Best case, I was going to summit Mount Morrison and then return, otherwise I'd just hang out running for a while... i.e. run about 20 miles.
Chairs someone put out next to an apartment/condo complex along the Bear Creek path. Nice spot this time of year:
One thing I like about this trail is you can be running along a river in the woods, then a short distance away it looks like the desert. This is from the beginning of the Mount Morrison trail:
My plan to summit Mount Morrison was a bit optimistic given the dreary weather, and sure enough, I got near the ridge line and heard the rumble of thunder directly overhead. Not being a fan of lightning, I retreated downhill after ascending around 600 feet. I'll be back some other day.
On my way back, I tried some new trails and ran around the lake towards the dam. I don't know if you can see it, but it was so hazy you could barely see the foothills. They are visible in the mist above the dark ridge:
The descent from the dam. There is a strip of singletrack on the left, which I had just come down. Mount Morrison, which I had tried to ascend, is just barely visible in the right background:
Yucca blossoms in the rain:
Probably the last 45 minutes was in the rain, as the clouds finally gave way. No matter, it was not too hard and I just ran in the trees along the creek.
Distance was 20.28 miles, time 4:27 (moving 3:44), elevation gain/loss 1,610 feet.
Super easy pace, like the 50k, trying to keep the legs fresh as long as possible. No pains except a few that worked themselves out during the run. Knees feel good.
