Colorado Springs Trail Running

I began this run after caching some water at the top of the Falcon Trail, at Mile Marker 0. I then drove to Ice Lake and parked there. My intention was to run the Falcon Trail clockwise.

I first ran south on the SFT beyond the lake, then swung west across the tracks and up the service road to the stables. I then went through the gate, past some grazing horses, for 1.25 miles and took a right turn north to intercept the Falcon Trail. I picked it up just before the 9 mile marker.

The trail coming through the pasture west fo the stables was covered heavily in manure. You could avoid it if you kept shifting sides of the trail, not a big deal, and it only lasted about a quarter mile.

The Falcon Trail itself was in very good shape that day. There was some hard, clear, slippery ice that was masked beneath a half inch of snow between Miles 11 and 12. from Mile 0 to 2 there were some frozen , crusty patches that were hard but runnable. As I began the switchbacks down from the north ridge it was also hard anc crusty snow and there were a few icy patches behind the stadium. I left the Falcon Trail south of the stadium and made my way back to the SFT, picking it up north of the bridge.

The entire loop was 16.25 miles and I'd have to say it was very runnable on Saturday. I think the footing will still be good after this recent snow, but be careful in those areas with the hardpacked snow and ice that I described above.