Training Log Archive: Nadim

From Colonel Zadok Magruder HS, I started heading out to field-check North Branch Park. I was running to get to an area that I'd went through before, but needed a second look, I detoured to a copse I hadn't seen before, and then realized I'd left my glasses in the car. I decided that even though it was late in the day, that I'd better get them. I ended up grabbing a spare pair or regular reading glasses instead of my o-glasses which turned out to be at home. After that I ran back to the copse where I'd left my notes. It was pretty windy out, but in the 50s F.

Field Checking in North Branch Park. It had been raining all Friday so it was damp when I started. The strong wind was quickly drying things up. Initially I went over some places that I'd covered last weekend. I had printer problems at home so I still only had my errant hand drawn notes that I was carrying with me. I knew where I'd drawn things wrong before (not knowing exactly where I'd started out from last weekend) so I took my time, erased what I had and got going again. It was easier to do, knowing what was already in the terrain.

Later I got into the succession forest blocks. These terrain blocks surrounded by grassy trails were no doubt old farm fields where the trees had partly grown back. The blocks had broad gentle slopes, and even one with a subtle saddle. They had very few features since the farmers had cleared, smoothed, and pushed the rocks to the sides along the trails. I felt like it wasn't worth spending a lot of time in them but tried to capture the feel of the vegetation. Capturing that feel was very hard. I had to make judgements about what was rough open, semi-rough-open, white or light green. Usually there was no hard line for the boundaries. Though I could move through most of it without having to do too much weaving, I still couldn't see far. The trees were small, just smaller than an apple orchard in height. There were many saplings and small clearings. The vegetation will change rapidly but the mapping will make a difference in route choices.

I finally covered the terrain blocks with older forest which were between the Inter-County Connector Hwy. (ICC), and the planned route of a paved hiking/cycling trail. This was much more interesting. There was more changing contour to it. It mostly ranged from fight to white, but most of it was a middle or light shade of green. There were some rock features and old ruins. As it was starting to get dark, I ended up at the bottom where the North Branch Creek crosses under the ICC.

From North Branch Creek, at the ICC bridge, to Colonel Zadok Magruder HS, via trails. Most of this was on a new paved trail which one day will connect with the Rock Creek Trail system south of Lake Frank. I was happy to figure out where the pavement can be expected to go. Some of the dirt trail was intermittent and most of the run was uphill into the wind. I was tired.