I wore shorts and short sleeves. It can get a little hot, but I'm loving the weather. There is definitely little humidity.
I started off from the visitor's center. The plan was to follow the loop around town. The signs should be good. I signed the register and began my run. It did not take long to realize how brutal this run would be. There was lots of early climbing and my breathing was labored, even as I hiked up.
One good thing I've learned at higher elevations is the first mile can be a struggle. I can feel lightheaded. It often passes though, especially if I drink enough water. That was beneficial to know as it was a tough start.
It wasn't long into the run that I was on a ridge overlooking the town. It was simply stunning and the trail was fun. I was heading toward Cascade Falls. I saw them just before dark yesterday. Today, they were cool from above.
After the falls, I saw a few hikers. I then dipped down and back up again. This was some fun singletrack. It was still challenging though, as I was gaining a lot. I drank more. I passed some hikers in a narrow spot.A bit later, I was on the southern end of town. This had probably the best 360 mountain views of the road. It was an open area. I guess it was the Potato Patch. I'm not sure.
After that, I had to cross Route 550, the way into town. There were some nice views of town in this area too. I followed the trail signs, but became worried when I was on what looked like a jeep road.
This section was the least fun. It was woods type roads around a power plant. I didn't enjoy it at all. I was thrilled though to see a sign showing I was going the correct way.
It took awhile, but eventually I was on a bridge. It overlooks Box Canyon Falls and a lot of people were hiking there. Then, I was surprised by one of the coolest parts of the run. I had to go through a narrow, short tunnel. It went through rock and I'm not sure it was 6 feet high. I had to duck a bit to be comfortable.
After this, I was back on a road type area. I continued to follow this tough switchback. Then, I was back on trail, but still going up. This was quite the climb and I was beat. I was low on water too. The run seemed farther than advertised.
These views from here were higher than others. They were the best views of the city for sure. Then, the trail switchbacked some more. A bridge went over another waterfall.
I continued to be blown away by the run. So much to see in such a short loop. As far as town runs go, this would be hard to beat.
Eventually, I came down. I wasn't quite sure where to go. I think the correct way was into an RV park and then cross the creek. However, I wasn't sure you could cross down that way. I crossed on a road right in front of me. I think either way was roads to the finish.
I was done after a tough 6 miles. This was a fun and challenging run for sure. I'm so glad I did it. It was a great way to see Ouray.
I'll likely hike next, but I could run in Telluride. I would like to, but I'm not sure on the logistics yet. Time will tell what I'll decide. I will be in Telluride. Whether I run or not is the question.
6.64 miles - 1:55:41 (17:25 pace) 2597 feet of elevation gain
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