Mather Loop on an unexpectedly cool morning, before work.  5.2-miles.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #26 for 2020...

"The Alcoholics" from 1953, Big Jim Thompson rides through a recovery unit.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime Edition Cover

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On this day in 2012, Wuzzam and I completed a Metacomet Marathon, with a time of 7:00:00.  

Tippi ran the first section with us, from Route 20 to Phelps Road, and back (about 10.5-miles). 

Weather report was that heating up was very possible - so DL grabbed Tippi early.  

This was my 48th marathon completed.

Our Route for the Marathon Distance.

Music 2020...

Effort #26,  "The Internal and the External"...  Dark Heart Duo's second cut from the Cleansing Spirits Session, recorded September 6th, 2019

Another hot day, even in the morning.  Took a mid-day jog in Tunxis for 4-miles.

... On this day in 1998, my Pop and I completed the 1st Greylock Centennial Marathon in Adams, Massachusetts.  Our time was 6:55:38.  This was a very difficult course, with 5 lengthy climbs.  This was my 21st marathon completed, and my dad's first.

Back to the AT to tie-together the end of Wednesday's run which stopped at Mt Easter Road.

Parked at the AT Parking Lot on Route 7 right at the Housatonic River (and very close to where the northern end of the Mohawk Trail meets the AT).

This was a really good decision, as going out for the 5.2-miles really had most of the climb - the return trip would be much easier.  Which ended up being a help as the humidity and heat was pretty difficult to deal with.

Made Mt Easter Road at 5.2-miles and completed the trip at 10.25.  I left out the 2/10-mile of the field at the start/end and opted for the road at the end only.

Crested Mt Easter and Sharon Mountain, as well as Belters Bump.  Connected now from Route 4 to Route 7, and everything north of Route 41 to rejoin Route 7 in Mass.

Belters Bump

Hang Glider View (Limerock visible)

Looking west off Mt Easter

Stonework for a "hilly" section

  

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #25 for 2020...

"The Heat's On" from 1966,Chester Himes continued tales of Coffin Ed and Gravedigger Jones.

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3-mile run along Main Street at 8 a.m. before a trip to Adams.

Back to the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut, again in Sharon just outside Cornwall (went over the covered bridge today).

Parked on West Cornwall Road and ran south to Pine Knob and back for the first (roughly 6) miles.  Continued north to Mt Easter Road, and turned back for a grand total of 10-miles today in the bright sunlight (with no humidity really to speak of, and high '70's for temperatures).

View off Pine Knob

View off Pine Knob

Old Cellar Hole on AT

Stone Steps

Bridge over Carse Brook

Beaver Pond in the Emily Winthrop Miles Wildlife Audubon Sanctuary

Split through the stones

Trail squeezes through these stones

Standing Monolith along the AT

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #24 for 2020...

"Shella" from 1993, a stand-alone novel by Andrew Vachss.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime Edition Cover

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Music 2020...

Effort #25,  "Exorcism of Evil"...  recorded with Evil on September 6th, 2019.  Lead piece from  the Dark Heart Duo's Cleansing Spirits Session.

Visited Bear Hole Reservoir and skipped the "Husker Du" section of my recently normal 5.5 and made it a quick 4.5-miles in 39:20.

Second day in a row of temperatures in the low '70's, with bright sunny sky.

It was a few weeks late celebrating the Old Goat's 65th birthday, but Wuzzam and I joined him for a "not quite" celibacy run for 2020 in his honor today at the Holyoke Range.

We headed east from the Notch Visitor Center on the Metacomet - Monadnock Trail (now known also as the NET, or New England Trail).  Completed the demanding steps over Norwottuck, Rattlesnack Knob and Long Mountain, until Harris Mountain Road.  From there, we returned staying "lower" on the North Harris Trail and Robert Frost Trail as much as we could.

Completed the 10.2-miles and 2697' of ascent with two really good, and old (the Old Goat and I go back over 25-years, and Wuzzam and I have enjoyed each other's company for just under 25-years) friends.

Off Norwottuck

Old Goat looking off Norwottuck

Entry to the Horse Caves

Wuzzam and the Old Goat at Horse Caves

More Horse Caves

Horse Caves

 

Horse Caves

Horse Caves

Horse Caves

Off Rattlesnack Knob looking at Long Mountain

Off Long Mountain looking west towards Rattlesnake Knob

Rambled around Cowles Park Ridge Loop for 3.5-miles in 39:20.

"High Points" along the trails I've visited during May 2020.

• Town Hill, Mattatuck Trail
• Ratlum Peak, Tunxis Trail, Tunxis State Forest
• Stony Hill, McLean Game Refuge
• Nick's Hill, Metacomet Trail, West Suffield, CT
• West Suffield Mountain, Metacomet Trail, West Suffield, CT
• Hurricane Brook Hill, Tunxis State Forest
• Trillum Hill, Tunxis Trail, Tunxis State Forest
• Pine Mountain, Tunxis Trail, Tunxis State Forest
• Indian Council Caves, Tunxis Trail, Tunxis State Forest