Sunday, September 4, 2011

Seven Summits

After some heavy procrastinating whether I should drive 5 hours out to Kootenay National Park to run the 55km Rockwall Trail, I opted out for something closer to home that I new didn't have snow on the trail from Thursday's stormy weather. So the next best thing was the Seven Summits Trail in Rossland, which is only a 50min drive to the trail head.
It was the first sign of frost this fall as it was 3 degrees, but gloriously sunny out on the trail.
I was actually looking forward to running this solo (sorry Lex- I know you wanted to run this trail, but we will!)...Because there is no water on this 37km mountain run, I didn't even bring my dog who gave me that guilty "death stare" when he saw me leave with my running gear in the morning.

As usual, I needed all of the first hour climb to settle into the run. I don't think it was the elevation bugging me as I haven't had many days over 7000' this year, I think I was just so excited, that I couldn't contain myself from going too fast to start...Well okay- the truth is- just as I was about to leave the trail head the first car with bikers showed up, and they said something like "see you in a bit down the trail" ...I thought that was rather presumptuous of them, so I said "well maybe"... damn- the race was on...
Cresting the first big climb at around 10km I was feeling- well all you trail runners know- high as a kite on endorphins, as my heart settled in, ready for the next summit up a head as seen in the above photo and happy that the bikers were no where yet in site!
The weather couldn't have been any better, maybe warming up to that perfect 18 degrees up above 7000' and not a cloud in site.


Not easy timing those self-timed photos!

I was hoping to just have to run the 30km seven summits trail to the Cascade Hwy access road, but there was no one there to hitch a ride out with, so I was stuck running the 7km Dewdney Trail down to the Paved Hwy- which is a nice 2000' descent for the bikers, but a pounder on the running legs...
The 37km run took 4:38 Hwy to Hwy...Had to walk a little while I was hitching back to the trail head, but it felt great to loosen the legs up on some flat ground...
All in all an amazing run. I think it is a better trail to run than even bike!...

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