Today a man offered me candy.
I politely declined and just kept running.
Okay that is kind of what happened.
The man was actually a super friendly forest ranger, and I had just run nine miles to the top of Butler’s Peak for the first time ever.
This run was absolutely epic!
And the farthest run I have ever done.
At first I just thought I would run an easy six miles near Green Valley Lake this morning.
I sprained my ankle slightly almost two weeks ago and it still hurts a little so I have been taking it easy. (As in seven mile hikes the most exercise I have had recently.)
This morning I was feeling pretty good so I thought I will go for a little run.
I thought I would run about six miles total.
Than I thought well I’m not tired at all maybe I will do eight. Than looking at my map, Hanna Rocks was only another mile away.
So I checked that out.
It was not exciting at all.
Rocks.
Yea.
But Hanna Rocks was right at the junction for Butler’s Peak Road and Butler had to be only a few more miles up… So I kept running and running.
It was totally worth the extra miles.
The views from near the top of the peak were just incredible.
Not only could I see Big Bear Lake on one side, but I was high above the highest point of Snow Valley and Slide Peak to the South.
I could look way down at Glory Ridge and the Big Bear Valley across the lanes of highway 18 down below me.
This was an extremely awesome view.
As I approached the Butler’s Peak Fire Lookout Tower I was blown away by just how cool it really is up close!
It sits perched precariously on top of this giant thin mound of boulders. I would hate to be in that tower in an earth quake!
I had a really great run this morning. The weather was so nice; it was super overcast and it even rained for about an hour of my run as I ran past forests of Manzanita, wild raspberry bushes and wild yellow orchids.
Now I have to go to work after a twenty mile round trip run and oh yeah, my knee is throbbing, but totally worth this epic run today.
