We decided to avoid our record high temps from the past few days and go to a little higher elevation to run the Rampart Reservoir trail. At 9000', we knew it would be at least 10 degrees cooler at the reservoir added to the cooling effect of the water.
Whenever we drive through Woodland Park, we "must" stop at the Donut Mill for rocket fuel, or in this case the mother-of-all-cinnamon-rolls! Given the fact that Kathleen is losing the sweet tooth (other than CHOCOLATE, ...and Steve never really had a sweet tooth) we may be nearing the end of our Donut Mill tradition.
It was a beautiful day with very nice temperature and a slight breeze off the water. The water is down about 15 feet from when we last ran here, but that is not too bad given our extremely dry summer this year.
Kathleen crosses the stream - it is good to still see water coming in, as we are needing to draw so much from the reservoir for Colorado Springs' water supply. It was also cool to see a few boats out fishing today, which means they must finally have the Zebra Mussels under control.
Perfect opportunity for a group photo on the bridge! Too bad this spot is only 4 miles into the run, as this would be a great spot to cold-soak the legs after a hard run! We may have to try a re-route next time and take advantage of the natural refresher!
Steve rounding the shoreline - you can see where the water has receded in the background.
It is always nice to have a backdrop like Pikes Peak to frame a photo. Purple Mountain Majesty was definitely in full glory today!
It was another great day of running combined with awesome views along the way. This 11.5 mile loop is quite a trail running gem and we would suggest it to anyone that wants to try something a little ways out of town. As always on a great day in the mountains with awesome trails under foot - Good Times!
Whenever we drive through Woodland Park, we "must" stop at the Donut Mill for rocket fuel, or in this case the mother-of-all-cinnamon-rolls! Given the fact that Kathleen is losing the sweet tooth (other than CHOCOLATE, ...and Steve never really had a sweet tooth) we may be nearing the end of our Donut Mill tradition.
It was a beautiful day with very nice temperature and a slight breeze off the water. The water is down about 15 feet from when we last ran here, but that is not too bad given our extremely dry summer this year.
Kathleen crosses the stream - it is good to still see water coming in, as we are needing to draw so much from the reservoir for Colorado Springs' water supply. It was also cool to see a few boats out fishing today, which means they must finally have the Zebra Mussels under control.
Perfect opportunity for a group photo on the bridge! Too bad this spot is only 4 miles into the run, as this would be a great spot to cold-soak the legs after a hard run! We may have to try a re-route next time and take advantage of the natural refresher!
Steve rounding the shoreline - you can see where the water has receded in the background.
It is always nice to have a backdrop like Pikes Peak to frame a photo. Purple Mountain Majesty was definitely in full glory today! 
It was another great day of running combined with awesome views along the way. This 11.5 mile loop is quite a trail running gem and we would suggest it to anyone that wants to try something a little ways out of town. As always on a great day in the mountains with awesome trails under foot - Good Times!
