Run 145 - Hills in the Heights

December 16, 2023

It’s a solo run for me today so I went to the Heights and worked on the map I’d actually made for last week but didn’t use.  The route takes in the streets west of Main Street from Milton down to the south end of Lake Elmo and then a bunch of streets to the west of there.

It was about 30°F so a bit brisk with the light breeze.

I parked at Bench Elementary School and went from there.

On Hilltop, crossing over Lake Elmo Drive.

This is a community of townhomes.  I didn’t see No Tresspassing sings so I ran it.  Lots of little rectangles.

This is looking west on Emerald from Lake ELmo.

It’s private property at the end of Emerald.

Looking back east from the west end of Emerald.

There are some hills to run.

The empty BBWA canal.

Morning greeters.

These folks are truly in the Heights.  The house in the background between them I’ll get to in a bit.

Another “private” enclave but it doesn’t say to keep out so I’m in.

I made it to the top for a good view of the sunrise.

Another hill.

Two deer ran past before I could take a photo and then this strangler came along.

Not all streets are paved in this area.  This is on Agate.

Looking east from the north end of Agate, near Shamrock.

It was a very pleasant run and not too bad after I warmed.  Here are the stats:

Run 144 - East side of 48th north of Central

December 15, 2023

As we do on Friday mornings, Shelley and I met at 5:30am to do another 5 miles on the project.  We met at her house and worked on the streets in a new housing development on the east side of 48th Street.  The was no moon and with nothing other than Christmas lights and our headlamps, it was plenty dark.  However, this neighborhood is new so, except for our out and back on Wyoming, it was all freshly paved streets.  Oh, and it was a bit cold out: 32°F with a real feel of 27°F.

I did take some photos along the way even though it was dark.  My iPhone 14 does a pretty nice job of it.

This is the pump house and the mailbox center for this subdivision.

It was a good run and a great way to start the day.

Run 143 - Cloverleaf Meadows

December 8, 2023

It’s back to the project of running all the streets of Billings after a bit of a break that I mentioned in my last posting.  It’s a Friday so it’s another run with Shelley at 5:30am.  We met at her house and worked on the streets just east of there.

The run started by going north on 48th Street and that was the dangerous part of the run.  There is no shoulder and it is pitch black out with only a sliver of moonlight.  We had our headlamps but mine had a problem so I had to hold it in my hand.  Every time a car came by we’d had to get off the road and try not to fall into the nearby ditch.

We got to Grand and turned around and started all those short streets before heading into the big loop of Bluegrass.  Since it was so dark I didn’t take many photos but here’s a few.

It was cold out but after a couple miles it started feeling OK.  It was a good 5 miles.

A Short Break From the Project

November 28, 2023

I haven’t been as steady raking up the streets in the past month due to some other activities.  At the beginning of this month I traveled to Pittsburgh, PA and ran their 10-miler through downtown.  After that I had a short visit from Covid and now I am in Mesa, AZ for a week.  I did get a couple project runs in and plan to ramp back up in December.

All that said, a little bit about the Pittsburgh run….

We flew in a few days early and hung out with my son and his girlfriend, Krissy, and visited the Flight 93 Memorial and Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Fallingwater house.  I did a sketch of the house when we were there and added watercolor later.

The next day my wife and went to packet pickup which was busy but well-organized.  After that we went to Point State Park, the confluence of two river that form the Ohio River.

This was followed by a hike in Frick Park with Dan, Krissy, and Daisy the Dog.  We found our way to a brewery and then got take-out at Noodleheads.

Race morning found us at Station Square from where Dan and I walked to the start of the 10-miler and Sarah and Krissy grabbed a train to the start of the 10K.  The 10-mile run was lots of fun.  4 bridge crossings and a huge crowd along the way.

After recovering with a shower and such we visited the National Aviary.

We found another brewery with great pizza off a food truck.

The rest of trip well not-so-well as we traveled home and I started feeling sick.  After a few days I was better and now, a few week later, I am in Mesa, AZ for the best part of a week.

Running in Mesa is very different from running in Pittsburgh or Billings.  I am in the east side of town and this is suburb after suburb, all apparently with HOAs demanding that houses only be painted beige.  And wall.  Lots of walls.   My morning run today took me through some neighborhoods on the way to the only open area that I knew of, a huge right-of-way for some power lines.  I’ve run here in the past but when I got there today I saw this:

Of course, I didn’t let that stop me because, what are they going to do?  This is the only non-paved place to run for many miles.  When I got to the far section it was fenced and, while hopping barbed wire something I’ve done in Montana, I decided not to here.

Instead I routed through the adjoining neighborhoods, all built behind walls, and all the same color.

I did see this cool Rambler.

Some big decorations.

And signs.  Lots of signs, all with some kind of “thou shalt not” message.

Some signs have mixed meanings.  Do you have to stop for adults?

And who gets dropped off?  Parents?

I like this one, advertising “Private Backyards.”  Look at the distance between the house and the fence.  Yep, that looks private.

I was running with my empty backpack and stopped at a mini-Walmart for provisions and then walked the 3/4-mile back to where I am staying giving me a 5-mile outing today.