Cowles Park early afternoon for a trip up to the Metacomet Ridge.  The sun came out for the middle of the run, and the temperatures were in the upper 30's.  Nice day!

Totaled up with 3.5-miles.

Bridge and Stone work over stream

Began a run at East Granby Farms around 3:30 p.m., knowing I'd have until 5:00 p.m. or so before dark.  Wandered up the climb and took the old obscure trail that runs along the base of the ridge.  Made it out to where the old Metacomet went through the stonewall at the Bloomfield Gun Club's property.  Ended back at the car just as dark was hitting, 5.4-miles total.

Bent Tree Limb, about 15' up

Twenty-years ago today, January 16th, 1999, I directed the second South Pond Shuffle Snowshoe Race at Savoy Mountain State Forest...  part of the WMAC Dion Snowshoe Series!

2nd Annual South Pond Shuffle 4-Mile Snowshoe Race

January 16th, 1999 - Florida & Savoy,  Massachusetts

The event had 49 starters and finishers, circling North Pond, South Pond, and Tyler Swamp in two-feet of powder covered by an inch of icy crust.

Up early enough to manage a 3.6-mile run along the Metacomet Trail from Phelps Road north (and back) before work.

Nick's Hill

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #2 for 2019.  Completed Jim Thompson's "Savage Night", from 1953.  This may be one of Thompson's strangest tales...

Another cold day below 20-degrees.  Out to McLean with K2, I planned on connecting both the Western and Eastern Barndoor Hills in a loop.

The run went well, I felt recovered from yesterday's longer effort.  Ended today with 4.4-miles.

 On top of the Western Barndoor Hill, looking east

On Western Barndoor Hill, old ceder

Ceder on West Barndoor Hill, East Barndoor in background

Stonewall in upper third of Western Barndoor Hill

Stacked Stones near peak of Eastern Barndoor Hill

View west from Eastern Barndoor Hill

Sticking with our "build-up" phase, the plan was for 10-miles.  An easy choice was the Metacomet from Route 20 to Phelps Road, and back, much of it up on the ridge.

It was around 20-degrees for most of our time out along the trail, and it did begin to get "breezy" on the return trip.  It was a very clear day, so from our first high-point at Copper/Peak Mountain I could point out Heublein Tower, Penwood. and the Barndoor Hills.  Wuzzam asked if we would be able to spot Mt Tom to the north at any point, and that was a "yes" also, as it's shape came into view as we rambled down West Suffield Mountain prior to the turn-a-round at Phelps Road.

We completed the 10-miles easily enough.  Good strong base-building run today!

Arriving at Copper/Peak Mountain around 10:00 a.m. (Heublein Tower in distance)

USGS Marker for Copper/Peak Mountain

Wuzzam handling the rocky footing of the Metacomet

Re-Climbing Copper/Peak, with a mile to go!

 

Cold day around 20-degrees give or take.  At least the sun was out.  McCann Farm in Somers along the Jerry Stage Trail for 3.0-miles.  

Gulf Stream

Out of work early enough to ramble 3.4-miles in the Lewis Hill Bird Sanctuary.

Black Birch stand along the trail

Foot Bridge over Muddy Brook (aka Troll Bridge from long ago)

Ice on a vernal pool reflecting the setting sun

Music 2019...

Effort #02, "If I Think".  my second favorite Mudhoney track.

"... If I think, I think of you."

High Points and Peaks throughout 2018...  many were visited several times.

1. Balanced Rock Hill,  Shenipsit State Forest
2. Bald Mountain (Somers), Shenipsit State Forest, Somers, CT
3. Bartlett Tower Hill, Tariffville, CT
4. Battlecock Hill, Williamsburg, MA
5. Bent Birch Hill, Shenipsit State Forest
6. Big View, Williamsburg, MA
7. Briar Hill, Williamsburg, MA
8. Cat Rocks, Union, CT
9. Chapel Ledge / Pony Cliffs, Ashfield, MA
10. Clark Mountain, Mohawk Trail State Forest, Florida, MA
11. Deadtop, Mt Tom Range, Easthampton, MA
12. Dry Knoll, Mt Tom Range, Easthampton, MA
13. East Barndoor Hill, Granby, CT
14. Goat Rock and Lookout Point, Hampden, MA
15. Goat Rock, Mt Tom Range, Easthampton, MA
16. Hampden Overlook, Hampden, MA
17. Hart's Pond Hill, Agawam, MA
18. Hatchet Hill, Granby, CT
19. High Ridge, Williamsburg, MA
20. Hill 880' (Bald Mtn, Hampden), Hampden, MA
21. Hyde Hill, Goshen, MA
22. Indian Council Caves, Tunxis Trail, Barkhamsted, CT
23. Indian Path to Saddle between Clark & Todd, Mohawk Trail SF, Charlemont, MA
24. Lake McDonough Lookout I, New Hartford, CT
25. Lake McDOnough Lookout II, Barkhamsted, CT
26. Little Thumper Mtn, Mohawk Trail State Forest, Charlemont, MA
27. Little Tom, Mt Tom Range, Easthampton, MA
28. Mary Lyon Hill, Buckland, MA
29. Merritts Hill, Williamsburg, MA
30. Minnechoag Mountain, Hampden, CT
31. Monks Mound, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Collinsville, IL
32. Moore Hill, DAR State Forest, Goshen, MA
33. Mt Tom, Easthampton, MA
34. Mt. Nonotuck, Mt Tom Range, Easthampton, MA
35. Nick's Hill, Metacomet Ridge, West Suffield, CT
36. North Peak, Tunxis Trail, East Hartland, CT
37. O'Neil Hill, Williamsburg, MA
38. Orchard Hill, Goodwin Race, CT
39. Parker Hill, Dubuque State Forest, Hawley, MA
40. Peak / Copper Mountain, Metacomet Trail, East Granby, CT
41. Peaked Mountain, Monson, MA
42. Perkins Mountain, Camp Ayapo, Somers, CT
43. Peter Hill, Ashfield, MA
44. Petticoat Hill, Williamsburg, MA
45. Pine Mountain, Hampden, MA
46. Pine Mountain, Tunxis Trail, Barkhamsted, CT
47. Pinnacle, Penwood State Forest, Bloomfield, CT
48. Putnam Hill, Buckland, MA
49. Rattlesnake Hill, Hampden, MA + Somers, CT
50. Ridge Hill, Ashfield, MA
51. Scott Hill / Petticoat / Locke's Loop, Williamsburg, MA
52. Skyline Overlook, Somers, CT
53. Smith Brook Hill, Ashfield, MA
54. Soapstone Mountain, Somers, CT
55. Stone Bridge Hill, Ashfield, MA
56. Stone Wall Hill, Ashfield, MA
57. Stony Hill, McLean Refuge, Granby, CT
58. Sunset Lookout, Barkhamsted, CT
59. Tanager Hill, Simsbury, CT
60. The Knolls, McLean Refuge, Simsbury, CT
61. The Pinnacle, Shenipsit State Forest, Somers, CT
62. Thumper Mtn, Mohawk Trail State Forest, Charlemont, MA
63. Todd Mountain, Mohawk Trail State Forest, Charlemont, MA
64. Trillium Hill, Tunxis Trail, East Hartland, CT
65. Unquomonk Hill, Williamsburg, MA
66. Walnut Hill, Goshen, MA
67. Walnut Hill, Williamsburg, MA
68. West Ridge, DAR State Forest, Goshen, MA
69. West Suffield Mountain, Metacomet Trail, Suffield, CT
70. Whiting Peak, Mt Tom Reservation, Holyoke, MA

Out of work a bit early for my yearly physical, which included a tetanus and hepatitis booster.

Luckily, I was able to jump on the Metacomet Trail just a few moments away from the doc's office, and get a nice 3.2-mile run in before sundown.

Large Boulder along the Metacomet

Marathon Archive Department...

On this day in 1996, I participated in the annual "Fat Ass 50" in North Adams, Massachusetts.  It consisted of many loops on the road, on a cold, gray day, and I believe there was a pretty bad snowstorm on the drive home.  I have a time listed of  5:32:35, and I think that was for 26.2 miles - not 50k.  This was my 8th marathon completed.

After all the rain yesterday, the woods would have to be chosen carefully for a run.  McLean was again visited, due to the fine condition of the trails, and good draining.

K2 and Bobzu joined me, with our goal being something between eight-miles and ten-miles for the day.  We ended by splitting it pretty close to the middle, 8.9-miles.

The sun came out occasionally, but it stayed fairly grey and cloudy for most of the duration.  Lots of hikers, runners, and dogs throughout the game refuge today, most likely making up for yesterday's washout.

The highlight of the day was me falling off the downed tree crossing of the Bissell Brook, about 4-feet from success, into a foot of cold flowing water.  Truthfully, it wasn't all that bad.

Wuzzam approacking Stony Hill

Heavy, hard rain all day today.  Ran some errands with DL, but the day left much to be desired.  Rounded things up with a 3-mile jog along Main Street in the dark, just to keep the rust off.

McLean after work, really nice day in the high forties and sunny.  Ran from Firetown Road to Simsbury Road along the Firetown Trail, totaled 3.6-miles for the day (Firetown from end-to-end measured out at 1.7-miles).

Wandered down the bank after the run to take in the Northgate Falls, which are always refreshing to observe.

Northgate Falls (at the bottom)

Northgate Falls

Northgate Falls, upstream from bottom

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.