Training Log Archive: CleverSkyIn the 1 days ending Sep 4, 2017:
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Monday Sep 4, 2017 #
2 PM
pedaling (city bike) 25:29 [3] 8.59 km (2:58 / km) +177m 2:41 / km
From Rte. 9 up to wherever it was that Nancy and I finished hiking last time. Coupla decent hills (not very long), but no big deal because this bike has plenty of extra gears (it just doesn't particularly have brakes).
As an orienteer, I travel though life looking at terrain thinking about whether it would make a good map, and how I would map various features. As a hang glider pilot, I similarly go through life looking at fields and thinking about whether I could land in them, and how I would set up the approach. I don't really do much XC flying, so this is mostly just idle musing, and another pilot has pointed out that it's not that useful doing this exercise when you're looking at the field from the ground. Nevertheless, I rode past a somewhat overgrown field with signs designating it as a wildlife refuge or something, that looked like a likely landing zone, and I considered the wind direction and how I'd come in, and thought it looked pretty good. Yeah. As I was running past that field and hour or so later, it occurred to me that it was the "Spencer Airport" that I had seen on the map. Really? I sure didn't see any signs on the road indicating that, and I guess there's still an asphalt runway, but it was out of sight from where I was. The former owner was apparently killed in a crash at the airport seven years ago, and it's now owned by a woman with the same last name (most likely widow or daughter, I suppose). But the aviation websites indicate that it's still open to the public, with 10 aircraft based there and ~50 flights/week.
As an orienteer, I travel though life looking at terrain thinking about whether it would make a good map, and how I would map various features. As a hang glider pilot, I similarly go through life looking at fields and thinking about whether I could land in them, and how I would set up the approach. I don't really do much XC flying, so this is mostly just idle musing, and another pilot has pointed out that it's not that useful doing this exercise when you're looking at the field from the ground. Nevertheless, I rode past a somewhat overgrown field with signs designating it as a wildlife refuge or something, that looked like a likely landing zone, and I considered the wind direction and how I'd come in, and thought it looked pretty good. Yeah. As I was running past that field and hour or so later, it occurred to me that it was the "Spencer Airport" that I had seen on the map. Really? I sure didn't see any signs on the road indicating that, and I guess there's still an asphalt runway, but it was out of sight from where I was. The former owner was apparently killed in a crash at the airport seven years ago, and it's now owned by a woman with the same last name (most likely widow or daughter, I suppose). But the aviation websites indicate that it's still open to the public, with 10 aircraft based there and ~50 flights/week.
running (trails) 1:55:11 [2] 12.17 km (9:28 / km) +297m 8:26 / km
shoes: GoLite Blaze Lite
Midstate Trail, from Browning Pond Rd. to Rte. 9. A pleasant mix of stuff, from paved and dirt roads down to the tiniest of trails. Wore a belt with a water bottle, and actually drank most of it. 75 F or so. A little less than half a Highlander (but the Highlander is as the crow flies), and less than a month to go. This one could be ugly. The last little bit of the trail on this section got really small, progressively so, until I was literally pushing my way through weeds that were at least as tall as I am, no way I could have pushed a bicycle through that. But I kept finding the distinctive yellow triangle signs, and then I popped out on the shoulder of Rte. 9 next to a big sign reading MIDSTATE TRAIL. Would have been a lot harder to figure out where to go in heading northbound.