Single Track!

Snowmobile trails and tote roads are fine in a pinch, but I have been missing the real trails (single track). I have been out on snowshoes a lot over the winter so I was able to travel the trails that way, but I have still been impatiently waiting for the snow to melt so I can run and bike on the winding dirt trails. I want to feel the trees and brush close on each side! Also, I need technical terrain with rocks and roots and loose dirt to prepare for the Northface Race. For yesterday's long run, Kevin and I talked about driving to Southern New hampshire (or further) to give me the change of pace I have been craving. In the end we decided to drive to Bradbury Mountain instead. Bradbury gets a ton of foot traffic so I thought the snow would probably be packed down nicely for running. Kevin hit the trails on the West side in his screw shoes while I started out on the East side hoping the beautiful mountain bike single track would have seen some heavy use over the winter. No such luck. Most of the foot traffic had stuck to the wider trails (roads) and snow mobile trails. I ran almost everything, anyway. Then I crossed the road and ran most of the West side trails, which were all well packed. At one point I met Kevin at the "summit," which is not very high at all but has nice views. There is some climbing on the West side, but nothing like what we are used to around our house. Running surface varied from packed snow, loose granular snow, sheer ice (stay off the Border Trail if you don't have cleats or screws), a little mud, a few rocks, and an extremely nice downhill run on bare dry technical single track on the South Ridge Trail (just what I was looking for!)