Meeting up with Mr. Mathis

My feet did not hit dirt today until 10:30 AM.  That’s pretty dang late for me.  Usually, when I push off my start until this late, I am hard pressed to run at all.  It wasn’t like that this morning, I arrived to the trails when I could get there.  And I was fine with that.  The air was cool and breezy.  The skies were clear.  Lizards and squirrels scampered about.  Two large gopher snakes crossed my path.  And I ran up on this lovely field of flowers:

I elected on running up Mathis trail to the ridge today.  Why?  I have no idea.  I pretty much hate Mathis, and only take it when I’m a glutton for punishment.  It ascends rather steeply for about a mile, doesn’t really switch-back at all, and is totally exposed (no shade!).  The trip was pretty much murder – which made reaching the ridge all the much better!

First sightings of California poppies (on Mathis):

About to climb Mathis with only one thing on my mind:  ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER!

After topping Mathis, I had a significant climb remaining to Top of the World where I took in my usual Pacific Ocean view.  From there, I got some flat running all the way to Mentally Sensitive Trail.  I still cannot take Mentally Sensitive with any speed at all.  It’s just too steep.  All the ruts left from our last rain made the trip even more nerve-racking.  Then with just about fifty yards remaining, I came upon a section under trail maintenance.  It seemed as if the trail had been plowed, or rototilled.  As soon as I spotted all that loose dirt, I grew apprehensive.  Perhaps it was my fear and the fact that I slowed down that caused my fall.  I’m not sure.  All I know is that one second I was upright, and in a moment my feet slipped out from beneath me, and I flew to the ground.  I landed hard on my rear, my palms slamming into the rocks and dirt.  Then I fell onto my back, my pack once again softening the impact.  I was left with a backside covered in dirt and two small punctures in both my right and left palms. 

The slip jarred me some, mainly because the impact was so fierce.  But it was still all worth it – meeting up with Mr. Mathis again and also facing my fear down that wretchedly steep Mentally Sensitive.

I guess I’m a trail runnin’ fool.