Use this topic for posts to collect community stars for the Ellis Hollow Creek Crossings course.
Here’s how it works.
First hike on my home course, largely to test my RunGo directions (which need just a touch of adjusting). The trail is dry and in great conditions, and the six stream crossings easily forded. And I’m looking forward to times coming down…
Erin and I have decided to start with the lowest distances, so today we were at Ellis Hollow (in our matching FLRC socks). I was so proud of her because she managed through 75 degree temps (after a short hike at Taughannock Fallls) and she had her first stream crossing…then wouldn’t stop asking me about how many more there were and when could she do the next one haha. She insisted on a deeper crossing that would soak her feet! I loved these trails. I’ve never been in here before and it’s such a beautiful place.
I was in the office today and decided to stop at this course on the way home. I procrastinated leaving, but it’s a good thing I did because I ran into Mel and Melissa at the trailhead! I joined them for a loop around and we had a lovely time chatting and stream crossing.
First challenge course of the year! Beautiful trail and had some great company for a nice post-work hike/jog.
Knocked off work early to help Rebecca get her last course. It was hot but we only hiked since I’ve got Seneca 7 on Sunday. The trail is awesome, and I look forward to actually running it.
When I was lacing up my trail shoes this morning, my beloved running partner of 12 years, Lola (a lab/golden retriever), put her head in my lap and asked to come along. Since it was a short loop with lots of opportunities for water breaks, I obliged her, and she got to share her love with 24 other FLRC members who turned out for the group run.
Due to some potty breaks, we found ourselves alone on the trail between groups of runners, but no worries, as the RunGo directions were excellent! With many joyful stream crossings and the advantage of four legs instead of two for descending the switchbacks at the end, Lola finished with a big smile on her face.
Thanks to everyone who welcomed Lola as our canine mascot for today’s run. We had a blast.
A lovely group run this morning! Thanks for opening your house (and your pond) to us, Adam and Tonya! Pictured is @Charlie_Hale in the rather chilly water.
Oh my goodness, this is such a hidden gem! It is gorgeous in here. I enjoyed the run/hike so much I did it three times in a row! The trails were mostly dry with only one area of mud that is easily navigated around. I ran my first loop with @Smb and we each added a stone to the cairn. Thanks as always to @adamengst for the RunGo directions.
Ventured out on the course with my best water loving running buddy. We weren’t fast but all six crossings were thoroughly investigated. (Confession: we did break the leash rule at the water, I wasn’t as keen to get my feet wet. But no children were intimidated and no wildlife was harmed.)
My first sort-of-real run on this course, with 10 by 1-minute run/walk reps and a final half-mile hike to finish it off. Still nowhere near what I’d consider fast, but nice to complete a course at more than a walking pace! And at Sunday’s Lakefront Loops group run, I get to increase the run intervals to 90 seconds! The excitement! 
@tonya-engst and I hiked the course for a little pre-dinner exercise. The creek crossings are more of a challenge at the moment, and the one with the big trees in it has changed a bit with the weekend downpours.
8 by 90-second runs with 1-minute walks today brought my time down by 3 minutes. The beauty of run/walk progressions is that every effort gets faster by default. 
Ran this course with my SIL @lynsayayer on a perfect spring morning! Beautiful foliage and wildflowers have set in since the group run here a few weeks ago. There seems to be another tree down across the first stream (or maybe the water has just moved it to the path), and all the rain has made the creek crossings a bit…wetter. But delightful (and the hills are a challenging surprise every time!)
Seeing the Mayapples come up is a sure sign of spring each year!
This is a great course: so convenient having a quick accessible trail for when there isn’t time to commit to a longer effort.
I only had time for a shorter course before work this morning, and my dog wanted to come along, so I thought I’d give the Ellis Hollow trail another go (twice in 24 hours). I went as fast as felt safe with all the roots, rocks, and mud (last night’s rain made some of the hills pretty slippery) and was happy for the effort. There is some muck, especially toward the end where you bear left rather than going up to the utility pole, so trail shoes are recommended.
I saw someone finishing up at the parking lot when I was heading out. Took a quick look at the leaderboard for runs this am when I got back into service (I have no reception out there!) and I think it was Jessica Smith. Love to see runners out enjoying the courses!
Lola was happy for a quick drink at creek #4 (??)
I got a little turned around at the start and ended up running the first mini-loop backwards, but according to RunGo, I did cover the ground (and that’s the goal!)
It was a happy way to start the work week. Thanks for all you do @adamengst (and @tonya-engst) to put together the challenge each year.
That’s right—you can run this and any other Challenge course in whatever direction you want. Helps keep them fresh too. Though I’ll admit that even I have to think about these trails when I do the course in the other direction because of the overlapping loops. (And I usually come in on the side, since our land abuts the Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve on the other side of the power line cut.)
Well, it turns out that my trail shoes that I wore on Sunday on the Blueberry Patch were still wet from me hosing them off. Gross, I know. I had to bust out my new pair of Altra’s that I purchased sometime in the fall after the latest model came out and my husband ‘give’ me for Christmas.
I took a ‘before’ picture of my new shoes:
I decided to scan the QR code in case someone showed up after me, and I could ‘steal’ a community star, and then I was off.
This course is so beautiful!! Unlike Sunday, I didn’t want to embrace the muck because I wasn’t ready to get my new shoes all dirty. I was able to navigate the stream crossings, and most of the trail was dry. In the few spots that were wet, I was able to skirt around them.
My hamstrings immediately were like WTH are you doing to me?!?!? They did not appreciate two trail runs so close together when I haven’t ran trails in months! The first mile felt more like 5. I cussed the Run-Go hill climbing notices a couple of times. One was just past a stream crossing when it told me I had made it to the top of the hill when there was an obvious climb in front of me!! I also had a stress response when I heard ‘switchback’ (thanks Lick Brook), but that section wasn’t too bad.
I arrived at the finish, scanned the QR to finish then scanned it again to start. Someone had just pulled into the parking lot at that time. By the second stream crossing, the runner had caught me, so I pulled over to let him pass and marveled at his speed! By checking the activity log, I’m pretty sure it was Andy Klepack as we both got a Community star. Thank you Andy!!
The second loop seemed to fly by. As I was heading down the hill towards the driveway, I used my arm to swing around a tree and ended up slapping myself on the a$$. I found it in at more entertaining than it was.
I was shocked that I finished my second loop slightly faster than my first. And I was pleased with how my new shoes faired on the course!
I was planning on doing two loops this morning, but had a bunch of errands so got a late start on this hot hot day, and then made the mistake of putting expired milk in my coffee. No subsequent gastrodisasters on the trail, but didn’t have it in me for a second loop. Still, trail was mostly dry, as are my shoes for the rest of my errands. Will come back for a proper double effort on a cooler, better stomach day!
Heads up for those unfamiliar, the white posts on the blue trail are for a “story walk” in the summer, so any speedsters may want to get those fast efforts in before the (unaccusatorily) oblivious families arrive and block the whole path reading.
