mother nature, you so funny

Starting the morning of Day 1 of our Back to Back Weekend. on today's agenda: two 10 mile loops.

 After our Safety Speech and Reminders, we headed out to a spectacular sunrise. 

Oh Mother Nature, you are so amazing. 

photo from catriona

Hitting our first stairs - on Greenwich Street. The first time we have walked here. So pretty. 

And the stairs continued up and over Russian Hill. What a gorgeous day this is promising to be!

Down some twisty, turny stairs and secret gardens.

And then through the always vibrant North Beach on our way to the FiDi.

Oh look! Blue skies. This is going to be a terrific day for walking!

Heading to the Ferry Plaza for our first break of the day. We are in the groove and all warmed up now!

Delights at the Farmer's Market. I spotted the season's first pomegranates. Yum!

Last of summer dahlias, like a wall of fireworks. 

Holly, looking perfectly powerful in plum.

Cool Pop-Up Resto for the America's Cup. (Did I mention is had started to sprinkle at this point?)

The Americ'as Cup has not been without controversy...

Now we are cruising along the waterfront and it WAS POURING! Rain? No problem!

(Did I mention in the 11 years I have been leading training walks it had never rained before??? It had rained a handful of times over the years, but fortuitously, I was not on those walks. I guess that juju is officially busted.)

The rest of the group seemed to be taking a long time so we waited for them to catch up... what was keeping them?? As they came closer... AH, they had stopped to don ponchos!! When the going gets tough, the tough put on ponchos and keep walking. #mighty

So much for a sunny day. At this point it was really, really coming down. Our feet were getting soaked but our spirits were not daunted by this change in weather.

At our halfway point lunch break. we took shelter in the Transit Cafe while we aired out our jackets, changed socks and prepared for loop two. The rain let up as we were eating - oh, things were looking hopeful for a day loop 2. As we were getting ready to depart... it started raining again. Doh!

Heading up the Ecology Trail! Like a little line of Caspar the Friendly Ghosts. Oh, maybe it seems like it is letting up a little?

Nope! Downpour... rivulets of run off water cascading down the streets made for tricky stepping. 

What's this? A new bathroom? Yes please. These bathrooms have been closed all  year at the Mountain Lake Park. Lovely and they have a filtered water dispenser too. It's raining but we are all smiles!

This is either the most fun I have ever had in a poncho, or I am getting hypothermia. 

Right when we were all feeling a little stiff and chilled Sharla rolled up with coffee, hot cocoa and tea! Wow, simple luxuries nurture & energize tired bodies.

 Lizelle, Sandy & Allsion mixing up a good cup of Joe! 

 

A group shot of us at the Land's End Visitor's Center eating our favorite training snack: Krave Jerkey!

And, just like that, it started to rain again so ponchos back ON! It was quite the process to get the poncho on and arrange it just so over waist and hydration packs. (And, we were SO lucky that Beatrice just happened to have like 20 great ponchos in the trunk of her car. It saved the day!!! Thank you Beatrice!)

If you saw this assemblage of people, would you be curious of frightened? 

Yes, Judy, that way.

And another first we headed down to the Sutro Baths and then up a new set of stairs on our way to the Land's End Trail.

What's this??  Could it be?? A break in the clouds??

Heading down more stairs on Land's End Trail... the sun is starting to really, for really, actually come out. Astounding given the rain of the morning.

At the top of Lincoln Hill  looking back over Seacliff. Like we are in a different city all together. 

Oh Golden Gate Bridge, you make my heart flutter no matter how many times I see you.

Hard to comprehend the wild weather and temperature swing today. Oddly, I feel the need to put on suncreen. On the last mile of this epic day. Mother Nature, you so funny! 

What an adventure! Finishing the day strong, happy walkers, happy feet and feeling really proud of sticking out the miles though such inclement weather. Terrific memories made today. As my mom used to say all the time when I was growing up when times were tough or you had to push on through: it builds character!

Up tomorrow: 20 more magical miles walking from Ft. Mason all of the way to Tiburon. #mighty