7 Sisters Trail Race - Holyoke, MA - 5/6/12

I had been looking forward to this race for some time, and I'm sure I will remember it as my favorite race of the year.  Trail running to me is to much more interesting than running on the road.  The 7 Sisters Trail Race is not a race for the faint of heart, or for people looking to see what trail running is all about.  It takes a bit of endurance, stamina, will power and training to do this race sucessfully.

Maybe if you are a 20 something, you can get by without much training, if you are somewhat fit. Last weekend I had run the Lake George Half Marathon and there was no comparison in the level of effort needed. The 7 Sisters Trail Race is at least twice as hard and takes almost twice as long to complete. Naturally the pace of a trail run cannot match a road race, but the 7 Sisters Trail Race is a mountain run on the Holyoke Range escarpment. It is a cliff run for most of the time. You are running on ledges, jumping of rocks, using your hands to help you on the uphill. With 300 runners on the single track course, the trail turns to mud and the rocks get slippery.

     

An innocent looking start

Now 5 years later, I was ready. Although 5 years older, I have done a lot of cross training this year and I knew what to expect on the trail. I wore a lumbar 2 bottle water belt and brought gels to replenish the sugar level in my body. I ran on the flats and the downhills and did a brisk walk on the uphills. I resisted the temptation to push myself too hard because I knew the return trip would take all my energy.

My tactics worked this time around and I was able to run a much better race. I did have my left leg cramp up a bit on the last steep uphill, but I was able to get through it. I thoroughly enjoyed this year's race and feel like I was successful in getting the most out of my body on this run.

And now the crowds

I did make one wrong turn on a downhill stretch shortly before the turn around. Myself and 3 others lost a couple minutes when we went right instead of left on the trail. We quickly realized our mistake and did an about face.

I was hoping the event website would have the results posted by now, but they are still not available. One of my pet peeves is when the results of a timed event aren't posted within 24 hours of the event. It makes me crazy. They know everyone is waiting to see the results. In any case, I heard that this year, there were approximately 310 runners, as opposed to the normal field of about 250. That is great news for the organizers. It did make the course quite crowded for the first mile or two. I started towards the back of the pack and it was awhile before I was able to pass anybody. The course really is narrow and difficult to pass on.

1 minute to the start

I was hoping the event website would have the results posted by now, but they are still not available. One of my pet peeves is when results of a timed event aren't posted within 24 hours of the event. It makes me crazy. They know everyone is waiting to see them. In any case, I heard that this year, there were approximately 310 runners, as opposed to the normal field of about 250. That is great news for the organizers. It did make the course quite crowded for the first mile or two. I started towards the back of the pack and it was awhile before I was able to pass anybody. The course really is narrow and difficult to pass on.

And ther're off!

I carried my GPS unit by water pack and recorded the track. My GPS recorded that the race distance was only 10.1 miles as opposed to 12 miles as advertised. Other people have reported the same thing. Maybe the course really isn't 12 miles. It is also advertised as 3700' of vertical gain. I measured 4500' although that seems a little high. I've included my track at the end of this post. Have others recorded any track information?

My 7 Sisters Trail Race GPS track at EveryTrail

Trail Running with MICROspikes?

Yep, I've gone off the edge.   Last night I wanted to go for a run and to log some more miles for my 2012 challenge, but where was I going to run?   The roads near my house have no street lights, no shoulder and cars don't give you any grace when they go by you.   I thought of the bike path (the Warren County, NY Bike Path), but it was covered in a couple inches of crusty snow.   Hence the MICROspikes.

My route shown in red... Glen Lake Road to Lake George beach (4.25 miles one way)

No motorized vehicles are allowed on the bike path, so I would be safe from traffic.   There is no lighting along the path, but my headlamp could be used while running.   The unknown question was... would the MICROspikes work for a trail run?   I suspected they would so I donned my headlamp, trail running shoes and MICROspikes and set off.

Here's a different view from Google Earth

I parked where the bike path crosses Glen Lake Road in Queensbury.   I had intended to do a 2.5 mile down and back for a 5 mile round trip.   When I reached my intended turnaround (where the bike path crosses Bloody Pond Road), things felt great, so I decided to continue on the additional 1.5 miles to the southern shore of Lake George.   Lake George is the northern terminus of the bike path. As I reached the lake and turned around, I began to feel pressure on the outside of the ball of my left foot.   The MICROspikes were working great, but the trail running shoes apparently didn't have enough sole and side support to prevent the chains of the MICROspikes from applying added pressure to my foot.

Also just after I started back, a snow squall kicked in and the wind was whipping the snow around. By the time I made it back to the car, my sneakers had gotten somewhat wet, and I had the beginnings of a blister on the left foot.   The right foot was tender, but no blister.   I had managed to trail run 8.5 miles in the MICROspikes.   They are light enough that I didn't feel any extra weight on my feet.   They worked well and gave me the traction I needed. I just need to protect my foot from the added pressure of the chains.   Next time I take the MICROspikes out for a trail run, I will try running with my Merrell Moab low trail hikers and see if they provide more protection for my foot. The vibram sole and a bit more of a sidewall may be all that I need.

I must say I'm a big fan of Micro Spikes.   They are easy to put on and remove.   I've used them with great success on most hiking trips.   They provide great traction for low angle hiking.   As you get to more difficult terrain, crampons and ice axes take over, but the spikes can suffice for most terrain.   8.5 miles and 560 vertical feet added to my 2012 challenge!

Tongue Mountain Range - 11/11/11

The Tongue Mountain Range on the west shore of Lake George provides without a doubt the best views of Lake George.  It's not a short hike.  The loop trail covering the lower part of the range is 12.3 miles long.

I did this loop as a trail run to make it a half day trip instead of a full day trip.  It was a day of wild weather.  When I started in the morning the temperature was 38 degrees.  At the finish, it had warmed to 45 degrees, but while I was at the viewpoints on First Peak and French Point Mountain, snow squalls came through mixed with sunshine.

A lot of the pictures below show the same view but with changing weather.  It was really quite interesting to watch.  The images don't quite capture it, but they give you an idea.

Trailhead Elevation:  415'

Max. Elevation: 1815' (Fifth Peak)

Distance Traveled:  12.3 miles

Hike Time:  5 hrs 25 minutes (Trail ran where possible)

Total Vertical:  3209'

Trail sign at the southern end of the Tongue Range (Montcalm Point)

View south from Montcalm Point - Dome Island in the distance

Another view south from Montcalm Point - Pilot Knob on the left

An old trail marker being swallowed up!

View south as I climbed towards First Peak

Some of the islands of the narrows

Looking NE

View south from First Peak

The sky was pretty dark at this point, but it quickly changed

Look at all those islands

A panorama looking south from First Peak

The squall on the horizon

It's coming in

Another panorama

This picture was taken within minutes of the others.  There were quick breaks in the clouds.

Sun and snow at the same time

Look at the squall moving through

Snow squall blowing through

Fascinating to watch

This hike is among the best in the Lake George area.  For my trip, the weather made it that much more fascinating.  I didn't see another person on the whole trip.

View Tongue Mtn 20111111.kml in a larger map


If you want to see all the pictures from the trip, you can view them here on my Picasa Web Album.

Prospect Mountain - 11/3/11

A great thing about living in the North Country of upstate NY is the easy accessibility to short adventures, even on weekdays with just a couple hours to kill.

On Thursday, I took a trail run from Lake George village to the summit of Prospect Mountain.  Although the hike was only 1.5 miles each way, there was a steady grade and lots of rocks to negotiate. 

Hike Stats

Trailhead Elevation:  477'

Summit Elevation:  2021'

Time Up:  36 minutes

Time down:  22 minutes

Total Vertical:  1582' 

Round Trip Distance:  3.09 miles

With the auto road closed for the season, there was nobody on the summit.

The trailhead starts at this significant pedestrian bridge over the Adirondack Northway (I87)

The view south from the bridge

Looking along the bridge

Machinery remains of an old incline railway

 

US Geodetic Survey marker

A couple shots looking at the southern end of Lake George and LG village 

 

 

The Adirondack Northway in the Distance with French Mountain at the far right

  

 

According to Wikipedia, the summit used to have an incline railway car from 1895 to 1903.  At one time, there was also a summit building, and later, a firetower.  This large gear is about all that remains,

Summit pavilion

In the summertime you can pay to drive the auto road to the summit and there are quite a few picnic table for people to use.  The auto road is 5.88 miles each way, and is open from around Memorial Day to Columbus Day.

View Prospect Mtn 20111103.kml in a larger map

Total trip time, including time on the summit was 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Not a bad way to get a view and a little exercise.  A future trip here in the winter may include a cross country ski on the auto road.

Pilot Knob Preserve - 9/27/11

The days are getting shorter now, and it's getting harder to squeeze in an outdoor activity on a week night before it gets dark.  On Monday night, I was in Fort Ann, NY at my trailhead at 6 PM.  This trail was the Pilot Knob Preserve, owned and maintained by the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC).  In case you haven't heard of the LGLC, they own a number of magnificent properties in the Lake George area.  Be sure to visit their website for full trail descriptions and maps.

There were two cars in the parking lot when I arrived.  It was somewhat overcast, so I knew there wasn't going to be a nice sunset, but sometimes the cloud formations are just as interesting to watch at dusk.  I had grabbed my gear from the house for a short trail run.  This included a small rear pack with water, a granola bar, my GPS, a headlamp, extra batteries and my car keys.  The Pilot Knob trails feature a gazebo on a high grassy plateau overlooking Lake George and a cascading waterfall further back in the woods.

Looking Sw towards Assembly Point and Lake George Village

The official name of the preserve is the Lynn LaMontagne Schumann Preserve at Pilot Knob and it contains 223 acres.  The blue trail starts at the trailhead at an approximate elevation of 370'.  The trail rises fairly steeply on a somewhat rocky trail for just over a half mile to a clearing and gazebo at about 1000 feet.  From here, there is an outstanding view westward and south and north from Lake George village past Bolton Landing and up through the Tongue Mountain range.  Assembly Point, Cleverdale and Long Island are clearly visible below.  This would be a great short climb to see a fantastic sunset on the right night.  The gazebo has a built-in sitting bench and a "deck" extending from it.  A nice spot for a picnic as well.

Looking west with Cleverdale in the foreground, Long Island in the background and Assembly Point on the left

On this night, I began my trail run shortly after 6 PM and was at the gazebo by about 6:20.  I stopped for a view minutes to look at the view and then continued on the blue trail another mile and a half to the waterfall. 

Looking south from The gazebo

Looking NW from the gazebo

 At this point, it was starting to get a little dark.  The trail loops around the top of the falls.  I almost ran into a porcupine who had crossed my path and was beginning to climb a tree.  I continued around the loop and returned to the gazebo around 7 PM.  The sun had set and I could now see all the lights below.  This was just as pretty as the view earlier.  I switched on my headlamp and finished my run to the base, arriving about 7:15.  From the gazebo, there is also an orange trail that follows the remains of a former driveway back to to the trailhead.  I did not take that on this night.

These signs are near the gazebo.  On may way back thru it was getting dark

A few pictures at dusk

Here is my route

Keep this preserve in mind when you've got a couple hours for a picnic, or you want to get a nice view for relatively modest effort.  You won't be disappointed!