A "Quickie" in Ute Valley Park

We were a little pressed for time this morning, so we laced up the shoes and headed out the door to Ute Valley Park for a "quickie" run. We are so blessed to live in a neighborhood that is criss-crossed with groomed, gravel multi use trails which access little trail jewels like our Ute Valley. Ute is a small, urban "undeveloped" park with a nice mixture of smooth and rocky trails about a mile or so from our house. Moab has arches, so does Ute, as you can see in the picture above! The terrain is hilly - constant ups and downs - not much flat terrain to speak of.

Here is Steve coming up from the "valley floor". The park has a rather remote feel and look to it even though it is in the middle of a mostly residential area. Over the years, we have seen deer, coyotes, and bear in the park. We have heard there have been mountain lions, too, but thankfully we have not come in contact with one! We also have to be extra attentive with our footing during the summer as there are lots of rattlesnakes who like to sun on the rocks. I always get "jelly legs" when I come across one! The day started out a little cooler and a bit gray. Here is Kathleen coming over a little boulder section, heading downhill. Yahooooo! Downhills are good! The clouds are hiding what is normally a great view of Pikes Peak in the background. Although it was a "quickie" run of a little over 5 miles, we are so blessed to live in such a beautiful area. We never want to cease being amazed at God's brushstrokes on His majestic canvas of nature! What a gift!