Lazy Mountain Climb

 I'm all rested up and recovered from the marathon so decided it's time to get out and keep on hiking. Bella and I climbed up Lazy Mountain along the steep Lazy Mountain Trail. It was kind of slippery but mostly dry.  I didn't try to push myself very hard but just did a steady saunter to the picnic table. There, I gave Bella a snack and myself a granola bar. We didn't linger long but continued on to the top. I felt much better after the food. Bella always stayed ahead of me. I had no need of bear bells because if I couldn't see her, I would find myself yelling her name. They say talking alerts bears to scramble away. So, that was my talking, since I was hiking alone. Quite frequently, I might add because she was constantly racing out of sight. One man passed us heading down while we were stopped at the picnic table and we had the rest of the mountain all to ourselves all the way to the top. It was so nice and calm, and a good temperature for climbing. I had worried that I might be cold since it was only 34 degrees when I woke up this morning. But it did warm up nicely. The light wasn't the best for photography because of the partial cloud cover. But there were some nice fall colors along the trail and scattered across the tundra. I took my usual 360-degree video on the top.

 

It was a little slippery due to the loose rocks and damp trail so once back down at the picnic table I put on my micro spikes. They were extremely helpful because I was now able to run almost the entire way down, even on the steepest sections. At least it wasn't muddy. That trail is horrid if it is muddy, but it was just damp hard packed dirt. I passed a couple of guys on their way up, who stopped to visit with Bella. She always makes a hit with everyone. She loves everyone. I ran into Meg Inokuma, one of my running hero friends. I often run into her on this trail. In fact, the first time I met her was on this trail. She's an amazing athlete who wins most of the races and climbs all the mountains. Bella managed to wade through the only muddy spot on the mountain and got to have a nice bath when we got home. 

I love the Lazy Mountain Trail because it is a tough workout but only about 4 miles long, giving me good mountain training without taking all day. Plus, it's so beautiful and just a couple miles from my house.