Loop 19 Clockwise

Loop Map & More Info

28 is probably a good number by itself but when put in context with degrees and 6:20 am, its goodness quickly becomes a memory. Our only saving grace was that it hadn't rained in several days and the Red-Yellow connector was semi-dry and all streams were crossable without having to remove shoes.

Even with it only being the second day to have run in a long time it was still easier than the first day. For some reason I didn't seem to be as cold and there appeared to be a little bit of a spring in my step. However my stomach and back reminded me that I had swung a 12 lb maul way too much over the weekend while splitting wood. Nothing like a little jarring from running for a few sore muscles to make you realize just how alive you are by jump starting several nerves you didn't know were there.

We were up the CCC road and hanging a right on the Red-Yellow connector before I could believe it. Of course good conversation with Richard helps to pass the time while our shoes eat up the miles. The Red-Yellow connector had a few wet spots but we were able to skirt them and they only slowed us for a tad bit. We hopped and skipped over the same stream a couple of times and wound up back at the cabins.

This time we hung a right and headed back up to the main drive. Now that doesn't seem to be much of an incline when you go up it in your vehicle, but my body doesn't run on gasoline and it was starting to whine. I kept up the conversation with Richard and kept up the pace and pretty soon hit the main road.

We jogged a bit, walked up hill a bit and jogged on to the camping road. We took a left up a calf punisher of a hill. A golf ball lieing on the side of the road saved us. We were too busy cracking jokes about what a swing that guy must have that we had reached the top of the hill and avoided a car pulling out of the trash bins before we knew it.

We jogged a little ways down the hill and then took a right up the trail that is so step they installed steps. My calves were beginning to think this was a sick joke and had quit laughing. In fact, I couldn't hear any laughter over the heavy labor of trying to breath frigid air, wipe a running nose, push bush limbs out of the way and avoid slipping down on the loose pine straw.

We crested the hill and slipped on down the trail to the bridge over the creek. A few more steps and we were into the North Trailhead parking lot 3 minutes ahead of the counter clockwise route. Of course it was wetter then. I was feeling good though and felt that I could have gone at least another 100 yards. The sun was coming up though and it was time to go back to standing on my head.