9.30.2010

MIni Pugz Tour





Just like that, Bailey finished his house sitting operation in DuhranGo and we were out the door with Pugz up to Telluride. Got in Monday eve in time to throw some stuff together and go get on KotO for StompRADio. Despite playing the soothing sounds till midnight, we remained enamored with our plan to leave after the show, and so we did. The waning moon had more than enough power and had been ups ince 11:30 or so and on fairly laden Pugz we sidled into the cave where the pain is kept. The road up Bridal Veil falls to the power plant is steep but well traveled and a nice introduction to what awaits. Prodoperz may recall riding Wasatch and being able to pedal the single speed up that part. Once you pass through the gate and past the powerplant the grade and erosion turn the road into more of a challenge. The moon was amazing though and without lights the climb was as modestly punishing as perhaps possible hauling that much ass.
After 3 or four hours of climbing we ascended into the bottom of the Bridal Veil basin, just out of sight of town, and found a nice little camp on a knob at tree line where we slept hard. The next morning after sleeping log like till we felt like it, we continued our ascent through the basin. Sadly D00m followed us that evening on my Xtracycle and came to the juncture where Lewis Mine and Wasatch diverge and couldn't see our tracks. That's because they're Pugz track and we were off piste reveling in the glory of high altitude exploratory follow the leader. To the back of the basin we went, were Crack rock camp awaited us, with grass so soft we were wandering around barefoot. Given that this was a pre pugz tour before the next one, we'll remember to bring things like, beer, sketching materials/signage, and less batteries. After an unladen and glorious tour around the basin we retired again, and awoke to more miraculous weather. Loaded and primed, we rode the pugz to the base of the climb over to Columbine lake, hiked over and around said amazing lake, and agreed that a high altitude lake snorkeling project is indeed the best idea yet, before returning for the descent. So close, so glorious, and so thoroughly stompariffic. This tour will take place again. You should be there, self supported Pugz and a desire to slog it up a very steep hill for 4 hours, with maybe a 22x36 in the future.

and bring your snorkel

1 comment:

tricerahops said...

CAN-OPENER!!!