So many epic/phenomenally scenic trails in the NW and so few days to check them all out! :( I just want to DO MORE. All I need is that proverbial eighth day in the week, right?
ASIDE - I think the mental shift has taken place. These days when the weekend rolls around I want to go for long runs and hikes and not long rides.
Today I got out with Bill Huggins and Bryan Estes for yet another classic route. There are about a million different variations of this and today we just did one. This run had it all.
- Massive views
- We swam in a mountain lake!
- Awesome trails.
Did I mention that I fell down again...?! Sonofabitch. At least this one was not as bad as the three falls last week. Still, what is my problem? At this point I'm just adding scar tissue on top of scar tissue. It's getting old. OLD I say. But I did finish running and overall it was a fantastic experience. My elbows would argue otherwise.
I need to invest in a waterproof camera big time. All these memories only last so long. Plus I like to share.
We started nice and early which I like. Nothing worse than a crowded trail when you are trying to 'get away from it all' on the weekend. I also started with no shirt and just my two bottles! I'm liking this trail running gig. :) The first bit was on a road and we got things started by missing an intersection to the trailhead. No big deal, we got to see Franklin Falls this way which was kind of nice.
Once on the trail the pace was comfortable but there are some steep pitches out here! I had to hike several times. Today I was the slowest and occasionally a gap would open up between myself and Bill and Bryan; I would usually be able to close it on the descents or they would just wait for me.
Views, views, views...! The sky was clear and you could see as far as your eyes were able.
At Pratt Lake we got a bit disoriented. Bill was looking for a way to cross the water but then after some walking back and forth we asked a group of campers where to go and they told us we did not need to cross the water so we were back on track.
The out-and-back to Island Lakes was awesome. Not only was the trail fun but the lakes were beautiful. There were tiny camp sites all around and each one was nicer than the previous one. We walked around the lake just a bit on some huge rocks, dumped our gear, took off our shoes/socks and went for a swim. Ah... it felt SO good to 1) rinse all the sweat and dirt (and blood) off of my body and 2) the cooling effect of the water on my muscles was very welcome. Don't get me wrong, the lake was not icy by any means. I'm a huge wimp when it comes to jumping in chilly water but it felt really, really good. And since I only had to dry my feet after getting out, it did not take us long to get moving again.
The descent back to the car was long! My legs were already somewhat hammered and so I couldn't open it up, luckily it was not super step but it kept going and going. Tiring but it's still nice to finish with a descent. :)
On this last bit of trail the hikers were streaming past us going in the other direction and when we arrived at the parking lot it was packed. As in I could not see any room at all. Wow.
I highly recommend these trails.
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| Workout Food | 2 large bottles each w/2 scoops Perpetuem, lots of gels, water |
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| Time of Day | 7:00 AM |
| Workout Type | endurance |
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| Equipment | Brooks Cascadia 6 |
| Clothing | Brooks Infinity Short III |
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