If you’re lucky enough to be in the mountains, you’re lucky enough!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

FUN!!! Red Rock Canyon

The forecast for today was 59 degrees and full, brilliant sun.  Jumping from bed this morning, I peeled up the blinds with great expectation and lo and behold, no sun BUT we did have our familiar howling winds to greet us.  No worries.  After a week and a half of battling the crud (and, being the kind and generous person I strive to be, shared aforementioned  crud with Steve - oops), we were chomping at the bit to get out for a good trail run.  FUN was the rule for today. Not TRAINING but FUN.  And Red Rock Canyon fulfilled our requirement.
It was a windy and wild hair day.
Steve on what we call the "Fruita" trail (the REAL name is Codell Trail).  Very desert-like.
Looped around the bluff and now descending the Fruita trail
The trail surface and color has changed.....  Garden of the Gods is perched magnificently in the background.
Great open spaces - This is an area with a great network of trails.  Behind Steve, where the line of red rocks ends, is the connection over to Intemann and Section 16 which can connect to a whole other trail area in Cheyenne Canon.  Miles and miles of high quality trail to be explored........
I love the color contrast - red-orange rock mixed with the dark green.  Brilliant blue sky would have completed the contrast nicely.
Team HT at the Quarry
It's enjoyable rolling the constant undulations.  Nothing flat here, thankfully.  I would get bored with straight and flat.
Contouring one the hillsides
The fun zig-zag of the trail....  Red Rock Canyon offers a diverse landscape - from the red and green canyons up close in this photo, to the gray rock and and more open tread of the Fruita trail that starts at the bluff in the distance at the top of this photo.
The red arrow points out our local stairmaster workout (and Pikes Peak looming on the left) - the beloved Incline.  2000 feet elevation gain in 1 mile with 3000 steps.  It is a great, fast, well-rounded workout.  Good climb up, nice descent on Barr Trail on the way back.
Finished up with another quick pass on Fruita.  Great day on great trails with great company (Steve).  Because of the crud thing this past week and neither of us feeling overly peppy yet, we didn't want to push too much and were happy with a fun 10 miles for the day.  Traditionally, December and January have always been our "slacker" months.  February marks the start of ramping back up on miles and intensity (hopefully!).  Headed home and re-fueled with Monte Cristo crepes (gluten-free!) - scrambled eggs, black forest ham, swiss cheese, covered with a fresh stawberry-blueberry puree.  GOOD STUFF!!!
Happy Trails this week!!!
Shoes:  S - Nike Pegasus 
K- Nike Lunarfly Trail
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