The November Challenge (or, The Audacity of Leaves)

Since my birthday falls in early November, I probably like the much-maligned month more than most. A child’s happy memories of coming downstairs and seeing what is obviously a Star Wars action figure (“I hope it’s a new stormtrooper!”) wrapped in last weekend’s Sunday funnies (way back when Garfield was still funny) sitting on the coffee table… those can last a lifetime; thanks, Mom! The daylight savings time change seems to affect others more than me; just plop a headlamp on me and I’m good to go. No SAD issues for me, thankfully. And I don’t even mind the gray. Or grey? Or brown, or whatever color November actually is. But one thing does frequently hassle me on my early November runs: downed leaves.

an actually not-too-bad section of leaf-covered trail

Whether you’re running on narrow trails or old woods roads, a coating of dead leaves can make things difficult. On twisty mountain-bike singletrack, like the kind you find at Earl’s Trails in Hadley or the Saw Mill Hills conservation area in Northampton, the route can be completely obscured, and important trail junctions rendered invisible. This year I tried navigating the maze of faint paths just east of Fitzgerald Lake after leaf-fall, and even though I had a good map and knew the way I still found myself missing turns and bushwhacking by mistake. At times like that I stop to silently thank the oft-unappreciated ranks of Those Who Rake.

On the other end of the spectrum, wide open routes like the “carriage trails” at Northfield Mountain feature their own autumnal challenges. You can always find your way, but with a lot of leaves covering the surface you can still manage to somehow go astray. The likelihood of turning an ankle on uneven ground increases a lot, and the possibility of kicking a buried branch or protruding rock becomes a real threat. 

And what happens if you just add water? Oh, that’s a special treat. Wet leaves are slippery anytime, but just wait’ll you try to run across some on a slanted ledge in the woods. Whooooops!!! Ouch. The D.O.C., M-M, and Teabag Trails on Mt. Tom have a couple of spots where that’s a real concern. Wet leaves also make you slide backwards on uphills and can cause you to slip to your doom on steep downhills. 

Naturally, there ARE some upsides as well. The leafless trees let in more light, so it takes darkness longer to really set in, which is a nice (if somewhat slight) offset to a shorter day length. The decomposed foliage on the ground will eventually make new soil to replenish the ever-eroding trail’s treadway. And often the less-than-ideal conditions will drive fair-weather runners back to roads or onto treadmills, so you’ve got those sweet forest miles all to yourself for a change. 

Also, let’s be honest here, aren’t those leaves better off rotting away in the woods than filling up your yard? Plus, no matter how tough the leaves can make fall trail running, the snow won’t be too far off, and you know what that means… snowshoe racing season’s coming soon!!

Ben is the editor of The Sugarloaf Sun newsletter and author of the guidebook Trail Running Western Massachusetts.