Hemlock Lake

date: 2/26/2023

total mileage: 22.5 miles

One of the most beautiful sounds on earth is a closed dirt road in February.

Stage 7 took us out west for 22.5 miles of frozen hills along Hemlock Lake. Unlike every other lake thus far, this was the only one with no sight of water along the entire loop. Similar to the other lakes in the western cluster, the roads along Hemlock are not well traveled on Sunday mornings, making it ideal for running. We launched from Hemlock State Park and headed south for 12 miles down the west side of the lake. With just under a 1,300 ft change in elevation, it went from snow and ice to sun and mud, lots of mud, by the time we reached the southern most point. I could not help but to laugh out loud at the endless 5-mile climb from 14-19, convincing myself it's perfect prep for Heartbreak Hill in just 7 weeks from now. The support along the way was dialed in and on point—plenty of puppy kisses, human kisses, and fig newtons to get me back to the top. Looking forward to seeing sun again and covering some serious ground in the coming months. Thank you everyone for your continued support with Project 11. Keep moving forward.