What You Missed
Fall 2024
Fall 2024
On Saturday, October 12th I planned to get out for a hike on Round Top with my new dog Sheena. She is a Feist-Cur cross which are actual types of dogs used on farms and for hunting in the south. She probably won't get to be more than 30 pounds which makes Cindy happy although I would have preferred a larger dog. She was born the day after Sheila died. I started to get ready to hike at 12:15 PM with the temperature at 66 degrees on the back porch. I got dressed in my Mammut crew top with no baselayer as I did not want to wear a jacket and it was beginning to get cool out. I wore my Railriders hiking pants which are expensive but last along time and have features like deep pockets and a generous cut which I really like. The pants have Velcro closures at the ankles. I decided to put on my Keen Durand hiking boots which I ordered a half size larger than the previous pair. These shoes fit well out of the box but get much tighter when I add a decent insole. Without the third party insole, by feet hurt from the lack of support. I added a new pair of Xstance insoles in an effort to find the best support and cushioning for my feet. These insoles have shock absorbing gel pads, TPU arch support, and memory foam cushioning all wrapped in a breathable fabric. The insoles have been hyped by their manufacturer and they really do seem to deliver. I decided not to take any poles as the walk would be short and I would be holding Sheena's leash. At 12:30 PM I put Sheena on her leash and we walked out the door to start the hike. We headed down the driveway and toward the street. Sheena has gotten used to walking on her leash to the end of the drive but gets nervous as we get near the road. This time I had to carry her across the street to the field by the church. We walked to the back of the church and began the ascent of the steepest hill behind the church. Sheena had no problem walking up the hill except for the fact that she likes to stop and sniff very frequently. The hill is short but gets the circulation pumping and is the steepest and longest climb on the "trail." Not having poles made it more of a challenge. We did not stop on the way to the top of the hill but set a fast pace. I could feel that I had not been hiking in a while but Sheena is now bigger and her pull on the leash is signficant. At the top we paused for a minute so I could look around at the hills that surround the hamlet of Livingston Manor. The skies were blue with a few white clouds and bright sunshine. Sheena was eager to enter the woods on the trail and hopped right up the steps. The trail was dry and the temperature under the trees seemed cooler than in the sun.
At the first trail junction, I followed Sheena as she turned right to head up the woods road which is the shallower approach to the trail system. Sheena seemed to have no problem leading me by pulling on her leash. We turned left on the yellow trail and continued uphill. I picked up a few branches along the way but for the most part the trail was clear. At the first junction with the blue trail we turned left to walk along the base of Round Top. Sheena always likes to run along this part of the trail. She will strain at her leash if I don't at least jog behind her so that's what I did. When we arrived at the junction with the blue trail, we turned right and started up the hill. Sheena turned right on the switchback and I followed her. We haven't been over the trails too many times so I don't know if she was following a scent track just got lucky. We walked on the switchback out into the forest and then back to the main blue trail. We turned right and walked on the blue trail over the highest point. As we started down the other side, Sheena wanted to go at a pace I could not arch and keep my balance at the same time. I slowed Sheena down by pulling on her leash but that did not deter her much. When we got to the trail junction with the yellow trail, we turned right and again followed the yellow along the base of Round Top. This time when we came to the junction with the blue trail, we stayed to the left and followed the yellow trail downhill. We came to the "sitting Rock" where I wanted to take a break but Sheena did not agree so we continued on the trail. We passed through the ferns which were now brown and continued to the lookout. From the upper lookout I could see a couple on the viewpoint below accompanied by a videographer. When they took a break, I explained to them that they were standing on a rock shelf with a "cave" beneath. I also described the other "caves" in the area formed by overhanging rock sliding over gaps in the rocks. They seemed interested and thanked me for the information. Sheena and I continued down the hill toward the first trail junction. Sheena again wanted to descend at top speed. At the first junction we continued straight out to the trailhead. I had hoped to do at least another small loop but Sheena gets bored easily. I am hoping to be able to let her off her leash soon perhaps with the help of an electronic collar. I think this will benefit both of us but I have to be sure Sheena will come back when called. We turned right and walked down the road to the back of the church. Sheena is still shy near roads but she crossed the field by the church and, with a little encouragement, crossed the street to our driveway. We were back at the house by 1:10 PM and it had taken us 40 minutes to hike a little more than a mile. Sheena drank a lot of water and then laid down by me for a long nap.
On Wednesday, October 9th I planned to go to Walnut Mountain to mark the cross country course with white paint for a race at 4:15 PM. I wanted to get there around 1:30 to have plenty of time to walk and mark the course. Since the course is a point to point course, I would have to walk the entire course to mark it. I had laid out the course six years ago and made sure it was exactly 5K which translates to 16,404.2 feet. For the last few years we returned to our course on school grounds. This course will be unavailable next week because of some work on the school grounds. I began to get ready at 12:30 PM with the temperatures at 68 degrees with a slight breeze blowing. I got dressed in my White Sierra light crew top with no baselayer. I wore an older pair of hiking pants so that I did not get paint on my Railriders hiking pants. I decided to put on my Zamberlain low hiking shoes because they are easier on my feet for jogging the course. I made sure I had all the paperwork for the race that day and the recording stopwatch we use time the races. I got everything I needed in the car and at 1:00 PM I drove out our driveway and got on the Quickway east toward Liberty. I needed to pick up the paint at Liberty HS so I got off at exit 99 and took buckley Street up the hill to the high school. I picked up tree cans of paint and visited a few people. As usually happens, I got involved in some conversations which delayed my arrival at the course. I drove away from the high school at took West Street out to Route 52. A left on Eagle Drive and a left on West Lake Street brought me to Route 55. I turned right a went a short distance before turning right on Walnut Mountain Road. I pulled into the main parking area at 1:45 PM. Several other cars were parked and some kids were using the playground equipment. I got out a can of white paint and headed toward the starting line below the fields. I decided not to paint the starting line to make sure I got through the lower loop on one can of paint.
The XC course starts along the Walnut Loop East Trail with a wide-open grassy area that allows a fair start. After about .1 miles it turns slightly to the right and enters the woods on a wide but rocky carriage road. My method in painting is to mark all the turns with a prominent arrow. I also use a straight arrow near any potential turns the runners should avoid. Finally, I put straight arrows on long straight sections of trail to let the runners know they are on the course. Where the course enters the woods, I placed an arrow indicating a turn. The leaves cause a problem with placing arrows. Painting on top of the leaves means they can blow away. Clearing them away leaves a dry and dusty area that really absorbs the paint. The course continues downhill for about .5 miles when it turns 90 degrees to the left on the Walnut Loop North Trail. I put a couple of straight arrows along this section and an arrow indicating a left turn where the course turns 90 degrees. This section of trail is grassy and immediately begins a gentle climb until it transitions back to gravel at .7 miles and begins a steeper climb. I painted a few arrows along the way especially where single track bike trails cross. At .8 miles the course turns left on Vista Way which is a narrow trail rather than a carriageway. I placed a straight arrow up the hill and one that clearly showed the turn to the left. I followed Vista way as it headed back toward the parking area crossing a small bridge over what is soemtimes a stream. I placed some arrows along the way and a huge arrow where the trail turns and heads across the bridge. From the bridge the course begins a slight ascent until it breaks out of the trees at the parking lot. I painted some straight arrows along the way especially where there are trails which the runners should not use. The course follows a fence line back toward the grove of trees that surrounds the pavilion. I painted arrows aright along the fence and an arrow near the park building that shows a turn to the right and through the grove over a small culvert. The course then turns right up the carriageway following the Mountain Overlook Trail and this is where the real work for the runners begins. The carriage path is rocky and mostly up hill from 1.25 miles to 1.8 miles although the course does level some and even descends a bit at 1.6 miles where it joins the Walnut Loop North Trail. I went to my car and got a new can of paint as the one I had was almost empty. At this point the bus from Liberty arrived and I spoke to their coach. I told her I had marked the first part of the course and was headed up the mountain to mark the rest. She thanked me and said she would take her runners around the course. I painted the turn arrow after the grove and then continued to paint arrows indicating turns in the main carriageway and places where the runners should not turn. At 1.8 miles the course turns sharply to the left and ascends an unnamed trail. I did my best to paint a turn arrow before the turn and another large one at the turn. The trail is narrow with plenty of rocks and roots. This section is only .15 miles long but ascends at a 17% grade to the Sunset Trail. I painted a few arrows especially where other trails and track cross this trail. I also added some paint to the roots and rocks that were in the trail.
At 2 miles the course turns right on the Sunset Trail which is another wide carriageway which allows runners to pass each other. Before and at the turn I painted arrows indicating a turn to the right. The surface here is smooth and firm and it does ascend a little until it breaks out into an open area which has a nice lookout to the right. I painted a few arrows along the way although there were no turns. Approaching the lookout, the Mountain House Trail turns left but the runners do not so I painted a big arrow straight ahead. At the left turn onto the Mountain Overlook Trail, I painted a prominent arrow to show the turn to the runners. The runners will not get to see the view from the lookout as they make the sharp left at 2.3 miles on the Mountain Overlook Trail. The Mountain Overlook Trail is a wide but rocky carriageway that begin the runners descent off the mountain. From 2.3 miles to 2.7 miles the runners are headed downhill on the Mountain Overlook Trail. I painted one set of arrows straight ahead at the beginning of the trail as another trail turns to the right. Further along the course once turned right into a field but this section had some dangerous spots and I noticed it was not maintained. Now the course simply continues on the Mountain Overlook Trail. I painted some straight arrows here to make sure the runners continued straight ahead without turning. At 2.7 miles the runners turn right to stay on the Mountain Overlook Trail back to the grove of trees near the pavilion. I painted arrows on the right side of the trail going down to indicate turns and places where the runners should not turn. This section of trail has an overlap for runners coming up the hill and those going down. The runners pass through a gate and then veer right to head to the finish line on the Walnut Loop South Trail. I painted the arrows clearly indicate the direction the runners should tale. After turning to the right near the playground, the runners enter a final bit of woods. From there to the finish there are no turns but I placed some arrows to let the runners know they were almost done. When they come out of the woods, they pass through an old red shale quarry and sprint to the finish line near the disc golf course. When I reached the finish line, I had enough paint to paint a thick line to show the finish of the race. I headed back to the parking area and walked down to the starting area where I painted a wide line ling enough to give everyone a fair start. I was 3:00 PM when I finished and I just had to wait for the runners from the other schools to arrive.
As time passed, I began to get a little nervous that teams were not arriving as early as I expected. Since this is a point to point course, the runners have to walk or jog the entire course to know what it looks like and where the turns occur. Eldred was the first to arrive a little after 3:15 PM and I knew they would be able to do the whole course. It wasn't until after 3:30 PM that Homestead was at the park followed shortly by Livingston Manor/Rosoce. I explained to the coaches that we could delay to 4:30 PM but that would mean they would probably not be able to walk the entire course. The coaches understood and decided to walk the second half. I gave all the coaches a packet with maps and score sheets and sent them off. All the schools except for Liberty had brought modified runners and the modified coaches took my suggestion of running the first half of the course and to the finish. The liberty runners returned from their walk of the course and seemed to be suitably impressed by the hills! At 4:30 PM I summoned all the runners to the start line. The Liberty coach took a moment to honor two senior runners, Braeden Clarke and Konnar Williams. Just after 4:30 PM, I called the boys and girls varisty runners to the line, gave the instructions and sounded the horn. We waited about 5 minutes and lined up the modified runners and sent them off. My wide, who was timing, and I walked back up to the parking area to await the runners coming through after the first part of the race. As the runners appeared it was clear that Livingston Manor/Rosoce boys had the race under control. Runners continued to pass by and head up the hill. Soon the modified runners appeared and passed straight through the grove to the finish line. The modified coaches were handling the timing. In a few more minutes, Cindy and I headed along the trail to the finish line to be prepared for the end of the varsity race. As the varsity runners crossed the line, Cindy hit the button on the stopwatch and called out the times. Our athletic director helped by handing each runner a card with their finish number. I wrote down the school and time. I either knew the runners' names or was able to ask the coaches. When all the runners were done, I pronounced the race a success. This opinion was supported by the coaches, runners and numerous spectators.
On Monday, October 7th I planned to get out for a hike on Round Top with my new dog Sheena. She is a Feist-Cur cross which are actual types of dogs used on farms and for hunting in the south. She probably won't get to be more than 30 pounds which makes Cindy happy although I would have preferred a larger dog. She was born the day after Sheila died. I started to get ready to hike at 1:45 PM with the temperature at 62 degrees on the back porch. I got dressed in my Mammut crew top with no baselayer as I did not want to wear a jacket and it was beginning to get cool out. I wore my Railriders hiking pants which are expensive but last along time and have features like deep pockets and a generous cut which I really like. The pants have Velcro closures at the ankles. I decided to put on my Keen Durand hiking boots which I ordered a half size larger than the previous pair. These shoes fit well out of the box but get much tighter when I add a decent insole. Without the third party insole, by feet hurt from the lack of support. I added a new pair of Xstance insoles in an effort to find the best support and cushioning for my feet. These insoles have shock absorbing gel pads, TPU arch support, and memory foam cushioning all wrapped in a breathable fabric. The insoles have been hyped by their manufacturer and they really do seem to deliver. I decided not to take any poles as the walk would be short and I would be holding Sheena's leash. At 2:00 PM I put Sheena on her leash and we walked out the door to start the hike. We headed down the driveway and toward the street. Sheena has gotten used to walking on her leash to the end of the drive but gets nervous as we get near the road. This time I had to carry her across the street to the field by the church. We walked to the back of the church and began the ascent of the steepest hill behind the church. Sheena had no problem walking up the hill except for the fact that she likes to stop and sniff very frequently. The hill is short but gets the circulation pumping and is the steepest and longest climb on the "trail." Not having poles made it more of a challenge. We did not stop on the way to the top of the hill but set a fast pace. I could feel that I had not been hiking in a while but Sheena is now bigger and her pull on the leash is signficant. At the top we paused for a minute so I could look around at the hills that surround the hamlet of Livingston Manor. The skies were blue with a few white clouds and bright sunshine. Sheena was eager to enter the woods on the trail and hopped right up the steps. The trail was dry and the temperature under the trees seemed cooler than in the sun.
At the first trail junction, we continued straight up the hill with Sheena leading the way on her leash. When we reached the top of the hill, we followed the yellow trail as it turned right. The trails were covered with multicolored leaves but many were brown. The leaves on the trees were becoming fewer and fewer and the colors were still very muted. We walked uphill through the field of ferns that was rapidly turning brown with the nighttime temperatures in the low 30's. When we reached the "sitting rock", we stopped for a moment so that I could sit. The woods would be quiet except for the traffic on the Quickway. I would have remained for a few minutes but Sheena was not interested in stopping. We continued on the yellow trail up a small hill to the junction with the blue trail to the summit. I decided we would do a figure 8 so we turned right on the yellow trail. We followed the yellow trail along the base of Round Top with Sheena wanting to run ahead. At the next junction with the blue trail, we turned left and headed up toward the summit. Sheena showed no sign of slowing down and helped pull me quickly up the hill. We passed over the highest point on the trail and started down the other side. We passed by the white crossover trail but almost immediately turned left on the switchback in the blue trail. We walked out into the woods and turned almost 180 degrees to head back to the main blue trail. On the main blue trail we turned left and again walked on the yellow trail along the base of Round Top. At the next junction with the blue trail we turned right and headed down the yellow trail. Where the trail meets the woods road we turned right and continue downhill to the first trail junction. We turned left and walked out to the trailhead. We turned right and walked down the cemetery hill to the church parking lot. We walked across the field by the church with Sheena shying a bit whenever a car passed. She did walk across the road after I looked both ways. It was 2:35 PM and it had taken us 35 minutes to hike a little more than a mile. Sheena drank a lot of water and then laid down by me for a long nap.
On Friday, October 4th I planned to go back to Walnut Mountain to walk the cross country course with Liberty XC Coach Samantha Abplanalp. I wanted her to know the course and wanted to be sure she felt it was ready for our Wednesday race. We agreed to meet at the main parking lot at Walnut Mountain Park at 4:15 PM. I had just walked the course and did some maintain the day before but was anxious to walk it at a faster pace. I had laid out the course six years ago and made sure it was exactly 5K which translates to 16,404.2 feet. For the last few years we returned to our course on school grounds. This course will be unavailable next week because of some work on the school grounds. I began to get ready at 3:30 PM with the temperatures at 70 degrees with a slight breeze blowing. I got dressed in my White Sierra light crew top with no baselayer. I wore my Railriders hiking pants which are expensive but last along time and have features like deep pockets and a generous cut which I really like. The pants have Velcro closures at the ankles. I decided to put on my Keen Durand hiking boots which I ordered a half size larger than the previous pair. These shoes fit well out of the box but get much tighter when I add a decent insole. Without the third party insole, by feet hurt from the lack of support. I added a new pair of Xstance insoles in an effort to find the best support and cushioning for my feet. These insoles have shock absorbing gel pads, TPU arch support, and memory foam cushioning all wrapped in a breathable fabric. The insoles have been hyped by their manufacturer and they really do seem to deliver. I decided to take my Leki MicroVario poles as they are light and easy to use. I put my Silky Sugowaza saw in my pack and made sure I had my Garmin GPSMAP 64st gps unit with me to check the length of the cross country course. I got my gear in the car and at 3:50 PM I drove out our driveway and got on the Quickway east toward Liberty. I got off at exit 100 and took Lake Street up the hill to Route 55. I drove a short distance and turned right on Walnut Mountain Road. I pulled into the main parking area at 4:05 PM. Several other cars were parked and some kids were using the playground equipment. I took the time to snap some shots of the leaves and the clouds. Samantha arrived a few minutes later. I put on my pack and we headed down to the XC start line below the baseball field. I set my GPS unit and we began our walk at 4:20 PM. I was anxious to see what Samantha thought about the course.
The XC course starts along the Walnut Loop East Trail with a wide-open grassy area that allows a fair start. After about .1 miles it turns slightly to the right and enters the woods on a wide but rocky carriage road. Samantha and I started a conversation about the course, running and coaching. The course continues downhill for about .5 miles when it turns 90 degrees to the left on the Walnut Loop North Trail. This section of trail is grassy and immediately begins a gentle climb until it transitions back to gravel at .7 miles and begins a steeper climb. I pointed out some of the "features" of the course and how the runners might apply some tactics during the race. At .8 miles the course turns left on Vista Way which is a narrow trail rather than a carriageway. I mentioned that runners would want to get to this narrow section first to control the race. We followed Vista way as it headed back toward the parking area crossing a small bridge over what is soemtimes a stream. From the bridge the course begins a slight ascent until it breaks out of the trees at the parking lot. I told Samantha that I would mark the trail with paint at all the turns and at the places that might look like turns but area not! The course follows the fence line back toward the grove of trees that surrounds the pavilion. The course then turns right up the carriageway following the Mountain Overlook Trail and this is where the real work for the runners begins. The carriage path is rocky and mostly up hill from 1.25 miles to 1.8 miles although the course does level some and even descends a bit at 1.6 miles where it joins the Walnut Loop North Trail. This section is wide and easily allows runners to pass each other as they approach another narrow section. At 1.8 miles the course turns sharply to the left and ascends an unnamed trail. The trail is narrow with plenty of rocks and roots. This section is only .15 miles long but ascends at a 17% grade to the Sunset Trail. I pointed out that runners will want to beat their rivals to the beginning of this section to control the race as passing on this section would be difficult. This trail is not maintained by the Town of Liberty Parks and Recs Department although it did seems people were using it on a regular basis. Along the way there are several single track bike trails that cross the course.
At 2 miles the course turns right on the Sunset Trail which is another wide carriageway which allows runners to pass each other. At the turn we met a man and his dog. The dog was on a leash but paid us no attention. We spoke briefly and then parted ways. The surface here is smooth and firm but it does ascend a little until it breaks out into and pen area which has a nice lookout to the right. The runners will not get to see the view from the lookout as they turn sharply left at 2.3 miles on the Mountain Overlook Trail. I took off my pack and set it down at the side of the trail. I took out my camera as we walked over to the lookout. I was disappointed that it seemed to be hazy and the leaf colors were less than spectacular. After taking some pictures, we returned to my pack where I put away the camera and shouldered the pack. We made the turn onto the Mountain Overlook Trail. This section of the course is a wide but rocky carriageway that begin the runners descent off the mountain. From 2.3 miles to 2.7 miles the runners are headed downhill on the Mountain Overlook Trail. At one time the course turned right into a field but this section had some dangerous spots and I noticed it was not maintained. I decided to have the course simply continue on the Mountain Overlook Trail. At 2.7 miles the runners turn right to stay on the Mountain Overlook Trail back to the grove of trees near the pavilion. The runners pass through a gate and then veer right to head to the finish line on the Walnut Loop South Trail. After turning to the right near the playground, the runners enter a final bit of woods. When they come out of the woods, they pass through an old red shale quarry and sprint to the finish line near the disc golf course. When I reached the finish line, I looked at my GPS unit and it read 3.1 miles! I turned off the GPS unit and we walked back to the cars. Samantha thought the course was hard but fair. She will bring her team over to run the course Monday or Tuesday and see what they have to say. We said "Goodbye" and headed home.
On Thursday, October 3rd I planned to go to Walnut Mountain to make sure the cross country course was in good shape and to trim any bushes and remove any blowdowns. It had been 10 days since I had been out hiking and I really wants to go. During those 10 days there was some bad weather but the biggest factor was preparation for the state inspection of our ambulance corps. I had a lot of help seeing that everything was in good shape. We had a few rough patches but got through the inspection. Now I have to do all the paperwork for our state rectification. I had laid out the course six years ago and made sure it was exactly 5K which translates to 16,404.2 feet. For the last few years we refuted back to our course on school grounds. This course will be unavailable next week because of some work on the school grounds. I was officiating at a funeral at 1:00 PM and decided to wait until the afternoon to go to Walnut Mountain. When I returned home, I asked Cindy if she would like to go and she agreed. We decided to take Sheena our new puppy even though walking with her sometimes means dragging her along! We began to get ready at 1:30 PM with the temperatures at 70 degrees with a slight breeze blowing. I got dressed in my White Sierra light crew top with no baselayer. I wore my Railriders hiking pants which are expensive but last along time and have features like deep pockets and a generous cut which I really like. The pants have Velcro closures at the ankles. I decided to put on my Keen Durand hiking boots which I ordered a half size larger than the previous pair. These shoes fit well out of the box but get much tighter when I add a decent insole. Without the third party insole, by feet hurt from the lack of support. I added a new pair of Xstance insoles in an effort to find the best support and cushioning for my feet. These insoles have shock absorbing gel pads, TPU arch support, and memory foam cushioning all wrapped in a breathable fabric. The insoles have been hyped by their manufacturer and they really do seem to deliver. I decided not to take any poles as I would be holding Sheena's leash and trimming buses. I put my Silky Sugowaza saw in my pack and made sure I had my Garmin GPSMAP 64st gps unit with me to check the length of the cross country course. I got our gear in the car and put the cover on the back seat for Sheena. Cindy sat in the passenger's seat with the dog on her lap! At 1:50 PM I drove out our driveway and got on the Quickway east toward Liberty. I got off at exit 100 and took Lake Street up the hill to Route 55. I drove a short destine and turned right on Walnut Mountain Road. I pulled into the main parking area at 2:10 PM. Several other cars were parked and some kids were using the playground equipment. I put on my pack and took Sheena by the leash. We walked down to the XC start line below the baseball field and waited for Cindy to join us. I set my GPS unit and we began our walk at 2:20 PM. I was anxious to see how much work needed to be done to run a race next Wednesday.
The XC course starts along the Walnut Loop East Trail with a wide-open grassy area that allows a fair start. After about .1 miles it turned slightly to the right and enters the woods on a wide but rocky carriage road. We picked up a few branches and cut one or two that were hanging over the trail but otherwise this part of the course was in good shape. The course continues downhill for about .5 miles when it turns 90 degrees to the left on the Walnut Loop North Trail. This section of trail is grassy and immediately begin a gentle climb until it tansitions back to gravel at .7 miles and begins a steeper climb. At several points along the way we trimmed some overhead branches but found the fnoting on the trail to be in good shape. At .8 miles the course turns left on Vista Way which is a narrow trail rather than a carriageway. I thought that runners would want to get to this narrow section first to control the race. We picked up a few branches along Vista Way and followed it back toward the parking area crossing a small bridge over what is soemtimes a stream. From the bridge the course begins a slight ascent until it breaks out of the trees at the parking lot. The course follows the fence line back toward the grove of trees that surrounds the pavilion. At this point Cindy decided to wait at the picnic tables with Sheena. Sheena is very stubborn for a puppy and likes to stop and sniff everything along the way. Sometimes a "walk" with her is more like a "tug and go". I also knew that Cindy is not thrilled with the uphills to come. The course then turns right up the carriageway following the Mountain Overlook Trail and this is where the real work of running begins. The carriage path is rocky and mostly up hill from 1.25 miles to 1.8 miles although the course does level some and even descends a bit at 1.6 miles where it joins the Walnut Loop North Trail. This section is wide and easily allows runners to pass each other as they approach another narrow section. At 1.8 miles the course turns sharply to the left and ascends an unnamed trail. The trail is narrow with plenty of rocks and roots. This section is only .15 miles long but ascends at a 17% grade to the Sunset Trail. Again, runners will want to beat their rivals to the beginning of this section to control the race as passing on this section would be difficult. I spent the most time here clearing branches and blowdowns from the trail. This trail is not maintained by the Town of Liberty Parks and Recs Department although it did seems people were using it on a regular basis. Along the way there are several single track bike trails that cross the course.
At 2 miles the course turns right on the Sunset Trail which is another wide ccarriageway which allows runners to pass each other. The surface here is smooth and firm but it does ascend a little until it breaks out into and pen area which has a nice lookout to the right. The runners will not get to see the view from the lookout as they turn sharply left at 2.3 miles on the Mountain Overlook Trail. This section of the course is a wide but rocky carriageway that begin the runners descent off the mountain. From 2.3 miles to 2.7 miles the runners are headed downhill on the Mountain Overlook Trail. At one time the course turned right into a field but this section had some dangerous spots and I noticed it was not maintained. I decided to have the course simply continue on the Mountain Overlook Trail. At 2.7 miles the runners turn right to stay on the Mountain Overlook Trail back to the grove of trees near the pavilion. The runners pass through a gate and then veer right to head to the finish line on the Walnut Loop South Trail. After turning to the right near the playground, the runners enter a final bit of woods. When they come out of the woods, they pass through an old red shale quarry and sprint to the finish line near the disc golf course. When I reached the finish line, I looked at my GPS unit and it read 3.85 miles! I knew there had to be a problem since I had originally measure the course to be exactly 3.1 miles with two different GPS unit and a wheel. I turned off the GPS unit and walked back to the car to meet up with Cindy and Sheena. We got in the car and I drove back to the house. I loaded the GPS track into my computer and found several anomalies in the track. In areas where I had done trail work the GPS continued to record distance as I walked around clear the trail. There was one rather large error where it seemed the GPS unit went on a walk without me! Once I correct these errors, the length of the course was 3.1 miles.
On Sunday, September 22nd I planned to get out for a hike on Round Top with my new dog Sheena for the "First Day of Fall Hike". My son Kurt and his two children Ariana amd Kaden had come to see us and our new dog. They stayed overnight and went to church Sunday morning. We returned from church at 12:30 PM and decided to get started as soon as possible. After losing my hiking buddy, Sheila, on July 12th, I had been looking to get another dog. I was reluctant because I was so close to Sheila and she was such a great hiker. I also knew I needed to have another dog as we have not been with out one for 20 years! On Wednesday our Daughter-in-law Kathleen, sent us the name of someone who might have puppies.I called the woman and she said she had one female available and we decided to go check her out IMMEDIATELY! I think when we saw her Cindy and I both fell in love with her. She is a Feist-Cur cross which are actual types of dogs used on farms and for hunting in the south. She probably won't get to be more than 30 pounds which makes Cindy happy although I would have preferred a larger dog. She was born the day after Sheila died. We took her home and she slept with me on the couch all night. The dog slept but I did not sleep as much. Sheena is just starting to be aware of my changing cloths to hike and has started to watch me! I started to get ready to hike at 12:45 PM with the temperature at 72 degrees on the back porch. I got dressed in my White Sierra light crew top with no baselayer. I wore my Railriders hiking pants which are expensive but last along time and have features like deep pockets and a generous cut which I really like. The pants have Velcro closures at the ankles. I decided to put on my Keen Durand hiking boots which I ordered a half size larger than the previous pair. These shoes fit well out of the box but get much tighter when I add a decent insole. Without the third party insole, by feet hurt from the lack of support. I added a new pair of Xstance insoles in an effort to find the best support and cushioning for my feet. These insoles have shock absorbing gel pads, TPU arch support, and memory foam cushioning all wrapped in a breathable fabric. The insoles have been hyped by their manufacturer and they really do seem to deliver. I decided not to take any poles as the walk would be short and I would be holding Sheena's leash. At 1:10 PM I put Sheena on her leash and we all walked out the door to start the hike. We headed down the driveway and to the street. Sheena has gotten used to walking on her leash to the end of the drive but gets nervous as we get near the road. This time she let me look for cars and then led us across the road to the field by the church. We walked to the back of the church and began the ascent of the steepest hill behind the church. Sheena had no problem walking up the hill except for the fact that she likes to stop on sniff very frequently. The hill is short but gets the circulation pumping and is the steepest and longest climb on the "trail." Not having poles made it more of a challenge. We did not stop not on the way to the top of the hill but set a fast pace. I could feel that I had not been hiking in a while. At the top we paused for a minute so I could look around at the hills that surround the hamlet of Livingston Manor. The skies were blue with a few white clouds and bright sunshine. Sheena was eager to enter the woods on the trail and hopped right up the steps. The trail was dry and the temperature under the trees seemed cooler than in the sun.
At the first trail junction, we continued straight up the hill with Ariana leading the way and Sheena pulling me on her leash. When we came to the path on the left to the lookout, we took OT. Sheena had no problem avoiding the gap in the path. The view from the lookout has grown in and the leaves on the trees limit the view. We were still able to get some views of the town and school. Kurt took a few pictures before we continued our hike. We walked up the small ledges to the upper lookout and picked up the yellow trail. We walked uphill through the field of ferns that was rapidly turning brown. The trail was covered in leaves which were all a nondescript yellow color. When we reached the "sitting rock", Ariana climbed to the top of the large boulder while Kaden was content to remain on the lower rock. Kurt took a few more shots and helped Ariana down from the higher rock. We continued on the yellow trail up a small hill to the junction with the blue trail to the summit. I decided we would do a big loop so we continued straight ahead with Ariana in the lead again. Sheena does best if she can chase somebody so this worked well. Ariana passed by the switchback and continued straight up the hill but this did not seem to bother Sheena. Kaden was beginning to tire but we told him that after we reached the top it was all downhill. We skipped the white crossover trail and continued on the blue trail over the summit. Ariana increased the pace on the downhill and Sheena wanted to stay with her. I was having trouble going downhill at their speed and keeping my balance. We came to the junction with the yellow trail and continued straight ahead heading downhill on the yellow trail. Sheena was beginning to tire and was reluctant to continue walking without a rest here and there. When we came to the woods road, we turned slightly right and continued along the yellow trail. We were almost back to the first trail junction when we met a group of six young men and women coming up the trail. I walked off the trail to the right with Sheena and let them pass. We continued to the first trail junction where we turned left and headed out to the trailhead. At the trailhead we turned right and walked down the paved road toward the church. Sheena was now being really obstinate and was sitting without moving. I gave her some encouragement and she followed along. When we got to the church, we walked across the parking lot to the street. We crossed the street to our driveway and walked to the house. It was 2:50 PM and it had taken us 40 minutes to hike a little more than a mile. Sheena seemed absolutely beat. She drank a lot of water and then laid down on the couch for a long nap.