Spectacular Spectacular

Another awesome day. The Saint and I rode Macedonia Church this morning, which is such a great ride but lamentably a bit off the beaten path. The sunshine was lovely enough to make me forget the sub-freezing windchill. Having burned sufficient calories, I'm now packing them back on with brownies and espresso. Eventually I will start writing a paper but for now I'm just relishing the caffeinated, post-exercise glow. And then maybe some P&B (Pappas and Beer) with B&P (Baman and Piderman) tonight. Can life get any better?

Champagne Supernova

Yes yes, this is how I feel today. Bubbly. It is good. I think part of this comes from the looming prospect of college-free life. I am going to pass on being a grown-up for right now (thanks for asking, all ye denizens of the bakery) and just putter around, earning just enough to pay for house/car/occasional adventures.

Because I don't think I will be applying for real-people jobs until next spring, fall will be fab. How could it not be?

-world champs that are driving distance away

-the Shut-In

-Lydia's super awesome-looking Hickory Mountain run

-BC mtb season, which I can now observe in a relaxed fashion

-a long-awaited visit to my shoe twin!

I write a lot of boring posts about my future, but you know why? Because it's so bright I gotta wear shades.

"Sky Falls, You Feel Like..."

"It's a beautiful day."

-U2

I awoke to sunshine and I knew I was going for a run. The boys were headed down to Clemson for DH sessions but in the past week, my riding has been derailed by an assortment of frustrating circumstances. So I really wanted to make myself hurt on two feet.

Pisgah was gorgeous in the aftermath of so much winter weather. I decided to run Bennett Gap. The road up was still covered in eight inches of snow and based on the tracks, I was the probably the first person who had made it past the Twin Falls trailhead in a week. It was hard, slow going. As I climbed higher, the road became more and more littered with tree limbs and broken icicles started raining down, tinkling violently like hundreds of windchimes. I started to question the wisdom of a long solitary run on a deserted road but was having too much fun to turn around. I shielded my head and neck with my arms and continued to run, probably looking very silly. At the top I ate ice off the shrubs and enjoyed the glorious sun.

The rhododendron tunnel was like a bobsled track in Narnia, a steep slick chute framed in frozen mountain laurel berries. On the highest overlook that straddles the ridge I was overcome with awe...it was one of those infrequent times when I believe in God.

I would have given all the toenails on my left foot to have a camera during the run. Instead I had to steal a picture Todd Branham took back in December. But you get the idea.

The narrow half-track climbs were covered in smooth little ice baubles and as I clung to the barely-there trail and crawled through low-hanging rhodo, I sent them showering down the bank. The final descent past Coontree was fast and fun through soft snow drifts. I hate to disappoint anyone but I don't think we'll be riding Bennett for a long time. There are way too many trail obstructions.

Afterwards I sat in my car for a couple minutes, relishing the beauty and loathe to drive home. Then the Truslers, awesome local B&B owners, passed me and we chatted about their hike. That is why I love Brevard. You will always see someone you know on the trails.

It was far and away the best run I've ever done.

Oh Icycle...How I Love Thee

Pic by Brado