Up early to drop DL at the airport for a 6 a.m. flight;  I gathered up my gear for a trip to the Folks for Thanksgiving.  On the way out, I stopped at DAR and decided to run along Ashfield Trails from West Road to the Bullitt Reservation, making my way through Chapel Ledge and Chapel Falls.

Totaled 8.5-miles of wonderful running, and the extended visit at my Folks was really enjoyable.

Cellar Hole roughly 9/10's mile east of West Road

Yellow Birch holding on tight to it's rock

View from Chapel Ledge (Pony Cliffs)

View from Chapel Ledge

 First drop at Chapel Falls

 Second drop at Chapel Falls

Third drop at Chapel Falls

Another view of the third drop at Chapel Falls

The Pebble at Bullitt Reservation (12' high, 15' long)

Another view of the Pebble

Bent tree in Bullitt Reservation, just after the Peeble

 View out into the meadow at Bullitt Reservation

Bench and cellar hole on my way back, just past Chapel Ledge

Large stones on-top of ledge, along Ashfield Trails, I

Large stones on-top of ledge, along Ashfield Trails, II

Large stones on-top of ledge, along Ashfield Trails, III

Brier Hill Cemetery, near the trail head on West Road

Roadside Memorial along Route 112 in Goshen

Roadside Memorial along Route 112 in Ashfield

 

Twenty-Years ago, close to this day, the following adventure took place...  

"Sunshine, Snowfall, and something called Frost"

Robert Frost Trail
Novemember 16, 1997

Sunderland - Amherst, MA

Music 2017...

Effort #35, This Battle Will Pass...

Jon Evil on drums, just prior to beginning treatment. Recorded Live during Summer of '17, Dark Heart Duo.

On this day, in 2005, I completed a Northern Nipmuck Marathon with Tippi and Wuzzam.  Total time was 6:28:18, and it was my 30th marathon and Tippi's 6th.  Wuzzam had Summer out for the event with us as well.  Hard to beat a day when a few guys can run with their dogs.

We had a scheduled trip to Perkarski's in South Deerfield today, for some supplies DL is bringing to Chicago for Thanksgiving.  The North and South Sugarloafs are just a couple miles from Perkarski's, so that is where I'd run.

Tackled 8-miles up and over both hills.  It has been a while since I've been on these trails, and I was happy to see that the blazes are very improved and the trails were in great shape.

View of the Mt Holyoke and Mt Tom Range from South Sugarloaf

View of Mt Toby and Bull Hill of South Sugarloaf

View off North Sugarloaf looking towards Conway

 

Our final Master Naturalist Level II class was held at the James L. Goodwin State Forest and Conservation Center in Hampton, CT today.  We enjoyed a talk and hike concerning "Reading the Forested Landscape" with Tom Wessels.  Very good day.

Leaving Goodwin, I realized that the six Saturdays we've spent learning went by very quickly.

Also, my runs after class most of the Saturday's paid off a bit today, as I was aware of where we were, the white pines we visited, and the cellar holes.

Tom Wessels at Goodwin State Forest

Out to McLean to do a nice easy run through the cool air and sunshine.  Ended the day with 6-miles.

 

It was dark and rainy once I was out of work, after all it is November.  So...  I went back to Bruce Park and ran an easy 3-miles.

It was too nice a day to not run, but daylight was fading by the time I left work.  With the time I had it was a trip to Bruce Park, to make a loop of sorts, for 3.1-miles.

Music 2017...

Effort #34, Our Town...

Since I have these old recordings, I thought it would also be fun to include the solo version of "Our Town" as well, recorded the moment I wrote and played it most likely.

Music 2017...

Effort #33, Our Town...

In my hometown, way back when, there was a man running for office who some thought illiterate. I believe he garnered enough votes to get elected. The town on it's own was doing poorly, with corruption seemingly running pretty rampant. I wrote a song, which made sense at the time; the Primitives performed it in Mazziarz' Garage, with the full band including Aldo singing.

It is still cold, roughly 28-degrees in the Barkhamstead / East Hartland Metroplex.  K2 joined me for a couple hours along the Tunxis Trail from Route 219 north.

Along the way we enjoyed:

• Indian Council Caves, 
• Roaring Brook, 
• and Pine Mountain.  

Despite the cold temperature, the sun was out and it wasn't damp at all, so running along the Tunxis Trail was really enjoyable today.

Large boulder at bottom of the Indian Council Caves

Profile Rock halfway up the Indian Council Caves

 Looking down from halfway point climb of the Indian Council Caves

....

Completed week #5 at Master Naturalists Training at Goodwin State Forest.  This week we covered "Leading Walks / Interpretive Progams:  Planning, Techniques & Themes".  We ended up a little early, so I managed a 3.5-mile run through the forest.

Somehow, without being previously aware of it, it was five years ago today that I was first in the vicinity of the Goshen Stone Chamber (November 10, 2012).  The odd thing was, Tips & I jogged right past it, more or less, and we didn't even see it (just didn't know it existed back then).  My GPS_Track from that date is solid proof...

So, it was a bit coincidental that I went back on this day, with the Wuzzam along, to hopefully find the Goshen Stone Chamber for him to experience.

Along the way, we saw some really awesome stones and other features...

• Standing Stone along the NEMBA (New England Mountain Bike Association) Trail;
• Small Balanced Rock along the Turkey Trail;
• The Large Balanced Rock that is a draw to this forest;
• Many Stonewalls through the forest, including one massively tall one;
• The Goshen Stone Chamber;
• One more Balanced Rock along the Bobcat Trail;
• and finally, the Fire Tower.

Our day was complete with 8.4-miles, and the Wuzzam appeared to be rebounded from his bout with a nasty Tick Disease (anaplasmosis).  Despite the incredibly sunny blue sky, it was the first really cold day of the fall, with temperatures in Goshen in the high twenties, with strong wind.

Standing Stone along the NEMBA Trail

Balanced Rock off the Turkey Trail

Another View of the Balanced Rock off the Turkey Trail

Main Balanced Rock of DAR State Forest

Main Balanced Rock of DAR State Forest w/ Wuzzam

5-foot high stonewall on private trail to the Stone Chamber

Wolf Tree at top of West Ridge

The Goshen Stone Chamber

The Goshen Stone Chamber, inside looking out

Wuzzam exiting the Goshen Stone Chamber

 Once more, Wuzzam exiting the Goshen Stone Chamber

Beaver activity along the Beaver Trail Loop

 A Balanced Rock along the Bobcat Trail

Goshen DAR State Forest Fire Tower, on a beautiful cold day in November

Ancient American Mysteries... The Secret of the Stones.