Have you been meaning to try trail running but intimidated by the usual 7:10 am pickup time? Curious to see stick season in the Fells, or just excited for the run+pastry combo? Come join us!

Our current plan is to run the Skyline trail (8 miles). This will be a no-drop run: we will run at a pace that's comfortable for everybody on the trip.

We'll start the run at 9:30 am at the Sheepfold parking lot and leave from MIT at 8:55 am if you’re participating in the ride share [rideshare]. We will be back at Sheepfold by about 11:30 am for pastries and coffee.

There are no fees for this trip.

Prerequisites

Winter is here! MITOC Winter Safety Committee declared winter conditions in New England. That means that all participants must either have attended this season's winter safety lectures or hold a winter leader rating.

Prior trail running experience is not required! This trip is fine as an introductory trail run, but you should be in good physical shape and have some hiking experience. As a rough guideline, you should: - Be comfortable running 6 miles on flat road at a 9:00 to 10:00 min/mi pace (e.g., have done such a run in the last 3 months) - Have done a hike with at least 1,000 ft of elevation gain in the last 6 months

If you don't satisfy the prereqs, you're welcome to sign up anyways, but please email the leaders describing your recent running experience and fitness routine so we can make sure this is the right trip for you.

If you're interested in joining after the signup period closes, please email the leaders so we can make sure we're set on logistics.

What to bring

Make sure you bring the following:

• Your phone

• What you've worn in the past for running in similar conditions

• Water (can be left in the car)

• Warm and dry layers for the post-run hangout

We will be monitoring the weather and will pick a less technical route if trails are icy. The current trail conditions can be found here.

Ride Share

Please sign up for the ride share here after signing up for the trip! This trip is sometimes car-limited, so please sign up to drive if you're willing to do so!

There is also an option to indicate alternative means of transportation if you don't need a ride. This will help us keep track of things.