Hills and Highland Lake

Spring races are starting to creep into my consciousness, big hilly ones like 7 Sisters so I'm trying to get plenty of decent hill running in. I got out of work a little early on Thursday afternoon and headed over to Blackstrap Hill to run the snowmobile trails and see if I could find the one that goes out to Highland Lake.

From Hardy Rd I took the Tricycle Trail up to the top of Leighton hill (Bitch 1 of the 3 Bitches), along the ridge and then down through the Skillin's Tree Farm. Up 180' and down 210' in the first 2 miles. I wasn't sure where the snomo trail to Highland Lake started but I knew it was somewhere along the power line trail that runs along the bottom of the tree farm. I headed north until I hit Mast Rd, no sign of the trail I was looking for so I cut over to the gas line trail that parallels the power lines and headed back to the south. 

Just before the gas line rejoined the power lines I found the trail I was looking for that turned west into the woods. This narrow snowmobile trail ran through a few backyards, crossed Mast Rd and shortly thereafter came out at the southern tip of Highland Lake. I was tempted to run out onto the middle of the lake, but I didn't have a lot of time so I turned back. This brought me out at the base of the 3 Bitches, 215' up over 1/2 mile, then 160' down on the Tricycle Trail back to the car.


Excellent trail conditions for a relatively quick pace considering the hilly terrain.

time: 1:01:08

distance: 7.09 miles

pace: 8:38