I can't really expect otherwise, since I run at such a glacial pace on a daily basis, and even then stop frequently to take photos, so I don't develop cardio-wise. However, I thought maybe quantity of running might count for something. Not much.
A difference I did feel this year was at the end, when I recovered somewhat on the "flats" around Long Lake, which was around mile 27, so that's something. Even so I was pretty cooked at the end. It's still 29 miles with 7k of climbing, up high.
I had to park east of Brainard Lake since the closer lots were full.
On my drives back and forth I saw a bull moose sitting in the bushes, which people were photographing from about 15 feet away. Yikes.
Just after passing the Mount Audubon turnoff:
Looking up at Buchanan Pass:
Cascade Creek (the ascent) is over the first row of mountains:
If that looks far, realize this is also a zoom shot, and there are 13 miles and 3,700 feet of climbing to get to Pawnee Pass. It's a big loop, and I won't get to the pass for another 5 hours. I was able to run down, and some moderate ups, but it's called "Cascade Creek" for a reason: there are quite a few rugged drops and rocky forested canyon that I simply had to hike up.
One of the highlights of the west side is a pretty area of meadows called Fox Park. It's usually my first stop to filter some water, the second being the forest just before Pawnee Pass. So, I do this route with 5 or 6 bottles of water.
Somewhere around the low point of this run, where Buchanan and Cascade creeks meet, the clouds showed up. They were diffuse grey at this point, but I know how quickly things can go bad, and I pressed on vigorously over the next few miles, nervous I'd get blocked trying to get back over Pawnee Pass to the east side of the Divide.
Along the way I saw this owl chick sitting at about eye level. Initially it was facing the other direction, and looked almost like a dark branch stuck in the tree, but I looked closer and it turned around to face me.
Lone Eagle Peak (the point on the end) and its amazing ridge:
One time I had to stop below Pawnee Pass to wait out the rain and thunder, as I would remain exposed for about an hour and 15 minutes on my way over it (45 minutes to ascend, then another 30 or so to get down into the forest on the other side).
Thankfully the grey clouds had passed and never returned.
The view down to Lake Isabelle:
Most of this descent is tough on tired legs, being composed of talus, rock shards and closely-spaced embedded rocks. It isn't until you get back in the woods that there's some decent smooth footing.
The creeks and flowers near tree line are phenomenal.
I took my traditional south side of Long Lake loop, since it's shaded in the afternoon and the trail is really nice dirt and pine needles for most of the way. Long Lake is long.
Distance was 29.66 miles, time 9:41 (moving 7:25), elevation gain/loss 7,113 feet, avg. pace 19:36 (moving 15:00), and best pace 7:15.
There is no way I was stopped for a full 2:20, but an hour is possible. I had two water stops, photo stops, occasional gawking, and I sat down several times to rest for a minute on the Pawnee Pass ascent. That thing hits me hard.
This was a good day on the trails. It would be nice to chop a couple of hours off my time and be more in line with other run reports I come across, but at this point I don't put in the hard work to make that happen, and perhaps just don't have the physical ability for it, and I like taking time to enjoy things. If I could cut out more hiking that might help, but even the flats were 9:30-10:30 pace. That's just going to take a while, no matter how you slice it. And it's still a hell of a run.
