A few weeks ago I was back in Reno with the family.  I had to do some work on my rental property and other various items.  Time was limited, but I knew I had to get at least two runs in.   First, I needed to go run Bob’s Trail and throw one more rock on my monument.  I also wanted to make sure I got to enjoy the beauty and sunshine of the Tahoe trails that I miss so much since having moved to Oregon.

The next morning I was up at dark thirty, trying to quietly exit the hotel room with all the necessary gear and without waking the family (my wife tolerates my crazy behavior and to her credit is often even supportive, but all that goes away instantly if the kids are awake).  After bumping into things a few times, I eventually slipped out the door.  Why is it, by the way, that hotel doors are required to slam behind you?  It doesn’t matter if it’s the door down the hall or someone leaving your own room early in the morning, they are so darn loud! 

I headed straight for Lake Tahoe.  Heading south, through Reno, after a short ten minutes I reached the Mt. Rose highway and started heading up the pass.  I reminded myself to be prepared for how much it hurts to come from sea level and try to exercise at 8,000ft.  It’s a humbling kind of

The Flume Trail via Tunnel Creek

burn.  I also wasn’t sure how much snow I was going to run into.  Being January, it should be just about everywhere.  I hadn’t exactly nailed down which trail I wanted to run either.  The Dry Pond Loop?  Nah, not epic enough.  What about summiting Mt. Rose? I decided against it, since even though I knew it had been a dry winter, I’d probably post-hole in snow the whole way.  Another option was to relive some memories on the Tahoe Rim Trail.  I decided to keep driving and within 20 minutes I arrived at the lshores of Lake Tahoe and parked at the bottom of Tunnel Creek Rd (which is really just a sandy jeep road that’s gated off).  It’s a local favorite for residents and tourists alike, who want a vigorous hike uphill with great views of the lake. 

I had more than that planned of course. Morning light was shining now (I forgot how nice it is to have big skies that are not dimmed by fog).  It makes the days so much longer and the mornings more motivating.  With no wind, I settled on minimal gear.  Just a water bottle and arm sleeves.  The running tights might even end up being overkill but I could easily carry my phone in them so I decided not to change.

My goal was to run up to the end of the road and connect with the famous Flume Trail.  The Flume Trail is just a flat sandy trail.  There’s nothing particularly special about it…except amazing granite boulders, bright green moss on pine trees, a cliff on one side the whole way and some of the best scenery you will ever see in your life!

Within a mile, a slice of humble pie was handed to me.  I thought “it’s got to be the combination of altitude and steepness that’s making this more difficult than normal”.  Then it flattened out a little…and I realized it only takes one of those factors to grind me to a crawl, in this case the altitude.  No matter.  I was in it for the experience anyway (besides running back downhill will negate the effects of the thinner air).  I chuckled out loud at the thought of my brother Craig, who during my first Tahoe Rim Trail 50 mile run, (my first attempt at the distance) pushed a bike up this hill barely making it in time to meet me at the aid station located there.  It was totally unnecessary, since the aid station was sufficient, but just having the moral support meant the world to me. 

As the morning light increase, it became apparent that there was hardly any snow anywhere!  I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought that it was

Even the iPhone can't ruin this image

mid-January and I was running on sand at nearly 8,000ft in a t-shirt.  Winter just never arrived.  Normally I’d have my backcountry ski’s on in search of powder.  Today, I was happy for the super dry conditions.  Running along the Flume Trail is an awe-inspiring experience.  Looking down at Sand Harbor is one of the best views in the world.  I picked up the pace as and cruised along snapping a little video and few pictures with the phone.  Shaky video is better than no video any time.  You can view the 2 minute video clip here.

Eventually I approached Marlette Lake.  Which is a small lake created by the damming of the flume.  It’s beautiful and one of my favorites.  Just then the cell phone rang and turned out the family was locked out of the hotel room and the hotel wouldn’t rekey the card since I was the only one on the reservation.  I turned around, saving Marlette Lake for another day and jogged slowly while calling the hotel and adding my wife to the reservation.  7 minutes…crisis averted.  Still knowing her patience must be running thin I picked up the pace and headed back down.  I had wore the New Balance MT110′s and my feet weren’t used to the extra strain on the “hardly there” shoes.  Pushing that thought aside I decided to see how they handled a little more speed and bombing of the downhill back to the car.  I quietly said goodbye to the pristine views and tried to really take it all in.  Soon I was back at the car refreshed and ready to tackle life again.  14 miles with a nice 1,300′ climb = one happy guy.

Marlette Lake in The Fall