Ravings and Blather

Jaunt around the neighborhood after some chocolate chip pancakes.  Good stuff.

First run in the autumn weather.  That dropped on us quickly.  Drizzle throughout the run...nice to be in cooler temps though.  Went to Cottonwood office area out and back...running by the cottonbottom and smelling their garlic burgers made me hungry.  avg 8:47

Millcreek canyon...cause I was going crazy with city life...funny that I have never seen more people in the canyon than today.  Easy miles in a beautiful setting.  Downed limbs everywhere secondary to the recent snow and heavy leaved trees.

Pipeline ...gorgeous day ...tired stomach

Mt Wire today...beautiful afternoon.  It has been 5 months since I went up this bad boy and I got off the trail right off the bat for a bit, but anyway  got back on and everytime I go up there remember that this is a buttkicker of a hike and relatively relentless for most of the way up.  Crossed over a snake about 12 inches is all but scared me none the less.  I always start getting spooked and wonder what I would do if it bit me...hobble down to the car I guess and hope I lived.  ANyway, cool views as usual and radio screens always kind of eeriely cool.  summit in about 47 min.  

Wanted to try a different way down so took off North side to try and find the "Living Room"... again got off trail too early and went along the ridge above that area and came straight down on it.  Was cool to see it... wish I had a ice cold beverage to sit in one of the sandstone loungers.  Bushwacked and slide down some other random trail and ran all that I thought possible back to BST and car.  Fun adventure. 

Road miles today...Old mill loop.  I can tell I dont do as many road miles anymore...the steady consistent pace is not so evident on mountain trails.  Today goal was slow and steady.  funny...miles 6 ,7, 8 were all in 8:31.  metronomish.  need to get some longer runs in sometime just to know I can still do it. avg 8:55

8 pm stroll in the dark for 4. Beautiful clear crisp cool autumn air. So much easier to run when it isnt so hot. Sometimes I like to high five the trees as I go by. Quaking aspen are my favorite.

Finally got out after a week of inactivity unless you can count line miles in Harry Potter World.  

Wanted to get out in the canyons on something new while the colors are still there...started Big Water trailhead at the lower parking lot at the top of Millcreek.  Ran up to Dog Lake.  This stretch is about 3 miles and is mostly gradual incline...vertical incline only about 900 feet or so.  Very runnable overall but I walked here and there to see some awesome scenery and stop to watch a moose cross the trail 30 feet in front of me.  3 moose in all standing there.  Was cool and I was scoping out which trees to run behind if they charged.

 Then from Dog lake went to Desolation lake which is another 3 miles or so.  Had to walk much of the last 2 miles of this stretch, just steeper and beautiful.  From Desolation lake to the car I looped back on the wasatch crest trail 6.5 miles to the parking lot.  Great trail, beautiful yellow leaves with much of the trail covered with golden quaking aspen leaves and about a quarter mile of hard packed snow in the shady spots.  Fun day. 

  Desolation Lake

Pipeline miles...easy pace, but very fatigued as my night in the hospital was relentless.  Nice to get some fresh air though.  The colors have passed their peak for sure in the forest, but still beautiful pines on the South of Millcreek.  Need to decide what next race is.

Road miles this morning.  Was nice actually.  Sometimes it feels good to not worry about watching the trail and taking a tumble with my spatial awareness disorder and just let it roll out.  Went up 39th South and then looped around Millcreek Rd to 27th and back home.  avg 8:34 with the last 7:33...hey thats fast for me.