Brunswick Trail Wander

I've done variations of this run several times of the past few years, mostly in the spring when the grasses aren't so high and the spring wildflowers are out in full force. Looping through Brunswick on one big "loop" is a fun way to enjoy and connect some of my favorite trail networks in the area. Although most definitely not a run that promotes Laurel Highlands specificity, it is a run that made me happy today and that's really what counts at this point in the game with only a few weeks until race day! 😁😃

I wanted to get an early start today as temps were supposed to soar into the low 80s. Whoa! Headed out around 6:30 am from the Bowdoin field house lot and ran up the roads to the start of the Crystal Spring Farms near Thornton Oaks. Looped around on both sides of the road on the trails and ran up along the edge of the field to the farm. Such a pretty morning and lots of wildflowers blooming. Saw 48 ladyslippers in those first few trail miles alone 😍

Some of the many ladyslippers along the trail

Trail winding along the edge of the Crystal Spring Farm fields

After looping around on the Crystal Spring Farm trails, I ran through the blueberry fields out to the high school and then headed onto the trails that we used to call the Extended Commons back while at Bowdoin. I probably have run them more in the past few years than while I was at Bowdoin, but it is a very nice chunk of land intersected by numerous trails, one of which leads out to Rossmore Road, one of which leads to a pretty pond, pictured below, and several of which meander through the undeveloped woods to the edge of a neighborhood off Mere Point Road. Scared up one deer through here and saw no one.

Blue sky reflected

From there, I ran out into Pennelville, enjoying the chatter of the Bobolinks in the fields, and onto the Coleman Farm trails. The grass is getting pretty high out there, so this is likely my last visit out there for a while. Lots of birds flitting about, including a pair of Chestnut-Sided Warblers, which was a really cool, first for me, sighting! As always, beautiful out on these trails as they wind down to and along the edge of the bay.

View out into Middle Bay Cove

Ran back through the Commons to complete the loop, counting another 66 ladyslippers along the way, for a total of 112 for the day, as well as seeing some beautiful patches of fringed polygala, star flowers, bluets, bunchberries, strawberry plants, gold thread, false lily of the valley, blue bead lilies and rhodora blooming.

Fringed Polygala

Rhodora

More ladyslippers

Midway through the Commons, I ran into a guy running in the same direction as I was, but taking a few different connecting trails. We kept seeing each other and finally ended up running together for the final mile or so out on the perimeter trail around the Bowdoin fields as we finished up our runs. Turns out he is a Bowdoin alum from the 80s 😀

A great way to spend the morning and a good last long(ish) run before Laurel! (16.0 miles)