Orienteering 1:30:00 [1] 6.0 km (15:00 / km)
shoes: 201002 Asics T918N
I wandered around Mt. Tom, vetting control locations for my meet this Saturday. When I began at around 5:30 PM, it was warm and sunny, and I was shadowed by a small number of mosquitos, whose tentative prods I could avoid at walking pace. They were but the vanguard of the main body, though; after I had traveled several kilometers, as darkness fell, the swarms emerged and sprung their trap. I seem to have encountered a legion of mosquitos who haven't eaten anything in days, and lightly toasted Ian was the main course. They were insatiable, they did not fear death, and they could taste my fear.
When I finally decided to bail out in the interest of retaining blood, my plight was dire. Had I twisted my ankle, tripped, or even stumbled, they would have had me, and drained my blood in moments. Had my car not been equipped with a remote unlocking mechanism, I would have met my doom frantically trying to get the key into the lock. Even after I climbed in and closed the door, the horde hungrily and vainly probed the exterior of my car, seeking more tasty morsels. Next time, I will bring insect repellent, a tastier friend, or a flame thrower, but I fear these demon mosquitos would reach out to bite me even from the depths of hell.
Mt. Tom has some exquisite technical areas, and the woods are lovely. The running, even this late in the spring season, is magnificent. Twice while I was out, I heard crashing through the woods as though a bear, moose, or Tyrannosaurus Rex were punching through a thicket with some cymbals. In both cases, a squirrel emerged from the chaos to nonchalantly meander about the woods. Whether the squirrel caused the noise or devoured some behemoth is unclear.