We (my girlfriend and I) tried another new trail this week: Soos Creek Trail in south King County near Maple Valley. It started raining right before we left, so we decided to stop at Wal-Mart on the way to get a cheap digital camera. I had a Canon S410 that worked very well for over 2 years but it just broke a few days ago. We're probably going to get a new Canon or Sony that can take some really nice pictures and videos, but in the meantime I wanted something cheap that I could carry around with me on runs and rides other than my cell phone. I found the perfect solution: the VistaQuest 1.3MP Keychain Digital Camera. This camera (actual size on the right) is tiny, has an SD card slot, takes decent photos (good enough for 4x6 prints outdoors) and videos, and only costs $20 at Wal-Mart. I don't usually like shopping at Wal-Mart (I usually get a headache), but the cheapest digital camera in any other electronics store is $~100 (this camera is also available at Amazonfor $25). Granted at that price range they're much better, but I was just looking for something cheap and portable. The only negative so far is that sound is not recorded when shooting videos. I took this one on a nicer portion of the trail (we took our dogs with us).

As to the trail itself, it's OK, but nothing special. It was supposed to be 5.8 miles each way, but I only registered about 5. It bypasses a few busy roads and a huge power line traverses a good portion of the trail. Still, there are a few nice portions that resemble wilderness, including wetlands.

It rained the whole time we were running and even though I was wearing a water-resistant rain jacket, my undershirt still got wet and because this was a long run, my nipples got torn and my white shirt looked a Frida Kahlo painting by the time I was finished running (sorry in advance for the gory details ;-). Next time, I'll try not to forget to put grease on (such as Bodyglide or Chamois).

Total: 12.0mi Run