Snow Covered Glen Onoko

I ran today for the third straight day.  I had to make sure I got to Glen Onoko Falls in Jim Thorpe before all the snow is gone.  It is supposed to rain heavy tomorrow.  A lot of the snow was already gone in Jim Thorpe.  We still have more left down here.

It was a warm day.  I was able to wear shorts again.  I knew the hollow could be cold and dark, so I wore my shell.  I was sweating pretty good by the end.

I parked at the main lot.  I tried to figure out where to go to get on the trail.  I put on my MICROspikes for the first time this year.  I figured it could be an icy mess.  There was so little snow early on in the sun that I began questioning that choice.

However, it didn't take long to realize this would be an ice covered trail.  There are some steep and rocky parts.  I don't think I could've even made it up without MICROspikes.  The hollow is very dark and rarely sees any sunlight, so most of the snow was still there.  I don't think they got nearly as much snow as we did.

It was beautiful going up along the falls.  It was mostly a hike.  I took my time, trying to capture photos.  There are numerous little waterfalls along the bottom.  The green leaves of the mountain laurel were cool too.

I knew there was a water crossing at one point.  I never have an issue going over it.  However, the snow melt made it a raging stream.  There was an ice bridge and a tree log.  Neither one I was comfortable using to cross.  I could see some people had crossed and others stayed on this side.  I knew the trail would come back over here anyway, so I stayed on the same side.

If I couldn't go up that side, I would've turned around.  I wasn't sure what conditions I would encounter here, so I was fully prepared to back track it if needed.  I was going to risk it alone, especially with so few hikers out.  In fact, I saw no one else on this loop.  If I got hurt, who knows when someone would've come along.

The MICROspikes were great and give incredible traction, even on the steep stuff.  I had to pull myself up with tree branches a few times.  I forgot my poles.  They might've helped.  I did slip a little once, but that was on a bare rock.  That is an issue I have to watch out for.

The two biggest falls were amazing.  They now have a rope above the top of the big waterfall.  Hopefully that will keep people from falling to their death now.  I noticed the water was really flowing in this area too.

I got to the second big waterfall and it was amazing.  There isn't a lot of water, but there is a sheer cliff.  There were giant frozen sections along the wall.  Near the base of the waterfall was the coolest part of the loop.  Huge chunks of ice were there and had fallen on to the trail from above.

I decided to hike up this ice.  This would really test my MICROspikes and they passed with flying colors.  I made sure to check overhead that nothing else could fall on me.  There was nothing.  The chunks on the trail could've seriously injured or even killed someone when they fell.

After this section, it was more hiking uphill. I lost the trail a couple times, but it is blazed now.  I think that is an improvement from the first time I was there.  Some parts up here were seeing sunlight and thus were bare trail.

Finally, I got to the top.  I had to readjust my MICROspikes.  Eventually, the trail became clear and I took them off.  Somehow I missed the part where the trail stays on the ridge.  Instead, I kept dropping down.

Eventually, I came to where I was hoping to go.  I was running some now, but still not a lot.  I had to put my MICROspikes back on now, because it became a little icy and snowy.  Plus, I was going downhill.  Plenty of the rocks were exposed, so I had to be cautious.

Finally, I reached the bottom of the loop.  I was only at a little over 2 miles.  Earlier, I thought about running on the ridge, but that would've been kind of useless.  I decided I'd add some mileage on the D&L.

I headed to the D&L, passing a biking couple.  It was too sloppy and messy and too much work.  Instead, I dropped the MICROspikes in the car and ran on the paved road in.

This road it quite long.  My plan was to run to 3.75 miles and then turn and run back.  That would get me to my goal of 5 miles.  Going out seemed so long.  I was still very sore from the last two days.  I didn't feel it much on the trail part, but I sure felt it on pavement.

A few cars went by and the biking couple again.  Toward the end, I saw a young lady running.  She was blasting music, so I didn't say "hi."

I eventually was able to hit the turnaround point.  It was great to get to mile 4.  With my soreness, I kept looking at my watch and couldn't wait for it to be over.  Finally, I was done.

This was an easier day than the last couple.  It was good to get on some trail.  It was also nice to take in the great scenery.  I love coming to Glen Onoko.  I wish it was closer.

I hope to run yet again tomorrow.  I'm piling on the mileage this week.  If I do run, it will be shortish (5-7 miles).  I may go to Jacobsburg.  It will be raining a lot, so that could be interesting.

5.01 miles - 1:20:06 (16:00 pace) 767 feet of elevation gain

Darkness Miles

I had off, but couldn't find my MICROspikes.  That was too bad, because I wanted to go to Jim Thorpe.  Instead, I opted to run in the dark after supper.  The original plan was 12 miles, but then I cut that back to 8-10 miles.  That is still a long way for me to go now.

The temperature was in the mid 40s.  I wore shorts and my shell on top.  I had on gloves, but they didn't last long.  My thighs did a get a little leg burned.

I went to the neigbhorhoods across the street.  I started with my usual loop first, but opted to change it up a little bit this time.  I went into an older neighborhood section that I rarely run.  That would give me more distance and a decent hill.  Then, I added another part of the normal loop and this was another hill too.

My legs didn't start off initially too bad, but they were toast pretty early on.  Yesterday's 8 miles took their toll.  My legs were already losing it during these early loops, even 2.5 miles in.  By 3.5 miles, I was struggling a lot.  My pace really didn't slip.

I saw a couple walkers.  I was surprised they had no lights.  I had my headlamp, but it started to flicker, which I think means it was dieing.  I turned it off and only used it when a car was coming.  The snow and houses provided plenty of light.

I encountered a bunch of dogs too.  Luckily, I know where they are by now.  I also know they won't leave their yards.  I still looked back as I passed anyway.  I also had to fix my shoe and the pad on my toe early on.

Before the main loop, I did the smaller loop that I normally do.  I hit mile 5 and could not believe my legs would have another 5 miles in them.  I just kept moving though, trying to be consistent.  As long as I didn't slip more by miles 7 and 8, I'd be okay.

I then headed on to the main loop.  The gradual uphills were a bear for me.  Downhills weren't too bad.  I wasn't going to add the short mile loop across the road.  However, I knew if I did, I'd get around 10 miles. 

This has the steepest hill of them all.  I cruised up it and it was difficult, but I was over 7 miles now.  It was nice to get to 7.5 miles and realize that I was 3/4 of the way done.  By now, I knew I'd finish too, as I didn't feel any worse than I had earlier.

I had several more hills too go.  Coming back into the main loop was the longest hill.  This one always gets me.  I then had another gradual hill.  After that, I had about 1.5 miles left.  There was a nice downhill coming.

Another short hill came and I knew I had about a mile left.  I would be very close to getting done with 10 miles.  There was some nice flat for awhile.  It was great to be in the final mile now.

I headed up the final hill and looped around.  I was nearing the school and nearing 10 miles.  I ran around the school lot for the final tenth of a mile or so.  I was frustrated to see my watch data showing 9.99 miles later on.

I was happy with this productive run.  I wouldn't say it was fun, but not too boring either.  I love running at night much more.  I should just do it more often.  It makes the neighborhoods and pavement more tolerable.

I ran 18 miles last week and in two days, I already have 18 miles this week.  Tomorrow, I'm hoping for that Jim Thorpe run/hike.  I bet Glen Onoko Falls are great with snow.  The snow might be gone soon, as Wednesday there is heavy rain coming.  I have to enjoy the snow while I can.

9.99 miles - 1:26:48 (8:41 pace) 223 feet of elevation gain

Almost Springlike

I started off last week good, but I slacked off after that.  I haven't run in a few days.  I had to get out there today.  Originally, I thought of going to Jim Thorpe, but figured it would be too crowded on a weekend.  Instead, I went for the pavement at Riverview Park.

The temperature was unseasonably warm.  It was near 50 degrees.  I wore shorts and a short sleeve shirt for the mid afternoon run.  It was pretty good, although I could feel some coolness from either the snow around the trail or the river.

I thought about going out and back each way.  I originally thought that 7 miles would be good.  I extended that to possibly 8 miles, as I went along.  I headed out toward the Boat Launch.

Earlier in the week, I was here and it was snow covered.  Now, things had been cleared.  There was a bunch of wet snowmelt running along the pavement.  I got slightly wet feet at times, but it wasn't too bad.  The sun was in my eyes and that was kind of annoying.

The first mile was tough.  My legs weren't hurting, but they had a mild soreness.  I guess it was from riding the exercise bike last night for an hour.  For some reason, I struggled breathing in the air too, even though I was going easy.  I think it was that coolness in the air that was giving me problems.

I didn't worry about pace.  I just cruised along easy.  There were a few people out walking and some folks on bikes.  Still, it is winter, so the path wasn't busy.

The first 1.5 miles seemed slow.  I wanted to get to the Boat Launch and see if it was plowed.  I did and it had been cleared.  I thought I'd go up the hill next though.

This section is a long and gradual hill, following an old railroad bed.  It was challenging to keep running the slight incline with sore legs.  I knew it would be sweet on the way back and that was my motivation to keep on going.

I really wanted to make it to 2.5 miles before heading back.  As I got higher, the scenery was beautiful.  It was snow covered woods below.  There is a road to the Boat Launch, but it is narrow and really it is an old hollow.  That looks neat with all the leaves down and the snow covering everything.  I don't know if I've run this section in the fall, but I bet it is cool when the leaves peak too.

I kept going and going.  I got to 2.5 miles and then 3 miles.  I knew I could handle coming back.  I just had to deal with the constant incline.  I passed a man and later a woman walking. 

Once I got to 3.5 miles, I figured I might as well just head to mile 4.  I crossed the old train bridge over the road and that was basically the turnaround point.  I headed back after 4 miles.

It is somewhat flat and even sloped up a little in the beginning.  I cruised along, checking my pace a little, but not worrying about it.  I finally started going gradually downhill.  That was a huge break for my legs.

I enjoyed the scenery some more.  I passed the woman and the man again.  I was flowing now.  It was good to get to mile 5.  I really focused on mile 6 though, because that would be the Boat Launch.

After cruising downhill, I was finally near the Boat Launch.  The upper path that I had been on was clear, without any water going across the trail.  Now, I had puddles again.

It didn't feel as good to be back on to the flat, but I kept going.  It was only 2 more remaining miles.  I saw a skateboarder and more people walking.  I watched the distance click away.  Eventually, I made it to mile 7.

I thought my watch was clicking off distance too fast.  However, it seems like it was pretty accurate in the end.  I guess I sped up a bit.  I'm sure the downhill helped.  Before I knew it, I was back to Riverview and had completed the 8 mile run.

I was happy to get out there.  The warmth of the day was nice.  It was a productive run.  I need to get myself out there more often.  I want to lose more weight.  That will take some hard work.

Tomorrow, I'm hopeful I'll get to Jim Thorpe.  The plan would be to hike/run Glen Onoko Falls.  That is probably spectacular in the winter time.  I'm sure the path has been well used by now.

8 miles - 1:07:42 (828 pace) 290 feet of elevation gain

Back in Philly

I went to a concert in Philly this evening.  I added in a running trip too.  I thought about snowshoeing at Wissahickon.  However, running along the Schuylkill on the cleared pavement seemed like an easier option. 

I planned on 5 miles.  I decided to park behind the Art Museum and head south.  I haven't run there in years and there's a cool boardwalk section where the trail goes over the water now.  I wasn't sure if it would be cleared after snow, but figured it would be worth a try.

I wore shorts since it was over 40.  That was great with my shell.  I didn't wear my headband or gloves for long.  It was windy though.  I almost forgot how windy it is along the water.

I ran south.  The plan was to go easy, but the excitement of the big city and running people must've done me in.  I found myself cruising along at a quick clip.  Even with fewer people out than in the summer, I was still feeling like I was being pulled along.

I was surprised when I saw a 7:35 on the first mile.  I didn't think I was moving that fast.  My legs felt good and I continued on.

I was disappointed to find not only was the path to the boardwalk closed, but there was a cop car there with a construction sign.  I was a little over a mile out now.  I had hoped to be farther.  Instead of turning around, I started up a ramp to the street above.  That gave me some elevation.

I headed back down the other side of the ramp and back down to the path.  I'd have to head back to the Art Museum and go out the other way.  It was a little breezy this way.  I was still clicking off a decent pace.  I knew I could sustain this, but it certainly wasn't comfortable.  Then again, it wasn't hard either.

I tried to tell myself to back off a little.  That rarely works to slow me down though, other than maybe slightly slower.  Mile 2 was faster at 7:28.  I got to Boat House row around 2.5 miles.  Only halfway done.

I headed out past those.  Then, I was really exposed to the wind.  I had forgotten just how back this section was.  I ran so many winter loops there over the years and it brought back many memories.

I knew I had to push out.  The plan was to turn around at 3.75.  I passed a couple young women.  There weren't as many attractive ones out as I'm used to.  It seemed like a struggle and I did slow down, but it was great to get to the turnaround point.

I was heading back and tiring a bit.  However, I was glad the wind was now at my back.  I thought I'd be faster, but I wasn't.  A 7:49 mile, with most of it against the wind crushed my chance for a sub 7:30.

Because of that, I slowed down and cruised on in to the finish.  I stopped right after the last boathouse.  It was perfect timing.  It was a pretty good short workout.  It was a little tiring and quicker than I've been doing.

Inspired by that pace, I might do something even quicker tomorrow.  It won't be hard, but maybe I'll go faster for short segment.  It might be more like a fartlek.

5 miles - 38:14 (7:39 pace) 79 feet of elevation gain

Riverview Snowshoe Run/Hike

I had to get something done today.  My dad wanted XC ski.  We decided to go to Riverview Park and see if they plowed there.  If they did, it would be a regular run.  If not, it would be a snowshoe run.  Nothing was touched.

I headed out ahead of him.  It was almost 40 degrees.  Since I would be kicking up snow though, I couldn't wear shorts.  That was kind of frustrating.

A bunch of people had walked through the trail.  That seemed promising, but I figured it wouldn't last long.  It only lasted to the building next the softball fields.  It was probably just dog walkers.

I ran easy, but it wasn't easy once the tracks were gone.  Suddenly, there were no tracks at all and I was blazing trails.  It was fascinating to see all the animal tracks.  At one point, I did follow deer tracks.

I'd run until I was tired, then I'd hike.  I would tire quite quickly.  At half a mile out, I was determined to make it 1.5 miles out.  It didn't matter how long it took.

It indeed was long.  I saw this brown thing in the distance.  I thought it was an animal.  It took me forever to get there.  Eventually I realized it was a log.  There was a fence there too.

Getting over a mile was great, when it finally happened.  The trail was pretty, with the snow cover and the frozen river too.  If only I wasn't working so hard and could actually enjoy it.

Right near the turn around was the best part of the run.  Two deer ran right across the trail.  I didn't have my camera out and couldn't get it out in time.  There was smoke coming out of a house up above.

I turned around at 1.5 miles.  I stopped because I could see the deer up above.  I watched them for awhile and they watched me.  I got a few photos, but they weren't very good as the deer were hidden in among the trees.

I ran on back.  The first half mile wasn't too bad, but it was still pretty deep out this far.  It was a little easier with my other tracks there now.  There was also one set of footprints.

It was nice to get to mile 2.  However, I now encountered a problem.  My snowshoes don't close properly over my foot.  The front of my foot slid out of the binding.  I couldn't run and even walking was a pain.  There was a giant clump of ice building up in it, below my foot.

I tried to go on.  Then, I found a stick, but the ice wouldn't budge.  I had to keep walking along.  Finally, I was able to break the ice and get the strap back on. 

I was back in business and back to running again.  It was nice to get near the last half mile and stuff that I know.  I still wasn't running much.  It seems like I'd start at a low spot and then run a short distance and the snow would be too high.  I definitely needed more packed down trail.

I mostly just hiked on in.  My right binding then had the same problem and the right foot slipped out of it.  That was so frustrating.  I need to get some velcro straps I think.  I noticed that my dad didn't have any XC ski tracks, as I got close to the path.

I finally saw him and his tracks.  I guess he just went out and back a short distance, over and over again.  I didn't want to ruin his tracks, but I didn't want to make a new path either.  I went over them. 

I tried to take my loose shoe off, but I couldn't.  Instead, I stumbled on in.  I took them off at the end of the trail.  I was soaked and this was an exhausting 3 miles.  It was slow, but I made a path.

Tomorrow, I'm going down to Philly for a concert.  I'll probably run down there.  I might snowshoe run, but more likely, I'll go around the river.  I have not done that loop in some time.  I don't know that I'd be up for all 8 miles of pavement, but maybe.

3 miles - 1:05:55 (21:58 pace) 33 feet of elevation gain

Neighborhoods With Angie

Of course no surprise, I haven't run in a week.  Yesterday was a blizzard.  It was probably the worst snow we've seen in my lifetime.  Luckily, it ended early on Sunday and the roads were plowed and the driveway cleaned.

I asked Angie where she was running.  I was about to head out, as she still didn't contact me by 3 PM.  However, she said she'd run if she had somewhere to go.  I told her my neighborhoods were fairly clear, lots of black pavement, and we could run there.  She needed 10 miles, so she hustled over.

It was in the 20s when we started, but it seemed warm with the sun out.  I guess I should've worn shorts over my tights, as my legs were red after the run.  I didn't feel that cold.  I had on gloves most of the time and just my shell over a short sleeve shirt.  That was enough.

Since the black path wasn't plowed, she parked at the school and we ran across the road to start.  We drove the first short loop beforehand, so we confirmed the roads were in as good shape as my roads.  The pace was a little slower than my typical runs, so that was a little nice.

We did the short loop and were done with that in no time.  I did look at the watch and realized we still had quite some distance to go though.  I have only run 10 miles once in the last two months.  I'm not used to that much.

We then headed to the main loop.  There weren't too many cars out or many people either.  We were chatting away, so distance was clicking off pretty fast.  That is one thing I love about running with people and especially her.  We talked about running, friends and so many other things.

We went across the road to the hill climb.  That wasn't bad.  Before that, we ran past some kids playing around in the snow.  They looked like they were having fun.  I was enjoying the run and it seemed fairly quick, but it was still only 4.5 miles when I looked down at one point.

At least we were now heading back.  We had a smaller loop to do yet though.  We were cruising along.  Heading into the loop, the conversation really picked up and my mind really wandered.  This loop went by quickly and I really enjoyed Angie listening.  I was probably annoying at some points.

We headed back.  Two women were walking and one of them said their dog wanted to run with us.  I knew we'd be a couple miles short, if we didn't cross the highway and go to the other neighborhood.

We went over there and were chatting even more.  We had a gradual uphill.  I turned us around at the end of the street.  My legs had been starting to hurt around 6.5 miles.  Luckily, I was so in conversation that I kind of blocked it out.  I was starting to chafe a bit though.

The setting sun was a bright red and it was beautiful.  Angie pointed it out and I noticed it too.  We had figured that it would still be somewhat light out when we finished.

We crossed back over the road and headed for home.  I asked her what distance her watch was at and it was 9 miles.  I was a little ahead of that.  We had another small uphill and then went around the block.

I was kind of just making up the route as we went.  It worked out pretty well though, as we were basically at 10 miles at the school.  We stopped and crossed into the parking lot.

It was a great run.  I'll be a little sore now.  Running 10 miles with someone always goes by quickly.  That is especially true with Angie.

Tomorrow, another friend, Melissa and I might go to do some snowshoe running.  High Point State Park in New Jersey grooms their trails.  Neither of us have run much on snowshoes, so that should be fun.  I look forward to more snow covered trail runs too.

10.06 miles - 1:32:50 (9:14 pace) 244 feet of elevation gain

Hawk Mountain AT Run

Yesterday, I wanted to get to Hawk Mountain to run the AT.  It didn't happen, but I went there and Cabela's this afternoon.  It was the third straight day of running.  The plan was to do an out and back to Dan's Pulpit.  It looked to be over 3.5 miles out.  I tried to find a parking lot near the Eckville Shelter, but I had no luck.  I joined about 5-7 other cars along the side of the road, near the shelter.

It was a cold day, just above freezing.  It was cloudy and snow flurries came down during the run.  I had on winter gear, including a ColdGear on top and a jacket over it.  That was good for hiking portions of the run, but it was too hot while running.

I was heading toward Dan's Pulpit because the other direction is toward The Pinnacle.  I've already been there a couple times.  I didn't see anyone else on the trail early on and realized that most people were heading the other way.

There were a few rocks early on, but the trail was very runnable.  It was slightly uphill, but also rolling.  I ran most of the first mile to mile and a half.  There were a few wet spots and streams on the trail.  I had my new lightweight trekking poles with me, ready for the climb. 

Around 1.5 miles, the trail got slightly steeper.  However, it was kind of frustrating.  It was probably runnable, but just steep enough that it wasn't worth the effort to do so.  I ended up hiking a lot.  I knew there would be a lot of elevation here, but I thought it would be shorter and steeper, not so gradual.  It's kind of like going out to Pulpit Rock from the Hamburg Reservoir.

Somewhere near mile 2, the trail got more rocky.  Then, the trail turned to the left and really began climbing the mountain.  My watch was having issues and switching displays constantly.  I didn't see any white blazes for some time and I was wondering if I was even going the right way.  Then, I found a couple of them.

This climb was steep.  Then, it was on to the ridge and still at least a mile of ridge running to Dan's Pulpit.  There was some slight uphill that I ended up hiking.  There were a few snow flurries and some ice, but it wasn't too bad this high up.

Around mile 3, things got very rocky.  It was the type of huge boulders that you couldn't even run on.  I had to hike and nearly slipped once or twice.  Even my poles didn't help much.

I got to Dan's Pulpit in the rocky section.  It was much closer than I expected, probably because I started closer to it.  There's a nice view there and also a mailbox that was put up there.  The view would be much better on a clear day.

I hiked over the rocky stuff a little farther out.  I was hoping to find the "Welcome to Rocksylvania" sign.  I had no luck.  I'm not exactly sure where it is supposed to be.

I thought I heard some people and even a dog.  I assumed they were coming from the other direction.  However, the group came from behind me when I got back to Dan's Pulpit.  These were the first people of the day.  I didn't stay long at the overlook.

I was at 3.55 miles now and heading back toward my car.  I knew it would be a lot more fun heading back.  It was pretty runnable and mostly downhill.  I ran along, but bashed my toe pretty bad on one rock.  I was just glad that the rock plate saved me from more damage.

I cruised around the ridge.  I then got to the split with the trail to the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.  Right around there, I came behind some hikers also heading down.  I yelled to them, so that I could pass.  Then, there were a couple more.  They were all Asian, so I figured it was a big group.  I must've passed about 15 of them.  This part was steep, but fun.  One guy was waiting near the turn, so I was glad I didn't miss it.

Next, it was a couple miles of mostly downhill running.  I made it to mile 5 and eventually mile 6.  Right around that point, I came to a couple that were building a fire in a fire pit next to the trail.  They had an unleashed dog and he barked and growled at me.  I walked past, but he wouldn't leave me alone.  I went from running to walking and they finally got him on a leash when I stopped moving.

I crossed a couple footbridges and ran again.  This part had evergreens and was pretty.  Some of the end was slightly uphill and I simply decided to hike a lot of it.  I got back to my car to finish up over 6.5 miles.

As I was at my car, a charter bus drove up to the side of the road.  I assume it was picking up all of the Asians behind me.  I hope the growling dog liked them more than me.

It was a fun day.  It was good to explore something new.  If I could do that every day, I'd enjoy running much more.  I need to try to get to different places I guess.  I need to lose weight too, so this was a good workout.  It was great to run for the third straight day.

I don't know if I'll make it 4 in a row or not.  I might doing nothing tomorrow or maybe I'll hike.  It will be a matter of what I feel like.  Really, I just take it day by day now.

6.55 miles - 1:41:01 (15:25 pace) 1,183 feet of elevation gain