The Goal!!
What a day for a run! The morning temps were very mild with nearly clear skies. We had over twenty runners and a few hikers take on the morning. We started at about 7:00 with the route being up the Old Baldy trail. The descent was either Old Baldy or the Super Trail. Only the ascent was timed. This is typically the kick-off for training for those of us who hadn’t done any summertime hundreds (or 135’s). It was a beautiful Southern Arizona late summer day to start our trail run series. This part of the state has had ample monsoonal rains, about 50% more than average. The flowers were not quite at their peak, but were in abundance.
All is not lost in a fire.
There was plenty of water at the spring on the way up, but as usual of late, the pipe is disconnected, so drinking from the pools was in order. (This runner has been drinking from there for over twenty years and is more or less normal after the fact.) The trail is in good condition after several fire and rain events over the past two or three years. These trails are generally easy to follow, although there are options, but following the signs to your intended goal is simple. This is a mountain with unpredictable weather. In the late 1950’s a group of boy scouts was trapped in a November snow storm, with several of them not making it out alive. On this day, we started in clear weather and after some of us were down and several still on the course, it started to rain gently. There was one small cloud forming over the top and spreading to the west and dropping a gentle rain at the parking lot. As the cloud became larger, the rain became a little heavier, enough to drive the finishers to their vehicles. As the remaining runners finished, they talked of heavy rain and some hail. It was not cold, nor extreme, so it added to the beauty and fun of the day. After some discussion on the runners’ part and after enough rain to chase us off, the run was deemed a success. (images by Renee and Ed) gj
Sign at top
Goal Accomplished!
