Attended "Astronomy for Everyone" presented by Astronomer Kevin Manning at our local Senior Center, which is housing programs while our library remains closed (a longish story).  Excellent program from a knowledgeable speaker, I am glad I attended.


Also, on this day, I've had success completing marathons.  The first was in 2008 and the second was a year later in 2009.

In 2008, Tippi and I finished Metacomet II, which began at Phelps Road in Suffield, and covered north to Route 57 and south to Route 20.  Running time of 5:32:00.  This was my 37th and Tippi's 13th completed marathon.

In 2009, Wuzzam joined Tippi and I at Tunxis II (South), which meant we ran from Route 219 to Satan's Kingdom, and also north to Roberts Brook I believe.  Our time was 6:04:44.  This was my 42nd and Tippi's 15th marathon.

Busy morning, late afternoon walk along north Main Street...  1.8-miles.

Visited the Willamsburg Woodland Trails again, this time to Big View.  The 1.5-mile route around the hills are wonderfully nice hiking paths.  The signage to stay on the Big View Trail was decently displayed, which was great due to their being many other trails in the vicinity.

I completed the Big View loop at roughly 1.6-miles, give or take, and continued on the north side of Unquomonk Road toward Petticoat Hill.  I have some old tracks from a decade ago to tie back up, and today was a good start.  I explored a few paths, and turned around in the saddle between Unquomonk and Petticoat Hills.  Managed to get back to the car on a slightly different path than the way out, for a total of 4.1-miles.  Best of all, no issue with the left hip at all.

From Williamsburg I drove toward Adams, thinking I'd drop in to surprise my folks.  Stopped along the way at Plainfield Pond for my first swim of the year.  It was outstanding as Plainfield Pond always is.

Enjoyed my visit, and made a stop at Belleveu Falls before starting back to Connecticut.

Trailhead for Big View Trail

Big View Trail

Big View Trail

Vine along Unquomonk Area Trails

Unquomonk Brook

Swimming Spot on Plainfield Pond

Path into Belleview Falls from Cemetery

Completed a 2-mile quick walk along South Main Street just before dark.  The hip felt very good, with no pain and minimal stiffness.

Completed another Black Lizard / Vintage Crime read, this time crime writing duo Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo's "Roseanna", the first Martin Beck novel, published in 1965.

Walking in the light rain, early morning, along South Main Street;  2.0-miles.

Walk along Main Street in the early morning, 1.6-miles.

And, fifteen years ago today, a camping trip in Savoy Mountain State Forest with Tips and JC.

Tippi and I on the top of Spruce Hill

JC at Spruce Hill...  Greylock in the distance

Estes Graveyard

Estes Graveyard

Tannery Falls

Music 2018...

Effort #34, "Knocking On Heaven's Door"...  Dark Heart Duo with vocalist S; from the magical time frame of Summer Sixteen...

"Tom Wessels: Reading the Forested Landscape, Part 3", another fantastic video from the New England Forests channel.  I've been fortunate to have been out on a few hikes with the filmmaker.

Also...  It was the first decent summer day in a long while, so I managed a 1.6-mile walk along Main Street to test the sore left hip.  Things got a little sore and stiff, but no actual pain.  Maybe, there is some progress!

I started thinking about the Mohawk Marathon post a few days ago (we completed it on August 15th, 2014), and some of the prep work that went into it.  I noticed in my files a August 18th, 2013 date for Savoy Mountain and the Cold River.

I recall that the point of this run was to basically see how well the old trail existed leading from New State / Savoy Road down to the Cold River, and then up to South County Road.  Secondly, to also verify that the old snowmobile trail was still  passable from South County Road to Route 2.

These two routes and I go way back... I know I explored them in the early 1990's alone with my dog Dusty.  Getting to the late '90's, the Bandit joined me often enough through the Cold River Sections.  I also remember an account of a run from Whitcomb Summit to Spruce Hill during the 2000 trail running season, where we crossed the Cold River as well at this location.

At some point toward the middle to late 2000's, I just never got back out to this trail.  Other areas occupied my mind, and although I wouldn't say it was forgotten, it did drift out of range for me.

I also see in my files that I had explored this area in July of 2012 as well, with Tippi.  It is an important area of interest, these Cold River Crossings.  I feel a spiritual connection to the river, and the locations.

On this run in 2013 I remember finding the trail at least a remnant of what once was.  I recall hanging a few ribbons here and there, especially through the small bit of land between Tower Brook and the Cold River.  I figured this old path would tie in a nice Florida and Savoy section of a Mohawk Trail Marathon for the following year.  The path was still visible if I looked hard enough, albeit very grown in and thick with underbrush.

Little did I realize on this day in 2013 that we would use this northern Cold River crossing not once, but twice, for our Marathons in 2014.  On August 15th we completed the Mohawk Trail Marathon, and on September 7th we were successful with Dunbar-Whitcomb-Jambs.

It was meaningful to rediscover the old files for this exploration, brought back some wonderful memories and enhanced my hobby of "looking back" to see forward.

"Tom Wessels: Reading the Forested Landscape, Part 2", another fantastic video from the New England Forests channel.  I've been fortunate to have been out on a few hikes with the filmmaker.

"Tom Wessels: Reading the Forested Landscape, Part 1", another fantastic video from the New England Forests channel.  I've been fortunate to have been out on a few hikes with the filmmaker.

On this day in 2014, Wuzzam and I ran the Mahican Mohawk Marathon in 6:43:30.  We began and ended at Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont, along the bank of the Cold River.  Our turn-around or midpoint was roughly at North Pond at Savoy Mountain State Forest in Savoy / Florida.

This was my 51st completed marathon.  Map of our route is included...

Running through Stafford Meadow

 

Red Pine Plantation, set in 1930's..

Up through the Red Pine.

Wuzzam at the first crossing of the Cold River.

Bog Pond, a long-time favorite area of ours..

Burnett Homestead Cemetery in Florida..

Second crossing of the Cold River.

Still enjoying a look back at the archives of  Black Lizard / Vintage Crime...  completed Chester Himes "A Rage in Harlem", originally published 1957 (and alternately titled "For Love of Imabelle" and "The Five Cornered Square").

This marked the first appearance of Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones as Detectives.

Music 2018...

Effort #33, "I Want You"...  Trio version of the Primitives in 1984...