As promised, I headed up to Blue Ridge via Big Pines today. The weather was threatening, and a few snow flurries met our faces, but nothing too worrisome. Fiance was AWESOME and gave it the ol' college try, threw up at .8 miles into it, and elected to head back to the truck. (He seems to be down with the stomach flu now - poor guy!)
The trail is moderate, nice climb of about 500 ft/mile. There are several view areas, nothing spectacular, but nevertheless beautiful. A few nice views of Mountain High east (and sometimes you can hear skiers and snow blowers). Most of this trail is north north-east facing, so in a normal winter it wouldn't be very accessible. Ran into some ice and a little hard snow near the top. Blue Ridge was nice today -not a soul up there and the South side (facing Rancho) was foggy - as if the world ended at the end of the campground. I enjoyed an apple at the top, gave Teyla her treats and water, and headed down - jogging most of the way. I really wasn't wearing proper shoes for trail running - my Asolos are way too clunky for that.
Total time was about 2.3 hours, with a 20 minute break at the top. Trail map says 2 miles one way; I clocked it at 2.25 from the car. Gear: Camelbak day pack, 3 liters of water, snacks (and extra), waterproof in pack, extra beanie, Sig Sauer. I'd say at least 15 pounds of gear give or take. Teyla carried her own water and treats and packable dish. Wore my NF Flight Series pants, Stoic Merino wool base, Polartec pro fleece and Black Diamond Glove liners. I was plenty warm (if not HOT) until the top during my rest where I felt the chill from my perspiration.
View it on Runkeeper
Pictures:
Trail Head
Lil' bit of ice
Teyla
Mountain High East
Campground - slightly blurry because my glasses were fogged!
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