"High Points" along the trails I've visited during February, 2021...
Rambled through the Bald Mountain Pond area of Shenipsit State Forest with Wuzzam today. I was fortunate to wear the old pair of Asic Trail Running Shoes that Wuzzam had placed strategic screws into the bottoms of. With all the ice in the forest, and the metal projections on the bottoms of the sole, I did not slip even once.
We covered 4-miles in about an hour, about half-forest road and half-single-track trail. It was good to see my old friend again, it has been a while.
Took a trip to Granville State Forest, to see if any of the snowmobile trails were set. The temperatures were approaching sixty degrees, the snow was getting very soft, and the couple tracks that were present were fading badly.
I did not make the connection from the state forest to the crossing of Route 57, but I feel I was on the "path", which is a gas-line cut. The amazing portion of the trip, what made it worthwhile, was a side-path from Ore Hill Trail east to Hartland Hollow Road. No idea if anything further exist from that point, but it's a start.
Completed 4.1-miles on the snowshoes - sweated like a beast in the warming heat.
Driving north, I stopped off in Ashfield at the Bear Swamp Reservation, and completed a large modified loop connecting a series of snowmobile trails.
Some of this route, I hadn't been on since 2004 (Smith Road to Apple Valley, the Cemetery Road section heading down into Buckland, and the Hawley Road to Bear Swamp Road).
Once I got at the elevation low-point in Buckland, I ran the roads back to Apple Valley, and climbed up Smith Road, which is a bit of a beast when tired. In retrospect, I should have just taken the snowmobile Trail from the bottom as I ended up adding some distance on by taking the "easier" road section.
Once near the farm on Smith, I pushed through a few hundred feet of knee deep snow in the field until I could reconnect with the snowmobile trail. From there in, a feeling of satisfaction.
Completed a total of 14.4-miles, with close to ten of it on snowshoes, and just under 3:30 for the entire adventure.
Began the day putting on the snowshoes around the intersection of Apple Valley Road and Smith Branch Road in Ashfield. I've hit that area often over the past decade on the Ashfield Trails, but today I wanted to get over to the crossing at Clesson Brook Road. I have often thought of that section, but have never explored it.
This would get me up onto Orcutt Hill, and from there I wished to turn east over Route 112 and then take the old climb I once came down with Tippi in December of 2007, up to the Khandroling site.
From there, I would head past Mary Lyon Hill continuing south before taking a western turn on Baily Road down off the ridge, joining Hodgen Road once we crossed back into Buckland, and for the final mile I would take the snowshoes off along Route 112 until getting back to the car at Apple Valley / Smith Branch Road.
Completed 11.1-miles, feeling pretty good throughout. The morning was bright sunny and despite being high twenties felt great. Once I began coming down off Mary Lyon Hill things clouded up, the wind rose, and it was much colder for that last hour. Topping off the difficulty, the Baily Road section only had an old set of cross-country ski tracks on it, which slowed me down considerably.
Very satisfied with this loop today, I have connected more of the network.
