Tuesday in the mountains

It was a simple run.  7 miles up and down Evergreen mountain.  Shorts, t-shirt and feeling comfortable chatting with Bob Combs in the driveway.  Started at a slow, chat, catch up pace. I've been living in Silverthorne Colorado for the last two months, snowboarding,  living a snowboard bums life in the high country and have not got to run a lot with my compadre, adventurer and good time amigo, so it was great to spend some trail time solving the worlds, life and everyday issues.    Chatting travel plans and MMT, We found ourselves on top of Evergreen mountain in a light drizzle and the temperature dropping quickly.  The clouds rolled in and then the hail and snow.  Stinging our faces and arms.  BOOM the first thunder I've heard in months and it sounded like it was on top of us. No pace increase, no up tempo stride, nothing.  Are we getting use to this mountain weather?  The rain/sleet/hail became colder.  Our conversation in the driveway involved me and how I was going to "man up" as Bob grabbed a light jacket.  "Suck it up, it is only 7 miles" is what I believed I said.  Bob pulled off the trail to don his jacket (smart) and I picked up the pace, my arms, hands and face now numb needed to be down off this mountain(dumb).  The hail balls looked like magical flower petals and I felt alive, flying down off a mountain. Numb, cold and ALIVE.  It was a simple run but sometimes those simple runs turn out to be the best.