Music 2017...

Effort #30, Door to Door...

More Road Warriors for Christ.  We only played during '88 while in Fort Worth, Texas. This is another original of mine, with the Reverend listening and being supportive as I played.  Same pattern of looking up from the bottom, with Redemption always in mind.

On this day in 2002, I enjoyed the Monroe Loop with Tippi.  Photographs show top of Spruce and Dunbar Brook near the Bridge at Raycroft Road.

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

Also on this day in 1992, I completed my first marathon, Bay State, in Lowell, Massachusetts.  I ran 3:35:00 and my parents drove out to watch me finish.

3.6-mile run along the Metacomet Trail from Phelps Road, Suffield.

In Memory...  Rest in Peace Tippi (August 2000 - October 17, 2016)

One year ago today we said goodbye to Tippi.  She was a rescue we were blessed with for over 16-years. She was my trail partner for somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 miles (we didn't keep track), traveling together in the car all over Connecticut, New York, Vermont and Western Massachusetts to run in the woods we both loved so much.  Together we finished 17 marathons.  She could run all day, season didn't really matter.

Often, as DL and I drive home from Adams back to Connecticut, she will ask as we pass large forested areas "... did you and Tippi ever run through there?"  The answer is almost always "Yes".  We connected huge tracts of land in northwestern Massachusetts.

I continue to think about Tippi everyday. Often on a hike or run, I come to a spot in the forest that helps me feel her presence.  The recent photograph below is one of those spots/times, along the Spruce Mountain Trail in Monroe, where my old dog's spirit overwhelmed me.

We love you Tippi, rest easy girl.

Tippi, August 2000 - October 17th, 2016.

Picked up DL at the train station after work, from her return from Chicago.  It is really nice to have her back!

Old News...  Sometime in October of 2002 - 2003, Tippi completed her first "Marathon" along the Mt Riga Plateau; it would also be my 24th.  We had the "Bandit" along for the adventure.  Our time was recorded as 5:38:00 over 24.7-miles.  I recall the end of the run taking forever once we descended Frissell and headed back to Mt. Washington State Forest Headquarters.

 Intersection prior to Brace.

I did not feel like doing much driving today, as it's been a week of several trips.  I went back to McLean to run the 6.2-mile route I had completed October 8th,

I had described these trails as wonderful soft, pine needle covered paths last time, and indeed they are.  I was going to cut 0.2-miles off the run, to make it a 10k.  I ran fairly hard, as I felt good.  I ended up completing the loop in 1:03:00, which made me feel like I'm making progress.  Last time I was about ten-minutes longer.

Wayback Machine to this day in 2002...  time spent at Windsor Jambs, the Windsor Bush Cemetery, Carter/Burnett Cemetery, and Burnett Pond. 

Windsor Jambs

Windsor Jambs

Windsor Bush Cemetery

Windsor Bush Cemetery

Carter Burying Ground, Savoy

Carter Burying Ground, Savoy

Carter Burying Ground, Savoy

Carter Burying Ground, Savoy

Carter Burying Ground, Savoy

Outfall of Burnett Pond

Burnett Pond in Autumn, fifteen years ago today

Burnett Pond in Autumn, fifteen years ago today

Today begins Master Naturalists Level II training at Goodwin State Forest.  I truly enjoyed Level I training back in 2015, and I've been looking forward to participating in the advanced course.

After class was completed, I took a run through some of the trails Goodwin offers.  Ended up with 5.7-miles feeling pretty good.

Start along the Natchaug Trail

Pine Acres Lake

On my ride home on Route 6, I observed three roadside memorials, which I stopped at to pay respect and photograph.

Old News...

On this day in 1995 I completed the 2nd Hartford Marathon in 3:42:02.  This was my 7th completed marathon.

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.