Running At Red Creek Park
	Red Creek Park is home base for the East End Road & Trail Runners Club, running several races a year there. When we started the club, no one even heard of Red Creek Park. Now it's a popular running place for runners. Southampton Town, Parks and Recreation has expanded the facilities and offer many sports at the site. Read more about Running At Red Creek

What? Snow? Just in case you forgot what it looks like, this is what Red Creek Park looked like in the snow in 2005, a week before our Last Day of Winter 5k. By the time race day came, there was no snow. What will this year bring? Back to the East End Runner!  My notes and pics from March 2005. I hiked the Red Creek Trail today, one week before our event. It was cold and snowing, but I laced up my 15 year old Merrell’s, blue jeans (the original sweat pants), thinsulate hat, and my East End Road & Trail Runners Club gloves. We’ll see how the weather is this week, but even with these conditions, the trail wasn’t that bad. There was only about 2 inches on most of the trail. I may have to play with the distance and route to avoid some slippery and hilly areas, but our race will go on no matter what the weather. I wasn’t the only one out there. I saw trail fresh bike tracks, ski tracks and some footprints and dog tracks. Strangely enough, no wildlife. I always see deer on that trail, but not even hoof prints today. I did see some small tracks that weren’t very clear. They may have been a small dog, but I have seen fox in the area. The area around the ball field, just before you enter the trail, was some deep drifted snow (about 8 inches), but the trails themselves were not bad. Hopefully the drifts will melt down before next weeks race. If we do get snow, bring your ski’s, snow shoes, boots or whatever you’ve got. This race celebrates the last day of winter, so we’ll take whatever mother nature lays out for us. The East End Road & Trail Runners Club considers Red Creek Park our home base. Southampton Town Parks and Recreation has been very supportive of us since we started 13 plus years ago. We stage many events here every year. More about Red Creek Park  Back to The East End Runner!

From the 5k start today. We'll see what it looks like next week.

Into the trails. Not a terribly welcoming site, but I like it!

Bread & Butter... Part of the 5k course. Here I found bike, ski, hiking and dog tracks, yet I saw no one the entire trip.

No rest for the weary... This cold bench is just past the 2 mile mark of the 5k route. No tracks here. There is nothing like the feeling of being all alone on a snowy trail with only your footprints marking the trail behind you. It reminded me of the days that I would spend snowshoeing deep in the New Hampshire mountains. Well not quite, just a thought.

I like signs. This one is about half a mile from the finish line. Hot chocolate anyone? I took more photo's, but a snowy trail is a snowy trail. You'll have to come see for yourself. I'll most likely go again tomorrow. Anyone want to join me? Thursday I'll be out there again with the measuring wheel, just in case I have to change the route. I'll keep you updated, but it's next Saturday morning that will make the final determination on the course we take. Anything goes though. We will run this race!