Trails....the joy of finding them

For me, one fun part of running is discovering new places to run--especially new trails and their kin, old logging roads, deer paths, etc. It's easy to miss the stuff right in your backyard because you're always looking for the long/high/steep/technical/gnarly stuff. On lunch one day this week, I decided to scope out a little dotted line I saw on a map. Only about 3 miles (and, at times, a 14% grade) from my office. For those in the area, it's the loop from the parking area at the junction of Moore Hill and Glade Hill Roads in Grahamsville, NY. From the DEC parking area, head out on the snowmobile trail, then just follow the red trail markers. Becomes a jeep road for a while (very beat up, full of ruts and rocks and water, great running) before heading back into the woods. I couldn't finish it that first day since I was on my lunch hour, so a couple days later I went up early, before work, and ran it. Sweet! The middle few miles are in upland hardwoods and runnable as hell. Yes, it all just flows there. This could be a nice long run route, with a stop back at the car every 7 miles to refuel (I do prefer longer loops or point-to-points, but this would work and it's close to home).

Another day, I ran the course for a pending mountain bike race, at a little 900 acre park 10 miles from home. Wow! Deep, cool woods and beautiful singletrack.

And I've even started running the old logging roads on my property with renewed vigor, not to mention finally starting work on that loop trail I've planned for years. I'll be lucky to get a one-mile loop out of it, but hey, if I could step out my door any given day and get a few trail miles in without even starting the car, how can that be a bad thing? Talk about finding trails in your own backyard...

So look around...RUN!!...and you might be surprised what you find.