Williams Canyon to Waldo Canyon to Longs Ranch Road with Dionne

I've neglected to update about my last long run with Dionne, which was over a week ago. I did want to post at least a short update with a few photos, because this run was so interesting to do.

The last time I ran the Waldo Canyon trail -the whole loop - was many years ago, during my cross country team days. This was way before the Waldo Canyon fire of 2012, which forced the closure of the trailhead off of highway 24, which remains barricaded to this day.

However, in the recent years, runners have returned to Waldo Canyon, finding the overgrown trail and running this excellent loop.

This was my first time ever exploring in Williams Canyon, which snakes up past the Cave of the Winds to connect with Waldo Canyon trail.

We first scrambled up to one of the caves in the Williams Canyon area, before continuing up to the top to check out the view.

Then we scrambled back down the steep gully and continued on the trail until it connected with Waldo Canyon.

The Waldo Canyon trail itself is somewhat overgrown from 7 years of no maintenance. But on this perfect autumn day, it didn't seem difficult to navigate the turns between the autumn foliage and yellow grasses. We even got some cool action photos!

We then crossed over highway 24 and went up Longs Ranch Road, where we found the last remaining yellow aspens that hadn't lost their leaves in the recent freeze.

What a fun time exploring in our local area!

Since the run, it's been snowing off and on in Colorado Springs, and every run I've done since then has been something I can access from my doorstep. Without boring you with mundane details, I'll simply post a few photos with captions.

A rock outcropping along Templeton trail at Palmer Park. 

A famous view of Pikes Peak with a prominent rock formation from the northwestern corner of the Templeton trail loop.

Julie Penrose fountain at America the Beautiful Park, with clouds closing in over the mountains. 

Yesterday's long run was the Legacy Loop from my house, totaling a bit more than 12 miles. I then watched as the clouds slowly moved towards town, enveloping the city in snow as evening set.

Yes, it feels as though winter has already arrived in Colorado. It is time for me to back off on the mountain running, and stick to the local trails. More consistent flat mileage is in my immediate future, not to mention more time in the gym. It's also a good time to dream of the coming year and make plans for adventures to come... more on that in a future update!