Phoenix long run adventure.

Chillin' in the desert with Audrey and Sue this weekend, I wanted to log 10 this morning. I took Sue's advice and ran out on Cave Creek Hwy, and it sort of sucked- four lanes of traffic and sharing a small shoulder with a "bike way." (Though I did see "Paint Your Wagon TR" as an actual street name...) Anyway, got sick of it and decided to make a left on a random street. It ended, so I turned right. That ended at a sign that said "Cave Creek trail," a doubletrack that was rough from the horses in the wet spring, but totally run-able. Then, that ended at a desert preserve.

I opened the fence, entered the preserve, and followed some random path. It soon got rocky enough that I needed to walk instead of run. In about half a mile, I found first a dog, and then its owner. "I'm a little lost," I said, not knowing where this trail led, and asked her about it. She offered to show me through the rest of the loop trail and back to the gate, personal.

We had a great chat, and then i ran off on the trail, back the way I came. I had told her that my hosts expected me back by 9am and that the slower trail pace was making me late. Well, 3 miles up Cave Creek, a car pulled over, dog nose out the window, and it was the kind woman, asking if I needed a ride to get back in time. "You have just 6 minutes!" After I refused, she made an immediate u-turn-- she had gone out of her way to check up on me. I kept running and made it back not-that-late, but it was one of those things. It was supposed to be a run, it became a great glimpse of nature, meeting a great woman, and some good times.