• If it’s not one thing then it’s another •
[1½ MIN READ]
BB Betsy, Jimmy Dee, Quietman Tom, and I all had Too Hot Tom’s Trail Closure Notice Facebook post in mind as we worked on a Shawmont-Eva 15-miler.
SEE MAP and COLLAPSE
The plan was to take Main Street to Leverington Street to Umbria Street. This is not an unfamiliar detour when the canal path has become impassable due to flooding or other unpleasant circumstances.
SEE MAP and COLLAPSE
When we got to the steps entrance to the trail across from Tsaocaa BubbleTea, though, we met another runner coming from Kelly Dr. When we asked, Runner commented about there being a detour around the construction fences that made us decide to attempt the canal path anyway. It turns out that “detour” is a generous word; but it sure is an inviting option given that the construction zone covers a mere 40 meters of an otherwise 2-mile segment.
SEE MAP and COLLAPSE
It’s possible to step around the fences and use the path anyway, which we 4 did; but we suggest other SRC runners proceed at their own risk: Clearly, the bulk of trail users (cyclists, runners, and walkers) were doing exactly that.
But then, what’s another detour? Once an SRC runner has reached that point, they’ve already committed to doing the Shawmont Avenue ascent. Those who opt to return to Northwestern Avenue via Ridge Avenue then have to negotiate the road-widening project surrounding Barren Hill Road.
SEE MAP and COLLAPSE
With conditions there being unpredictably challenging, some have been opting for a Short Shawmont.Still others dislike the traffic on Ridge Ave and avoid it completely by taking the trail return. For anyone who commits to running, there’s a saying that comes to mind that keeps more than one going: Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
-CtCloser (Calvinthe) “Negative Split or Positive Splat” #dothedue
FINE PRINT
¶Text by Calvin Wang (Wäng), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ¶Cross-published: Facebook Shawmont Running Club (ZY Weekly Newsletter 9/16/23), Ruminations by CtCloser. ¶Based on true events. Likenesses used with permission.
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