I went for a run today at Moreau Lake State Park, to explore the 15k route some, and to continue my mileage build-up for Savoy. I parked at the Baker/Western Ridge trailhead again, off of Spier Falls Road, with the intention of running down the Western Ridge Trail, over to Mud Pond, then up and over the ridge to pick up the Western Ridge Trail on the other side. My goal was 6 miles, and I hadn't spent a whole lot of time plotting it out, figuring I'd adjust my route as I went.
As I was getting sunscreen and bug spray on, I chatted with a couple who had driven up shortly after me. They said they were heading up the Western Ridge (the other way), and I chuckled a bit, saying that it was a bit steep. They asked how steep and I said that it climbed a couple hundred feet, and they shrugged it off and said it would be fine. I haven't actually walked up that trail, but running down it was steep and intense. I said I'd see them out there, and headed off.
I started out way too fast, and it took a while for me to slow myself down. It's mostly downhill from the parking lot to Mud Pond, and my body was screaming "let's go fast!". I managed to rein myself in after the second stream crossing, where the trail heads up for a little bit, and settled in to a more reasonable pace. The trails get nicer around there: fewer rocks and a lot more stable footing, but it was hard to enjoy. There was what looked like bear scat along the trail, and I'd find more of it every few minutes. (It was large; the smallest animal it could have come out of was a coyote, but it looked like the animal had been eating mostly berries. I looked around for the source of the berries that the animal had been eating, but couldn't find them.)
Once I got down by Mud Pond, I started seeing other people quite a bit. I ran around what I thought was the pond, and did my best to pick out the trail based on my memory of the race course map from last year. In actuality, I ran around the northern portion of Moreau Lake, and then over an isthmus with a small break to allow boat traffic to travel between the two portions of the lake. After that point, I was at the beach area proper, with several hundred (possibly a thousand) other people, from the look of the parking lot and the crowds gathered on the beach and at the various picnic areas. It was *crowded*.
I made my way along the beach, and breathed a sigh of relief as I got away from the crowds. I ran in front of the cabin along the white trail, which was occupied, and eventually came to a portion of white trail that was too overgrown to use. There was a blaze right before the overgrown area, so I was certain that I hadn't stumbled upon a herd path. My choice was to either run through the water next to the trail, or switch over to the road. I crossed the road, looking to see if the Red Oak Ridge trail connector I was looking for was there, but it wasn't, so I ran through the water, which was shallow. I'm not quite sure how that trail will look in September.
From there, I got to a boat launch area across from the Warming Hut. I stopped to use the restroom (between the crowds and the mosquitoes, a wise choice), walked right past the trailhead for the ROR trail, and continued along the white trail. I got to the point where the white trail hits the road, and started scouting around for a connector that I had seen during the winter. The sign or marking was gone, as far as I could tell, but I could see the ROR trail, so I walked over to it and started running along it. Not long after that, I came to a point that I remembered from my winter run through here. Now, seeing it in summer, it looked like a herd path, and the real path appeared to run down to the Warming Hut. I ran down, hoping to get some insight, but the trail ended right at the hut. Frustrated, I turned around, and made my way back to the herd path I had just seen. Sure enough, there was a blaze, and it seemed to indicate that the way I had just gone, down to the Warming Hut, was correct. Stubbornly, I took the herd path.
I wasn't very far along when I came to the eroded portion I remembered from the winter, where it felt like I was going to fall down the hill at any moment. Eventually I came back to the trail, and turned right to see where it went. Sure enough, I found myself back at the Warming Hut, on the other side of the parking lot from the trail that I had decided was wrong. I stopped to take a picture of the sign that I had walked right past almost a mile ago, and then headed up. The mosquitoes got worse as I headed up. I did my best to run, but the heat and the terrain left me walking a lot. I made it up to the Moreau Overlook trail, passed by a gaggle of beach-goers having a walk in the woods, and pushed up to the top. I chatted with a few other people admiring the view, which was fairly clear today, and then headed off again. I had intended on running along the Ridge Run as far as the Cottage Path trail, but my unintended diversion had eaten up distance and time. Not long after starting out on the Ridge Run, I turned around, and headed the other way on it, with the intention of picking up the Baker Trail back to the parking lot. As I ran past the Moreau Overlook again, I saw that the party I had passed were just now pulling in to the overlook. I smiled as they gawked over the view, and pushed on.
I kept rolling my ankle on the descent, nothing serious, but I think I was a bit tired. I made it back to my car in one piece, and dove in to avoid the mosquitoes that were starting to swarm around me. The drive back home was uneventful. I had seen a couple dozen Tour de Cure participants on the way in, and I saw what appeared to be a few more finishing up on the way home. That must have been a long day for them!
Anyway, I think that's it. I'm getting excited about Savoy, and doing the Moreau 15k, if they hold it this year.
Oh, one more note: I read Jake Stookey's report on the 2012 race, and I can't believe he ran it barefoot in 2 hours! He went on to win the 2013 edition of the race in huaraches, which seems like a more logical choice. He even set a new course record in 2013, coming in at 1:27:11. I love being out and about barefoot, and while I can imagine hiking this course barefoot, I cannot imagine running it barefoot under race conditions. I'd be hobbling by the end.
Anyway, be excellent to each other, carry plenty of bug spray, watch out for ticks, call your mother, and tip your waiter. Until next time...
Ten Feet Square:
Reflections on Hiking, Trail Running, and Getting Unstuck.
Occasional geek-outs.
Showing posts with label Moreau Overlook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moreau Overlook. Show all posts
01 June 2014
18 May 2014
Moreau Lake State Park - 10,17 May 2014
(Sleep deprivation is fun. I could have sworn that I didn't post the report for last week's long run, but.. I did. I'm leaving this report the way it is, regardless. This report is more accurate; it's the "Palmertown Range", not "Palmertown Ridge". Also, the map I was using didn't have a name on the Baker Trail, it was just a green blazed trail. The newest trail map calls it the Baker Trail.)
I took my last two long runs on Grant Mountain in the Palmertown Range. If you haven't heard of either geological feature, don't be surprised; both names appear only on USGS maps, as far as I can tell. This is the mountain that stands just west of Moreau Lake, and this is the mountain that the Moreau Lake 15K runs up, around, and back down. I haven't committed to doing that race yet, but I figured I should go check out the trails. So far, I'm very impressed. This system is an excellent model for training for the High Peaks. More on that in a bit.
This part confused me quite a bit when I first started investigating this trail system. There are three trailheads along Spier Town Rd, and there is, of course, access from the campground, too. You can find maps here: http://nysparks.com/parks/150/maps.aspx. I am describing landmarks as if you were driving north/east along Spier Falls Road.
[I have not tried to run or hike from here, yet.] There is a tiny pull-off near the western end of the Western Ridge trail (yellow), however, on the most recent Trail Map, there is no indication of a parking lot. It was listed on the 2011 version of the map, and it is still physically there. Heading north, the road goes through several turns, and then when it gets close to the Hudson River, it straightens out. Right after it straightens out, there is an access road on the right. This is gated, so don't park here, but there's a small turnout a little further on, with what appears to be a spring. The trail itself appears to start out following the access road. I will investigate it further as time allows.
[I have not tried to run or hike from here, yet, either.] The parking lot for the Cottage Path trail is further along Spier Falls Road, and is very obvious. Near the bend in the road, where it goes from following the Hudson to crossing a col in the Palmertown, there is a large access area for boats, with ample parking. The Cottage Path trail (orange) is accessed on the other side of Spier Falls Road, a short distance to the south. It appears to follow a stone wall for a while.
(Please note that as of May, 2014, a sign at the third parking area indicates that there is currently construction along the power line corridor, and that trails may be subject to closure. No trail was indicated on the sign, but the trail most likely to be affected would be the Cottage Path trail.)
This is my favorite of the three areas, though extra caution is needed due to the single lane access road and blind turns. Heading east along Spier Falls Road, the access road is a gravel road on the right, and it is just past the col. As soon as the road starts to descend, look for gravel on the right. Turn right into here, and then proceed to the parking area. (Note that this gets gated off during the winter. Also note that there is ANOTHER access road that intersects this access road. DO NOT take this other access road. I'm fairly certain that it's intended for large electrical utility trucks, and unless you have a big truck, you're likely to get stuck.) You'll find the parking area a short distance on, and there are three paths you can take out of here. The first is on your right, just before the parking area; this is the eastern portion of the Western Ridge Trail (yellow). The second is blocked by a large boulder, along the same road that you drove in on; this is the western portion of the Western Ridge Trail (yellow). Finally, between the two is another wide trail, marked in green, this is the Baker trail.
(The sign indicating closures due to electrical work could also apply to this access road; so keep an eye out for a closed gate when you're turning on to it.)
Please note that Spring Turkey season is in effect during the month of May in New York. The Spring season runs from an hour before sunrise until noon. Vermont and Massachusetts have similar Spring Turkey hunting seasons. Since the season only lasts for half the day, it's courteous to give hunters the first half of the day to themselves. Turkeys are apparently difficult to hunt, due to their eyesight and intelligence. If you are out in the woods during hunting hours, stick to popular trails, and wear orange. Avoid wearing red, white and blue, as this mimics the colors of the male turkeys being hunted this time of year.
Both weeks I found myself bounded for time between the Spring Turkey season and commitments in the mid-afternoon. On the 10th, I ended up getting out the door a lot later than I had intended, and decided to cut my run down to an hour, instead of my intended two hours. I started off strong, heading up the Baker Trail, but I quickly found myself out of breath. Running uphill is nothing like running along flat bike paths, or even the rolling terrain I had been running on. After a while the path leveled off a bit, and I was able to catch my breath a bit, but I found myself alternating between walking and running the entire time I was out.
The Baker Trail intersects the Ridge Run Trail. Without consulting my map, I decided to go left, and I choose wisely. A short while later I found myself in a still open deciduous forest, clearly high ground, and there were long exposed sections of parallel rock, which appeared to be the remnants of glacial erosion. This whole section would have been under the ice sheet (the whole state was), and it looks like the movement of the glacier cut these gouges out. They are beautiful, regardless of their origin.
Just past this area was what appeared to be a view point. I ran up to it and it was indeed a view point: the Moreau Overlook. From here I could see Moreau Lake and the country beyond. What really caught my eye were the Taconic peaks off in the distance. They were hard to make out, but they were there. The following week I spent a little more time up here, and confirmed that I was correct: Equinox, Little Equinox, Bear, and Grass are all distinct and visible, and there are are a host of other peaks visible as well.
When I first ran up to the Overlook, I noticed that there were two people, a man and a woman, sitting on a rock nearby, taking in the view. From their clothes, and the braids in the woman's hair, I assumed that they were runners, too. We exchanged hellos, and the woman asked if I could take their picture, and offered to return the favor. After we had taken pictures, we chatted a bit, and then they were off, down the blue Moreau Overlook Trail. As for me, I lingered briefly, and then continued along the Ridge Run trail. I knew I had limited time, so I consulted my map, trying to get a sense of what was possible given my constraints. I saw that there was a loop to be had: if I kept making right turns, eventually I would end up on the Western Ridge Trail, and that would take me back to my car. Off I ran.
The terrain up here was great. Baker Trail is mostly loose rocks, but once you're up high, the trails are a lot softer; mostly leaves and loam. The Western Ridge is a different story, though. There's plenty of loam, for sure, but there are also sections where you're running along exposed bedrock, not unlike the rocks I had stopped to admire higher up. It's a lot of fun, but I can imagine that they'd be slippery when wet. Once the Western Ridge starts to descend in earnest, it has a few short sections of loose rock, and an eroded section near the end of the descent that is fairly steep. I found myself monkeying along the trees in there at one point. Once I got past the steeper section, the trail leveled off again, and it was relatively level (though not even close to flat) for the remainder of my run back to my car. The views looked fantastic along the Western Ridge, but I didn't stop to admire them since I was in a rush.
This week I decided to check out some more of the Western Ridge, to the east of the parking area. The Western Ridge drops down to Mud Pond, over fairly gentle terrain. It had rained the night before, and the streams were going strong. I ran past the white blazed Turkey Path, and almost took it, but I wanted to get a better sense of the full climb, so I pushed on. The Western Ridge Path ends at an intersection with the the Mud Pond trail; I went right, along a beautiful corridor of trees, and the over a wide bridge. From there I hit a woods road, and I went right again, searching for the red-blazed Red Oak Ridge Trail. I had run the other end of this trail over the winter, and I followed it to the same intersection I had come to back then. This time, though, I decided to UP the Moreau Overlook trail instead of using it to bail out.
This section was steep, and I had trouble running up it, but I did my best to push myself into a run on the flatter sections. Eventually I came to a decent sized talus pile and decided to just hike it. I'm fairly certain that this is the "Staircase of Death" referenced on the event page, or perhaps the whole trail from the ROR/MO junction up to the Moreau Overlook is the "Staircase of Death". Whatever. It's steep.
Once I was past the talus pile, a little push put me back up at the Moreau Overlook. I stopped for a few minutes, trying to enjoy the view and confirm that I was seeing the peaks I thought I was seeing, but the insects were feasting on me, so I had to get back to running. My pace on the way up had been slow enough that they had found me, but once I started running steadily again, they mostly left me alone. It was getting to be time to head home, so I ran back to my car, along the Ridge Run and then the Baker Trail. When I got to my car, I felt like I needed a little more, so I ran along the Western Ridge for a minute just to get a little bit more out. (Sitting here, writing this, I still feel like I have energy that I need to get out. I might need to go for a run tomorrow.)
When I was getting ready to write this, I reviewed the run in Strava, and I was astonished at the elevation profile. I didn't think it was *that* steep, but I climbed from just under 400' at 1.3 miles to just under 1200' at 2.4 miles. It's fairly typical for a trail to ascend 800'-1000' in the space of a mile near the top of the High Peaks. You could run and/or hike up and down the length of the Moreau Overlook trail a few times and simulate the final push of a High Peak trail fairly well. Furthermore, the trails themselves are typical of the trails found further north in the Adirondacks: a chaotic blend of rocks, bedrock, loam, and roots.
On a different note, I have to say that this park has the most considerate trail system I've ever been on. There are numbers on the map at each junction, and those numbers are also posted on signs on trees at the junction. I've never seen that before, but it makes a lot of sense, and I can think of many systems that would benefit from this enhancement.
Continuing on with the non-sequitor, I'm still reviewing gear, trying to figure out what I like best for this particular terrain. I tried out both pairs of shoes that I had bought from Fleet Feet last autumn when I was finally healed up enough to start running again. Last week I ran in my ASICs GEL-Scouts, and this week I ran in my Brooks PureFlow 2s. The GEL-Scouts did very well with the terrain, and I felt in control, but their high heel drop (8-10mm) tends to bug my knee while running, and on this run it was no exception. The PureFlows are my go-to shoe for running on pavement, where they offer a smooth ride; out here on the trails they felt hard, like I was running in a minimalist shoe, and I felt like I was slipping a few times on the descents. They're treaded for road running, so I would expect them to have trouble gripping in some off-road situations. I was just curious to see how they'd do. Anyway, I still haven't narrowed down my shoe for this terrain. I'm going to alternate between the GEL-Scouts and the Trail Gloves a couple of times, to try and see if it's just in my head or if there really is a difference in how my knees feel during or after the run.
Well, that's about it. Next weekend I might try to run the entire 15k course, if time allows. I've explored roughly half of it between my last three runs here.
...
Oh, before I forget, there's another option for a fall race, a newly created event called the Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run/Hike. There are three distances: 20, 32, and 74 miles. Details are here: https://www.facebook.com/SRTRunHike/info, and I've pasted the gist of it below:
Looks like fun! It's the same weekend as the Saratoga Palio, so I wouldn't be able to do both. I've still got time to decide, though. Anyway, until next time, be excellent to each other...
I took my last two long runs on Grant Mountain in the Palmertown Range. If you haven't heard of either geological feature, don't be surprised; both names appear only on USGS maps, as far as I can tell. This is the mountain that stands just west of Moreau Lake, and this is the mountain that the Moreau Lake 15K runs up, around, and back down. I haven't committed to doing that race yet, but I figured I should go check out the trails. So far, I'm very impressed. This system is an excellent model for training for the High Peaks. More on that in a bit.
Access
This part confused me quite a bit when I first started investigating this trail system. There are three trailheads along Spier Town Rd, and there is, of course, access from the campground, too. You can find maps here: http://nysparks.com/parks/150/maps.aspx. I am describing landmarks as if you were driving north/east along Spier Falls Road.
Western Ridge Trail
[I have not tried to run or hike from here, yet.] There is a tiny pull-off near the western end of the Western Ridge trail (yellow), however, on the most recent Trail Map, there is no indication of a parking lot. It was listed on the 2011 version of the map, and it is still physically there. Heading north, the road goes through several turns, and then when it gets close to the Hudson River, it straightens out. Right after it straightens out, there is an access road on the right. This is gated, so don't park here, but there's a small turnout a little further on, with what appears to be a spring. The trail itself appears to start out following the access road. I will investigate it further as time allows.
Cottage Path
[I have not tried to run or hike from here, yet, either.] The parking lot for the Cottage Path trail is further along Spier Falls Road, and is very obvious. Near the bend in the road, where it goes from following the Hudson to crossing a col in the Palmertown, there is a large access area for boats, with ample parking. The Cottage Path trail (orange) is accessed on the other side of Spier Falls Road, a short distance to the south. It appears to follow a stone wall for a while.
(Please note that as of May, 2014, a sign at the third parking area indicates that there is currently construction along the power line corridor, and that trails may be subject to closure. No trail was indicated on the sign, but the trail most likely to be affected would be the Cottage Path trail.)
Western Ridge / Baker Trail
This is my favorite of the three areas, though extra caution is needed due to the single lane access road and blind turns. Heading east along Spier Falls Road, the access road is a gravel road on the right, and it is just past the col. As soon as the road starts to descend, look for gravel on the right. Turn right into here, and then proceed to the parking area. (Note that this gets gated off during the winter. Also note that there is ANOTHER access road that intersects this access road. DO NOT take this other access road. I'm fairly certain that it's intended for large electrical utility trucks, and unless you have a big truck, you're likely to get stuck.) You'll find the parking area a short distance on, and there are three paths you can take out of here. The first is on your right, just before the parking area; this is the eastern portion of the Western Ridge Trail (yellow). The second is blocked by a large boulder, along the same road that you drove in on; this is the western portion of the Western Ridge Trail (yellow). Finally, between the two is another wide trail, marked in green, this is the Baker trail.
(The sign indicating closures due to electrical work could also apply to this access road; so keep an eye out for a closed gate when you're turning on to it.)
Hunting Notice
Please note that Spring Turkey season is in effect during the month of May in New York. The Spring season runs from an hour before sunrise until noon. Vermont and Massachusetts have similar Spring Turkey hunting seasons. Since the season only lasts for half the day, it's courteous to give hunters the first half of the day to themselves. Turkeys are apparently difficult to hunt, due to their eyesight and intelligence. If you are out in the woods during hunting hours, stick to popular trails, and wear orange. Avoid wearing red, white and blue, as this mimics the colors of the male turkeys being hunted this time of year.
Last Week - 10 May 2014
Both weeks I found myself bounded for time between the Spring Turkey season and commitments in the mid-afternoon. On the 10th, I ended up getting out the door a lot later than I had intended, and decided to cut my run down to an hour, instead of my intended two hours. I started off strong, heading up the Baker Trail, but I quickly found myself out of breath. Running uphill is nothing like running along flat bike paths, or even the rolling terrain I had been running on. After a while the path leveled off a bit, and I was able to catch my breath a bit, but I found myself alternating between walking and running the entire time I was out.
The Baker Trail intersects the Ridge Run Trail. Without consulting my map, I decided to go left, and I choose wisely. A short while later I found myself in a still open deciduous forest, clearly high ground, and there were long exposed sections of parallel rock, which appeared to be the remnants of glacial erosion. This whole section would have been under the ice sheet (the whole state was), and it looks like the movement of the glacier cut these gouges out. They are beautiful, regardless of their origin.
Just past this area was what appeared to be a view point. I ran up to it and it was indeed a view point: the Moreau Overlook. From here I could see Moreau Lake and the country beyond. What really caught my eye were the Taconic peaks off in the distance. They were hard to make out, but they were there. The following week I spent a little more time up here, and confirmed that I was correct: Equinox, Little Equinox, Bear, and Grass are all distinct and visible, and there are are a host of other peaks visible as well.
When I first ran up to the Overlook, I noticed that there were two people, a man and a woman, sitting on a rock nearby, taking in the view. From their clothes, and the braids in the woman's hair, I assumed that they were runners, too. We exchanged hellos, and the woman asked if I could take their picture, and offered to return the favor. After we had taken pictures, we chatted a bit, and then they were off, down the blue Moreau Overlook Trail. As for me, I lingered briefly, and then continued along the Ridge Run trail. I knew I had limited time, so I consulted my map, trying to get a sense of what was possible given my constraints. I saw that there was a loop to be had: if I kept making right turns, eventually I would end up on the Western Ridge Trail, and that would take me back to my car. Off I ran.
The terrain up here was great. Baker Trail is mostly loose rocks, but once you're up high, the trails are a lot softer; mostly leaves and loam. The Western Ridge is a different story, though. There's plenty of loam, for sure, but there are also sections where you're running along exposed bedrock, not unlike the rocks I had stopped to admire higher up. It's a lot of fun, but I can imagine that they'd be slippery when wet. Once the Western Ridge starts to descend in earnest, it has a few short sections of loose rock, and an eroded section near the end of the descent that is fairly steep. I found myself monkeying along the trees in there at one point. Once I got past the steeper section, the trail leveled off again, and it was relatively level (though not even close to flat) for the remainder of my run back to my car. The views looked fantastic along the Western Ridge, but I didn't stop to admire them since I was in a rush.
This Week - 17 May 2014
This week I decided to check out some more of the Western Ridge, to the east of the parking area. The Western Ridge drops down to Mud Pond, over fairly gentle terrain. It had rained the night before, and the streams were going strong. I ran past the white blazed Turkey Path, and almost took it, but I wanted to get a better sense of the full climb, so I pushed on. The Western Ridge Path ends at an intersection with the the Mud Pond trail; I went right, along a beautiful corridor of trees, and the over a wide bridge. From there I hit a woods road, and I went right again, searching for the red-blazed Red Oak Ridge Trail. I had run the other end of this trail over the winter, and I followed it to the same intersection I had come to back then. This time, though, I decided to UP the Moreau Overlook trail instead of using it to bail out.
This section was steep, and I had trouble running up it, but I did my best to push myself into a run on the flatter sections. Eventually I came to a decent sized talus pile and decided to just hike it. I'm fairly certain that this is the "Staircase of Death" referenced on the event page, or perhaps the whole trail from the ROR/MO junction up to the Moreau Overlook is the "Staircase of Death". Whatever. It's steep.
Once I was past the talus pile, a little push put me back up at the Moreau Overlook. I stopped for a few minutes, trying to enjoy the view and confirm that I was seeing the peaks I thought I was seeing, but the insects were feasting on me, so I had to get back to running. My pace on the way up had been slow enough that they had found me, but once I started running steadily again, they mostly left me alone. It was getting to be time to head home, so I ran back to my car, along the Ridge Run and then the Baker Trail. When I got to my car, I felt like I needed a little more, so I ran along the Western Ridge for a minute just to get a little bit more out. (Sitting here, writing this, I still feel like I have energy that I need to get out. I might need to go for a run tomorrow.)
Closing Thoughts
When I was getting ready to write this, I reviewed the run in Strava, and I was astonished at the elevation profile. I didn't think it was *that* steep, but I climbed from just under 400' at 1.3 miles to just under 1200' at 2.4 miles. It's fairly typical for a trail to ascend 800'-1000' in the space of a mile near the top of the High Peaks. You could run and/or hike up and down the length of the Moreau Overlook trail a few times and simulate the final push of a High Peak trail fairly well. Furthermore, the trails themselves are typical of the trails found further north in the Adirondacks: a chaotic blend of rocks, bedrock, loam, and roots.
On a different note, I have to say that this park has the most considerate trail system I've ever been on. There are numbers on the map at each junction, and those numbers are also posted on signs on trees at the junction. I've never seen that before, but it makes a lot of sense, and I can think of many systems that would benefit from this enhancement.
Continuing on with the non-sequitor, I'm still reviewing gear, trying to figure out what I like best for this particular terrain. I tried out both pairs of shoes that I had bought from Fleet Feet last autumn when I was finally healed up enough to start running again. Last week I ran in my ASICs GEL-Scouts, and this week I ran in my Brooks PureFlow 2s. The GEL-Scouts did very well with the terrain, and I felt in control, but their high heel drop (8-10mm) tends to bug my knee while running, and on this run it was no exception. The PureFlows are my go-to shoe for running on pavement, where they offer a smooth ride; out here on the trails they felt hard, like I was running in a minimalist shoe, and I felt like I was slipping a few times on the descents. They're treaded for road running, so I would expect them to have trouble gripping in some off-road situations. I was just curious to see how they'd do. Anyway, I still haven't narrowed down my shoe for this terrain. I'm going to alternate between the GEL-Scouts and the Trail Gloves a couple of times, to try and see if it's just in my head or if there really is a difference in how my knees feel during or after the run.
Well, that's about it. Next weekend I might try to run the entire 15k course, if time allows. I've explored roughly half of it between my last three runs here.
...
Oh, before I forget, there's another option for a fall race, a newly created event called the Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run/Hike. There are three distances: 20, 32, and 74 miles. Details are here: https://www.facebook.com/SRTRunHike/info, and I've pasted the gist of it below:
"SRT Run/Hike is an endurance event for trail runners and through-hikers celebrating the preservation of natural lands along the Shawangunk Mountains.
...
The inaugural edition of SRT Run/Hike will take place September 19-21, 2014, offering three divisions:
- 20-mile, starting in Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Sunday morning, Sep 21
- 32-mile, starting at Sams Point, Saturday morning, Sep 20
- 74-mile, representing an entire "crossing" of the SRT, starting at High Point State Park, NJ, Friday afternoon, Sep 19"
Looks like fun! It's the same weekend as the Saratoga Palio, so I wouldn't be able to do both. I've still got time to decide, though. Anyway, until next time, be excellent to each other...
13 May 2014
Moreau Lake State Park (Palmertown Ridge) - 10 May 2014
I had intended on staying out for two hours on this weekend's long run, but ended up with only an hour due to other commitments. So, I did the best I could do with that time.
I parked at the parking lot at the northern end of Moreau Lake State Park, just east of the high point of Spier Falls Road, the only car in the lot at the time. From there, I started running up the green trail, and quickly found myself out of breath. It's amazing how much elevation changes the game. Once I had gotten past the initial burst of steepness, the trail leveled out, but it was rarely flat. I made my way over to the junction with the Ridge Run trail (red), and headed left, toward Moreau. A short while later I found myself in a deciduous forest, still winter bare on this hot May day, and I stopped to admire the beauty of the landscape for a moment. There were several exposed ridges, and they were captivating. I headed on, and a moment later I found myself at the Moreau Overlook. The view was fantastic, and there were two other runners up there admiring it as well. We chatted briefly, and one of the runners asked me if I could take their picture. I said sure, snapped a few pictures of them, and then she returned the favor. We chatted a bit more, and then we were off on our separate ways.
I was alternating between walking and running a lot throughout the run, and it reminded me of when I was first starting to run on level ground, and made me think about how far I've come since then. I made my way along the Ridge Run Trai, and then headed over to the Western Ridge Trail. The Western Ridge runs along long, thin stretches of exposed bedrock before it starts to descend in earnest, and it was really fun to run along.
The Western Ridge was interesting to descend, and I did my best to stick to fast footwork instead of my typical descent pattern, which involves a lot of fear and cautious shuffling. It worked, though I did revert to walking when the terrain got sketchy and I was worried about loose rocks on top of steeply angled ones. All told, I did four miles in an 1:11; nothing to write home about, but the terrain definitely added an extra element to the run. If I had been hiking here a few years ago, I'm convinced that it would have taken 2 hours, possibly 3. I remember looking down at my GPS a few years ago, walking back from Awosting with my brother, and saw that we were going 2.5 mph, on level, easy ground. My pace on hikes before I started hiking was typically 1 mph for steep ground (800-1000' of ascent per mile) and 2 mph the rest of the time. Descents were as slow as ascents, due to the constant fear of falling. Using my poles helps a lot, but trusting myself and keeping my feet light seems to help even more.
I can't wait to get back up here, hopefully next weekend, to explore more of the trail network and work on making myself stronger.
A few closing thoughts: the descent down the Western Ridge trail was very much like a descent down a High Peak, and I think it's a good training ground. The trail themselves are a mix of rocks, loam and exposed bedrock. This is fairly typical for the Adirondacks, and I think it'll be a good training ground for hiking and running in the High Peaks.
Also, I can totally understand how people get lost on the 15k race. The trails aren't always obvious; and there's a lot of terrain that looks like a trail. I also saw what appeared to be several herd paths or true game trails, further complicating things.
I parked at the parking lot at the northern end of Moreau Lake State Park, just east of the high point of Spier Falls Road, the only car in the lot at the time. From there, I started running up the green trail, and quickly found myself out of breath. It's amazing how much elevation changes the game. Once I had gotten past the initial burst of steepness, the trail leveled out, but it was rarely flat. I made my way over to the junction with the Ridge Run trail (red), and headed left, toward Moreau. A short while later I found myself in a deciduous forest, still winter bare on this hot May day, and I stopped to admire the beauty of the landscape for a moment. There were several exposed ridges, and they were captivating. I headed on, and a moment later I found myself at the Moreau Overlook. The view was fantastic, and there were two other runners up there admiring it as well. We chatted briefly, and one of the runners asked me if I could take their picture. I said sure, snapped a few pictures of them, and then she returned the favor. We chatted a bit more, and then we were off on our separate ways.
I was alternating between walking and running a lot throughout the run, and it reminded me of when I was first starting to run on level ground, and made me think about how far I've come since then. I made my way along the Ridge Run Trai, and then headed over to the Western Ridge Trail. The Western Ridge runs along long, thin stretches of exposed bedrock before it starts to descend in earnest, and it was really fun to run along.
The Western Ridge was interesting to descend, and I did my best to stick to fast footwork instead of my typical descent pattern, which involves a lot of fear and cautious shuffling. It worked, though I did revert to walking when the terrain got sketchy and I was worried about loose rocks on top of steeply angled ones. All told, I did four miles in an 1:11; nothing to write home about, but the terrain definitely added an extra element to the run. If I had been hiking here a few years ago, I'm convinced that it would have taken 2 hours, possibly 3. I remember looking down at my GPS a few years ago, walking back from Awosting with my brother, and saw that we were going 2.5 mph, on level, easy ground. My pace on hikes before I started hiking was typically 1 mph for steep ground (800-1000' of ascent per mile) and 2 mph the rest of the time. Descents were as slow as ascents, due to the constant fear of falling. Using my poles helps a lot, but trusting myself and keeping my feet light seems to help even more.
I can't wait to get back up here, hopefully next weekend, to explore more of the trail network and work on making myself stronger.
A few closing thoughts: the descent down the Western Ridge trail was very much like a descent down a High Peak, and I think it's a good training ground. The trail themselves are a mix of rocks, loam and exposed bedrock. This is fairly typical for the Adirondacks, and I think it'll be a good training ground for hiking and running in the High Peaks.
Also, I can totally understand how people get lost on the 15k race. The trails aren't always obvious; and there's a lot of terrain that looks like a trail. I also saw what appeared to be several herd paths or true game trails, further complicating things.
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