Way to adapt and use your trail running skills! By the way, I recently read my first Cormac McCarthy book (No Country for Old Men), so I feel like Captain America: I understood that reference!
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Great book, and the movie adaptation is spot on.
Sorry about that! Those directions were very much based on the maps rather than on-the-ground testing. @Jamie gave me a couple of corrections and I wonder if I inadvertently moved a turn point such that it switched from the out to the back, something that’s too easy to do in RunGo.
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I ran the first and last sections of the course last Sunday: It is still muddy in spots, but drying out. If you’re running for time, plan on getting wet and muddy. (Unless you want to tiptoe around the puddles!!)
Tom
It would seem like it would have to be a recent change because that section worked for me when i ran it. The only Run Go issue i had was transitioning south from Burnt Hill rd to Interlocken trail on my way south (where it meets up with the pond), and it telling me i was off course when i wasnt.
Story
I knew it would be wet but dang, might log this as a swim/run! If you are looking to do this course for time I’d wait for a dry stretch. If you want a therapeutic stomp in the mud, go for it. I had a blast!
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Wonderful! We were there today and concur. At least the parking lot was dry.
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Story
Since I moved out to Ithaca I’ve always wanted to get out to the finger lakes national forest, but didn’t get there until my run today. As reported, it was very muddy. I decided to just plow through and accept the muddy, wet shoes. I almost got my shoe stuck a couple of times, but overall this was a very lovely run and course! Also, the directions were great!
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Story
I really wanted to get in a challenge course on my long run Sunday. I was debating between Ludlowville or Blueberry Patch. I saw that @amy-dawson was at Blueberry Patch yesterday, so I asked her about the trail conditions. She gave me the best advice: ‘embrace the muck!’
It wasn’t long before I had to take Amy’s advice. A few times I thought my right shoe was going to get sucked off my foot. Then I was afraid I would slip and land on my butt in a pile of muck.
A bug flew up my nose at which point I decided I’d rather eat a bug then have it go up my nose. Would it burrow into my brain?
I saw fish in the pond along the Interloken Trail off of Burnt Hill Rd.
I also snapped some pictures of the beavers’ work to share with my Dad.
I was scaring up the toads as I ran by. Most of them were pond side, but a few hopped across the trail into the pond. I hoped that I wouldn’t accidentally kick a toad as it hopped in front of me. I didn’t.
After taking the pictures, I forgot my embrace the muck mantra and started tiptoeing around the mess. I have no idea what I was thinking but was soon back to tromping through the mud.
The last quarter of the trail was pretty tough for me. I was tired as I haven’t been running trails. I made it through without losing a shoe or falling on my butt; so I’m calling it a win.
I made it back to my car. The rotten small black flies didn’t give me much opportunity to decide what to do about this:
And apparently, I left my camera on after taking pictures at the pond and took a series (223 to be exact) of photos and videos.
Here is the conversation with my family after I decided what to do about the muck.
All and all, I really enjoyed this course!
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Has anyone run this course or nearby areas recently? I’m curious about how muddy it is now!
Edited to add: based on the activity reports, looks like @johnhummel22 and @will-fox might know?
I ran on the Interlokan Trail for my final training run for the Thom B on Wednesday. It is really drying out finally. There was literally only one muddy spot in the three sections that I ran on. Beautiful.
Tom
Thank you for the intel, Tom! I think I might try to get out there on Thursday!!
I ran the course on Saturday (5/20) morning, first time ever for me. I’m happy to report that although there were many, many muddy spots, things have dried out considerably (compared to pix that were posted a couple weeks ago), and I was able to run around (rather than through) virtually all of them, with little trouble. So I managed about a 10:15 mpm average pace, considerably faster than I’d anticipated. Opening and closing the gates (about 4 total, I think) at the pasture edges was a little tricky, but I got the hang of it after the first couple. Hopefully Saturday’s afternoon rain didn’t deteriorate things too badly.
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Thank you, John. 
for my Thursday attempt!
Story
This was my first time running on most of these trails. The only section I had run before was the Finger Lakes/North Country Trail part. One reason I really enjoy the Challenge is that it gets me out on new runs. Given the recent dry weather, the trail was mostly dry with only a few muddy patches, not mostly muddy with a few dry patches that previous posters experienced! This is a beautiful run, although, not wanting to repeat my face plant at Thom B last weekend, I spent a fair amount of time looking carefully at the ground! Crossing the cow pasture was a little nerve wracking as the cows were very interested in my canine companion, even on a very short leash. I picked her up and walked slowly through the herd so as not to get them too stirred up. We were out early enough that there was lots of birdsong; Ovenbirds and Eastern Wood Peewees in particular, and Bobalinks in the big meadow. With about 2 miles to go, Nora came flying by in the other direction, a big smile on her face. That woman can run!
Back at the car a tick check revealed one on the dog, none on me. Get out there before the trails get more overgrown. Conditions are great now!
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FYI, saw this post on the Finger Lakes Trail: Hikers & Friends Facebook page. Please be extra careful to close the gates behind you and don’t let the cows out!
Hi, hikers! Gentle reminder that if you’re hiking the Interloken Trail to please close the gates behind you so cows in the pasture don’t get out! My husband grazes his cows in the Finger Lakes Forest over the summer and heard today some cattle got loose because a gate on the trail wasn’t secured. Believe they are back in the pasture now so fortunately there are no accidents or missing cows. Cattle typically graze from May to October in the fields so please be extra careful!
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Story
Anne and I ran Blueberry Patch this morning. This is a beautiful course, we both really enjoyed it, and even though it rained last night it wasn’t all that muddy. Didn’t see any cows but did see a turtle, several orange newts, heard lots of birds including a Veery, also heard lots of frogs (singing?) and saw lots of evidence of horses. This is my favorite place in the trail, at about mile 7 1/4. You emerge from the woods, cross a road and go through a gate, and this open field with vista beyond is suddenly in front of you.
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Story
I ran today’s group run at the Blueberry Patch course with a hope and trepidation. Hope that it would be a nice run in the woods and meadows with friends. Trepidation that it would be very muddy, hilly, and difficult. I’ve run Finger Lakes 50s on these trails twice; once in (I believe) 2018—the year when it was epically rainy. Hope had the full hand today, with temps in the low 60s, lots of flowers and greeny-green woods, and only mild mud. I ran in a friendly, fluid group that hung together, joined another group, and spread apart again. The last mile or two I was with a woman named Esmerelda(?) - I may have heard her name a little wrong. We took a picture in the last field with the nice view.
After the run, @adamengst and me and @Gretchen continued our carpool into Trumansburg for an inpromtu brunch at Creekside Café. Ambience was nice, coffee wasn’t hot enough, breakfast tacos were super yummy. We ventured across the street afterwards to Gimme and hung out on their fire escape patio, where we enjoyed the newt murals and basked in the sunshine.
I enjoyed my morning, and my shower and nap!
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Story
When do blueberries come in season? That was a question asked by our carpool (@tonya-engst, @adamengst, and I) this morning on the way to the Blueberry Patch Campground for the Challenge Course group run. While we didn’t find any blueberries, there were many multifloral roses in full bloom along the sunnier sections of trail, which have one of my favorite fragrances in this world. Mmmm.
I didn’t know my way around these trails so I was grateful to stay with Jody and Damian Clemons. Actually, Damian was kind enough to stay with us - often running ahead for a time, and then doubling back to make sure we were going the right way. 
The view down to the Seneca Lake Valley from the field with the tree was spectacular. My phone doesn’t have the right lens to do it justice so I just got a selfie of the three of us with the cool tree.
We were careful to shut and lock the gates behind us to not let the cows out!
After getting back and departing Blueberry Patch, Tonya, Adam, and I took a side trip into T-burg for breakfast sandwiches and tacos at the Creekside Cafe. I hadn’t dined there before and my sandwich was very tasty. Then we ventured across the street to Gimme Coffee for a mocha latte and some easy rest time on their fire escape patio area overlooking the creek and mural below which included paintings of a few red newts.
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Story
I enjoyed finishing up the challenge with a lovey run/walk/hike with @raenb0. We saw a snake and a toad and didn’t let the cows out.
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