GOALS 2018

Another Goal I've set for 2018 is to visit a dozen "WilliamsburgWoodland Trails Properties".  I've taken some liberties with a few of the properties not being WWT but close enough to make sense.

While I'm at it with these, I can also make another attempt at locating the 1926 Memorial Plaque set in a rock in Williamsburg / Conway, which I did not find in 2017.  I'll be in the neighborhood on the Henhawk Trail.

This group also makes sense with the mapping / geodatabase for DAR State Forest.  South of the forest there was a snowmobile route that traveled through Tilton Farm Trails, Goshen Open Space, into Bradley, Historic Dam and then Conway State Forest.  I may even pick up Breckenridge and the Devils Den as well from exploring this again (it's been many years).

Here is the Williamsburg Woodland Trails list... 

• Bradley
• Breckenridge
• Big View
• Briar Farm
• Graves Farm
• Hall / O'Neil
• Henhawk
• Historic Dam
• Petticoat Hill / Locke's Loop
• Tilton Farm (North & South), Goshen Open Space
• Lily Pond, Goshen
• Devils Den

Old Marathon Reflections,  This day in 1997... 

Looking back in time, I completed my 13th marathon on this day in 1997.  It was the Grupa Dupa held at the Talcott Mountain State Park, home of the Hueblin Tower.  I believe Tony Weisgram and Janice Kuhl were the organizers of this "Fat Ass 50" type event.  I recall it consisted of loops up and around the tower, but I do not recall how many.  It was 50k, and I recorded a time of 5:11:13.

Goals 2018

One Goal I've set for 2018 is to visit a dozen "The Trustee's of Reservation's properties".  I whittled my list down to eleven, and used as a final twelfth location Keystone Arches, a "non-TTOR site".  This is a spot I want to visit, and it is right in the vicinity of Chesterfield Gorge and Glendale Falls, so it makes sense to include it with this set of "goals".

The Trustee's of Reservations (11 total, plus a bonus site, average one per month)...

• Notchview                                      Windsor
• Bear Swamp                                    Ashfield
• Chapel Brook                                  Ashfield
• Bullet Reservation                          Ashfield
• Bryant Homestead                          Cummington
• Bartholomews Cobble                    Sheffield
• Peaked Mountain                            Monson
• Glendale Falls                                 Middlefield
• Keystone Arches                             Middlefield (non TTOR)
• Chesterfield Gorge                          Chesterfield
• Monument Mountain                      Great Barrington
• Tyringham Cobble                          Tyringham

And from the "Twenty-Years Ago Today" department....

M. SPRINGS & SMILING SNOWMEN

Seeing as we missed out on BD’s FA50 and also TW’s Gruba Dupa, a few leftover wannabees considered multiple loops around the forest of Hawley, specifically Moody Springs. Although we wouldn’t come close to the holiday achievement of 50Km, we did spend a wonderfully long time sampling the unseasonable warm temperatures and deep wet snow that Hawley State Forest had to offer. And oh yes, drink from the spring we did...

The Basin Brook Trail is a particularly beautiful section of this forest during the winter months, so much so we ran it in both directions. There is something wonderfully relaxing and peaceful about running in snow along side a frozen snow covered brook rolling along slowly not in any hurry. Infrequent blast of hot blowing air contrasted sharply with the cold wet pocket of air within the bottom of the steep banks of the brook, causing us to wonder and laugh each time we felt the change of temperature. This was a real charge for us, for at this point of the day each of us was feeling tiredness creep in and our judgment may have been a bit cloudy. As each of us admitted feeling the difference, all became sane again. Well, sort of.

We actually circled Moody Springs twice, filling our bottles and drinking long and deep both times. The shelter had a huge snowman perched on it’s roof, looking out for approaching visitors and greeting them with a welcoming hand raised in salute. None of us could figure out how anyone managed to raise the big balls of snow up onto the roof, but the frosty thing sure did look happy sitting there alone at the magical place known as Moody Springs. Come to think of it, so did we.

MOODY SPRINGS SNOWSHOE RAMBLE I

JANUARY 3, 1998 HAWLEY, MA

K2               12km             5:45

JT                15km             3:05

Keen-Eye    13 miles        3:59

Bandit         13 miles        4:05

Farmer        13 miles        4:05

Music 2018...

Effort #01, Auld Lang Syne...

Just past New Year...

Happy New Year 2018!  Another very cold day, I ventured out to the Metacomet for an easy 3.5-miles from Phelps Road north.

I wrapped up the year with a visit to the West Suffield Quarry, aka Manitook Mountain.  I do not visit here often, as this is only the second or third time in the past twenty-years.  Honestly, I can't get too close to the edge, it is too steep a drop and it slopes downward.  It is an awesome view though.

Used snowshoes until I exited the ridge north of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail on Quarry Road.  I jumped onto the bike-path before jutting through a field to my landing spot.  3.5-miles for the entirety.

View northeast, Mt Tom & Holyoke Range in distance

  View east, Soapstone slightly visible between the "notch"

Again, east
 

 

Back to Mary Edwards Mountain Property to snowshoe and complete the "North Loop" and the trail on the north-side of Ring Brook.  3.1-miles for the quick journey, with some neat sites along the way.

There are a series of stone-foundations at the trail-head off Mountain Road, and there is also another location north off Ring Brook.  Snowshoeing went well for the fist of the season!

Cellar-Hole at Trailhead off Mountain Road

Outlook and Mary Edwards Rock

Boulder at top of climb on North Loop (940')

Foundation north of Ring Brook

Another foundation north of Ring Brook

Foundations north of Ring Brook

Bent Tree Limb at Trailhead off Mountain Road

 Cellar-Hole & Bent Tree Limb at Trailhead off Mountain Road

 Cellar-Hole at Trailhead off Mountain Road

Orange and Red newly explored today!

Visited a couple of adjoining sites within the Granby Land Trust Property Holdings; the Mary Edwards Mountain Property and the Godard Preserve.

Excellent locations, my only negative is that I could have and should have worn snowshoes today, there was enough snow and things would have been less slick on the ups and downs.  Temperatures were twice that of yesterday, roughly around 16-degrees.

I managed to complete almost all the trails, I ended with 6.2-miles with only the northern loop not explored today.

Large Boulder in Godard Preserve

Bent Tree in Godard

Hollowed Tree in Godard

Looking inside the Hollowed Tree in Godard

Birch in Edwards

 Stonewalls in Edwards

View from Edwards Property parking area, Mt Tom & Mt Holyoke in distance

Back to Connecticut, and the single-digit temperatures seem to have arrived with us from Chicago.  Drove out to McLean to jog a beautiful 3.9-miles in the snow and cold wind.

Wall with small Niche at Trout Pond

Effluent of Trout Pond

Route for the day

And, from old gps data, it looks as though Tippi and I continued to explore Ashfield Trails before they were Ashfield Trails, this day (December 28th, 2007) ten-years ago.

Combo Map from the 27th & 28th, 2007

"Illumination: Tree Lights at the Morton Arboretum" in Lisle, Illinois this evening with DL & JC.  

The Event took place on the grounds of the Morton Arboretum, and it happened to be roughly 2-degrees for the 1.5-mile walk to and along the grounds.  What a wonderful display of trees (and lights!).  We are looking forward to returning to Morton during warmer weather, and daylight, to better witness the trees.

And, from old gps data, it looks as though Tippi and I explored Ashfield Trails before they were Ashfield Trails, this day (December 27th, 2007) ten-years ago.

Goals 2018

Thinking about additional Goals for 2018, I want to begin the year with completing two (2) Geodatabases for favorite forest I visit regularly.  The two I decided to start with are DAR State Forest in Massachusetts, and McLean Reservation in Connecticut.

I've been enjoying these two forest often lately, and I have completed most of the trails recently as well.  McLean I managed to visit over 25-times in 2017, and DAR I visited 4-times since November.

As I round out the layers I want to address, I"ll post specifics.

Also, from the origins of WMAC Snowshoeing...  twenty-years ago today an 11-miler was completed by the Old Goat, Wuzzam, RB and I at Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union, Connecticut.  We finished in 2:50:11.

Christmas day with JC at his place in Wheaton, Illinois.  Took a 2.25-mile walk along the Illinois Prairie Path early in the morning, featuring single digit temperatures.

The start of the path in Wheaton, at Volunteer Park

Lincoln Marsh Natural Area

The trip on the Lakeshore Limited Amtrak Train from Albany to Chicago was a great adventure.  Much to recommend with regard to traveling by this option.

Lake Shore Limited Route

Today DL and I drive to the Albany-Rensselaer Amtrack Station for a trip to Chicago.  We'll be flying home after Christmas.

Visited the Lewis Farm Sanctuary, property of the Hartford Audubon Society for the first time since October of 2016.  Looks like the trails have been cleared and widened since that visit.  Nice work!

I jogged around with only a brief repeat section and managed slightly over 3-miles for the day.

Entrance off Hill Street, very limited parking

Audubon Map

 1st Pool

  2nd Pool

Muddy Brook from the Troll Bridge

Music 2017...

Effort #37, Gimme Gimme Gimme...

Primitives playing fast and live in '84.