Awesome day in Garden of the Gods

We never want to allow ourselves to not marvel at the natural beauty that surrounds us in Colorado, and today did not disappoint us as the Garden of the Gods was stunning against the crystal-clear blue sky. The gateway to the park framing Pikes Peak is always an awesome panorama.
The trees are finally getting leaves on them (third week of May!!) and there is more green to contrast the red rock and limestone in the park. Kathleen is running through the Dakota trail above.
The Garden is one of our favorite spots and will probably show up on many of our posts but it offers such great trail running that we cannot stay away. There is not much, if any, flat on these trails, so be ready for many ups and downs if you run here. Steve is running the Palmer trail, ascending toward the high point of the park.
There are many stunning landmarks in the Garden and the Siamese Twins Arch is one of the more phtographed rock formations. Anyone who has the 2008 Runner's World calendar will recognize this from the February photo.
Running along the front ridge of the park on the Niobrara trail there are great views of the park, and off in the distance is Red Rock Canyon Open Space (which may just show up in our post for tomorrow!!)
Kathleen running strong on Niobrara trail, finishing up a great day on the trails. We put in about 8.5 miles with all of the undulations adding up to 1350' of elevation gain. Good times and postcard scenery - we are truly blessed!!!

"Just" an ordinary day

While we like to look at every day as a gift, there are some days that are not overly exciting. Today we got to do the juggling routine of trying to keep a consistent workout schedule while also tending to the other "W" word - work!!! We also have Steve's folks staying with us for his niece's graduation, so time is a little tight. One nice thing about company, though, is that it forced us to fix up a few things in the house that we have been avoiding like the plague. There is always that fine balance between play time and house work - sorry, but play time wins hands down!

On to the fun stuff. K was able to sneak out before work and do a 5 mile run up and over Flying W and S was able to get in some trails at Ute Valley Park after work this evening. Got to see the first rattler of the season on the trail in Ute - it is that time! We went from waiting for it to warm up to try and run without a heavy shirt, to planning time around the heat and intense sun at altitude.

Here is a parting shot from Monday - miss Sage enjoying the trails near Pike National Forest not far from home.

"The life given us by nature is short; but the memory of a well-spent life is eternal" -Cicero

Cheyenne Cañon and Stratton Open Space

We decided to run Cheyenne Cañon today starting from Starsmore Discovery Center. Right behind the center is the entrance to the Columbine trailhead pictured above. It was another bright Colorado day and the forecast was for our first day in the 80's so far and we were looking forward to it after our COLD winter and spring!

The Columbine trail climbs briskly along the stream and above Cañon Drive for almost 2 miles until the cutoff trail that we use to catch Gold Camp Road. Shortly after starting we saw a small bear cross the stream and scamper up into the brush before I could get the camera on him. He was not at all interested in posing for us - go figure! Columbine rises steadily, at times sustaining grades above 15% and averages a solid 10% for the first 2 miles.

After climbing to the intersection with Gold Camp Road, there is a short tunnel to run through, and then a mellow dirt road cruise (and a short paved section) to the upper trailhead for The Chutes. As the name implies, Chutes is a bermed, curvy downhill that is a blast to mountain bike down and not too shabby to run either. Awaiting you at the base of Chutes is Stratton Open Space, another of Colorado Springs fine park areas. It is a mixture of small open meadows and coniferous forest and is quite a beautiful park.

K running the Upper Meadows Loop.

S running near the end of the Chamberlain trail. We ended up with about 9 miles, but starting with a climb like Columbine in the legs, that is plenty for us. As is usually the case, we ended our run with a smile on our face and good times etched in our memory banks!