Gym
The Hardrock “rock”
Sean
David and Kristine
Paul Grimm signing in.
Dale reads the names of accepted wait-listed runners...
I got in!
Dale Garland the run director
Start of the Hardrock 100
There goes all the runners!
The race started at 6am and goes up to the Dives-Little Giant saddle.
Working our way up to the saddle
Morning fog looking back towards Silverton
View on the way up.
Jason
Tom Garrison hiking up to the saddle. Other runners can be seen on the trail going from left to right across the picture
Jason gets to the top
Great views
The trail traveres across to the flat spot and drops steeply down.
Blake Wood
Going down to the first aid station several thousand feet below.
Cunningham Gulch Aid station at 9.2 miles into the race.
This is the next hill that we are to climb after leaving the aid station.
River crossing into Cunningham Aid Station.
View of the Cunningham Gulch Aid station while going up the next climb to the top of Green Mountain
Working up Green Mountain
The trail gained this little knoll on the way up green mountain
View across the valley looking at the route that we just came down to get into the Cummingham aid station.
Runners hiking up the shoulder of Green Mountain
Tom Garrison
Looking south towards the Grenadier Range
From Green Mountain the route drops into Stony Pass and then goes up to Buffalo Boy Ridge.
Camby Moutain and Buffalo Boy Ridge (to the left). The route drops down the cars on the right of the picture and then traveres up and left to the saddle.
Look back to Green Mountain.
Kirk Apt making his way up to the Buffalo Boy ridge.
View from Buffalo Boy Ridge
Time to go down again. FromBuffalo Boy ridge the couse drops down to the Maggie Gulch Aid station.
The Maggie Gulch aid station can been seen slight above center
The route from the aid station continue to the Maggie-Pole Pass which is saddle slightly right of center.
Droping down to the aid station
Tons of flowers!
View of to the Maggie-Pole pass
Looking down the West Fork of Pole Creek.
Looking back
Continuing down the West Fork of Pole Creek
Pole Creek Aid station at mile 19.6
From the Pole Creek Aid station the route goes up Pole Creek (right side of picture), over the Continental Divide and then down to the Sherman Aid Station.
Ken Jensen crossing one of many streams
Looking up towards the Conteinental Divide
This is where the route crosses the Divide
There are tons of great views along the course
A small lake on the Divide
Cataract lake
This is the Cataract Gulch Trail and goes to the Sherman Aid station at mile 28.7
David Coblentz
David
Me
Ken Jensen looking happy on the way down to Sherman
Run to Sherman Aid Station
Coming into the Shrman Aid Station (Mile 28.7)
After the Sherman Aid station the route goes up the Alpine Loop Road to Burrows Park and then up Handies.
View on the way up the Alpine Loop Road
From Burrows Park the route goes up single track through forest
Single track trail up Grizzly Gulch to Handies Peak.
Once you get out of the forest, there is a great view of Handies Peak.
The trail gains the right shoulder of Handies and then goes to the summit.
Jim Nelson making his way up Handies
Kirk Apt pauses for a picture with Handies in the background
The last bit up Handies
There was several snow fields on the course that we had to go over.
Looking North at Wetterhorn, Matterhorn, and Uncompahgre Peaks.
Looking back down Grizzly Gulch
Last stretch to the summit of Handies Peak
Self portrate on top of Handies Peak (14,048 feet) and the high point of the course
View from Handies Peak.
Me on Handies.
Looking at the route across American Basin. The route passes over the Grouse-American Saddle seen slightly left of center in the picture.
Heading up towards the Grouse American Saddle
View from Grouse-American Pass
Looking down Grouse Gulch.
The Grouse Gulch Aid station at mile 42.1
Coming into the Grouse Gulch Aid Station (Mile 42.1)
Ghost town of Animas Forks
Looking back towards the Grouse Gulch Aid Station. The route follows the Alpine Loop road towards Engineer Pass. I think that is Tom Garrison behind me.
The route continues up towards Engineer Pass.
Sheep
Looking back down
View from Engineer Pass
From Engineer Pass the route drops steeply down at first and then connects with the Bear Creek Trail
Looking back up at Engineer Pass
Close up of the drop off Engineer pass. You can see someone at the top.
After the Engineer Aid Station at mile 48.6 the sun set on me. Not the best of sun sets, but at least the weather was clear out.
The Bear Creek Trail into Ouray goes along a shelf. Since it was dark this was the best picture that I could get.
On the way up towards Oscars Pass. Over the night I went through Ouray (mile 56.6) and Telluride (mile 72.2).
Bear Creek
Looking back into the Bear Creek drainage.
Looking down into the upper Bridal Veil Basin.
Upper Bridal Veil Basin
Ryan paced me from Telluride to Chapman Gulch.
View from the top of Wasatch Saddle
Ophir Pass Road and Crystal Lake
Looking at Swamp-Grant Pass (center of photo at head of valley) from the top of Oscars Pass.
View of the Jeep Road to the Chapman Gulch Aid Station (mile 82.4).
Looking back at Oscars Pass.
Close up of the Jeep Road from Oscars Pass. It seemed to take forever to get down it.
Grant-Swamp Pass. This was a bitch to cimb becuase it was loose dirt and rock.
View from Grant-Swamp Pass.
Island Lake.
Fast forward. Looking back after the KT aid station (mile 89). Grant-Swamp Pass can be seen on the ridge in the back.
Close up of Grant-Swamp Pass.
Simon paced me from Chapman Gulch to the Finish. He probably got more than he wished for, as I was going slow on the up hills at this point.
Almost to the finish!
The last stretch to the “Hardrock”
Kissing the Hardrock. I finished in 36th place with a time of 36:58:56. I am very happy with this time as it exceeded my expectations.
Dale (the race director) congratulates me. I look tired!
