As some of you may know we were away in Stowe this weekend for our 10th anniversary. Given I wasn't around for the Six in the Stix, I still felt the need for a little trail running this weekend. The following is a recap of my Saturday trail run:

Having a virtual plethora of great choices for an easy to moderate trail run, I chose the Long Trail, because hey, I?m in Stowe and I hadn?t seen the very top of Mount Mansfield yet, never mind the little factor of being 2.3 miles and over 2,600 vertical from Rt 108 to the Chin, just numbers right? Well needless to say I got a sum total of about 100 meters of running in going uphill, and my heart was beating out of my chest within the first 1/4 mile. So my trail run turned into... well let's just call it an aggressive hike. I got to the Adam's Apple turnoff and say, "NAYY, straight to the top it is". On the way up from the bottom I pass maybe 2 dozen people many of which are young couples who won't be hiking together again after this one based on the conversation as I pass. After scampering up some crazy rock climbing crap at the top, I'm feeling pretty good about myself until I crest the top of the Chin and see literally over fifty people (I counted for your benefit), hanging out having lunch and enjoying the view, with not much real estate left up there I think, "this sucks, so much for enjoying the summit in solitude", and turn around and start my descent. Weather was nice at the top, I bet it was 60's, with light wind and partly sunny skies. Heading down I jog what I can between the slippery rocks and steep descents, and start to think, "I bet I can get down in half the time it took to come up". That thought coupled with the two guys that thought they could out pace me going downhill, I got pretty determined pretty fast to get down as fast as I could. Well somewhere along the way I must have circum to dehydration and deliria because in the end I summited in 1:07 and hit the bottom in 1:59 including all stops (total up and down time). So much for a descent in half the time.

It wasn't what I'd call a trail run but it was fun non the less.

Ryan