Southern Trails

The Tour de Christmas is underway.  Monday-Weds we were in New Jersey visiting Pete's dad.  We got in two nice trail runs at Brendan Byrne State Forest.  The trails don't have a lot of elevation, but they're beautiful and unpopulated and usually blanketed with pine.  In the summer the trails are surrounded by low bush blueberries.  In the winter, they're lined with beautiful green moss.  The first day, we hit one of the singletrack trails.  It was covered in leaves, but still passable and not wet or slippery at all.  I think we got in about 5+ miles.  The next day, I went back by myself and did the main trail, I think it's called the Cranberry Trail for about 6 miles.  Both days were mild and shorts were very comfortable.  I may have mentioned it before, but one of the trails that runs through this park is called the Batona Trail.  It's ultimately a 50 mile trail point to point (!) through the New Jersey Pine Barrens that starts (or ends) at the Brendan Byrne State Forest, passes through several other state forests on it's journey north (or south).  I have designs about running this trail in its entirety sometime.  The downside is that in the summer it's really, really, tic-y and buggy.  But it's also really green and beautiful and looks like a sweet little trail.  The best time of year to do it would probably be spring or winter, but maybe with a healthy dose of bug spray and deet, it could be managed in the summer...
Yesterday, we hit the Appalachian Trail for about 5ish more miles.  Weather was great, trails were in good condition - a little muddy here and there.  Tomorrow I head back out for a longer run on the AT, hoping to get in 15 or so.   Tonight I'm seeing my best friend from high school - hard to believe we have known each other almost 30 years.  She's a wonderful writer and has a blog about the creative process and how she works through dry spells, creative spells, and what inspires her.  Check in out, why don't you?