Training Log Archive: bl

WPR, red course M21B from possibly 20 years ago. Control card says TEAM TR (Y/N) but no year & cannot recall when. Belonged to one David Smiley. 6.9k, 255m. Goal was to keep in motion, not miss much in the way of navigation & also note the surroundings - all 3 pretty much accomplished after shakey start in the wrong place:-) - 1/15 scale deception.... 1/15 scale crams alot of detail in a small section of map - yet the looking at the mapped terrain shows plenty of room for separation of features & ease of spotting...particularly at a place like WPR. Need to go over FR - missed a split, wonder how much info is still recoverable.

For natural beauty, I think I prefer it to Harriman - not so rugged, more walls & greater percentage of gentle terrain. Some of woods were breathtakingly open and clean on the ground. Skunk cabbage abounded for darker green. Did not see a single person on any of the paths...woods to ourselves as well as apparently nearly all of the lean-to or camping sites.


Note
After passed thru the relentless wealth/materialism of Bedford & Purchase. Spent $4.62/gal for gas as the tank was about empty. Stopped by Three Ponds, a magic childhood place for frog, turtle and snake hunting fifty years ago. I can still see the turtles sleeping warily in the sun and hear the RWBs singing from the marsh grass. Still there, once pristine in pre-IS 95 days, now overgrown, more or less forgotten - sandwiched between route 95 traffic whizzing by not 100 yards away and the RR track. Part is maintained (ie, adjacent grass cut) as the Miriam Osborn Memorial home cemetery is adjacent. There are probably more than 150 flat gravestones in the grass marking the burial sites of virtually all nonagenerians, wealthy spinsters buried alone??? with a large stone monument in commemoration. The dogs perked up under a large, old tree - lo & behold, there was a young raccoon in a hole in the trunk about 8' off the ground. Speaking of old trees, there were a few who were undoubted witness to our hunts & games those 50 or more years ago. All looked old, even for trees and some were just ghosts.

After, a quick visit to 15 Danner neighborhood, Harrison Ave. School, LK Middle School & the "new" HHS. Went to Becker's corner deli (still there/little changed 50 years later!) with a different name and current owner of 9 years. Then to 95 and away from time encapsulated. Stopped in Spofford to visit Olaf & Mette on the way home...as in olden O days. My worst WP weekend was a DNF followed by a DNS. Olaf & I sat up late around a campfire drinking wine. Morning brought sleet on the camper windows and along with it the need to do something else. Great to see O & M, had not been to their place in maybe 4-5 years.

Spent some quality time with Beth!

Ward Pound Ridge - Splits

Surebridge Mt. map walk with Beth & dogs. Gray day but since we were on the west side of the Hudson, it was going to be. No rain. Parked just beyond Kanawaukee Circle by the side of the road. Walked up an old asphalt road to an abandoned building site in the woods - don't recall what the structure was for. WOC courses passed thru the area in '93. Hiked to Hogencamp Mountain and then NE. Was looking for the place I took a photo in December, '04. Thought it was a circled rock face on the map but could see I was mistaken as we were approaching - terrain was not sloping as it did in the photo. Somewhat severe on the heights, green & embracing lower down. A snack on a log & return more or less the same way...Beth left a nice Norwegian sweater under a rock and knew where to find it.

After, drove to Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, a Westchester County park & default place of fields & woods (BG, '97) when a motel is not of interest. A nice tent (night #7 for season) site, the 30% chance of rain is evaporating as the sky brightens. The black flies are hungary, a stream rushes at the periphery of hearing and spring is only a day older.

Hogencamp


A world apart


"Forest, forest, thou art fair,
But with me,
You don't compare."

Mocha hopped on a rock (so as to be in the photo?) as I was contemplating a scene that might have been attractive, even on a gray day.

Everything has a story


FR out to lunch? - just a straight line.

Long, 0853 start, not hot. Good energy/effort. Managed to concentrate for an entire hour which, I'd say, is the exception to the rule. Looked hard at terrain as well as at map & knew where I was the entire way. Maybe a bit too pedantic at times, maybe a bit too much walking but constant feedback was the pursuit. There were no-one-instant knowing where one is then something somehow lapses and "WTF?". Compared splits w/ PG who was always a bit faster. I loved the terrain, some funky map feedback for some, not so much that I noticed.

More faces







Another WP meet now past history - very well done & perfect weather. Went to USMA visitors' center in HF which was very nice - WP quite the institution. Don't feel particularly beaten-up.

C • Weekend 3

Long Green Y - Splits

Event: West Point A-meet
 

AM DP on Lake Pop map, 35' with dogs. Found a control with manual punch, left out ? even 2 years? I was in very same vicinity '08. Walked over to it. Cadet training course? Read the tag: "Please do not remove - map and compass course". At the very instant I released it, someone shouted "I found it". I was sure I was the only one within "miles". Was a raft leader-type fellow doing an O training course.

Spring green

Middle: decent run/energy, B+ performance. Confusion at start and a few legs when map contact just suddenly disappeared... but only circling was on # 9. Was doubtful about the hamstring which held up just fine. Nice terrain & nice use of it.

Not 10' before start, noticed I did not have my e-punch! Lost on the ground somewhere. Dave Urban noticed my frantic circling, approached: "are you looking for a blue e-punch?". Thanks, Dave! Sunday, after the long, I found someone's e-punch on the ground in front of refreshments. Taped it above the results. Was gone later so it must have made its way to its owner.

C • epunch 3

Sprint around Round Pond - interesting course. PG started 1' behind, I knew he was starting not much after but exactly how much I did not care to know. Ran by the first control &, in returning, PG had punched it. Rest of course was a mixture of his being ahead, some alongsdide, once behind and with a few other runners in the latter half of the course making for no significant loss of time. Forgot to stop watch, learned another 305 item.

Very nice dinner at Schades in HF with Beth, Ernst, BP, Jim A, Hans B and later sitting round MJ's lantern til 9pm (!), much of the conversation was about skiing! Quiet, restful night camping.

Faces in the crowd, sprint



Sprint finish



Evening light on water, Popolopen

PM DP down to what turned out to be Wilkins Pond. Could see water thru the trees from the campsite & went that way. A mystical early spring moment with the spring green of treetops and intense emerald of grass along the shore.

Mystical image


Flood plain house for sale, inquire below

Middle Green Y - Splits

Sprint O/Br/G - Splits

Drive with Beth & dogs, Hartford, Warterbury, Danbury congestion - thru Newbergh. Camping on a knoll @ Round Pond at site w/ MJ & Ethan Childs. 6 hr, 260 mi. Free shared site for us resulted in a $15 junior team contribution as suggested by MJ.

AM DP aound the Sandbox, keeping Mocha from rolling in anything - her
"Queen for a Day" at work. Spent night in tent (#4). Followed Beth out in
dark - eventually had to make a few suggestions as I wanted to go to bed.
Never did rain, just wind, warm. Heard one round of coyotes then dawn. Tent
stake bag chewed - fortunately not tent. Vowed not to leave behind at all
- chewing rodents can be disappointing! Heard the owl call my name as I
stepped out of car last night - from a nearby tree, three times. Wondered why.

Pine Hill House, from the front door


On the one hand, mundane - on the other, fairly special


Some of Beth's daffodils

Warmup/down

CHS track - 1:48,1:42, 3:26, 3:25,1:42, 200 walk, then rain & wind
brought all to a close. Had Mocha at the track watching.

SPS, hi 60s, stretched & walked on track & grass. Legs flat from yesterday.

PM DP at the Sandbox, dogs found it hot. No tracks but saw a snapper being prodded by the side of Allen. Angry sky in the west, warm front on the way.

"What I'd do for the beach."