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Junein' along & some Big News

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Last week, Winter and I took a "BTC Founders" trip to the south San Juans around Mancos and Durango. We had a great time!! We got lost on Missonary Ridge, drank great beer at Ska Brewing (just me, though, because Winter's not old enough to drink), and jumped in not one, not two, but THREE different rivers (you guessed it: Animas, San Juan, and Colorado). However, on our second day in Colorado we had a chilling experience involving a deadly beast known to roam the mountains of the Southwest. Anyone who ventures into the wild lands of Southern Utah has encountered these creatures-- their heavy footfall is familiar to birders, fishermen, and runners alike. I speak, of course, of free-grazing cattle. As most are aware, mid-June is about the time when these ungulate spectators are released onto our running courses. They are often the sole witnesses to the BTC's running events. They are the favorite post-run snack for nearly every BTC member. Winter has a special relati...
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6/4/17- Upper Calf Creek Falls

Today was a long day at work, and the middle of what is supposed to be a low-key week for the BTC, so Winter and I ran down to Upper Calf Creek and jumped in the swimming hole. Well, I jumped in. Winter sat on the sandstone and whined slightly, then doused himself upstream so that he could come shake himself off right next to me and spray me with freezing, dog-scented creek water. This is one of his favorite hobbies. Winter likes Upper Calf pretty ok, although he has bad memories associated with a traumatic trip into the area known as "Middle Calf Creek." The outing in question involved Winter being carried like a football down scrambly sandstone by his Uncle Jace, whom he otherwise enjoys but that particular day was a little annoyed at. Today's outing to Upper Calf included a few of Winter's favorite things: running, being outside, water, me, another dog, and best of all, CHILDREN. It is a great trail to practice careful running on steep grades, but the round tri...
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Chriss Lake -> eastbound GWT

The Great Western Trail is one of the BTC's all-time favorite trails. It checks all our boxes: high-altitude, copious water access, beautiful scenery, and relatively flat. Today was our first 2017 jaunt onto the section around Chriss Lake. Our plan was to run to the lake and back, but we got distracted by butterflies and decided to try to make it to Green Lake. Unfortunately, I neglected to bring a map and underestimated the distance between Chriss Lake and the Deer Creek Lake turnoff. Still a nice day, made it to Gresham Spring and then turned around when we spotted hiking-pole tourists energetically walking from the GWT up towards Deer Creek Lake. The currants are flowering, the nettles are growing, and the butterflies are out in FULL FORCE. I swear I could see 6 at once in the meadows near the parking area. This time of year, the mountain is flooded with snowmelt, and the trails actually flow in a few places. Mileage: 6.5
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