Oh, what a month it’s been.

It’s been almost four weeks since the accident. I’ve put a lot on hold since getting that phone call. I can’t begin to describe how grateful I am that I have a boss & a work life that enabled me to literally drop everything & come to my parents’ aid. (I got the call from my dad. I told him I’d drive over the next morning. I called my boss & told him what was going on. I had the court files I needed with me; I told my boss I’d drop them off at the office on my way out of town. He told me that wasn’t necessary: he came to my house, picked up the files, and delivered them to the attorney who was now going to have to cover for me in my absence. Yeah.)

#beatyesterday #garmin

2-mile recovery pace (16:00-17:30/mile) warm up, 1 30-second sprint uphill, 2-mile recovery pace cool down.

I debated whether it’s a good idea to be doing warm ups on a hill with elevation gain, but it’s not as if I’ll ever be racing on a flat trail. The access road up Badger is probably also my best spot for uphill sprints. I’ll use this route again.

The wildflowers are blooming. Badger is the only place I’ve seen purple sage. This picture lined up perfectly: Candy, Red, and Rattlesnake Mountains all in a row behind the blooming sage.

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Day One was a rest day — can’t beat that!

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We average about 8″ of precipitation a year, and we rarely get gully-washers. From the looks of it, this area had a flood this past week. The water would have been 10-12′ wide and 1-2′ deep in places. This picture would have been a waterfall. (The rock wall is at least 8′ high.) I would have loved to have seen it.

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I took a brief break from my drive home to stretch my legs. I’m not sure if I’ve been here before. The lake is a lovely blue, most likely because it’s fairly deep. (The pond was created by equipment scooping out gravel for use in constructing I-90.) It’s largely undisturbed, as humans and their canine companions are not allowed in water. I imagine that makes it a haven for local fauna.

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I wanted to see if this lake is “fishable.” I wish I’d brought my gear! It’s a short, easy hike, and although I imagine this lake is crowded on summer weekends there are quite a few campsites around the lake. (And if there aren’t any, you’re not far from the trailhead.)