Sunday Run-a-hike -- Nov. 19

Feeling a bit pressured from work and tired from spending Saturday evening (until Sun. a.m.) in the office, and then doing long-postponed housework, I wasn't sure about a Sunday run, but Mark called just in time to change my mind. It was a gray and gloomy day, a bit chilly, but moist and no wind. We met at 3 at the foot of Holland Glen. Started up there intended to come out on upper Gulf Rd, but as so often happens, took a wrong turn and ended up going all over the place until we came out at Munsell Cemetery. So then nothing for it but to go the long way around Knight's Pond and to Gulf that way, rejoining the M&M from the top. It took a while, but we retraced our steps down the trail, and all was fine until (getting dark now, around sunset) we tried to make the last connection to the Holland Glen trail. Couldn't find it. Blundered around a bit and finally found some blazes, but they didn't feel right, so we tried again. Seemed to be right, blazes (thankfully white) were clear -- then I realized we were going back UP the hill, back the way we had come. Arghh. We re-backtracked and into the woods a third time. really dark enough now not to see each other except up close. Managed to stumble along using the stream as our guide, and finally came to the waterfall, and then blundered on down the down trail , or more or less parallel with it. I'd stopped the clock when we entered the woods the first time, so I didn't mind walking, but the repeated encounters with invisible underbrush were a bit of a pain. We made it back to the cars at 5:20, me thinking much of food and wanting to make amends for getting so lost with a pint. Bu that had to wait, as we'd used so much time already. Raincheck, enfin.

Time: 1:32:20
Speed: 5.3 mph
Distance: 8.11 miles

Comments: it looks slow, but there were a lot of serious climbs there, and we were chatting all the way, as well as meandering a fair bit. Very nice exercise, and a break from racing-type work. Must learn my way round those trails though!