Training Log Archive: bl

Event: NEOC: Harold Parker
 

NEOC local at Harold Parker. Near 50F tho minimal sun. Lots of cars on road, full parking lot - not something I usually see at a local meet. I'd give my effort a B/B-. Sufficient energy, misdirected initially.

Took the very first possible wrong turn on the way to #1 - but only 15" loss ...but dumb. Then got on the path across the road - from the sharp bend there was an unmapped path proceeding in the direction I was going. Took it for awhile & then into reentrant. Then up the contours - according to map, a rock face was supposed to be staring me in the face. Saw no such RF, circled, wondered, came back & went maybe 5m more in original direction. Then I saw a cp about 10' below at the foot of a RF - it appeared to be in a depression or something left over from old digging. Didn't match the way mapped at the brief glance it got but it was the correct flag. To #2, somehow got on path segment I had come up from the road. Had intended to go back to that path, take a right & proceed. Found myself on the road 100m north of where I expected to be. Did figure it out readily enough but, but... Too much of a hurry! Then took path looking for wall - did not see it so went in woods, figuring to hit the stream. Then saw wall to L, went to it, followed to marsh corner. Wall now gone & large linear unmapped 'pond' on my right. Came to another wall running SW. Had to be the one I figured it was or I was cooked. Had to walk thru 1' of water, into thick green trees but land rose & a cp appeared...mine...phew! Sloppy beginning. Rest were ok enough til 10. 8 to 9 was just a road run except, turns out, 300m or so was crappy, poor vis woods. Ditto for 10, missed it but recovered w/o too much injury. No idea how comparative. E punch & start when ready. Beth's map literally fresh off printer! Green could have been more challenging with shorter legs minimizing trail use. Nice meet by NEOC.

Map & route.

Beth came along, did orange. Was getting late so I drove off toward the path that would take me to her last cp - a whistle from me produced a desired result, nearby presence. She'd found them all, was pleased with a nice pm in the woods. I drove her back the last leg...perhaps the fastest on orange? Unfair? oh, my...

Looked at prior maps...besides the '84 meet, was here 5/6/90 for a local, 10/14/95 for 1st day of an A meet (NE Long Champs) and 12/3/00 for NEOC club champs...the old and the new. Drove away slowly looking at map changes, mostly houses. Indeed a 'land grab' environment. Drove up a Windkist Farm Road lined with MacMansions. Had walked up this lane on a lovely May day in 1984 while fieldchecking. Passed thru orchards and fields to a tasteful home at the top & a large barn. They were still there but of course the field/orchard had become weed choked with our "fruitfulness". The old now served as an equestrian center.

From 1984

Windkist Farm Road climbs the largely yellow hill on the west edge with the large building on top.

HPSF parking...our turn?

C • Driving the last leg 2

Green - Splits

Had in mind a country drive toward Deering but pragmatic use of time trumped. Was going to jog in Walker TF. Beth had no interest in walking alone. So I decided to walk and she easily got off the sofa! Parked at end of Van Ger as before. Had nearly useless USGS printout but it got us to mapped stream - followed east til we came to an unmapped old logging road. Took that NE, came out at the log depot/"dump" area that Ken & I visited earlier. Took the other logging road from there more or less west. At one point discovered what must have been kids' summer play place - remnants of large stick shelter, large plastic bin, fertilizer for a garden and a somewhat elaborate rope-pulley system to get things, water etc from the brook some 20' below. Then houses, some even unmapped tho not new. Found one yellow blaze & finally said enough. A very nice walk - lots of knoll complexity. Need to see if it can't be added to UNO flight coming up I don't know when.

After NHH, BHS repeat. Warmer today (at 1130). Stayed in shade for the most part tho the slush was shallow over grass & worked.

C • Skate Skiing 2

Last-of-light DP to slough. Rosy sunset. No one in sight. Most everyone must be shopping.

TGIF: choice of insanity or goofiness or both

Insanity




Merely goofy

Mouse in a teacup


Mouse in a wineglass


Mouse in a house


Winter mouse series, possibly complete. Inspired by Winter Dormancy Disorder (WDD), aka, borderline boredom commensurate with
The Dark Period.

At BHS after visit to NHH. Dogs along, crust, shade & sun, on soccer fields, about 35F. No one in sight. A start!

Passed up the Bow PD 5k Turkey Trot - $25 was a dear entry fee as well as not really feeling up to the pace I'd have to (try to) come up with. Need warmer wx, more time.

PM DP on PL, calm, gray, no one.

What a difference a day makes.... Yesterday frost crystals, today 3" slush & raining. Almost got stuck at top of hill to PL. Pretty miserable am but dogs didn't seem to mind..too much to sniff in spite of ground cover.

Crappy day weather-wise, cold rain on top of snow. Went to the library for some books vs any form of noon exercise. Planet Fitness after work - met Beth there, then over to BAM (Books a Million), the Concord Staples replacement. Almost a virtual look-alike. They needed only have exchanged papers it seems but instead Staples was emptied first. Surfed a few sailing magazines - photos of sunny shores & tropical beaches look pretty good today. Maybe enough crust for some (rusty) skate tomorrow for compensation.

Cold, 25F, on the PL. Frost crystal morning with red orange of winter berries.
Walked around the small swamp under the PL - got across in & out streams w/o wet feet. Gray w/ wet weather coming.

Drove to SPS parking, went to track. Still flat-legged from the Traverse. Walked and jogged - did 12 100s by time said & done. Rest was walking. Peace & quiet, not in frame of mind for roads/traffic. Did 45 situps on the greenest grass spotted. Fellow with 2 yellow labs passed thru - one (the younger) took a gander at me while running & returned 15' later for a second look while doing situps. Not of much concern with lab or lab look-alikes. Can't forget the time running across a Concord, MA field when a nasty Doberman came running at me. Fortunately owner intervened (from a distance). Speak softly but carry a big stick is an ace up the sleeve. Used to bend down to pick up a pretend stick (or real if available) in days when dogs were less restrained - it generally worked. In Weston, MA, where I ran a lot, dogs were above average. As much of a dog lover as I am, I could BTS out of a dog that had it in for me.

PM DP at dusk, Beth along. Clear, cold feeling, calm, Jupiter.

QR East

QR West

Quick Route, BHT east and west. Spent more time than I cared to on this.
Hard to get route aligned w/o both ends - route so sinuous not sure
what sharp turns were what and esp. on laptop. Could have penned in route in red in a fraction of the time but, by sticking with the process, learned some more. The data is there and accurate - getting it to fit can be laborious. And...not sure it's legible!

C • QR 15

Faraway series, photos from elsewhere, #83

Market Day, Chiloe, Chile, 1986