Sunday TOT Run Preview

I'm excited to be sharing some awesome trailz in the Chandler Park Wildwoods this Sunday!! The TOTs will meet at Chandler park instead of the usual Turkey Mountain for 3-8 miles on a mostly unused trail system.

I marked off a 3 mile course today, which has no bad climbs, no water crossings, but plenty of rocks and roots, and almost mystical rock outcroppings. I marked the course with aqua tape--like the pic above. Look for small tabs at all the intersections and a confidence tab every 100-200 yards.

There are some narrow single track trailz here, but this out-and-back with a big loop at the end is mostly wider trail.

A half mile in, you'll travel through a small channel through some rocks. This is cool, but would be an amazing night run. Anyone game??

There are a couple of downhills, followed by a couple of uphills. Nothing as bad as Lipbuster on this portion, although on the other course which runs west has a couple of ridiculously steep nasty climbs. I'll post more on that tomorrow.

Watch for the blue-green (aqua) tape tabs. This is probably the worst uphill--no, the one in the next pic is about 3/4 mile later and is slightly steeper.

After this climb, you cross the corner of a big clearing.

Watch for tape tabs directing you to the right. It is easy to miss this turn, and going straight or left will take you miles and miles away from where you need to go--unless you actually want a 10 mile run.

You re-enter the woods, and follow the trail until it intersects with a trail you were on earlier, and then you follow the tape tabs back to where you started.

Back through the walled channels. Take your time to notice the trees growing right out of the sides of these rocks. There are many openings in the rocks where monsters could hide at night.

Enter at your own peril. This looks like a time portal to me.

There are several caves here. It's amazing how many times I ran through here and never noticed them.

And the rocks through here have personality. Watch your step. You never really know what you're stepping on.

I gave this rock a wide berth.

I guess I should sheepishly admit that while these pics were all taken this afternoon on my run whilst marking trailz, and a few were ran through photoshop. No harm done--right?? :-)

Tuesday,