BEAR LAKE LOOP

     THIS MORNING WAS A GLORIOUS NEW DAY IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE THE EVER SUNNY ROCKY MOUNTAINS. TODAY  I WAS TREATED WITH SOME UNCARECTERISTICLY WARM TEMPURATURES THAT WERE TO SAY THE LEAST, A DELIGHT. THIS RUN STARTED AT THE EVER POPULAR BEAR LAKE TRAILHEAD WHERE I WOULD COMPLETE A LOOP I HAD BEEN EYEING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW. I STARTED WITH 4 GU'S AND TWO BOTTLES OF WATER, I WOULD ULTIMATLY CONSUME ALL OF THIS WITH THE TIMING OF A SURGEON. I HEADED OUT AND WAS IMMEDIATLY MEET WITH THE 1,311 FT CLIMB TO LAKE HELENE, I CRUISED UP THIS WITH LITTLE EFFORT AND WAS RUNNING NEAR TREELINE. UP HERE THE TRAILS WERE LARGLY SNOWPACKED AND OFTENTIMES VERY SLIPPERY. I HIT MY FIRST GEL AT THE LAKE AND STARTED THE NEAR 2,500 FOOT PLUMET TO THE POOL. SOME WHERE ON THIS I SUCKED DOWN MY SECOND GEL AND WAS FEELING ALRIGHT. WHEN I REACHED THE POOL MY QUADS WERE FEELING THAT DROP. THE WHOLE WAY DOWN HAD INTERMITNENT SNOW AND ICE AND THE FIRST 1,000 FT OR SO WAS ON MORAINE! ANYWAY I STARTED THE CLIMB TO CUB LAKE FEELING OK, AND THEN I HIT THE TRAIL TO MILL CREEK BASIN. THIS IS A SECONDARY USE TRAIL, WHICH MEANS IT GETS NO WORK AND IS EXTREMELY STEEP AND ROUGH. I GRUNTED UP THIS BAD BOY AND WHEN I REACHED THE TOP I PAUSED TO ADMIRE THE VALLEY BELOW AND EAT ANOTHER GEL. I DROPPED OFF THIS RIDGE FEELING QUITE ROUGH AND THEN WAS TREATED TO A SPECTACULAR BASIN WITH BRILLIANTLY COLORED ASPENS OF YELLOW AND RED. AFTER CROSSING THE CREEK I HIT MY LAST GEL AND WAS ON THE FINAL 932 FT CLIMB TO THE FINISH. AS I REACHED THE POINT WHERE THE TRAIL HEADED BACK DOWN, ALL MY WATER WAS GONE, PERFECT TIMING! I CRUISED THE REMAINING .6 MILES BACK TO THE B52 AND PROMPLTY HEADED TO NEAREST FOOD SUPPLY!
     ALSO, NEW SOFTWARE TO PLAY WITH, AND A FEW PHOTOS:

                                          MAP OF THE ROUTE

                                          ELEVATION PROFILE

                                         ALL THESE ARE FROM LOW TRAILHEAD BUT SHOW GENERAL DIRECTION OF TODAYS RUN (COULD NOT TAKE CAMERA BECAUSE OF 2 WATER BOTTLES)