It was satisfying but difficult, cold and not always runnable. The first half was fairly comfortable and mostly sunny, but it dropped to 15 degrees by the time I was done, and winds were 5-10 mph.
Distance was 12.58 miles, moving time 2:56 (total 3:29), and elevation change 2,077 feet.
I'm glad I brought a wind jacket with a hood -- and a Buff -- because at times the wind chill was downward of "burning sensation" (near zero).
The snow was sometimes a struggle, with post-holed crud that yanked my legs and feet around at different angles. I'd be running along, then a foot would just slip off the trail one way or the other, killing my balance. I wrenched my muscles once when I slipped and had to make some bizarre motion to stay upright. Those will be sore tomorrow. There was also stiff powder up to my knees in some spots.
Which reminds me: who are these people who can't break a sensible trail in the snow? Left, right, then... another right? A round hole -- who has feet like that? Shoes pointed in all different directions? WTF! Is it the ghost of "Crazy Legs" Hirsch? You people are killing me.
The Lone Peaks kept my feet warm using wool socks, and traction was acceptable without spikes, roughly as good as the Cascadia. Personally I'd put deeper lugs on them, and I'm not sure why Altra seems to have an aversion to lugged soles (see the sole on the Adam and Instinct).
In the photo below you can just barely see a ring like a rainbow on the top. It was one of those eerie atmospheric effects that looks like a science fiction alien invasion scene, or like God was going to come down and run a lap or two (I'm an atheist, so that tells you how convincing it was):
The bottoms of my feet (fascia) ached a bit while running, and my sore toe bone complained a couple of times when I started landing on the ball of the left foot too much, but every time I upped my cadence to where I couldn't think fast enough to place my feet, the pains faded.
Proving again that I have no idea how to safely put my feet on the ground.
Yet somehow when my legs turn over fast, they "know" what to do. Amazing how that works.
