California - Oregon - Fowl Weather on the Penultimate Run

Stream of Consciousness or a dike or a canal or a drainage ditch? Whatever, it was a long body of water at a bird refuge. Eva had mentioned a song & as I ran, it popped into my mind: Red Hot Chili Peppers “With the birds I'll share this lonely view.”

The road was flat and easy to follow & the only possible hazard was possibly stepping on a big rock & bruising my foot. I was all alone again and my thoughts kept flowing out as fast as they popped up. Birds lined the canal: including 10-15 varieties of ducks, cormorants, white pelicans & red-winged blackbirds. They all worked hard to rise from the water a few feet and fly farther down the canal as I approached, until finally after a few short hops they gained a bit more lift and then turned with the wind to fly around me back to where they had rested earlier. Wind? A hard wind was blowing in my face & making me work even harder. It also brought back Bob Seger's old song "Against the wind, We were running against the wind." I hadn't previously thought much about my state line running coming to an end, but today I flashed forwards and backwards and could feel the end coming too soon.

The trail lay down in a basin and rain seemed to be falling on the mountains in every direction. It had not threatened me yet, but then, suddenly and without any other warning, the wind howled, shifting from straight-on to a crosswind with drops of rain. Then, about 7 miles into a 7.5 mile run, "What ... HAIL?" I pulled my second shirt back on, along with a light windbreaker/running jacket, pulled a skull cap and my gloves from the jacket pockets - I was prepared for this unpredictable high altitude weather! - and ran as fast possible (for me & for that moment in time) towards the safety and warmth of the parked car. This particular run couldn't end too soon! As for the ducks, they sought shelter among the weeds along the edge of the canal - seemingly not particularly pleased by the weather or my attempted pun to describe it as fowl.

Note: After the fact, running in the hail was a fun experience that I am glad I had.
A RAVE run!

Dike or Canal or Drainage - For the Birds

Map  #CARPe Crazy Ass Running Plan

California - Arizona - Stopped by the Man

Rejected. During this Crazy Ass Running Plan #CARPe, I have encountered many obstacles and run around or through them: dams, traffic, no trespassing, federal projects, private property, hunting areas, rivers, fields, animals, bridges, Federal Defense areas, graveyards, police detours.... But today, after what I thought was a thorough research showing this road as a viable option, I was shut down. After a detour to walk across the London Bridge, we had driven down to Parker Dam. As we do many times when it is possible, we decided to drive the run route to understand where to start, the actual location of the border and to measure the distances and to plan the final logistics. Everything looked fine as we drove to the dam until I saw an armed security guard on each side of the dam and a large sign forbidding pedestrians. Nevertheless, I donned an orange reflective vest and walked up to a guard, acknowledged the obvious sign and sought his permission or accompaniment or ideas. I got the boot.

So we headed south past the wild burros in the road and 20 more munching on the green golf course - prompting jokes about the ... near the dam ..... The next possible spot downstream involved a good run through the desert before leading to dead end at a chain-linked fence and a run back to the road. Oh well, on to Earp, Ca & a run across the Highway 95 bridge there to Parker, Arizona. Still better than the I-40 near Memphis!

Earp to Parker Bridge on Highway 95

Welcome to Arizona, Parker AZ

Map

California - Nevada - La, la, la, la, la, la

"I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la,  la, la, la, la.
After two days in the desert sun
My skin began to turn red."

I don't often listen to music during my runs, but for some reason this tune by America popped into my head & would not leave. So I pulled out my phone (also usually not with me) and used that intermittent bar of connection to intermittently play the song on YouTube 4 times consecutively - before jumping to Old Crow Medicine Show's version of Wagon Wheel.

The desert was dry and full of rocks & things. I watched my step for rattlers that might be taking advantage of the warm spring sunshine to warm their bodies.

California Nevada Border

Ivanpah Dry Lake

#CARPe Crazy Ass Running Plan Map