I was thinking of doing a scramble across the LCC ridge this morning, but called it off because it snowed. So I ran up to the Sundial. Running 3 miles downhill is about all I can take. Any trailrunners out there? Luke? Do you like running downhill? Does it hurt?
I've been doing a bit of unconventional (for me) training lately because I got sick again. I've been trying to prevent a sinus infection, so for the last 10 days or so that I've tried to avoid hard aerobic activity. Hence the climbing emphasis.
That said, the recent climbs and runs I've done in the mountains have been really refreshing. They've allowed me to see the mountains in a different way in a different season. Climbing crags on Olympus, Big Cottonwood, and Little Cottonwood, I've been able to move through the mountains in yet another form. Climbing the slabby granite of Lisa Falls the other day gave me a new appreciation for that same, but quite different Lisa Falls I skiied a few months ago. The cirque surrounded by Dromedary, Superior and the Sundial was just as surreal without snow as it is with snow. I'm not quite certain what underlies my obsession (I admit it) with moving in the mountains. Of course, the mountains are beautiful. But it's more than that. For me, there's something very fulfilling about being able to move deep in the mountains elegantly -- speedliy, yet safely, under your own power. I suppose part of the attraction is the challenge. Whether it's on skis, on two wheels, in running shoes, or in a harness, elements of skill are required. It's fun to develop those skills to a point where they facilitate elegant movement. Another aspect of the challenge is the element of uncertainty. The faster and higher and deeper you go, the margin for error becomes smaller and smaller. It's a challenge to know where you draw the line.
