the Way of the Turtle

Season of the SnōShū 2008 - Race #5
Northfield Mountain 3.8 Mile Snowshoe Race
Saturday, February 2, 2008

Northfield Mountain snowshoe race info
2008 Northfield Mountain snowshoe race results

I fully expected this race to be cancelled, given the weather we've had recently... but word came down on Thursday that not only was it likely to happen, but there was enough snow that it would even be a snowshoe race, albeit at a shorter distance than originally planned (3.8 miles instead of 6.) So the wee hours of Saturday morning found me throwing my gear in the car and heading for parts unknown, in this case Northfield Mountain about 2 hours away in Massachusetts.

I was initially concerned that the roads would be icy, but since much of the drive was on highways I needn't have worried. The drive on the MA Turnpike up over the Berkshires was particularly scenic, with the Sun coming up in the east and the trees alongside the road all coated with ice and snow. Gorgeous! After stopping at one of the rest stops, I dug out my camera and snapped some pictures as I was driving (don't try this at home, kids!) All in all, it was a smooth trip, except for my getting slightly turned around and initially heading the wrong way at the final turn to Northfield. But I got that straightened out and got there in plenty of time to check in, choose what top I would wear, and pull on my snowshoes before we all gathered at the start. RD Dave Dunham gave us a quick overview of the course, and then it was time to run!

This race started with an intimidating similarity to Curly's last weekend - yet another Course That Starts With a Death March Up a Mountain. The first half climbed about 800 feet, but the climb was drawn out a bit more than Curly's, and to add insult to injury - in several spots we actually ran downhill and lost elevation that we had just gained. I did my best to maintain an even pace as I hiked up and up and up... it helped that the woods were beautiful, with lots of evergreens and exposed rocks.

more to come...

2008 Event Totals
Run 0 mi / 0 min
Bike 0 mi / 0 min
Snowshoe 17.9 mi / 5 hr 9 min

states visited: MA,NY