It's looking like the prep work for our planned marathon in Shenipsit is coming together.  All the explorations and associative mapping has given us a workable northern section, which will include the new blue blazed Shenipsit Trail as well as some alternative tracks that will bring us over the Pinnacle and Bald Mountain.  Total of 10.1-miles today, which will be a great opening section of a marathon.

Here is the first 10+ miles of our planned route:

Sam cooling off at Bald Mountain Pond / Marsh

Wuzzam and K2 after the run, with our friend "tedziu"

3.9-miles in Shenipsit "Central" again.  Excellent night, beautiful weather.

More exploring in Northern Shenipsit State Forest.  There are TNTC (Too Numerous Too Count) trails.  Some are so tight together that I have trouble mapping them without having a surveyor grade global positioning system unit.  The good news is it forces me to identify landmarks to associate the trails better, in my head anyway, if I want to remember them.

8.4-miles of good running, some picture taking, and I beat the rain by a bit.

 Large Boulder perched on edge of slab, from east.

Same Large Boulder perched on edge of slab, from west.

 

 Leading Uphill from east of Pinnacle, Hill labeled X99, three large stones.

Cellar Hole slightly off trail.

Well for Cellar Hole.

Tall Standing Stone, well over 6-feet high.

A weeknight run around the Bald Mountain area...  3.1-miles, beautiful weather!

The sign announcing where we are!

Bald Mountain Pond!

Jon and Samantha pushing upward!

Giving the Shenipsit Section between Route 190 and Gulf Road a try today.  5.1-miles, beautiful day.  There are some interesting stone piles slightly off the trail, several of them in a close proximity.  It is possible to look at my map and see where I "stumbled" around a bit looking at and photographing these mounds.

Close Up of Stone Mound. 

Longer Shot of Mounds.

 

A trip to visit my parents in Adams made it logical to stop in Ashfield on Route 116 / 112 to enjoy Ashfield Trail network.  Slight rain, but not too bad.  3.9-miles of fun.

Along the way I took a few pictures of Sherman Springs in Savoy.

Locally famous Sherman Springs! 

I've made a point of noticing markers along my travels.  I respect and feel the loss. I pass by this roadside memorial often when traveling to visit my parents.  It is on Route 9, in Cummington or Goshen.  Here is a photo from today, followed  by one I had taken years ago when it had been freshly painted.

March of 2016.

August of 2005.

4-miles on the Metacomet Trail in Suffield, Connecticut.

One of the many lookouts along the trail.

Tippi taking a look from Peaked, aka Copper, Mountain.

Weekly Total, 19.5 Miles.
Yearly Total, 129.3 Miles.

Shifted up and went to Barkhamstead area, the Tunxis Trail near Ski Sundown.  We did well with a 7.8-mile run down to Satan's Kingdom and then back plus.  Haven't updated the Tunxis geodatabase yet, so map is not ready.

My dog Tips on the Tunxis.

It is hard to believe I haven't run in Shenipsit / Soapstone area in over a decade.  With so many new trails it is like I've never been here before.  Constant field-work with GPS data will really cement the new network in my mind.  A short 3.3-miles for this one.

Thinking about reviving our mid-week trail runs from a few decades ago...  the Bald Mountain Pond / Marsh area has many new trails to explore, so we explored a 4.2-mile run.  As is the case with Soapstone Mountain area near the Tower, there are many, many intersecting trails here that are unmarked and unblazed.  Be aware of your direction if exploring, especially later in the day.

 Wuzzam and Tedziu, post run.

Route taken, northern most section was our turnaround point due to fading daylight.

Took a drive to Adams to visit the folks.  On Route 116, in Plainfield, I have noticed a huge boulder slightly off the road.  Today, I decided to stop and look... it deserved a photograph.  The stones towered over me.

Another trip from Galbreath Road in Shenipsit State Forest.  7.6-Miles of fun.

Nice Signage from CT DEEP...   I appreciate the attention to the area.

Total for Week, 11.8.
Yearly Total, 109.8.

The plan was to enter Bald Mountain from the south or east, and the route has been tied up successfully. 4.2_miles.

Buried a friend and neighbor today; Sandy had a long battle with cancer, and fought hard until the end.  She was a wonderful neighbor and will be missed by the entire community.

After the service, I wanted to spend some time thinking so I visited Bald Mountain Area, hoping to get to the top as well as the Pinnacle if I was to be fortunate.

Parked at the Bald Mountain Preserve off Scully Road.

Ended up finding what I was looking for, in slightly over 7-Miles.

 Small Pond at beginning of Route to Bald Mountain, approach from the west.

 Large Boulder near above pond, approach from the west.

 Balanced Rock below the Pinnacle.

Stone Wall North of the Pinnacle.

     Mound and Balanced Stone, north of Pinnacle.

 

Close up Balanced Stone, north of Pinnacle.

Getting out on Shenipsit Trail, off Galbreath Road.  I was hoping to run over Bald Mountain and the Pinnacle, recreating part of an old run a bunch of us used to do every July (Thanks Kevin S).  It has been a very long time since then, and I hadn't visited Bald Mountain or the Pinnacle in well over a decade.

As I hit what was sort of the first peak of the day, on the Blue Blazed Shenipsit Trail, I realized that I wasn't on Bald Mountain, and I wasn't west enough.  Evidently, the old Shenipsit Trail has been re-rerouted!  I have to admit, the work done on this new section is phenomenal.  Bald Mountain and the Pinnacle would have to wait for another day.  Ended up with 8-miles on my legs.

The Whistling Tree. 

 Huge Grouping of Stones uphill from the trail.

Balanced Rock slightly off trail, looking easterly.

  Same Balanced Rock, looking westerly toward Bald & Pinnacle Ridge.

 An Old Well, I've located a few of these in this section of forest.  No Cellar Hole nearby.

Route from the Day.

 

Total for Week, 11.0.

Yearly Total,  98.0