Forest Frolic course now open—that's all 10 courses!

FLRC Challenge
1

I just took a drive out to Kennedy State Forest in Virgil to install the sign for the Forest Frolic course, so all ten FLRC Challenge courses are now open! (And I met a guy running who said he was already in the Challenge plus a Cornell grad student who was excited to learn about it and find the running community here. Recruit shamelessly, that’s what I always say.)

As with the other three courses, the Forest Frolic course is twisty-turny, so I strongly recommend anyone who has not run it before go with a friend who has or make sure you can use the RunGo directions linked on the course page beforehand. At a bare minimum, make sure you have a cell phone with you, though service is often spotty on far-flung trails.

Forest Frolic

The 9-mile Forest Frolic start/finish is where the trail pops out onto Hauck Hill Road. Then it heads down the road toward the traditional Forest Frolic start/finish and from there, it follows the rest of the Frolic race course. You can of course choose whether you go left at the figure-8 intersection or straight up the hill to run the big loop either clockwise (left) or counter-clockwise (straight). Note that our RunGo directions send you straight up the hill.

FLRC-Challenge-Frolic-map
FLRC-Challenge-Frolic-map1170×804 238 KB

You’ll find the sign on the west side of Bleck Road, immediately to the south of Hauck Hill Road, right next to the Finger Lakes Trail sign.

FLRC-Challenge-Frolic-SF
FLRC-Challenge-Frolic-SF1290×894 901 KB

Enjoy!

2

If you have T-mobile forget having service anywhere away from towns. Virgil, Hammond Hill, Thatcher’s Pinnacles… all useless. I am too cheap to get anything except a pay-as-you-go 30-min talk + text plan.

3

I have AT&T and was able—just barely—to get service at the Hauck Hill and Bleck Road intersection. I wouldn’t bet on it working further down the hill, though.

4

A brief update: I added some navigational backup options to the Forest Frolic course page. They won’t necessarily help you follow the course, but if you were to take a wrong turn, they might help you get back to your car. RunGo will alert you if you go off course, but I’m not entirely sure how well it will help you recover if you want to abort the run and go home.

https://fingerlakesrunners.org/challenge/forest-frolic/

5

If you want AT&T service in Kennedy State Forest you gotta work for it by running or hiking up to the power line trail.

1 Like
6

Pretty messy seasonal roads this afternoon due to the past few days of rain, but the view at the top of the power line and the lovely single track all the way back down was worth the price of admission!

That hill at 7 miles, on the other hand…

1 Like