Made a day of it during some great weather.  Ashfield Trails, starting at Bear Swamp in Ashfield, Massachusetts.  I would be running on trails built and maintained by Ashfield Trails (awesome work).

Finished with a total of 14.9 miles in roughly 3:43:00.  Ran along an old route that I had snowshoed on many years ago (to Mary Lyon Hill), and it was fantastic seeing this utilized as an all season trail.

Tried to re-connect along the old snowmobile trail through the Khandroling - The Land of the Dakinis, but I was not sure of the land being open to visitors, so I aborted.  

Did visit the Mary Lyon birthplace, which was awesome.   And I spent worthy time with a landowner along the trail, "Dick".  Wonderful story-telling man.

Brewer Tatro Memorial Woods signage opposite Bear Swamp.

  

Northwest Cemetery, along Ashfield Trails.

 Beautiful old tree along brook.

  

Closer of old tree along brook.

Looking up at the crown.

  

Smith Brook, just prior to the Smith Road crossing.

 Signage for the Stone Bridge, between Smith and Strohecker Roads.

 The Stone Bridge from below.

 A bit longer shot.

Sentinel tree on top of Ridge Hill, with stone walls along perimeter.

   

Close up on ridge.

   

 Mary Lyon Birthplace marker stone.

Well at Mary Lyon birthplace.

 

Mary Lyon birthplace foundation.

 An old birch sharing location with a rock.

 

Almost finished, the view above Bear Swamp.

Wonderful visit to see my Mom for Mother's Day today.  On the way home, I explored the area around east of Plainfield Pond a bit.  It is a really neat area with three additional large water bodies in the vicinity.

Large Boulder Area East of Plainfield Pond.

  

More Large Boulders.

After a quick drop at Bradley, K2 and I went out to Shenipsit with an attempt to beat the rain.  Decent Run after yesterday's lengthier effort...  3.5-miles and we just managed to get to the car prior to the rain striking down.

Interesting rock pile.

 More interesting rock formation.

Large Balanced and Supported Rock.

Perched rocks.

 

It was such a beautiful sunny day today, I wanted to explore.  I hadn't been to Conway State Forest in a couple years, so it was my destination.  I planned on the Henhawk Trail, with a search for the balanced rock up on a hill I had been to once, years ago.

The run north went really well, it was a great trail and interesting.  The northern section up toward Cricket Hill was new to me, and I was especially impressed with Avery Brook.

On the way back, I took a little used single track, which headed west up the ridge (and I thought might get me to the balanced rock).  This was a really nice single track, but looks to be a little under construction after reaching the height of land.  It ended up turning into old logging road / snowmobile trail (and in defense, some of it was really nice), and it was a good thing I felt like exploring because it took me completely around Walnut and Carey Hills, almost two-miles further south than where I parked, and a bit west as well.  I never came close to the balanced rock, so that will have to be for another future day.

I ended up on Nash Hill Road, almost at Route 9 in Williamsburg, and took the road back to the car.  It wasn't a great ending to the run (I would have preferred to stick in the woods) but my final tally was 13.5-miles, enough for a the day.

Avery Brook, just beautiful.

 

A trip to Savoy, Massachusetts, back to my youth.  My goal was to get some running in along Brown Road, and locate an old cemetery that has been eluding me for close to two-decades.

I recall back in the '70's seeing the Staples Burial Ground on "Cherry Hill Road".  Over the past decade I've made some trips to view it again, but I kept getting shut out.  Today, I felt it would be different.

The run along Brown Road reminded me of all the Savoy Trail Races I had trained for and finished.  I remember snowmobiling Brown Road as a teenager in the '70's, coming up from High Bridge and heading toward Matt's Lodge to play pinball.  My mind wandered, came back to me, and there I was...  right where I needed to be.

Outside steps leading into Staples Burial Ground.

Samuel  Staples Gravestone.

Inside steps leading out of Staples Burial Ground. 

"Patty" 

I explored more of Brown Road, running south to the intersection where I could have taken a right to Route 116 and the Tomb Cemetery.  Along the way, the stonewalls were amazing - not only along much of the old road, but shooting off into the woods often enough as well.  I found a future project, mapping those stone walls along Brown Road.

Odd stone work...  along the way.

Really rewarding run;  I found what I was looking for and also some things I wasn't.  Ended with 5.2-miles and feeling good about things.

A day that threatened rain, so I remained close to home and explored more Shenipsit.  Had a nice 7.4-mile run off Parker Road.  Made it to the giant boulder the Old Goat showed me a summer ago. 

This rock is large, taller than a grown man.

Interesting mound along the way.

Sometime in May, 1995, I qualified for the 100th running of the Boston Marathon by running a 3:08 at Vermont City Marathon.  This was my 6th completed marathon.

Running sub 3:10 to qualify was very difficult for me.  I trained specifically for a full year;  I do not look back at this type of running as enjoyable, despite the reward of qualifying.  At the time, it did not seem fun either, but I was caught up in the excitement of the 100th Boston.

Mohawk Trail State Forest, Charlemont, Massachusetts.  One of my favorite spots, whether with others or alone.

 Stafford Meadow, August 2014, Mohawk Trail Adventure.

 Red Pine Plantation, circa 1930's.

Looking skyward from the Pine Plantation.

 

Another excellent adventure and learning experience with my friend Bob L.  His friend Ray was along, who I am getting to know also.  These two are really full of forest wisdom.  Ray is doing some amazing things with his camera, as evident here.  We also had Jared, from eastern Massachusetts, and Tuomas visiting from Finland.

We spent the day wandering, measuring, documenting and sharing in Mohawk Trail State Forest.  One of our first stops was to the Jake Swamp Pine the tallest tree in New England.

Jake Swamp Pine.

  

Jake Swamp Pine.

  

It was another valuable day for me, as my knowledge of this forest slowly increases through these trips and learning experiences.  I am a fortunate man.

Met up on a Friday afternoon with Wuzzam and the Old Goat, for a decently demanding 10k in Whitiker and McCann Farm Trails.

Grinded it out, decent climbing and beautiful trails in these woods.  A real gem, especially as you get deeper in off the parking areas.  Brooks, stonewalls, large pine, and top notch trail maintenance and design.  Great work Norther Connecticut Land Trust People!

On this day in 2006, I completed the Metacomet Marathon with my dog Tippi;  it was just us.  By 2005, most of my running turned toward exploring and mapping routes through the forest of Western Massachusetts and North Central Connecticut, with an emphasis on picking out ways to connect big tracks of land, and turn them into runs of marathon length.

Tips taking a look toward the quarry in West Suffield, Connecticut.

This run began in Sunrise Park, Suffeld, Connecticut and flowed south through Penwood State Forest in Bloomfield and Simsbury, Connecticut.  We spent 6:27:00 completing a little over 28-miles or so.  This was my 31st marathon completed, and Tippi's 7th.
 

Hueblin Tower in the distance; we would be turning around just prior to it.

Notes:  A great day;  started out 50 degrees at the 9:45 A.M. start time.  I believe it reached 70 degrees during the day, with most of it in the mid to upper 60’s.  Sunny and blue sky entire time, with a bit of a nice breeze every once and a while.

Tippi taking a look back off a ledge.

Much of the route is a ridge trail, with weather beaten trees still standing.

Tippi at the finish, ready to eat and rest.

  

 The Route we managed in April of 2006.

With the first ten-miles (northern section) of our Shenipsit Marathon set, as well as the last seven-miles from Mountain Road into Whitiker Woods and McCann Farm, all that was left was a test run on the two middle sections.

First middle section is a short two-miles, between Route 190 and Gulf Road.  That leaves us with roughly seven or eight-miles for the "Soapstone" portion.

Interesting "balanced" or "perched" boulder along Parker Road. 

 

Today was a strong 12+ miles in 2:38:00.  That was good running for us, especially since we lost some time with the right off the Kibbe extension (turned too soon, but it worked out), and we did some loops after crossing Parker Road.  There are just so many trails in this forest...  and I don't mean that in a good way.

Wuzzam and Tedziou find "us" on the kiosk map.

 

The mileage worked out today;  the planned marathon run is at least twenty six-miles.  The maps are complete, and the trails are cemented in our heads.  Now, just a bit more "build-up" to get to where we can comfortably run for six to seven hours.

The route today...  handled fairly well.

Enjoyed a quiet walk with my dog in Jesse Fowler Smith Memorial Forest, Suffield, Connecticut.  This is a close to home location with a nice short loop that is covered by massive beach and white pine trees.

The area is really underused, the few people I run into when hiking here live in the neighborhood.  It is basically flat, so Tippi can navigate it well. 

It's always good to get out in the woods with my dog.  Or anywhere, actually.