Basically a 20-mile loop with a detour up Blackrock Summit.  Beginning at the Sugar Hollow parking area, headed up to Blue Hole and onto the Turk Branch Trail; then hit the Appalachian Trail north for several miles, all the way to Blackrock Summit.  After backtracking down the summit, hit the N.F. Moormans River Trail to complete the loop back to the parking area.  Around 4 miles in (on the Turk Branch Trail), I saw two (large) bears.

Approximately 30 miles of leisurely running in the foothills of Arkansas’s Ouachita Mountains–mostly on the singletrack in Garland County’s Lake Catherine State Park, but a few on the trails at my parents’ 120-acre place in Hot Spring County.

Parked just off Garth Road and ran the unpaved Ridge Road to Free Union Road and back (8 miles), crossed Garth, and ran the unpaved Decca Lane (crossing Mechums River) to Owensville Road and back (4 miles) for a total of twelve leisurely miles.

31 miles on the trails in Freedom Park (Williamsburg) for the Singletrack Maniac 50K.  It was a tough day at the office.

A few eight-mile runs on the trails in Stanley Park while visiting Vancouver (24 miles over three days).

Approximately 55 miles running, kayaking, mountain biking, and orienteering with my brother and dad in the Swamp Fox Adventure Race (in the Francis Marion National Forest) to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday.  We were a bit inefficient in terms of navigation (some of the triangulation was particularly tricky for us) because it was our first shot at this sort of thing, but it was a ton of fun.

After a morning hike with Henry to the pond in our neighborhood, eight snowy, afternoon miles of running in Biscuit Run.

Short drive to southern Maryland to run the Frozen Heart 50K, which took place on the trails in St. Mary’s River State Park.  This appeared to be a fast course, but that was before it got dumped with snow earlier in the week (six plus inches on the trails; I was lucky to finish only an hour after my original goal time).

Route: Starting at Riverview Park, I ran the Rivanna Trail, plus a couple of bonus miles (22 total).  The latter resulted from getting mixed up on some of the new trail sections/detours.  I waded through Moore’s Creek at Woolen Mills, which seemed more disgusting than cold (the only other option was to cross a sketchy railroad trestle).  Also, I saw three foxes (or the same fox three times).

Route: From the first parking area at Sugar Hollow, ran six miles or so to the Shenandoah National Park, linking up with the Appalachian Trail at Black Rock Gap.  Followed the AT north to the summit of Black Rock, continuing north for another mile or so before heading back to Sugar Hollow.  16.25 miles total.

 

Looking downstream from the waterfall.