My Muddy Shoes

Location: Block House Point Trailhead

Address: 14400 River Rd. Potomac, MD 20854

STONE MILL 50 MILER COURSE PREVIEW #3 (Blockhouse Point to Rt. 28)

We are up to Course Preview Run #3 showcasing the Southwest quadrant of the course.

There is a caveat to this section this year. Due to lingering construction at and around Pennyfield Lock the course is going to have a significant alteration/detour this year that you need to be aware of.

Once runners reach the Blockhouse Point trailhead they will be diverted to the right into the Blockhouse Trail system and vectored down to Violette’s Lock where you will end up back on the canal and the original course.  For all you canal haters – breath a sigh of relief. Two miles of the canal is cut off. But, maybe, not so fast because the detour will add some elevation. Pick your poison.

In addition to the course changing so is the location of the Pennyfield Aid Station. This will located at the Blockhouse Point Parking lot. It will still have the 12:30 cut off time and it will still have the first bag drop. And, of course, the best aid station in the whole-wide world brought to you by Muddy Shoes!

Unfortunately, on race day this area will be restricted and no parking will be available for spectators. It’s just too small.

OK, so the following is a turn-by-turn instructions for the detour section at Blockhouse Point followed by a higher level description of the rest of the training run.

Turn-by-Turn Stone Mill Reroute Instructions – Blockhouse Point

• From Blockhouse parking lot head up South Old River Road Trail for .45 miles
• Left onto Blockhouse Trail for .45 miles
• Left before bridge onto Springhouse Trail for .47 miles
• Right onto Blockhouse Trail (again) for .18 miles
• Stay straight onto Calithea Trail
• Take Calithea Trail all the way to Violette’s Lock Road – .35 miles
• Left on Violette’s Lock Road for .15 miles to C&O Canal.

From Violette’s Lock, continue in the direction of the race, up the C&O Canal for a mile to Riley’s Lock. At this point cross over the creek and take an immediate right off the canal and run up Tschiffley Road. This is the point where the Seneca Greenway Trail begins. Almost immediately you will see and run through, the remains of the actual Stone Mill. Check out the link for historical facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Quarry . Note: this will also be the site of your next aid station during the race. Rumor has it that on race day you might encounter adult beverages to warm your running soul at this point! Continue up Tschiffley Rd. to River Rd.  Careful crossing. Once you cross head to your right over the creek on River Rd and make a quick left up Seneca Rd. for about a third of a mile before seeing the trailhead on your left. Duck in the woods on the Greenway trail and take it all the way up to Rt. 28. Now turn around and run back! Easy-peazy twenty miler for ya!

We’ll put water out on the course just not sure where yet.

Donations! So far folks have been pretty generous! From the bottom of our muddy heart – Thank You!!! Please feel free to stuff your hard-earned cash into our lovely-decorated donation box or scan the Paypal QR code. Aside from paying for food and fluids we use at our weekly runs throughout the year, we have used this money to buy a brush cutter attachment for the weed-wacker , new pop-up tent and a down-payment on the Muddy Shoes Lamborghini. It works great! Thanks again!

Caltopo – if you have any doubts about staying on course then download Caltopo to your phone. I included the link to this weekend’s run in the details below. You can bring it up on Caltopo and it will show your current location as well as the course. It really works well.

***These runs are open to all. You don’t have to be running Stone Mill to join us. You can be training for a different event or just want to come out and do a few miles. C’mon out!

Well, enough chit-chat. Here are the details for Saturday:

Leader: Coach Laura

Location: Blockhouse Point Trailhead

Address: 14400 River Rd. Potomac, MD 20854

Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/G5QVGSA

Date: Saturday 17 October

Time: 0730

Donation: Yes, please! See above.

Pets: Dogs or small children on a leash OK. No ferrets or rabid beavers!

Vibe: Usually pretty chill.

Hope to C U there cuz THESE TRAILS AIN’T GONNA RUN THEMSELVES!

Cheers,

Muddy Shoes