TOMB CEMETERY

{from the Archives, 2000}

Many times on the way to visit my folks in Adams, I talk Donnalee into dropping me off at the Tomb Cemetery on Route 116 in Savoy.  It is only a couple more miles on the road to their house, but through the woods it is closer to six.  From the Cemetery you can connect to Brown Road (anyone who has done the Savoy 20 miler might have a light-bulb go off concerning that one) and then once at the "top" (about a 500' climb I think) it is a beautiful descent of 1800' down through "Little Egypt" to my folks house.  I am not making the "Little Egypt" stuff up; it is listed that way on the Cheshire Mass Topo Maps....  There are many reasons why the area I grew up in is called "Little Egypt"; my favorite is as follows:

1) The steepness of the terrain / hills on the Hoosac Range look like pyramids.  They are many and stacked up all over the place, with deep gullies between them rushing with brooks.

Anyhow, the run started off in knee-deep powder that took the energy from me quicker than Lipka freezing one of his extremities.  No snowmobiles had been through yet so it was a struggle, but wondrous.  An hour and five minutes found me finishing just a little less than 2.5 miles.  Channel 22 News had reported this area getting 11" of snow but I think they miscalculated some.  It usually takes me about 65 minutes to reach my folks house.  I started hoping that no search party was already out looking for me.

Once at the top, realizing that the hardest work is over, I start on a smile bursting as pronounced as a rainbow after a rainstorm.  The haul up to this point always makes me feel as though I have accomplished something.  It isn't necessarily a hard climb normally, but on this day it was plain difficult.  I allow myself to rejoice a little more than normal at reaching the high point on the route…

Beginning the descent chisels away a bit at my joy.  The snow is just too deep to run in well, even with the snowshoes.  Powdery snow this deep just sends you to another planet fatigue wise.  Thankfully, the Adams Sno-Drifters Snowmobile Club arrive along on their groomer cleaning the path for the upcoming rush of motorized traffic.  They look at me funny from the confines of the tractor like rig pulling the big sled... I was a real long way from any road.

Finally, the section run down past High Bridge and along the banks of the Tophet Brook really lifts my spirit; I have enjoyed this land since childhood.  Winding down the hill zigzagging switchbacks in the fine powdered packed snow again brings a smile to my tired face (along with the rest of me).  Before long, I am exiting the woods and hitting the open field, arrived and finished.  I walk the rest along the road, get to my folks house where my mother ask if I am hungry?  I am starving.  Seldom could it be better than this (especially for a Wednesday afternoon).  It has taken me two hours to finish this route today, I wish I had the energy to have had it last twice that.

January 26, 2000