Morning in the Stubai Valley

Another short run at a ski town, this time in the Stubai valley. I wasn't expecting to see any other runners out there, but I had seen one yesterday afternoon so I knew that running wasn't unheard of here. I found a figure 8 route on the map and gave it a shot. Anyway, even if you run along the main road it's nice here, pretty houses on the hillsides and mountains all around. Quite honestly the houses look as if they have been put on the hillsides, linked by narrow zig-zagging roads, to make the scenery even more appealing, but I'm sure that wouldn't be the case. I think life through the long cold winter can't always be fun, even if you ski.
I ran though the town, Neustift, which was quiet on a Sunday morning, and found my riverside trail. It had a bit of old snow on it but it wasn't slippery. It was slightly uphill. This river wasn't frozen, and the water was lovely and clear, the bottom was pebbly. The trail didn't go very far, only to the next village, where I crossed a branch of the river and did a loop through a snowy meadow before turning back for town.
For the second half of the route I went back through town and headed out in the other direction, where I could again pick up a riverside trail. This trail passed the town's own gondola which goes up a mountain right from the town, but it wasn't running. This part of the trail went through a series of meadows beside the river and then met up with the main road. I had a kilometre along this road to take me back to my hotel.
Only a short 7.5 kilometre run but I felt envigorated for the day ahead.