Peak Snowshoe Half in Vermont
Well, I finally broke three hours! Just didn't think it would come in a snowshoe race, or a *half* marathon--or that I'd be so proud of that kind of time for a "mere half"! But hey, this one was a KILLER, and it was my second ever in this category (both in the space of three weeks)! Based on a trail map, it looks like we ascended from the trailhead at about 1,050 or 1,100' up to South Hill at 2,065, then back down. Then we repeated the whole thing again. So you can break the half into four "quarters"--up to the summit, down to the finish area, back up to summit, back down to finish. All on a lollipop course with a short "stem" where the only common section is the first and last half-mile of each loop. The climb ranged from steep to gradual, and the descents got to a be a bit hairy at times and I really had to concentrate on foot placement and braking, occasionally letting faster descenders go ahead and making sure I didn't lose it a