Trip with DL to visit my folks, enjoyed an hour of picking string-beans while there.
Once home, took a 3-mile run along Main Street after dinner.
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Drove out to Burlington again, meeting Wuzzam, to run the Tunxis Trail from Route 4 to Marsh Road in Plymouth, CT.
Nice section of trail, with many optional side-paths that I intend on exploring.
We were impressed with the Tory's Den, as well as another rocky area with caves and cubby-holes to explore. The turn-around-point at the reservoir was very nice as well.
The one glaring issue we experianced is the section shortly after crossing Rock Road, on Johnny Cake Mountain Road (or something similar). The CFPA online resource map doesn't even show the new development or houses, and the Tunxis Trail just exterminates between a few newly being built homes, the paved road, and a clear-cut bank which may soon involve additional houses being built.
We wandered, tried a few wrong directions, and finally found a "Blue-White-Dot" trail option that did re-connect us with the Tunxis proper. Lesson learned is this section, for the time being, can be basically skipped because a trail through a new housing development sucks. Unfortunately, what sucks a bit worse is that no trail markers or signs exist leading a hiker toward success in this area.
Finished well, with 14.5-miles. Wuzzam took a nasty stumble and fall at about mile 11, a result of a tree root not being cut flush with the ground but allowed to stick up 3 inches.
Initial Caves and Slabs
Initial Caves and Slabs
Tory's Den
Tory's Den
Tory's Den
Old Marsh Pond
Tory's Den
Tory's Den
Wuzzam passing Tory's Den
Tory's Den
Nearing the completion of our run
Also, on this day in 2014, Wuzzam and I ran the Mahican Mohawk Marathon in 6:43:30. We began and ended at the Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont, along the bank of the Cold River.
Our turn-a-round or midpoint was roughly at North Pond in Savoy Mountain State Forest, located in Savoy and Florida, Massachusetts.
Our turn-a-round or midpoint was roughly at North Pond in Savoy Mountain State Forest, located in Savoy and Florida, Massachusetts.
This was my 53rd completed marathon. Map of our route is included...
Running through Stafford Meadow
Red Pine Plantation, set in 1930's..
Up through the Red Pine.
Wuzzam at the first crossing of the Cold River.
Bog Pond, a long-time favorite area of ours..
Burnett Homestead Cemetery in Florida..
Second crossing of the Cold River.
Friday, August 14, 2020
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana
Santayana's famous aphorism "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" is inscribed on a plaque at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Polish translation and English back-translation.
First and Last and Always...
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Hallockville Pond Marathon
August 11th, 2005 - Hawley, Massachusetts
On this day in 2005, I completed my 30th marathon. Locale was Dubuque State Forest and we named the event the "Hallockville Pond" Marathon.
For company, I had Wuzzam being his norm good sport, and Tippi with her normal determination. Old Farmer Tom met us along the Notch Trail on bicycle, and enjoyed a few miles with us.
This was Tippi's 4th completed marathon. Our time ended up at 5:21:16.
Monday, August 10, 2020
I drove out to Burlington, wishing to tie-up a section of the Tunxis Trail from my April stopping point on Garrett Mountain. I planned on completing the run along the western slope of the Nepaug Reservoir from Route 4.
It was near impossible to find a parking area, or the trail on the north side of Route 4. I recalled covering this section in July of 2011 with Tippi, and we had come out on a non-busy dirt road a mile or so in from Route 4 (Hotchkiss Road off Covey Road). That is where I ended up parking, which was better once understood.
The run went great, and despite the heat I kept a strong pace. I remembered the bridge across the swamp at Phelps Brook from way back when. The route is basically 90% forest road, but it is interesting.
At my termination point on the north side of Garrett Mountain, I ran east a bit toward the reservoir. Checking my mapping software once home, I can see that a loop is possible, several variations actually, throughout this forest.
When looking over the area on a map I noticed that I missed out on two waterfalls at my parking spot... Bunnell's Falls and Burlington Falls. I'll have to go back and visit Burlington Brook.
Phelps Brook Crossing
View from Baker Road of Nepaug Reservoir
Passageway through Pine
Friday, August 7, 2020
Today I would finish the Connecticut Section of the Appalachian Trail. I had roughly two unfinished miles, from Hoyt Road on the New York border to the top of Ten-Mile Hill, where I turned last weekend.
The damage from Tropical Storm Isaias was difficult to move through, luckily it wasn't continuous but intermittent. Regardless, once I re-connected to last week's turn-a-round spot on Ten-Mile Hill, I continued to the Herrick Trail and Preserve, with the understanding that if the trails were a mess I would run back to the parking area on Route 55 via the road, which is what I ended up doing.
Finished with 5.5-miles, and very impressed with the Herrick Preserve. Incredible stonewalls, one huge boulder, and the views from Housatonic Overlook and Amy's Overlook.
The completion of the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut is something worthwhile, the 56-miles (or so) were doubled as I had to cover out-and-backs each visit. As I occasionally look at pictures of the trail on the web, I recognize each spot and the segment it is located. I've added this knowledge to my circled world.
CT/NY Border Kiosk
Entering Connecticut
Housatonic Overlook in the Herrick Preserve
Housatonic Overlook in the Herrick Preserve
Amy's Overlook
Large Rock at Amy's Overlook
Amy's Overlook
Undulating Stonewall in Herrick Preserve
Entrance to Herrick Preserve
Roadside Memorial on Route 7 & Route 55
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Music 2020...
Effort #32, "Gypsy"... Nice mellow cover of Savoy Brown's opening track from their 1970's album "Looking In", as performed by RSC during early June 2020.
On a side-note, Tropical Storm Isaias hit us pretty hard with extreme wind causing severe damage throughout the afternoon and evening.
Monday, August 3, 2020
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