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Danby Down and Dirty Delight
(@adamengst Adam, I had trouble with the link to post a story using the template for this course. Trying to hack it now with a Reply to the instructions post)
Feet will get wet and muddy on this course as you run through the stream bed leading to the base of the climb to The Pinnacle. When isn’t it wet here in Spring?
Since I was already here after doing the Abbott Ascent course, it made sense to do the shorter course too. Shortly after turning onto the trail off Michigan Hollow Road, there is a large tree in the trail that requires a little scrambling to get through right now. It is definitely trillium season:
For any challengers looking to impress their peers with newt numbers, I recommend running this loop (or the Abbott Ascent) immediately after a light rainfall. The breakdown of today’s stats:
NewtCount = 117.00 newts NewtRate = 19.500 newts per mile* NewtFrequency = 92.368 newts per hour Improvement over my previous personal best NewtCount = 457.149 % Improvement over my previous personal best NewtRate = 689.310 %
My count is most likely low. I didn’t start counting until climbing out of the swamp about 2.567 miles into the run, and probably missed several while preoccupied watching for tripping hazards to avoid faceplanting in the dirt. Regardless, it was a huge improvement over last week’s personal best without the use of substances banned by WADA.
*NPM based on the official FLRC Challenge score of 6.000 miles for the Down & Dirty course. My watched clocked slightly higher at 6.230 miles.
Ran the Danby Down and Dirty course accompanied by lots of deer flies this morning. Met a snapping turtle laying eggs, saw some colorful fungi, and counted 138 red efts along the way!
I think a NewtCount of 138 is a new record, and gives a NewtRate of 23 newts per mile and a NewtFrequency of 79.9 newts per hour. But @Petorius still has the NewtFrequency record of 92.368 newts per hour.
I stopped for a sandwich at Brookton Market on my way here from Hammond Hill, so didn’t get started until nearly 3:30 pm. Definitely more yellow and even red in leaves here than at Hammond Hill.
Unfortunately, I will be out of town for the Danny Down & Dirty, but it seems @Petorius has been keeping the course stocked with newts. I saw 22 today. While far from the spring numbers, it is more than I’ve seen in quite a while.
I decided to run the course ccw for the first time. The descents felt a little more technical and slower in this direction. The course was wet and muddy along the creek in the Spring. Per Pete’s response to my post then, I can report the trail status has changed. It is now wet and muddy in the Fall.
What can I say? The lure of the sun, relatively dry trails (of course there is mud - but not a lot, and in familiar places that I had just passed by 90 minutes or so before), the additional trail markings and well, knowing I had taken the afternoon off work to do this - all proved to be too much, and I had to try this.
Now I REALLY knew I was pushing it, but I was also aware of the hills, and the shadows they provide, and there were parts of the trail that even with the additional marking would be a challenge in lesser light - so I tried to give myself as much of a cushion as I could on the first section down the road…and I succeeded…I was hoping to keep a 17:00/mile pace on my tired legs, and I got a nice 9+ minute cushion on that first stretch. And I started eating into it right away - I did a lot more walking through the twisted roots section past the bridge and then the twisted trail with occasional mud holes along the stream - and then continued hiking up the hill past Bald Hill Road and up to the summit. It was there I began running again, and was pleasantly surprised that I could still do so, for it eased my concerns about following the trail. Instead, I could enjoy the day again as I passed through the Pinnacles (requisite selfie attached) and headed down. At this point, I finally began to believe I was actually going to make it to the end of the run, so I relaxed a bit - and noticed that there were a lot of chipmunks around, either chirping at me or scurrying across my path…I guess 5 pm was social hour!
I hadn’t seen a single other person on this run - so I was startled when I heard voices while on the last 300 yds of the Abbott Loop trail. At first I thought it was people in the parking lot, but then I realized it was people on trail gaining on me fast (not that was difficult, but it did mean they were running, not hiking). I didn’t want to be passed on the narrow stretch so I picked up the pace so they would catch me at the road…which they did, but that is where they stopped, while I went ahead and completed the last little bit of the 10K course, finishing on Smiley Hill, much to the consternation of the RunGo lady who told me to stop at the road - but I knew where the finish line, having been part of the timing team for the last several years. After I finished, I trotted over to the parking lot and found 3 college-aged runners, one wearing a Cornell sweatshirt, none of whom were familiar to me. We exchanged pleasantries, and then I headed off to my reward - a burger, large fries and chocolate shake (with salted caramel AND whipped cream) courtesy of the local 5 guys.
And then - a warm shower and a well earned beer..
Oh - for the record, 0 red newts…guess it is now too dry!
That gave me good laugh, Pete! But so true!
