Training Log Archive: furlong47

ROC Fall Classic - Letchworth State Park West - Green Y (F35+)

Beginning of this course was shades of yesterday, but with more options to avoid climb. After a short jaunt on trails out of the start, for 1, 2, and 3 I pretty much went straight at them while picking off features.

To 4, went down to the stream, found a decent place to climb up to the trail, then went along the trail to the S until I found a less large/steep climb to the top of the hill. Then went along the top of the steep edge picking off features again until I found it.

Across a comparably semi-flat area to the trail, noted the big rootstock, followed the intermittent stream down, saw the rocky area, nailed 5.

Here I went left to avoid the large up and down, bowing around to the trail and then dropping down to the lower trail pretty close to their junction anyway. Passed the pond and building, dropped into the woods and walked along the top of the long, narrow spur to 6. Then back along the top in the opposite direction, between building and pond, and from pond corner could see 7.

A little climb out of here, but nothing compared to yesterday, across both trails and in to 8. Now came probably the worst climb of the day, after crossing the stream, getting back up to the main trail.

NW along the trail briefly, then cut in to 9 from the reentrant S of it. A bit of a bash through some slightly thorny stuff and a lot of ferns with slippery logs under them to slam my legs into. But I popped right out at the little pond, which really was pretty much a marsh.

Headed for next big trail to the E, although drifted N more than I would have liked and caught the marsh near the top of it. Went up to the trail at the top of the map and followed that along, then in as it curved away from the open OOB area, then cut through the woods using the OOB as a handrail on my left, across marsh, hit telephone line, and used the (blazed, not really very indistinct) trail to go to 10, which was basically right on the trail.

The rest of this was trails, with controls right by them, a nice flat and forgiving end to the weekend.

Day 2 - Green Y - Splits

Event: Falls Classic - Letchworth State Park
 

ROC Fall Classic - Letchworth State Park East - Green Y (F35+)

Pretty sure the claimed amount of climb here is bunk... the event notes said 260 m and that (or even higher) seems much more like it. I felt like I was going straight uphill, often crawling or doing the Spiderman climb, for the majority of the course.

Out of the start to 1 - straight up the hill. Foolishly I thought we might be getting climb out of the way early. Hahahaha.

Popped out to the trail, went North to the base of the steepest part, and contoured in along that while picking off the ponds and knolls on way to 2.

Then up again. Once on top, walked along the long spur through the white, cut over to meeting of trail + stream, then followed the other wide spur in toward 3, although I did go down the wrong side (left) and pretty much realized this as I was doing this. I could see the flag on the correct spur from over there, and went over through the reentrant to get it.

Out to the road, went down it to the West side of the big marshy area, then followed the edge of the marsh around to 4 (which was up another steep bank from the stream) and then backtracked over the wide spur to 5.

Went SW between two streams to the railbed trail. Followed this to past the first area of rocks, then cut down toward 6, but got pulled too far right and saw another bag first. Ended up bouncing off the stream and then finding 6, noting I had been very close to it before and not seen it over a small rise.

Contoured on over toward 7, hitting the stream just above the junction, going down to it and crossing over, climbing up a bit again into the control

8, easy and close

Then another slog back uphill to the trail again. Attacked 9 from the water stop North of it and came right back out at the same spot.

Continued along the trail as it was pleasant and flat. Luckily at this point it appeared not too much more climbing... but I was wrong....

Went over little hilltop with the depression to SW of 10 and could see it already from up there.

Then dropped down to the bottom of the steep and worked my way along it, though drifted out into the flat more and encountered a stream and a huuuuuuge marsh ahead... realized I was at the edge of the OOB and able to follow the bottom of the short but steep bank right up to 11.

Now had to climb once, climb again to the trail, and climb yet some more on the other side following the stream up to the clearing and the go control. And then there was another little hill to the finish, just to top it all off.

Just happy to finish, even with the long time, and felt very physically beat.

Day 1 - Green Y - Splits

Lesson on Patrick. Kind of a mess.

And then we ended up hunting down another girl's loose horse in the dark.