It has been a very long time since I've been on Greylock.  Having grown up in Adams, the mountain is part of me, yet I haven't connected with it recently.  Wuzzam and I decided to change that today.

We would park along Rockwell Road, at the CCC Dynamite Trailhead lot.  This is directly across from Sperry Road, which has been closed to vehicles for a few years now.  Route as follows:

• Sperry to the Hopper Trail, and drop down to Hopper Road, at roughly 1,000' elevation.
• Up Haley Farm Trail to Stony Ledge lookout at 2,560' elevation.
• Down the Stony Ledge Trail to the Roaring Brook Trail at roughly 1,200' elevation.
• Up Roaring Brook to the Deer Hill Trail, 2,250' elevation.
• Down Deer Hill to the Falls, and then climb back up to the Campground Trail, which is a real rollarcoaster down and up!
• Campground Trail out to Rockville Road, down the Road for a quarter mile, and down Greylock Road to the Stage Trail.
• Stage Trail to Jones Nose.
• Up Jones Nose to the CCC Dynamite, and the Dynamite back to the car.

Total of 13.2-miles, beautiful low 70-degree temperatures with no humidity and no bugs.  

We held up really well on the long Haley Farm Climb, remembering most of it from the Greylock Marathon Runs.  Roaring Brook was the toughest for both of us, it has turned steeper and longer than I had remembered.  Deer Hill was as I recalled, difficult heading down and a chore climbing back up.

By the time we hit Jones Nose, even that climb stressed us.  Neither of us have climbed like this in some time.  It was beautiful, and encouraged us to make this trip much more often.

View northwest from Haley Farm Trailhead

Climbing Haley Farm, Wuzzam is in a green shirt in the middle of photo

Looking towards Williamstown from Haley Farm Trail, two-thirds up

Looking off Stony Ledge, with Prospect on the left, Fitch and Williams on right

Wuzzam on Stony Ledge, Greylock behind him

Another view off Stony Ledge, with a nicer focus on The Hopper

The bottom of Deer Hill Falls

Stream after the falls from the bridge

Wuzzam on the bridge

Jones Nose

Also, on this day in 2005...

Tippi and I ran the Savoy General Store Marathon.  It was lengthy, over 29-miles I believe.  From Haskins Road to the General Store, which brought us all the way over to Windsor Jambs, we had the company of "Max", a friendly dog we picked up at Loop & Haskins intersection. 

Tippi along the trails of Savoy, 2005.

 Oddly, each time we came to an intersection on the trail, "Max" knew which way we were planning on turning (even though he lead).  He managed this for 9 - 10 miles.

Total for the day was roughly 29.30-miles in 6:17:52.  It was my 27th completed marathon, and Tippi's 3rd.  After finishing, I met Jane Phinney in the Savoy Town Offices;  she was the Savoy Town Clerk and is the author of  "Taking the High Road". 

After Saturday's run to the Pine Cone, I decided the time was ripe to bushwhack from Enders State Forest up to the Cone.  It looked to be somewhere around a mile, and I had the waypoint on the gps so it would be fairly easy finding my way (as long as I could avoid heavy mountain laurel stands).

Heading up, I encountered an amazing ceremonial stone pile in the middle of nowhere, which I would commit to memory for the return trip.  It rained slightly, but the leaf coverage was pretty heavy so I managed to stay somewhat dry.  Made it to the end of Pine Cone easily enough, at around 1.2-miles.

Going down, I decided to keep a slightly straighter bearing on the stone-mound.  Worked fantastically, so I'll get out here in the early winter and place some flagging up for the connection of the circled world.

Once down to the stream, I followed the trail(s) to the south-side, crossed after the last falls, wobbled a bit further east before turning around and coming back on the north side of the stream.  Water over the falls was plentiful and loud!  Managed a total of 3.1-miles while having this fun.

Just enough time between leaving my normal work-day and re-arriving for the scheduled monthly meeting to get in a 3.4-mile run on the Metacomet from Phelps Road.

This is an out and back that I've done way, way over a thousand times.  That I continue to visit it speaks to its appeal.

Chimney remains about a half-mile out from Phelps Road

Music 2017...

Effort #22, Tale of a Broken Man...

The Road Warriors for Christ, from the fall of 1988. Another original song of mine, lyrics and music.  The song is about a close friend, in need of redemption/salvation.  He found it.

The Rev. King supplied the lead guitar parts;  it was the first time I played the song with him.  His melody fits really nicely and engaged the mood of the song.

 

Old news department...

On this day in 2009, Tippi and I explored the Robert Frost Trail through Sunderland and Amherst (I think).  It was a day after a really hard rain, so the brooks and streams were really roaring.  We ended up losing a bunch of time "off trail" around Eastman Brook.

We parked at Amethyst Brook and did a bit south, then north to the foot of Bull Hill.  Outstanding area that I would like to return to.

This was my 41st completed marathon and Tippi's 14th.  The run took us 6:03:58 to finish.

Had a 9:00 a.m. run planned with Wuzzam, with plans to tackle Penwood and Talcott Mountain in a loop, more or less.  

We rolled through 12.5-miles of rocky ups and downs, and we did so pretty successfully.  By that, I mean I felt as though I had another hour of running in me (at least).  Wuzzam thought he finished well, and had a bit more in the tank also.

We ended up at around the 3 hour mark for moving time.   Much of the route is rocky, and constant up and down especially the first 3.3-miles from Wintonberry Road to the Penwood parking lot.  This will be the final leg of a planned marathon, beginning in the north...  hopefully this fall.

Wuzzam at the Prayer Garden in Penwood

Hueblin Tower

Wuzzam at his first visit to Hueblin Tower / Talcott Mountain

 Just south of the Tower on the open ledge

Broad Hill Road in Granby, Connecticut, off Route 20.  There are trails throughout the Granby Land Trust, Holcomb Farm, and McLean Game Refuge.  Wanted to get in a mid-distance run, and I hadn't been out in this area in a while.

The thing that pops into my mind every 5 or so years is a connection to Enders State Forest from the Broad Hill, Weed Hill and Pine Cone area.  I keep looking every half-decade, but so far no one has connected things for me.

Along this run, there are many "highlites"...

• Cellar Holes & Stone Walls
• At least One Old Well
• Carpenter Falls
• Pine Cone
• Diamond Ledge

I managed 7.8-miles, in a remaining high humidity.  I did find some "private" trails off Broad Hill that lead into backyards, and one that loops about and catches a nice pond.  I did not see anything promising off the Pine Cone, so I'll keep those points on my gps and hike up from Enders sometime soon.

I cut off toward Pine Cone, but Broad Hill continues west.  It used to come out on Case Street, I'll check on that at some point.  There was also a single-track trail leaving Broad Hill to the south, which also came back around to Case Street at a Horse Rescue Farm.  Its been ages since I tried either of those options.

Carpenter Falls

 Carpenter Falls again

 Pond off Broad Hill

Remains of an Old Well

 View off the northeast side of Pine Cone

 The Summit of Pine Cone

 Diamond Ledge

Longish day at work, with a return necessary later this evening, but still time for a run along the Metacomet in Suffield.  Old faithful, Phelps Road south for 3.4-miles.

The far ridge is what I was on Wednesday and Thursday of this week

 Looking off the Metacomet down into West Suffield

Back to the Cathles Trail with my gps.  The most excellent news is I got off the ridge and out of the woods just as the rain started.  And start it did, heavy and steady pouring sheets of rain that made driving difficult.  

I managed a track, and unfortunately did not see any "trail" leading up to the Westledge Trail of McLean.  At some point I'll try to come down off Westledge, near the cellar holes, to pick a line that can work.  I am always on the lookout to expand a run through the woods, and this ridge-line is really special.

2.5-miles again, with a couple of bushwhacks.  All in all, a real good day.

The clouds are rolling in overhead, with the Barndoor Hills in the background

After work I drove to the Cathles Trail in Simsbury, adjacent to McLean Game Refuge Property along the West Ledge Trail.  I had been along this ridge once before, in April of 2010.  To my chagrin, I did not have my gps with me today, so no waypoints or tracks to place on a map.  I just have my memory.

Once I get some points on a map, I am hopeful to connect this with the Westledge Trail in McLean, as it will really expand the circled world.  Even if a "connection" becomes a bushwhack.

For the day, I rambled for 55-minutes, so I'll be ultra-conservative and call it 2.5-miles (it felt strange not to run with my gps...)

Waterfall on the Cathles Trail

Small Cave at the intersection of the Cathles and the Red Trail

 View of the Barndoor Hills in McLean off the Ridge

Very humid today, and later at work than I had planned (again), but I made it to Metacomet anyhow to get out to the sign-in log and back for 3.4-miles.

Witnessed several broken trees due to the severe storms that have been rolling through the last week.  This one below is right at the sign-in log at the lookout.

On this day in 2008, I completed the Hallockville Pond - Mt Institute Marathon with Wuzzam and Tippi.  The 25+ miles were completed in 5:29:07, and ended with a dip in Hallockville Pond.  This was my 36th completed marathon and Tippi's 12th.

With my two ventures to the Holyoke Range area last week, it seemed appropriate for me to post an old piece written about 21-years ago, about the 7 Sisters Trail Race...

SIX PACK CHALLENGE

One of the first things to remember about running, especially in an event or race, is to run your own pace. Never ever let outside influences affect you. It is very easy to get caught up in the excitement of a big start, tearing off at suicidal speed only to suffer for it later. It’s also easy to get in a group and despite realizing you may be going a bit too fast, hang on until it’s too late. Or in my case, letting running store employees intimidate me into something I knew better than to attempt.

Two days before the 7 Sister’s race, visiting the Running Shop in Northampton, I engaged conversation with two salespeople about this years event. They asked all the normal questions, one being "Are you taking the 6 pack challenge?"

When I told them under two hours would be impossible for me, they mentioned that Fred changed it to "under 2:10, and the only thing worse than those who take the challenge without having even a remote possibility of dipping under the limit are those who chicken out with a legitimate chance at the prestige of beating Fred for a six pack."

At this statement, 41 customers in the store turned toward me, sideways glances filled me with a trembling fear, and I stuttered out a weak childlike "give me my application back I’ll take the challenge." A small cheer lit up the store as I stumbled out onto main street mumbling "what have I done ???"

The second thing to remember about running in a for real trail race event, is never start at the front of the pack unless you plan on winning the thing. We who were "courageous" enough to sport Aidida stickers on our foreheads designating 6 pack status were allowed to start at the front of the pack at the base of Bare Mt.

Most of you who know me realize that I usually start mid-pack and like to comfortable slowly make my way towards the front, if I am lucky that day. Well, this day I started out four spots behind Matt C, and chased him up the mountain at a pace that left my legs shaky. Being in front left me no choice but to run at a much faster speed than I normally would attempt on such a vertical (it seemed) climb.

The half way point was reached in decent time, but by the 3/4 point of the race my legs had it. The pace was too much. My mind was willing but my body couldn’t. I thought that maybe, if I was a consumer of alcohol, it would have given me the little extra incentive I so badly needed to push a little harder. But all I had on the line was a six pack of grape juicy juice, and that wasn’t enough for me to risk blowing my heart out of my chest. So on came the slowdown.

I inched up the two steep climbs approaching Hitchcock, pushing my legs hands on knees to help with the effort. Thinking of excuses (muddy, slippery, warm, record number of participants) on why I wouldn’t beat Fred for the challenge (all the fine excuses I had bit the dust when I later heard Matt C set a new course record, bad knee and all). 

Suddenly realizing that if I had just run my normal pace I may have been just as fast if not faster, those last two miles would have had me energized and finishing strong instead of being tired and lazy, all the early cushion I had lost at the end. I re-learned an important lesson, one I had already experienced in the past, and never should have had to re-learn: Run your own race, let the crowds go, listen to your heart and never bet on a trail race (Nature will whip you every time).

{05/01/1996}

Still warm but supposedly less humid, and another trip to the Holyoke Range.  On Tuesday, I turned around on Long Mountain, and I wanted to complete the section.  

Looking over the online mountain bike map that is available, I parked on Harris Mountain Road, and memorized the turns to stick on the North Harris Trail until I could intersect the Metacomet-Monadnock / Robert Frost duel line.  From there, I'd simply re-climb Long Mountain, drop off its east side back to Harris Mountain Road, and with energy remaining I'd make an attempt at getting to Bay Road on the Metacomet.

The North Harris Trail is fantastic, with a handful of intersecting trails.  There may be an extra or so that wasn't on the mountain bike map, but I came out right where I had wanted to.  Speaking of that mountain bike map available online, whomever provided that really provided a fantastic service.  

The route was really great, and I had energy enough to make it to Bay Road.  That section, once the Metacomet and Robert Frost split, isn't all that memorable.  The trail is fairly nice, and the ridge-top wooded section is fine, but there is a power-line crossing and a jog behind a mansion before dropping down to Bay Road, which has a rope available to help you back up due to the steepness of the little dip.

I completed my day with 6.5-miles and a decent chunk of climbing again.  Just under 30-miles for the week (29.8).

One Balanced Rock

Two Balanced Rock

 West off Long Mountain

 Marker for Amherst & Granby

A good chunk of time was spent this morning weeding our flower beds, which needed it.  I also slept later than usual, which was fantastic.  Mid afternoon was my time for a run, and due to the day getting away from me, I minimized drive-time and went to the Metacomet to stay close to home.

I was hoping for something in the 6-mile range, and I thought a really good turn-a-round spot would be the notch.  Turned out to be 2.9-miles from Route 20 to that point in the bottom of the two rises, so my thought worked.  Ended the day with a comfortable 5.8-miles, and a short drive to Old Newgate Prison and Copper Mine for a few photos (site is still closed, unfortunately).

A view of the Quarry in West Suffield from the Metacomet Ridge

 Open Ledge along the trail

 More open ledge trail

 Remains of Old Newgate Prison