Back to Soapstone, Shenipsit State Forest, on snowshoes!

I have been paying attention to the forest, during my Naturalists Studies.  It  is funny, the things that once passed right by with only minor interest from me.  Now, it is like I am on noticing overdrive.

Soapstone has an abundance of rock formations.  I am currently reading Manitou:  The Sacred Landscape of New England's Native Civilization by James W. Mayor Jr and Byron E. Dix.  Glacial randomness may not account for some of the more "interesting" placements.  With open eyes, uniqueness reveals itself regularly. 

Trees have always been important to me;  I feel their power in the ground when I am close by.  Running through the "Elder's Grove" in Mohawk Trail State Forest gives me true power, gained from the height and age of the living, communicating, entities.

The trail we were finishing up on today gave us a really great example of a black birch that may be showing the effects of starting up on a "nurse log".  It is amazing what we can find if we just slow a little, and keep eyes and mind open.

This last rock formation was surprising as it wasn't part of a nearby boulder field.  It sits at about 870', on the southwest side of Soapstone Mountain.

It was a fantastically cold day, but the sun was bright and it didn't feel that cold.  I guess the temperature was in the teens.  First good day of snowshoeing, 5.8 miles in 90 minutes...  slow going with all the stops to cement the magic into our minds.

Map of the day follows, with track and locations of "Prayers in Stone".

Miles for week, 5.8;  Total for Year, 60.1.

Something I do not do much of, stretching twenty years.... a run on the road in Suffield, Connecticut.  3.6 miles just to get something on my legs.

Miles for the week:  6.0;  Total for Year:  54.3.

A visit to Suffield Swamp...

The most accessible woods available to me. I can access this network of trails right from my condo, if the swamp is frozen.  Today, the ground wasn't frozen and it was a bit of a mess throughout the entire 2.4 miles.  I can get a big loop in, without repeating anything, of about 6 miles;  more with some minor repeat. This White Birch is located at 0.9-miles from my start.  It is a beauty...

A little further out, one of my favorites...

On this day in 1998, the 4th Annual Moby Dick Marathons were held over Greylock. I completed my 17th marathon in 6:19:40, with Johnny Bandit.  It was the second time I wore snowshoes for the 28-mile adventure.  It would be the last time I would snowshoe this distance!

Back to the old favorite, Metacomet Trail in Suffield, Connecticut.

This time, headed north.  I was able to meet two new dog friends along the trip today, and a little bear at the start!  3.1 quick miles.

Miles for the week:  13.1;  Total for Year:  48.3.

Exploring Soapstone Mountain again...

We're pushing our distance a bit each week.  We had a goal of Gulf Road to the southern next road crossing, Route 140, and back.  We used Hopkins Road as our turnaround, with Route 140 a stones throw from it.

10.05 miles, about 2 hrs 15 minutes.  Wonderful Run....   Saw another interesting rock pile that was marked by gps... will have to photograph before spring.  Our route is shown below.

I received the following in letter form a while back, and I was hand-delivered the award and pin this week.  I didn't make the conference in Boston, but that doesn't matter so much.

"...We are pleased to inform you that your membership in the Quarter Century Operators Club (QCOC) has been approved. Your WEF Member Association (MA) will also be notified of your approval.

Your QCOC recognition award and pin will be presented at your MA’s annual meeting.

The Water Environment Federation congratulates you on this achievement and thanks you for your dedicated service to both the profession and WEF!""

I have been working in this industry since 1985, but I joined WEF late.  

More Soapstone...

Crossed Gulf Road to re-establish the old path back again.... important to link to Whitaker and McCann Farm.  Noticed a black birch growing on "stilts" (likely from a nurse log) and an interesting stone pile across from it.  Need to revisit with a camera.

Ended up with a nice 6.2 miles for the day, about 90 minutes.

Total for week:  9.9 miles.  Yearly Total:  35.2.

Another cold day on the Metacomet... Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Started at my normal spot on Mountain Road, at the Spencer Woods Wildlife Preserve sign.  Made my 2nd journey in 2016 to sign the log book, about 3.7 miles round trip.

Ventured past the sign at the intersection with the Deer Run Trail, George A. Harmon Woodlot.

I know during my January 3rd post I re-capped the number of times I've run to the sign in log since 2011, when Dr. Ed made it possible to sign in.  I would like to make 50 visits again this season, and this blog will hopefully keep me on track.

I am also interested in getting about ~1000 trail miles of running in this year.  Working it out by month, conservatively, I am thinking positive.

I'll need to remain injury free, healthy, and a bit lucky/blessed.

Connecting to Soapstone...

My friend Bob kept me company on a damp day at Whitaker Woods, working on our connection to Soapstone Mountain.  The "circled world" philosophy towards connecting tracts of land is something I have been working on since the '70's...  we plan to tackle a marathon route here this spring, and enjoy five to eight hours of running together. 

Bob and I have run a dozen (or more) marathon routes we've made up through our connecting forest or large tracts of open space, since 2005.  If we count official trail marathons as well, we have completed over 25.

The stone wall in the picture is at the height of land, on a connector trail near Parker Road.  The wall is a beauty. 

Run was 5.5 miles and about 78 minutes.  Total for week, 8.6 miles.  Yearly, about 25.3.

Local run along a trail I have visited thousands of times...

Metacomet Trail in Suffield, Connecticut... Used the lesser traveled Hugh M. Alcorn and Howard Wells Alcorn Wildlife Preserve area.

Waited until after the rain, 3.1 miles in about 40 minutes;  I was in no hurry.

Received great news from my neurosurgeon, my EEG came back fine and I can begin to ween off the anti-seizure medications I've been taking since August.

Also, I can resume normal driving....  I did not drive from late August until sometime in December... and that was only local driving.  I am thankful and blessed.

Had company (K2) for a jog at McLean Game Refuge, second trip this year.  Ran the same 3.4 miles as last time, but in reverse direction.  I think I liked this option a bit better,  Roughly 40 minutes.

Much of the section we ran is lined by both Red and White Pine.  Beautiful Trees....

On this day in 1996, I participated in the annual "Fat Ass 50" in North Adams, Massachusetts.  It consisted of many loops on the road, on a cold, gray day, and I believe there was a pretty bad snowstorm on the drive home.  I have a time listed of  5:32:35, and I think that was for 26.2 miles - not 50k.  This was my 8th marathon completed.

Health trip...

Had a visit to St. Francis Hospital today for a Electroencephalography (EEG).  My EEG administrator told my wife that I had a "Beautiful Mind".  That made my day.

I also asked some questions of my administrator, as she mentioned that it was Three Kings Day.  I learned much of this important celebration, and that there would be a parade with camels in Hartford later on today, celebrating the birth of Jesus and the 3 Wise Men (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, according to tradition).  I found a bit more here.  As a Christian, this was a very comforting beginning to my visit.