Training Log Archive: JanetT

West End Regional Park (WERP) MtB trails (north of Brodheadsville, PA). Did trails I'd done before plus a couple new segments. The loop through the pines (mature pine plantation with no undergrowth) is short but very pretty. Mid to upper 70s and low humidity.

They've updated a couple "features" on fun stuff (last trail I rode) including turning a boand-and-batten type inverted V into a log table (using logs from trees that came down during TS Isaias in early August). I skipped it...this time. Maybe some other visit. It's nice to have three really great mtb areas within a half-hour drive (Jordan Parkway, Nockamixon, WERP).

Hike up the hill towards start of the Adv 2 Shickshinny course. Great weather (just a bit on the warm side), upper 70s and blue sky.

Shickshinny UsynligO Adv 2 course (nominally 6.7 km, a bit long for me), figuring I'd switch to Score O at some point near the end. Well I switched after 11 because I saw no need to drop 2+ contours down a steep hill to a cliff only to climb back up again. I did the route choice to 12's attackpoint, then continued to 13 from there.

I'd been to #1 on Adv 1 (#14) so knew what it looked like, though I was approaching from a different direction. #2 might have been tricky but the area either side of the trail is wide open visibly, and I could see a likely candidate (Greg might consider changing the eastern cup depression to a similar hill/pit combo, as that's what I saw first, and they're visually very similar; the eastern pit is SW of the hill instead of W).

Back to the trail to #3, where I saw a large black snake slithering off the trail into the fallen leaves (it disappeared very quickly!). All black, between 3-4' long. Missed a turn when the "main" trail continued SW instead of NW but caught myself.

Near #7 I encountered a cup depression that wasn't on the map and asked UsynligO for a distance/direction hint...turns out I wasn't far away, just over 20m.

On the way to #10 I thought I was in the right reentrant, but needed to go farther downhill (another hint used here).

On the line between #12-13, in the neat rocky cliffy area, I saw a notable rock feature which was really three large boulders forming an open-ended cave. Pic later, maybe (it's located where the red dot/waypoint is on my Garmin track).

To #15, I was standing on a trail when the tone played, though the circle barely touches a trail...

I know I stopped at least four times to retie my O shoes. I use a knot that withstands most O courses unless there's a LOT of blueberry (or other low, stiff vegetation.

#18 was in an area that had tricked me before; the trail/cliff mapping is not what I envision. Spent a little time looking in the wrong place, then continued on (I was in Score O mode) when I found the trail I thought I'd hit earlier, and decided to get #18. #19 was just down the trail. The large blob of black near #19 is actually a foundation and ruin (almost ground level on SW end, two walls with doorways on SW and NE ends, but no walls on the other two sides, and a large stone foundation/cliff on the downhill end.

Then I tried to angle for #20 but got pushed way off line by the laurel and blueberries, ending up near the trail back to finish, so I headed there instead. Glen had done the Adv 1 course, and then gone to check out some of the last few Adv 2 controls he'd skipped on our earlier visit, and was at the finish when I got there, so we walked back to the car together. :-)

Another excellent outing on another beautiful day. I'm so glad GregA has made these maps/courses available to us, despite being a ways from the main DVOA center.

From finish back to car, finding Glen along the way.

Ironton Rail Trail in Coplay, after retrieving Glen's repaired bike at the bike shop in Allentown. Overcast (a few sprinks before we got there, and light showers as we were leaving) and around 80. Good timing!

We did the 6-mile loop (counterclockwise) first, then headed west on the spur trail. We'd done this loop once before, in the other direction.

Someday they'll finish the rail trail (D&L?) section between Allentown and Coplay.

Event: Cancelled - Rocky Mountain Orienteering Festival
 

Out in the humidity, but fortunately before the sun came out. Overcast and 80 with 80% humidity. To the park and back. Progress is being made on the restroom building (when I last saw it there was a foundation. Now there are walls and roof sheathing).

Deanna's class focusing on Bridge pose

To start of Sandy Run UsynligO course. Upper 60s and mostly cloudy when we started...low humidity again today, and perfect for summer orienteering. No machines appear to be working today.

Sandy Run Adv 2 course, 3.6 km, in a relatively flat area of SGL 149. As usual, I had trouble adjusting to the non-fieldchecked map, and overshot a couple controls due to being unsure what was mapped and what wasn't, though I was *almost there* both times. Another non-spike was because I hadn't gone far enough and was distracted by unmapped rock features on my way to a rock feature. ;-)

#1 was tricky because it was a long leg through relatively bland woods to some rocks north of a "marsh" (they have been quite dry this summer) so I didn't count on the marsh to stand out but hoped to hit the rocks. I came upon a rock feature that I thought was the cliffs beyond my control so I doubled back but didn't find rocks where I expected so I used a hint...and headed back to where I had been...just farther along the line of rock outcrops I'd seen.

Managed pretty well to #2 but hesitated in an unmapped clearing south of the control clearing.

I was SO close on #3 but unsure if I was in the right reentrant because the rock features didn't seem to match what I pictured (and I didn't get the tune) so I kept heading along the rocks until I knew I needed to head back. I asked UsynligO "where am I" and the app showed me, but then crashed. It took me until I got back to #3 before my phone restarted and I reopened the app, and the tune played. (I forgot to take a split at #3 after all the confusion.) 15 minute error there...

The rocky section where controls 3-8 are is fun, and (after returning to #3) I managed okay with all but 6 (hit the edge of the spur but turned right instead of left and almost reached the end, and #7, before heading back. (1:45 lost)

There are some huge rock features between 10-11, not all of which are on the map (I know Sandy took notes about some missing boulders), and I didn't go far enough before asking for a distance/direction hint. #12, instead of one big boulder, appears to be an area of several big boulders.

Then out to the trail (I was tired of the saplings by then) and walked/jogged to the finish.

Spiderwebs weren't quite as abundant as at Mocanaqua and Shickshinny, but still a nuisance in places. I did encounter one web across the final trail and saw that the spider had a distinct yellow triangle on it; it appears to be an arrowhead spider, Verrucosa arenata. Some of the ones at Shickshinny are spined orb-weavers, Micrathena gracilis.

From finish back to car, stopping to photograph a butterfly (some kind of fritillary), and then jogged a bit to catch up to Glen, whose finish was farther along the trail back to parking, after he texted he was done and wondered where I was.

Stabbed my right thigh about 4" above the knee on a branch sticking out of a log...there a small scratch and a nice lump/bruise there now. (Making this note so I remember where it came from.)

Blue Marsh Nat'l Recreation Area trails on the N side of the lake. Parking lot was very busy (access to water, though not a boat launch, made it easy to fish or launch kayaks) but we found a spot. Glen wanted to run the trails in the other direction. Upper 70s, low humidity, and scattered clouds made for a very comfortable day.

Not much AOWN to report, though I did see two monarch butterflies (and numerous white and a few yellow skippers), and a groundhog that I came up behind so got fairly close before he scurried off. Not many birds, though I scared up some goldfinches near an oxeye daisy brown eyed susan with green centers aka rudbeckia laciniata aka cutleaf coneflower field, and a larger bird near the water's edge.

Taped left ankle instead of using an ankle brace. Right knee is back to usual, so I'm attributing whatever problems I was having earlier in the week to the bee sting/s below the knee.