Railroaded by Snow

 

 

 

 

The blizzard was a bust but the slick skiff of snow created some nice wintry running scenes for about 7 miles of slipping and sliding at Fort Tuthill. Instead of running the Soldiers Trail, Neil, David, Betsy, Bruce, and Susan decided that running the old railroad grades would be less muddy than the traditional route.

Having been absent from the runs for a while, I realized how quickly one can lose the altitude advantage. Having been at sea level on both coasts for most of the past 3 weeks, I struggled with my breathing. Thankfully Betsy, Bruce, and David took lots of breaks and I slowly was able to build into a rhythm, feeling better after each stop.

 

We were not sure that proved true as the 7 miles of slipping, sliding, and sinking felt more like 10. We warmed up at the Campus Coffee Bean which was packed with NAU's December graduates. Next week we return to the warmer confines of Sedona's Yavapai Double Vista Loop. Meet at Fort Tuthill at 8 AM sharp. http://www.dblanchard.net/TrailRuns/YavapaiVistaLoop.html