Wildlife sighting!!

Back out on the Dale Ball trail systems today.  Today we started from yet another trailhead, this one called Sierra Del Norte.

These trails, like those from yesterday, are very runnable.  That being said, there was a couple times where Jenny and / or I did some walking.  Probably still a function of the altitude despite the fact we've been at altitude for nearly a week.

 The map above labels the intersections.  Our route went from 1 to 2 to 3, although we took the big loop around to get to intersection 3.  Just after starting on that big loop and barely a mile in - Jenny trips on a rock.  She is fine, although likely her pride was as skinned up as her chin / hands / knee are.  She bumped her chin and her knee pretty hard.  I felt so bad for her.  She being the trooper she is, she kept running.

Shortly after that, I finally get a wildlife sighting!!  Coming around a bend I see a pretty big Coyote trotting up the trail in front of me.  He / She turned around and gave me a look, but turned left off the trail pretty quickly.  Jenny came up and we looked for a minute but the Coyote was gone.  The loop around from 2 to 3 is a beautiful trail with some very nice views out over Santa Fe.

At intersection 4 our garmins showed around 2 miles.  Jenny was worried about her knee so she headed back to the car while I continued to intersections 5, 10, 7, 6, then I started backtracking to intersection 5, 4, 3 - long way around to 2, then back to the car.

That put me a little over 5.5 miles on the day.  Amazing how the altitude affects one out here.  My heart rate was pretty high at times when I wasn't really moving that fast.  Beautiful place, great running conditions.  I only wish Jenny hadn't had her spill so we could have run together.