1st Spruce Hill Climb Snowshoe Race
December 8th, 1996 - Florida/Savoy, Massachusetts

A Spruce Hill Snowshoe Adventure was held in Savoy Mountain State Forest.  We happily hosted a handful of participants on this day.

Georgie and Bear

On Spruce Hill with Bear

SWAMPS, STREAMS AND SPRUCE HILL

If December 8th seemed early for snowshoe, it wasn’t.  From Friday through Sunday morning it continually snowed, and hard.  What we were left with was an upgrade in status from “trail run” to full fledged snowshoe assault.  Ladies and Gentlemen... start your engines... the sport of snowshoeing has arrived in Southern New England.

The conditions were fantastic!!  The morning had us glaring at 22 - 27 inches of the heaviest, wettest snow imaginable.  We set out eagerly, although slowly, a gut wrenching, quad and glut burning 2.2 mph pace around Tower Swamp and the ensuing climb up Spruce Peak (2566’).  We somehow managed to figure out that we had to take turns leading if we were to make it to the top of the mountain.

As tough and demanding the effort it took to reach the top of Spruce Hill, it was worth it.  We saw Greylock and Borden Mountain / Tower 51 in the distance.  What a great way to stomp through 3.5-miles.

Savoy Mountain State Forest with Dusty again - this time the following:

North Pond Loop

Old Florida Road

Busby Trail to Spruce Hill

7.5-miles in 2:00:01. 

Savoy Mountain State Forest with Dusty for 5-miles along North Pond Loop, Florida Road and the Blackburnian Trails.

Hit peak 2416', managed 5-miles in 1:21:38.

Metacomet Trail run with GH & the Bandit from Phelps south to Route 20 (and back).

1:00:24 / 1:04:55

2:05:20 Total.

Trail Maintenance with K2 & Dusty at Dubuque in Hawley.

We spent 2-hours clearing a mile of trail, from trailhead to Basin Brook Crossing.

Later on, DL and I attended a Springfield Blizzard Woman's Basketball game - which was lost by the Blizzard on the last shot of the game.

Granville State Forest with Dusty, 3-miles. 

South Taconic Trail Run

Catamount Ski Area to Bash Bish Falls (and back...)

We failed to catch up with Uphill & the Old Goat, as we got lost driving (Bandit and I).

Bandit and I managed 12-miles (roughly 6-miles each way) for the day.

1:32:25 Out and 1:31:53 Back.  3:04:18 Total.

DL and I attended the Neil Young and Crazy Horse concert in Hartford tonight, with the following as the set-list:

• Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)
• Pocahontas
• Slip Away
• Powderfinger
• Big Time
• The Needle and the Damage Done
• Out of My Mind
• I Am a Child
• Heart of Gold
• Helpless
• Scattered (Let's Think About Livin')
• Cinnamon Girl
• When You Dance, I Can Really Love
• Fuckin' Up
• Cortez the Killer
• Music Arcade
• Like a Hurricane

Encore:

• This Town
• Sedan Delivery
• Rockin' in the Free World

Metacomet with RunSteveo, Phelps south to Peak/Copper and back.

44:34 / 

44:58 / 1:29:32

Promotion at work & DL hired at our local bank.  A pretty good day!

Appalachian Trail Adventure with GH & Bandit.

Began at Route 41 (Plateau Camping Area) and rambled to Jug End Road for 16.3-miles.

Lions Head:          35:13 /   35:13

Point (Break):      49:16 / 1:24:30        

Race Mountain:   57:38 / 2:22:08

Point (Break):        9:26 / 2:31:34

Everett:                45:28 / 3:17:03

Jug End Road:  1:04:12 / 4:21:15

DL and Dusty met us at the end to shuttle us back.

Monroe 30km Trail Race with Pop.

We made the 2-hour cutoff time by a mere 3-minutes.

1:57:11

2:10:16 / 4:07:28

Marked the Spruce Mountain section of the Monroe race with Dusty (4-Miles).

Granville State Forest with Dusty for 3.1-miles.

Metacomet Trail Run Phelps to Route 20 and back.

21:29

23:18 /    44:47

  9:11 /    53:59

11:28 / 1:05:28

24:06 / 1:29:35

22:10 / 1:51:45