Training Log Archive: bl

Considered the NEOC motala at Houghton’s Pond but couldn’t get interested in 160 miles RT for a 4-5k O. Seemed a good training event though. Miles in the car are more costly vs years ago — and wear more thin with me these days.

340 RT to western MA last Sat-Sun, followed by another 120 RT Sunday eve to Portsmouth. 340 RT to Lyme CT this past Wed-Thurs and would have been some 160 mi today for the orienteering.

Ended up moving & stacking firewood with Janelle for about an hour and a half. Hard, honest work, no way around it. Good chance for lumbago in the morning.

Stopped at Turee on the way to town around 5pm to admire a bleak, November-like scene, the NW wind whipping up whitecaps. There were several warmly-dressed people on the track. Made me think I've missed it. The hamstring soreness etc is receding as I've asked nothing of it over the past month.

Event: WCOC Hurd State Park
 

It was an aborted sail outside LI to Cape May or Norfolk. The head mainsail car broke (2 reefs and maybe a lead issue), there was a "hidden" open porthole (!) which filled much of the starboard hull when we got outside the island (25+ kt apparent) and a few other issues which led to return to Lake Montauk. It is a 43' cat owned by my cousin. They returned to a rigger in Essex, CT where we started. I'd run out of time, got an Uber from Montauk to Orient Pt ($234 + $10 tip!). Driver currently is an East Hampton school bus driver, had been a fisherman, stevedore etc. Then Cross Sound ferry, Amtrak to South Station, Boston ($81) and Concord Trailways to NH.


My folks lived in Sag Harbor for 25 yrs. Many Cross Sound ferries, Shelter I ferries etc in arriving - or drive the length of LI returning from an O meet to the south.

End of LI this time of year is bleak or starkly beautiful, depending on one's point of view.

Nottingcook from S. Bow Rd to Allen where Beth picked me up to get back to car. Fine, sunny. Lost map contact a few times. Also when on trails, it definitely took concentration for spotting trail blazes with the trail all but invisible under fallen leaves. Made a point of going a different route. Impressed with how nice the woods are - a lot of beech and moderately open or better. The 1/10 map symbols are too small. Need to do something like this with Beth. All the years she's lived here, she's not seen most of the many nooks & crannies of the forest.

Bear Brook after work around 3pm. Left my compass at work which changed the mind set. Was parked near the base of Bear Hill - went up it to the top and down the S side which was primarily open, attractive hard woods with few features. Struggled to keep any detailed contact. Got to the base of the south side & headed back on & off the path. A nice fall afternoon even if the O was skimpy.

Out back after 340 mi driving, the contrast was restorative. Saw one white tail briefly, nothing else. Drive to & from Lyme, CT for an enjoyable night aboard my cousin's impressive but cold boat. Too much food, too little exercise to the trip.

Great Hill with Beth to catch the sunset. The best view (SW thru N to E, the photo looking generally N) in Bow. A new BOS sign, must have missed the meeting. A fine October day for a change.