This weekend will include the running of the TAM Trek 18 mile race, going the full length of locally famous Trail Around Middlebury. I have competed in this race many times, including a second place in the inaugural running, but with my training not currently up to the distance, I decided to help out this year – giving a little back to the local running community and the trail that I love. I volunteered to help flag the trail prior to the race, and was pleased to hear that I was given the responsibility of marking the most remote corner of the trail, the northernmost section going into the Middlebury Gorge. I also knew from previous races that this section has been known to confuse some runners who don’t know the trail already, so I planned on doing a good job of things. We will see on race day!

The trailhead for this run/walk (slowing down to hang streamers) was along Morgan Horse Farm road, about 0.8 miles north of the entrance to the farm itself, on the right. From the parking lot, immediately head over the sty (an Olde English countryside word for ladder, but hey, its a fun word) to the right, and a run across the cow pasture (no cows there…but the signs of their recent presence was quite obvious) to the back of the meadow, where the trail led over another sty and into the forest. I quickly came to one of the intersections which has confused runners in past years – there is a shortcut to the Belden Dam, going straight, and a sharp left turn, which actually leads to the gorge. I did my best to mark this corner with plenty of orange streamers, and even made an attempt at an arrow to the left from rocks on the ground. It isn’t so obvious from the picture, but trail runners are frequently looking down at their feet – if they don’t, their nose ends up on the ground!

At this point the trail in the woods passes just under the trees along open meadows, until it actually joins the periphery of a large scenic meadow. When I last ran this way, at the back of the meadow there was (and still is) a picnic table, and looking out, I noticed a shelter, complete with seats, and a few rope swings. I suspect this is part of the childrens’ programs run by the Middlebury Area Land Trust (Shout out!) which sponsors the race, and is charged with the upkeep of the trail.

From this point, the trail heads back into the woods for the easy descent to the riverside. I also made a curious observation – there were still some red streamers left behind from a previous running of the race. I also suspected that I had been passing by these along this section of the trail, and was glad that the streamers I was marking the course with were a much brighter orange….ah the perils of the red/green colorblind runner….Hint to race organizers – red streamers blend in with green foliage for myself and the similarly afflicted!

Arriving at the river’s edge, the trail goes up and down along the shore of the Otter Creek before reaching a mini- beach with a nice view of this remote and sparsely visited section of the creek.

After hitting the river’s edge, the trail gets pretty technical for about a half mile, with some beautiful views of the gorge on side trails, and some very “scrambly” sections – Some of them steep enough and slick enough that the trail crews (shout out to John Derick!) have placed cables to assist hikers and runners. I know from experience that this short section, late in the race, can be tough on the runners! In some places, the moss on the ground and the gnarly trees is quite lovely. A friend and local photographer and arts teacher Josh has christened this section “The Shire”.

The trail hits the Belden Dam at about 2 miles, and with the wet summer we have had, the water was roaring through the natural sluice formed by the river as it plunges into the gorge.

My return to the car was a right turn shortcut, not on the TAM race trail, and was mostly through the forest. One of the hidden gems of the TAM is along this path. When one reaches a thicket of small hemlocks on your left, once you pass them, and take a short bushwhack to the left, looking to the left for about 100 yards on a very weak herd path, there is a small family graveyard, most of the gravestones in from the VERY early 1800s, with the surname of “Belding”. I am presuming that the name “Belden Dam” is based on word of mouth communication of the family which once had a farm here very early in the history of the area!

From this point, the run was pretty straightforward, and the late afternoon sun looked beautiful on the pastures. At the last few steps, returning to my car, the Blue Beetle, I saw that some of the local cows had blocked a section of the trail. This ended up being a very pretty, but short 3 mile loop. I took my time due to my trail marking, and the half mile section along the river was very slow going, but the rest is an easy trail run with excellent footing!

The Moosalamoo region is growing a reputation as a great place for hiking, and yes, trail running. A lot of this reputation has been the result of the increasing popularity of three trail races, all of which start and finish at the Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center in Goshen. Over 30 years ago, I started running the granddaddy of these races, the Goshen Gallop, run by Tony Clark and his staff and family, and for many years, this was the high point of my running season, both in terms of challenge (6.6 miles on mostly mountain trails) and scenic beauty. In more recent years, two more challenging trail running events have emerged. The Moosalamoo Ultra, expertly run by John Izzo and his extended family has both a “Big Moose” version (36 miles, but when I ran it I found a way to extend it to 37.5) and the “Little Moose”, “only” covering 14 miles – still plenty challenging, but accessible to mere mortals. The most recent event, the basis of this posting is Andy Weinberg’s Endurance Society Infinitus race. Andy has a long resume both competing in, and running extreme running events. I first became aware of Andy when I met him at the Jay Peak Ultra 13 years ago, and later learned of his then-signature event known as the Death Race. He then went on to become the co-creator of the popular Spartan Race series, and now concentrates on his own “Endurance Society” events, of which Infinitus is the biggest. Oh, and he also has a day job as a college professor at Castleton University.

The Infinitus event is a close to two week long suffer fest with a sense of humor, run on many of the Moosalamoo Region trails. Many of the races are designed with the number 8 in mind, which is, of course, the infinity symbol standing upright, and the race which best follows this theme, covering 888 km in 10 days, with many of the competitors running through the nights. A few people have been able to finish this, but it is way out of my league. I did notice some humorous comments on the race progress board when I was up there today, with some competitors unable to cross the border from Canada due to ongoing Covid rules, and a few others making >PG comments about the challenges forcing them to throw in the towel.

Some of the lesser events include competitors attempting to run 10 trail marathons in 10 days, 5 marathons in 5 days, 250 miles, 100 miles, and the events commencing at 8:08 Saturday morning, the 88 Km, marathon, and the race of my intent, the 8 miler, or as I thought of it, the “Finite Infinitus”. You can guess which race had the most participants! This race was also a special one for me – first of all, I know the Moosalamoo trails about as well as anyone, have run/skied/biked them for 35 years, and frequently describe these routes in this blog. Like a lot of people, this race is my first as we all start to emerge from Covid. Finally, I have been dealing with cancer for about 2 years, and this was my first attempt at a race as a cancer patient, after beginning the gauntlet of surgery, radiation, and chemo about a year and a half ago. Since my current treatment regimen isn’t as debilitating as what I underwent in 2019-2020, and my strength is returning, it was time to get back to what I love. I have been gradually building up my endurance, but still, on many of my runs, I do have to slow down to a walk, so a mountain race was perfect – almost nobody runs the uphills on terrain this crazy! This particular race, in which most of the climbing was in one long ascent of Romance Mountain, would do a good job of masking my current limitations.

Of course, in a May race, you never know what you are going to get for weather, and as I got up early in the morning to head up to Blueberry Hill, I looked on the thermometer, and saw that it registered 40 F! I also suspected, quite correctly that it might even be chillier up at the race, so had to dress accordingly. Arriving at the race site, the in, the outdoor center, and the surrounding fields were buzzing with activity. In addition to plenty of cars, there were RVs and tents set up in a little city of runners – which makes sense given the number of runners in multi-day events.

And yes, it was cold! The weather was just fine for running, but not so good for standing around waiting for a run to start. I had a brief conversation with a running friend who had been there the night before, keeping her daughter company as she ran through the night while competing in the 100 mile race. Apparently, there were snowflakes at the higher elevations last night, although nothing collected! As the race started, a few runners bolted like it was the beginning of a much shorter race, but most of us started off nice and easy, and we all soon funneled into the narrow trails, typically two, and later one runner wide. A lot of the runners attempting the longer races carried hiking poles, so in the crowded early miles people had to be careful to avoid getting accidentally poked, although this as certainly not as challenging as it can be in ski races. At just past the 1 mile mark, the prettiest part of the run was reached, the great views of the Green Mountains from the side of Hogback Mountain, where the greatest concentration of wild blueberries can be found in July.

At about the 2 mile mark, the most intense climbing began, where the trail goes up over 1000 ft in about 3/4 of a mile, and as predicted, nobody was running here, at least mid-pack where I was. The lower level of pysical activity I have been trying to work my way out of was really apparent here; I didn’t have to stop to catch my breath, but the lack of leg and glute strength certainly slowed me down relative to many other runners. At one point, the Blueberry Hill Ski Touring center advertised this trail as the highest altitude groomed cross country skiing in the east, and I have enjoyed skiing up this many times in the past! Topping out at around 2700 ft, not quite at the summit of Romance Mt, the trail did a modest descent for a few minutes, before a short climb, and the long nearly unbroken descent to the finish line. Most of the trail from this point on was all well-trodden single track, running through the dense coniferous forest which characterizes most of the Moosalamoo region.

The long descent from the 3 mile point was even easier than I thought it would be. There were a few muddy patches, and those competitors whose day was going to be a lot longer than mine due to the nature of their longer chosen events took care to avoid wet feet, but I just sloshed on through them, enjoying the playful mess I was making of my shoes and legs. After one last smaller climb up the Stewart trail, the gradual descent to the finish line brought me past a few beaver ponds, and I even mustered enough of a sprint at the finish line to burst past another guy who looked like me might be about my age. It really felt good crossing into the finish line corral – especially since a year and a half ago, I wasn’t sure I would ever get to do this again.

While this race was listed as an 8 mile race (remember, the “8/infinity theme”) it was only 7.32 miles, and that was fine as I had plenty of fun. The total altitude gain was about 1200 ft, most of it in the crunch up Romance!

We are getting into one of the more challenging times of the year for high quality trail time. On trails where the snow has subsided, mud has taken over. While mud on the hiking boots (or running shoes) is not something that bothers a lot of trail enthusiasts, we should refrain from hiking until Memorial Day, in order to limit trail erosion. Cross country skiing? That brings up other challenges, as the snow where it hasn’t been groomed is just plain crusty and nasty. However, there is a window of opportunity for trail running with microspikes, at least on trails which have been “well tromped” to make for better footing, at least as long as one dons their Microspikes on their running shoes. I was conversing with a friend yesterday, who was looking for good places to go hiking at this time of the year, and I suggested some of the forest service roads crossing the Ripton-Goshen Road, knowing of several that get steady winter use, either from hikers and skiers or snowmobilers. I also figured that the snow would be pretty hard early in the morning before being softened by the sun, making for easier traveling.

After this conversation, I decided it would be fun to get a taste of my own medicine, and try to do a trail run on one of these, and decided to try the road heading into the Moosalamoo Campground and Voter Brook Overlook. I also figured that Saturday morning would be a good time to run this, as the Ripton-Goshen Road can turn into a quagmire as the day warms up. By late morning, however, it was in pretty good shape. The dirt road heading to the Voter Brook Overlook is not terribly long (under 2 miles) and I often incorporate parts of it on longer loops in the Moosalamoo region. Arriving at the end of the road, gated for the winter, it was obvious that there was plenty of snow still on the road, although I could tell just by looking at it, that the footing would be less than idea for running.

After slipping on my microspikes, it soon became apparent to me that my concerns were well founded. While the snow was firm, it was badly pocked, making for awkward footing, even with good friction from my footwear. It was obvious that I was going to have to take it easy if I didn’t want to finish my run with twisted ankles and knees, turning this day’s activities into more of a run/walk. What was causing the bad footing? I didn’t see much indication of hikers “postholing” (crashing through crust making deep holes), but there were the remnants of people tracks (skis, ski poles, boots, and snowshoes), deer tracks, moose tracks, and dog tracks that had accumulated since the last snow. Also, it was interesting to note that wherever a leaf or branch had fallen, it made an inprint, often several inches deep, from the sun hitting the dark object, which in turn melted it into a hold. The patterns made in this way by dropped fir tree fragments made for interesting indentations, almost halos, in the surrounding crusty snow.

Bad footing aside, it was a beautiful bluebird day, and despite the awkward footing, necessitating a more leisurely place, it was great to be outside. About halfway up the road, it drops to a stream crossing and makes a sharp turn, before climbing back up to the higher ground. The last time I had been here, in Oct 2018, the low point in the road was badly washed out, making summertime vehicular traffic impossible. I was glad to see that the road had been repaired at some time in the not too distant past.

At about 1.7 miles, I reached the end of the road, with the expected payout – the view from the Voter Brook Overlook. Very few people in Addison County know of this lovely little vista, even though it is fully accessible by car in the summer months, on slow, but 2WD roads. The lookout is even more dramatic in the winter, when there are no leaves on nearby trees to obscure views. On a typical summer weekend day, countless hikers make the trek up to the Rattlesnake Cliffs, just to the right of the frame of the view in the picture below, while this overlook only gets a trickle of attention despite far easier access.

After pausing for a few minutes to enjoy the view on this perfect early Spring day, I retraced my route back to my car. The footing was starting to get even more challenging as the sun started softening the snow more, making for an even slower pace, much of it barely discernible as running. I also added in a short extra loop through the Moosalamoo Campground. This lovely little gem is very much off the beaten path, and I have never seen more than a handful of groups camping here at any point in time. It doesn’t have the obvious draw of a lake or river to swim in, but is surrounded by many trails, including the moderate ascent up adjacent Mr Moosalamoo. It always struck me as a place to go to just to hang out and relax in a quiet place. Amenities? Hah! It has a few outhouses, and drinking water. I also discovered an addition to the sites that I didn’t remember from previous visits – bear boxes to put food in! Does this count as my first bear sighting of the year?

The entire run/walk was only slightly less than 4 miles, and had no climbing of any significance, but I think that this time of the year is when it is at its prettiest. Since it was over a dirt road, rather than a true trail, it would make for a nice place to have a long walk (or short hike – I am not sure when one ends and the other one begins) during mud season.

This is a tough time of the year to get out on the trails. For one, the “stick season” weather can be kind of grim, and most of the people out on the trails are carrying their guns, in search of the elusive slow buck. I don’t begrudge the hunters their time, or at least not much. We have the trails for the rest of the year, and they get them for a only a few weeks. I was thinking to myself…..”Where would people carrying guns, even for non-nefarious reasons, not be allowed, where I might want to run?” And then the answer came to me – what is the one place in the US where guns are never allowed? Airports of course! Now, I have no interest in doing laps on an airport concourse (although I have done that to kill time on long layovers), but thought that a run around the periphery of our own Middlebury International Airport might be the safest place around to run. I had also recently noticed that the fencing which was put up around the tiny airport (can’t have enough airport security!) also had a 6 foot wide apron around its periphery for maintenance. Sounds like a good place for a run.

Starting the run down by the corner of Munson Road and Schoolhouse Hill Road, I came face to face with the fence that would soon be my companion. The dire warnings sent a shiver up my spine. No way I was crossing that wall…Oops…I mean fence.

I started my run to the right, alongside the fence which seemed to stretch on forever! The footing was perfect, and I even saw a few deer prints in the soft sandy soil. Perhaps they too had figured out that Homeland Security made this a safe zone for them? I also thought it was cool how the wire fence semi-shaded the path in front of me – it looked almost like it was meant to be lanes, but there was no sign of oncoming traffic.

Heading further south, I turned the corner at the end of the runway, running past the “back yards” of some of the auto repair and storage facilities on Schoolhouse Hill Road, before returning north, closer to the airport facilities. When I reached the paved road, the gates were open allowing me to peruse the airplanes, as after all, it was a quiet work day there. Some of the planes were lined up tidily, clearly ready to be flown.

On the other hand, there were also some real “beaters” – the remnants of older planes that were clearly being scavenged for parts, or a few that looked like fixer upper specials, that were a long way from being airworthy. One oldie was the following airplane, with the name “Comanche 250” inscribed on the side. Looking up the details on this plane, clearly missing some major parts, like a tail, I found that it was a model put into service in 1958.

Running past the “control tower” – actually not a tower, but just one of the buildings, I realized, much to my dismay, that the official name isn’t “Middlebury International Airport” after all. “Middlebury State Airport” sounds so much less grandiose, and to think, I had been naming it incorrectly all these years. Finally, I sought out an old jet aircraft, that had been sitting alongside one of the runway sheds, partially covered in a tarp, for probably 20 years. It was no longer in its rusting place, but as I headed towards the main tie-down area, I saw it there, actually up on its wheels, and looking considerably healthier than I last saw it. Asking around, I found it was an aircraft called the “Fouga Magister” and was an old French training jet from the early 50’s – literally the dawn of jet aircraft. How on earth did someone every fly it in to such a short runway? How on earth was anybody ever going to fly it out of there? Finally, who on earth would ever fly a jet like this, which literally looked like not much more than a few seats strapped on an engine? In any case, this oldie is the blue plane in the back of the picture below.

Realizing that I was indeed on the wrong side of the fence, and liable for who knows what kind of federal offense, I headed out, and followed the fence further to the north. Quite a few paths joined in, although I expect that most of them were paths from people’s back yards, and at one point, literally was on someone’s back yard. They must have been bummed when the airport put up the wall, I mean fence, spoiling their view! Finally, returning to my starting point, I concluded an easy, and kind of cool 2.6 mile run. And no, I am not going to include the altitude profile for this one, because, you know, airports are kind of flat!