Is this the trail?

It's pathetic really. This coming month marks the anniversary of my first trail run. I've definitely found my place in the trails and the majority of my run are in the hills. Yet, with as much time as a spend up there I'd never been to the "living room." A very common and well know hike in Salt Lake. And it wasn't for lack of trying. There's been countless times I've headed out in the area, thinking I'd for sure stumble upon it and never have. 

So on Tuesday, Tehra and were determined. We headed up from the museum. Tehra had been there once, YEARS ago, so I followed her lead. But really, we had no idea where we were going. 

We found a trail we were certain headed up to...wherever we were going. "Is this the trail?" We happened to pass a hiker and decided we'd make sure we were on the right path. Nope!  We needed to back track and head straight up the side of the mountain. 

And Holy Hell!  What a hike!!  It's a steep up hill hike with no ebb and flow... Just up. It even made my mountain goat of a hiking partner complain a bit!

But we made it, sat for a bit, took some pics and then discussed our plan for the way down. We knew there was more than one way up to the living room. Why not explore another way down. 

We'd gotten to the living room from the back, so we left out the front. As we left a woman and her dog came running past. Props to her for running such a technical incline. Clearly, if she was running up, hiking down would be a breeze. 

We walked straight out on the trail... until there literally was no trail. Just a cliff an slab of rock, "is this the trail?" Back tracked again, and headed down a narrow grassy trail. 

It may have been the bushy, low lying scrub oak that scratched up my calves or the very, VERY lose sand that we ended up tracking through, but something kept making us ask, "is this the trail?" 

Eventually, we joined up to the skyline trail and back to our car. I'd love to go back to the living room one day... I just can't say for sure I won't be asking, "is this the trail?" 

Pretty fall leaves

Part of the hill. At least these trees were cool to look at!

The view when we finally found the living room!

Ok, the view totally makes it worth the hunt. 

Did I mention there was LOTS of moss?  Did I mention I have a freakish obsession with moss?

Fall!!

Have I mentioned I love fall?  I LOVE FALL!  Really though, it verges on unhealthy.  (We won't go into my pumpkin problem...  Someone might consider me obsessed.)  It makes me so happy when that first crisp of wind comes in and makes everything a little bit cooler.  It may not make sense, but when it gets cooler outside, it makes me all warm and cozy!

So I've been itchin' to get up to a trail since the winds came in.  Add a crazy busy week that forced me to take a "rest" week and I couldn't drop my kid off fast enough at school!

With a lack of training schedule (even though I have another half in about a month!! oops!) I've been feeling REALLY adventurous lately.  I love my good ol' stand by trails, but I'm feeling a need to expand.  And who wouldn't, when you live in SLC with a plethora (love that word!) of trails right out my door!

I headed up to City Creek.  My old stand by's are heading south on Shoreline towards Dry Creek or straight up City Creek.  I've always wanted to run Shoreline north towards Bountiful, so that was my plan. 

I parked, got my gear ready, then remembered thanks to a LAME iphone update, I'd had to delete my Nike+ app.  I could stand around and wait for it to download, or just run mile counter free....  I lucked out that I was just in the right kind of mood and aching to get on my first fall run, that I chose that later...  zen running it was! Well, with my music of course!

Well, maybe it was the fall air or maybe the forced week off, but it was a damn good run!  Inclines suck and usually get me down.  But I was rocking these out! 

I knew it was almost exactly a mile to where Shoreline meets City Creek.  Then I headed north for the first time.  There was quite a few little switchbacks that made it really interesting and fun.  Then it levels off and follows behind a load of fancy-shmancy, big houses.  I kind of felt like I was invading their space... but oh well! I took a while going up because I had to stop and take so many pictures! 

I stopped for a minute to check time.  I still had about 15 minutes before I figured I should head back, so I kept going.  And right then a HUGE gust of wind raced through bringing a pretty good, cold rain with it.  Maybe it was time to head back!

I ran down the trail to a little shoot that goes down to the road of City Creek.  I decided since the road wasn't muddy and it's decently covered by trees, I'd take a jaunt up that way.  I used to run/walk that road every chance I got.  In fact, I was on that road when I heard the news that my grandma had passed away and haven't been back since.  There's a small creek that goes under the street at one point. On the side of the street before it goes under, the water is filled with a bright green water clover of some kind.  Even in the dead of winter, that creek is full of life.  I needed to go there again, so I did. 

I love going back to a run I haven't done in a long time.  That road used to be one I couldn't make all the way up without walking at least a little.  Yesterday, it was cake... when did that happen?



See how happy I was to be out there!

 

FALL!!!

 

These woods made me think of a spooky movie.

 

Looking up City Creek. 

When I got home I got out my handy dandy map so I could figure out where I'd gone... and how many miles... oh c'mon, you know I couldn't resist!

My freakish, useless OCD was very happy when I realized I'd run from the mouth of City Creek to the point and then to the end of the "V". (nice and pretty like!)
Next time I'm going to go farther.

Miles: (about)5

Time: (about) 1 hour

Pace: you figure it out!





















My grandma's creek