Into the Woods

I’ve been out in Idaho for work this past week. The geography and social life in greater Boise are about as different from Syosset as you are likely to find in this country, but the weather was good and the people very nice so overall it was an enjoyable work trip.

 I did a fair amount of running while I was out there; mostly on the greenbelt that runs along the Boise River. My morning jaunts got me thinking about running on the Greenbelt here on Long Island, which I have occasionally done when I have enough time to drive to a trailhead. Many of you already know that the Greenbelt can be accessed through trailheads in Syosset at or on Jericho Turnpike (next to the ), but the Greenbelt runs pretty much North to South from Cold Spring Harbor to Massapequa and there are plenty of places to jump on.

 I recently ran the section of the trail that originates at the Jericho Turnpike Trailhead and proceeds north to Cold Spring Harbor, and found it to be fairly challenging. Parts of the trail are very steep and rocky and there are tree roots and poison ivy to contend with. (See the attached photos for examples of this section of the trail). Hikers/runners should follow the white blazes painted on the trees. Proceed carefully, since the markings are confusing in places and it’s easy to lose the trail.

This time of the year a runner is well advised to bring plenty of water and apply some insect repellents. In many places the mountain bike path parallels the footpath and the bike trail can be easier to run on, but you had better pay attention. Bikers tend to cruise pretty fast on the flat parts of the trail and aren’t necessarily expecting to see a runner sharing their space.

 If you are looking for a still-woodsy experience with less technical terrain, I recommend driving to the bike path in Bethpage State Park and heading south. The bike path is another shared trail, and since it’s paved the bike riders tend to go even faster than in the woods, but it is definitely a multi-use trail. Runners, hikers and bikers are all welcome and expect to see one another along the trail.

The trail is pretty flat and there is plenty of wildlife to see, especially toward the southern end of the trail where it parallels a river and skirts the edge of a large pond. From the parking lot in Bethpage to the southern terminus in Massapequa is about seven miles. That makes for a fairly long round-trip run, but there’s no need to do the entire thing at once and you could start at either end. It also makes for a nice afternoon of cycling, if you are so inclined. A good description of the trail can be found at the lirunning.com site, or by clicking here.

 Whether you are a runner, biker, hiker or walker, I hope you can make some time to enjoy the Island’s woodlands. Have a great week-end!