Switching Gears...

It's that time of the year again...

For as long as I can remember, I've always have a hard time getting (back) in the groove in the fall - The end of my TR combo (bike + run) work/run stint is over, and just like last year, my motivation has plummeted to the ground - almost as quickly as the leaves these days...

Am I excited about the coming winter? Yes...but my brain and body still need a bit of R & R before fully switching gears.

So when (head-injury) Bob** called me a few days ago looking for a guinea pig for his latest running adventure, I figured it would be a good way to get back in the saddle. Worst case - I'm sure I would be entertained in some way or form- After convincing Bob (and myself) that running the 'Rock Wall' trail (6-8hr run) after having done little to no running in the past 3 weeks was NOT a good idea, we settled on an 'easy' 3hr+ warmup run from Storm Mtn Lodge to Floe Lake via Shadow Lake Lodge. At a distance just shy of 30 clicks, this would be a good way to break myself back into the shape - ha. I wouldn't normally recommend tackling such a run coming off 3 weeks of couch surfing but if you're going to do it anyways, the 'Storm' loop was actually quite runner friendly. By running the loop clockwise, we ended up cheating a little bit on the elevation gain since the starting point was much higher than the finish - It was Bob's choice...but I didn't complain!

Fall colours - Rockies style...Fireweed and new pine seedlings contrast against the burnt forest coming down Hawk Creek (photo: Bob Walker)

Verdict...Wow! The run ended up being one of the best I've done in a while. The entire track consisted of narrow high alpine single-track, and at this time of the year, the larch trees were in full golden bloom - amazing! Aside from the weather, the run was fantastic- I can only imagine covering the terrain on a sunny blue blazer because it ended up pissing rain the entire 4hrs it took us to go around - (we blamed that extra hour on the soggy ground).

Closing in on Gibbon Pass: The larch tree needles are holding on for another week...max! (photo: Bob Walker)

The mist taking over the Larch forest near Gibbon Pass

On the flat just past Shadow Lake Lodge - Whistling Valley/Ball Pass in the background

As for Bob, he didn't disappoint - his bear spray blew up on his backpack about 5 days prior to our run, and the 'pepper' was still lingering in the seams despite a few washes - At first he was quite happy to 'benefit' from the added heat, but the spray remnants soon rubbed into his skin and for the last hour of running, he squirmed uncomfortably until the end. The entertainment was a good thing, as it distracted me from the pain my body was enduring due to my inactivity-

Back at the ranch, I warm shower healed all my wounds...

I'm feeling better now...and looking forward to heading out again soon. Thanks Bob-


**I refer to Bob as 'head-injury Bob' because he fell off Stanley (Glacier) Headwall a few years ago, and ended up with a very serious head concussion (not to mention a few breaks, tweaks and kinks from the few cliffs he ragdolled over). He was my roommate at the time, and as with most of our lifestyles, he was always on the move and often away from home for days at a time. His absence nothing out of the ordinary. I only found out about his mishap after a reporter from the Canmore Leader called the house to find out more about his status...