Namaste Noble Warriors of Wholeness!
yesterday i took a jog up the Goulding Trail...locally it's infamous for it's super steep gradient with over 22 switchbacks in the first mile. personally, i lost count after the first six.
starting elevation: 7,900'
finish elevation: 10,000'
length: 2.7 miles through spirit-rousing pine and aspen forests beneath the enormous Hermosa Cliff faces...
access: trailhead is about 14 minutes by car from my front door in Durango.
wanna come along?
thought so...that's why i took my camera; just for Thee!
click pics to enlarge the Chi Hit
thought so...that's why i took my camera; just for Thee!
click pics to enlarge the Chi Hit
for this mountain run, i used what i call my "Mod-a-ssins" a pun for "Modern Moccasins";these are the Saucony Kinvara
- 7.7 ounces and
pretty much zero support.
those of you that have been traveling with me all these decades, know that i was among the first to forward barefoot and then, later, promoted the Vibram Five-Fingers®. the Kinvara is absolutely a beautiful hybrid between a traditional trail runner and the Five-Fingers. least for me. i love these fleet, foot 'socks' so much, i am even considering racing Imogene Pass in them this September! 'considering' being the operative word. just the thought of racing Imogene in 'moccasins' turns me on.
start of the trailhead. the route takes demanding switchbacks right beneath this 600' face before skirting it on photo left...
...within 5 minutes of huffing and puffing, you get a sense of what's in store for you;
an absolutely stunning altar of pine and aspen forest where a bear or deer could be eating Service Berries and watching you from 10 feet away without you knowing it...
Golden Chanterelle grace a decomposing Spruce..
a half-mile into the ascent and the East Needles begin winking at your Noble Effort...
...turn the next switchback at you see the resort of Tammaron (it's called something else now) at below you and Missionary Ridge in the background..
...must be "Wing Night" in the high country...i've never seen this before; an entire Hawk wing lying beside the trail. now THAT must have been a helluva airborne fight! Om Mani Padme Hung...
...my beloved Aspen Beings; standing the same way i like to run: half naked!
...besides the dizzying effect of climbing so fast up so many switchbacks,
you also run the risk of becoming deeply and divinely intoxicated by the perfume of Mother Earth, expressed through a zillion wildflowers along the way. yes, the trail is hidden in this shot!
My turn-around today...why? see those thunderheads rolling across Father Sky? i hit the rip-cord at this point (45 minutes into the run) and scooting back down the trail in 20 minutes before Our Father opened His arms...God Bless All who must do their Warrior Effort on "Hillclimb Mode" on Treadmills today; May this iDL entry seep into their cells and be Transported...
to
Here
Now.
May Thy Sweat Be Sacred this weekend...i might just try to knock out Handies Peak
this weekend with some HP Mountain Yogis...
then again,
that will be yet another Psalm in the ilg book of Prayers..
head bowed,
your feeble teacher of multi-disciplined yoga known as WF!
