Distance was 18.56 miles, moving time 3:55 (actual 4:40), and elevation gain/loss 2,792 feet. To the hills!
It was cold and heinously windy when I started. It sucked, and I almost called the run off (weighing the warm waiting room, coffee of unknown quality), but I figured if I could get over to the mountains I'd be sheltered from the wind, and it worked out that way. I walked some of the way to the foothills, because I needed to put my hands in my pockets or they'd go numb, and I was losing my balance in the wind gusts.
A local weather station recorded sustained 46 mph winds, with gusts of 52 mph, right around the time I started running.
As I headed up the Argos and Pick and Sledge trails at Apex, the surface depended on which aspect of the mountain it was; southern/sunny:
...or northern/snowy like below. The snow was windblown powdered sugar on ice, sometimes piled into drifts. Spikes didn't provide any traction on the sloping, dry powder.
Below, approaching an apex at Apex. Just ahead, I took a 100-yard detour to the actual summit of Indian Mountain since in all these years I'd never done it. Guess what? It's a bunch of rocks and some pine trees! Nice views though.
Heading up Apex canyon it was nice weather and almost warm in the sun. It was snow trenches and mixed snow/mud/dirt.
Apex tops out on Lookout Mountain Road, which I took to the Nature Center to fill up on water. This was about 11 miles and 1,700 feet up into the foothills, and I was a bit tired at this point, and was glad it was downhill from there.
The foothills to the northwest:
The only drawback of this route is the part running to/from the hills, which is through residential areas and bike paths, which I just kind of endure on the way back. I do like this single tree that sits at the top of the ribbon of concrete:
The wind was still blowing when I came down out of the hills, and it's still blowing now at 5 PM.
Recovery: 2 bowls of chicken soup and Dale's. And water and S-caps.
