The close to home stuff is dying; it looks as though weÕll need to start driving an hour or more to get to the goods. Today may be the last of the days spent on short approaches for long runs.

I drove the Bronco again today with Eric and Winter as passengers. Eric became a spotter for a bit to check for clearance over big rocks. Probably the hardest off-roading the old beast has been pushed in all itÕs 225,000 miles. Over big loose rocks up a big steep hill, 1 wheel in the more than once in 4-low to get to a mellow happy place equidistant between the hike up & the hike out.

Our run can be seen in this shot, (hsm2.jpg) on the southern shoulder of Horseshoe Mountain. Not all 1,500 vertical feet of it is in view, some is hidden behind rocks and around corners but trust me - it was continuous aside from one 10 foot break in the snow.

Early on: (hsmmd1.jpg)

Getting closer: (hsmed1.jpg)

The place where we clicked in: (hsmsms.jpg)

About to leap in: (hsmmd2.jpg)

Eric dropping down (video clip hsmedv.AVI)

Below that snowfield of perfect corn, there were some cool, interesting things:(hsmed2.jpg, hsmmd4.jpg, hsmed5.jpg, hsmed7.jpg)

And yes, the snow in the last shot comes down from around the corner around that little cliff. A great run in an aesthetic place; nearly from the 13,898Õ summit down below 12,400Õ. To a green grassy meadow, a flat easy walk back to the Õ89 Ford and an isolated snow patch keeping reebs cool. And another form of recreation for the stick-chasing dog (hsmw1.jpg).