I exited at the Floyd Hill/Beaver Brook exit, drove back east, and got back off at Chief Hosa to run from the west end of the Beaver Brook Trail (the steepest part, and my favorite). It's nice to have options.
The run itself was a bit of a cluster at first: I left my camera in the car, decided to use my iPhone, then realized my phone had fallen out of my pocket and spent a while looking for it. It was in some grass next to the trail. Phew.
Down, down, down, down, down:
Then up, up, up. Looking out on Clear Creek Canyon:
This trail was a pretty damned good second choice.
Thunder was starting, water was running out, and I was planning to do something harder on Sunday. I decided not to overdo it.
Distance was 8.26 miles, time 2:48 (moving 2:05), elevation gain/loss 2,506 feet, avg. pace 20:25 (moving 15:10), and best pace 7:58.
One of these days I want to run the whole trail, which is 18+ rugged miles. I have no idea why I haven't done that yet; maybe I tend to think of the high country first, or maybe I just shouldn't make this route my second choice all the time.
