Run during the early morning along Main Street's sidewalks for 3-miles.

Run along South Main and North Main Street for 3.1-miles prior to work.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #45 for 2020...

"Detour (or Detour to Death)", by Helen Nielsen, first published in 1953.

Cover Image

Alternate Early Edition

Alternate Early Edition

Music 2020...

Effort #53,  "Brief Sunrise III"...  final piece from the second recording I have from the "Preceding through a Pandemic" sessions of 2020.  

As a grouping, this one is known as "Instro-Nomical", with titles as follows:

Brief Sunrise

Brief Sunrise II

Brief Sunrise III

3.5-miles on the Main, Kent and Wisteria Loop.

After the heavy rain, warm temperatures, and melting snow over the last couple days I figured I'd hit a trail, somewhere.  I settled on the Mary Edwards Mountain Property in Granby. 

I visit this wonderful area every couple years, always on the lookout for extended trails by the trail-builders / Granby Conservation Group.

I wandered off the "official" trails a bit today, on somewhat noticeable paths, followed obscure paint blazes on trees, and plain old bush-whacked a bit.  I ended with an enjoyable 4.2-miles, with basically no snow and very, very little ice at all in the woods.

A very quiet Christmas day spent with DL.

I tried to avoid the rain, didn't really succeed, but at least got out for a 3.1-mile run along South Main Street and Suffield Street to the railroad underpass (I wanted to see how badly Stony Brook had overflowed it's banks).

Main Street in the early morning, 3-miles. 

My friend DD has a list created for the 50 Highest Peaks in Massachusetts...

With a rough, quick count, I believe I have been on-top of 27 of these already.

Mount Greylock	3487'
Saddle Ball Mountain	3248'
Mount Fitch	3110'
Mount Williams	2953'
Crum Hill	2835'
Blackpoll Mountain	2776'
Hoosac Range-North Peak	2770'
Spruce Mountain	2713'
Mount Prospect	2690'
Misery Mountain	2683'
Misery Mountain-South Peak	2661'
Brodie Mountain	2618'
Mount Everett	2608'
Brodie Mountain-East Mountain	2598'
Spruce Hill North Peak	2596'
Stony Ledge	2579'
Spruce Hill	2572'
Rounds Rock	2559'
Misery Mountain-North Peak	2547'
Sheeps Heaven	2532'
Ragged Mountain	2530'
Borden Mountain	2500'
Brodie Mountain-North Peak	2461'
Mount Frissell	2451'
Whitcomb Hill	2441'
Potter Mountain	2434'
Burnett Hill-South Peak	2420'
Burnett Hill-North Peak	2416'
West Borden Mountain	2390'
Mount Ashley	2382'
Jiminy Peak	2372'
Mount Frissell-South Slope	2372'
Mount Race	2372'
Honwee Mountain	2313'
Pease Ridge Poppy Top	2311'
Judges Hill	2297'
Eph's Outlook	2280'
Weston Mountain	2260'
Finerty Pond Mountain	2257'
Alander Mountain	2240'
Whitcomb Hill	2240'
Pine Mountain	2231'
Haskell Hill	2224'
Walling Mountain	2215'
French Hill	2214'
Berry Hill	2210'
Tower Mountain	2210'
Mount Undine	2205'
North Mountain	2205'
Berry Mountain	2203'

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #44 for 2020...

"The Doomsters", by Ross MacDonald.  Published in 1958.

Vintage Crime / Black Lizard Cover Image

Alternate Early Edition

Alternate Early Edition

Alternate Early Edition

Music 2020...

Effort #52,  "Brief Sunrise II"...  middle piece from the second recording I have from the "Preceding through a Pandemic" sessions of 2020.  

As a grouping, this one is known as "Instro-Nomical", with titles as follows:

Brief Sunrise

Brief Sunrise II

Brief Sunrise III

3.5-mile run on the Remington Loop, just as a light snow began. 

There is still a large depth of snow present, I figure on waiting for some of the trail "parking" areas to get some use before beginning to snowshoe.  I settled on a 5.2-mile loop of Main, Suffield, Mather and Kent Streets.

A bit of celebration is in order as I passed my goal of 1275-miles for 2020 today, earlier than expected.

3.5-miles on the Main, Kent and Wisteria Loop after trip for freezer-beef. 

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #43 for 2020...

"The Street of No Return", from David Goodis, published 1952.

Vintage Crime / Black Lizard Cover Image

Alternate Early Edition

Alternate Early Edition

Alternate Early Edition

Alternate Edition

 3-miles on Main Street just prior to dark setting in.

After yesterday's drive with DL to meet up with my folks for our seasonal butcher shop pickup (pork this time around), I felt it would be great to stretch my legs a bit.

But first, I had to receive my second installment of the Shingles Vaccine.

For the run, I parked in Penwood, and ran around MDC Hartford Reservoir #6.  Total of 7-miles.

Music 2020...

Effort #51,  "Brief Sunrise"...  opening tune from the second recording I have from the "Preceding through a Pandemic" sessions of 2020.  

As a grouping, this one is known as "Instro-Nomical", with titles as follows:

Brief Sunrise

Brief Sunrise II

Brief Sunrise III

More difficult than normal morning, woken up early for a call-in at work, then leaving to run with Wuzzam on the southern Nipmuck Trail I was stopped on I-84 for twenty-minutes due to the road being closed for repair (it looked like).  Just before I was going to say enough is enough and head back towards home, traffic began moving a bit and I chose to drive through some odd paths to get back toward Mansfield.

Wuzzam had headed out over an hour ahead of me, and since we were doing an out-and-back, I expected to catch him someplace on his return.  I hoped to get to the grist mill site, roughly 2.7-miles, before seeing him, so I ran "hard".  

Passed the grist mill and began the road option up toward fifty-foot, and once passed 3-miles I figured it would be great to get to fifty-foot and 4-miles, so I kept running "hard".

Descending off the small ledge of fifty-foot, I kept my speed up thinking that I may make it to 5-miles before seeing my friend.  Once past that, I figured 6-miles might be possible?

I ran into Wuzzam right at 5.9-miles, which was a 5-mph pace for me.  I went beyond the meeting point and turned so that I ended the entire out-and-back with 12-miles.

Temperature once back at the car for the ride home (actually back to work to address one more issue that arose) was 59-degrees!

A damp, cold day with intermittent rain...  ran in McLean somewhat "hard", 4.1-miles in 40:26.

I completed Native American Author Tommy Orange's novel following twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize.

Very well done, and enjoyable in a disturbing sense.

Half-Marathon Route in McLean Game Refuge & Holcomb Farm, field-work completed in late November & early December.  I hope to run this somewhat regularly throughout the seasons....

Sent to me on November 25th: HIKE50 and HIKE100 Challenge Updates With just over a month to go in 2020, you still have time to earn points!

As 2020 comes to an end, we hope many of you are taking advantage of the crisp fall weather to earn the last of your points for the Hike50 and Hike100 Challenges.  So far this year we have received 150 challenge submission. Keep them coming! As a reminder, all patches and completion certificates will be mailed at the end of 2020. Thank you for your patience!  I met my 100-mile challenge goal in June, and to date I am right around 180-miles on the New England Trail in 2020.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #42 for 2020...

"The Criminal", another gem from Big Jim Thompson, published 1953.

Vintage Crime / Black Lizard Cover Image

Alternate Early Edition

Alternate Early Edition

Alternate Early Edition

Music 2020...

Effort #50,  "Mellow Beginnings...  the eigth and final piece from September 12th, 2020 session, known collectively as the "Ground Down" E.P.

It's been a while since I explored Penwood State Park, and with the small amount of snow in our area I figured it would be day worthy of a visit.

Managed my normal "loop", out from Wintonbury Road on the Blue-Blazed New England Trail (Metacomet) to the parking area near Gale Pond, then back on the Mountain Bike Trail (Yellow-Blazed I believe).

Ended with 6.5-miles.  Cold temperatures, with scatterings of snow and ice along the ridge.

Stairs at base of "the Pinnacle"

View of Talcott Mountain from "the Pinnacle"

View off Picnic Table Lookout

 Another View off Picnic Table Lookout

"High Points" along the trails I've visited during November, 2020.

• Stickney Hill, Nipmuck State Forest, Union, CT
• Weed Hill, McLean - Holcomb, Granby, CT
• Deer Hill, McClean - Holcomb Connector, Granby & Simsbury, CT
• Devil's Kitchen, Tunxis Trail, Burlington Region
• Mile of Ledges, Tunxis Trail, Burlington Region
• Hemenway Lookout, Tunxis Trail, Burlington Region
• Johnnycake Mountain, Tunxis Trail, Burlington Region
• Raycroft Lookout, Monroe, MA
• Spruce Mountain, Monroe, MA
• West Suffield Mountain, Metacomet Trail, West Suffield, CT
• Spooner Hill, Natchaug Trail, Ashford, CT
• Hill Street & Hastings Hill, Suffield, CT

3.4-mile run along Bridge, Main and Wisteria (loop). 

Late afternoon dropped some supplies off for my Mom.

Run in McLean with K2, rambled through on a very bright sunny day for 6.9-miles.

Rambling through McLean once again, to fill in the second-half of a 1/2-marathon course.  Damp, cloudy skies for the most part, with some lite precipitation as ice particles.

Re-connected with Saturday's point at the intersection of Weed Hill & Eddy Trail at 5-miles.  Ended the day with a total of 10.6-miles on my legs.

3-mile run along Main Street. 

Music 2020...

Effort #49,  "Grinding Down"...  the seventh piece from September 12th, 2020 session, known collectively as the "Ground Down" E.P.

Union, Connecticut at the Nipmuck State Forest with Wuzzam and Old Goat for 7.4-miles.

And on this day in 2019...

McLean Game Refuge & Holcomb Farm Marathon

November 29th, 2019 - Granby & Simsbury, Connecticut

McLean Game Refuge & Holcomb Farm Marathon day in Granby and Simsbury, Connecticut.  

Not a lot of build-up for this, I was thinking an attempt at the Bullitt Reservation / DAR / Williamsburg Route, but two cars are necessary for that attempt and I had but one today.  I would be solo.

I got a good running start at just a little after 9:00 a.m., with two water plants plus the refill opportunity at my vehicle which was returned to around mile 8 or so.  

Rambled through McLean to the beginnings of the hills (Westledge, Pilfershire, West Mountain, Eddy, and Weed Hill) at 12.5-miles at 5.5-mph (which was an incredible pace for me).

Once the hills were finished, and I entered into Holcomb Farm Trails, I was still at 5-mph, which had me feeling really energized.  I was moving really well, running strong on everything other than the long steady climb up Westledge, the steepest portions of Eddy, and then the bushwhack type footing up Weed Hill.

Things slowed a bit through Holcomb, especially once crossing Simsbury Road.  The trail from there to the re-entry into McLean proper hasn't seen much traffic, had many leaves covering the roots, and I was beginning to tire.

I hung on to complete the 25.6-miles (gps measured, so this should be easily over 26.2) in 5:13:00.  Just dipped under 5 mph average to a 4.9.  Awesome performance on my third marathon of 2019, and 57th overall.

Finally another opportunity to run this week, and not only was it a fantastic day weather-wise, it also ended up being a really enjoyable run.  Took a big loop through McLean and Holcomb Farm, ended up with 11.8-miles at roughly 5.3-mph.

The Fall's Mark E. Smith -

"..."rock & roll isn’t even music really. It's a mistreating of instruments to get feelings over".

Run along Main Street after the rain but prior to the feast.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #41 for 2020...

"The Barbarous Coast", Ross MacDonald's Lew Archer ties up another caper. Published 1956.

Vintage Crime / Black Lizard Cover Image

Early Edition

Alternate Early Edition

Alternate Early Edition

DL and I dropped some Thanksgiving Treats off to my folks during an evening adventure! 

Music 2020...

Effort #48,  "Grinding Down IV"...  the sixth piece from September 12th, 2020 session, known collectively as the "Ground Down" E.P.

Planned on a trip back to Burlington to do the big loop on all the variations of Tunxis Trails.  When I ran this with Wuzzam, the Old Goat and the Hillbilly, it measured out at 17.5-miles and took us 4:37 moving time and 4:58 total time (including stops, pictures, etc).

Today was damp with temperatures in the mid-forties.  The dried leaves seemed to be much tougher on the uphill and downhill sections today compared to my memory of them a month ago.  Some of that may have been due to me running harder/faster.

I thought that if I ran well, I could break 4-hrs.  I'd have to average roughly 4.5-mph to do so.

I felt great at the start, despite managing a hilly four-hour run with Wuzzam on Thursday.  The only bothersome issue was I never really got above 4.7-mph once the initial couple miles were finished.  On the other hand, I only dipped down to a 4.5-mph average after the "mile of ledges", which just seemed impossible to run hard through.

As I made my way through, especially the section prior to and into the Fish Hatchery, I felt strong.  I was sitting at 4.7-mph, and didn't think I felt a "blow-up" coming on.

The damp and cold began to bother my leg turnover a bit, but I caught a break just prior to "Devil's Kitchen", and as my report of losing the race-course trail a week or two ago made sense as I noticed the trail we had done in October has been re-routed.  There were a couple of drops and climbs prior, but now the trail climbs and sticks to a set contour (the new trail hasn't been bench-cut fully, and with the dry leaves everywhere it ended up slow going but at least it doesn't loose all your gained elevation twice to get to the same spot).

Made it down out of the "Kitchen" and sooner than later the route opened up onto the wider old forest roads to the finish at the Cemetery.  New distance recorded at 17.03-miles, so the re-route knocks a half-mile off the old route.  My finish times were 3:38 moving, and an additional 1:18 stopped time, so a rough guess of 3:40 for the day (4.7-mph).

I think in the spring or early summer, with no leaves to make things as difficult, I might just be able to drop under 3:30...  we'll see.

3.4-mile run on the Bridge - Wisteria Loop, in shorts and a Ramones Tee-Shirt.

On this day in 2005...

Northern Nipmuck Trail Marathon

November 20th, 2005 - Union & Ashford, Connecticut

Completed my 32nd marathon distance run today at a Northern Nipmuck Trail Marathon, with Wuzzam, Summer, and Tippi (6th completed marathon).  My finish time was recorded as 6:28:18.  Looking at this, I think it was much further than 26 miles.

Rambled through the old Monroe Power Run along Dunbar Brook and up to the top of Spruce Mountain with Wuzzam in mid-twenty degrees and an inch of snow on the ground.

Took a couple of detours, and witnessed Raycroft Lookout and the Titanic Boulder, which is another "Gateway" nearby the similar but smaller "Gateway" in Mohawk Trail State Forest.

Observed the many other large boulders throughout the forest, several very tall white pine, and the new bridge spanning Dunbar Brook.

12-miles once we were complete.

Dunbar Brook Trailhead

Rock Pile Effigy

1st Lean-To

Wuzzam on the trail

2nd Lean-To

Raycroft Lookout

Raycroft Lookout

Raycroft Lookout

View from Spruce Mountain

Spruce Mountain

Titanic Rock

Titanic Rock

Titanic Rock & Gateway

Monroe State Forest' "Gateway"

Wuzzam in the "Gateway"

Monroe State Forest' "Gateway"

Monroe State Forest "Gateway" and Titanic Rock

Blue Dot Boulder along the Dunbar Brook Trail

Wuzzam making his way around a huge standing boulder

Crossing Parsonage Brook

Haley Brook

Haley Brook and old bridge location

Haley Brook Shelter

New Bridge over Dunbar Brook!

Wuzzam crossing Dunbar Brook

Dunbar Brook upstream from Bridge