Mt. Lemmon Fun
Headed an hour and a half up the mountain today with the boys. Drove around while Ash napped to view the incredible green hills (like Scotland!). Decided to go up and over Mt. Bigelow via the dirt roads and Butterfly trail. Photos here.
Johnny and Ash ran the first 2.7 with me up to the top of Bigelow, where I dropped down Butterfly to gain some extra miles and they played. Running on Bear Wallow and Bigelow dirt roads is fantastic. Nice, soft dirt underneath, beautiful trees surrounding me, lush grasses and flowers on the sides of the roads, pungent fir smells. The only problem is that the roads are at the perfectly wrong grade - too flat to walk (felt guilty, should be running), but too steep to keep running (at least at my fitness level)! It still felt nice to boogie up to the top. Dropping down Butterfly, I was a little nervous. The trail was overgrown, and trees were down near, across and next to the trail. To top it off, there were deep prints in the drying mud - some looked like horse prints (horses?!), but others looked like bear prints (yikes!!!). After finding horse droppings on the trail, I relaxed, deciding that all the prints were horse shoes. The "bear" prints were where the horses stepped on rocks, causing a strange mutation to their print. I followed the trail .8 down to the trailhead - I was alone the whole time. Where were all the people? Must have been at Marshall Gulch. I moved slowly as the trail was rather technical. I actually got to cross two streams! Streams! On Mt. Lemmon! I refilled my water bottle at the trail head and turned right back around to head back up, just as two lovebirds were getting out of their car and smooching up a storm.
Heading back up was awesome. Killer workout! The birds were chirping, the streams were flowing, the squirrels were playing. I came across two backpackers retracing their steps back to their car, since they couldn't find the rest of their trail down the backside of the mountain. Made my way up up up to the top of Mt. Bigelow, where Johnny and Ash were heading down the trail to meet me. I kept going down the road to get to the car, knowing Johnny and Ash would catch up, which of course they did.
The run back down was brilliant. I got into a groove, and just relaxed. Perpetual motion, smelling the firs, feeling the wind through my hair, deep breaths, keep going, smooth ride. Ahhh. This is why I run. I made it back to the car in 1 hour, 53 minutes, the longest since my surgery. I kept about a 16-minute-mile pace, counting all my water/shoe-tying/print-studying breaks (except one where we took lots of pictures). Actually not bad of a pace, considering 1400 vertical feet of elevation gain, lots of breaks and oh yeah, the fact I'm getting back into things after recovering from surgery (which, as Jess pointed out, actually takes something out of you).
I managed 18.25 miles for the week, woo hoo! So satisfying.
Comments
Yay Angie! You're back at it!
Posted by: backofpack | August 20, 2006 06:50 PM
Perpetual motion! Perfect! Your run sounds wonderful.
Posted by: darrell | August 20, 2006 07:11 PM
Sounds like fun, and a good esteem booster:)
Posted by: olga | August 20, 2006 07:59 PM
Your run sounds wonderful.
Posted by: Juls | August 20, 2006 08:14 PM
Cool photos too. The one with your babe standing on the edge made me think "EEK!"
Posted by: Juls | August 20, 2006 08:16 PM
Glad to hear you had a good time!
I always enjoy your photos :)
Posted by: ironayla | August 21, 2006 06:37 AM
Wow--jealous! I've never seen it so green up there. If you ever need company, let me know. I'm not scared of bears.
Posted by: Run Momma Run | August 21, 2006 09:22 AM
Love your photos...I need to get a camera!
Posted by: Brad | August 21, 2006 09:51 AM
You are doing so awesome!! I love the pic's that Ash took. (at least I'm assuming he took them because they look a lot like the pictures that my kids take.)
Posted by: jkrunning | August 21, 2006 10:38 AM
I love your running spot!!!!
beautiful...
Posted by: jullian | August 21, 2006 11:33 AM
Sounds like a good run to me! You'll be running those "false flats" in no time!
Posted by: Elizabeth | August 21, 2006 12:29 PM
Wow, I don't think I've ever seen those hills so green!
Yay for 18+ miles!
Posted by: Sarah | August 21, 2006 05:34 PM
Fantastic job! You sound brigt, happy and strong.
Posted by: Sarah Elaine | August 21, 2006 09:36 PM
Great job with the run, you'll be running circles around me in no time!
Posted by: Jack | August 22, 2006 12:23 AM
Good stuff! Looks like a lot of fun! Thx for sharing the great pics!
Posted by: Ryan | August 22, 2006 04:23 AM
Nature is cool! I am "green" with envy. ounds like a great run.
Posted by: Josh | August 22, 2006 08:53 AM
Awesome run!!
Posted by: Denise "Firefly" | August 22, 2006 12:30 PM
Way to go Angie! I am SO happy for your run! it sounds absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!
Posted by: RunnerGirl | August 22, 2006 12:53 PM
Yay!
Get your run on Angie! I can't wait to be better so I can get out there too!
T
Posted by: Tanya | August 22, 2006 01:56 PM
Wow, that sounded like a great run. I, like you, am all about that relaxed feeling.
Posted by: Kim | August 22, 2006 03:36 PM
i am so envious of your runs...sounds incredible, angie...if it weren't for that pesky heat in arizona, i would want to move there.
Posted by: matt | August 22, 2006 04:05 PM
Angie,
Congrats, sounds like you are on your way back with the running. Great pictures. I am definitely going to have to find that place next time I am in the area.
-Steve
Posted by: Steve | August 23, 2006 07:28 AM