Williamsburg Snowmobile Trails with Tippi!

2nd Annual Sunset 5km Snowshoe Race
March 21st, 2009  -  Catamount Ski Area  -  Hillsdale, NY

Wrap up to the 2009 season, I managed 6th of 31 racers.

Williamsburg Snowmobile Trails with my trail buddy Tippi....

Northfield Mountain 4.0-Mile Snowshoe Race
3rd Annual Massachusetts State Championship

March 14th, 2009 - Northfield,  Massachusetts

Good friend DD organized again, and I managed an 10th of 46 racers.

Williamsburg Snowmobile Trails!

Tips and I explored the Lilly Pond area of Goshen....

Tippi and I did some exploring in Williamsburg and Chesterfield along the snowmobile route...

A day exploring Tunxis Area Trails!

12th Annual Hawley Kiln "Notch" 4.6-Mile Snowshoe Race
February 28th, 2009 - Dubuque State Forest - Hawley, MA

Another organizing effort, this time for a Notch version.  77 finishers in the race.

Ventured from the Daughter's of American Revolution (DAR) State Forest in Goshen toward the Williamsburg Woodland Trails in Williamsburg.

I ventured out to Mount Greylock Reservation to explore a few additional trails on the east-side of the mountain (the Greylock Glen area, in Adams).

Paul and I had pieced together a true two-for-one event, combining the Hoxie-Thunderbolt 3.8 miles as a standalone snowshoe race, with an additional option of allowing for the continuation of the Covered Bridge loop of 8.7 miles for a total of 12.5-miles of snowshoe heaven on Greylock.  We had been out scouting and marking the course Thursday and Friday, February 19th & 20th, 2009.  The event was held on Saturday the 21st.

The Hoxie-Thunderbolt section is symbolized as the purple track, and the Covered Bridge section follows the red track.  This would be a pretty difficult trail run, but on snowshoes it was really something.

So that brings me to this old set of gps points I have in a file from February 2009.  Shortly after the event, we went back out to join the "Big Junction" of the Thunderbolt by taking the Greylock Mountain Bike Trail uphill.  This is symbolized in yellow on the map below, and my records indicate February 24th, 2009.  What a time that was.

Tippi and I enjoyed a snowshoe romp in Dubuque,  setting the ribbon for the Hawley Notch Snowshoe Race scheduled for February 28th, 2009.

Hallockville Pond "II" 3.6-Mile "Orchard" Snowshoe Race
February 22nd, 2009 - Dubuque State Forest - Hawley, MA

I directed another event in Hawley, going out early to mark and track, and finished 50th of 52.

Fun event on groomed snowmobile path out to the orchard, where the snow depth was a factor during the circle up and around the old apple orchard along the Hawley and Plainfield border.

Hoxie - Thunderbolt 3.8-Mile Snowshoe Race
February 21st, 2009 - Greylock Glen - Adams, MA
&
Greylock Covered Bridge 12.5-Mile Snowshoe Race
February 21st, 2009 - Greylock Glen - Adams, MA

PH and I continued our "two-for-one" event;  two distances with a break in the middle.  You could stop after the Hoxie-Thunderbolt 3.8-miles, or continue for another 8.7-miles (total of 12.5-miles) for the full Covered Bridge experience.

I crossed the line 9th out of 101 in the shorter event, and 7th out of 35 for the full blown Covered Bridge Half Marathon!

I took Tippi out to the Greylock Glen late morning, to mark the "2-4-1" 2009 Version of our Covered Bridge Snowshoe Half-Marathon.  In 2007 we did a similar event, with the Hoxie-Thunderbolt section being 3.5-miles, and the Covered Bridge section hitting 4.5-miles for an eight-mile total.

This was going to be a long day of putting out ribbon, stapling paper arrows and mile-markers to trees, and breaking trail.  I was fortunate to have the dog with me.

I climbed up the Thunderbolt along Hoxie Brook, marking as I went, until finally making it to the turn-a-round point at the shelter.  It was wonderfully sunny, with deep blue sky.  A magical day to be on the mountain, or anywhere outside, really.

While making my way steeply downhill, I spotted a single form slowly making their way up the slope.  Thinking, now who would be out here today, and topping it off messing up my beautiful tracks for tomorrow's event?

As I got close, Tippi went charging off toward the interloper, and before I began apologizing for her aggression, I noticed she was happy and prancing around the human form.  She knew who it was, and I finally did too, PH.

We exchanged incredible greetings, me telling him I sure was happy to have company because it looked like I would be out there into dark.  Paul told me he went into work at 4 a.m. so he could get out to meet me and assist, keeping me company, etc.

We had a fantastic day, albeit a very long one.  The route gps measured over 12.5-miles.  The snow on the Thunderbolt and the Red Gate hadn't been stepped on in a long while, so it met knee depth.

Finished just as dark settled in, with the two best friends anyone could have, Paul and Tippi.  We were ready for the event.