Continuing with visits to the Tunxis Trail, K2 and I got an early start at Route 219 with plans to run north.  I hoped to make it to "Old Route 20", which is a Reservoir Road now, and it is located just shy of 8-miles from Route 219.

It was brutally humid for a "coolish" day.  I was absolutely drenched within the first mile, and it got much worse from there.  I don't think it even made 80-degrees while we were out there, but the drain on my body was extreme today.

Knowing how I was feeling, I made my trip a bit easier by using a bit of road from the half-way point, for a mile or so.  Truthfully, this was also done to avoid looking at the massive clear-cutting of the forest about a mile out from "Old Route 20", which the State of Connecticut calls "Hemlock Salvage".  This is particularly disturbing to me as this was truly a beautifully peaceful section of the forest.  It also contained a side-path we used often throughout the years, to connect to the Roberts Brook Bypass (which I caught today on the dead end Pine Road).

Having attended the Old Growth film and lecture on Tuesday, and hearing the truth about the value of old growth and old trees with regard to carbon sequestration, it really seems counter-productive to harvest so many older trees.  I encourage any and all to begin to pay attention to the value of trees, forest, and the environment each and every day.

So, getting beyond that it looks awful to ramble through a cut forest, and we as a population may not be doing a very good job of managing our forest, I also have a reminder of what these forest looked like in their most recent natural state in my mind.  I have memories that I don't want to let go of, moving slowly through the rolling terrain of Tunxis with my dog bounding off on a shortcut to meet up with me later on.  

It would be fine with me if I could still experience these memories while in the woods, rather than revert to cognitive memory because the woods as I remember no longer exist.  I think about the The “7th generation” principle taught by Native Americans says that in every decision, be it personal, governmental or corporate, we must consider how it will affect our descendants seven generations into the future.  So that the pristine sky, field and mountains will still be here for them to enjoy.

By the end, I managed to get back to the car and meet up with K2 with 14.7-miles on my legs.  I suffered a bit today, but to run wild through Tunxis was worth the fatigue I'll feel over the next couple days.

Wolf Tree along the route


USGS marker for Pine Mountain


Roaring Brook Swamp (headwaters?)


The top of Pine Mountain on a hazy, humid day