After looking at these pictures, I realized I looked a little scary, like...bomberish, scary! It was cold, and I really did not care what I looked like. I was trying to stay warm, but not so warm that I started to sweat. Like I said earlier, it was 26 degrees out, and I knew I'd be out there for around 2.5 hours...I did not want to get wet. Plus, on top of the temp, it was very, very windy up there, so I'm assuming that means there was a wind chill factor, too. It was a balancing act between keeping bundled up, and taking my gloves off and pushing up my sleeves when I'd start to sweat so that I'd stay dry. My climbing legs were shot about half way up the climb (see strava link for an elevation profile), but my running legs could still run whenever the trail leveled out a bit...so thats good. : ) Anyhow...each of these would have the same caption "BBRRR!!" Also, I'm not editing any of these at all, no touch ups or filters or adjusting saturation...they are as I took them and straight to the blog. A day when the blues were super blue and the greens were super green.
What I'm thinking above - "I'm going to be too hot, I've got 2 layers on my calves, and long sleeves."
My face was frozen in the same dippy look the whole run.
Below, this is looking over to where I'm heading, Bald Ridge, the tan grass covered ridge. I'm running downhill now, but will soon start to climb up to the bottom of the ridge, then up it from left to right, then up everything you see behind and to the right of it back up to the summit.
After 3 mile of downhill, I started the 3 mile climb.
NTL has taught me, on this very mountain, that you're never stopping to rest, you are stopping because you needed to take a picture. I "needed" to take a few pictures during the climb.
Just look at that sky. It was so blue and clear!
I was already tired when I hit the start of the climb up Bald Ridge, which is what you see above. It's a very steep, narrow, boulder filled, single track trail that goes from Eagle Peak up to the junction of North Peak and Prospectors Gap.
The above picture is taken from the top of the tan grass covered ridge you saw in a picture above, looking towards the summit, which looks like a little bump to the left of the sun, not the big rock that sticks out on the left. I actually wrap around the back of that ridge and come up to the summit from the other side of that ridge.
Above, this is looking back, from where I came. If you look really close you can spot the trail I came over the top of that ridge on and dropped down over it. Its almost in the middle of the horizon.
Above, If you find the dip or v in the horizon, that is where I end up. Then around the back of the hill on the right.
There was an ice puddle up there!
This climb I've done a few times now and I hate it each time. It's just long, lose gravel all the way up.
I'm still cold. Face is still frozen dippy.
That's one cold section of leg!! I survived and was pretty proud of myself for not running back to the car after the first 1/4 of a mile. I stuck it out for 6.4 tough miles. Good times. Tomorrow - home all day with a pot of turkey soup simmering on the stove! Nice and warm and cozy!
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