I love the Bay Area: Reason 105
Last weekend was a perfect example of being able to experience the vast and amazing landscape we have so close at hand here in the bay area. The weather was sunny and crisp and the scenery rich in color, saturated with moisture from days and da
ys of rain. Saturday I met the Endurables group for a run out of Tennessee Valley, starting early with a long, slow grind up Marincello. It was a prep run for the upcoming Pirates Cove 30k covering some of my favorite trails - SCA, Coastal, and Miwok. Having not run for almost 2 weeks I felt 
suprisingly light, energized in part by the crisp air and the lush green hills now dotted with flowers. I couldn't remember seeing flowers last time I was out there. (Is that it? Are we done with winter already?!) Over roughly 18 mud-splattered miles we climbed and descended, down into Green Gulch, up out of Pirates Cove, up a long haul over Coastal, returning to a now packed parking lot. Having lost the heart and soul of my training partners, I was fortunate enough to have Sandy to goad me into going the full distance. Too bad she had to go back out for another 8 miles or so in prep for her Miwok 100k solo. I had nothing left.
Sunday was similarly crisp and sunny but I'd moved on to the mountains to meet some friends from Crossfit to ski at Sugarbowl. It was a quick drive up Saturday afternoon post-run with a spendy stop in Sacramento where I splurged on some bad-ass ski boots with gigantic graphics on the sides that say Supercharger Bl
ower. (Really? What is that?!) Anyway, Saul and I were out the door at 9 and on the slopes at 9:30 to find the snow in perfect condition. We fanned out across the mountain, spending the bulk of our time - and some of the best runs - off of Mt. Lincoln in the Palisades where the snow was soft, the pitch steep, and the bumps manageable. Riding the chairlift it was awesome to consider that just 24 hours earlier I'd been out running trails just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I mean, seriously? What a stellar 1-2 combo of a weekend! If you like running and skiing, of course. Minimal crowds, fantastic conditions, good company and new boots (once I'd found my common ground with them - I struggled in the early runs) made for a perfect ski day.
ys of rain. Saturday I met the Endurables group for a run out of Tennessee Valley, starting early with a long, slow grind up Marincello. It was a prep run for the upcoming Pirates Cove 30k covering some of my favorite trails - SCA, Coastal, and Miwok. Having not run for almost 2 weeks I felt 
suprisingly light, energized in part by the crisp air and the lush green hills now dotted with flowers. I couldn't remember seeing flowers last time I was out there. (Is that it? Are we done with winter already?!) Over roughly 18 mud-splattered miles we climbed and descended, down into Green Gulch, up out of Pirates Cove, up a long haul over Coastal, returning to a now packed parking lot. Having lost the heart and soul of my training partners, I was fortunate enough to have Sandy to goad me into going the full distance. Too bad she had to go back out for another 8 miles or so in prep for her Miwok 100k solo. I had nothing left.
Sunday was similarly crisp and sunny but I'd moved on to the mountains to meet some friends from Crossfit to ski at Sugarbowl. It was a quick drive up Saturday afternoon post-run with a spendy stop in Sacramento where I splurged on some bad-ass ski boots with gigantic graphics on the sides that say Supercharger Bl
ower. (Really? What is that?!) Anyway, Saul and I were out the door at 9 and on the slopes at 9:30 to find the snow in perfect condition. We fanned out across the mountain, spending the bulk of our time - and some of the best runs - off of Mt. Lincoln in the Palisades where the snow was soft, the pitch steep, and the bumps manageable. Riding the chairlift it was awesome to consider that just 24 hours earlier I'd been out running trails just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I mean, seriously? What a stellar 1-2 combo of a weekend! If you like running and skiing, of course. Minimal crowds, fantastic conditions, good company and new boots (once I'd found my common ground with them - I struggled in the early runs) made for a perfect ski day. (photo courtesy of flickr)
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