Having recently participated in my first trail race, I decided I would re-visit that wonderful experience this evening after work and headed for the Star Trail.
The Star Trail rises 800 feet above the City of Roanoke beginning at the Roanoke River and climbing 1.7-miles UP to Roanoke’s highest point- the summit of Mill Mountain.
Going up was no picnic for me and I found myself having to walk quite a bit but once I got there, the effort was more than worth it. To sit in the forest and enjoy the feel of the cool breeze, the sounds of scampering wildlife and the scents of the damp earth, brings forth a primal sense of intense pleasure which is altogether different from that of the pavement.
I loved everything about it. I wanted to stay there. I didn't want to leave.
But eventually, I did leave. And in doing so, I discovered that descending 800 feet over 1.7 miles is much faster but not without it's own challenges. An unlimited supply of rocks, roots, limbs and holes kept me on my toes so to speak, as I navigated the trail in the day's waning light.
Fortunately I made it to the bottom unscathed and as I climbed into the car and gazed upward, I thought to myself, what a wonderful world.
“What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner” - Sidonie Gabrielle
2 comments:
Oh how I miss running in the Blue Ridge.... So, is it called the Star Trail because it leads to that star that I remember shining from on high when I went to VPI? (And it isn't amazing how trails we once had trouble hiking we now try to run!)
OK. My dyslexia got the best of me. Parenthetical comment should be reversed: And isn't it amazing....
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