Lazy Sunday start.  Up with the sun, walk ‘round Hecla with Pup.  FIVE eggs over easy – 3 for me, 2 for Ro.  Fueled up & ready for today’s long run.  Miles before forecast’d SNOW.  Colorado in January ❄️

e-470, past the airport, hour-15 from home, Aurora.  Plains Conservation Center.  Google-search, never previous.  Center closed – just wide open Plains.  AND Katya.  My bestie from Antarctica.  Surprise 🙂

Past work week, trouble assimilating/fitting back in.  Six days ago I woke in Chile.  10 days prior, Antarctica.  Penguins.  Guanacos 🦙  Flamingos.  I wore Bib #1.  Elite for a week.  Was it all just a dream?

Today, the two worlds touched.

Katya.  Same blond ponytail, same Russian lilt – but in Colorado, my home.

Couple brief hours.  14 miles of trail.  Laughs, shared lunch, talk of adventure past.

White Continent, we BOTH were there.  Notta dream.

Colorado my happy place, mountain soul.  We’ll move on.  Life forward.  But moments quiet, I’ll smile, I’ll remember.  Punta Arenas, the brass toe of Magellan.  And my friend, both feet in the icy Antarctic water.

Plains Conservation Center