Not Blown Away! Or, Running at Red Mountain Open Space

In an effort to make the long weekend last a little longer, eight Fort Collins Trail Runners decided to go for a run at Red Mountain Open Space. 

We knew it might be a bit cold, but the wind! Wow. This was wind the likes of which I have rarely encountered outside Wyoming. And did I mention one of the trails we took led us into Wyoming for a bit?

I kid you not: just when I thought the wind couldn't blow any harder, we experienced a gust that nearly sent Mary flying off the trail. And then looking up from the trail, what did we see? A marker indicating we were "leaving Red Mountain Open Space" and "entering Big Hole Open Space, City of Cheyenne." Wyoming... Go figure!!

The strong headwind at the start of the run meant that for the first part of the run, it hardly mattered if we were going uphill or down: significant effort was required for any kind of forward motion. But the last half of the run was heavenly, as that same wind helped us feel like we were flying back to the trailhead. And despite the wind, all eight starters finished: no one was blown away.

At the start, wondering why, exactly, we're heading out for a run in this hurricane.

A mini "stream crossing."

Wild-west scenery. Where's John Wayne?

Tiny stream crossing #2.

Wind at our backs, we prepare to fly back to the trailhead.

On open land like this, there's nothing to block the wind. Cold AND fun!

One upside of the big winds: great visibility!

THERE's that wild-west movie scene.

Thanks, all, for the great run, and see you on the trail!