I vaguely remember telling Patrick G back in November that I wasn't sure how I was going to maintain my trail running once the snow hit. Well, the snow has hit and I'm still runnin' trails. Yes, it certainly is not ideal conditions, but man is it fun!
This morning I met up with Jim P, Jaime Y, and Scott J for a trek from the Sharptail Ridge trailhead over to Roxborough SP. We hit up the Powerline-Carpenter Peak loop before heading back.
From the first step to the last, we were on snow. The depths ranged from 1 inch to 1 foot. There was plenty of slipping and sliding, but overall it was a tough workout and beautiful run in the hills (especially once we got to some nice, forested singletrack on the Powerline and Carpenter Peak trails). Descending from CP was fast and fun. Jaime wins the award for the best wipeout (although it was not witnessed by anyone).
The boys working the ascent towards Powerline.
Posing on the summit of CP.
About halfway down the CP trail.
Wearing my new Microspikes helped me plow through this snow.
Towards the bottom of the CP trail. I tried catching up to those fast guys to take a pic of them running, but this was the best I could do.
Love these rocks with snow on 'em.
The Map
Thankfully no one saw me eat it cause you all would still be laughing. Great times out there today. Thanks for putting it together.
ReplyDeleteGreat to run w/ you yesterday, WA. Good stuff. You ran strong all day, even in the deeper-than-expected snow. My favorite section was the climb up from Powerline to Carpenter Peak. The woods, with the snow, were sublime.
ReplyDeleteNice run, Woody. Those are some great trails, especially the powerline like you mentioned. You would need snowshoes up there today!
ReplyDeleteIf you didn't just do it, I would have said that run would have been impossible on Saturday. I would have thought Sharp Tail would have been so wind swept that you couldn't see the trail. How did you see the trail?
ReplyDeleteSounds like it was another great adventure and good training to boot.
Microspikes rock; total confidence. I just have to watch hitting my ankles.
ReplyDeleteYou guys were killing it. I was wiped by a mere 4.5 miles this AM, both by the cold and lifting my feet out of the snow drifts. Phew!
Matt - There were only a few inches on the Sharptail portion. The trail looked like a road and several options for picking a line. Is that where you went a few weeks ago for your trail run?
ReplyDeleteMtnrnr - I'm so glad you mentioned the hitting your ankles thing. I did that few times and man did it hurt! And I have to say there was a HUGE difference between the snow we ran in on Saturday and the dumping that was on the ground this morning. Nice work out there.
Woody - Thanks. The low temps are getting a bit old though.
ReplyDelete>Saturday
I got the day wrong... and was wondering how anyone could survive in shorts (or even bare legs) this morning. lol