Bradscary

Bethany, Linda, and I headed over to Bradbury on Tuesday to get some miles on the Breaker course.  I went at my own pace and Linda and Beth ran together.  I was pleased to see some cloud cover stop the mottling the sun does on the trail.  It's so much easier to see roots and rocks when the sun isn't interfering.  I think about where South Ridge branches off from the Boundary, I started to hear distant rumbling.  Hmm....

By the time I got to the summit, the sky looked very threatening and the thunder was a good deal louder.  Not far on the Tote, I overtook Linda and Beth; they went directly from the Boundary to the summit, skipping South Ridge.  We discussed the weather.  We decided to keep going (not much other choice from the Tote), but we could always opt to head back down when we got to the Northern Loop.  I definitely picked up the pace.  The thunder was getting more intense, but, when I got to the Norther Loop, figured Linda and Beth would take as much time to get back to the car if they headed down right from that point as I would if I finished the loop, so I decided to do just that.

Yikes!  When I passed the Norther Bluff, the lightning was pretty close by.  I tried to pick up the pace even more.  I headed down the Terrace where it was easy to go faster.  Just before the end of the Terrace, the rain started.  It didn't take long before it was pouring.  I was having a hard time to see; still I seemed to run faster.  More thunder claps.  I thought about how I'd been saying I wanted to die running and hoped the running gods realized I meant when I was very old.  I worried about Beth and Linda who I figured were still pretty high on the mountain.  Even though I was scared, I was having a blast.

Back at the car, I tried to dry off in the car.  I kept my eyes peeled for Beth and Linda.  It seemed like an eternity, but there came Linda running through the torrent.  Where was Beth?  I think those were my first words to her when she opened the car door.  She'd gotten a cell phone call???  Really?!  A minute or two later Beth showed.  It wasn't a call.  She had to fix her contact.  I don't think Linda could hear her through the raging storm.

We waited it out, hoping to get in more miles.  When it seemed like it had passed (at least all the lightning was on the east side), we started back up the mountain.  We weren't going to do a full 2nd loop and again split up.  I took the Boundary to the summit.  They took and inner route.  Funny thing, we reached the summit at the same time.  We were treated to a pretty good view of the storm that had passed over.  A couple was already there watching the action.  I got a picture of a lightning strike so thought it would be easy to get more.  Nope.  And there was ample opportunity.  We became aware that another storm cell was bearing down on us so headed back down the Switchback.  Sadly, it was Tuesday (read E&L was closed).

Amazing

Seemed like the clouds were coming up from the ground

Today Rick, on vacation, and I went back to the Brad.  This time we ran the east side.  Mindy's 40 Loop was the perfect distance for what we had in mind.  After yesterday's downpours, it was the Brad of old...lots of muddy puddles : )  We didn't see a single biker, runner, or hiker while on the trails.  I think two little frogs were the only wildlife we saw.  So we were pretty surprised when  we got back to find the parking lot about full.  The mountain side must have been bustling.

Happily, it is Wednesday (read we went to E&L's)!  Sebrina greeted us with a brand new do.  She now has a perky short cut.  Perhaps that's what inspired her to have the TBLT for the special.  Rick and I both enjoyed one.