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Fridays are for Gunthers!

December 20, 2019 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Run

Comments:
Another day, another Gunther. This one wanted to do her long day, so we set out about on a rambling run through Rock Creek Park with no clear plan. This is actually a good thing mileage-wise, believe it or not; it's when I have some cool destination in mind that we usually end up overshooting our mileage target by 2-10 miles. We began by heading north from the Gunthery along the Western Ridge trail but then curved around before we reached Wise Road and headed south on the Valley Trail all the way to Military Road or so. Found that beautiful bridge tucked in the woods that crosses a trail and a minor gulley. We discovered (or in Ana's case, rediscovered ) the building blocks of the U.S. Capitol stacked up in the woods near the Rock Creek Nature Center. After spending about 10 minutes climbing all over and inspecting them in detail, we bushwacked down and up a ravine and came out on Ross Drive just in time for Ana's favorite trail that has a view of the Cathedral sticking up through the trees. I then I brought us to a park of the park she'd never seen (success!) which a bunch of you ran during pre-season this year if you opted for the Matt Simonson adventure run departing from Peirce Mill. We emerged on Shepard Street east of the park and made our way back up 18th, 17th, and Argyle till we reached Carter Baron. The rest of the run was what you might expect: Valley Trail to the Pinehurst Trail, to the Western Ridge Trail, back to Tennyson Street.

It was basically sunset the whole run. We never ran out of things to say, though we did let it get quiet for a spell during our very last stretch of woods which was really lovely. The forest was so peaceful.

Mileage is a guess, including an extra 1.5 for getting to Ana's house and back.

A wonderful run. As always.