Kiara Tackles The Trails #21 Larch Mountain

One dark and stormy day
'Twas just right for a cleanse of the soul.
The pup and I found deliverance...
upon the mountain...
named Larch.


My camera died so no pictures to be had by me, but I found this one...

It was much foggier than this and rather spooky and dark.


On the drive up, I started reminiscing about the last time I had been there: 2008 - my first year training with TNT for my first half ironman. The only one on the team without a road bike, I well remember just getting past this spot right before we started heading up Larch...

...and shortly having  A LOT of people pass me (although all the time encouraging my craziness for doing it on a mountain bike). I got separated at different points and got spooked out by the surrounding forest. I remember looking for just the right spot to pee without being seen (oh...how fast that particular fear left me. I only worry about pooping now and being without TP ;-)

I cried before I made it to my turnaround (we stopped due to snow and the roads not being plowed all the way to the top) and then made the scary and crazily fast descent down mile after mile. I remember how cold I was - the uncontrollable shivering while trying to stay upright on the bike and not sliding out on the slick roads. I'm so looking forward to getting back to this craziness again in 2011.