Story
I’d never been to Lindsey Parsons before, and I will definitely be back. It’s scenic in a charming way. The single track is more flowy than rooty. The woods are lovely, with all sorts of interesting trees and plants. The fields are rolling, and the far views are gentle and inspiring. There are lots of little hills—fairly steep, but by the time you get used to going up, it’s time to go back down. This might be my favorite Challenge course of all time.
I did this run in a group run that was a “last run” for Amalia Skilton, since she is leaving Ithaca for a job in Scotland and she will be missed. This run was also her final run of the 2024 Challenge courses!
I enjoyed the casual, group run atmosphere where we worked together to figure out the complex looping course, and I appreciated the spread of snacks at the end, with several homemade selections and peanut butter cups, orange juice, fruit, bagels, and more. Saying good-bye to a runner who you’ve enjoyed having around is never easy, but good company and good food make everything better.
Coming and going—some of us are a little lost… (it’s supposed to be a challenge…):
Stopping for a photo opp…
I stopped to take a photo of an interesting tree (photo came out so-so), but everyone else thought I was taking a photo of them, so I grabbed one.
Looking at tiny, unfurled fiddlehead ferns
The view over the field, nearly done
Finally… pics or it didn’t happen. We were discussing hair, and I shared that mine used to be rather red, and I people said they wanted to see a picture.
