layers

Bottom to top?

Tips of my toes, dry in a small square of goretex, cozy in wool socks, and warmed by the exothermic oxidation of iron - I'm not too proud to use toe warmers. Better that than frostbite.

Spikes or studs strapped to my shoes, soft trail snow or hard ice? 

Ankles, warmed and protected from deep snow by gaitors, each with a little clip-on light to mark my pace as the afternoon light fades.

Merino wool topped with a soft wind shell on my legs today; other days, thick running tights and a down skirt, because my butt is the first thing to get cold.

Then my belly. It's the next to get cold.

Arms and body, two layers of merino wool, then fleece, topped with a wind shell, but it's never windy in Fairbanks.

If my arms and wrists are warm, then fleece gloves are enough; but sometimes too much. They come on and off during the run

I thread my headphones through a neck gaitor (or two) and through my hairband, tuck them under my hat and in my ears so I can listen to stories. Not music, stories.

A dab of bagbalm on my cheeks and nose keeps frostnip at bay, while my breath freezes to my eyelashes like white mascara.

The low light of sunset and a three quarter moon today.

i need to run

I need to run. Or is it that I need to move? Long runs, long bike rides, long hikes through the mountains. Traveling, exploring, interacting with the landscape - viscerally.

My hope this September is to run the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier. 93 miles in 3 days. With a few friends. Mount Rainier has been a part of my life since I was a kid: a massive geographic strength, collaborating with the sun and the sound to give me and my life a sense of direction.

It is hard imagining running 93 miles when it is 0F outside and snow-covered trails mean multiple layers, spikes for my shoes, and watching for frostbite. But I will try.