Visited old friend Tim Z for a hike in Monroe State Forest, with a goal of locating the Sigurd, Grandfather and Thoreau Pines.  We bushwhacked a bit to check on some potential old growth that Tim had on his mind, before heading back down to the Dunbar Brook Trail.  Stayed on the trail until it splits, and then made our way up the north-facing side hill toward the three big pines.

First up was the Sigurd Olson Pine, Measured in 2011 at 12.3 feet around at chest height, and a full 130 feet tall.

Photo of Sigurd Olson  Pine with our friend Bob L (from Bob's Archives)

Heading further up-hill, we next took in the Thoreau Pine.  This is an incredible tree, measuring an impressive 13.3 feet around at chest height, and a height of 160.1 feet.

Seeing Thoreau from the Olson Pine (from Bob's Archives)

 Looking up to Thoreau's top (from Bob's Archives)

 Bob at Thoreau's base (from Bob's Archives)

It isn't far from Thoreau to the Grandfather Pine.  Grandfather measures in at a breast-height girth of 14.2 feet, with a height of 146.5 feet.

Old Growth Wizard Bob L at the Grandfather Pine (from Bob's Archives)

The following are additional photograph's from our trip today.

 

After our hike to the pines, I decided to drive up Kingsley Hill Road to check snowmobile trail crossings, and hopefully explore from the trail-head at the top of the Dunbar Brook toward a destination of "the Titanic.  The "Titanic Rock" is a 30' high boulder that leans against a second 20' high boulder creating a passage or cave that can be walked through.  The "Titanic" may be the largest glacial erratic in western Massachusetts.

Completed the day with a stop to visit my parents, which was fantastic as always.

 

Old News...  On this day, October 13th, 2012, Wuzzam and I ran the Conway Covered Bridge Marathon in 6:33:15.  This was my 48th completed marathon.  

Back on September 9th I explored a bit of the Robert Frost Trail, over Bull Hill.  I ended up jumping off the Frost to loop back toward my car, figuring I'd leave the rest of the trail through Mount Toby for another day.  Today was that day.

I parked at the Ranger Station on Reservation Road, which is ideal for grabbing onto the Robert Frost Trail as it is very nearby.  The first mile and half climbed to Mt Toby Fire Tower, with half of that distance being nice wooded trail and wide-path and the other half being a grind up a power line (which wasn't all that bad on this cool day).  I remember doing this section with Keen-Eye one November with about 6" of snow on the ground, but that is a story for another day.

Tower was as I remember it from the Mt Toby Trail Race, which is coming up this weekend I believe.  I used the Frost By-Pass on my way out to get to my "end-point" from the prior run.  Grabbed the Robert Frost proper for the return, which included the spur to Roaring Mountain.

Once on the jeep road, I took many of the side trails back and forth to the bottom and my car.  Each of the trails was nice and memorable, including the Upper Link, Telephone, and Hemlock Trails.  The Upper Link and Hemlock really stood out and impressed me.  Ended the day with 7.3-miles of incredibly cool (temperature) running.

It may be ten or twelve years since I raced at Toby, so it was really neat to re-visit some of the sections used during the event.  I made my intended connection to my prior run here, and I now have a complete track of the Robert Frost Trail through Mt Toby State Reservation.  I also learned that there is an impressive cave in the forest, with a trail leading close to it.  And...  a couple potential waterfalls as well.  I'll be back.

Mount Toby Fire Tower

Top of Roaring Mountain

Remains of an old chimney

Cranberry Pond

Life...

Loaded up a huge rental van to bring JC and his belongings to Albany/Rensselaer Rail Station, for his relocation to Chicago.  I am proud of this young man for taking this opportunity and it's challenges.

Monroe / Dunbar Brook Part II

Continuing from Tuesday's adventure, I wanted to share some of the natural features that Monroe offers along the nature trails.  Today will focus on Spruce Mountain, Dunbar Brook, Large White Pine, and the many large boulders found along the way.

View from Spruce Mountain just off the Spruce Mountain Trail

View off the bridge on Raycroft Road of Dunbar Brook (looking upstream)

Downstream from the Bridge on Raycroft Road (natural bridge & potholes)

Blue Dot Boulder just off the Dunbar Brook Trail

Once more, the Blue Dot Boulder just off the Dunbar Brook Trail

Sharp Turn Boulder directly on the Dunbar Brook Trail

 Large White Pine a bit north of the Dunbar Brook Crossing

Large White Pine along the Dunbar Brook Trail

Monroe / Dunbar Brook Part I

The Sunday before "Columbus" Day is the 10.5-Mile Dunbar Brook Trail Race.  I haven't participated at this event since 2007.  Prior to that, I "...made my way 'round" sixteen times, each year from 1992 thru 2007.  I imagine I have also run the loop as a fun run a dozen or more times through the years.

I knew that some of the briars would be trimmed for the race, so I had intentions of getting out at some point this week to enjoy this very beautiful course.  I did enjoy it, took some detours, and snapped many photos.  Spoke with the two pair of couples I encountered who were also visiting the forest today.

I was out on the course over 4-hours, finishing with 12.7-miles.  This would have placed me dead last at this year's race, by a lot.  My point is, while occasionally thinking about "racing" an official event, what I am into now is pretty far away from trail racing.

Looking at the times I've run at the race, it also occurs to me that toward the end of my racing days, the race wasn't that big a deal to me anyhow.  Enjoying the natural settings of the forest and the people I'm close to were the real draw.

1992 - 1:34:38

1993 - 1:31:48

1994 - 1:33:07

1995 - 1:34:35

1996 - 4:07:26 (30k Distance run with my Pop)

1997 - 2:07:30 (Half-Marathon Distance, run with RunSteveo)

1998 - 1:40:14

1999 - 1:36:22

2000 - 1:37:58

2001 - 1:31:53

2002 - 1:39:56

2003 - 1:34:08

2004 - 1:57:15 (Run with my Pop)

2005 - 1:48:02

2006 - 2:05:04 (Run with my Pop and Paul H)

2007 - 2:05:43 (Run with my Pop)

I'll continue this post with photos and thoughts...  there are too many photos to share in one post.  For today, I want to show Raycroft Lookout, on the Hunt Hill Trail.  This is a truly awesome spot in Massachusetts, and it is not part of the race.  Sometimes, we have to follow the path less followed.

Raycroft Lookout on Hunt Hill

Raycroft Lookout  w/ Bear Swamp Upper and Lower Reservoirs viewable

Looking toward the Clark - Todd Ridge in Mohawk Trail State Forest

On this day, October 9th, 2013, Tippi and I ran the DAR State Forest Marathon in 6:10:00.  It was my 50th completed marathon, and Tippi's 17th and final finish.  She ran some decent distance after this one, for a couple years, but nothing over 20-miles.

We began in Goshen, at the Daughter's of American Revolution State Forest, and ran out to Bullet Reservation, and back.  Had a nice stop along the way at Chapel Ledge and Chapel Falls.

Tippi looking off Chapel Ledge (or Pony Ledge).

 Tippi looking off Chapel Ledge.

 Tippi on Chapel Ledge.

 Chapel Falls.

 Chapel Falls.

 Tippi cooling off in a pool at Chapel Falls.

Course.

A warm, rainy, humid day in Connecticut.  Figuring any trail with rocks would be difficult, I went to McClean Reservation and the wonderful soft, pine needle covered paths. 

The warmth and humidity did make it uncomfortable, but I ran hard over a distance of 6.4-miles.  I was satisfied with my effort, which was around 1:13:00.  The most remarkable thing about the time spent in McClean today was that despite it not being a "sunshine day", I was not alone.  I came across four additional groups hiking during my run.

3.3-miles along the Metacomet at Hatchet Hill on a somewhat humid day in October.  I used the mountain bike options of Smaug's Lair and Keg Roller as well, before getting back on the Metacomet for the last mile.

View of Farmington River above the Tariffville Gorge

Old faithful, 3.6 miles along the Metacomet from Phelps Road, Suffield south.

View from the ridge

Some old photos from this day in 2002, at the Breakneck Trail Race, Union, CT

Pop on his way to the finish!

Very Good People and Great Friends!

Another Very Good Person and Great Friend!

 My Pop totally comfortable after running 20km and eating Molitoris Home-Cooking!

Very Good People and Great Friends!

Going to the Wayback Machine again, this day in 2002 at Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union, Connecticut.  This was the day prior to the Breakneck 20km Trail Race, and we were marking the route.

Old Best Friends...  Liddy and Tippi in Breakneck Pond

Wuzzam and K2 on the east side of Breakneck Pond

Wuzzam along many of the boulders on the west side of Breakneck Pond

Marathons Part VI

Looking back at my marathons once more, I wanted to take a look at the number of marathons run during each year.  Since my original marathon completed was in 1992, I'm looking back over twenty-five years. 

While it would have been great to have done at least one a year, that hasn't been the case.  The marathons reflect life;  some years allowed for better training and more attempts than others.  That being said, there have been only five years where I came up with a goose egg.  2015 & 2016 are two most recent with no attempts or finishes, and I understand the "why" behind those years.  Surgery and Recovery change time perception and expectations.

The most in a year was six completed marathons, in 2005.

The next biggest years had me completing five marathons, 1996 & 2009.

Next up, I also had three years with four completed marathons, 1997, 2006 & 2012.

Interestingly, the 1996 - 1997 and 2005 - 2006 two-year periods saw me doing some really decent running!

Year       # Marathons     

1992       1             

1993       1              2

1994       2              4

1995       3              7

1996       5              12

1997       4              16

1998       3              19

1999       2              21

2000       1              22

2001       1              23

2002       0              23

2003       1              24

2004       0              24

2005       6              30

2006       4              34

2007       1              35

2008       3              38

2009       5              43

2010       1              44

2011       0              44

2012       4              48

2013       2              50

2014       2              52

2015       0              52

2016       0              52

3.2-miles along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail from Route 20 (Turkey Hill Road) to Copper Hill Road in East Granby, CT.  Wonderful night for anything outdoors.

Marathons Part V

Next up to account for are the marathons which were made up by myself, or with a few friends.  These "Do It Yourself" Marathon's total twenty-four finishes.

I don't even remember how the earliest three came into being.  I know several of us had interest in the South Taconic and Appalachian Trails in  New York, Western Connecticut and Southwest Massachusetts.  There was some minor talk, and then the runs were attempted.

Greylock 2005 was simply a repeat of the actual Marathon from 1998, but held as a birthday run for the Old Goat.  We knew the route, the only issue was dropping some water.

After that, research became important.  Mapping, knowing the distances of sections, aid drops, and making the routes memorable became the focus.  Looking at the list, I am pleased with what has been accomplished.  I am hopeful that I have many of these type of runs left in me.

1996       AT Riga Plateau

1997       Bash Bish

2002/2003           Mt Riga Plateau

2005       Greylock Marathon

2005       Savoy General Store Marathon

2005       Hallockville Pond Marathon

2005       Mt Riga Plateau

2005       Northern Nipmuck Marathon

2006       Metacomet Marathon

2006       Tunxis Marathon

2006       Tunxis Marathon II

2007       Notchview Reservation

2008       Hallockville Pond - Mt Institute

2008       Metacomet Marathon II

2009       McLean Reservation

2009       Robert Frost

2009       Tunxis II (South)

2012       Tunxis

2012       Metacomet Marathon

2012       Conway Covered Bridge

2013       Hawley Berkshire East

2013       DAR to Bullet

2014       Mohawk - Savoy Mtn

2014       Dunbar-Whitcomb-Jambs

3.6-miles on a gorgeous day along the Metacomet Trail from Phelps Road south, and back.

Also on this day in 1994, I participated in the 1st Hartford Marathon, running a time of ~3:16:00.  I needed sub 3:10:00 to qualify for Boston, and completing the run "easily" at this pace gained me confidence for my official attempt the following May at Vermont City.  This was my 4th marathon.