Training Log Archive: JanetT

Middle 1 course at Tyler SP North, 4.2km, 135 m climb nominal, using UsynligO (thanks, Sam!). Low to mid 70s and overcast and not humid made for a fine day.

I wore my Active Ankle with an old pair of O shoes, so I wouldn't have to worry (or have too much pain) while out, and it worked. If my ankle had felt better I would have jogged more on the trails. Still marking today as "injured" though, as I am not out of the woods.

Fun use of a new-to-me area, though my navigation wasn't always up to snuff. After 8 I navigated toward 10 (9 was beyond 10), which might have been okay if I'd kept going (I heard the "there's a control here but not the one you need now" tone), but I didn't like the look of the woods there so I dropped down to the mapped trail and reattacked 9, then retraced my steps to 10. To 11 I had to skirt a tree across the upper trail which went right to it, and kept looking at the circle for 7 which was beyond 11; had to re-clmb the reentrant to hear the tone.

Crossed the covered bridge (where I stopped to take a picture) and jogged intermittently with walking toward 13. Checked an unmapped trail toward the river before finding the right one. A bit of bobbling around 15 and 16, too, then I headed off across the field toward 17. Saw and followed some "Waldo tracks" in the field most of the way. The trumpet fanfare at the end is fun to hear. ;-)

Tyler North Middle 1 - Splits

Easy walk to the town park and back. Left ankle still iffy; I used an ankle brace in my shoes. Temp in low 70s with a breeze.

I also ordered a pair of Altra Lone Peak 4 Mid (ankle-supportive) shoes for hiking on these uneven PA trails. I hope they fit and work.

To Saucon Rail Trial via the library, then on the gravel trail as far as Bingen Rd, back via Landis Mill and roads in neighborhoods in between. About 19.3 km when I got close to home so I decided a couple tiny loops here would push it over 20km (because, why not?).

Doubled back at one point to take a second look at the pillars at the entrance to a long driveway (driveway has cornfields on both sides; I don't know if the farmland belongs to this property).

Another fabulous day; mid to upper 70s and low humidity with a breeze.

The pillars (a similar symbol was also on the pavement at the entrance):

Hiked in Delaware State Forest in the Poconos, north of Stroudsburg (Thunder Swamp Trail System), while Glen ran. We parked in a lot off Snow Hill Rd.

Orange trail west of Twelvemile Pond, north as far as the Pennel Run Connector trail. 1.4 mi each way per the State Forest topo map, 1.6 mi per the wooden sign at the trail junction. 56F when we started and 66F when I returned to the car and lunch.

I didn't have proper hiking footwear for rocky trails, so my left ankle (never the same after an injury in 2000) is extremely sore right now. I often wear a brace, or tape it for orienteering; I should have done that today. I had to go slowly to keep my eye on the angles of the rocks. They weren't huge, just irregular.

Heard birds, heard and saw woodpeckers, and helped a crane fly escape a spider web on the bridge across Spruce Run (saw him on my way out; it was still struggling on my way back and I saw no active spider, so helped him get out of the web). Also saw numerous ebony jewelwing damselflies. Very pretty day and woods. Without the rocks underfoot this area would be delightful for orienteering. They don't call it Rocksylvania for nothing.

After lunch we drove to Painter Swamp which has a trail encircling it. It was also rocky but less so than the other one. Walked partway down one side, back to the trail jct, then partway up the other way (to see if there was a feeder stream (kinda) as we'd noticed some flow in the water.

We could see three beaver lodges but don't know if any were active, though at one point Glen thought he heard a tail slap. Lots of red winged blackbirds but not much else in sight (which was somewhat surprising). Lots of frog calls, yellow lily flowers and white lotus flowers on the water. Pretty area.

Temp around 66.

We saw a female (poss. immature) Eastern towhee, too.

Dirt trails at Burkhart Preserve while Glen ran. It looks much different in mid summer than it does in early spring! Clear crisp day, mid 60s when we were there.

No toadstool trilliums in sight. (Or any other notable plants, for that matter.)

Around the neighborhood after dinner.

Though it had been in the low 70s earlier it had dropped back into the 60s, calling for long sleeves.

Marsh Creek bike trails, from Dorian Mill Rd parking area (S of the dam). Temps in the mid 70s to low 80s but much lower humidity than we'd had.

I was pretty sure I didn't want to attempt the trails Glen was headed out on, but did ride the gravel road down toward the dam. Checked out the trail heading east, to see what the bottom of that loop looked like...it looked like I could probably ride it so I went back to the gravel road, climbed up to dam level, and crossed the dam to the Sole Trail (as labeled on the Trail Forks app/map) and rode it downhill. Beyond one uphill near the start I couldn't manage, and a couple of boardwalks I walked the bike across, I was able to ride most of it.

Decided the rest of the "blue" trails to the NE were going to be beyond my ability/equipment, and headed back to the dam to continue NW on the Lakeside Trail.

First obstacle was a downed tree I had to lift my bike over, then a family (spread out) and two stream crossings that I knew I couldn't ride up. Two pairs of bikers passed by, going the other way. There were a few other places I had to get off the bike and walk. Got as far as the first cove where there was a boardwalk I walked the bike on, then I turned back. On the way back crossed the dam again and did the Sole trail a second time, attempting a couple of dirt piles at the top but I wasn't in the proper gear so chain fell off and I had to stop to fix it. (D'oh)

When I got back to the gravel dam access road I decided to just push the bike up as I didn't think I had enough energy left to climb it even in 1st gear (which I'd used to get up the dam approach). Got to a Gravel road junction and considered riding it until it dipped downhill, but then I saw Glen, so waited for him. We headed back to the car.

I ate my sandwich lunch, then drove around to the west-side boat launch (Millford Mills on the map) a few miles away. Glen went out to do some more and then head north along the Lakeside Trail to where I parked.

After driving up to the boat launch on the west side of Marsh Creek park, decided to ride a bit of the Lakeside Trail, perhaps to the cove, while waiting for Glen.

On the way I tipped the bike (root? rock? I don't remember) and scraped the back of my left leg on the front gear as I fell to the right and the bike tipped left. Good thing no one else was on the narrow trail then while I extricated myself....

Kept on going past some tricky (for me) areas until I reached a rocky downhill and decided to turn back. On the way back, where the trail turns at some power equipment, I saw a doe up the road alerted to my presence, and a white-tailed rabbit, peacefully chomping away, so I stopped to watch them for a few minutes. Then I returned to the car.

Level 1 yoga video (Deanna)

Town park and neighborhood, after dinner. About 80 when we started, 76 when we returned.