Mueller Park Trail. There was a fresh layer of snow on the ground this morning. At the trail head there were two other cars. The snow was only and inch deep at the start. I could see three sets of footprints on the trail ahead of me. About a mile up the trail I passed two lady hikers who had just turned around. There was only one sets of tracks ahead of me now. After another mile I passed the other hiker. The snow was getting deeper at the point. There was now four inches of fresh powder. By mile 3 there was 6 to 8 inches of powder on top of about 18 inches of packed snow. I would get into a good groove, then break through the packed stuff and fall down. I came around a bend and there was a moose about twenty yards ahead of me. I stopped and she turned and stared at me for a minute then headed on up the trail. After going about hundred yards, she turned off the trail and headed up the mountain. I continued on up the trail. Wish I would've brought my camera today. I made to Elephant Rock in 55 minutes, which is pretty good considering the snow and my current physical condition. I rested for just a moment and took in the view, then headed back down. Going down through the deep snow was challenging. The faster the I would go, the harder I'd fall. Luckily I was falling into fresh powder, so I never got hurt. Once I got of of the deep snow, I could run without falling. the rest of the run felt great. My down time was 42 minutes. This has been my longest run since I started running again a few weeks ago. It felt good and I am looking forward to longer runs in the near future. 6.8 miles + 1200 vert + 5 falls + 1 moose = an awesome run. | 