5th Annual South Pond Shuffle 4-Mile Snowshoe Race

January 12th, 2002 - Florida & Savoy,  Massachusetts

Race Directing duties at the fifth South Pond Shuffle Snowshoe Race at Savoy Mountain State Forest...  once again part of the WMAC Dion Snowshoe Series!

The event had 78 starters and finishers, circling North Pond, South Pond, and Tyler Swamp.

A quite North Pond, after the event

Tippi at home in Savoy

DLV, relaxing with a hike after the event

 Feeling pretty good after directing duties

  North Pond

CCC Buildings, our "headquarters" at Savoy Mountain

The "Main-Base" for the South Pond Shuffle

Marking the South Pond Shuffle Snowshoe course with my Pop and Tips, followed by a stop at Whitcomb Summit for some thoughts, and then a hike into the hidden "Burt" Cemetery.

Tyler Swamp

Tips on Tyler Swamp

Tippi trying to behave

Pop hanging ribbon

Pop at the Tyler Swamp intersection 

Ice on South Pond appears "Safe"

Ice on South Pond appears "Safe"

Me and Tippi

As I often said...  "she's a good girl, sometimes"

At our rock above our swimming area at North Pond

 Rock Area were we "took a dip" most years at North Pond

After marking, we stopped at the Whitcomb Summit

Elk Monument at Whitcomb Summit

In Memory...

Whitcomb Summit Monument

Whitcomb Summit Monument with Spruce Mountain in distance

Whitcomb Summit Monument

Old cabins at Whitcomb Summit

Hidden Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden  Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden  Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden  Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden  Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden  Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden  Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden  Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden Cheshire Cemetery

Hidden Cheshire Cemetery

Tippi with Greylock in background

Tips and Greylock

Spent a sunny, no-snow New Year's Day at Suffield Academy playing frisbee with Tippi.

Tippi loved frisbee

A deserved rest

Catching her breath 

Catching the frisbee in mid-air was easy for this dog

1st Annual Prospect Mountain Snowshoe Races
December 30th, 2001 - Prospect Mountain, Woodford, VT

The 1st Annual Prospect Mountain Snowshoe Race joined our series, with both a 10km and a 5km option for racing.  I managed a 14th out of 41 finishers in the long-race.  There were 11 finishers for the short course, with my friend PH taking top honors!

Nipmuck Trail Marathon

June 10, 2001 - Ashford, Connecticut

Completed my 25th marathon distance run today at Nipmuck Trail Marathon.  My finish time was recorded as 4:27:17, which was good for 35th place.

Being encouraged by Wuzzam, the Bandit and I drove out to Woodstock, CT to run their famous 10k road race (we were enticed with an offer of hamburgers at the Wuzzam residence afterward).

Bandit destroyed me at this one, a good minute and a half.  We both dipped under 45-minutes for an event we were not trained for.  Wuzzam was a few minutes behind us.

2nd Annual Moody Spring Snowshoe Race
March 3rd, 2001 - Dubuque State Forest, West Hawley, MA

The 2nd Annual Moody Spring Snowshoe Race took place under my direction.

38 finishers for the 9-miler, and another 20 finishers on the 4.5-mile "short" course.  We ended up at South Face Farm Sugarhouse for an included "brunch", making this a tradition to wrap up our season.

4th Annual Hawley Kiln Snowshoe Races
February 17th, 2001 - Dubuque State Forest, Hawley, MA

I once again directed the 4th Annual Hawley Kiln Klassic.  51 finishers for the 7-miler, and another 23 finishers for the 4.5-miler.  A great day!

2nd Annual Saratoga Spa Winterfest 5km Snowshoe Race

February 4th, 2001 - Saratoga Springs, NY

The second Saratoga Spa Winterfest 5km Snowshoe Race at Spa Park in Saratoga Springs, New York found me finishing in 11th place.  Seven-Seconds separated 9th through 12th places!

The event had 82 starters and finishers.  This event was organized by my very good friends, JC & LC.

1st (and only) Frostfaire 4-Mile Snowshoe Race

January 27th, 2001 - Saratoga Battlefield, Stillwater, NY

Enjoyed an outstanding event at the Saratoga Battlefield, a well attended 4-mile snowshoe race in Stillwater, New York.

I managed a 7th place finish out of 78 participants.

2nd Annual Greylock Glen 5km Snowshoe Race

January 20th, 2001 - Adams,  Massachusetts

Race Directing duties with PH at the second Greylock Glen Snowshoe Race at the Mount Greylock State Reservation, in the Adams Glen...  part of the WMAC Dion Snowshoe Series! 

I managed to finish in 7th position, with a total of 50 participants.

4th Annual South Pond Shuffle 4-Mile Snowshoe Race

January 13th, 2001 - Florida & Savoy,  Massachusetts

Race Directing duties at the fourth South Pond Shuffle Snowshoe Race at Savoy Mountain State Forest...  part of the WMAC Dion Snowshoe Series!

The event had 82 starters and finishers, circling North Pond, South Pond, and Tyler Swamp.

Watery Hill 6-Hour Run

November 4, 2000 - Somewhere in MA or RI

I completed 33-miles during the Watery Hill Six-Hour Race today, with Johnny Bandit.  I called it a day at 6:00:00.

In Memory...  

Rest in Peace Dusty
(August 28, 1986 - September 25, 2000).

"Dusty" at Old Sturbridge Village, 1998

DL brought Dusty home at Christmas 1986, when we lived at Old Mill Pond in Arlington, Texas.  He was a cocker-spaniel, and a really great dog.

Once we made the move to Connecticut in 1989, we began hiking and backpacking.  Dusty loved the trail, and camping out in a tent.  As a spaniel, he also loved water, and even in December's winters, if the water was open, he was going in.

We began running in Shenipsit State Forest around 1992, after building up with the years of hiking.  We ran on the Metacomet three or four days a week, right up to a week before his passing.

I have been extremely lucky with the dogs I've had.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of them.  As I still ramble through the woods, I encounter hints and reminders constantly.  Those first explorations throughout Connecticut and Western Massachusetts were with Dusty,.  Rest easy, boy.

Drove to the site of the once mighty Sprague Electric in North Adams, MA with DL, Bill and an Englishman to attend the Patti Smith show at Mass MoCa. 

Here is a approximation of the setlist for this awesome show!

• One Voice
• Beneath the Southern Cross
• Boy Cried Wolf
• Dancing Barefoot
• Lo and Beholden
• Spell
• Dead City
• Don’t Say Nothing
• Because the Night
• Pissing in a River
• Gone Pie
• Strange Messengers
• Be My Baby
• Glitter In Their Eyes
• Be My Baby
• Free Money
• Land/Machine Gun/Gloria