Springtime, a time of renewal, rebirth and new beginnings. It seems each year after a long and dark winter that spring brings a ray of sunshine to the world. The days begin to grow in length. With the advent of the time change finally it isn’t dark when work is done for the day. Overall, a weight is lifted as the snow melts away.

We definitely are feeling spring in the air here, with temperatures in the high 50’s to low 60’s the last two days. This was the winter that never truly got started and I think everyone is ready for it to be a thing of the past. When I finally concluded work minutes before seven this evening I looked out the window and realized it’s still light. Thrilled I rushed to change and hit the trails. That’s right with the snow melting away I can hit the trails sans snowshoes. I think a couple weeks ago gave me enough time on those for the season.

I pulled my car up to Deer Leap this evening. It’s a favorite trail with a beautiful outlook and it’s really short, a mile up and a mile back. Knowing the daylight was fading I was armed with my headlamp, iPhone, hat (just incase), and tried out my new Inov-8’s that had just arrived. I loved being able to put back on my CW-X capris for the first time of the season.

As I took step after step on the partly snow covered, part muddy and part iced over trail I felt a rebirth. I felt for the first time some of the feelings I had at the beginning of the summer last year. Somewhere in the past few months some of the training has turned into work and I let it get out of control for a while. But tonight it was just about fun. Even as I slipped on ice and had to navigate technical trail and rocks I smiled. It wasn’t about a PR about logging mileage, tonight it was just about getting outside after a day in the office and enjoying the fact I live in the mountains.

I reached the top of the overlook as the sun was setting. I took a second, paused and soaked up all the beauty that was around me. Sometimes I have to remind myself of the beauty that surrounds me each day as it is always there. But it is something about springtime and coming out of the winter that is a rebirth, the same surroundings we look at each day seem to come alive again. It is as if we are seeing them for the first time through brand new eyes.

As I navigated off the trail by the light of my headlamp it made me think. It is as if winter is like hiking in the dark with a headlamp, we are only focused on what that ray of light shines on and miss the whole forest around us. Spring on the other hand is like hiking at dawn as the sun comes up and light from the headlamp fades we realize the greater beauty around us.

I was overcome tonight with a feeling of being back. I am ready once again to start chapter two of the journey. Let’s start the 2012 season.