Run: Stagecoach - Upper Bear Creek Road Loop
Time: 1:47
Distance: 13.88 miles
Effort: Hard
Body: Very Good
Weather: Clear and cool
Due to the usual weekend business, I didn't get out the door until around 4:30 p.m. (including the weekend time change). On the sage advice of JP, I wore a reflective vest. She is wise beyond my years.
From the house, I headed west up Stagecoach Road about five miles to Whittier Gulch. From there, I ran up past King-Murphy Elementary School and wound my way via assorted single-named dirt roads (i.e. David Road; Elizabeth Road) down to Upper Bear Creek Road. As I climbed up from Whittier Gulch, the clouds to the west were ablaze with the fading sunlight from the west. Once on Upper Bear Creek Road and headed east, I was running straight at the full moon. A beautiful sight, to be sure.
Once on the relatively flat, and often subtly downhill Upper Bear Creek Road, I picked up the pace, eager to get done with the six or so miles of this winding paved road as quickly as possible. By the time I hit the intersection with Whittier Gulch, the sun had pretty much set and darkness was afoot. (I mis-timed the darkness severely and was running in the dark the whole way to Evergreen Lake. I'm sure the drivers that passed me were wondering what the hell I was doing running in the dark wearing black shorts and a black zip-neck long-sleeve tech shirt. That goodness JP reminded me to bring the reflective vest.) I did the five-plus miles on Upper Bear in pretty quick fashion, ranging from a high of 7:06 to a low of 6:20. The miles clicked by pretty quick. I was just running by feel and felt darn good.
Once at Evergreen Lake, I made the long climb up to the high point on Evergreen Parkway before descending back to Stagecoach Road and, finally, back up to the house on the ridge above.
All-in-all, I great outing. Ran steady on the uphills and hard on the flats. Had a total of 1,467 feet of elevation gain.
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