The Chandler Wilds

A group of us moderate paced runners met up with a couple of faster paced runners, and a speedster named Justin Franklin. Justin has that speed-beard that super fast dudes have. It works. 

Picture by Johnna Ellison

We left and followed the dust kicked up by JFrank, and he graciously waited at intersections, and even doubled back to run back with us. He must have easily doubled our mileage. Nice guy. I'll run with him anytime. 

Picture by Johnna Ellison

Most of the track is ATV trails--like a single-track, but a little wider, although there is a little honest narrow mountain bike trailz here and there. We followed this faint trail to a secret location called UFO Abduction. I was wondering the whole way what we would see.

Picture by Clint Green

Finally we got there. It really appeared a SUV had been dropped from the sky to this ravine. There are no trailz or roads leading here. Aliens also stripped a lot off of the vehicle, including the tires and wheels. 

There IS a certain amount of credence to the idea that an alien ship might actually find some salvage value in stripping cars.

Picture by Leaha Kopp

No other explanation makes sense to me.

Picture by Clint Green

We continued on to an area called the Gauntlet. Huge bluffs and narrow hallways--a basic playground for climbers, repellers, and boulder-hoppers.  

Picture by Clint Green

JFrank took off like a monkey on a banana hunt, and scaled the wall in seconds flat.

Picture by Clint Green

Once at the top, he shimmied down and climbed another rock face.

We wasted a  little time here, took pictures, and sort of regrouped. 

Picture by Johnna Ellison

I was having a good run. I have one of those every once in a while. Today was my day.

Picture by Johnna Ellison

We descended down a steep almost butt-slide sort of hill, and visited the rock house. 

Selfie by Johnna Ellison

Clint Green is always saying he wants to downsize, and live in a cheaper apartment so he could take more trips and run more trail races. I think he has found his new crib.

Here's where all we went. I know these trailz fairly well, but Justin knows every nook and cranny out there. Most notable are the hills--they are there if you really want to punish yourself, but you can also get in a relatively flat run. Mud is the other feature of this area. Don't go after a rain--unless you like pancake mud slabs on the soles of your shoes.

And of course I'm a STRAVA nerd. Check out this grizzly elevation. Quite snaggle-toothed!