Saturday, December 01, 2007

Run to the Horns on N. Cheyenne Mtn

Though I was supposed to be the "guide" for today's mystery run up to the Horns the weather gods had something else in mind. When I stepped out of my house at about 6:30 this morning my feet went out from under me on the slick ice and I went horizontal with a sudden screaming pain in my shoulder as it slammed into the stone stair. I proceeded intrepidly the rest of the way down to street level, but prudently decided not to attempt driving down the sheet of ice that had been Ruxton Avenue. I called John Courtney to say I was not going to make it, but he said he'd come pick me up because he had studded snow tires. I started walking down Ruxton staying to the side off the slick pavement where possible. When I got down to the Cog an employee told me that no one could make it up Ruxton and that he had walked. Sure enough as I got down near the Miramont Castle there was a line of about 20 cars idling -- unable to go up or to turn around. I met John at the Loop. Just down the road a City Bus had slid into a garbage truck on Canon Ave. We arrived at Old Stage Road at 10 till 8, saw John Genet's vehicle and started up the road.

About half a mile up Old Stage Road we climbed up an embankment and were on the Sunrise Trail. No sign of any new footprints though and I figured the rest of the party had just run up Old Stage Road.

We reached the old abandoned toll road in about 45 minutes and after several switchbacks were at the restaurant ruins in another 20 minutes or so. We had only been there about 10 minutes when Eric B. and Rich M. came around the corner. Rick H. And John G. were not far behind. They had quite a time mostly bushwacking up to the old toll road since they never found the trail. After poking around the restaurant ruins I took them up to my the house on the top of the mountain where I plan to move after I retire.

This web site has some more info and history. I couldn't find much more on the Internet on the history of the restaurant. Maybe Penrose Library or Tuft Library on the CC campus would have more.

Today's pictures are here.

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