Ahhh...finally the alpine opens up after a long awaited spring thaw. Just when I couldn't face running the same old trails in the valley floor, all the areas dreamy runs have opened up- and not a minute too soon, as the valley floors are just too hot to feel motivated for trail running these days.
Myself and Gerry Moore headed off on the 18.6km round trip run from Gibson Lake to the Slocan Chief Cabin. It is by far a classic in the local mountain running scene (well at least for me it is since the access road is right behind my office). Sure the first 30 minutes are a bit of a puker as you gain 1500' in 3km, but as seen in the photo above, the trail is quite runnable. That said; it must of been the elevation that made my heart feel like exploding and legs as heavy as lead- at least that's my excuse!
Surrounded by 9,000' peaks, most of the run traverses between 6,000-6,600 feet. Still a few snowy patches, but for the most part, summer had finally sprung up here. The aroma in the air, the flowers, the ground all smelt like a field of dreams.
The red liken spreads itself over the remaining snow fields as we approach Kokanee Lake
Once you've gained the alpine and your heart rate mellows, your state of mind goes from survival mode to "running bliss" as the trail quickly settles into a heaven-like meandering of streams, lakes and high alpine grassy fields.
The top of Kokanee Glacier is just barely visible at the top of the ridge line behind the tall skinny tree. This section of the trail is between Slocan Chief and Kokanee Cabins.
All in all a perfect Sunday Morning run in the mountains. With only 2,500' of elevation gain spread out over the 18.6km run, it is a wonderful run for all trail runners. Expect a 2:30-3:30 hour run time with lots of fresh water along the route.Any other inquiries- let me know....happy trails...Randy Richmond
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