JMT8: Pocket Chocolate

I kicked off Week 2 with a simple, enjoyable run with minimal new trail-age. Starting, as usual, from the Railroad Grade gate, I headed up past Double Bowknot and into the woods on Hoo-Koo-e-Koo Trail (again, different from the fire road).

Hoo-Koo-e-Koo emerges onto a very steep fire road called Hogsback after slightly less than a mile, where it almost immediately reenters the woods on the other side of Hogsback and becomes Matt Davis Trail, a distinction it will carry all the way across the mountain and down to Stinson Beach. I simply continued on Matt Davis here, but knew that I would be back shortly.

Today, I didn’t take Matt Davis all the way to Bootjack. I went about a mile from Hogsback before turning up onto Nora Trail, which leads up to West Point Inn. This is “the other way” to get up there besides West Point Inn, and while it does mean a whole lot more flat and shaded running, it also means that you have to run up the relentless, unforgiving Nora switchbacks, which cover the majority of the Railroad Grade climb in about half a mile. Nora and I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship: the climb might hurt, but it still somehow is a really fun trail, and it is beyond satisfying when it suddenly emerges right on the front steps of WPI.

With West Point as the high point of my run, I started down Railroad Grade, but turned off to check off another trail: Hogsback. Fun fact: the top of Hogsback marks the approximate halfway point from the start gate to West Point Inn.

Anyways, Hogsback is really, really steep. It mostly serves as a connector trail for people who park at the Mountain Home Inn, which sits right at the bottom of the trail. From there, runners, bikers and hikers can trek up the half mile climb to access Hoo-Koo-e-Koo, Matt Davis, or Railroad Grade, the likes of which can connect you with pretty much any other trail on the mountain. In essence, it’s a gateway to everything the mountain has to offer, which is pretty cool.

I love running down Hogsback. It’s so steep that I have to consciously lean back, forcing my butt towards the back of my knees, and have to swerve back and forth to keep from picking up speed. It honestly feels quite a bit like skiing: take wide turns, keep your shoulders down the hill, and you should be alright.

At the bottom of Hogsback, just past the fire station, there’s a short hill climb that you can take instead of running on the road, and it leads to the spot pictured below. I think it is one of the coolest, most underrated spots around.

After that, I just headed back on Gravity Car Road, as I normally do to get back from Mountain Home Inn. The last few miles were uneventful, yet peaceful and enjoyable, and I saw my man Grey Dixon making his final burst up to Hoo-Koo-e-Koo before he would ride the ridge back to his neck of the woods.

Before the run today, I was really hungry. I didn’t want to eat right before, so I packed a little chocolate bar in my pack. The second I finished my run at the gate, I broke it out and had a treat, and chocolate has never tasted better. Stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. See you tomorrow!

👊✌️

Jonathan