The temperature has reached at least 40 F during 15 of the last 18 days, and five of those days it reached 50 F.
This is warm for a January on the Palouse. But, more importantly, this means melting snow....which is bad for skiers/snowboarders, but great for trail runners. And what about someone who is a snowboarding trail-runner, like me? Eh, skiing/snowboarding has become so dang expensive that it's been two winters since I've longed for a powder day. (Then maybe I should stop calling myself a snowboarder...)
Sadie and I took advantage of some unusually snowless January trails.
Wet and muddy at lower elevations (this section is usually snow-covered all winter)
Sadie waiting for me at the top of a climb
On the climb
Snowing 1,500 ft above trailhead
There is still quite a bit of snow at higher elevations
Sadie was light enough to run across these sections of packed snow, but I would sink through nearly every step. Not much running (for me) this high on the trails.
(this section is usually snow-covered all winter)
snow, but I would sink through nearly every step.
Not much running (for me) this high on the trails.
Gotta love training for a scorching hot, bone dry, mile(+)-high desert race in wet snow. :)
Keep running!
-Scott