8.6 Mile Run in the Albany Pine Bush
Thursday, September 21, 2017
My original plan for today was to head over to northwestern MA and run/hike some of the trails at Savoy & Monroe State Forests... except I ended up not getting enough sleep last night and decided that 14-15 miles up and down Berkshire hills plus well over 3 1/2 hours of driving was not a good choice for today's agenda. So instead I decided to keep it local and went to the Albany Pine Bush instead.
Given the heat I should have carried two water bottles and I definitely should have brought along some food - I started getting hungry by the time I made it to DiCaprio Park. I had hoped to top off my water bottle there but the bathrooms were locked and I wasn't sure if I should trust the outside faucet to be potable.
Lots of changes to the Pine Bush trails, both in terms of re-routes and even more clearing out all but a few trees. When I first started running there 15 years ago or so, many of the trails were pleasantly shaded and surrounded by woods. Those are increasingly in the minority, and I wouldn't be surprised if they pretty much disappear in a few more years as the Pine Bush Commission fulfills its goal of returning as much of the preserve as possible to meadow conditions.
