The North Incredibly Disgusting

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Everyone's [least] favorite, BPA Road

Ann picked our weekend long run of 22 miles: New Year, New Route from our blog. The problem is that I was the one looking at the directions. I got ahead of where we were, and sent us down Firelane 9 early, chunking all of the brutal climbs of this route into the first half.



Cedar, being careful not to get his paws wet while crossing a full stream

By the time we got to the long out on Wildwood and back on Leif, we were grateful to have no more big climbs ahead of us. This one really kicked my butt and made for good training-- adding distance onto legs that have been depleted by hills.

Gotta take selfies at the firelane ends

Much like the North Nasty, this route makes use of the long slog up and down the entire hillside on BPA and Newton Roads. Don't be fooled by the moniker "road" though-- these trails each have sections so rugged and steep that I'm not sure who thinks they might drive up or down them.
 
A majestic fungus

Although it was a perfectly nice spring day, with the recent rains everything was pretty muddy. In fact, on the way down Firelane 9, slipping and sliding, even Cedar walked through the ivy on the side to avoid some of the worst of the mud. It was so bad that we nicknamed this route-- instead of the North Nasty-- the North Incredibly Disgusting. But who doesn't enjoy a little mud with their run?

Trillium turning pink at the end of flowering

You can lead a dog to water...

All of Firelane 8

Idyllic day with streams in full glory




Route:

Newton - BPA: 1.88
BPA - Skyline: 1.99
BPA - WW: .46
WW - FL10: 2.02
FL10 - Keyser - FL10 - Germantown: 1.69
FL 9 - out and back 1.28
Cannon - WW: .32
WW - Wiregate: 6.5
Wiregate - Leif: .31
Leif - Germantown 4.11
Cannon - WW .32
WW - FL8 .31
FL8 out and back: .34
WW - FL10 (25.80): .42
FL10 - Newton: .15
total: 22.19

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