Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Meadowside Ln. near the Nature Center, I continued updating parts of the map. Thought he day was a bit dreary, the weather held up. Unlike my outing a couple of days, I also ended up deciding on removing more green from the map than adding it. I found a few trail additions and some open areas.

From Northfield Rd., to Norfolk Ave. for lunch, then back.

From Meadowside Ln. at the Lanthop E. Smith Education Center. I updated parts of the map. I mostly covered the grounds on and immediately around the center. There were parts of the map that I hadn't been to since I originally field checked them in 2008. Much of the map had held-up well including what was originally an intermittent trail. The vegetation changed. I'm pretty sure that someone had removed a lot of what was fight green, and left scattered rough open terrain. One area of pines had been almost swept and the fallen branches were lined-up to make a sort of low fence. I found only one new trail. There were some rootstocks to add and remove. Unfortunately for one significant area where there were white woods, an impenetrable cover of looping thorns had popped-up. There were still some trails to get through and around that. It was quite a contrast to what I'd been newly mapping in recent weeks north of Muncaster Mill Rd.

From River Rd., out and back on the Cabin John Trail, to Seven Locks Rd. via the Cabin John Trail. I had spent much of the day at my mom's house but stopped here on the way home. It was near sunset. I wasn't sure how far I'd go but the light seemed good enough at Bradley Blvd., for me to go on. The sun had officially set before the turnaround. Much of the trail had been improved, mostly by moving it. Despite the rains all day yesterday, and the trail being known to be muddy, most of it was fairly dry. A lot of parts had been moved up slope away from the creek. As a result, it was slightly hillier. I wasn't climbing well but kept a stead comfortable effort. It was rather dark returning and the improved trail kept me from stumbling on roots and rocks. I couldn't see far ahead but my eyes were adjusted enough to see the ground just in front of me. I ran up on several deer, spooking them.