Mihai Munteanu: Trail Runner Notes: First snow!

22 November 2014

First snow!

Yesterday it snowed quite seriously on the mountains. First consistent snow of the season. In the city it rained, mixed with a bit of snow flakes. Just a a bit higher, the hills around the city got their first white blanket. So today I went up to Postavarul mountain to "inspect" the trails. It was a great run!

At 1000m in Poiana the snow was already about 10cm deep and it gradually got deeper as we went up the mountain. Above 1500m it was deep enough for skiing, over 30cm of quite dense powder. There were a few snowboarders testing the snow... and the rocks under it; the conditions on the lower part of the mountain were pretty bad for skiing...

I started the run at 8:30 with a couple of other runners. Three more runners were 10 minutes ahead of us, on the same route. We went slowly up to Postavarul peak (1799m). On the way back we stopped for a hot tea at Postavarul Chalet. On the way back, from Ruia Plateau (1500m) I returned to the city alone through untouched snow on the trail along Crucur Ridge. The other runners preferred the beaten path as the were afraid that the snow would be too deep and some had to return quickly to the city. The snow on the Crucur path was just perfect for running; not deep, as half of it was up in the trees above the path...

Here is the track of the day. One of my usual weekend routes. I ran slowly at a very comfortable pace. Running in colder weather and on the snow requires more energy so it is a good idea to run at a lower pace.

I also took photos along the route. Unfortunately I only had the crappy camera of my cheap smartphone. Actually the photos are not that bad, especially when viewed on smaller web resolution...