Variable

If you're a skier, you know that the snow report has its own language. You realize that when "variable" is used to describe the conditions, it means all bets are off. It could be awesome out there. It could be wicked sketchy. Heck, it could be great for one turn and horrible for the next three. And if it's early or late season skiing you're doing, variable is probably what you're going to get. A rock here. Ice there. Some great fast stuff in the middle. Who knows? But if you're a true skier, you're out there anyway. Because, well, why not?! I think the same use of variable applies to trail running, especially in the shoulder seasons of late fall and early spring. You never know what you're going to get out on the trails when you head out for a run on a cold, early November morning, a few days after a freak October snowstorm. And even though Ryan warned me it was going to be slick out there, I said, "I can't just run the road loop for the next two months!" So, I put on my screw shoes for the first time this year. Yes, it was overkill for a lot of the route, and the screws click-clack-clicked along the road and the rocks. But it gave me the freedom to not pussy-foot around on the icy stretches, to dig right into the crunchy snow and just keep on going without a thought. I sunk into hoar frost 3" deep, and through the thin and crisp transformed layer of snow into the soft sand below. I splashed through some cold mud, and skirted around frozen puddles. It was messy, late fall conditions at their "best," and variable to say the least. But you know what? It was fun. Which, after all, isn't that why we're out there?!