Wednesday, July 31, 2024

"High Points" along trails during June 2024... 

Climbing...

  • East Sweetman Mountain, Granville, MA
  • Metacomet Ridge, West Suffield, CT
  • Copper / Peak Mountain, Metacomet Ridge, East Granby, CT
  • Thumper Mountain, Mohawk Trail State Forest, Charlemont, MA
  • North Drake Mountain, Granville, MA
  • High Ledges, Massaemett Mountain, Shelbourne Falls, MA

Full Day working; 26th-Day as a Consultant / Contractor @ EW.

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

"Non Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #21 for 2024...

"Blood's a Rover" by James Ellroy published in 2009.

A 2009 crime fiction novel by American author James Ellroy. It follows American Tabloid and The Cold Six Thousand as the final volume of Ellroy's Underworld USA Trilogy.



6th-Day at JMH.

25th-Day as a Consultant / Contractor @ EW.

Dental Cleaning in the late afternoon.

Monday, July 29, 2024

Granville in the rain, 3.7-miles. 

Sunday, July 28, 2024

Visit with my Mom in Williamstown.

On the way home, I stopped to view the old "Fort Massachusetts" site.  I think it was better kept when I was a youngster, but I can't say for sure.

Fort Massachusetts was the westernmost in a line of forts built by British colonists to protect the northern border of Massachusetts from French and Indian forces in 1745. 

It was constructed along the banks of the Hoosac River in what is currently North Adams, Massachusetts by a company of Massachusetts militiamen led by Captain Ephraim Williams. 

It consisted of a wooden stockade with a guard tower at each corner and a central blockhouse which was designed to be defensible if the walls were breached.

In 1895, the North Adams Women's Club began raising funds to reconstruct the fort as a memorial site. 

The new fort was dedicated in 1933 and operated as a historical tourist site into the 1960s. 

It was eventually sold and torn down due to lack of funds and vandalism. 

The reconstructed chimney and a rock with a commemorative plaque remain on the site, in what is now the parking lot of the former North Adams Price Chopper. The historic site was conveyed to the City of North Adams by the Golub family in 2017.




And, a blast from the past....

Savoy General Store Marathon
July 28th, 2005 - Savoy, Massachusetts

Tippi and I ran the Savoy General Store Marathon.  It was lengthy, over 29-miles I believe.  From Haskins Road to the General Store, which brought us all the way over to Windsor Jambs, we had the company of "Max", a friendly dog we picked up at Loop & Haskins intersection. 

Tippi along the trails of Savoy, 2005.

Oddly, each time we came to an intersection on the trail, "Max" knew which way we were planning on turning (even though he lead).  He managed this for 9 - 10 miles.

Total for the day was roughly 29 - 30-miles in 6:17:52.  It was my 29th completed marathon, and Tippi's 3rd.  After finishing, I met Jane Phinney in the Savoy Town Offices;  she is the Savoy Town Clerk and is the author of  "Taking the High Road".









Saturday, July 27, 2024

Granville with K2.  

11.2-miles with over 2000' climb.  

For a cool and dry day, it was a chore!

Friday, July 26, 2024

Travel to visit my Mom today, great visit.

On the journey, I stopped in Rowe to further explore the Negus / Pulpit Rock area and trails.

4.7-miles.

Late afternoon haircut as well. 










Thursday, July 25, 2024

3-miles on the Metacomet, Phelps South and back.

24th-Day as a Consultant / Contractor.

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Old news department...

On this day in 2009, Tippi and I explored the Robert Frost Trail through Sunderland and Amherst.

It was a day after a really hard rain, so the brooks and streams were really roaring.  

We ended up losing a bunch of time "off trail" around Eastman Brook.

We parked at Amethyst Brook and did a bit south, then north to the foot of Bull Hill.  

Outstanding area that I would like to return to.

This was my 43rd completed marathon and Tippi's 14th.  The run took us 6:03:58 to finish.


5th day at JMH.

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Completed the Northwest Park Trail Challenge today with 4.7-miles and the final three-trails.

23rd-Day as a Consultant / Contractor.

Monday, July 22, 2024

Northwest Park to get closer to completing the 2024 Trail Challenge.

I knocked out two more today, leaving me only a pair for the finish.

3-miles, which put me just beyond 500-miles for the year.

Sunday, July 21, 2024

Granville with K2 and J-Evil.

7.1-Miles.




Saturday, July 20, 2024

On the way to visit my Mom today, I stopped off in Rowe to explore the Bear Swamp Trails.

Finished with 3.4-miles, beautiful weather and I felt very good.  

Noticed some new things worth exploring in the future. 

Visit with my Mom went great, Pop was there visiting as well.





Friday, July 19, 2024

Rambled north of Bear Hole Reservoir today, just south of Ashley Reservoir for the most part.

Just a bit along the west bank of Ashley and I ventured into the woods to hopefully meet up with the Metacomet Trail (NET).  Success!

Ended with 8-miles.

Thursday, July 18, 2024

Suffield 5km Course #4 for 2024.

DIY Version, Recovered from Lyme Infection and close to 100%.

Very Warm and Sunny, 4 p.m. (mid 80's);  26:20.

1st loop in 12:50 and 2nd loop in 13:30.

Times for my Race Against Myself (plus official events) at this location:

  • #4, 2024 - 26:20 (July 18th, 2024)
  • #3, 2024 - 27:30 (June 27th, 2024)
  • #2, 2024 - 25:55 (June 17th, 2024)
  • #1, 2024 - 28:08 (June 6th, 2024)
___________________________________________
  • #3, 2023 - 26:36 (December 7th, 2023)
  • #2, 2023 - 28:03 (September 7th, 2023)
  • #1, 2023 - 29:50 (August 26th, 2023)
___________________________________________
  • #5, 2022 - 27:30 (October 1st, 2022)
  • #4, 2022 - 26:07 (June 20th, 2022)  Official Event
  • #3, 2022 - 25:28 (May 22nd, 2022)
  • #2, 2022 - 25:20 (May 7th, 2022)
  • #1, 2022 - 27:24 (April 8th, 2022)
___________________________________________
  • #7, 2021 - 23:50 (October 30th, 2021)
  • #6, 2021 - 24:34 (September 17th, 2021)
  • #5, 2021 - 25:10 (September 3rd, 2021)
  • #4, 2021 - 25:29 (August 27th, 2021)
  • #3, 2021 - 26:48 (August 20th, 2021)
  • #2, 2021 - 25:20 (July 9th, 2021)
  • #1, 2021 - 27:00 (June 28th, 2021)  Official Event
___________________________________________
  • #2, 2019 - 27:46 (July 9th, 2019)
  • #1, 2019 - 28:04 (July 2nd, 2019)  Official Event
___________________________________________

From the Archives....

Hallockville Pond - Mt Institute Marathon
July 18th, 2008 - Hawley, Massachusetts

I completed the Hallockville Pond - Mt Institute Marathon with Wuzzam and Tippi.  

The 25+ miles were completed in 5:29:07, and ended with a dip in Hallockville Pond.  

This was my 38th completed marathon and Tippi's 12th.


4th day at JMH.

Twentieth-Second-Day as a Consultant / Contractor.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Visit with my Mom in Williamstown early to mid-day.

Stopped at the trailhead for the Mahican-Mohawk Trail on Route 2 just below the Hairpin Turn.

Rambled up to the Western Summit, then a bit north to "Top of the World".

Completed 4.2-miles.