& A Quick Visit to Pontoosuc Lake
Friday, September 25, 2009
Pittsfield State Forest summer trail map (PDF)
Curly's Trail Half Marathon/Marathon course info
Drove to Pittsfield after work to run the Curly's Half Marathon course from the race last Sunday (which I missed because I spent the weekend at a wedding with Ann.) RD Beth Herder was gracious enough to send me detailed directions and a most excellent course map, so I was pretty confident I could find my way around the course even with the markers down (though she did say that some sections might still be marked.) The only question was how long it would take...
... at least until I got to Pittsfield State Forest an hour later than I'd planned to (leaving me with about 2 hours of daylight.) And discovered that my headlamp, which I'd taken out of my bag to change the batteries, was apparently still sitting back in Albany (but at least I had one of my bike lights to use as a flashlight.) And a cold front started moving in, so that by the time I'd finished about 3 miles and gone past the parking lot, it was getting both dark and cold. I made it a short way up the Lulu Cascade trail before deciding that I was being stupid, that I'd be mighty ticked if I got all the way to the Berry Pond Overlook and decided it was too dark to continue, and that I wouldn't get to actually enjoy my surroundings because I wouldn't be able to see them.
So I called it a night and headed to the other side of Pittsfield to get some dinner and do a little shopping instead.
On the plus side, I got a nice look at the first three miles of the course - some older trails and some great singletrack built by local NEMBA members, including Beth's husband Brad. But I really have to wonder what these guys were doing out there...
Along the way across town I passed a park on the shore of Pontoosuc Lake, which was looking very scenic with the sun sinking lower in the sky... so I stopped and shot some pictures while enjoying the scenery. According to a book I picked up tonight, Robert Tougias' Birding Western Massachusetts, the lakes east of Pittsfield State Forest are good sites to see migrant waterbirds in the fall, including loons. I may have to pay a few visits to them over the next month and take a look...
JMH
