the Way of the Turtle

FIRST SNOWSHOE OF THE SEASON
2.3 Mile Snowshoe "Run" in the Pine Bush
Friday, December 19, 2008

We had the first major snowstorm of the winter today. By the time it's done it's only supposed to drop 8-12 inches of snow, but the forecast called for that to come down quickly enough that all the local schools closed in the morning or early afternoon and we even got out early. We also closed the karate school for the evening, so I didn't have to cover classes as I'd planned... instead I was able to get out on the Pine Bush trails a couple of hours earlier than I'd planned, which was a real plus.

For a variety of reasons the easiest trailhead for me to reach was one at Columbia Circle, otherwise known as Blueberry Hill East. That section has been closed for "habitat restoration" but somehow I didn't think they'd be working tonight... and luckily the parking area had been somewhat plowed by the time I got there.

Didn't need my headlamp at all, it was so bright between the lights reflecting off the clouds and then that reflecting off the snow. Somebody else had gone through the snow earlier, but I was still essentially breaking trail the whole way. That was one of the reasons I wanted to get out before the snow got too deep... it was tough going, but could have been a lot worse! I ran the downhills when I could (when I was confident the footing was safe) and a few level stretches, ended up walking a lot of the flat parts and definitely the uphills. Don't know if it was the depth of snow (6-8 inches) or if I'm finally getting used to snowshoeing after three seasons, but at least it wasn't harder than I remembered.

The amount of "habitat restoration" they're doing over there is heartbreaking... most of what was still wooded is now stripped or in the process of being stripped. Hopefully they'll leave the woods at the Kailkill Barrens, so there's a couple of miles of woods left to run through. Running through the cleared areas, even once it's regrown and green, just isn't as fun. I know they're removing invasive species (mostly black locust) and trying to restore a rare, unique habitat... but I'll still miss those woods.

Of course, one plus to the hills being cleared - about a half miles from the end of the run I was able to hike to the top of the tallest hill and had an incredible view out over the area.

All in all, a good start to the snowshoeing season... with luck tomorrow afternoon I can get out on my skis!

JMH