Training Log Archive: JanetT

Don't believe the HR numbers. I was wearing a HRM but walking most of the time.

It was on the warm side, upper 70s and sunny much of the time but not in the woods. The beeches have leafed out, making visibility more difficult than perhaps they were maybe 2-3 weeks ago.

Hickory Run Short Advanced Virtual course (3.9 km, 1:10000 map) designed by Greg A, while Glen did the longer one. We used both O-Range (on Forerunner) and UsynligO (on phone, carried in a waist pack). I personally was much happier with the phone app as I could adjust the volume so I could hear the tone(tune); the annunciator on my watch isn't very loud under normal conditions and I can't adjust it. In addition, UsynligO announced all of the controls, and O-Range missed at least two. If I were to do this again (and I might) I think I'd just use UsynligO and not bother with O-Range. I even had the watch fastened onto the chest strap of my Camelbak which is at least 10-12" closer to my ears than on my wrist.

Misses were largely due to drifting to the right of my bearing plus visibility on the first two (numbers 4 and 6; to #4 I actually relocated at a permanent course marker--mapped as a black O--about 80m west of the point...ooops); and misreading the area north of 11. I should have stuck to my original plan of heading to the road and attacking off the height of land, instead of getting drawn off by other ponds connected by streams. Because the app announced my arrival a bit before I actually reached some of them I didn't necessarily go to the precise location as mapped (like the opposite end of a marshy area or pond). I did see the feature for each one.

Otherwise I was pleased by my navigation if not my speed, and the ability to be able to read some of the subtle contour detail even in the light green woods. White woods were wonderful, and I only saw a few pieces of greenbrier, mostly close to roads.

Thanks, Greg!!

Swung by Lehigh Gorge and walked a bit on the D&L rail trail. Not much in the way of wildflowers or birds (though we heard plenty). At the side waterfall of Rattling Run I could see remnants of red trilliums. Cliffs were pretty impressive, as was the size of the rhododendrons along the trail.

Then we drove back across the Lehigh and parked to look at the ruins of the tannery.

D&L rail trail from Riegelsville south, plus a little bit north at the end to get it up to/over 20 km because we were so close. Glen did an extra little MTB loop he found.

Test of new padded bike underwear is a fail. Didn't notice much of any difference, at least on one side. I need a different configuration of padding, I guess. Toes got numb after about 12 km, which I've noticed before with padded shorts (but could also be due to distance).

One house we went by had a laburnum with bright golden blossoms, and a couple of wood bear sculptures, including a bear "bust" carved from a large tree stump. Maybe I'll post photos later.

Mid 70s and sunny. Lots of people.

C • Kintnersville 3

Trails around Big Pine Hill (a misnomer) in Pinchot State Forest, Lackawanna Co, PA. Cloudy and upper 60s when we arrived before noon, it cleared up and was sunny, and got into the mid-upper 70s by the time we finished (Glen ran, I hiked). Snowmobile trails were much easier to hike than the narrow yellow blazed trail that wound through blueberry bushes (not yet leafed out).

Not much bird action around (we saw a pileated woodpecker fly across the road in front of us as we approached the SF), but saw a number of painted trilliums and a few fringed polygalas along the trails. And some other hikers (including a couple of Asian women who seemed to harvesting fern heads). And a couple of people on horseback coming the opposite direction.

And three bears! I'd stopped to photograph a just leafing out tree with mottled clouds/sky behind it, when I heard rustling off to my right, maybe 25 meters away, then saw three dark shapes trying to figure out if I were a threat (a couple climbed partway up trees to get a better look but decided the better move was to move away). I got a photo of a receding black blob as the last one headed over a hill.

Otherwise, an uneventful hike. ;-)

C • Big Pine Hill 5

Stopped at Spruce Swamp Natural Area, which didn't have much swamp visible. We tried to see if 1) we could see the swamp and 2) we could see any birds, but we didn't see much. I put my binocs up once and think I saw an Eastern Towhee (black, white, brown in the right places), and the song checks out, so that's what I'm calling it. Song: one or two notes plus a whirr/trill that follows. Glen heard a woodpecker. Pileated songs are put of my hearing range unless they are close by; I can hear tapping.

Event: Boston Sprint Camp 2020 - canceled
 

It was 71 and overcast but not raining when I went out, but it soon started sprinkling lightly and kept going for the first 20 minutes, then the sun came out and it was bright and cheerful. So I got a bit wet, then a bit dryer before returning home just slightly damp.

Gentle yoga with anniemac (via video)

Lake Nockamixon trails. Parts of Cold Spot (upper), Haycock Run, Eastern Woods (lower), and Jay Walk (lower) trails. Started getting tired about 45 minutes in so the last bit was challenging. Low to mid 60s, hazy sun.

Had bonus points to use for gas rebate points, so we only paid $1.199/gal to fill up the car. Remember, PA gets 70¢ tax from each gallon, so we really only paid the gas company 39¢/gal. Yesterday I had filled up the Prius, whose previous fill-up was on March 13...we haven't used my car (local trips) as much as Glen's, which is more convenient for excursions.

Around the neighborhood with Glen after dinner. Nice out, starting at 72F and dropping to 66 by the time we got back home.

Stopped at one point to chat with a neighbor who had previously stopped to talk to another neighbor.

Middle course that Glen designed at Thomas Iron Works in Hellertown. We wanted to test out O-range here, but either the georeferencing is a bit off or the satellites weren't lined up well today, because the software told us the start location was ~180m west of where we wanted it to be, which was therefore in or on the other side of the creek instead of at the end of the parking lot. That wasn't going to work, so we just decided to run the course using normal GPS tracking.

Most good navigation which largely agreed with Glen's routes except for one control I missed completely (I had attacked differently). This area would be nicer without vegetation underfoot (like the nettles in one area; raspberry vines aren't as widespread as they could be). For a few I didn't go to the precise location because of other park users in the area (mostly kids on bikes).

A couple of extra watch punches, partly because of impreciseness....

Low to mid 60s, mostly overcast.