Tuesday 11/18/08 Sanitas/Flagstaff/Sanitas

~12 miles
4,450 vertical

Got out for a sweet run today, as it was nearly 80 degrees and I was struck with a major itch to get out and enjoy it. Started up the East side of Sanitas from the Hawthorne TH a bit after 3pm and jogged at a moderate to easy pace up the East side of Sanitas and topped out in 18:30. My plan was to go down the S. ridge and then backtrack, but instead I kept on going, over Red Rocks, through the tunnel to Eben G, used the bathroom and then kept on going up Flagstaff. It took 30 minutes to get from the bathroom at Eben G, to the summit of Flag going pretty easy. Jogged down at a casual pace and was really wishing I had water as it was so warm. I stopped at the bathroom again and scooped some nice cold water out of the faucet and splashed my face. Hard to believe we are a week from Thanksgiving and it feels like summer.

I debated taking the roads back to the car, as daylight was waning and I knew if I went back over Sanitas, it would get dark on me. Ah, what the heck, it is too darn nice and even though I am in shorts and a tee, I am completely comfortable still, even a touch warm.

Up Sanitas I go and it is surprisingly crowded, even though it is getting dark. The clouds were orange and pink to the West and the city lights were shimmering to the East. It was so peaceful and quiet, I was totally digging it. My legs felt good, but I was being cautious as it was starting to get quite dark by the summit and I made it up in 21:05 going pretty mellow. The descent down the East side back to the car was a bit interesting, as it was getting to be almost completely dark. I want to run to make use of any hint of remaining light, but running is a bit dicey as sometimes you put a foot out and you never know what you are really going to get, I just had to ride it out. Even though I regard myself as sucking in the dark, I got down in 17 with no trips or major stumbles and was able to jog most of it. It helped that I know the trail so well, it was quite intuitive. Finished at 5:28pm, total run time 2:20.