"High Points" along trails during September, 2021... 

• Sodom Mountain, Southwick, Massachusetts.
• Nick's Hill, Metacomet Trail, West Suffield, Connecticut
• Metacomet Ridge, Cowles Park, East Granby, Connecticut
• Drake Mountain, Granville, Massachusetts.
• The Cobbles, Appalachian Trail, Cheshire, Massachusetts
• North Mountain, Appalachian Trail, Cheshire, Massachusetts

From the Archives...

Mt Washington State Forest Marathon - October 2003

 Riga Plateau, South Taconic & Appalachian Trails, MA, NY & CT

Sometime in October of 2002 - 2003, Tippi completed her first "Marathon" along the Mt Riga Plateau; it would also be my 26th.  We had the "Bandit" along for the adventure. 

Our time was recorded as 5:38:00 over 24.7-miles.  I recall the end of the run taking forever once we descended Frissell and headed back to Mt. Washington State Forest Headquarters, as we might have diverted from the most direct track.

Maybe on top of Alander?

Intersection prior to Brace.

   
I believe this is the top of Brace Mountain.

The Bandit climbing Round Mountain.

The Bandit at the peak of Round Mountain.

The Bandit climbing Mt Frissell.

The Bandit climbing Frissell.

At the Tri-State Marker (NY, MA, CT).

2021 Unsupported Trail Race Fall Challenge #2

McLean Game Refuge 13K Trail Run (8.2-Miles)

Cool and dry once again, drove out with K2 to ramble in McLean.  I didn't know how my legs would react or recover from yesterday's effort.  That question was answered very positively.  I managed the 8.26-miles in 1:34:00, which was an average of 5.3 mph.  K2 also arrived back at the finish well before the two-hour time limit we gave ourselves.

2021 Unsupported Trail Race Fall Challenge #1

Metacomet Half-Marathon - 13.3-Miles

West Suffield, CT - Agawam’s Feeding Hills at Provin Mountain

Ran the Metacomet Ridge from intersection of Phelps and Mountain Roads in West Suffield, CT to just beyond the Fire Tower and Old Channel 22 News in Agawam, MA (and back).

Distance measured out at 13.3-miles, with a time of roughly 2:57 (a couple stops for photographs).

Cool and dry, weather stuck in the sixties and I was finished right at 11:30 a.m.  Awesome trail run.

View west from Provin Mountain

View northwest from Provin Mountain

View south from old quarry

Another long/late Friday at work, but just enough time to get in 4-miles on the Metacomet from Phelps Road south.

On this day in 1994, I participated in the 1st Hartford Marathon, running a time of ~3:16:00.  I needed sub 3:10:00 to qualify for Boston, and completing the run "easily" at this pace gained me confidence for my official attempt the following May at Vermont City.  This was my 4th marathon.

Weekly Weigh In while involved with the 61-Day Challenge - 216.2 lbs.

From the Archives:  On this day in 2012 I completed my 9th Nipmuck Marathon today, as well as my 49th overall marathon.

I finished in a respectable 4:46:30, good for 28th place overall.

Music 2021...

Effort #18,  "Love is a Rose"...  Yet another Neil Young classic, by my friend Rev. King.

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #6 for 2021...

"The Night of the Hunter", by Davis Grubb, published in 1953.  

Although not officially a Black Lizard entry, this one has the spirit.  Murderous ex-convict Harry Powell misrepresents himself as a prison chaplain upon his release from prison. Acting on a story told to him by his now-dead cellmate, "Reverend" Powell cons the cellmate's widow, Willa Harper, into marrying him in hopes that her children will tell him where their father hid the money from his last robbery. After killing their mother, he embarks on a hunt for the children, who have sensed his evil and are running from him. .

Cover Image

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Cover Image (DVD)

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My good friend the Rev. said goodbye to his beloved dog "Sasha" earlier this month.  She was born in November 2010, and went to Heaven on September 10, 2021 at 9:45 pm.

The Reverend sent me this beautiful photo of Sasha when she was about two-and-a-half yrs old.

Another trail adventure in Granville and Southwick, 6.3-miles around the Japhet Brook and Sodom Mountain areas.

From the Archives....

September 26th, 2020 - The New England Trail

Bear Hole, McLean & Whiting Street Reservoir Marathon

I completed my 61st Marathon today in 6:00-hours (5:49:23 moving and 9:37 stopped).

The route began a little after 7 a.m. in Bear Hole Reservoir, and once connected to the New England Trail (Metacomet) I also passed McLean Reservoir and the Whiting Street Reservoir for a gps measured 24.3-miles.  Google Earth listed the total ascent at 4195', with a likewise total descent.

It was in the low sixties for temperature at the start, but very high humidity (80%+).  Once the sun came out the temperature hit 80-degrees.

I felt very good throughout the run, but my feet and legs were sore for the last hour from the multitude of rocks that exist along much of this trail.

Mist and Fog off Snake Peak

Mist and Fog off Snake Peak

Mist and Fog on White Pine Needles

Mist and Fog on one of East Mountain's Peaks

Firetower

Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock

Mist and Fog on Peak

Finally, clearing skies (looking east toward Holyoke)

Clearing Skies (looking east toward Holyoke)

Snake Peak and Snake Pond

More exploring in Granville, North Hollow to Twinning Hollow, and back.  Finished up with 8.6-miles with a bit of bushwhacking and exploring through a clear-cut section.

In Memory...  

Rest in Peace Dusty
(August 28, 1986 - September 25, 2000).

"Dusty" at Old Sturbridge Village, 1998

DL brought Dusty home at Christmas 1986, when we lived at Old Mill Pond in Arlington, Texas.  He was a cocker-spaniel, and a really great dog.

Once we made the move to Connecticut in 1989, we began hiking and backpacking.  Dusty loved the trail, and camping out in a tent.  As a spaniel, he also loved water, and even in December's winters, if the water was open, he was going in.

We began running in Shenipsit State Forest around 1992, after building up with the years of hiking.  We ran on the Metacomet three or four days a week, right up to a week before his passing.

I have been extremely lucky with the dogs I've had.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of them.  As I still ramble through the woods, I encounter hints and reminders constantly.  Those first explorations throughout Connecticut and Western Massachusetts were with Dusty,.  Rest easy, boy.

Ran the Bridge/Main/Kent/Wisteria/Dylan/Bridge Loop (3.4-miles).

From the Archives:  On this day in 2006 I enjoyed a really special run and adventure.  It was my 36th completed marathon, and it was at Mount Greylock.

The Greylock Marathon's always mean a bit more to me than others; this one was especially memorable due to the company I had for the entire route, my dad and my great friend Paul H, as well as Tips on her 10th completed marathon.  We finished at 7:29:23, just beating some heavy rain.  An unbelievable day!

Greylock Finish, 2006 

Weekly Weigh In while involved with the 61-Day Challenge - 216.6 lbs.

3-miles on the Metacomet, Phelps North.

Cowles Park Ridge Run just beating the rain over 3.3-miles.

From the Archives:  I raced and completed the Pisgah Marathon on this day in 1997.  

The event was 29.3-miles, and my run time was 5:03:39.  This was my 17th finished marathon.