As you head east towards the water on the business route from US23, a small sign stands on the left side of the road. Barely taller than the field grass surrounding it, you may not even notice it’s there. It reads simply “Quarry View”. On the other side of the road a gravel road ascends a small hill where its crest obscures the top.
Five years ago when I first ran this route, I decided to go take a look. As it turns out….. there’s not much. Only a small gravel parking lot and an old metal staircase leading to a platform not seven feet off the ground. The whole point of it all is to look at the mining operations below. There’s no entry fee, no signs explaining anything; the entire thing seems a giant waste of time.
But I assure you it’s not. In fact every year since, despite having run 182 miles to get there, I still go up the hill, 200 yards off course, and climb the stairs. It’s a pretty impressive view. And it serves as a reminder to myself that all too often I miss out on things when I hurry through life.
This race is about so much more for me than simply getting from the start to the finish. It’s all the things in between. And I leave with so much more than I came with.
Day 3
To Be Determined…..
#TridgeToBridge240
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