Trail Running at Laurel Lake Brightens a Misty Morning

This past Tuesday morning around 7 a.m., most everyone was hiding indoors from strong winds, dark skies and the looming threat of a downpour.

Me? I went running.

I'm not usually one to run in the morning but I'm a bit of nutty storm chaser and, since we had near ideal weather for last week's column, I had the perfect route planned: the trails of , just down the street from my house in Mattituck and another one of my favorite places to hide (but I guess not anymore since I'm sharing this with the world).

Luckily, the rain held for the hour or so I was playing photographer in the woods, and a mist made for some interesting shots. I usually enter the trail off of Old Sound Avenue and either turn around at the entrance to Laurel Lake Park off of Route 25 or hang a left at Route 25 and get some road running in after the trail. Either way, you end up with a good couple of miles under your belt and some diverse scenery along the way.

Early morning is a great time to hit this particular route — you're all alone and don't have to worry about dogs on the loose sneaking up on you while you're absorbed in the tunes. These trails are used a lot by people who want their dogs to run free — especially on the weekends. I think that's great — dogs need to run too and they are usually harmless, but I've been "attacked" a few times by more than one oversized puppy trying to say hello. FYI.

Happy trails!