Ajax Peak and 94 hours....

Saturday we ignored the to do lists, packing lists and travel plans in favor of getting up at sunrise and hiking Ajax Peak.  Four years ago we moved from Sugarloaf to Telluride and in that time we've had a few things happen like Mayhem.

Who happens to like his new life in Telluride and all the area hikes. He even likes wearing his backpack. These days Chaos carries a pack with a tennis ball and some treats while Mayhem carries a few pints of water for them to share. Chaos's leg still plagues him while Mayhem has energy enough for all of us.

The day started early and we drove to the top of Bridal Veil Falls and hit the trail by 8:15am. There was one other group that started hiking around the same time which was perfect as we forgot the map and it was our first time on the trail. We had read through the hike and had a good idea of where to go but it was nice to ensure that we turned off at the right time.

The trail starts at the top of Bridal Veil Falls and follows Black Bear Pass for .8 of a mile.

Yes, This is a 4x4 road and I wouldn't take the 4Runner on it or even the old Tacoma. It's one way from Ouray and one of the hardest passes in Colorado.

The trail turned off the road and became a single track that had switchbacks up the mountain for a few miles. Chaos and Mayhem followed the trail well and it was a moderate hike up. The road was harder as the rocks were looser and it made for sketchy footing. Hiking in the West is much different from the East with loose gravelly trails instead of soft forest floors.

From the ridge we could look over to Tomboy Road and Imogene Pass. We had gone up that pass a few summers ago with Kendra in the Tacoma.

You can see a bit of the Tomboy Mining area from the Ajax Ridge line.

The view from Ajax Peak (12,785') also showcases the town of Telluride and the Ski Resort. The Blues and Brews Festival was going on last Saturday and during our time at the Peak we saw the field fill with hippies and their tarps. (beer festivals kinda suck when you can't have gluten and there isn't a gluten free beer to be found in the park)

The next day we were back to packing.... only two of these pairs of skis are mine... the rest belong to Dave and Big Dave.... I think I need to catch up.

In less then 94 hours the packing project will be complete and campchaos will hit the road for the east coast. We're watching the leaves change here and should hit New England for Peak foliage in the east.

September, 16 days and 127 Hours

For some reason September seems to be a big month for Campchaos.... Four years ago we moved cross country, two years ago the tacoma was smushed and now as we ready ourselves to drive cross country for our wedding we find out we also need to move. We've gotten a new PO Box and a storage unit to hold us over until we return to Colorado in mid-October.  We've put our friends on alert and are following up on leads for new dwellings.
The next 16 days should be pretty busy as we move into the storage unit and pack for our trip. Hitting the road is going to be such a sigh of relief after all this. I can't wait to hit the Colorado/Kansas line and leave some stress behind.
This last weekend we were able to ignore our real life for a bit and take in the Telluride Film Festival. We saw 127 Hours which was dirrected by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionare) and told the story of Aron Ralston. In 2003 Aron was living in Aspen and hit Canyonlands in Utah for a long weekend. While on his solo journey through Blue John Canyon he dislodged a chock stone and became trapped in a slot canyon for six days. I had read his book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place in 2004 when it was released. The movie told the story solely from Aron's perspective..... while you'd think this could be dull they did a phenomenal job. Kinda makes a wedding, a move and all the other stuff not seem so bad! We enjoyed the movie so much we saw it twice.