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The bridge is finished and folks are already using it! Those eagle scouts and their advisers really got this bridge done fast. It even has side rails, what ever those are used for! Come on across, girl, it's plenty safe now!
This other pic is of some running dudes that were cruising around the route. Jack, BJ, or was the JB, and Shawn? I really don't remember names but they were making the Hudson's field loop in this photo. Two of them are planning to run the Farmdale race in October and one is heading for the Chicago Marathon. Awesome!
One negative thing I need to bring up on trail conditions - the red markings are no longer dependable. Some loose cannon, self proclaimed trail maintainer has added red paint to just about every trail out there. Those markings are very well done and look like the rest of the red markers. Red was once reserved for a 7.5 mile trail that was put in many years ago by the scouts. They called it the Potawatomie Trail. Now, you just about have to know the race loop to get it right. We've lost that long time reliance on that great old trail. Stupid people annoy me. Guess you need to come take the guided tour on November 1 with us - at least three folks have indicated they will run with the locals that day.
You are invited! I am hosting a guided tour of the McNaughton race loop. Are you a puppy and want to see what you should be training for during the winter? Have you never run McNaughton before and want to get in a ten mile jog? Are you a big dog McNaughton runner that would like to join us for a group run? This is your chance!
I have barked a request to a group of local trail runners asking them to help as tour guides. Enough of them said they would that I am offering the invitation. Saturday, November 1 is the date, 9 A.M. is the time. The race start/finish line is the location. There is no fee, no clock, no awards, just a fun run on a great route. My tour guides have various speed qualities but still no real commitment from the greyhound group, yet. Please RSVP so my people will know what to expect.
If there is enough interest, we might run a second loop on Saturday night. If you want to know what McNaughton looks like at night, again, this is your chance. I can tell you, it is dark! You will understand why so many racers love to have pacers when they run their night loops.
Stay up on my posts for any updates or changes and RSVP me soon!
It was a wet go in McNaughton this weekend. The camera stayed dry so we had to use some pics from last week. One is of me waiting for a cookie while the sun is streaking through the trees in the Hooter Hill area. The other one is a ground dwelling spider that builds these webs in the grass. At least these spiders don't put webs across your snout!
Big big weekend at McNaughton Park. I went around helping my girl take pictures and pick up golf balls on Saturday while my boy and Mountain Man Jerry slugged out a couple of hours on the race loop. On Sunday, we carried a chain saw to clear more trail as many places were getting blocked with downed limbs and trees.
As the pic shows, somebody obviously tried to see just how strong the broken bridge really is and caused it to tip a little more as well as got some more of the connecting planks to pop out. So, we worked a little harder at getting the path cleared for you folks to run down to the bottom and back up the other side. Be careful! I landed on my chin trying to cross those slick logs at the bottom - before my people cleared them, of course.
At another location - near the golf course - we started to clear a small log that was on the trail. Found a hornets nest. My girl got stung a couple of times, screamed and shrieked to "run for your lives" as we bolted out of there. Now, I'm no golfer but I'm guessing those guys on the course, after hearing such a panicked scream, looked up just in time to see a girl and a collie sprinting through the woods being chased by a guy with a chain saw, would have a bit of a concentration problem for the rest of the day.
One of the reasons we don't have the race in the summer! Spiders. These little critters can rebuild a web in the time that it takes Mountain Man Jerry to complete one loop! If you are fortunate enough to miss the spider with your face, they usually bail off of you by scurrying down the back of your legs - or so says my human photographer. I don't understand all the fuss - I just charge right through. My people sure make an ugly sound when they encounter a face full of web.
Otherwise, the park is alive with flowers and the other pic shows a tall flowering plant in the area between Picnic Hill and 3rd creek crossing.
With little or no rain in the past few weeks, the creeks are low and the trail is dry - something most racers have never experienced. Early morning runs sure gets your feet and underbelly wet but that is more refreshing than anything.
Sorry about being gone for a spell - seems we had some restrictions that took some time to get approved. There have been lots of action at McNaughton since my last post so let's get started!
We had some high wind on Fathers Day weekend. Plenty of trees down everywhere. Here are a couple of photos of the damage. This bridge is around mile 1.3 (or so), between the power line meadow and the totem pole aid station. My people did a pretty good job of clearing a way down the creek and back up the other side. With both main support beams busted, trying to cross this bridge is not a good idea. The park people say this is a project for a local eagle scout and we hope to have it ready before the race. If not, hey, it's a wilderness run. Deal with it!
