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Too much was happening this week to attempt the 100k on the first day, but I had the time to at least go for the Tough Trail Challenge with a midnight start. This time I scanned the first QR right at midnight and then proceeded to stumble through the somewhat muddy but mostly dry Abbott.
I forgot how tough this loop is in the dark! It’s technical enough to make for slow going during the daytime — even harder by headlamp plus having to poke around at times to find the trail. Loading the route to my GPS watch was a huge help. It made nocturnal navigation much easier, with higher accuracy than RunGo.
The Pinnacles view was just a bunch of pinpoint house lights down in the valley to the west. That, plus flames in the fire pit. I looked around thinking about Smokey Bear’s sober warning before spotting a pile of camping gear in the nearby picnic table. I assumed someone was camping nearby off the trail. I couldn’t see any people or tent, but decided it’s best not to linger on a remote hilltop at 1:30 a.m. and make a creepy situation creepier. The downhill to the end was relatively quick.
A quick note about Abbott Ascent. Cellular coverage is particularly weak in Danby, so always check to make sure your effort appears on the leaderboard afterward, and if necessary, repost from the Webscorer app by navigating to Home > Race Archive > My Results > Race Name > Post My Results.
All Smiles on Abbott Ascent(s)
By the time I topped out of the first ascent, I had forgotten all about my wish for gloves and a jacket to fight the chill of the start. Pete @Petorius described the current conditions accurately (and Bravo! to him for doing the course at night.) I had no trouble navigating during the daylight. Course has some blow down on it but nothing unmanageable. The wet spots are, well… wet, so once you get your feet wet, then you might as well slog right through the remaining spots.
On the ascent to Bald Hill Road, I came across a Danby red scurrying across the trail:
There is a small ‘error’ in the name of the course. Abbot Ascent is actually three major ascents! But, the two longest descents to Michigan Hollow Road are really sweet rides!!!
Started the day with the Abbott Loop. Dior and I waited out a downpour for about 10 minutes before setting out. She has her limits and setting out in the rain is one of them. It was very wet and muddy, but beautiful as always. We enjoyed seeing many red newts on the trail and listening to Wood thrushes, eastern towhees, winter wrens, and many other birds.
Newts galore! Christie and I probably saw a hundred over the 8 mile course. Some were more camo as it was muddy out there! Hope I didn’t step on any. I’m not the best technical trail runner, too scared of falling. So I take it slow and walk a lot. I don’t mind because I love being in the woods! Did this last Saturday before the BDT course (5th course). It was super wet in the valley/creek sections, no dry feet here. Had to commit to the mud. It was great!
A beautiful day on the Abbott Loop but no dry feet today as many of the stream crossings are so high it’s impossible to hop across or go from rock to rock. A few required you to wade in up to your ankles. There was also a brief tree climb involved as one of the trees on the edge of the stream had been uprooted.
This course was so tough! Thankfully I have hiked this trail before, so I knew what I was in for when I ran it today. So I was well prepared. Even so, it took me much longer than I anticipated. And probably should have been in a slightly better condition gonna feel this run tomorrow. (Though it was more hiking than running thanks to all that vert!) Abbott Ascent
Running with my trekking poles made this course manageable, still crazy hard, but doable. I would not have been about to do this without them!
Beautiful day for a hike in the forest! Weather was gorgeous, lots of wildflowers, birds, garter snakes, toads and red efts. My hamstring is still not ready to run so I brought along a friend and my big pack and turned this into a training hike. Trail conditions are good, only a few muddy spots and steam crossings.
p.s. my Garmin Instinct watch logged 9 miles, and to my knowledge I followed the course directions to the letter, so I’m not sure what happened
A beautiful day to do the Abbott Ascent, and fortunately Anne could do it with me today. Still quite a bit of mud, and many creek crossings in the second half. This completes my Challenge!
We planned to hike this with my brother Mark (visiting from Rochester), and were happy to see that, though cool, rain was not expected until late in the day.
The course was extremely muddy. Extremely! I was happy to have hiking poles and waterproof hiking boots. We stayed on course, following the RunGo map and ended up doing 8.7 miles. Rain started within a few hundred yards of the car.
Glad to check this course off the 2025 Challenge list!
Dior and I hiked this today. It was much dryer than previous run through’s, although still quite muddy in places. Definitely more bugs today and much hotter! We took plenty to drink.
Amphibious Assault at Abbot Ascents
After my brief interlude at Mulholland Waterfalls, I did make it to Abbot Ascents without further wrong turns. The temperature was in the low 80s, but it felt a little cooler in the woods, except for the Ascents. I reapplied the Deep Woods OFF! tick repellent to my legs and arms before heading out. Abbot Ascents wasn’t too bad, though it had a couple of blow downs to bushwhack through. Cayuga Cliffs had some tall grass to run through, so it was a necessity there.
The muddy spots in and along the two main creeks of the course were not that bad. I slogged right through the middle of them and while my (just regular trail) shoes got muddy, they didn’t sink in much and my feet stayed dry the entire time. By the end, most of the new mud had dried and fallen off them.
Numerous toads and/or frogs were seen hopping across the trail and several of the creek crossings leading to the base of the ascent toward The Pinnacles had them hopping into the water when I approached.
Gorges Half Marathon, the start of a marathon training block, travel for work, and a small calf issue prevented me from doing this, my final challenge course, for a number of weeks. Yesterday I was able to get it done with Mike Stewart along for the ride. The course is in great shape with no serious mud, just a few downed trees to navigate. We ran this at glacial pace just to be sure I didn’t aggravate my calf, which made for a tremendously pleasant morning. The biggest problem was trying to avoid stepping on all the newts.
A similar story to Tristan’s - I’ve been on 9 courses for several weeks now but unable to fit this one in. Completed the Cayuga Trails 50k (Woop!!), then two weeks later got a minor ankle injury and rested up, then a vacation… Etc etc. I’m also very nervous of running solo on trails and usually bully a friend to join me (don’t laugh, I’m a Brit, I’m scared of bears). However, it felt like the right day for this, so I not only completed my FINAL course, but I also ran my FIRST EVER SOLO trail run (sapsucker doesn’t count lol) and am feeling pretty proud.
Decided to also break in my new Topo MTN racers so you can get an idea of the level of mud. Basically the course is dry right now apart from minimal stream crossings and a few somewhat muddy patches:
But, the two longest descents to Michigan Hollow Road are really sweet rides!!!
So I was well prepared. Even so, it took me much longer than I anticipated. 
And probably should have been in a slightly better condition 
gonna feel this run tomorrow. 
(Though it was more hiking than running thanks to all that vert!) 
Abbott Ascent 
