Local "Lewis & Clark" Discover Dinosaur Bones

Last weekend I met Dan for a long run through Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Mass. Having recently raced in these woods (Trav's Trail), we explored paths that were new to both of us at a cartographer's pace. The rhododendrons and lady slippers were out and thankfully the mosquitoes were not!

Below is one of my favorite Maudslay views of the Merrimack.

With Dan as a willing adventurer, I was hopeful to discover a runnable link between Maudslay and Moseley Woods. On our way we spotted this momentarily curious deer by Castle Hill.

We followed a "connecting trail" off the back side of Bootlegger's Field before it narrowed and eventually dumped us under a bridge. We agreed that this was not the prettiest section but it was unavoidable; we forged ahead. After 10+ minutes of running in the direction of Moseley, the path forked at a compost barrel by a well-manicured lawn so we turned down the other prong and emerged into more beautifully landscaped grounds with this open-air building (below). I felt like we stumbled from Massachusetts into Tuscany!

What to do now? We "took the cannoli," went back to the compost container and sprinted 150 feet across the grass! Neither one of us turned around. IF WE HAD, we would have noticed this sign alot sooner: "BEWARE, VICIOUS DOGS!" Dogs? What dogs?

Dan and I only discovered this warning when we decided to retrace our steps, after unsuccessful attempts to find an unpaved return route. With no sign of Cujo nor any "Private Property/No Trespassing" markers, the threat humored us to no end— in a mafioso thriller sort of way.

While I am not certain Dan and I mapped the best "runner-friendly" route, we managed to get to Moseley Woods AND discovered these huge dinosaur bones.Luckily we did not run out of gas on this long run.

If we had, we unearthed a few places to refuel.