7.7 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
WONDERFUL SUNSHINE - BUT DANG THAT WIND IS COLD!
9.1 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Finally dragged myself out the door this afternoon to get in the second run of the weekend... ended up over at the bike path for a variety of reasons. While things felt pretty comfortable when I walked out the door, the wind was blasting on the path and I quickly wondered if shorts were such a good idea. Fortunately I had enough gear for my upper body and head that it was doable...
Lots of ducks and geese along the way, and it looks like they weren't thrilled with the wind either - they were mostly clustered in the out-of-the-way bays and inlets. Spotted the usual mallards plus mergansers (both common and hooded), green-winged teals, and ring-necked ducks. There was also a good-sized group of gulls further along, including one very large fellow that I suspect was an immature greater black-backed gull. And it was nice to see a couple of herons back! I also watched a muskrat scurry across the path, and later on two red squirrels zipped across just ahead of me.
The path out to Lock 7 Road was clear, then it was mixed patches of snow and ice/pavement all the way to the old landfill and the Hill. Stopped at Lock 7 briefly - water's a good deal lower than the last time I was there. I even managed to convince myself to run up the Hill to Blatnick Park... that was fun, running uphill with the wind trying to blow me back down...
But it was worth it when I reached the top, just to see the Canada geese on the baseball field... though I'm not sure they understand the game. I'm pretty ignorant about sports and even I know the outfielders should be spread out and someone needs to be covering the bases.
The run back was somewhat more enjoyable, with the wind at my back... though when I got back to the parking lot and saw I only had eight miles, I gave in to insanity and kept going for another half mile or so before turning around. Of course that meant I ran the last half mile heading into the wind that seemed to be getting colder and colder, but at least that meant I was well and truly done by the time I got back to the car... and 9 miles is nothing to sneeze at, especially after yesterday's run/hike on the Nipmuck trail.
JMH
9.1 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Finally dragged myself out the door this afternoon to get in the second run of the weekend... ended up over at the bike path for a variety of reasons. While things felt pretty comfortable when I walked out the door, the wind was blasting on the path and I quickly wondered if shorts were such a good idea. Fortunately I had enough gear for my upper body and head that it was doable...
Lots of ducks and geese along the way, and it looks like they weren't thrilled with the wind either - they were mostly clustered in the out-of-the-way bays and inlets. Spotted the usual mallards plus mergansers (both common and hooded), green-winged teals, and ring-necked ducks. There was also a good-sized group of gulls further along, including one very large fellow that I suspect was an immature greater black-backed gull. And it was nice to see a couple of herons back! I also watched a muskrat scurry across the path, and later on two red squirrels zipped across just ahead of me.
The path out to Lock 7 Road was clear, then it was mixed patches of snow and ice/pavement all the way to the old landfill and the Hill. Stopped at Lock 7 briefly - water's a good deal lower than the last time I was there. I even managed to convince myself to run up the Hill to Blatnick Park... that was fun, running uphill with the wind trying to blow me back down...
But it was worth it when I reached the top, just to see the Canada geese on the baseball field... though I'm not sure they understand the game. I'm pretty ignorant about sports and even I know the outfielders should be spread out and someone needs to be covering the bases.
The run back was somewhat more enjoyable, with the wind at my back... though when I got back to the parking lot and saw I only had eight miles, I gave in to insanity and kept going for another half mile or so before turning around. Of course that meant I ran the last half mile heading into the wind that seemed to be getting colder and colder, but at least that meant I was well and truly done by the time I got back to the car... and 9 miles is nothing to sneeze at, especially after yesterday's run/hike on the Nipmuck trail.
JMH
Friday, March 25, 2011
1.7 Mile Walk at Ann Lee Pond
Friday, March 25, 2011
Didn't want to just head back inside after checking out the waterfalls at the Christman Sanctuary, so I headed over to Ann Lee Pond to see what I could see there. The pond is still mostly frozen over, so not much activity along the picnic area. I wandered back to the crazy bridge and spent a while watching a group of ducks feeding, then headed back through the woods to see if the beavers were out and about. No luck there, though I briefly spotted a group of wood ducks (before they spotted me and took off squeaking.)
JMH
Friday, March 25, 2011
Didn't want to just head back inside after checking out the waterfalls at the Christman Sanctuary, so I headed over to Ann Lee Pond to see what I could see there. The pond is still mostly frozen over, so not much activity along the picnic area. I wandered back to the crazy bridge and spent a while watching a group of ducks feeding, then headed back through the woods to see if the beavers were out and about. No luck there, though I briefly spotted a group of wood ducks (before they spotted me and took off squeaking.)
JMH
SNOW, ICE, & WATERFALLS
1.3 Mile Walk at the Christman Sanctuary
Friday, March 25, 2011
Christman Sanctuary trail map (PDF)
I had originally planned to go for a walk at the Christman Sanctuary in Duanesburg and then ride my bike on the bike path west of Schenectady... but today was too cold and windy for me to summon any enthusiasm for riding, so in the end I decided to just do some walking instead. No doubt my legs will thank me during my long run tomorrow...
The most notable feature of this Nature Conservancy sanctuary is a stretch of the Bozen Kill which includes numerous small step waterfalls a few feet tall and a really nice 30 foot waterfall in a natural ampitheater. With the rain last week and the normal spring runoff I suspected the stream would be running strongly and the waterfalls would be excellent.
While the trail from the parking lot was clear, I made a good choice in changing into screw shoes for the walk... because once I got into the woods almost everything was either snow or ice (mostly ice on the trail, from the snow being compacted by the previous winter visitors.) The woods were gorgeous between the sun and snow, especially since I've never been here in the winter. I followed the main trail to the Bozen Kill, then carefully made my way down to the largest waterfall - given how icy the path was, I'd never have made it without the screw shoes. The far wall of the gorge had some really cool ice formations, and the waterfall was running well, though not as strong as I expected. I spent a while taking pictures and generally enjoying the view, then headed back up to the rim of the gorge and followed the stream down to the crossing for the loop trail on the far side. Since I couldn't have crossed without getting my feet wet, it was just as well I hadn't planned to hike that trail today. I did get some nice photos of the smaller waterfalls, though not as many as last summer when I was able to creekwalk pretty much the whole way.
Just beyond the stream crossing I took a shortcut trail back to the entrance to the woods... a nice walk along a pleasant stream which runs past a memorial to William Christman and his wife. Christman spent his life farming, writing poetry, and converting the property to a nature sanctuary; in 1970 the Nature Conservancy acquired the property from his son. The site is also a registered National Historic Landmark. More info can be found at the Historical Marker Database.
JMH
1.3 Mile Walk at the Christman Sanctuary
Friday, March 25, 2011
Christman Sanctuary trail map (PDF)
I had originally planned to go for a walk at the Christman Sanctuary in Duanesburg and then ride my bike on the bike path west of Schenectady... but today was too cold and windy for me to summon any enthusiasm for riding, so in the end I decided to just do some walking instead. No doubt my legs will thank me during my long run tomorrow...
The most notable feature of this Nature Conservancy sanctuary is a stretch of the Bozen Kill which includes numerous small step waterfalls a few feet tall and a really nice 30 foot waterfall in a natural ampitheater. With the rain last week and the normal spring runoff I suspected the stream would be running strongly and the waterfalls would be excellent.
While the trail from the parking lot was clear, I made a good choice in changing into screw shoes for the walk... because once I got into the woods almost everything was either snow or ice (mostly ice on the trail, from the snow being compacted by the previous winter visitors.) The woods were gorgeous between the sun and snow, especially since I've never been here in the winter. I followed the main trail to the Bozen Kill, then carefully made my way down to the largest waterfall - given how icy the path was, I'd never have made it without the screw shoes. The far wall of the gorge had some really cool ice formations, and the waterfall was running well, though not as strong as I expected. I spent a while taking pictures and generally enjoying the view, then headed back up to the rim of the gorge and followed the stream down to the crossing for the loop trail on the far side. Since I couldn't have crossed without getting my feet wet, it was just as well I hadn't planned to hike that trail today. I did get some nice photos of the smaller waterfalls, though not as many as last summer when I was able to creekwalk pretty much the whole way.
Just beyond the stream crossing I took a shortcut trail back to the entrance to the woods... a nice walk along a pleasant stream which runs past a memorial to William Christman and his wife. Christman spent his life farming, writing poetry, and converting the property to a nature sanctuary; in 1970 the Nature Conservancy acquired the property from his son. The site is also a registered National Historic Landmark. More info can be found at the Historical Marker Database.
JMH
I'm In!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Just got word that there have been enough dropouts for the 2011 Muddy Sneaker 20k that I'm off the waiting list and onto the running list - woo hoo!
JMH
Friday, March 25, 2011
Just got word that there have been enough dropouts for the 2011 Muddy Sneaker 20k that I'm off the waiting list and onto the running list - woo hoo!
JMH
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
1st Trail Race of the Season... NOT!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
I had signed up to run the Rockin the Ledges 12 mile trail race near Carbondale, PA, today... but yesterday it dawned on me that I really didn't feel like spending 6 hours in the car, despite looking forward to seeing the trails at Merli Sarnoski Park and kicking off my 2011 races. So instead of hitting the road at 6 AM for the drive to PA, I stayed in bed... the start of my 2011 racing season will have to wait until the Spring Forward 15k in two weeks. Though in all honesty I suspect many of my races this year will be training runs rather than actual racing attempts... but that's really nothing new, is it?
JMH
Sunday, March 20, 2011
I had signed up to run the Rockin the Ledges 12 mile trail race near Carbondale, PA, today... but yesterday it dawned on me that I really didn't feel like spending 6 hours in the car, despite looking forward to seeing the trails at Merli Sarnoski Park and kicking off my 2011 races. So instead of hitting the road at 6 AM for the drive to PA, I stayed in bed... the start of my 2011 racing season will have to wait until the Spring Forward 15k in two weeks. Though in all honesty I suspect many of my races this year will be training runs rather than actual racing attempts... but that's really nothing new, is it?
JMH
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
1 Mile Walk at Greece Canal Park
Friday, March 18, 2011
After Ann got off work we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed to Greece Canal Park for a short walk, hoping to see lots of woodpeckers like we did three years ago. We heard a few calling and may have glimpsed two off in the trees... but for the most part our bird sightings were limited to robins, red-winged blackbirds, and a pair of nuthatches.
We also saw a ton of tadpoles swimming around at the edge of one of the ponds... guess the warm weather over the past two days have brought them out of hibernation.
The most disappointing part of our walk was seeing all the work they're doing on park "improvements"... right now a lot of it seems to be installing a new sewer system and unfortunately building a new lodge down the hill from the canal path. Which means they cut down a ton of trees and wiped out a section of trail through the woods (well... woods that are no longer there.) From the looks of the proposed improvements there's a lot more they're going to be doing as well... hopefully by the time it's all done it will be worth it and there will be some nice new trails there, to balance out all the habitat they're demolishing for "improvements" to the park.
JMH
Friday, March 18, 2011
After Ann got off work we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed to Greece Canal Park for a short walk, hoping to see lots of woodpeckers like we did three years ago. We heard a few calling and may have glimpsed two off in the trees... but for the most part our bird sightings were limited to robins, red-winged blackbirds, and a pair of nuthatches.
We also saw a ton of tadpoles swimming around at the edge of one of the ponds... guess the warm weather over the past two days have brought them out of hibernation.
The most disappointing part of our walk was seeing all the work they're doing on park "improvements"... right now a lot of it seems to be installing a new sewer system and unfortunately building a new lodge down the hill from the canal path. Which means they cut down a ton of trees and wiped out a section of trail through the woods (well... woods that are no longer there.) From the looks of the proposed improvements there's a lot more they're going to be doing as well... hopefully by the time it's all done it will be worth it and there will be some nice new trails there, to balance out all the habitat they're demolishing for "improvements" to the park.
JMH
FIRST TRAIL RUN OF THE SEASON
8.5 Mile Run at Black Creek Park
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spent the afternoon running the trails at Black Creek Park... unlike the trails at Thacher on Monday, I expected Black Creek to be mostly clear of ice and snow - and I was right. Unfortunately, that left many of the trails a muddy, soupy mess... within five minutes of starting the run my shoes were wet and covered with mud, and from then on it was just a matter of how wet they were and how deep the water and mud was... which made for fun but slow going...
Everyone seemed to be enjoying the warm weather today... lots of birds and deer out and about and even a couple of butterflies. But other than one person out walking her dog I essentially had the trails to myself... one of the pluses of having a day off when most other folks have to be at work!
I generally leave Black Creek feeling as though my butt has been thoroughly kicked... the only reason that wasn't the case today was all the times I had to stop and walk rather than risk slipping and going down in the mud. So I think it's fair to say Black Creek kicked my butt slowly today... I left with juice left in my legs, but much later than I expected to...
But... man it sure felt great to be out running in the woods on a warm, sunny day!
JMH
8.5 Mile Run at Black Creek Park
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spent the afternoon running the trails at Black Creek Park... unlike the trails at Thacher on Monday, I expected Black Creek to be mostly clear of ice and snow - and I was right. Unfortunately, that left many of the trails a muddy, soupy mess... within five minutes of starting the run my shoes were wet and covered with mud, and from then on it was just a matter of how wet they were and how deep the water and mud was... which made for fun but slow going...
Everyone seemed to be enjoying the warm weather today... lots of birds and deer out and about and even a couple of butterflies. But other than one person out walking her dog I essentially had the trails to myself... one of the pluses of having a day off when most other folks have to be at work!
I generally leave Black Creek feeling as though my butt has been thoroughly kicked... the only reason that wasn't the case today was all the times I had to stop and walk rather than risk slipping and going down in the mud. So I think it's fair to say Black Creek kicked my butt slowly today... I left with juice left in my legs, but much later than I expected to...
But... man it sure felt great to be out running in the woods on a warm, sunny day!
JMH
Thursday, March 17, 2011
LOTS O' WATERFOWL & A FEW BIRDS O' PREY
2 Mile Walk at Turning Point Park & the Genesee Riverway Trail
A Brief Visit to Ontario Beach Park
0.4 Mile Walk at Braddock Bay Park
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Another warm, gorgeous March day, so Ann and I headed out to some local trails to enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and critters galore...
Turning Point Park & the Genesee Riverway Trail
Our first stop was Turning Point Park and the boardwalk across Turning Point Basin on the Genesee River. Initially it looked like we were only going to see the usual suspects - lots of gulls and a pair of swans that have clearly gotten used to mooching for food (we gave them some bread and they ended up following us to every spot along the boardwalk where we stopped.) Then Ann spotted some small birds swimming and diving off in the distance... from the pictures I suspect they were white-winged scoters, but they kept far enough away that it was really tough to get a good ID. Several groups of mergansers flew through while we were walking, and one even stuck around a little later. As we neared the far side of the basin, a pair of mallards swam over and we spent a while trying to feed them bread while also sharing some with a group of gulls that wanted an easy meal... I suppose we were lucky only a half dozen gulls flew over instead of the hundred or so that were out squawking and shrieking on the mud bar. While we were there we also saw a pair of black ducks and a lone eared grebe. The latter initially spent a while paddling around but as we were getting ready to leave upped his game and started diving repeatedly, resurfacing a fairly impressive distance away.
Ontario Beach Park
The pier is stilled fenced off for repair and renovation (perhaps the county successfully sued the company that did an incredibly shoddy job repairing the pier several years ago?) so we briefly watched some folks feeding the ducks and gulls (one of them lit up a cigarette - gack - so we didn't stick around) then walked out to the edge of the water before heading back to the car to drive east to Braddock Bay. Not much to see... but it was nice to be there and not have the park crawling with people.
Braddock Bay Park
Braddock Bay Park, on the other hand, was surprisingly busy, especially the Hawkwatch platform... crowded with folks with binoculars and spotting scopes. We walked down to the end of the boardwalk and checked out the birds out on the water. Spotted gulls, Canada geese, swans... and a large group of American Coots. We might have stayed longer but there were two guys hanging out at the end of the boardwalk talking non-stop... so instead we took some pictures and then decided to head over to the Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center trails on the off-chance that we might see some snoozing owls.
JMH
2 Mile Walk at Turning Point Park & the Genesee Riverway Trail
A Brief Visit to Ontario Beach Park
0.4 Mile Walk at Braddock Bay Park
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Another warm, gorgeous March day, so Ann and I headed out to some local trails to enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and critters galore...
Turning Point Park & the Genesee Riverway Trail
Our first stop was Turning Point Park and the boardwalk across Turning Point Basin on the Genesee River. Initially it looked like we were only going to see the usual suspects - lots of gulls and a pair of swans that have clearly gotten used to mooching for food (we gave them some bread and they ended up following us to every spot along the boardwalk where we stopped.) Then Ann spotted some small birds swimming and diving off in the distance... from the pictures I suspect they were white-winged scoters, but they kept far enough away that it was really tough to get a good ID. Several groups of mergansers flew through while we were walking, and one even stuck around a little later. As we neared the far side of the basin, a pair of mallards swam over and we spent a while trying to feed them bread while also sharing some with a group of gulls that wanted an easy meal... I suppose we were lucky only a half dozen gulls flew over instead of the hundred or so that were out squawking and shrieking on the mud bar. While we were there we also saw a pair of black ducks and a lone eared grebe. The latter initially spent a while paddling around but as we were getting ready to leave upped his game and started diving repeatedly, resurfacing a fairly impressive distance away.
Ontario Beach Park
The pier is stilled fenced off for repair and renovation (perhaps the county successfully sued the company that did an incredibly shoddy job repairing the pier several years ago?) so we briefly watched some folks feeding the ducks and gulls (one of them lit up a cigarette - gack - so we didn't stick around) then walked out to the edge of the water before heading back to the car to drive east to Braddock Bay. Not much to see... but it was nice to be there and not have the park crawling with people.
Braddock Bay Park
Braddock Bay Park, on the other hand, was surprisingly busy, especially the Hawkwatch platform... crowded with folks with binoculars and spotting scopes. We walked down to the end of the boardwalk and checked out the birds out on the water. Spotted gulls, Canada geese, swans... and a large group of American Coots. We might have stayed longer but there were two guys hanging out at the end of the boardwalk talking non-stop... so instead we took some pictures and then decided to head over to the Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center trails on the off-chance that we might see some snoozing owls.
JMH
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
BIRDS!
6.1 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A rainy morning followed by a warm sunny afternoon... too bad that the sunshine was mostly gone by the time I got done teaching this week's karate lesson, but I still headed over to the bike path for a short run... in shorts! Wahoo!
Enough of the snow and ice was gone on the path heading east that I started out with about a mile out and back in that direction, then took the Gerbil Wheel west to Lock 7 and back. I was surprised to find that my legs didn't feel too bad... I was expecting a lot of grumbling after yesterday's long haul on snowshoes up at Thacher Park.
Along the way I saw birds, birds, and more birds, and I heard a few I didn't see. It's a great time of year for waterfowl - I spotted common mergansers, northern shovelers, wood ducks, mallards, black ducks, green-winged teals, and of course Canada geese. Also a number of cardinals and smaller birds, and the blackbirds were calling constantly. At various times I also heard a kingfisher, a killdeer, and a woodcock calling. Spring is definitely on the way!
JMH
6.1 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A rainy morning followed by a warm sunny afternoon... too bad that the sunshine was mostly gone by the time I got done teaching this week's karate lesson, but I still headed over to the bike path for a short run... in shorts! Wahoo!
Enough of the snow and ice was gone on the path heading east that I started out with about a mile out and back in that direction, then took the Gerbil Wheel west to Lock 7 and back. I was surprised to find that my legs didn't feel too bad... I was expecting a lot of grumbling after yesterday's long haul on snowshoes up at Thacher Park.
Along the way I saw birds, birds, and more birds, and I heard a few I didn't see. It's a great time of year for waterfowl - I spotted common mergansers, northern shovelers, wood ducks, mallards, black ducks, green-winged teals, and of course Canada geese. Also a number of cardinals and smaller birds, and the blackbirds were calling constantly. At various times I also heard a kingfisher, a killdeer, and a woodcock calling. Spring is definitely on the way!
JMH
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Feathered Friends
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Our feathered friends continue to provide entertainment and general coolness...
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Our feathered friends continue to provide entertainment and general coolness...
- Looked out the window this morning and there was a mourning dove sitting on the roof of my car... guess it offered a good vantage point for scoping out the bird feeder. After a bit he waddled forward to just above the windshield... I half expected him to slide down the glass, but eventually he flew down instead.
- After lunch at a chinese buffet as Ann and I were getting ready to leave a gull flew down and attacked a styrofoam container in the parking lot in front of my car. Turns out he hit the big time - there was some sort of chicken or fish sandwich inside. The first gull flew off with a huge chunk of bread in his beak when I got out of the car to grab my camera from the back seat, then a second one flew in and attacked the chunk of meat left behind. While we watched he ripped and tore at it... and then the first gull returned. A shrieking match ensued, followed by a very brief gull fight, and then the 2nd gull somehow managed to cram a huge piece of food in his mouth, before flying off to enjoy his bounty.
- This evening as I was getting ready to head back home a group of geese flew overhead... almost completely silent, except for an occasional quiet rasp. Ann realized fairly quickly that they were snow geese. My camera was packed away... but yesterday I'd taken a photo of geese flying and it turned out they were snow geese too, so that's the photo that's below. You can tell they're not Canada geese by their markings - light bellies and wings, with dark wingtips. (Clicking on the photo should produce a larger image with more detail visible.)
JMH
Friday, March 11, 2011
A BEAUTIFUL EVENING FOR A RUN!
8.7 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, March 11, 2011
Despite a forecast of clouds and rain all day, this afternoon turned sunny and warm... and the chance for a run was simply too good to pass up. A run in shorts, not tights... no gloves, just a regular cap instead of a winter hat... wonderful!
Unfortunately the bike path is still covered with snow and ice except on the Gerbil Wheel, so that was what I ran... from the Niskayuna Lions Park down to Lock 7 and back, then a second lap down to Lock 7 Road and back. And I have to say it felt pretty good.
Birds were out and about the whole time... numerous red-winged blackbirds, some grackles, cardinals, and plenty of little guys I never saw well enough to ID. Plus loads of geese and ducks off in the water-logged farmer's field about 2/3 of the way down the path.
I've have a great time snowshoeing and skiing this winter, and I hope to get some more snowshoeing in over the next two weeks... but I'm really looking forward to spring weather and getting back out on the trails again. This is the first winter since I started running regularly again back in 2005 where we haven't had a single stretch of time without snow covering the trails so that I could get out for a trail run in my screw shoes, and I think the break has been good for me... but now it's getting to be time to start building up miles. The end of May and the beginning of July will be here all too soon!
JMH
8.7 Mile Run on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Friday, March 11, 2011
Despite a forecast of clouds and rain all day, this afternoon turned sunny and warm... and the chance for a run was simply too good to pass up. A run in shorts, not tights... no gloves, just a regular cap instead of a winter hat... wonderful!
Unfortunately the bike path is still covered with snow and ice except on the Gerbil Wheel, so that was what I ran... from the Niskayuna Lions Park down to Lock 7 and back, then a second lap down to Lock 7 Road and back. And I have to say it felt pretty good.
Birds were out and about the whole time... numerous red-winged blackbirds, some grackles, cardinals, and plenty of little guys I never saw well enough to ID. Plus loads of geese and ducks off in the water-logged farmer's field about 2/3 of the way down the path.
I've have a great time snowshoeing and skiing this winter, and I hope to get some more snowshoeing in over the next two weeks... but I'm really looking forward to spring weather and getting back out on the trails again. This is the first winter since I started running regularly again back in 2005 where we haven't had a single stretch of time without snow covering the trails so that I could get out for a trail run in my screw shoes, and I think the break has been good for me... but now it's getting to be time to start building up miles. The end of May and the beginning of July will be here all too soon!
JMH
Monday, March 07, 2011
I suspect most trail runners and snowshoers are familiar with the following poem... according to Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac, it was first published on this date in 1923.
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
-Robert Frost, 1923
I LIKE...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Snow!
Snowshoeing on fresh powder!
XC Skiing on fresh powder!
Walking on a snowy day!
And any other of winter's numerous pleasures...
So the snow we got last night and this morning makes me smile.
Can't say I have much fondness for freezing rain and ice, though, even when they get me a day off work. And that's what we got before the snow, leaving everything coated with about half a centimeter of ice.
And spending 45 minutes breaking the front steps and sidewalk free of their coating of ice... that's just no fun at all. Not to mention all the work it's going to take to break my car free when I'm ready to go out later today...
JMH
Monday, March 7, 2011
Snow!
Snowshoeing on fresh powder!
XC Skiing on fresh powder!
Walking on a snowy day!
And any other of winter's numerous pleasures...
So the snow we got last night and this morning makes me smile.
Can't say I have much fondness for freezing rain and ice, though, even when they get me a day off work. And that's what we got before the snow, leaving everything coated with about half a centimeter of ice.
And spending 45 minutes breaking the front steps and sidewalk free of their coating of ice... that's just no fun at all. Not to mention all the work it's going to take to break my car free when I'm ready to go out later today...
JMH
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Saturday, March 05, 2011
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