Took a hike with the WoodsWalker tonight, to Tunxis.  He's been wanting to see the balanced rock along the trail...  2.1-miles.

At the Cascade Balanced Rock along the Tunxis Trail

Balanced Rock and the WoodsWalker

Split Boulder

Split Boulder and the WoodsWalker

Large Red Oak along the Tunxis Trail

Music 2018...

Effort #31, "Les Brers in A Minor"...  My simple version of the Allman Brothers melodic masterpiece.

K2 and I rode out to Bigelow Hollow State Park, to meet up with the Old Goat, Wuzzam, and Wuzzam's son.  The humidity broke, yet it was still pretty warm and sunny.  Occasionally, a nice strong breeze upped my mood.

We began along the old Breakneck 20k course, taking the Ridge Trail out to the north end of Breakneck Pond.  After Cat Rocks, the trail has relocated a good distance through the boulder field.  This avoids the old beaver dam crossing, but adds another quarter to half-mile to the section.

Once at Breakneck Pond, we chose the east side trails, which were as I remembered, just overgrown a bit.  Truthfully, the Ridge Trail had some "narrow" sections as well.  A few more years and it might be difficult to see where the trail is.

At the south end of Breakneck, I think we joined the Nipmuck Trail for a bit, Wuzzam and Son broke off, and the Old Goat and I continued to the main road, and then the east side of Little Bigelow Pond Trail to the parking area.  9.1-miles on our legs.  K2 pulled in shortly after, with a 7+ mile day.

Top of Cat Rocks

Wuzzam and Son along the Boulder Field

North End of Breakneck Pond, looking South

Nearing the Southern End of Breakneck Pond, along the eastside

It appears the humidity lessened a bit, but it was still warmer (upper 80's, still humid).  I kept the driving short and ended up on Phelps Road, to run the Metacomet from there to Peak/Copper Mountain and back.  Completed the 8.0-miles in slow-motion, but I was happy throughout.

Black Birch

Feathered Friend

Open View off the Metacomet

And 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". 

We had several appointments throughout the morning and early afternoon, so I was able to get to Mt Tom to run at about 3 p.m.  The heat and humidity were still bothersome, and despite most of July being this way, I am still not conditioned for it.

I parked at the entry road, and took the following trails (to try to make it to the reservoir):

Bray Lake Trail

Knox Trail

Woodland Trail to Little Tom

Obscure Trail continuing toward the end of the Reservoir

Then, 

B-17 Memorial to Unlisted Trail

M&M

DOC Trail

Keystone

Universal Access

Just at the meeting with the Metacomet, just north of Mt Tom, the sky really opened up and I waiting it out underneath a big maple tree.  I stayed fairly dry, considering.  I am going to remember this tree.

After that, I had a mile or so on the Metacomet, and had my first close-up encounter with a rattlesnake laying in the center of the trail.  I didn't initially see the snake, which made it heart pounding for me.

Both the snake and I survived the scare, and at the end of the day I had 8.5-miles in.

Top of TTOR's Little Tom

Along the ridge, after the rain had fallen

Looking back at Mt Tom

Rattlesnake on the trail? (roughly 3' long)

It has been difficult during July, with the warmth and humidity.  Today was no different, but I managed a trip to McLean for 3.7-miles.  The run included a visit to the tall 140' white pine near Spring Pond, and a climb to the east Barndoor Hill.

Stone Pile atop East Barndoor Hill

View west off East Barndoor Hill

From the archives...  Fifteen Years ago today (July 26, 2003), camping at Windsor Jambs, visiting the Windsor Bush Cemetery, the Jambs, Savoy for hiking and a swim in Burnett Pond, haying on Burlingame, and  back to the tent and fire along the Westfield River.

Windsor Bush Cemetery

Windsor Bush Cemetery 

 Windsor Jambs

 Me, JC, and Tips in Burnett Pond after a Savoy Mtn hike

Pop with his bailer

Mt Greylock in the background from the childhood home

Pop says "Hi"

I sure do miss tent camping at Windsor Jambs, right along the stream

Enjoyable fire to cook on

More Black Lizard / Vintage Crime reading progress...  completed Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon".  This is a very old novel, published in 1930.

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.

Music 2018...

Effort #30, Solo attempt at the Cars "Since You're Gone"...  I remember loving the drums when this came out, but as I revisited it lately I really dug the words.

"Since you're gone, the nights are gettin' strange...

Visited Mt Tom Reservation early this morning in the pounding rain.  Wuzzam's knees took a beating on the descent off Mt Tom on Friday, so I wanted to check for alternative ways down to Whiting Street Reservoir.

I found what I was looking for at the north end of the reservoir, and then churned my way up the old road past the B-17 Memorial sight.  Just opposite the Memorial, there was a trail heading back south which "looked" correct for what I was hoping to accomplish.

The trail re-connected with the Metacomet, at a spot I recognized easily enough.  The next exploration will be to connect some of Mt Tom's trail network to Little Tom, and then get over to the B-17 Memorial Road.  I believe it will be possible both high and low, so I have some work to do in the future.

The rain stopped about half-way into the run, which ended up at 5.1-miles.  

An enjoyable recovery run in McLean Refuge today, good for 3.7-miles.

Wuzzam agreed to run the Mt Tom ridge with me today;  he wanted to go away from Connecticut to avoid the gnats and deerflies that have hounded him lately.  He was up for going somewhere he had never been before.  I explained that the Mt Tom ridge, using the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (the New England Trail now-a-days I guess), was beautifully scenic and would help us develop our climbing legs.

We managed six peaks today, as follows:

Mt Tom @ 1202'

Dead Top @ 1110'

Whiting Peak @ 1014'

Goat Peak @ 822'

Dry Knoll @ 835'

Mt Nonotuck @ 827'

We also visited the location of the Eyre House Ruins.

The Metacomet, especially from Mt Tom to Whiting Peak is open ledge running and very scenic.  The views from Goat Peak onward are also rewarding, especially of the Oxbow.

We took the McCool, Dynamite, Keystone, and D.O.C. Trails in addition to the Metacomet for the return trip.  By the finish, we were pretty well baked.  Completed 13.5-miles, with the open running tough with temperatures in the 80's.

Close to the Peak of Mt Tom

Along the Ridge

Along the Ridge

Along the Ridge

The Oxbow in the Connecticut River

Below Goat Peak

A balanced rock along the route

Along the Ridge

Along the Ridge

Climbing along the Ridge

Climbing along the Ridge

Wuzzam at the "big rock"