The 2024 Eclipse

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Ben

I really enjoyed the 2017 Eclipse, so I decided to drive up to Marcy Field in the Adirondacks to take in the 2024 eclipse. The next eclipse in the continental US is in 2044, so…

There were so many people along the path of totality:

Setting up one of the two telescopes I used:

Like last time, amazing:

The best view was actually with the naked eye in the context of the surrounding landscape. Just amazing!

I had never been to the Adirondacks, so I decided to do a hike/trail run nearby:

Heading up in elevation, the trail quickly became snow-covered:

Lots of melting snow:

The drive back was ridiculously long, as what seemed like the entire population of the Eastern US drained out of the Adirondacks and adjoining areas.

Summer 2022, Day 42: High Mesa to Hartman Rocks

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Ben

Another beautiful morning on High Mesa:

The pattern here seems to be daily rain starting at 10AM. It’s a bit much for me, so I packed up. On the way out, I did a quick hike out to Lost Lake, passing this pond along the way :

Lost Lake:

Another lake on the return trip:

I continued on to visit the High Mesa visitor center:

I came down from High Mesa into Delta, Colorado, loosing 5000 feet of elevation and gaining 40 degrees of heat. I then drove south to Montrose, then east to the same dispersed camping location I used last year in Hartman Rocks:

See the trip map for today’s drive.

Hike to ORAK

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Ben

The four of us hiked with my parents up to ORAK:

Summer 2021, Day 27: Run/hike of Redcloud Peak and Sunshine Peak, Hartman Rocks reposition

Posted on July 11, 2021 by Ben

Today I motorcycled down from Slumgullion Pass to the Alpine Loop to access the trailhead for the fourteeners Redcloud Peak and Sunshine Peak. I started up:

I ran over the summit of Redcloud Peak (14,034’) and on to the summit of Sunshine Peak (14,001’):

I ran back from Sunshine Peak to the Summit of Redcloud Peak:

Views from Redcloud:

On the way back down:

The hike was 12.5 miles in total, with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain:

After the run/hike, I packed up and repositioned to Hartman Rocks near Gunnison. See the trip map for today’s drive.

Summer 2021, Day 24: Run/Hike Handies Peak, Motorcycle Alpine Loop

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Ben

I drove the motorcycle down from Slumgullion Pass to ride the Alpine Loop. Along the loop, I parked at the trailhead to run/hike the fourteener Handies Peak:

Off I go:

The run/hike was a relatively short 3 miles to the summit at 14,058 feet:

Views from the summit:

On the way back down:

I continued along the Alpine Loop over Cinnamon Pass:

I next arrived at the ghost town of Animas Forks:

I next drove from Animas Forks down to the town of Silverton, visiting ruins along the way:

Silverton, Colorado:

I was hoping to drive the road from Silverton to Ouray, then drive the off-road route from Ouray to the Alpine Loop, but I was told in Silverton that the off-road route from Ouray to the Alpine Loop is too technical for a motorcycle, so I instead drove back to Animas Forks, then further along the Alpine Loop towards Engineer Pass: