Excellent visit with the folks today, and on the way back to Connecticut I stopped off at Dubuque State Forest in Hawley, Massachusetts to run the old Hallockville Orchard snowshoe course.

The route was as remembered, it's been a few years and normally snow-covered.  There are two areas where beaver have influenced the terrain, it looks like these two spots along the road may be submerged until early summer once things dry out a bit.  It was again brutally humid, and the 3.5-miles was more than enough for today.

Sunflowers at Folks

Looking closer...

Closest!

Sunflowers

 The "Farmstand"

Entry to Klingholt Road in Dubuque State Forest

Still in a "building" phase for distance, today would get me back out to a favorite spot, Tunxis State Forest in Barkhamsted and Hartland, Connecticut.

Wuzzam was attending and keeping me company;  this forest is loaded with memories of our last two dogs, Sam and Tippi, and we were blessed with dozens of spots that brought back incredibly wonderful memories of our two running partners.  Most specifically, all the pools of water large enough to hold the two of them, they never missed an opportunity to dunk themselves regardless of the time-of-year.

Today we had plans to run from Route 219 out around the Pine Mountain and back.  This is somewhere around 9-miles, but as we approached the turn Wuzzam asked about extending down to Roberts Brook, asking "...how much further would that be?"

Excellent idea, we made the trip down to the water, and coming up out of the ravine I started to really feel good about this run.  I had energy, I was enthused, and I felt strong.  It seemed as though Wuzzam was feeling it too, as he kept up on the climbs out of Roberts Brook Ravine and up Pine Mountain.

We ended the run at 10.94-miles, which was pretty sweet as it was humid as hell.  I have never seen Wuzzam sweated through his shorts in the twenty-plus years of running with him, but today he was.  I was soaked through from about the 1-mile mark until finish.  It was a fantastic start to the day.

Wuzzam climbing out of Roberts Brook Ravine

Signage for Pine Mountain

Looking off Pine to the east, sky filled with fog

 At the top of the Indian Council Caves

Old moss and fern

Here are my accomplishments for July 2019.

July 2019 High Points:

• Hart's Pond Hill, Metacomet Trail, West Suffield, CT
• Copper / Peak Mountain, Metacomet Trail, East Granby, CT
• Lion's  Head, Appalachian Trail, Salibury, CT
• Bear Mountain (from the south), Appalachian Trail, Salisbury, CT
• Peck's Brook Shelter Climb, Gould Trail, Mt Greylock, Adams, MA
• Riga Junction, Appalachian Trail, Salibury, CT
• Bear Mountain (from the north), Appalachian Trail, Salibury, CT
• West Suffield Mountain, Metacomet Trail, Suffield, CT
• Soapstone Mountain, Somers, CT
• Race Mountain, Appalachian Trail, Egremont, MA
• Sages Ravine to Northwest Road, Egremont, MA
• Nick's Hill, Metacomet Ridge, West Suffield, CT
• Hurricane Brook Hill, Tunxis State Forest, East Hartland, CT
• Trillum Hill, Tunxis State Forest, East Hartland, CT

Additionally, I rode the bike to-and-from work again today!

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #20 for 2019...  "Darkly Dreaming Dexter",  Jeff Lindsay's 2004 introduction to the "Dexter Moran" series.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime Edition Cover

Bike to and from work today for a total of 11-miles.

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

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.

Out to Cornwall Bridge to tie up the Mohawk Trail to my "lost" point around Jewel Street from Sunday's run.  The plan was to run from Route 4, up Dark Entry Road, and over Coltsfoot Mountain to the location of "losing" the path.

Dark Entry Road was a steep paved road, ended at about 0.7-miles from Route 4.  Once into the woods, things improved and the trail was especially nice along Bonny Brook.  There was zero water flowing down the stream, but at least two locations where a nice waterfall would exist if there was water flowing...   I hope to revisit during the fall.

The section over Coltsfoot Mountain was really nice as well, but once descending there were many blow-downs, neglected trail, and some steepness that was a bit uncomfortable since it had precipitated yesterday and the humidity was making all surfaces slick.

Hitting the flat area around Jewel Street, the field was pretty grown in with waist high grass.  This, combined with the sketchy trail maintenance on this section of trail, assisted me with a decision to just run down Route 4 back to my car.  I was at 5.5-miles, and the going had been pretty slow...  the climb and the slow descent back down along Bonney Brook just seemed unnecessary today.  The road was a bit shorter and quicker, I ended the day at 8.5-miles.

There was signage for "Echo Rock", which I would have liked to enjoy, but I do not know what or where exactly it is.  

There is also mention of the "Baldwin Caves" in this area as well, but that seems like a real mystery to people now-a-days.  When this path was used as the Appalachian Trail, evidently there was a side-trail to the cave(s).

At the parking area on Route 4 - Dark Entry Road closed during "Halloween"

Dry Falls on Bonney Brook

Old Mill evidence along Bonney Brook

View east off Coltsfoot Mountain

View from the flats

Coltsfoot Mountain

Today's Route

Composite from August 11th & 14th, 2019

Music 2019...

Effort #34,  "The Cross", second take, and the sixth piece from the Dark Heart Duo's "Summer Solstice Session" of June 21, 2019.  Another version of a Prince tune from the mid '80's.

We all have our problems
Some big, some are small
Soon all of our problems
Will be taken by the Cross

It's been a while since I ran the 6.5-mile loop at Penwood State Park, so I managed it today.

Off "the Pinnacle" looking south toward Heublein Tower

View south from the Pinnacle

Decided it was time to explore the Mohawk Trail in Connecticut, so I began the journey on Route 4 in Cornwall at the entry to Mohawk State Forest.

The Mohawk Trail crosses Route 4 at this point, today I decided to work my way west over Mohawk Mountain and past Cathedral Pines.  Ended with a really nice run of 8.2-miles.

Toward the end of today's run, while on the road section, I missed the trail cutting off toward Coltsfoot Mountain.  That was to be my turn-a-round point, but I instead wandered my way down to meet up with Route 4 again.

Once back home, DL and I took a drive out to Nestrovich Farm in Granville, MA to pick up peaches.

Forest signage

View north from Mohawk State Forest

View of Quarry Hill from the trail

Remaining White Pine in Cathedral Pines Natural Area

Cathedral Pines Entry

National Natural Landmark

Coltsfoot Mountain

I ended up at this location near Route 4

Stone work for Stream

Back in Cathedral Pines, looking up

This one survived the July 10th, 1989 tornado

Plenty of stonewall climbing Mohawk Mtn from the west

More stonewall

Stonewall gap for trail

Top of Mohawk Ski Area

Old Tower on Mohawk

View off Mohawk

Wonder spot for Peaches and Apples

Archives Department...  

... on this day in 2005, I completed my 28th marathon.  Locale was Dubuque State Forest and we named the event the "Hallockville Pond Marathon.  

For company, I had Wuzzam being his norm good sport, and Tippi with her normal determination.  Old Farmer Tom met us along the Notch Trail on bicycle, and enjoyed a few miles with us.

This was Tippi's 4th completed marathon.  Our time ended up at 5:21:16.