Training Log Archive: dlevine

Hunter's Creek Map Hike
(Going for the ten that I didn't pick up two weeks ago...)

Car -> 2: Down the path, across the reentrant and right to it. Tree was obviously too big for the marker, but I looked at it anyway and found a geocache! Thought about signing in, but noticed the marker and focus returned. 2:09

2 -> 5: To edge of slope, then scanned for a dry way down. Up next hill and confused more than I should have been about whether I was at the right trail. (I obviously was, but was filled with doubt.) Right to it. 5:20

5 -> 6: Back up to trail and cut the corner right to the spur. Saw the marker from a distance. 2:00

6 -> 7: This was the one that had me worried because I had missed it on my previous try - albeit in a very abbreviated search. Back up to trail, down to spur and into creek. Literally, INTO creek. I slipped while crossing and fell in. Tush wet, elbow on rock, map in water - the whole deal. Up hill to plateau and over towards where I thought the stream was. Area was familiar as was the lack of marker. Went up and down the stream (looking for the end) with no luck. Travelled south and went up another (much smaller) stream to trail. North along trail to where it angles up hill and contour at the stream. Found the marker at exactly the right altitude, but high up on a tree above the steep banked stream, most definitely NOT at the stream end as the clue said. 26:14

7 -> 14: Down to creek, but downstream from my last crossing. No matter, just wade through the knee-deep pool. Trail to where the tributary comes in from the west, across up trail to junction, west over hill and then run the mostly dry marsh to the marker. Along the way, notice blood on map from elbow. Ouch. tried to clean it in creek, but couldn't see the wound. 9:17

14 -> 13: Clean map, head up hill to trail at junction. Compass across the featureless area - which now features a significant, though unmapped, trail. See the stream junction as the stream comes into view. Straight to marker. 4:02

13 -> 12: Right up stream, getting on the left bank, right to it. 2:49

12 -> 4: Angle to trail, then south to clearing and then slowly down the largely overgrown trail to the control. Momentarily confused by rootstock on wrong side of trail, but then I realize that the map has a double-X there. Marker not on rootstock, but it's right on the trail which is nice considering the brambles by the rootstock. Dripping blood onto map and shorts now. Hand is covered in it - did I cut my palm, too? I just want to finish before someone sees me and panics. 5:25.

4 -> 3: Right back on overgrown trail and then taking the dogleg north to stay on the trail. Cut off trail when it hits the boundary of the white woods. See rootstock and go right to it. No marker. Search all nearby trees and rootstock itself; no luck. Move south a bit and scan for other rootstocks. None around. Hating myself, I move north into the slash only to find the marker near the TOP of the fallen tree, not by the roots. 6:47.

3 -> 1: Back to trail where I try to use the water from my bladder to wash off a bit, but no luck. Down trail to junction, turn right and see marker after three steps. 5:05

1 -> Car: Down trail to parking lot. Turn ankle. While trying to walk it off, I slip in mud, barely avoiding falling. Boy do I need to be done... 1:35


Cleaned up in parking lot, but it was a losing battle. I tried tying a bandanna around the wound, but I couldn't get it right. By the time I got home, the bandanna was soaked. After a shower, I was able to spot a small, puncture-like wound on the elbow in the mirror. Hard to believe that little wound produced so much impressive blood, but so it goes. Alas, it is proving difficult to staunch and the elbow is swelling a bit despite cold compresses. *sigh*

C • Wow! 3

Drove by Emery on the way home to look for #11 again. No luck as I walked around the area for too long.

C • 11 1

Two loops of the Allegany River Trail with the gas line option - Theresa leading both times.

Emery Park Map Hike

Parked between Emery Road and Tennis Courts

Car -> 10: Straight to it with only a moment's hesitation about "building" vs. "well". 2:38

10 -> 6: Again, right to the circle, but I spent time searching upstream from the marker, upstream from where it should have been, and in the adjacent stream. Ultimately found the marker closer to the stream junction than to the bend. 11:40

6 -> 7: Right to it, but overshot thinking it was at the field edge. Alas, the (hidden) fence is sooner. Had to double-back, but it was easy. 4:14

7 -> 12: Both woods and field was grodier than I had hoped, but no real problems other than runnability. 8:03

12 -> 13: Initial runnability in the field was dubious, but control was easy. 3:30

13 -> 16: Cut into the woods early and that made me look early for the marker. Once I pushed on a bit, it was there. 5:11

16 -> 20: Trail the whole way, but didn't punch watch, so time is a guess. Also, the marker is numbered "8", not "20". 3:30

20 -> 21: Slow going past that bit of green and in the creek bed. Spent a little while on the hill just west of the control. Again, time is a guess, but total for the last two legs is right. 5:10

21 -> 22: Straight to it, but the ground was mushier than it seemed it should be, so I got "careful". 3:23

22 -> 23: Angled up to trail bend, trying to skirt the reentrant systems. Off trail and right in to it, but walked within two feet of the marker and had to resort to a short "search". 6:10

23 -> 24: More or less straight to it. Alas, no watch punch, so again a guess. 3:20

24 -> 25: South of the lodge after a quick conversation with some disc golfers then right up to it. Again a guess, but the last two total properly. 3:51

25 -> 1: Right to it. 2:30

1 -> 2: Up road, in driveway, around last garage and into the woods. I knew I was too far left, but a "wall" of downed crap kept me from seeing the reentrant. Overshot, went right and came back down. Ultimately, I circled in to it. 7:38

2 -> 3: Out to road and then in from the "notch" in the clearing. Couldn't see anything that distinguished green from white. Searched in a circle, but no luck. Re-attacked from corner NW of marker. Hit same spot with same result. Circled again and attacked from SE corner of clearing to the west. Same result. Then my phone rang. Stopped watch at eighteen minutes and change. After dealing with remote computer purchase emergency, started again with attack from NW and then from NE. These last two times, I deliberately aimed off left in the hopes of improving my luck. On the second try, I did. 27:36 Ugh!

3 -> 4: No psych after that debacle, so I was slow, but there were no real issues. 4:35

4 -> 8: Up to trail, intending to take road to control, but saw fence in real world and then on map. Ultimately took the trail in which was a much nicer option anyway. Psych slowly returning. 3:51

8 -> 5: Trail to road to cut in too soon and had to head downhill, aiming at driveway until I got it. 5:00

5 -> 9: Straight to it, including running the ridge in the woods as I approached. 3:38

9 -> 17: Past car and to disc golf hole and right down to the bend. No luck. Searched area thoroughly and did a quick scan up and down stream with no luck. Bounced out to road to ski lodge and back in. No luck. Then finally, found it one bend too far downstream. 15:20

17 -> 18: Up to the clearing, around head of steep stream and then through the clearings attacking from above. 3:20

18 -> 19: Road to trail to bend to boulder. Saw marker, but had to cross stream to read it. 2:40

19 -> 15: Back to trail and trail the whole way (including skirting the "closed" section). Had some trouble locating the marker in the circle. 7:55

15 -> 11: :-( Down road, in to shelter and attack. And attack. And attack. Attacked from swamp, from building, from two trees in field, from stream/road junction. And attacked. Got many scratches, but could never make the map match up and could never find the marker. For the second time this summer, gave up on the 24th marker even though it was less than 50 meters from the road and easily attacked. ARRGH 41:05

11 -> 14: Again, no psych. I walked the clearing by the road and cut in. No issues. 3:53

14 -> Car: Phone rang again and I walked in as I talked to my mom. 3:50.


Found 24 of 25 markers. Up to 88 out of 100, now - with the belief that two of them are not there.

Chestnut Ridge Park Map Hike

Yet another failed attempt at #4. Had a brief conversation with disc golfers one of whom thought he remembered seeing it (where I thought it should be) a while ago.