Dahlgren Rail Trail Half-Marathon

Dahlgren Trail Half Marathon, 2/20/2016
Dahlgren Trail Half Marathon, 2/20/2016
3rd of 7 men over 60, holding coupon later spent on a fancy pair of socks. Photo by my long-run marathon training partner Leslie Kash, who also took an age-group prize. On right, actual rails which only extend 100 yards or so into the race course. Over my right shoulder is the insulation I added to help keep my backpack water supply from freezing. Trail map

Spectators on the course

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Elspeth assures us these are alpacas, not llamas, because of their long ears. Photo by my long-run marathon training partner Leslie Kash, taken on Elk Run Church Road (near the Gray Horse Winery) during our 16-mile out-and-back run from Goldvein to Elk Run Church site on February 12th.

Owen’s prickly

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After the blizzard, the American sweetgum trees dropped a lot of these seed pods on top of the snow. Owen called my attention to one of them as we walked down the driveway to the mailbox the other day. The holly was the start of his tree identification career, and he shows a keen interest in the other pricklies, as he calls them. These trees are quite common to us, noticeable for their gorgeous autumn colors, but I don’t think they grow in Pennsylvania.