Another friendly run with Wuzzam and K2;  McCann-Whitiker trails are awesome, and the terrain is hilly enough, with some wonderful happenings in the woods here.  Still very humid in Connecticut, but we managed about 5.5-miles.  The streams are still bone-dry.

Climb toward the top

Stonewalls, magnificent!

Opening in the wall

A look back

Just one more

Another visit to Hawley, to the Dubuque State Forest to work on some of the southern trails.  Did a nice inventory of the bridges, hit the Stone Wall, Root Ball, South Hawley, Gould Connector, Cookstove, Ring and some others not named.  Totaled 11.7-miles in about 3:30, with many stops for pictures.

Spent some time at several cellar holes, thinking I may remember the "old schoolhouse" from Harrison Parker's book.  We shall see.

Stonewalls

Stonewalls

Stonewalls

Bridge over beaver activity on Ring Trail

Pond off Middle Road

 

Hawley to work on the SnoShu and Notch Trail bridge locations.  Ended up with 7.5-miles, beautiful day in the low '70's (at least in Hawley).  Surprised and disappointed to see some illegal trail work being developed along the Notch Trail.

The day gave me a great run and good GPS coordinates for the bridge work.  As a bonus I located the old spring off Notch and Aunt Charity's Chair.

Stonewall through the Notch Trail.

The Notch.

The Notch again.

Oddly positioned Rock along the Notch Trail.

I've been photographing this old Maple since the late '90's.

Aunt Charity's Chair.

Old Stone Foundation along Hunt Road Brook.

Completed the drive from Chicago last night, and took it out to Tunxis this morning.  Route 219 to the Indian Council Caves, 4.4-miles.

It felt great to move again, after three days in a car averaging ~7 hours per day of travel.

Large Boulder at the beginnings of the Indian Council Caves.

The Yellow Mushroom looks like a face to me.

More from the Council Caves.

Again, Caves.

Once more.

Tunxis Trail at the top of the Council Caves.

Beautiful Trail section prior to crossing Washington Hill Road on way back to 219.

Ivy and Moss, together in a pattern.

Large sentinel after stonewall.

Stonewall crossing.

On this day in 2014, Wuzzam and I ran the Mahican Mohawk Marathon in 6:43:30.  We began and ended at Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont, along the bank of the Cold River.  Our turn-around or midpoint was roughly at North Pond at Savoy Mountain State Forest in Savoy / Florida.

This was my 51st completed marathon.  Map of our route is included below

Running through Stafford Meadow

For the direction challenged

Red Pine Plantation, set in 1930's..

Up through the Red Pine.

Wuzzam at the first crossing of the Cold River.

Bog Pond, a long-time favorite area of ours..

Burnett Homestead Cemetery in Florida..

More Burnett

Second crossing of the Cold River.

Flew to Chicago to drive back to Connecticut with JC.  Took the turn toward Ohio, so that we could visit the Serpent Mound in Peebles.  The visit was fascinating, and well worth the travel.  Much to learn still, much to learn.

From the Archives, August 13th, 2006... Pop and his Oliver...

Meeting with Massachusetts DCR regarding volunteer work (a continuation of meeting of July 26th) and trails in Hawley / Dubuque.  I am hopeful that I will be of some assistance to them and the forest.  

Prior to the meeting, I rambled through the trails north of the Hawley Kiln.  It is a real maze, and unfortunately the trails are on private property.  I am surprised so many "alternatives" popped up within a couple years in such a small area.  The good news is taking the "lefts" will lead to the stone wall crossing and the beginnings of "Goat Head Trail".

After monkeying around at the Kiln, I drove to Hawley's "Old Town Common", to search for the "snake effigy wall".  I was pretty sure I knew the spot, and I was correct.  Ended with a nice little 3-mile run in tremendous humidity before a drive to Hallockville Pond and the meeting at SCA HQ.

Hawley Kiln, from the south.

Hawley Kiln, from north.

Inside the Kiln, looking Up.

 Out the door.

Snake effigy wall, looking mid-point toward head.

 Another, with a deeper look.

The wall undulates, and is on-top of a huge slab.

 Marker for the First Church of Hawley, on the Old Town Common.

After hiking and some history, this table awaits a picnic.

The Kiosk is full of information on the Old Town Common and the Hawley Bog.

Also on this day in 2005, I completed my 28th marathon in Dubuque State Forest.  Referred to the Hallockville Pond Marathon, I enjoyed the company of Wuzzam and Tippi, with Old Farmer Tom meeting up with us on the Notch Trail by bike.

This was Tippi's 4th completed marathon.  Our time ended up at 5:21:16.