Hiking

Owie Crankin, hope it heals quickly. Pax, your "ahhhh" moment made me smile :)

I hiked 3.4 miles today with my Keenes, and THIS time on true dirt trails, no gravel. It went far better than anticipated, but my ankles are complaining a bit. Something of a surprise, but my Keene hiking shoes are low, no ankle support at all, and I did noticed in a couple of places my feet were fine but my ankle wanted to roll a bit. I will also say the Keenes feel far better on dirt than on pavement - thought THAT isn't a surprise. Hopefully no shin cramps tonight, but I did stretch well when I got home.

It was almost 70, in central Indiana, on November 6? Beautiful! LOTS of hikers and mountain bikers on the MTB trail today, all of us taking advantage of the weather.

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Originally Posted by Crankin

Well, I didn't have an x ray, but it's not swollen and the bruising is more on the top of my foot. Besides, even it was broken, there's nothing to do for it but rest. Cycling seems OK, but I will definitely have to modify more than I did last week in tabata. I figure another week of flat shoes and probably more icing. I have not been very good about that.

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I wasn't either. Mine was also not swollen, and I had almost no bruising, but the angle it stuck out at (completely gross and unnatural) after I stubbed it convinced me it was broken. I taped it to the adjacent toe following instructions I found online and was able to return to yoga after a couple of weeks, but I had to modify a lot of the moves. Wasn't doing any hiking since we were in Mexico, but walking was painful for a few weeks. Still, I did it. I made DH take our dog out for the first few days, but I couldn't stay holed up in an apartment forever, so I limped around.

I might have gone for an x-ray if we'd been in the US, but in Mex. I knew I'd have to pay out of pocket and take a taxi to get to a doctor, so I just didn't bother after reading online that there wasn't much they could do anyway.

Sorry your hike was painful! :(

It's not sticking out in any way, or misshapen. I thought about taping it, but I didn't have any tape. I may do that later in the week, based on activities I have planned. Yeah, walking is not entirely fun, but until today, bearable. I iced and elevated it for a bit and rested for 3-4 hours until we went out to dinner with my son and family. That didn't require much walking, though. I am icing it again, now. Tomorrow morning I have Power (weights/core) class. The only thing I can see that will be an issue is lunges, which I can modify. There's only one move that requires jumping, but half the class does the modified version. Mostly, after the squats and lunges, it's all arms, chest and core. Cycling didn't bother it any more than more normal activities, so that's good. It's just a pain. We just signed up for a group hike in 2 weeks, so I will baby it for sure. Of course, I can always cancel going to that, but I was looking forward to it. I was disappointed I felt so limited today, when I felt so strong and coordinated after my trip to Maine.
My son broke is big toe on Father's Day. They put him in a modified boot and gave him a cane and pain killers. I doubt they would do that for a baby toe.

Taping it might provide it enough support to allow bit of pain relief in your activities. I don't KNOW that, but it would stabilize it a bit. So sorry you're going through this.

While I didn't have shin cramps last night, I did have some light localized "stuff" (unsure what to call it) in the area of my left shin where I know the splints are. I need to decide if I should cancel the group hike next week - but I really do not want to do that. Perhaps if I'm good this week and rest it - no mile-plus pavement walking sessions, it will be reasonable to take them to the same trail I did yesterday. Certainly no longer distance, assuming they're interested in a 3 mile hike...

One of my pictures from yesterday's hike. I remembered how much I enjoy solo hiking, it is rejuvenating. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy hiking with others just as much, but the group I lead is....well....chatty. I don't think there is even one second of silence in our hikes. It does allow me to see the woods through their eyes and that's a good thing as well.

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Great pic, Catrin! Which park were you in? I might hit you up for some recommendations next Spring, we only have a 2-3 three parks near here and I'd like to try something new.

Kind of a PS - what do you gals use to keep ticks away?

I was in Ft Benjamin Harris State Park which is nice (and local) as long as you stick with the mtb trails, but I strongly suggest you hit Brown County State Park (mtb trails as the normal hiking trails have lots of steps), and McCormick's Creek State Park. Much more variety and better scenery.

I'm happy to show you whichever or both. The former has many more miles of trails and thus more variety of trails to choose. The latter is smaller, far less busy, a beautiful fall and different types of scenery. Both are in southern Indiana. There are others to choose from but they feature more aggressive terrain, ladders, scrambling, etc. Too much for my knees. I've been told that Clifty Falls State Park is also a good option for me but I've not yet been there. It's further from Indy than the other two.

I don't mess around with ticks, it's something with DEET for me.

Thanks, I've been to Brown County many many times and LOVE it. We were considering a Fall amble there this year, just not sure if we'll make it over with having to run to Chicago to see the new great niece. Right now I can't do much with steep sections, hopefully that will improve over time, but my right leg is just super weak right now.

Do you just spray around your ankles or do you have to do a full body spray? Hate using the stuff, but surely don't want a tick bite.

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Originally Posted by Pax

Thanks, I've been to Brown County many many times and LOVE it. We were considering a Fall amble there this year, just not sure if we'll make it over with having to run to Chicago to see the new great niece. Right now I can't do much with steep sections, hopefully that will improve over time, but my right leg is just super weak right now.

Do you just spray around your ankles or do you have to do a full body spray? Hate using the stuff, but surely don't want a tick bite.

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The mountain bike trails at the park varies Pax, I could recommend a couple of mtb trails that do not have long steep sections. There are some shorter sections that are a little steep but not bad at all - the switchbacks really help with that. Let me know if you plan on going this year, shin splints, schedule, and weather permitting I wouldn't mind joining you. I don't know anything about the parks in the northern part of the state so I can't advise there.

I am just as concerned with mosquitoes as I am ticks, so when I spray I pretty much hit all over. I don't ALWAYS spray however, only when it's hot and humid. I am a bit unclear when ticks are active, so I should perhaps reconsider. The few times I've found ticks they have been on my throat, and they DO fall out of the trees...

I'll definitely let you know if we head over!

Same here, not sure when they're active. I did find one on my head years ago, so now I try to wear a hat. Guess some tick research is in order.

So, a quick look around the net revealed this about ticks:

Adult ticks, which are approximately the size of sesame seeds, are most active from March to mid-May and from mid-August to November. Both nymphs and adults can transmit Lyme disease. Ticks can be active any time the temperature is above freezing.

As for prevention:

The best way to protect yourself against tickborne illness is to avoid tick bites. This includes avoiding known tick- infested areas. However, if you live in or visit wooded areas or areas with tall grass and weeds, follow these precautions to help prevent tick bites and decrease the risk of disease:

Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, boots or sturdy shoes and a head covering. (Ticks are easier to detect on light-colored clothing.) Tuck trouser cuffs in socks. Tape the area where pants and socks meet so ticks cannot crawl under clothing.

Apply insect repellent containing 10 percent to 30 percent DEET primarily to clothes. Apply sparingly to exposed skin. Do not spray directly to the face; spray the repellent onto hands and then apply to face. Avoid sensitive areas like the eyes, mouth and nasal membranes. Be sure to wash treated skin after coming indoors. Use repellents containing permethrin to treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes) but not skin. Always follow label directions; do not misuse or overuse repellents. Always supervise children in the use of repellents.

Walk in the center of trails so weeds do not brush against you. In camping areas, individuals who sit on the ground or disturb leaf litter on the forest floor may encounter ticks.

Check yourself, children and other family members every two to three hours for ticks. Most ticks seldom attach quickly and rarely transmit disease organisms until they have been attached four or more hours. If your pets spend time outdoors, check them for ticks, too.

If ticks are crawling on the outside of clothes, they can be removed with masking tape or cellophane tape. A ring of tape can be made around the hand by leaving the sticky side out and attaching the two ends. Ticks will stick to the tape which can then be folded over and then placed in the trash.

Gross!! Makes me itch just reading it.

I also use Deet. I found a tic on my back 5 years ago, so i don't mess around.

We were hiking through ankle deep leaves and narrow trails with weeds on either side this weekend. I think when my wife gets home we'l be doing a full body check for hitchhikers.

Thanks for the information, I never seem to think about checking their active season when I'm actually around an internet-connected device. I've always been a bit nervous about ticks since I don't have someone around to help me check. Even the mere thought makes my head itch :eek: It's been a couple years since I last found one on me, and that's when I gave up and went back to DEET.

Ticks, ugh! I picked a couple off earlier this year -- and off our dog as well. They were much prevalent in the southeast in the early summer, then we got out west and never saw another for the rest of the summer/early fall. By the time we got back to the midwest/east, the season seems to be over. When we lived in NC full-time, we always noticed them most from March through August and very seldom after that.

For those who are interested, I just posted a blog from our time at Natural Tunnel State Park in southwestern Virginia that features a bit of hiking. We were there in mid-October:

http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/t...rk-in-virginia

I found a few on my dogs over the years but mostly while traveling in the States. The worst place we found them by the dozens was in Missouri. A tornado was on its way and if we did not see 50-60 at once (they were everywhere around our little camper - trashcan, etc) we did not see one.

This season was a first for us to have our motorhome parked on a campground site in the Eastern townships. Lots of woods, walking trails on the campground itself. I checked the dogs almost daily...no ticks. And the veterinarian map said this area had a lot. I count myself lucky but we did avoid having the dogs (which means us too) walk on the sides of trails and in knee high weeds, just in case. Not tempting the devil. hihi

At home, in the yard, we try to make sure we trim our grass low enough, and the plants get trimmed and shaken often to make sure nothing clamps to it. We do what we can for our pets as I don't want them with lyme disease. And I'm not a fan of giving them chemicals just to kill a possible tick bite. And my 3 dogs are american eskimos...so very long double-coated fur. At least being white, I could see easily the tick if it hopped on them. :)

The tic I found was in March, after a warm winter/early spring.
My toe/foot is better today. Not all better, but after coming home from spin early this morning and getting ready for work, I iced it for the 3d time in about 16 hours. Then, when I walked out the door, I realized I was not walking funny and I don't feel so much pain. I even walked to another building across the street, about 1/4 mile, to buy my lunch.
I am cancelling the group hike, but not because of the foot. We had to reschedule our theatre night to a Sunday matinee, and that was the day of the hike. Now I don't feel so stressed. If it is really better, I can hike that Saturday, but right now, I am focusing on riding.

Just published a blog post with photos/info from a lovely hike to waterfalls we took in Tennessee in mid-late Oct. Scroll past the campground info to find it:

http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/t...ational-forest

The center/top of the photos is washed out because I had a scratch on my camera lens -- terrible timing for that. It is out for repair now.

Beautiful place, Emily.

Emily - thanks for the great pictures in your blog! How aggressive was the trail? Is this the one you mentioned a couple weeks back, or am I confusing this with another hike?

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Originally Posted by Catrin

Emily - thanks for the great pictures in your blog! How aggressive was the trail? Is this the one you mentioned a couple weeks back, or am I confusing this with another hike?

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I think the one you're thinking about will be featured in my next blog post (Rattlesnake Ridge). That's the one that had over 2500' of climbing in a little over 4 miles and was tough! This one was around 1000' of climbing in a little less than a mile, so I guess that makes it a bit steeper, but I didn't find it aggressive since it was manageable in length. At least for me, the climbing that goes on and on and on is more difficult. This one had a few rocky bits here and there and a couple of stepped areas with rocks, along with a couple of rocky but not difficult creek crossings. I don't think you'd find it too tough. It seemed like a breeze after Rattlesnake Ridge!

They both sound like fun! I tend to prefer trails that were designed with switchbacks rather that straight ups and downs, or at least my knees prefer that.Looking forward to seeing your next blog post!

Here's the post on the Rattlesnake Ridge hike that was so amazing, Catrin et al:

http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/t...g-fall-foliage

This will likely be our last real hike of the year since we're with my family now (busy with projects) and heading to Florida on Sunday for the winter. We sure had some great hikes this year, though!

Did 6 miles on the Metacomet-Monadonock trail in Pelham, MA. It was really pretty, but the weather is foggy and gray. My foot survived, but nowhere near healed. Wearing boots actually made it feel better.

Well, I'll eat my words in my previous post...we ended up finding one more spot to hike on the way south from visiting my family. This was not strenuous hiking in the least but was gorgeous, and we had the trails to ourselves:

http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/t...ngs-state-park

I'd say we walked/hiked about 3.5 miles total. We had fun, and so did Paisley. She rarely gets to go on our hikes because of trail regulations or it just being too long/strenuous for her. This was just right.

We followed REI's lead and "Opted Out" of Black Friday shopping and went outside instead. Took a chilly but lovely hike, so good to be out in the woods instead of a store.

My daughter and I "Opted Out" as well! It had snowed, but it was warm enough that a good part of the trail was mud and slush. Without my Yaktrax I would have biffed it for sure.

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#optoutside by DutchRosie, on Flickr
(In the bottom right pic, we were looking waaaay down into the pull-out where our car was parked.)

Beautiful images BD…..

While visiting friends in Michigan for Thanksgiving we opted out by going to Flint and donating the money I raised from my work colleagues and especially from my ceo Ellie ($35,000 for the FlintKids’ Child Health & Development Fund}. Alex and I spent most of the day delivering water, water filters and replacement cartridges to residents. We also helped in an arts class for autistic children doing water coloring. Even thought it wasn’t hiking it was a wonderful day of sharing instead of shopping.

BD - wonderful pics! Here we are, happy, and OUTSIDE!

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Rebecca, awesome way to spend the holiday!

No pictures, but we hiked about 5 miles in Estabrook Woods today. I probably should have stuck to my plan of riding, but DH did not feel that great. We got a little lost, as we now have to park at the other end of the main trail, because of a controversy about people parking on the street where the Concord trailhead is. I missed the turn off trail to do the loop, so we went down another way and then missed another turn off, which I should have known, as I used to mountain bike here. After a bit of yelling and screaming and me strongly saying I did not want to bushwhack, we got back on the trail, and finished the loop, with a nice stream crossing. Mostly, though, the ponds are so low low because of the drought.
Probably the most people I've seen in here, as a lot of families were out, due to the holiday. Mostly at the end, though.
My foot is now hurting in places that I did not injure, so I am icing it and hoping it will be back to where it was this morning.
I've hiked 11 miles this week, so it's good.

Rebecca - what a wonderful cause! Pax - loved seeing your pics as well - you look very happy to be outside! Crankin - I can totally relate to the "after a bit of yelling and screaming" - glad you got to finish out your hike and hope your foot will be OK.

Today we hiked in Great Brook Farm, where we usually go x country skiing. Except, DH had downloaded a route that was mostly not on the ski trails. They were hiking or mountain biking/snow shoe trails. We didn't start until close to 2 PM, so we brought our headlamps, although we didn't want to have to use them! The first part entailed a very narrow, windy trail, in the middle of the ski trails on what is usually our normal starting point. Then, we crossed the road and thought we'd just be going up some of the bigger climbs on the ski trails. After a certain point, we were at a junction of a hiking trail and a spot close to the bigger climb on the ski route. DH's phone battery was being used up quickly, as he was using a new hiking app to follow a route and the cold, too. We decided we didn't want to venture into an area that while we knew headed around and back, without the trail map and possibly darkness. We saw that we were now on the conservation land trails in the next town, so we turned and went with a route that took us up a climb we know well, and back, no map needed. Even the ski trail signs are down at this time of year. We could see that what we did paralleled what was on the intended route in a shorter way, so next time we will start at noon. As it was we did 4.2 miles and got back about 35 minutes before sunset.
It's going to snow tonight, but not enough to ski, so maybe we can go back and it before we are on our skis. It might be hard to do this on snowshoes, walking on the edge of the ski trails we did do. But, it was cool to be in a place I've been to many, many times and see new stuff. Very few hikers, all with dogs. And only saw one mountain biker, back in the parking lot.

OK, today we did the hike we were supposed to do in the above post. We were with our friends, and it was very fun. Of course, today the trails were iced over in about 90% of the terrain, and there is no way you could acutally hike without ice spikes. We saw a few people trying to walk along the sides of the trails, as well as one guy who was sliding down a hill on his butt, being pulled by a couple of dogs.
The part of the hike that we didn't do last time is awesome. We were on trails that are part of the conservation land in the next town, that went along water, which was beautiful. Saw a large beaver dam. Then, we turned onto a trail that parallels, to some degree, the big climb of the ski trails. It is called Stone Root, for a good reason. It's a dedicated hiking trail in the ski area and quite up and down, narrow, and on a ridge for a good part.
The hike was about 5 miles. Near the end, we saw a dad and his maybe 7 year old son on fat bikes, on one of the flatter ski trails. The kid was climbing at a ferocious speed on a little Trek fat bike! We got back, ate a snack, and then went and had lunch at Ferns, where all cyclists meet to eat. We actually saw two riders stop in. It was a nice enough day for a ride, but our friends don't ride in the these temperatures, and i was happy to hike.
Ready to fall asleep now!

So glad you've been able to hike! I've not been able to hit the trails since my concussion at Thanksgiving. I do hope to hit either trails or MUP once or twice over the next couple of days. I'm off work until Jan 3rd which is very nice. It got to 66 today - but rained much of the day so I only managed a 1.5 mile walk on the streets.

Tried to work off some of the Christmas gluttony with a snowshoe hike today. The snow was already pretty packed down, so it was not a very strenuous hike, but still nice to get off the couch.

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Wasatch Winter by DutchRosie, on Flickr

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Making tracks by DutchRosie, on Flickr

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Winter by DutchRosie, on Flickr

I had a beautiful cold, but sun drenched hike yesterday. A bit under 2 miles as I'm coming back from concussion and I still have shin splints in one leg, but all is improving. I've a lovely photo I would like to share but for some reason I can't seem to share any photos on TE just now.

Today I plan on driving north an hour or so and visiting a new set of trails that are in a park devoted to a native archeological site. Hopefully I can figure out the photo-posting problem afterwards.

Hopefully this will work! I think I need to break down and get a flickr account.

This first picture is from yesterday - it was a glorious day though it was chilly at 41ish degrees. I've good layers however, so was nice and warm for my 1.6 mile hike:

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Wheww, my new approach appears to be working. This river shot is from today, about an hour north of here. It was ~43ish when I was out and frankly, I almost had too much on. That was comforting as I didn't have my warmest layers on. Right before taking this shot a huge flock? group? of ducks had just taken off from the river but I couldn't move fast enough to get the shot.

3 miles today on soft slushy gravel/dirt mess. A bit nervous that my remaining shin splints will complain but so far so good.

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Originally Posted by BikeDutchess

Tried to work off some of the Christmas gluttony with a snowshoe hike today. The snow was already pretty packed down, so it was not a very strenuous hike, but still nice to get off the couch.

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that looks beautiful....is that emma or you in the middle image?....great post processing too!!!!!

Catrin, it worked and great photos!

Rebecca, thanks! Not me in that middle image - I'm always the one lagging behind to take pics, lol!

Had a lovely 3.25 mile hike today with several hiking friends from church. At 45 degrees the trails were fully thawed...and quite sloppy. That is usually a trail that takes just over 1 hour, but it took a full 1.5 hours today as it was SO muddy in places that we had to pick our way through to keep from falling. Very thankful for my trekking poles for sure! I can handle falling and getting muddy, that's no problem. The problem is my track record these last two years when I've fallen, I just have too many broken bits to risk it.

I did enjoy the hike, mud and all. I do still have shin splints in one leg but the other is healed - which is why I headed for the 3.25 mile trail rather than the 4.4 mile option. Bit by bit! I will relax, and work on my Tai Chi form later tonight.