Real Trails!

Finally I got up the ovaries to run some real trails. I live 5 minutes away from some of the most challenging trails in the country. This is the place where people come from all over to run 100 mile endurance races.

Last month I bought a book that describes all the canyon hikes. I decided on Stagecoach Trail. However, I read the book wrong. I thought it said 2 miles ONE WAY. It said the first 1/4 mile is uphill, but levels out after that.

I wasn't worried about a quarter of a mile.
But after a while, I started thinking..."hasn't it been a quarter of a mile yet? Dang this trail is kickin my ass!" I tried to remember what the book said about this trail. I didn't see a bench or any blackberry bushes. I saw rocks mixed with red dirt and green patches of grass. But I kept running, up and up and up. Twice I had to walk for a bit, cause it was tiring. My trail ended at a green guard gate on Foresthill road. Hmm. I looked at my watch. It had only been just over 15 minutes since I started. Is that right? Can't be.
I got back down to my car and looked at my book. It was just as I thought. Somehow I missed the turn for Stagecoach Trail. I guess when I got to the quarter mile point, I kept going up instead of making the sharp left turn. Oops. O'well. It made me sweat anyway. Still, I felt like I needed more.
I flipped through the book again and decided on a trail to Lake Clementine.

Just as I was starting out, I met a man named Norm. He looked to be in his mid 60s. He asked me if I was going to hike to the dam. I didn't remember reading about a dam, so I asked how far it was. He said it was only about a mile up the trail. I immediately said "oh, sure...I can do that."
He had a tear in his eye as he described how beautiful the waterfall was. He said it was so wonderful that he'd already hiked to it 4 times this week. That was it...I was hooked.
I thanked him and set off.
I ran for what seemed like more than a mile, over big rocks, down a narrow trail that would land me right in the river if I fell and up a gradual wider trail. I kept going thinking...Where is this paved road he was talking about? And damn, that guy must be in great shape to do this!
I finally got to the paved road. Typical of how this day was going...I accidentally took the wrong paved road. I didn't see the smaller one. I ran uphill for a while until I heard the roaring sound of A LOT of rushing water. It was so loud, I heard it over the music of my ipod. Then I saw the dam on my left side. It was beautiful...but I knew I wasn't as close to it as I should be. I looked for the dirt trail he talked about, but I couldn't find one. I decided I had gone the wrong way and ran back down to where I had originally found the paved road. There I saw the right one, just beyond a large green gate. It took me straight there.
Next time I'll bring a camera. It was absolutely gorgeous and I understood the illustriously luring effect it had on Norm. I stayed for only a couple minutes to enjoy the cascading white water and brilliant rainbow.
It was Valentines Day and there was a couple sitting on one of the huge rock formations eating a picnic lunch and kissing. I didn't want to ruin it for them.
I ran back through the familiar woods, under the fallen tree and down the narrow trail.
BTW- the dam was 2 miles up the trail, not 1 like Norm thought.

Total mileage for this day was approx. 6 miles.

I was so happy to get back to my car and eat the turkey sandwich I had packed. Yum.