February Already?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
January has just flown by... but it's been a good month. For the first time in years we've had what I consider a real winter, with pretty consistent snow for much of the month. In four years of snowshoe running, I can't remember a race season where we've managed to hold this many races in January... so far the only ones that have been cancelled were the Savoy events, and that was because of damage from December's ice storm, not lack of snow. Along the way we've even had two brand new races!
I'm definitely running stronger than I did previous years... so far, I've run five races that I'd done previously, and I've managed to run a lower time in all five... anywhere from 5 minutes at Frozen Assets to a whopping 20 minutes at I Love Woodford. It will be interesting to see if I can shave some time off at tomorrow's race in Saratoga... for the past two years I've been very consistent, and I pushed pretty hard both times...
JMH
Saturday, January 31, 2009
FIRST RIDE OF 2009
8.0 Mile Ride at the Corning Preserve
Saturday, January 31, 2009
I went back and forth about stopping on the way home to visit one or two parks along the way I'd never been to before... but in the end I came back here, changed into cold weather riding gear, and took my ATB down to the Corning Preserve for a short ride to the far end of the preserve and back. The weather was just too nice to pass up a chance to spin the pedals a bit, and apparently the path is being plowed for its entire length now (it used to only be cleared for a mile or two.) There was a light layer on snow from the squalls we had last night, but that was no big deal.
It felt good to be on one of my bikes again... I've got to put in some miles if I want to ride in the du's at the National Duathlon Festival at the end of April!
Along the way I saw beaver tracks (at least, I assume they were... they went between two streams and were along a flat drag mark that looked like it could have been made by a beaver's tail) and a huge flock of crows (who flew further away whenever I stopped to take a picture of them.) And two mallards looking rather chilly and lonely along one of the few open stretches of water... despite the fact that I've seen ice-breakers going down the Hudson, the river was frozen over and covered with snow.
JMH
8.0 Mile Ride at the Corning Preserve
Saturday, January 31, 2009
I went back and forth about stopping on the way home to visit one or two parks along the way I'd never been to before... but in the end I came back here, changed into cold weather riding gear, and took my ATB down to the Corning Preserve for a short ride to the far end of the preserve and back. The weather was just too nice to pass up a chance to spin the pedals a bit, and apparently the path is being plowed for its entire length now (it used to only be cleared for a mile or two.) There was a light layer on snow from the squalls we had last night, but that was no big deal.
It felt good to be on one of my bikes again... I've got to put in some miles if I want to ride in the du's at the National Duathlon Festival at the end of April!
Along the way I saw beaver tracks (at least, I assume they were... they went between two streams and were along a flat drag mark that looked like it could have been made by a beaver's tail) and a huge flock of crows (who flew further away whenever I stopped to take a picture of them.) And two mallards looking rather chilly and lonely along one of the few open stretches of water... despite the fact that I've seen ice-breakers going down the Hudson, the river was frozen over and covered with snow.
JMH
Thursday, January 29, 2009
4 Mile Snowshoe Run in the Pine Bush
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Another Thursday when my only chance to run was after classes had wrapped up... that makes for a late night.
The trails were pretty well packed but I never really felt like I loosened up tonight... it was tough going from start to finish. Hopefully that won't be the case during the races this weekend!
JMH
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Another Thursday when my only chance to run was after classes had wrapped up... that makes for a late night.
The trails were pretty well packed but I never really felt like I loosened up tonight... it was tough going from start to finish. Hopefully that won't be the case during the races this weekend!
JMH
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
A WET, ICY JANUARY DAY...
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
One of the pluses of being a teacher in the northeast is occasional snow days in the winter... I wasn't particularly surprised when I had one today, given the big deal all the weather services were making about the storm that was blowing through. And I certainly didn't mind getting a little extra sleep this morning...
Unfortunately, by the time I ran some errands this afternoon the snow had turned to freezing rain and the roads were turning into skating rinks, so I cancelled my plans to hit the trails for a few miles of snowshoeing and headed back home instead. Guess I'll try to squeeze a run in before classes tomorrow...
JMH
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
One of the pluses of being a teacher in the northeast is occasional snow days in the winter... I wasn't particularly surprised when I had one today, given the big deal all the weather services were making about the storm that was blowing through. And I certainly didn't mind getting a little extra sleep this morning...
Unfortunately, by the time I ran some errands this afternoon the snow had turned to freezing rain and the roads were turning into skating rinks, so I cancelled my plans to hit the trails for a few miles of snowshoeing and headed back home instead. Guess I'll try to squeeze a run in before classes tomorrow...
JMH
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
LONG DISTANCE 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I checked the WMAC site today and found the schedule for the 2009 Grand Tree trail race series posted. It's funny, there's still 6-8 weeks of snowshoe season left... but somehow around this time I always find myself starting to plan for the upcoming trail and road races. Maybe because I also need to start training for those races if I want to have any hope of doing them!
Both my training and racing was pretty disappointing until fall last year... I'm hoping to do better in 2009! In particular, I want to get ready to run the Finger Lakes 50k Trail Race in early July, which is going to mean a lot of hard work between now and then. Along the way, I'm aiming for the following distance challenges:
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I checked the WMAC site today and found the schedule for the 2009 Grand Tree trail race series posted. It's funny, there's still 6-8 weeks of snowshoe season left... but somehow around this time I always find myself starting to plan for the upcoming trail and road races. Maybe because I also need to start training for those races if I want to have any hope of doing them!
Both my training and racing was pretty disappointing until fall last year... I'm hoping to do better in 2009! In particular, I want to get ready to run the Finger Lakes 50k Trail Race in early July, which is going to mean a lot of hard work between now and then. Along the way, I'm aiming for the following distance challenges:
- Northern Nipmuck 16mi trail race, 4-11-09
- Muddy Moose 14mi trail race, hopefully mid-April 09
- USAT Duathlon National Championships, 4-26-09
- Medved Madness 15mi trail race, early May 09
- Highland Forest 1-2-3 trail races, late May 09
- Nipmuck Trail Marathon, 6-7-09
- Greylock 13.5mi trail race, 6-21-09
And a few shorter races along the way too...
I'd better get to work!
JMH
Sunday, January 25, 2009
A GORGEOUS JANUARY DAY!
3.6 Mile Snowshoe Hike & 2 Mile Snowshoe Run at Pittsfield State Forest
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Pittsfield State Forest winter trail map (PDF)
I was originally torn over what do do after the race today. Ordinarily I would go for a hike, run, or ride in another part of the park or at another park altogether, both to extend my time playing outdoors and to get the maximum benefit of the time I spent travelling. But yesterday was a tough one - between a challenging race, almost an hour of struggling on and off with katas, and roughly 6 hours of driving, the thought of just coming home and relaxing for the rest of the day was very attractive, especially since Curly's involves a lot of elevation gain and loss. In the end I decided to keep my options open and brought along a bunch of extra gear - fortunately, as it happened, since today turned out to be a beautiful sunny day, and it would have been a real shame to miss out on the bulk of it.
Once I had gotten my breath back from my sprint to the finish and checked out the food options, I changed into dry clothes and headed back out into the woods. A few weeks ago Ann and I walked a short ways along the Lulu Brook trail, so I decided to follow that all the way to its end at the Taconic Skyline trail, just below the top of the mountain. Of course a major difference today was the need for snowshoes! Fortunately the trail had already been stomped down, so other than the fact that it was mostly uphill it was pretty easy going, and very scenic, with the Lulu Brook running its way through the gully between snow-covered Berry Pond Rd and the trail. At times the trail ran right next to the brook, and at other times it was up on the hillside. My legs were definitely a bit tired from two days of races, but plenty of rest stops to take pictures helped that.
As I went further up the mountain, I saw more and more damage from the mid-December ice storm. In a few places I had to scoot over or under fallen trees, and in a couple of spots detours were needed. Eventually the Lulu trail became too tough to follow (or maybe it just ran out - either the track I was following went off trail or it was very poorly blazed) and I hopped uphill a short distance to take the Honwee Circuit trail much of the rest of the way. Most of the time I had a pretty good view of the road across the gully... while I was hiking several snowmobiles went up the road, a hiker went down the road (he'd passed me earlier as he hiked the Honwee trail up) and one fellow lugging a sled headed up the road.
Eventually I reached the Taconic Skyline snowmobile trail and took it over to the road, which I followed the rest of the way to the top. I'd only been up there once before, after Curly's Trail Half Marathon last September, so I was a bit surprised at how far I still had to go even after I reached the "top." But in the end I came out at a fantastic view off to the west, looking out into New York... wonderful!
Since I'd hiked all the way up there, I decided to follow the road downhill a short ways to Berry Pond, the highest altitude natural body of water in Massachusetts. Unfortunately the snowmobilers had buzzed around the frozen pond... didn't ruin the view, but it did detract from it a bit. While I was there several folks went by. I have mixed feelings about snowmobiles... on the one hand the local club did a lot of work to clear trails after the ice storm, but on the other hand I wish they'd find a quieter and maybe more environmentally-friendly way to enjoy themselves. At least they don't demolish the trails like the @&**$%!! ATVs do.
I briefly contemplated following the loop road down the other side of the mountain but in the end didn't feel like having a mile or so hike back to the car from the bottom of the hill, so I hiked back up past the viewpoint and ran down the road back to the parking lot. That went a lot quicker than the trip up! I definitely felt the effects of the last two days on my legs, though... the next day or two will have to be rest days.
Finally ended up back at the car, where I changed into dry clothes for the 2nd time today and then packed my gear and headed out of the woods and back on the road home... a quiet way to end a pretty darn good weekend.
JMH
3.6 Mile Snowshoe Hike & 2 Mile Snowshoe Run at Pittsfield State Forest
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Pittsfield State Forest winter trail map (PDF)
I was originally torn over what do do after the race today. Ordinarily I would go for a hike, run, or ride in another part of the park or at another park altogether, both to extend my time playing outdoors and to get the maximum benefit of the time I spent travelling. But yesterday was a tough one - between a challenging race, almost an hour of struggling on and off with katas, and roughly 6 hours of driving, the thought of just coming home and relaxing for the rest of the day was very attractive, especially since Curly's involves a lot of elevation gain and loss. In the end I decided to keep my options open and brought along a bunch of extra gear - fortunately, as it happened, since today turned out to be a beautiful sunny day, and it would have been a real shame to miss out on the bulk of it.
Once I had gotten my breath back from my sprint to the finish and checked out the food options, I changed into dry clothes and headed back out into the woods. A few weeks ago Ann and I walked a short ways along the Lulu Brook trail, so I decided to follow that all the way to its end at the Taconic Skyline trail, just below the top of the mountain. Of course a major difference today was the need for snowshoes! Fortunately the trail had already been stomped down, so other than the fact that it was mostly uphill it was pretty easy going, and very scenic, with the Lulu Brook running its way through the gully between snow-covered Berry Pond Rd and the trail. At times the trail ran right next to the brook, and at other times it was up on the hillside. My legs were definitely a bit tired from two days of races, but plenty of rest stops to take pictures helped that.
As I went further up the mountain, I saw more and more damage from the mid-December ice storm. In a few places I had to scoot over or under fallen trees, and in a couple of spots detours were needed. Eventually the Lulu trail became too tough to follow (or maybe it just ran out - either the track I was following went off trail or it was very poorly blazed) and I hopped uphill a short distance to take the Honwee Circuit trail much of the rest of the way. Most of the time I had a pretty good view of the road across the gully... while I was hiking several snowmobiles went up the road, a hiker went down the road (he'd passed me earlier as he hiked the Honwee trail up) and one fellow lugging a sled headed up the road.
Eventually I reached the Taconic Skyline snowmobile trail and took it over to the road, which I followed the rest of the way to the top. I'd only been up there once before, after Curly's Trail Half Marathon last September, so I was a bit surprised at how far I still had to go even after I reached the "top." But in the end I came out at a fantastic view off to the west, looking out into New York... wonderful!
Since I'd hiked all the way up there, I decided to follow the road downhill a short ways to Berry Pond, the highest altitude natural body of water in Massachusetts. Unfortunately the snowmobilers had buzzed around the frozen pond... didn't ruin the view, but it did detract from it a bit. While I was there several folks went by. I have mixed feelings about snowmobiles... on the one hand the local club did a lot of work to clear trails after the ice storm, but on the other hand I wish they'd find a quieter and maybe more environmentally-friendly way to enjoy themselves. At least they don't demolish the trails like the @&**$%!! ATVs do.
I briefly contemplated following the loop road down the other side of the mountain but in the end didn't feel like having a mile or so hike back to the car from the bottom of the hill, so I hiked back up past the viewpoint and ran down the road back to the parking lot. That went a lot quicker than the trip up! I definitely felt the effects of the last two days on my legs, though... the next day or two will have to be rest days.
Finally ended up back at the car, where I changed into dry clothes for the 2nd time today and then packed my gear and headed out of the woods and back on the road home... a quiet way to end a pretty darn good weekend.
JMH
Season of the SnōShū 2009 - Race #7
Curly's Record Run 4mi Snowshoe Race
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Curly's Record Run 4mi Snowshoe Race
Sunday, January 25, 2009
2009 Curly's Record Run results
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 23.2 mi, 5 hr 47 min
states visited: MA, NY, VT
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Katas? What Katas?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Today I verified the results of an experiment I've been doing for the last year or so... how well would I remember the katas I've learned if I haven't practiced them for months on end. I arrived at the January staff meeting just as things were breaking up for some folks to spar and the rest of us to practice katas. My memory's fine on the ones I've been doing for a good long time - pretty much everything up through 3rd degree black belt - but the ones after that are a mess. Guess I'd better get my butt in gear and start practicing them again...
JMH
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Today I verified the results of an experiment I've been doing for the last year or so... how well would I remember the katas I've learned if I haven't practiced them for months on end. I arrived at the January staff meeting just as things were breaking up for some folks to spar and the rest of us to practice katas. My memory's fine on the ones I've been doing for a good long time - pretty much everything up through 3rd degree black belt - but the ones after that are a mess. Guess I'd better get my butt in gear and start practicing them again...
JMH
Season of the SnōShū 2009 - Race #6
Hoot Toot & Whistle 3.3mi Snowshoe Race
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Hoot Toot & Whistle 3.3mi Snowshoe Race
Saturday, January 24, 2009
2009 Hoot Toot & Whistle results
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 19.2 mi, 4 hr 44 min
states visited: MA, NY, VT
Friday, January 23, 2009
Oh Wonderful Internet!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Let's say someone takes his car in to the dealership where he purchased it used (not a dealership for the make of that car, like a Honda, say) have some work done - perhaps a timing belt replaced before the old one snaps and ruins the engine (gotta love interference engines!) And let's say that when he picks the car up - the power door locks only work when the car is running, the remotes for the locks do nothing, there's no power to the stereo, and none of the various warning chimes that remind him that his lights are on or the door is open with the key in the ignition or whatever are functioning. Perhaps it is reasonable for him to be aggravated, knowing that now he has to take the car back and hope they can find the problem and fix it, otherwise it's time to find a Honda dealership that's actually trustworthy and pay them to fix the problem.
And let's say that after spending an evening thoroughly aggravated and ticked off about it, he finally finds a description of almost exactly the same problem, notes the suggested solution, tries it, and - lo and behold - everything is working again.
How about a non-functioning car stereo because the security system locked it down when the car's battery was disconnected during the work, and the previous idiot owner of the car couldn't be bothered to write the security code in the owner's manual? Let's say that after banging his head against the car manufacturer's web-site, which includes a link for retrieving security codes but won't give him the one for his car because the previous owner's info is still on record as applying to the car, he finds a web-site where, for a small fee, he can get the code and, when entered, returns the stereo to normal operation.
At that point the Internet would have saved him a trip to one or more car dealerships and probably multiple phone calls to Honda's customer service line... I'd say that qualifies as a wonderful thing.
JMH
Friday, January 23, 2009
Let's say someone takes his car in to the dealership where he purchased it used (not a dealership for the make of that car, like a Honda, say) have some work done - perhaps a timing belt replaced before the old one snaps and ruins the engine (gotta love interference engines!) And let's say that when he picks the car up - the power door locks only work when the car is running, the remotes for the locks do nothing, there's no power to the stereo, and none of the various warning chimes that remind him that his lights are on or the door is open with the key in the ignition or whatever are functioning. Perhaps it is reasonable for him to be aggravated, knowing that now he has to take the car back and hope they can find the problem and fix it, otherwise it's time to find a Honda dealership that's actually trustworthy and pay them to fix the problem.
And let's say that after spending an evening thoroughly aggravated and ticked off about it, he finally finds a description of almost exactly the same problem, notes the suggested solution, tries it, and - lo and behold - everything is working again.
How about a non-functioning car stereo because the security system locked it down when the car's battery was disconnected during the work, and the previous idiot owner of the car couldn't be bothered to write the security code in the owner's manual? Let's say that after banging his head against the car manufacturer's web-site, which includes a link for retrieving security codes but won't give him the one for his car because the previous owner's info is still on record as applying to the car, he finds a web-site where, for a small fee, he can get the code and, when entered, returns the stereo to normal operation.
At that point the Internet would have saved him a trip to one or more car dealerships and probably multiple phone calls to Honda's customer service line... I'd say that qualifies as a wonderful thing.
JMH
Thursday, January 22, 2009
3.9 Mile Snowshoe Run in the Pine Bush
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Not a lot of time to run before class tonight, but then I really didn't want to run myself into the ground anyways, not with two races coming up this weekend. So I headed over to the Pine Bush and ran part of the Brave the Blizzard course before heading off along the power lines to run a trail I don't do very often, mainly because it's all out in the open and there are two very steep hills to climb. I guess tonight I just felt like doing something different, and I think it was a good choice, because I had fun running (and walking) that stretch.
Lots of XC skiers out tonight... I must have passed 8 or 10 in the hour I was in the woods. Maybe someday I'll be good enough on my skis to go out at night, but that's definitely not the case right now.
Of course, the problem with short runs like this is, just when it starts feeling good (after 40-45 minutes) it's time to wrap things up, and tonight was no exception. I would have liked to keep going but I really needed to get over to the school to help with karate classes. At least I have more fun in the snow to look forward to this weekend...
JMH
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Not a lot of time to run before class tonight, but then I really didn't want to run myself into the ground anyways, not with two races coming up this weekend. So I headed over to the Pine Bush and ran part of the Brave the Blizzard course before heading off along the power lines to run a trail I don't do very often, mainly because it's all out in the open and there are two very steep hills to climb. I guess tonight I just felt like doing something different, and I think it was a good choice, because I had fun running (and walking) that stretch.
Lots of XC skiers out tonight... I must have passed 8 or 10 in the hour I was in the woods. Maybe someday I'll be good enough on my skis to go out at night, but that's definitely not the case right now.
Of course, the problem with short runs like this is, just when it starts feeling good (after 40-45 minutes) it's time to wrap things up, and tonight was no exception. I would have liked to keep going but I really needed to get over to the school to help with karate classes. At least I have more fun in the snow to look forward to this weekend...
JMH
Monday, January 19, 2009
2.3 Mile XC Ski at the Brookdale Preserve and Along the Genesee Valley Greenway
Monday, January 19, 2009
Brookdale Preserve info
Genesee Valley Greenway info
After a fairly grey weekend, a bright sunny morning! So I dropped Ann off at work and after taking care of a few things back at the house headed out for a quick bit of XC skiing on the Greenway Trail before I needed to be back to pick her up.
Parked at the Brook Rd lot and noticed that there were ski tracks heading along the old canal embankment opposite the trail, so I decided to take advantage of the chance to go someplace new and headed off into the Brookdale Preserve, one of a number of properties managed by the Genesee Land Trust. It was fun skiing for a short distance, but then I hit brambles (ouch) and a downed tree blocking the path, so I popped loose the skis and hiked across the old canal to the Greenway Trail.
The Greenway gets plenty of snowmobile traffic in the winter, which makes for mixed results when skiing. On the one hand, it's great to not have to plow through a foot of unbroken snow (though that can be a lot of fun sometimes.) But the lack of tracks made it touch for me to keep to a straight course... I imagine it would be great for someone skate skiing. After crossing Brook Road I did try using the remnants of tracks left at the edge of the path by a previous XC skier, and that went pretty well... there were times when I actually got what felt like a decent, efficient glide going.
Turned around at the remains of the Dumpling Hill Lock; one of the fun things about getting out on skis or snowshoes is seeing things that I've visited many times before during a different season. At that point time was getting short so I headed back for the car so I could get home and wait for Ann to call to be picked up. Would have been nice to spend a little more time outdoors (especially with the afternoon given over to driving back to Albany) but despite that this was still a great way to spend part of the morning.
JMH
Monday, January 19, 2009
Brookdale Preserve info
Genesee Valley Greenway info
After a fairly grey weekend, a bright sunny morning! So I dropped Ann off at work and after taking care of a few things back at the house headed out for a quick bit of XC skiing on the Greenway Trail before I needed to be back to pick her up.
Parked at the Brook Rd lot and noticed that there were ski tracks heading along the old canal embankment opposite the trail, so I decided to take advantage of the chance to go someplace new and headed off into the Brookdale Preserve, one of a number of properties managed by the Genesee Land Trust. It was fun skiing for a short distance, but then I hit brambles (ouch) and a downed tree blocking the path, so I popped loose the skis and hiked across the old canal to the Greenway Trail.
The Greenway gets plenty of snowmobile traffic in the winter, which makes for mixed results when skiing. On the one hand, it's great to not have to plow through a foot of unbroken snow (though that can be a lot of fun sometimes.) But the lack of tracks made it touch for me to keep to a straight course... I imagine it would be great for someone skate skiing. After crossing Brook Road I did try using the remnants of tracks left at the edge of the path by a previous XC skier, and that went pretty well... there were times when I actually got what felt like a decent, efficient glide going.
Turned around at the remains of the Dumpling Hill Lock; one of the fun things about getting out on skis or snowshoes is seeing things that I've visited many times before during a different season. At that point time was getting short so I headed back for the car so I could get home and wait for Ann to call to be picked up. Would have been nice to spend a little more time outdoors (especially with the afternoon given over to driving back to Albany) but despite that this was still a great way to spend part of the morning.
JMH
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Season of the SnōShū 2009 - Race #5
Mendon Winterfest 10k Snowshoe Race
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Mendon Winterfest 10k Snowshoe Race
Sunday, January 18, 2009
2009 Winterfest 10k race results
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 15.9 mi, 3 hr 51 min
states visited: MA, NY
Saturday, January 17, 2009
1.8 Mile XC Ski at Black Creek Park
& A Mishap for the Dragon Lady
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Black Creek Park trail map (PDF)
I got fairly antsy after lunch so even though it was a bit chilly I talked Ann into going outside for some XC skiing. We thought about heading over the the Greenway but in the end decided on Black Creek Park instead (no snowmobiles to dodge.)
I wanted to keep things on the easier side, so we started out by skiing down the wide purple trail... pretty easy going, for the most part. Then we headed into the woods on one of the newer trails that runs along the base of the ridge. Narrower, with more twists and turns, but still not too bad, and it was nice to be in the woods instead of out in the open.
Unfortunately, Ann a ways ahead of me (I was stopping to take pictures) and decided to ski down a somewhat steep hill, not realizing there was a turn at near the bottom... and ended up smacking into a tree. Whacked her knee and gave herself a nasty shot to the sternum. I heard her holler and made my way over there as quickly as possible (I unclipped my skis and walked down the hill she crashed on) and then helped her up, took her skis and poles, and we slowly hiked out along the trail. Not a lot of fun... she was clearly in a bit of pain. Once we reached the edge of the woods, I left her to make her way over to the nearby lodge on her skis and hustled over to get the car so that she wouldn't have to walk as far.
So... no skiing for Ann for a little while. She's pretty bummed about getting hurt, but I've pointed out that it could have been a lot worse - she could have smacked her head or hit a tree with lots of pointy branches to poke holes in her. At least this should heal up before too long.
I also concluded that I need new XC ski boots... the ones I have (which are 12-13 years old) are way too tight in the forefoot, which doesn't cause much trouble when I'm skiing but gave me a few blisters when I had to walk in them today. I hadn't really noticed it over the last couple of years, when I only got out to ski once or twice, but this year has been a good one for skiing and it's definitely a problem-in-the-making.
JMH
& A Mishap for the Dragon Lady
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Black Creek Park trail map (PDF)
I got fairly antsy after lunch so even though it was a bit chilly I talked Ann into going outside for some XC skiing. We thought about heading over the the Greenway but in the end decided on Black Creek Park instead (no snowmobiles to dodge.)
I wanted to keep things on the easier side, so we started out by skiing down the wide purple trail... pretty easy going, for the most part. Then we headed into the woods on one of the newer trails that runs along the base of the ridge. Narrower, with more twists and turns, but still not too bad, and it was nice to be in the woods instead of out in the open.
Unfortunately, Ann a ways ahead of me (I was stopping to take pictures) and decided to ski down a somewhat steep hill, not realizing there was a turn at near the bottom... and ended up smacking into a tree. Whacked her knee and gave herself a nasty shot to the sternum. I heard her holler and made my way over there as quickly as possible (I unclipped my skis and walked down the hill she crashed on) and then helped her up, took her skis and poles, and we slowly hiked out along the trail. Not a lot of fun... she was clearly in a bit of pain. Once we reached the edge of the woods, I left her to make her way over to the nearby lodge on her skis and hustled over to get the car so that she wouldn't have to walk as far.
So... no skiing for Ann for a little while. She's pretty bummed about getting hurt, but I've pointed out that it could have been a lot worse - she could have smacked her head or hit a tree with lots of pointy branches to poke holes in her. At least this should heal up before too long.
I also concluded that I need new XC ski boots... the ones I have (which are 12-13 years old) are way too tight in the forefoot, which doesn't cause much trouble when I'm skiing but gave me a few blisters when I had to walk in them today. I hadn't really noticed it over the last couple of years, when I only got out to ski once or twice, but this year has been a good one for skiing and it's definitely a problem-in-the-making.
JMH
Season of the SnōShū 2009 - Race #4
EMS Beaver Lake 2.4mi Snowshoe Race
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Well, this was a race of firsts!
EMS Beaver Lake 2.4mi Snowshoe Race
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Well, this was a race of firsts!
- the first time I've raced at Beaver Lake Nature Center!
- the first time I took 4th place (sadly, they only gave awards to the top three)!
- the first time I came in before 40% of the race field in a snowshoe race!
- the first time I was in the top 10 runners in any race!
Ok, time to come clean - there were only 10 runners in today's race! 7 men and 3 women. I was the 4th man, and 6th in overall position, with a time of 30:22 for the "5k" (actually 2.4mi) course.
more to come...
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 9.7 mi, 2 hr 25 min
states visited: MA, NY
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
5.3 Mile Snowshoe Run in the Pine Bush
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Parked at the Pine Bush Discovery Center and hit the trails of Karner Barrens East and West. I expected the trails to be pretty well packed from all the skiing, snowshoeing, adn walking that people had probably done since Sunday's snowfall, and I was right... up to a point. The East Barrens were well-travelled and "easy" running for the most part... didn't even need my headlamp on initially. Once I crossed under Rt 155 and hit the West Barrens trails, things were slightly different... though they had seen some traffic, it was comparatively light (a couple of skiers and snowshoers, most likely) and so I was working a lot more to get through the snow (and throwing a lot more up on the backs of my legs, my waist pack, and my lower back!)
Even the packed sections had a bit more give than the "crumbling concrete" I ran on last week, because the snow was a bit on the wet side. All in all it made for a good workout.
Tested a new pair of inexpensive tights I picked up recently... they did a good job at first, but once they got wet my legs started to get cold, particularly along the backs where snow was getting thrown up. So I think I'll relegate those to regular runs rather than snowshoe runs, and keep using the wonderful thermal tights I've purchased from Performance Bicycle and Nashbar for playing in the snow...
JMH
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Parked at the Pine Bush Discovery Center and hit the trails of Karner Barrens East and West. I expected the trails to be pretty well packed from all the skiing, snowshoeing, adn walking that people had probably done since Sunday's snowfall, and I was right... up to a point. The East Barrens were well-travelled and "easy" running for the most part... didn't even need my headlamp on initially. Once I crossed under Rt 155 and hit the West Barrens trails, things were slightly different... though they had seen some traffic, it was comparatively light (a couple of skiers and snowshoers, most likely) and so I was working a lot more to get through the snow (and throwing a lot more up on the backs of my legs, my waist pack, and my lower back!)
Even the packed sections had a bit more give than the "crumbling concrete" I ran on last week, because the snow was a bit on the wet side. All in all it made for a good workout.
Tested a new pair of inexpensive tights I picked up recently... they did a good job at first, but once they got wet my legs started to get cold, particularly along the backs where snow was getting thrown up. So I think I'll relegate those to regular runs rather than snowshoe runs, and keep using the wonderful thermal tights I've purchased from Performance Bicycle and Nashbar for playing in the snow...
JMH
Sunday, January 11, 2009
3.9 Mile XC Ski at the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve
Sunday, January 11, 2009
We got some snow last night and this morning... woo hoo! So after spending the morning being lazy and then shoveling the sidewalk I packed my gear and headed up to the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve for a little skiing. The main parking area was pretty full (no great surprise) so I headed down to the parking near Clute's Dry Dock and decided to check out some trails I hadn't been on yet this winter.
The path from Clute's Dry Dock to the dirt access road was blocked early on by a fallen tree... after that it was pretty easy going, and generally very good skiing, since not too many folks had been down that far. At the access road I crossed over the old canal and took another trail I've rarely used over to the Whipple bridge. When I ran there last month the bushes were loaded with cedar waxwings, and about the month ago I saw mainly sparrows and, I think, finches... today the bird of choice seemed to be robins, though I also spotted a woodpecker down by the river.
Once I reached the bridge I decided to try to avoid the crowds and looped back toward where I'd come from down along the river. Someone else had already been there snowshoeing, which presented a bit of a challenge - I was essentially bushwhacking along their trail, and snowshoes are a lot more maneuverable than skis! So it was interesting but slow going. Eventually I made my way back to the access road and then followed trails back to where the road crosses the ponds.
Even though it was getting on the later side I decided to ski down the trail on the opposite side of the old canal from where I'd come in. That was tough going in a couple of spots where there were downed trees, and when I finally reached the old drydock I decided I really didn't want to have to make my way past the trees I fought my way over and around on both paths. Since there were both snowshoe and ski tracks on the old canal, I unclipped my skis and went down onto the ice, then made my way across to the dock in the old drydock. Getting up on that was a bit of a trick, but once I'd managed to do so it was a quick trip to the car.
JMH
Sunday, January 11, 2009
We got some snow last night and this morning... woo hoo! So after spending the morning being lazy and then shoveling the sidewalk I packed my gear and headed up to the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve for a little skiing. The main parking area was pretty full (no great surprise) so I headed down to the parking near Clute's Dry Dock and decided to check out some trails I hadn't been on yet this winter.
The path from Clute's Dry Dock to the dirt access road was blocked early on by a fallen tree... after that it was pretty easy going, and generally very good skiing, since not too many folks had been down that far. At the access road I crossed over the old canal and took another trail I've rarely used over to the Whipple bridge. When I ran there last month the bushes were loaded with cedar waxwings, and about the month ago I saw mainly sparrows and, I think, finches... today the bird of choice seemed to be robins, though I also spotted a woodpecker down by the river.
Once I reached the bridge I decided to try to avoid the crowds and looped back toward where I'd come from down along the river. Someone else had already been there snowshoeing, which presented a bit of a challenge - I was essentially bushwhacking along their trail, and snowshoes are a lot more maneuverable than skis! So it was interesting but slow going. Eventually I made my way back to the access road and then followed trails back to where the road crosses the ponds.
Even though it was getting on the later side I decided to ski down the trail on the opposite side of the old canal from where I'd come in. That was tough going in a couple of spots where there were downed trees, and when I finally reached the old drydock I decided I really didn't want to have to make my way past the trees I fought my way over and around on both paths. Since there were both snowshoe and ski tracks on the old canal, I unclipped my skis and went down onto the ice, then made my way across to the dock in the old drydock. Getting up on that was a bit of a trick, but once I'd managed to do so it was a quick trip to the car.
JMH
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Season of the SnōShū 2009 - Race #3
Turner Trail 4.3mi Snowshoe Race
Saturday, January 10, 2009
2008 Turner Trail snowshoe race results
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 7.4 mi, 1 hr 55 min
states visited: MA, NY
Turner Trail 4.3mi Snowshoe Race
Saturday, January 10, 2009
2008 Turner Trail snowshoe race results
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 7.4 mi, 1 hr 55 min
states visited: MA, NY
Friday, January 09, 2009
An Unexpected Nice Gesture
Friday, January 9, 2008
Covered class at the karate school tonight and when I arrived there I discovered that one of my headlights had burned out. So once things wrapped up I headed over to K-mart, paid an outrageous amount of money for a pair of new bulbs (if one goes I generally figure I'll probably be replacing the other soon too... to the bulb manufacturer's credit, these bulbs really do seem to be whiter and brighter than my old "standard" headlights) and spent a few minutes in the parking lot changing the dead bulb so I wouldn't be risking a ticket on the drive home.
The surprise came when I finished up and got in the car... a car pulled up a couple of spaces over, the driver rolled down the window, and asked if I'd managed to fix whatever the problem was , making sure I wouldn't be stranded in the parking lot on a fairly cold night.
I tend to be somewhat cynical about people in general... seems there's an awful lot of selfishness and general cluelessness these days (myself included at times!)... so it's always good to get a reminder that there are some darn decent folk out there who are looking out for the people around them. That's a nice thought to end the day on...
JMH
Friday, January 9, 2008
Covered class at the karate school tonight and when I arrived there I discovered that one of my headlights had burned out. So once things wrapped up I headed over to K-mart, paid an outrageous amount of money for a pair of new bulbs (if one goes I generally figure I'll probably be replacing the other soon too... to the bulb manufacturer's credit, these bulbs really do seem to be whiter and brighter than my old "standard" headlights) and spent a few minutes in the parking lot changing the dead bulb so I wouldn't be risking a ticket on the drive home.
The surprise came when I finished up and got in the car... a car pulled up a couple of spaces over, the driver rolled down the window, and asked if I'd managed to fix whatever the problem was , making sure I wouldn't be stranded in the parking lot on a fairly cold night.
I tend to be somewhat cynical about people in general... seems there's an awful lot of selfishness and general cluelessness these days (myself included at times!)... so it's always good to get a reminder that there are some darn decent folk out there who are looking out for the people around them. That's a nice thought to end the day on...
JMH
Thursday, January 08, 2009
SNOW-COVERED TRAILS IN THE MOONLIGHT
5.2 Mile Run in the Pine Bush
Thursday, January 8, 2009
No time to run tonight until after classes, so I hit the trails at the Pine Bush at around 9:40... since I'd run the same trails on snowshoes Tuesday night, I was fairly confident I'd be OK running there with screwshoes tonight.
It was a bit colder than it's been recently, which took a little getting used to, but the nearly full moon lit things up so well that much of the time I didn't need to use my headlamp... it's always cool to be running through the woods at night with only the moon lighting my way.
The only minus was getting home from a run after 11 PM... and knowing I had to be up in time to get to work tomorrow morning!
JMH
5.2 Mile Run in the Pine Bush
Thursday, January 8, 2009
No time to run tonight until after classes, so I hit the trails at the Pine Bush at around 9:40... since I'd run the same trails on snowshoes Tuesday night, I was fairly confident I'd be OK running there with screwshoes tonight.
It was a bit colder than it's been recently, which took a little getting used to, but the nearly full moon lit things up so well that much of the time I didn't need to use my headlamp... it's always cool to be running through the woods at night with only the moon lighting my way.
The only minus was getting home from a run after 11 PM... and knowing I had to be up in time to get to work tomorrow morning!
JMH
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
6.5 Mi Snowshoe Run in the Pine Bush
Tuesday, January 6, 2008
A good night for a run... not too cold, and I finished up before the storm started (though running in a snowstorm could have been kind of fun.) The only real downside was something I anticipated as I headed over to the Pine Bush - namely, that the trails there would have been used so much since the last snowfall that they would be packed pretty solidly, giving the snow the consistency of slightly crunchy concrete. While that makes for quicker running, the impact is also harder on both me and the snowshoes. At least it helped me appreciate the brief not-quite-so-packed sections all the more!
Not as many trees down as I feared, possibly in part because the massive amounts of "habitat restoration" have resulted in a lot of trees being removed over the last two years. There were two spots were very large trees went down from the ice and wind two weeks ago, and a few smaller falls, but nothing that couldn't be easily bushwhacked around.
One thing that was very noticeable is how noisy snowshoes are! No chance of sneeking up any any deer tonight...
JMH
Tuesday, January 6, 2008
A good night for a run... not too cold, and I finished up before the storm started (though running in a snowstorm could have been kind of fun.) The only real downside was something I anticipated as I headed over to the Pine Bush - namely, that the trails there would have been used so much since the last snowfall that they would be packed pretty solidly, giving the snow the consistency of slightly crunchy concrete. While that makes for quicker running, the impact is also harder on both me and the snowshoes. At least it helped me appreciate the brief not-quite-so-packed sections all the more!
Not as many trees down as I feared, possibly in part because the massive amounts of "habitat restoration" have resulted in a lot of trees being removed over the last two years. There were two spots were very large trees went down from the ice and wind two weeks ago, and a few smaller falls, but nothing that couldn't be easily bushwhacked around.
One thing that was very noticeable is how noisy snowshoes are! No chance of sneeking up any any deer tonight...
JMH
Saturday, January 03, 2009
2 Mi XC Ski at Tinker Nature Park
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Tinker Nature Park info
It was too nice a day to spend indoors, so after we'd had some lunch Ann and I packed our gear and headed over to Tinker Nature Park for some XC skiing before it got dark and the park closed. I chose Tinker for a couple of reasons - the trail system is relatively small (only about 2.5 miles) and best of all flat (didn't fell like struggling up and down hills after this morning) and every time I've been there in the last year I've seen a birds and deer.
The parking lot was surprisingly crowded, but thankfully the trails weren't. Of course, the paths had all been skiied, walked, snowshoed, and so on by lots of folks since Wednesday, so the snow was packed down pretty solidly, but that just meant we could move at a faster pace than we did at Oatka Creek Park yesterday. Ann really seems to be enjoying her new skis... I told her she'd be faster than me now, and I was right. My only advantage is endurance - she gets tired and slows down more quickly than I do. I guess all that running, riding, and snowshoeing is good for something...
We saw lots of deer while we were there... first a group laying down in the bushes along the trail, then another group moving through the woods later on, and finally yet another group laying down in the bushes... probably a dozen or so in all between the three groups. The last two actually came out of the woods looking for food as we were getting ready to leave, and I spent a bit of time trying to get some decent shots of them... not the easiest thing to do, since it was getting dark.
JMH
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Tinker Nature Park info
It was too nice a day to spend indoors, so after we'd had some lunch Ann and I packed our gear and headed over to Tinker Nature Park for some XC skiing before it got dark and the park closed. I chose Tinker for a couple of reasons - the trail system is relatively small (only about 2.5 miles) and best of all flat (didn't fell like struggling up and down hills after this morning) and every time I've been there in the last year I've seen a birds and deer.
The parking lot was surprisingly crowded, but thankfully the trails weren't. Of course, the paths had all been skiied, walked, snowshoed, and so on by lots of folks since Wednesday, so the snow was packed down pretty solidly, but that just meant we could move at a faster pace than we did at Oatka Creek Park yesterday. Ann really seems to be enjoying her new skis... I told her she'd be faster than me now, and I was right. My only advantage is endurance - she gets tired and slows down more quickly than I do. I guess all that running, riding, and snowshoeing is good for something...
We saw lots of deer while we were there... first a group laying down in the bushes along the trail, then another group moving through the woods later on, and finally yet another group laying down in the bushes... probably a dozen or so in all between the three groups. The last two actually came out of the woods looking for food as we were getting ready to leave, and I spent a bit of time trying to get some decent shots of them... not the easiest thing to do, since it was getting dark.
JMH
Season of the SnōShū 2009 - Race #2
Frozen Assets 5k Snowshoe Race
Saturday, January 3, 2009
2008 Frozen Assets snowshoe race results
This was my second year at the Frozen Assets race... and another year with snow! In fact, this year the drive down wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking, because there was snow the entire way... last year I remember being a bit worried when everything was brown and grey for the bulk of the 50 minute drive... until the last couple of miles heading up into the hills!
The small parking lot at Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area fills up pretty quickly, so I ended up along the road a short ways away... not a big deal, since it gave me a chance to stretch my legs after being cooped up in the car. Given how much they grumbled on the walk to registration, I did wonder if it had been a good idea to do all that skiing yesterday... but so it goes. While I waited to pick up my race number I decided to put on a lightweight fleece pullover when I got back to the car - there was a pretty chilly breeze! And it was great seeing the Dion Snowshoes banners - they're a sponsor for the race - it was just like being back at home in the Berkshires (except, of course, for the mostly unfamiliar faces, other than a few folks I recognize from the many Yellowjacket Racing events I've done.)
Geared up and walked back to the start area with a few minutes to spare. We got a quick description of the start of the course and then the men's race began (the women's race started 10 minutes later.)
Running the course last year definitely helped me this year, as did being able to check my Garmin and get a rough idea of where I was... I distinctly remember feeling like I'd been plodding through the woods forever at one point last year and wondering how much longer my suffering would last! The first stretch along the snowed over road wasn't bad, especially once we got over the crest of the hill and were heading down... I'm becoming more and more of a fan of running downhill on snowshoes... and the short winding trek through the woods to the wide uphill path, while tough, seemed easier than last year. As I was plodding up the hill toward the second stretch of singletrack, I realized that I had once again overdressed (though not as badly as last year.) Oh, well... one of these days I figure the clothing thing out.
Through the woods with a mix of running and walking (more of the latter than the former!) and around the pond to - hurray - the wide, mostly downhill path toward the picnic area. somewhere along here it started to snow lightly, which I always find kind of cool during a run. Incredibly, the front runners for the womens' race hadn't caught me yet; last year I started getting passed as I was rounding the edge of the pond. Either they're going slower this year or I'm going faster. back into the woods, this time a twisty singletrack through some evergreens, and here come the women. At least the predominant direction was still downhill!
Across the main road, time for the traverse along the hillside roughly paralleling the road. There are some nice views of Honeoye Lake, but I was too busy trying to move forward while periodically letting faster women pass to really enjoy the view. I also find traverses very challenging... in general, snowshoes are designed to provide good traction forwards and backwards, but not side-to-side, so on a traverse I always feel like I'm going to lose it and slide sideways down the hill. Anyway, pushed on along the singletrack and finally came out on the road again. Walked to the top of the hill (thankfully, not that far from where we exited the woods) and then had a nice downhill stretch. This year I knew to run past the starting line before making a right turn for the final trail to the finish, with what sounded like someone right on my heels. OK - who put in that short hill before the finish line?!! Ran as hard as I could for the final bit, as I almost always do, and crossed the finish unable to breathe in 45:15... actually a pretty good time for me on a challenging course like this one. And I knocked about five minutes off my time from last year, so overall I had a good run.
Snagged a couple of candy bars and staggered back to the car to change clothes so I could get on the road back home and maybe spend some time with my sweetheart.
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 3.1 mi, 45 min
states visited: NY
Frozen Assets 5k Snowshoe Race
Saturday, January 3, 2009
2008 Frozen Assets snowshoe race results
This was my second year at the Frozen Assets race... and another year with snow! In fact, this year the drive down wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking, because there was snow the entire way... last year I remember being a bit worried when everything was brown and grey for the bulk of the 50 minute drive... until the last couple of miles heading up into the hills!
The small parking lot at Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area fills up pretty quickly, so I ended up along the road a short ways away... not a big deal, since it gave me a chance to stretch my legs after being cooped up in the car. Given how much they grumbled on the walk to registration, I did wonder if it had been a good idea to do all that skiing yesterday... but so it goes. While I waited to pick up my race number I decided to put on a lightweight fleece pullover when I got back to the car - there was a pretty chilly breeze! And it was great seeing the Dion Snowshoes banners - they're a sponsor for the race - it was just like being back at home in the Berkshires (except, of course, for the mostly unfamiliar faces, other than a few folks I recognize from the many Yellowjacket Racing events I've done.)
Geared up and walked back to the start area with a few minutes to spare. We got a quick description of the start of the course and then the men's race began (the women's race started 10 minutes later.)
Running the course last year definitely helped me this year, as did being able to check my Garmin and get a rough idea of where I was... I distinctly remember feeling like I'd been plodding through the woods forever at one point last year and wondering how much longer my suffering would last! The first stretch along the snowed over road wasn't bad, especially once we got over the crest of the hill and were heading down... I'm becoming more and more of a fan of running downhill on snowshoes... and the short winding trek through the woods to the wide uphill path, while tough, seemed easier than last year. As I was plodding up the hill toward the second stretch of singletrack, I realized that I had once again overdressed (though not as badly as last year.) Oh, well... one of these days I figure the clothing thing out.
Through the woods with a mix of running and walking (more of the latter than the former!) and around the pond to - hurray - the wide, mostly downhill path toward the picnic area. somewhere along here it started to snow lightly, which I always find kind of cool during a run. Incredibly, the front runners for the womens' race hadn't caught me yet; last year I started getting passed as I was rounding the edge of the pond. Either they're going slower this year or I'm going faster. back into the woods, this time a twisty singletrack through some evergreens, and here come the women. At least the predominant direction was still downhill!
Across the main road, time for the traverse along the hillside roughly paralleling the road. There are some nice views of Honeoye Lake, but I was too busy trying to move forward while periodically letting faster women pass to really enjoy the view. I also find traverses very challenging... in general, snowshoes are designed to provide good traction forwards and backwards, but not side-to-side, so on a traverse I always feel like I'm going to lose it and slide sideways down the hill. Anyway, pushed on along the singletrack and finally came out on the road again. Walked to the top of the hill (thankfully, not that far from where we exited the woods) and then had a nice downhill stretch. This year I knew to run past the starting line before making a right turn for the final trail to the finish, with what sounded like someone right on my heels. OK - who put in that short hill before the finish line?!! Ran as hard as I could for the final bit, as I almost always do, and crossed the finish unable to breathe in 45:15... actually a pretty good time for me on a challenging course like this one. And I knocked about five minutes off my time from last year, so overall I had a good run.
Snagged a couple of candy bars and staggered back to the car to change clothes so I could get on the road back home and maybe spend some time with my sweetheart.
JMH
2009 Event Totals
Run
Bike
Snowshoe 3.1 mi, 45 min
states visited: NY
Friday, January 02, 2009
HOW THE DRAGON LADY GOT HER GLIDE BACK
4 Mile XC Ski at Oatka Creek Park
Friday, January 2, 2009
After a mostly sedentary New Year's Day, it felt good to get outside for a while today. My copy of Snow Trails by Rich & Sure Freeman described Oatka Creek Park as a good place to escape the usual crowds on the winter trails, and I remember enjoying our hike there last fall, so that's where we headed to get in a little skiing... and for Ann to finally try out the new skis I got her for Christmas!
For the past few years Ann was always very frustrated whenever we went skiing because her skis had very little glide. I'd wanted to get her a new set for a while and this fall REI had a good sale which included a pair that I hoped would work for her. Unfortunately, I couldn't order her boots that way (she needed to try them on) but we found a shop in Schenectady, Plaine & Son Bike-Ski-Snowboard, which gave us a good price on a pair of boots. So once we got back to Rochester she was eager to try out her new gear.
There were more cars in the lot than I'd expected and the trails had clearly been skied pretty heavily, but happily we didn't see many people while we were there. We basically planned to follow the route we'd walked last November - taking the trails down to Oatka Creek and then along the perimeter of the park and up into the fields to loop back to the parking lot. There were more hills than I'd remembered as we made our way through the woods, but nothing too tough. We went out on the old bridge across the creek and got to see a heron fly by overhead. From there we made our way through the woods and up the one steep hill, then over to the trails through the fields.
Ann seemed to really enjoy having a good glide to her skis again, though she commented that it would take getting used to, since they go a lot faster than what she'd gotten used to. I know she also liked the fact that not only did she not have to struggle to keep up with me, but until she got tired she had no problem staying ahead of me.
Unfortunately, I didn't bring a trail map along, so we ended up getting lost in the fields and went down a couple of trails where we eventually had to turn around and go back. That definitely got tiring after a while, but eventually we found our way back to the main trail and the parking lot... it just took quite a bit longer than we'd planned.
JMH
4 Mile XC Ski at Oatka Creek Park
Friday, January 2, 2009
After a mostly sedentary New Year's Day, it felt good to get outside for a while today. My copy of Snow Trails by Rich & Sure Freeman described Oatka Creek Park as a good place to escape the usual crowds on the winter trails, and I remember enjoying our hike there last fall, so that's where we headed to get in a little skiing... and for Ann to finally try out the new skis I got her for Christmas!
For the past few years Ann was always very frustrated whenever we went skiing because her skis had very little glide. I'd wanted to get her a new set for a while and this fall REI had a good sale which included a pair that I hoped would work for her. Unfortunately, I couldn't order her boots that way (she needed to try them on) but we found a shop in Schenectady, Plaine & Son Bike-Ski-Snowboard, which gave us a good price on a pair of boots. So once we got back to Rochester she was eager to try out her new gear.
There were more cars in the lot than I'd expected and the trails had clearly been skied pretty heavily, but happily we didn't see many people while we were there. We basically planned to follow the route we'd walked last November - taking the trails down to Oatka Creek and then along the perimeter of the park and up into the fields to loop back to the parking lot. There were more hills than I'd remembered as we made our way through the woods, but nothing too tough. We went out on the old bridge across the creek and got to see a heron fly by overhead. From there we made our way through the woods and up the one steep hill, then over to the trails through the fields.
Ann seemed to really enjoy having a good glide to her skis again, though she commented that it would take getting used to, since they go a lot faster than what she'd gotten used to. I know she also liked the fact that not only did she not have to struggle to keep up with me, but until she got tired she had no problem staying ahead of me.
Unfortunately, I didn't bring a trail map along, so we ended up getting lost in the fields and went down a couple of trails where we eventually had to turn around and go back. That definitely got tiring after a while, but eventually we found our way back to the main trail and the parking lot... it just took quite a bit longer than we'd planned.
JMH
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