Saturday, August 9, 2008

Leadville Here I Come!

I'm not the only Minnesotan attempting Leadville this year.  There are at least twelve of us!  While Pete lives in WI, I think he should be included in the list of Minnesotans.  Here they are:




We all plan to meet after the race ceremony on Friday for a Minnesota Picture.  What fun.

Last year, the entire family came out and we stayed in Vail.  While there, we read about a boy who bought a gold pan at the Leadville Mining Museum, returned to Vail Village and while sitting in Vail Creek panned out around $200 worth of gold.  Marty wouldn't let me sit in the creek and pan, even though I argued that the cold water would actually help prepare my legs for the race, and any discovered gold would help pay for the trip.

Well, this year, I'm going out to Leadville alone.  So...I arrive Monday afternoon.  Tuesday morning, the Leadville Mining Museum opens at 11am, and I intend to be their first patron.  Sure, I'll feign interest in the displays and exhibits.  But it's the pan I'm after.  Once I get it, I'm off to find the nearest, or at least the most-likely-to-have-gold-in-it, stream I can find.  

Oh, the race?  It starts on Saturday morning at 4am.  100 miles.  Out and back.  Two passes over 11,000 feet.  Hope Pass is 12,600 feet.  

To get ready for the race?  I'll do some stretching, I might run a couple of times, try to eat some pasta, get used to the altitude.  But if the gold-hunting is going well, I may just take the week to be an ultra gold panner rather than an ultra runner.

3 comments:

Andrew said...

Makes me wonder if any other races have "fund raising" activities available?

Hope your race goes well.

Marty said...

I'm thinking the "stream most likely to have gold" would be one that a Vail Visitor dropped her ring into.

SteveQ said...

Wish I were joining the Minnesota party at Leadville, but I've got Superior on the brain. C'mon and join our party - ya gotta make plans for after Leadville and what's another 100 miles going to hurt?