Today was my 44th consecutive month of running a half marathon, in this case in the snow of Staunton State Park. The far corners of the park are usually snowed in at this time of the year, but several fat tire bikers had packed down the snow. Still needed some beefy crampons for the ice, but the result was the following photo from the West Meadow Trail. Oh, and it was seven degrees Fahrenheit in the parking lot.
This is why I get up early
The sky this morning along the Front Range was red, orange and yellow for about one minute, just as the sun was coming up over the horizon. The following photo was taken from the parking lot in Deer Creek Canyon Park.
14 Degrees in paradise
The temperature this morning was 14 degrees in the parking lot at Staunton State Park, but that was not a problem with enough layers, so I still managed the 43rd consecutive month of doing a half marathon trail run. The following picture is from one of the high points in the park.
Sun after the storm
Here is some sun glancing off the trees along a trail well back in the Deer Creek Canyon Park. I saw this while trail running (OK, shuffling) through there this morning.
So there are aliens in the bathroom?
This sign was posted outside the bathroom in a restaurant in north Las Vegas. Is this where they’ve been hiding?
This is what keeps the slot machines running
Here are some of the generators buried deep under the Hoover Dam, just outside of Las Vegas. Something has to keep those neon lights blazing.
Flying cars exist!
Well, sort of. The Lane Motor Museum in Nashville houses some of the oddest automobiles I’ve ever seen, including a few that literally don’t exist anywhere - the museum built them from the inventor’s blueprints. In the following photo, we have a prime example of a machine that didn’t quite work out - though it must have been a great blow dryer for the driver’s hair.
Goddesses in Tennessee
I suppose it is entirely reasonable to run across a 40-foot gilded statue of Athena in - Nashville? And I thought the Acropolis overlooked Athens? At any rate, Athena did not appear overly active, judging from the thick layer of dust on her. Not to mention a few cobwebs.
At country music ground zero
We were complete tourists and took the backstage tour at the Grand Ole Opry, which (of course) included going on stage. This is sort of like going to Mecca for country music fans, so it was kind of cool (even though we’re not country music fans - well, somewhat, but not that much).
Great music in Printers Alley
Printers Alley is located just up the street from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, behind the Dream Hotel. There’s a series of bars down there that host musicians from 10 a.m. to about 2 a.m., so you can wander in, buy a drink, and settle in for some (usually) great music. The guys in the photo below were playing some fabulous Jimi Hendrix.
Double duty tour guide
It was pretty great when our tour guide for the day in Nashville, Kyle Elliott, got up on stage and started performing. Turns out, he’s also a singer/song writer. Definitely double value!
A new type of wallpaper
This is a wall in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville that’s covered with gold and platinum records. There must be cheaper ways to decorate?
Early morning light
The following photo was taken from the upper trailhead at Falcon Park, early this morning. The view was better than the run, which was hard packed and icy.
Crispy trails
The following photo shows the effects of a small brush fire on the east facing hillside of Deer Creek Canyon Park. The fire jumped the trail in a few places, but was mostly contained right at the trail. A little tough on the rattlesnakes that usually live in this area.
Finally, some color
It is now October 9, and the aspens have finally changed color. This is about 20 days later than normal, due to unusually high temperatures throughout the state. The following picture was taken at about 8,500 feet elevation on the Cub Creek Trail in Evergreen.
The Bridge of Flowers
While traveling through western Massachusetts with my dad, we stopped at the nifty Bridge of Flowers at Shelburne Falls. It is a former trolley bridge that has been repurposed into quite an impressive garden. It is also a fairly major tourist stop now; there was a tourist bus parked at one end of it.
Green River overlook
You can get to this spectacular view of the Green River by driving about 25 miles northwest of Moab, mostly on dirt roads, and then mountain biking an additional nine miles to reach the overlook. If the sun is shining, it is worth the view.
Polar Mesa mining
This is an abandoned mining rig, located in a distant corner of Moab, on Polar Mesa. Most of the forest service roads in the area have been abandoned, but the road grader is still maintaining access to this site.
Maintenance required
This is the Dewey Bridge in Utah, which is awaiting donations for a massive amount of maintenance. At the moment, it is more likely to be used as a zip line or perhaps an episode of American Ninja Warrior.
Dolores River overlook
This modestly nice view is what you get if you drive 43 miles east of Moab down increasingly marginal roads, then switch to a mountain bike and grind up 4x4 roads that are a 1/2” deep in dust for another 10 miles. Not sure it was worth the view, but I certainly got in my daily cardio.
