Soft Shoe Shuffle (With Rattles)

Wednesday. One of my favourite days mostly because it's our Saturday. It's the first day Alison and I are off together. We are a family again.

After a slow start and a late lunch, a spoke was put in the wheel of the day when Al started to tell me she was feeling the aura that precedes a migraine. For her that's flashing lights and disturbed vision. As we sat eating our late lunch, she told me she couldn't even read the words on the front of the shirt I was wearing. That is a very bad sign. We decided to cut our losses and to take Al home.
After that Sam and I headed down to the outlets at Castle Rock. Eddie Bower had given me a $10 coupon and I wanted another technical tee shirt. The other thing I was looking for was a rack for the back of the Durango to carry two bikes. Sam wants his Mom to ride with us. We did find one at Sports Authority (it will always be Gart's in my mind). $58 was the final damage. A Bell product that fits the Durango perfectly and holds two bikes. Perfect.

Once back home I was really wanting to hit the trails tonight. Last week I had headed North from the Valley's entrance, tonight I wanted to go South. The Cathy Johnson Trail is another, rough single track that runs along the West side of the Dakota Hogback. Just like the Hogback trail, as soon as you enter the trail the world pretty much disappears. To the left a 350-500 foot ridge towers above you. To the right is a 150-250 foot ridge. The trail begins with a short climb then, once over the ridge the trail begins a descent. This trail runs from Ken Caryl Valley Road to Deer Creek Canyon Road, about 2.2 miles. The trail mowed back and judging by the number of horse hoof prints, of Mtb tyre tracks and the number of boot prints in the soft sand it is a popular trail. In the distance are views of White Deer Valley are spectacular. Tonight they paled due to the deepest blue-grey sky.

The storm had been brewing all afternoon. Sam and I had seen lightening when coming back from Castle Rock but now the sky was full of portent. About half way along the trail I stopped and stared at the sky. High above was a long finger of steel grey cloud. The winds were pushing this lower cloud into the oncoming main clouds. It was starting to turn. Counterclockwise. Hummn I thought. That does not look good. I turned off the music on my Mp3 player and switched to radio. I scanned the channels to see if there was a Weather Service warning but all I found was the usual shows. I was just trying to figure out how to carry a scanner to receive the weather warning broadcasts when the winds changed and the clouds suddenly dispersed. Oh well.

I continued down the trail and without warning I had a huge adrenaline rush. In the local paper today was a reminder to all of us dear reader to watch out for the local rattlers. I passed by what looked like a thick stick. I had music in my ears and I was jogging along. Like a scene from a movie as I passed the "stick' my camera panned and followed the stick behind me as I passed. It then did something sticks don't do as a rule. It moved. Wha? I did a double take. Up came the tail and over the music I head a rattle. Woa! In one smooth move I turned back and legged it swiftly down the trail legs tingling as I went.

Three quarters of the way down the trail there is a branch to the east called the Columbine Trail that takes you over the Lyons Hogback and out of Ken Caryl's trail network and into the main trails of the South Valley Park that belongs to Jeffco Open Space. I spoke to a guy on a Mtb at the trails intersection and we joked about the article in the local paper about my snake sighting. I tried to chase him up the trail. but he was too fast. We are now leaving the Ken Caryl Ranch trail system and enter then enter Jeffco trails. There is a slight but subtle change in the trail. We leave behind the rough and gently managed trial and enter a world of stone steps, rock trail edges and signs. The trails are wider and subtly 'more managed'.

With another storm front appearing above West Ranch and cloud to ground lightening spattering the hillside, I picked up the pace and cleared the ridge along Coyote Song Trail. The rest of the outing was accompanied by louder music now that I was on pavement as I felt I was safe away from the brush.

The walk/run was fun. I am finding my "run" parts are longer than ever. It's funny. When I get my long stride figured out and the breathing is going well I am so surprised that I break my stride. I do the same when I find myself counting paces between breaths. That throws everything off and so I start again. One thing is for sure, my stamina is very notably better than it has ever been.

The stats for today: A total of 4.83 miles in 1:13:50 at an average pace of 15.17 minutes per mile. The Garmin feels I burned 929 calories but it was silent on the query of the rattlesnake. My BGL back at home was 108. A fun and above all entertaining run.