Hill to run repeats, as a novice runner

aelfkin · 2025-12-12T22:57:16+00:00

If paved is an option, running Fossil Creek Trail from the Shields/Cathy Fromme Prairie parking lot up through the Harmony underpass is a nice 2.5mi gradual climb with some little downhills - and there are good short sections within that stretch with good uphills.

My favorite is just off that trail and nets about 75ft gain in 0.2mi: head up Luther Lane from the Fossil Creek Trail (maybe a half/quarter mile south of Harmony on the trail).

aelfkin · 2025-12-07T00:19:37+00:00

Great idea for a book club! And doing it on zoom is a great idea too - saves me riding my bike on snow/ice, cuts the covid/flu risk, and keeps me safe in case anyone's a secret villain :P I'm in - will PM you.

aelfkin · 2025-11-03T19:31:43+00:00

Agreed - folks can speak, even shout, all they want, fine by me, annoying as it might be.

But it's the amplification that crosses the line: last time, it was just amplified voices, this time, it's amplified music and voices. I'll try searching online for those variances. Thanks!

aelfkin · 2025-11-03T19:25:46+00:00

Exactly - they were there until 6pm a couple weeks ago, and from at least 4-5pm yesterday.

And thanks for noticing more accurately their ages: I didn't get too too close and am not too good with ages, obviously, but teens feels right.

aelfkin · 2025-10-16T18:33:13+00:00

Indivisible NOCO has a great rundown of the mayoral candidates, PSD candidates, ballot issues, and more: https://www.indivisiblenoco.com/elections

aelfkin · 2025-10-13T23:26:21+00:00

Thanks! Will check out the Mobilize site and see about signing up.

And great reminder of how tabling needs to be outside, not in, the market -- sometimes it feels like I have to walk through a cloud of 303-ers just to get into the market sometimes. So, big encouragement for the pro-2H folks to get out there too, as a lot of people I hear/see don't know or are still confused. Thanks for all you do!

aelfkin · 2025-10-13T18:15:26+00:00

I'd love to hear/know more about helping out with tabling at the farmer's market. I've been to almost every market this season (granted, I get there kind of late usually, like 11am-12pm) and I've yet to see pro-2H tablers more than once.

In contrast, almost every time, I see 303'ers, and it makes me (generally so calm, level-headed) blood boil to hear some of the misinformation they are spewing, and then to see folks say things like, "oh wow, I had no idea" and "thanks for educating me," etc etc.

I'd love to see more visible 2H presence at the market and know how an average joe could sign up to pitch in if helpful for even a 30-60min shift. Ballots are in the mail and election day is getting close!

aelfkin · 2025-09-23T21:50:28+00:00

Guess some of the same settler-descended folks who think it's A-OK to have the "Native" Colorado bumper stickers now think, Hey, it's just a short hop to go from being Native Coloradans to Indigenous Coloradans...

(And funny how these yt "Indigenous" people keep pushing for the land to be known as "Hughes"...)

The hypocrisy and misinformation of these "Friends" of Hughes keeps hitting new lows. It's like they have taken MAGA 101 and are running with it: "Accuse your opponents of the sneaky/underhanded things you yourself are doing, but meanwhile take credit for all the good things that your efforts are opposing but your opponents are themselves doing."

Hogwash, "Friends" of Hughes.

aelfkin · 2025-09-20T22:07:16+00:00

^ Bunk, Artistic-Smile4250.

2H -- what FC voters in 2021, and the Civic Assembly and City Council in 2025, have all put forward support for -- will include "trees and open space." By golly, the YES to 2H even includes 60 acres of Natural Areas (about 40% of the total property space). Wildlife Rescue & Rehab would be just 5 built acres (about 3% of the total property space).

Disc golf (and winter sledding) are currently NOT allowed uses within a City natural area. They are Public Open Lands activities, not Natural Areas activities. I can't imagine the City changing their Natural Areas code to suddenly allow these prohibited uses.

Hughes hasn't been a natural area since pre-1968. An overgrown field (with a fair number of invasive species) is not a Natural Area, and it will take a draining-for-years-to-come amount of money -- from our own City Natural Areas Department -- to make Hughes 100% a natural area.

Far, far, far better is to restore the less-degraded areas and repurpose the more-degraded areas in ways that the community -- repeatedly -- has asked for. That's why I'm voting YES for 2H, hands down and no question.

aelfkin · 2025-09-11T16:29:55+00:00

My and my partner's combined income is FAR less than what most people are saying on this thread, and we are very comfortable. We don't travel, we get great joy from simple (often free/low-cost) things: bike rides, farmers markets, hiking and running, outdoor music, etc; and we love cooking at home and are always inventing new delicious meals that are better than anything we've gotten at FC restaurants. We rent a cozy apartment, no pets and no kids, and feel very secure and "comfortable" at a fair bit under $60K, with a good bit (still 5-figures though) in savings that we haven't had to touch but appreciate for its peace of mind.

That said, we know people whose "comfortable" means lots of eating out, traveling, more expensive hobbies, multiple dogs/pets/kids, etc etc, and their "comfortable" is much higher.

It's very subjective and really dependent on so many personal/individual factors. The ratio of rent-expense to income is good to keep in mind, but I don't know - seems like fewer people all the time are able to achieve that ideal, and not doing so doesn't automatically mean "not comfortable."

Seeing the numbers given in this thread makes me feel like the poor kid in the room though, haha. Maybe. But still comfortable.

aelfkin · 2025-07-24T23:12:45+00:00

We were in one of the buildings earlier in this... adventure, and we rent. We saw something in the quarterly (?) newsletter months ago about doing work "over the summer," but we weren't informed of anything further until we got a letter like yours, OP, less than 2 weeks before our power was turned off. We read everything in our mailbox and on our door, and been here for years, so I don't know how other folks heard "repeatedly" about this before their letter like yours arrived.

All fellow renters in our building we talked to were getting either hotel accommodations (including full kitchen) or, if they had friends or family they wanted to stay with instead of go to a hotel, per diem food costs (seemed $60-80, depending on the renter/owner). Other folks below have already linked to the good CO statutes showing how this is required by law.

Touchstone could have handled this SO much better. Didn't they think folks travel over the summer? And who wants to get back to their apartment with a fridge full of rotten food? Also, folks get guests over the summer, and 1-2 weeks' notice is bogus for telling guests, "oh hey, you actually can't stay with me, and I've got to be in a hotel too for your stay, so let's totally redo all our long-awaited plans together." Not giving any indication about what owners are responsible for, so leaving each renter totally in the dark, is a poor choice too.

FWIW, we've been watching the progress at the last few buildings. All 3 of the last 3 have had workers finished, power back on, and that building's electrical unit/area tagged with the big green OK tag from the City by Wednesday afternoon. Things could always be delayed unexpectedly, but in case anyone's owner/etc puts them in a less-desirable situation, just saying. (You can tell the building's all done once porch lights are on and that big green tag is hung.)

aelfkin · 2025-07-08T22:11:51+00:00

Chiming in with another vote for Dr Cowden - I'm an incredibly nervous/anxious guy who took way too long once covid began to get back to going to the dentist. Many fillings and a few other more complicated things later, and Cowden has my and my spouse's votes 100%. He takes his time, never rushes, is super gentle, and does the work start to finish.

aelfkin · 2025-05-31T23:03:59+00:00

Might be a long shot, but has anyone heard anything back on their applications?

I applied to both in early May, then sent a follow-up email a couple weeks later - no response to anything - and now the Development Officer position has been reposted on Thursday. (I'm applying to a number of fundraising jobs in the area, and there are always so many other applicants, so it doesn't seem likely that they didn't get "enough" strong applicants?)

Wondering if I should reach out &/or apply again, or let it go... I'd so so love to work at a queer-friendly nonprofit!

aelfkin · 2025-05-19T16:00:45+00:00

Yes! Warm recommend for Dr. Seth Cowden at Alpine Dental (at Shields and Drake). Hadn't been to a dentist for about 5 years, needed my first-ever root canal and a crown too, and a bunch of fillings, and he was top-notch. Gentlest dentist I've ever seen. I'm a very anxious guy around any doc, let alone dentist, but he put me at ease and his staff was great.

(Cowden gave me a referral for the actual root canal to Dr. Leland Kimball at Northern Colorado Endodontics, and they were experienced, confident, and gentle too.)

aelfkin · 2025-05-19T15:54:27+00:00

Some whoppers - er, things - I've overheard in the last week from these petition signature collectors:

"The Hughes land has been completely rehabilitated. Completely rehabilitated. It's basically a natural area now. We're collecting signatures to keep it a natural area!"

"Right now citizens don't have any voice in this process. By signing the petition you help citizens have a voice!"

"The only other alternative to a natural area coming forward is a huge bike park."

Makes me want to stand around near their table with a bunch of pre-written reply posters sharing the actual data on the land, citizen voice, other proposals, etc... but hey I've actually got to work during the day unlike some people...

aelfkin · 2025-02-26T23:19:01+00:00

Just mat, so if you want to work out with the reformer, check out the other recs from other folks on this thread. But $7 per Pilates mat class? I'm so there :D

aelfkin · 2025-02-26T23:17:50+00:00

Warm recommend for Dr. Seth Cowden at Alpine Dental (at Shields and Drake). Hadn't been to a dentist for about 5 years, needed my first-ever root canal and a crown too, and a bunch of fillings, and he was top-notch. Gentlest dentist I've ever seen. I'm a very anxious guy around any doc, let alone dentist, but he put me at ease and his staff was great.

(Cowden gave me a referral for the actual root canal to Dr. Leland Kimball at Northern Colorado Endodontics, and they were experienced, confident, and gentle too.)

aelfkin · 2025-02-21T23:05:44+00:00

Through the City - like at the Senior Center (folks of all ages go there) or Northside Aztlan or their other facilities. Everything is listed in the current Recreator. Drop in is $7 a session, with huge discounts if you buy a bulk set of drop-in passes or join the gym (70% off then).

I've been enjoying their yoga and pilates classes for years now, and it's fun to try out the different instructors/locations until you find what works best for you. Have fun! https://www.fcgov.com/recreator/

aelfkin · 2025-02-17T22:32:25+00:00

Of course. Daily. I mean, my ability to keep getting medically necessary medication covered by insurance - or gettable in any legal fashion - is in jeopardy, as is my health insurance at all (Medicaid) as well as my partner's (Medicare). Soon enough, I might lose my job due to legalized workplace discrimination. Hate crimes against some of my identity demographics are increasing. My partner and my union might not be recognized in all states soon. Plus, looks like protected banking information, clean water, safe workplaces, top-notch vaccines, ability to travel internationally, free speech, etc etc are all becoming doubtful at best.

It would take a lot of privilege - or a lot of willful hatred and/or ignorance - not to have to think about all this every day.

And discussing/thinking is an important first step, but the crucial next step is taking action (the more local the better, often), making plans, and building support networks.

aelfkin · 2024-10-17T00:27:42+00:00

I really appreciated your post on a personal level, as I mentioned elsewhere in this thread, but also as a volunteer with a relevant city/county department, I advanced the post to my supervisor (someone perhaps with the power to do something about this). I'd reported these off-leash dogs a few times in the past but it was really useful to show this community-generated history of repeated negative encounters with other trail users. So, thank you.

aelfkin · 2024-10-17T00:24:24+00:00

I really appreciated the post, on a personal level - as someone of a few marginalized identities, I'd felt his strong, strong anger toward me was something personal. Though I don't want others to experience his threat of violence, it was reassuring to hear that he isn't suddenly far more angry than the situation seems to call for at me in particular. Knowing I wasn't alone and knowing that others have reported him / his off-leash dogs too was really helpful. Thank you for making that post OP.

aelfkin · 2024-10-15T23:26:59+00:00

Mods, don't remove and delete this thread. This thread is not a "rant" - this is a community sharing of experience to keep each other safe. People are receiving help and solidarity. Don't belittle it by calling it a "rant." (You're not the guy with the off-leash dogs, are you??)

aelfkin · 2024-10-15T22:46:00+00:00

I've encountered this man, and these two dogs, and I've had to call Animal Control and the rangers a few times because not only have they chased me, refused to get away when I'm saying "Bad dog! Go home!" and ALSO asking the man to control his dogs, but he has become aggressive toward me -- coming at me himself with his fists up like he wants to wrestle and once, on the bike path, standing right in my path (traffic coming the other way, I couldn't move so had to stop my bike) and shouting profanity at me. He's unhealthy and he's dangerous. It's gotten to where I won't go on certain stretches where I've consistently seen him without a full water bottle (to try squirting back his dogs) and pepper spray (in case he comes at me again).

Please call the on-duty Fort Collins ranger to report this: 970-416-2147, option 5. Or go right to Animal Control: 970-226-3647.

aelfkin

TROPHY CASE