I wrapped up the year with a visit to the West Suffield Quarry, aka Manitook Mountain.  I do not visit here often, as this is only the second or third time in the past twenty-years.  Honestly, I can't get too close to the edge, it is too steep a drop and it slopes downward.  It is an awesome view though.

Used snowshoes until I exited the ridge north of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail on Quarry Road.  I jumped onto the bike-path before jutting through a field to my landing spot.  3.5-miles for the entirety.

View northeast, Mt Tom & Holyoke Range in distance

  View east, Soapstone slightly visible between the "notch"

Again, east
 

 

Back to Mary Edwards Mountain Property to snowshoe and complete the "North Loop" and the trail on the north-side of Ring Brook.  3.1-miles for the quick journey, with some neat sites along the way.

There are a series of stone-foundations at the trail-head off Mountain Road, and there is also another location north off Ring Brook.  Snowshoeing went well for the fist of the season!

Cellar-Hole at Trailhead off Mountain Road

Outlook and Mary Edwards Rock

Boulder at top of climb on North Loop (940')

Foundation north of Ring Brook

Another foundation north of Ring Brook

Foundations north of Ring Brook

Bent Tree Limb at Trailhead off Mountain Road

 Cellar-Hole & Bent Tree Limb at Trailhead off Mountain Road

 Cellar-Hole at Trailhead off Mountain Road

Orange and Red newly explored today!

Visited a couple of adjoining sites within the Granby Land Trust Property Holdings; the Mary Edwards Mountain Property and the Godard Preserve.

Excellent locations, my only negative is that I could have and should have worn snowshoes today, there was enough snow and things would have been less slick on the ups and downs.  Temperatures were twice that of yesterday, roughly around 16-degrees.

I managed to complete almost all the trails, I ended with 6.2-miles with only the northern loop not explored today.

Large Boulder in Godard Preserve

Bent Tree in Godard

Hollowed Tree in Godard

Looking inside the Hollowed Tree in Godard

Birch in Edwards

 Stonewalls in Edwards

View from Edwards Property parking area, Mt Tom & Mt Holyoke in distance

Back to Connecticut, and the single-digit temperatures seem to have arrived with us from Chicago.  Drove out to McLean to jog a beautiful 3.9-miles in the snow and cold wind.

Wall with small Niche at Trout Pond

Effluent of Trout Pond

Route for the day

And, from old gps data, it looks as though Tippi and I continued to explore Ashfield Trails before they were Ashfield Trails, this day (December 28th, 2007) ten-years ago.

Combo Map from the 27th & 28th, 2007

"Illumination: Tree Lights at the Morton Arboretum" in Lisle, Illinois this evening with DL & JC.  

The Event took place on the grounds of the Morton Arboretum, and it happened to be roughly 2-degrees for the 1.5-mile walk to and along the grounds.  What a wonderful display of trees (and lights!).  We are looking forward to returning to Morton during warmer weather, and daylight, to better witness the trees.

And, from old gps data, it looks as though Tippi and I explored Ashfield Trails before they were Ashfield Trails, this day (December 27th, 2007) ten-years ago.

Goals 2018

Thinking about additional Goals for 2018, I want to begin the year with completing two (2) Geodatabases for favorite forest I visit regularly.  The two I decided to start with are DAR State Forest in Massachusetts, and McLean Reservation in Connecticut.

I've been enjoying these two forest often lately, and I have completed most of the trails recently as well.  McLean I managed to visit over 25-times in 2017, and DAR I visited 4-times since November.

As I round out the layers I want to address, I"ll post specifics.

Also, from the origins of WMAC Snowshoeing...  twenty-years ago today an 11-miler was completed by the Old Goat, Wuzzam, RB and I at Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union, Connecticut.  We finished in 2:50:11.

Christmas day with JC at his place in Wheaton, Illinois.  Took a 2.25-mile walk along the Illinois Prairie Path early in the morning, featuring single digit temperatures.

The start of the path in Wheaton, at Volunteer Park

Lincoln Marsh Natural Area

The trip on the Lakeshore Limited Amtrak Train from Albany to Chicago was a great adventure.  Much to recommend with regard to traveling by this option.

Lake Shore Limited Route

Today DL and I drive to the Albany-Rensselaer Amtrack Station for a trip to Chicago.  We'll be flying home after Christmas.

Visited the Lewis Farm Sanctuary, property of the Hartford Audubon Society for the first time since October of 2016.  Looks like the trails have been cleared and widened since that visit.  Nice work!

I jogged around with only a brief repeat section and managed slightly over 3-miles for the day.

Entrance off Hill Street, very limited parking

Audubon Map

 1st Pool

  2nd Pool

Muddy Brook from the Troll Bridge

Music 2017...

Effort #37, Gimme Gimme Gimme...

Primitives playing fast and live in '84.

Goals 2018

As the 2017 year comes to an end, I feel pleased with this blog.  Recording my adventures has helped keep me focused, and for the first time in a few years I managed a decent total of running miles.

I had a goal of 1000-miles for 2017, and I exceeded that by a little bit (1,055).  Not bad at all considering I had two periods of Lyme Disease Symptoms, and a very difficult to deal with case of Strep Throat.

Going into 2018, I am going to shoot for a total of 1200-miles.  This is a bit over the 10% rule, but I'll start slowly and be careful.  It really only changes from an expected average of 20.3 miles-per-week in 2017 to 23.1 mile-per-week in 2018.  I'll still be a far cry away from the 30-to-34 miles-per-week I managed for so many years, so I believe I'll be safe.  Time will tell, right?

Also, from the origins of WMAC Snowshoeing...  twenty-years ago today the the 2nd Annual Tannery Falls Winter Run (Snowshoe) was held at Savoy Mountain State Forest.  Four total finishers for the event, two with snowshoes (the Bandit and I).  We ran 3:39:13 for the 25-Km.

I came across a video from the 3rd annual Berkshire Natural History Conference (2017) at Berkshire Community College;  my friend Bob L presented a talk on Great Trees and Their Forests.

It's always valuable to listen to Bob, I learn an immense amount each time I am with him.  During this presentation, Bob mentions "The Big Eight", referring to eight magnificent trees worth visiting. 

• Sycamore, Sunderland
• Sugar Maple, Mohawk Trail State Forest
• Grandfather Pine, Monroe State Forest
• Jake Swamp Pine, Mohawk Trail State Forest
• Saheda Pine, Mohawk Trail State Forest
• Pin Oak, Northampton
• Thoreau Pine, Monroe State Forest
• Ice Glen Pine, Stockbridge

I've visited five of these trees...  the three in Mohawk and the two in Monroe.  There may be photos within this blog of the five I've visited.

Toward the end of the presentation, Bob also speaks of a wonderful Red Maple, "Magic Maple" as he refers to it.  It too is in Mohawk, and I am familiar with that tree as well.

The talk also mentions five forest sites worth noting...  "The Superlative Sites".

• Mohawk Trail State Forest, Charlemont
• William Cullen Byrant Woods, Cummington
• Ice Glen, Stockbridge
• Monroe State Forest, Monroe
• Mount Greylock, Lanesborough

And finally, there is mention of Old Growth Forest as well...  "Our Old Growth Forest Gems".

The Video is a great informative tool, and something to treasure...Great Trees and Their Forests.

It is close enough to the end of the year for me to review the goals I had set for 2017.  I doubt I'll get out to "complete" any additional stragglers, so here is what I had hoped for, and what I accomplished.

"Goals" for 2017:

• I am hopeful that I can complete 1000+ miles of running this year.
• I am also hopeful that I can record a post each day in this blog, for the entire year.
• Locate and explore the "Lead Mine" in Little Egypt.
• Locate and Explore the Goshen Stone Chamber.
• Re-locate the Balanced Rock in Williamsburg or Conway.
• Locate the 1926 Memorial Plaque set in a rock in Williamsburg / Conway.
• Visit Chesterfield Gorge, including a run along the old path.
• Locate the Thoreau Pine and Grandfather Pine in Monroe State Forest. 
• Visit some of the many large boulders in Monroe State Forest.
• Continue visiting and locating Savoy Graveyards, especially the 2nd Hathaway Burial Ground.
• Locate and explore the waterfall above the Hairpin Turn on Route 2.
• Hike the Tophet Brook, as much or as little as possible.
• Visit Balanced Rocks in North Salem, NY and Pittsfield / Lanesborough, MA.
• Locate Burnt Hill in Heath.

The following challenges have been met:

• I did manage to go beyond 1000-miles of running this year.
• I have recorded an entry each day in this blog.
• The Lead Mine / April 15th.
• Goshen Stone Chamber / April 27th.
• Balanced Rock in Williamsburg / May 19th.
• Chesterfield Gorge / June 9th.
• Savoy Graves including the elusive 2nd Hathaway Burial Ground / June 26th.
• Burnt Hill (reconnaissance only) July 10th.
• Visit some of the many large boulders in Monroe State Forest / October 10th.
• Locate the Thoreau Pine and Grandfather Pine in Monroe State Forest / October 13th.
• Locate and explore the waterfall above the Hairpin Turn on Route 2 / October 31st.

All I didn't get to were the following:

• Locate the 1926 Memorial Plaque set in a rock in Williamsburg / Conway.
• Hike the Tophet Brook, as much or as little as possible.
• Visit Balanced Rocks in North Salem, NY and Pittsfield / Lanesborough, MA.

So, I am thinking it's been a really good year.  Of the three items I didn't get to, I intend to achieve them sooner than later.  They will be at the top of my list for 2018, more or less.  And thinking of 2018, I have tons of goals for next year already written down on index cards.

An early morning run from Whitiker Woods to Shenipsit State Forest in temperatures in the twenties again.  Great conditions, with an inch of snow on the ground but not slippery.  Sun was out, so very warm when swallowed by the rays, but cold when out of it's view.  Completed 7.1-miles with Wuzzam.

On the connector from Whitiker to Shenipsit (Soapstone), there has been some bridge work completed and by the looks of things, more to be done.  Very nice work and a great addition through a wet, briar-filled area.

Perched Rock along Parker Road

 Awesome Stonewall on the Whitiker to Soapstone connector

McLean with K2 again, seems like it is developing into a nice Saturday routine lately.  Today I completed 3.4-miles in slippery conditions due to the extreme cold temperatures and recent snowfall.

Later in the afternoon, DL and I took a drive to Mrs. Murphy's to pick up donuts for my folks.  Drove to Adams for a visit, and on the way back to Connecticut stopped at my one of my favorite places for dinner...  the Williamsburg Snack Bar.  A very good day.

Spring Pond from the North End

Nice stand of White Pine

A visit to Goodwin State Forest on a day that only managed mid-twenty degrees or so.  Met up with Jim and Juan from my Master Naturalist Program, and three members of the "Friends of Goodwin", who I was fortunate to meet today.

The early portion of the day was focused on being brought into the "Valley of the Giants", an "Old Forestland Management" site.  The site borders Turner Brook, the outlet from Black Spruce Pond.  

The visit and educational benefit from this visit was valuable, and fun.  We covered roughly 2-miles of hiking through the area, with return trips planned.

After we said our good-byes, I changed into running gear and made a loop, thinking I'd get back to the path into the "Valley".  All went well, even stopped at Governor's Island for a look across Pine Acres Pond.  Completed the running portion of the day with 6.7-miles.

Mirror Image?

Birch on stilts

Strong Spring

Perched Rock

Measuring...

Having a rock for a partner