SNOW?

     THIS MORNING I PLANNED YET ANOTHER HIGH ALTITUDE RUN IN A BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN CIRQUE JUST WEST OF TOWN. I AM CONSIOUSLY TRYING TO GET IN AS MUCH RUNNING IN THE FRAGILE YET HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT BEFORE THE HANDS OF OLD MAN WINTER TIGHTLY CLENCH THE MOUNTAINS. TODAY WAS THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO GET A HOLD OF THE HIGH ROCKY PEAKS, AS I WAS EMPTIED OUT THE TOP OF THE BIG THOMPSON CANYON I WAS GREETED WITH A CONTROVERSAL SIGHT. THE MOUNTAINS WERE COVERED IN SNOW! IT HAD FALLEN WELL BELOW TREELINE SO I KNEW I WOULD BE RUNNING IN IT THIS FINE FALL DAY. ON ONE HAND I WAS EXCITED TO SEE THE SNOW, IT IS VERY PRETTY AND ALMOST ENCHANTING IN SOME WAY.ON THE OTHER HAND IT WAS THE FIRST SIGN THAT MY MOUNTAIN PARADISE WAS CHANGING IN A WAY THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL AND TRAINING UP HERE HARSHER AND CERTIANLY MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.
     TODAYS RUN WAS PLANED TO PASS BY TWO WATERFALLS AND THREE LAKES ENDING AT ABOUT 12,076 FT. BECAUSE OF THE SNOW AND THE ATTRACTION IT DRAWS THE TRAILHEAD I WISHED TO START FROM WAS FULL AND MY SECOND CHOICE WAS A NO-GO BECAUSE THE SNOW HAD CLOSED THE ROAD! AFTER SOME LAST MINUTE ROUTE FINDING I CHOSE A VERY POPULAR YET EQUALLY LARGE TRAILHEAD. I WAS TO RUN BY FIVE LAKES IN TOTAL. I STARTED OFF WITH TWO GELS AND ONE BOTTLE OF WATER. IMMEDIATLY I WAS IN A CROWD THAT STRETCHED FOR THE FIRST TWO MILES! AFTER AN UNGODLY AMOUNT OF EXCUSE ME'S I REACHED THE SPUR TRAIL TO A FAR LESS TRAVELED TRAIL. I MADE QUICK WORK OF THAT CLIMB, ALTHOUGH I WAS STRUGGLING TO FIND MY BREATHE, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURENCE FOR THE FIRST REALLY COLD RUN OF THE YEAR. I REACHED MY DESTINATION AND COULD HARDLY SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE. THE WIND WAS BLOWING AT 35 MPH AND I KNOW IT WASNT 30 DEGREES. ALL THIS COUPLED WITH ALMOST ZERO VISIBILITY FROM THE RAPIDLY FALLING SNOW CAUSED ME TO NOT QUICKLY TAKE IN THE VIEW(WHAT THERE WAS OF ONE) AND CHARGE BACK DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
     I DECIDED TO TAKE ANOTHER SPUR UP TO A LAKE I HAD PREVIOUSLY VISITED BUT ENJOYED QUITE COMPLETELY. IT WAS A QUICK STEEP CLIMB AND I WAS THERE. I DIDNT WASTE MUCH TIME AS IT WAS VERY CROWDED. I JUST TURNED AND HEADED BACK TO THE B52. ON THE WAY DOWN I HEARD MORE COMMENTS LIKE, "WOW YOUR TOUGH" , "WAY TO MAKE US FEEL BAD", "THIS ISNT YOUR FIRST TIME", OR MY FAVORITE, "THATS REALLY IMPRESSSIVE". I COULDNT HELLP BUT THINK, ITS NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE, IT WAS MY FIRST TIME ON MOST OF THOSE TRAILS AND IM NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES ONE TO BE TOUGH. ANYWAY AFTER A TON OF EXCUSE ME'S AND TWO SMALL COLLISIONS I WAS FINALLY BACK TO THE B52.
     ALL IN ALL A GOOD TRAINING RUN, CANT SAY MUCH FOR THE EXPERIENCE HOWEVER. IM FEELING A LITTLE APREHENSIVE ABOUT WELCOMING WINTER SO SOON. I GUESS IT WILL COME WHEN IT WILL COME AND I WILL THEN STRAP ON SOME SNOWSHOES AND START RUNNING. HERE ARE A FEW PICS :