Solstice Run Galbraith style.

On a 15 mile run on the boring Interurban trail, we were talking about the summer solstice.  Brent Detta, Jason Gulley, and I thought it would be cool to do a no headlamp run on the day with the most natural light.  It just so happened that the Solstice was on Tuesday, the same night as the usual trail run.  Emails went out to the usual crew to spread the word.  Headlamps were allowed but highly discouraged, and their wearers could be mercilessly ridiculed, which probably isn't any different than any other run where everybody is probably going to get picked on anyway.
It wasn't until the prospect of post run beer was introduced by Detta that the run really picked up steam.  What run wouldn't be better with a good brew to finish it off.  Our final group was 9 guys and two dogs.  We headed up the Birch Street entrance, down Cedar Dust and then up The Wall and on the gravel all the way to the tower.  I launched a surprise attack after the last tight corner with about 100 meters to go to the top on a breakaway group of four and snagged the KOM (King of the Mountain) points from Wes, who put up an incredibly tough battle.
After a short rest and bathroom break, we headed through the little section of Wonderland and out into the old clear cut where the view is the most amazing.  Let me tell you, I don't know if I have EVER been up there when it was that beautiful.  The light was just right.  It was totally clear.  And with a better than 180 degree view of Baker, Canada, and Bellingham Bay and the islands, it was stellar.  I stopped on a stood on a stump and just soaked it all in, feeling refreshed more in a soulful way than any physical manner.
I lost track of direction as we came back down off of the high point.  We hit the gravel roads again, far too much in my opinion, and came out where the sculpture used to be at the base of the tower climb.  Eventually we ended up on the drastically thinned Intestine Trail, where Colin announced he had a 3/4 chub since they did NOT destroy his favorite trail.
I actually like all of the thinned trails.  Much lighter and open.  It just has a different feel.  But then there are the clear cut parts that are shitty and ugly.  I'm not really sure what to think when I go up there.  It was still enjoyable, as it has been the other two times I've been up there since they started destroying trees.  And I'll have to continue to go up there to run plenty of trail getting ready for Baker Lake.
RB probably got the most flack with all the weight jokes.  Lettuce Pimp got his fair share of chubby jokes also though, and I'm the stick man.  My new nickname could be skeletor if I keep to my current weight trajectory.
But as we came back down the ridge trail from the map-kiosk, I decided to let loose and fly down.  In the lower light, it was about as much of a speed rush as you can get from running.  I quickly gapped RB and the rest only to pop out into the next clearing and remember that it still was light, before heading back into the dense cover again for some additional excitement, but not without a ridiculous view of the sun setting to the west.  A couple rocks here, some switchbacks there, a root, a dog, and bam, you're back in the parking lot.  RB out front, Gulley in tow, the rest of the group coming down behind.
I brought the last of my Chuckanut Pilsner, but beer never tastes as good as it does after a long run.  An incredible run, with a great group of guys.  It has me really jazzed up for the Ragnar Relay with many of the same guys in another month.