Training Log Archive: Swampfox

Went for a run up in the mountains. Big mountains. High mountains. A long run. In the wilderness. The Savage Run Wilderness. Did not have to annex any bears, though I was forced to scare one tiny moose (here "tiny" = pony size, therefore a moose born this year) off the trail while avoiding a stompling from the parental unit. Good thing I have good moose skills. Came back. Should have run a minute longer, but that's the way it goes sometimes with inferior time keeping technique.

C • skills 7

Did the mandatory post Labor day, pre Onset of Winter Snows mountain bike outing, and didn't even require a trip to the band-aid store afterwards, which was the best part. Passed an elk carcass which was moving even more slowly than I was, and which was probably dumped by some friendly local poacher. Just a guess; could be wrong about that.

It's Friday night, and if you're in Wyoming, that means Cowboy Sushi and Friday night college football. Yeah.

It's not often you have to run in the rain out this way, though of course you can if you want to. Usually, if it's raining, it doesn't last long and if you're patient enough to wait a few minutes, you can ease right on by. But today we had all rain, all day, and the choice was to either run in the rain or not run at all.

I ran in the rain, not even having to think about certain fairly large swaths of the well developed O' world where not running in the rain means basically you don't run.

Naturally the perfect choice around here for rain running is the vaunted Plain of Despairs. The name says it all. Things went swimmingly well until about halfway around, when I found a very large bull moose standing in my way, and while it was willing to move, sometimes the way it was willing to move was towards me. Considering its size and the massive and very pointed antlers it was sporting, I didn't judge it coming towards me as exactly a positive development, and I endeavored to at all times keep a sturdy tree in between it and me. Two years ago I would not have been in favor of a local moose hunting season, but more and more they seem to be losing any vestiges of fear of people, so I might have to re-visit that notion.

At length, the bull moose allowed me to get around it and be on my way ("Now if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way" --Mr. Paul Caruso). Is there maybe paprika spray that works on moose?

For bonus points, I also saw small herds of elk and mule deer.

C • Rain 1

After seeing Mary and Mike off, rode down to the 287 RR bridge and back. Decent head winds made for a worthy return trip.