~20.3 mi @ ~14.2 min/mi

"Sam's Potty — looks highly readable!" Roadkill pauses to browse in a curbside Little Free Library and finds a book appropriate to his level. Danger Man leads the duo westward, chasing long sunrise shadows. A mailbox features a side porch where Yoda and Rosie the Riveter lounge and a cat cavorts. Electric-violet flowers nearby open their mouths and recite Sharon Olds' poem "My Mother's Pansies".

"Wait! I think I went the wrong way!" Sakurako starts early from KenGar and texts she is heading south, but in fact goes north along Rock Creek Trail. A few miles later R2 and Danger Man figure it out, and send Roadkill dashing ahead to turn Ken and Emaad around. Soon we rendezvous and all's well.

"K2 is far deadlier than Everest!" Ken analyzes fatality ratios for climbers on both mountains. We take the Matthew Henson Trail to Connecticut Avenue, where curvy stone sculptures feature giant knots. Along the way friends Alice Franks and Butch Britton run by and salute; the driver of a passing car rolls down his window to shout greetings. Big Gulp cola from the Kensington 7-11 helps hydration in the final miles. Roadkill regrets not taking enough electrolytes, and not greasing enough to preempt chafing in delicate unmentionable areas.

(trackfile) - ^z - 2019-08-30