The weekend was a blur. No, it had nothing to do with a self induced haze of excessive partying, it was nearly all to do with running.
On Saturday, long before the sparrows poked their heads out from under tired wings, the alarm sounded the hour for what had become known as the Spring Loop. A couple of years ago, we did a 40 mile circuit on the Mohawk and Appalachian Trails in NW Connecticut, as a two day fastpack. It is now regarded as just a single day long run! We started with seven runners (plus three dogs) from the entrance to the Mohawk State Park, with three of the group planning to do the the first third of the route up to Falls Village. The trail is beautiful. It has some tough rocky sections but it also has waterfalls and great views from the higher elevations. At the village we paused briefly to snack, bid farewell to the short loopers and continued. The weather was perfect for a long run, bright dry but temperatures that weren’t too hot. Unfortunately, it was shortly after this point that things didn’t go to plan. One of our number had dropped back and took a wrong turn. Of course, we didn’t realize this until we waited further up the trail and were told by two hikers we had passed a long distance back, that hadn’t seen our companion on their way through. We immediately began to retrace our route. Attempts to contact via cell phone went to voice mail, prompting greater concern, but thankfully contact was made and we regrouped with a few frayed nerves but otherwise OK. It was a reminder that splitting up isn’t always a good idea, especially when knowledge of the route is questionable. With the detour, our goal had to be refined. It really wasn’t a problem, we had covered good ground and by the time we reached the cars, it had been a 12 hour day.
Sunday, and the sparrows must have been wondering what the heck was going on as our alarm again went off ahead of theirs! I stumbled around on tired legs gathering clothes for another run - today it was Leatherman’s Loop. The event is a classic, notable for plenty of mud, two stream crossings and a large number of entrants. Last year they limited the water crossings because of the strength of the current. This year the level was the lowest most of us had seen, but that didn’t detract from the fun. We ran, we got dirty and wet; but then we laughed ate and drank from the vast array of options that had been collectively provided. It is always a good trip.
For the afternoon, I promised myself a nap and lazy afternoon, but discovered that over the weekend an area of local woodland where we often run had been damaged by a brush fire. Curiosity got the better of me and after a shower, we headed out to take a look at the damage. An area between 6 to 12 acres had been affected, it looked bad from a distance, but on closer inspection you realized it probably wouldn’t take long to recover. In wilderness areas fire is part of a cycle, the negative aspect comes with the threat it can have on property and life. This particular property does contain a lot of fallen trees, many of which died from disease. Beneath the fallen wood is a deep layer of dry leaf compost making the conditions perfect for fire. How it started no-one seems to know at the moment, but as you wondered through the charred scrub, there was plenty of evidence that some plant life had clung on and it wouldn’t be long before the landscape would be rejuvenated back to the woodland we enjoy.
The weekend was a blur. I hit the pillow later that evening content, but with a desperate need for my own rejuvenation.
