From the Archives...

Mt Washington State Forest Marathon - September 13, 2005

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

I completed my 31st marathon at Mt Washington State Forest, with the Riga Plateau, Appalachian Trail, and South Taconic Trail thrown in for good measure.  I had Tippi and Wuzzam along for the day, which set a record for high temperature unfortunately for us.  This was Tippi's 5th completed marathon.

Our time was 5:10:41, which shows we were really running pretty hard.  The lack of water on the trail was a real concern for me, with Tippi.  Luckily, the stream at the bottom of Bear had plenty, and from there on we were set.

Wuzzam looked absolutely beat climbing and coming down off Bear.  He needed the stream to cool off in as much as Tips did.

Bands and Live Performances I've been a part of:

#8.

Primitives, Dong Show #1, Summer 1983.

We were asked after the fact if we ever "practiced".  

The Duke said "No, but we talk about it quite a bit".

This was a no practice session.  We were fueled by alcohol and youth.  

We just didn't give a darn.

This was a Primitives before Aldo.  He was in the audience and saw something in us, I guess.

Duke, K, TimB, Bruce, LA, Rollo and I.  I imagine there may have been another or two, but memory of the occasion is fuzzy.

We played something like a slow "Kick Out the Jams" with K mumbling "Baby Baby Baby" over and over again.  Bongos went flying into the audience, we got gonged.

Stopped off in Plainfield for a short run before visiting my folks.

Managed 3-miles, with one of the trails I had wanted to explore ending up dead-ending at a swampy pond or beaver pond.

I had a camera with me, and the stonewall network is very impressive within this area,

After the run, I stopped off at Plainfield Pond and took a dip to clean up.  First open water "swim" of the year, and I can't remember if I had swam last year.  I had taken a dip in the Ocean back in March.

Picked up some Chinese Food for the folks, had a great visit and drove home into some serious rain off and on.

2023 Unsupported "Non" Trail Race Unofficial Challenge #13

Granville Reservoir 10KM (6.2-Miler)

I thought I had until 2:00 p.m. until the rain hit, but I was wrong by thirty or so minutes and I got totally swamped.

The run itself went really well, I tried hard and managed 5 mph over the 6.2-miles.

It was a another opportunity to "field-check" all the trails I have cataloged and mapped in the Granville Reservoir Section around Drake Mountain.

Using my "Naming Conventions" I've used on my map I covered the following today:

• Turtle Effigy Trail (again)
• Little Perched Rock Cut Thru Trail
• Granville Reservoir Trail
• Winchell Road
• Winchell Reservoir Road

Completed 6.2-Miles in 1:14:10.

Also, from the Archives:  

On this day in 2007, Tippi and I finished the Notchview Marathon.  We ran from Notchview Reservation in Windsor, Massachusetts into Dubuque State Forest in Hawley, then to Savoy Mountain State Forest in Savoy.  We got crushed by a heavy rainstorm for the last 3-miles.

This was my 37th completed marathon, and Tippi's 11th.  All in all, I was not in fantastic shape but the year was winding down, and the run was incredibly enjoyable.  Missing a turn shortly after Windsor Jambs, continuing on the dirt road for a bit, didn't count as a positive.

Looking at the map, we passed Windsor Pond, Crooked Neck Pond, and Hallockville Pond along the journey.  

Tippi on the Jambs Trail.

Alert, as always.

Jambs, with Tippi on the ledge, upper right,

 

Electrical Storm issues at work beginning at 9:30 p.m. Friday, spent until 12:30 a.m. working remotely with the on-call operator, then spent the morning and into afternoon at the facility and pumping stations getting equipment working again.

A washout of a day, basically.

3-miles in Cowles Park after a lengthy day at work. 

Suffield 5km Course #2 for 2023.

Very Hot, Humid and Sunny (~78-degrees @ 9:00 a.m.); 28:03.. 

Completed the 3.1-miles in 28:03, which considering the warmth of the day, I'll take.

1st loop in 13:46 and 2nd loop in 14:17.

Times for my Race Against Myself (plus official events) at this location:

• $2, 2023 - 28:03 (September 7th, 2023)
• #1, 2023 - 29:50 (August 26th, 2023)

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• #5, 2022 - 27:30 (October 1st, 2022)
• #4, 2022 - 26:07 (June 20th, 2022)  Official Event
• #3, 2022 - 25:28 (May 22nd, 2022)
• #2, 2022 - 25:20 (May 7th, 2022)
• #1, 2022 - 27:24 (April 8th, 2022)

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• #7, 2021 - 23:50 (October 30th, 2021)

• #6, 2021 - 24:34 (September 17th, 2021)

• #5, 2021 - 25:10 (September 3rd, 2021)

• #4, 2021 - 25:29 (August 27th, 2021)

• #3, 2021 - 26:48 (August 20th, 2021)

• #2, 2021 - 25:20 (July 9th, 2021)

• #1, 2021 - 27:00 (June 28th, 2021)  Official Event

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• #2, 2019 - 27:46 (July 9th, 2019)

• #1, 2019 - 28:04 (July 2nd, 2019)  Official Event

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A couple of Blast from the past, retelling from the Archives:  

Curly's Marathon was held in Pittsfield State Forest on this day in 2008, and it was a beautiful day to run.  I made the mistake of wearing old shoes rather than a new pair I had just purchased, and it was a very poor decision.  The pain in my feet and lower legs was incredible for the last 6 or 8 miles, and I was lucky to finish in 5:54:36.  

This was my 40th completed marathon.  My dad ran the Half-Marathon option as well.

Additionally, More from the Archives:  

Dunbar - Whitcomb - Jambs Marathon for Wuzzam and I on this day in 2014.

Wuzzam and I conquered Dunbar-Whitcomb-Jambs in 6:21:34.  This expanded from an old run the Bandit and I did on a few occasions, from Whitcomb Summit to Windsor Jambs.

This time, we began at Dunbar Brook in Monroe State Forest, and ventured out a new snowmobile trail to the windmills to Whitcomb Summit, over Crum Hill, over Flat Rock Hill and the old Viewing Platform for the Hoosac Tunnel, crossed the Cold River on an obscure grown in path, past Savoy Mountain State Forest at North Pond, past Bog Pond, over Lewis Hill and Borden Mountain, through Windsor Bush into Windsor State Forest and the Jambs.

Outstanding day with outstanding sunny weather.  This was my 54th completed marathon. 

The Journey South Has Begun

During August, the monarch super generation will emerge and start their migratory journey south. 

Monarch numbers reach their peak by fall migration. At no other time of year is the population as large as it is now. Monarchs produce four generations during the typical breeding season and the population grows with each new generation. By mid-month, the first members of the migratory generation will emerge in the north. These butterflies are the great-great-grandchildren of the monarchs that left overwintering sanctuaries along the coast of California in the United States and the Monarch Biosphere Reserve in central Mexico last spring. This generation has a long and challenging life ahead: they will migrate to their overwintering locations this fall, survive the winter, and return to their breeding territories in spring 2024. 

We haven't had as many Monarchs this season as normal, but we did have a visitor today!

“If the building's still standing when we've finished then we've failed.”

― Charles Gayle

Charles Gayle, a saxophonist extraordinaire, who came to prominence in the 1990s after decades of obscurity, dies aged 80.

In the very early nineties, I was listening to an abundance of "Free Jazz".  I came across a review of a musician that I was not familiar with (very few were at that time, evidently).  The record being reviewed was "Repent" by Charles Gayle.  It contained two pieces, the first being "Repent" at almost 24-minutes of un-interrupted genius.  That was the short song.  The lengthier composition was entitled "Jesus Christ and Scripture" clocking in at slightly over 50-minutes.  I was sold before hearing a single note, and once I actually heard the record, I became a fan and quickly purchased everything I could find  by Charles Gayle.

2023 Unsupported "Non" Trail Race Unofficial Challenge #12

Granville Reservoir 8 KM (5.0-Miler)

K2 joined me in Granville again.

I began thinking that a worthwhile goal for September through December would be to "field-check" all the trails I have cataloged and mapped in the Granville Reservoir Section around Drake Mountain.

Since I've named most of the obscure trails and paths I've explored, I will use that nomenclature.

Today, I rambled on the following:\

• Round-A-Bout Trail
• Little Perched Rock North Trail
• Turtle Effigy Trail
• Circle Trail
• Winchell Mtn Bike Trail (1st Section)

As I was checking my path of today against my historical routes, I used OpenStreetMap for the baselayer in ArcMap.  Low and Behold, someone has finally loaded up the Drake Mtn and Reservoir Area Trails into the public map.  I've avoided doing this, as it may really introduce the area to the masses, but what will be will be.

Completed 5.0-Miles in 1:17:05.

And, remembering a Musical Life....

Gary Wright, singer of Dream Weaver and Love is Alive, dies aged 80.

Like just about anyone who listened to FM Radio in the mid-70's, those two songs (Dream Weaver and Love is Alive) are etched into our collective mind's soundtrack.

I also really liked those Spooky Tooth albums, which group Gary Wright belonged to.

What I didn't know until reading his obituary was that he played many of the keyboard parts on George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" multi album set.

2023 Unsupported Trail Race Unofficial Challenge #11

Metacomet - New England Trial 10km (6.4-miles)

North to South, Beginning Phelps Road.

On a very hot and sunny mid-day I rambled out to the "Spine" from Phelps.

GPS recorded 3.18 miles in 49:00, registering 3.9 mph.

It got very warm on the way back, and I increased my pace hoping for a negative-split.  Stubbed the toe 5 times with two of those events leading to tumbles.

Completed the 6.36-miles in 1:33:00, a 4.1 mph average.

44 minutes on the return, including the two tumbles, was respectable.

2023 Unsupported Trail Race Unofficial Challenge #10

McLean Reservation 4.5-miles

I had time to get over to McLean Reservation before a short emergency shift at work to attempt a 4.5-mile run.

Hot and Sunny (~80-degrees); managed 52:50, running somewhat hard for the entire distance.  

Averaged 5.2 mph pace.

I am looking forward to the rust coming off.

• #1, 2023 - 52:20 (September 2nd, 2023)

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Run in Cowles Park after the workday was over;  managed 3.1-miles. 

Run around the Point after work;  3.2-miles. 

"Non" Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #19 for 2023...

"The New Centurions" written by Joseph Wambaugh, first published in 1971.

This was Wambaugh's first published novel.

And from the Archives...

August 30th, 2020 - Nipmuck Trail

Bigelow Hollow to Gurleyville Grist Mill Marathon

Time to Marathon:

Bigelow Hollow to the Gurleyville Grist Mill, through Union, Eastford, Ashford, Willington and Mansfield, Connecticut.

Shuttled cars with Wuzzam, he and the Old Goat would be starting five or six miles away from me.  I hoped to catch them by mile 22 or 23.  This did not happen.

I felt really good until around 17 or 18-miles.  From that point on, I slowed from a 4.5 mph average to a overall 4.3 mph.  Ended up running 6:03:00, with another 5 or so minutes of stopped time to fill up water.  Wuzzam and Karl finished about 7 or 8 minutes before me, doing around 20-miles.  I hit right at 26.2-gps measured miles....  this was marathon #60 all-time for me.

Nipmuck Trail