After running with the TOTs, I ran with Mitch down the big paved hill to try to find a trail/road I had spotted the afternoon before whilst hurrying home. We ran out about a mile and a half, and found the remnants of a jeep road with several blow downs, and gave up the search and returned back to the parking lot UP the long hill we ran down.
But I was not through. I drove the old pot-holed road which used to be HW 51 decades ago. Upon driving out about 2 miles, I found what I was looking for!!
A trail led from the semi=paved road down to the river via a single-track trail. The trail from there was a narrow single lane road that looked like it might have been an old railroad bed years ago. There is a well maintained railroad track that runs right alongside it, but maybe this was the one the old steam engines used back before I was born.
Most of this was runnable. Not super duper 5K PR fast runnable, but nice for a zombie like me.
I ran east, and took a few pics of the trail and the Arkansas River as I went. My thoughts were that I had found a trail running goldmine.
Eventually, the railroad bed/trail ended and I followed a washed out road down a big hill right onto the sandy bank of the river itself. There was still a resemblance of a road here, and I followed thinking it might get better. The sand evidently was damp, and in the shady sections it was frozen and firm. But once out in the sun, the sand was loose, and my shoes were filling up fast.
I did take a picture or two of the river, which is very low. These rocks are usually under water--maybe 4 or 5 feet deep.
Upon returning to my car, and then running the trail back west, I found a great parking area at Swift Park where the 1.5 mile trail could be run out-and-back. While this is not a trail running destination, it is a good place for a cool down run after pounding the mountain bike trails at Keystone.
But I was not through. I drove the old pot-holed road which used to be HW 51 decades ago. Upon driving out about 2 miles, I found what I was looking for!!
A trail led from the semi=paved road down to the river via a single-track trail. The trail from there was a narrow single lane road that looked like it might have been an old railroad bed years ago. There is a well maintained railroad track that runs right alongside it, but maybe this was the one the old steam engines used back before I was born.
Most of this was runnable. Not super duper 5K PR fast runnable, but nice for a zombie like me.
I ran east, and took a few pics of the trail and the Arkansas River as I went. My thoughts were that I had found a trail running goldmine.
Eventually, the railroad bed/trail ended and I followed a washed out road down a big hill right onto the sandy bank of the river itself. There was still a resemblance of a road here, and I followed thinking it might get better. The sand evidently was damp, and in the shady sections it was frozen and firm. But once out in the sun, the sand was loose, and my shoes were filling up fast.
I did take a picture or two of the river, which is very low. These rocks are usually under water--maybe 4 or 5 feet deep.
Upon returning to my car, and then running the trail back west, I found a great parking area at Swift Park where the 1.5 mile trail could be run out-and-back. While this is not a trail running destination, it is a good place for a cool down run after pounding the mountain bike trails at Keystone.
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