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October 24, 2006
pretty aspen
I love Aspen. It is so pretty there. Sadly I forgot to bring a camera so all I have to share with the world are mental snaps! Which are kind of fun by the way. Especially when you make your fiance pose for them. Unfortunately one cannot put mental snaps on flickr or other photo sharing sites.
Anyway driving to Aspen was nuts. Big snowstorm in the mountains. It took 4.5 hours to get there rather than the 3 hours and 45 minutes I had predicted. Vail Pass, which is always bad in storms, was especially nuts. Meaning semis parked all over the place and very slow, sometimes stopped, traffic. But I was on a mission! By the time we got through Vail traffic and conditions were much improved and most of the remainder of the drive was on dry roads. I had wanted to get there before it got dark, and that certainly didn't happen, but it was no big deal. Our hotel was incredible - they upgraded us and gave Matt a tray of goodies for his birthday - so that was a nice treat as well. I am a big fan of good customer service.
So Aspen is a great town for running. There are trails all over the place, and not just up the mountain or anything (and there is a lot of dirt which is good for my achy legs). I ran 6.5ish miles on Saturday morning and 7.5ish miles on Sunday morning. It was so beautiful both days. There were low clouds hanging over the mountains and the valleys were incredibly quiet. On Sunday especially I killed my legs by running up just about every available hill excluding the mountain. I found the best views at Smuggler Mine, which is just out of town and not nearly as far up the hill as I had expected. Even though it had snowed a decent amount, we also got a short but very pretty hike in on Saturday afternoon at the Maroon Bells. It was incredible to see the red mountains behind the snow, and to look down the valley where the river was still running - not frozen yet - surrounded by white. So pretty!! I can't wait to go back in the summer and do the same hike. I am sure the difference will be striking. And hopefully I will remember my camera next time!
So anyway, Aspen was fun. Yesterday I woke up early and went to work instead of running just due to a hectic schedule. I ran 6 after work and it was a perfect fall afternoon - shorts and a short sleeved shirt kind of weather. This morning I ran an easy 7 in cooler temperatures. I really want to be sure to run early the next few days as apparently it is going to be really windy in the afternoons. And after playing in the pool at the hotel, I am into swimming again. Of course I say that a lot and hardly ever actually swim, but I am going to attempt it this Thursday and see if I can keep it up one day a week through the winter.
Posted by barb at October 24, 2006 2:11 PM
Comments
Sounds like a great trip Barb! I'm way jealous... :) Have fun swimming Thursday!
Posted by: Beth at October 24, 2006 6:48 PM