Drove to Savoy Mountain State Forest to check the conditions for the South Pond Shuffle Snowshoe Event scheduled for this year.  Dusty joined me for 3-miles of effort around the ponds.

Moody Spring Snowshoe Ramble I
January 3rd, 1998 - Hawley, Massachusetts

M. SPRINGS & SMILING SNOWMEN

Seeing as we missed out on BD’s FA50 and also TW’s Gruba Dupa, a few leftover wannabees considered multiple loops around the forest of Hawley, specifically Moody Springs. Although we wouldn’t come close to the holiday achievement of 50Km, we did spend a wonderfully long time sampling the unseasonable warm temperatures and deep wet snow that Hawley State Forest had to offer. And oh yes, drink from the spring we did...

The Basin Brook Trail is a particularly beautiful section of this forest during the winter months, so much so we ran it in both directions. There is something wonderfully relaxing and peaceful about running in snow along side a frozen snow covered brook rolling along slowly not in any hurry. Infrequent blast of hot blowing air contrasted sharply with the cold wet pocket of air within the bottom of the steep banks of the brook, causing us to wonder and laugh each time we felt the change of temperature. This was a real charge for us, for at this point of the day each of us was feeling tiredness creep in and our judgment may have been a bit cloudy. As each of us admitted feeling the difference, all became sane again. Well, sort of.

We actually circled Moody Springs twice, filling our bottles and drinking long and deep both times. The shelter had a huge snowman perched on it’s roof, looking out for approaching visitors and greeting them with a welcoming hand raised in salute. None of us could figure out how anyone managed to raise the big balls of snow up onto the roof, but the frosty thing sure did look happy sitting there alone at the magical place known as Moody Springs. Come to think of it, so did we.

MOODY SPRINGS SNOWSHOE RAMBLE I

JANUARY 3, 1998 HAWLEY, MA

K2               12km             5:45

JT                15km             3:05

Keen-Eye    13 miles        3:59

Bandit         13 miles        4:05

Farmer        13 miles        4:05

Took Dusty out to the Metacomet, parking on Phelps Road.  Journey south through the snow for 4.4-miles in about 1:11:00.

3-miles of snowshoeing in Suffield Academy, with Dusty, 36:52.

3-miles in Suffield Academy, with Dusty.  37:33 of snowshoe adventure.

5-miles in Sunrise Park with Dusty, snowshoe total of 1:03:24.

3-miles in Suffield Academy with Dusty, 34:57.

Bigelow Hollow in Union, Connecticut to snowshoe 11-miles with the Old Goat, 2:50:11.

4-miles of snowshoeing in Suffield Academy, with Dusty, 56:04.

3-mile snowshoe in the Suffield Academy with Dusty, for 37:51.

2nd Annual Tannery Falls Winter Run Snowshoe
December 20th, 1997 - Florida/Savoy, Massachusetts

2nd Annual Tannery Falls Winter Run (Snowshoe) was held at Savoy Mountain State Forest.  Four total finishers for the event, two with snowshoes (the Bandit and I).  We ran 3:39:13 for the 25-Km.

3-miles on snowshoes in Stony Brook Park with Dusty, 31:30.

A first today, snowshoe'd 5-miles along Main Street at 5 a.m. in 49:35.

2nd Spruce Hill Climb Snowshoe Race
December 7th, 1997 - Florida/Savoy, Massachusetts

A Spruce Hill Snowshoe Adventure was held in Savoy Mountain State Forest.  We managed to have twelve-finishers on this fine, snowy day!  I completed my 8-mile route in 2:00:27.

Took a run through on snowshoes with Dusty on the South Pond Shuffle Course, which left North Pond, circled Tyler Swamp and South Pond before finding the way back to North Pond.  All this in Savoy Mountain State Forest, on the Florida and Savoy border.

I am hoping to pull off an event here during January or February, 1998!  Today, we managed the fairly easy 4.0-miles in 58:54.