Tuesday, August 26, 2008
It seems fitting somehow that I went to my favorite section of the Pine Bush for one of my last runs of my summer vacation... despite all the changes that have been made to the Madison Avenue Pinelands and the Great Dune, I have a lot of good memories running those trails (though I really miss the acres of woods that were stripped for "habitat restoration.")
I guess it was also symbolic that I ran the last couple of miles in increasing darkness... summer draws to a close and the days get shorter... and yet the wonderful fall running season is right around the corner, and the snowshoe season after that...
I haven't run in the Pine Bush much this summer... I think that's partly because I know that over the next six months or so the Pine Bush will be one of the main places I go, because I can run there after dark. So it was nice to see the trails in daylight... even if it was rapidly fading daylight.
Spent a little while checking out the current habitat restoration project... more acres of woods stripped to bare ground, and major sections of trail blocked until they clear out the fallen trees. I managed to find the rather overgrown blue trail and followed it out... it was tough going for a while, since the brambles have pretty much taken over while the trail's been closed. It's going to take some work to clear that path once the work is done this fall - I suspect they'll end up brush-hogging the path.
One more day of freedom and then it's back to work!
JMH
