Hiking

[Catrin]

I find the lighter hikers I bought today to be about halfway between my trail runners and boots for support. I would have preferred a higher ankle, but the only ones I found that weren't too rigid for pavement to be far too expensive, so I didn't go there. My trail runners used to be fine for pavement, but my feet now need more support than they once did. I doubt I will ever take the Merrells on an actual trail as they have no ankle support but at least with the more narrow range of wear they should all last longer than otherwise. Trail runners are now relegated to the gym - they are still in great shape. And it isn't like I will ever be able to run again.

[Catrin]

4.77 miles today - I had intended to hike between 5-6 miles but decided that would increase my distance too fast - my longest hike so far this year has been 4 miles. It went well! I did try to remember to get some salt during, stretched afterwards, and then had a reasonable lunch at the Inn run by the state park. Hopefully no cramping tonight, we will see but I feel pretty good. Will have a small glass of port later to celebrate If I DO cramp tonight it shouldn't be nutritionally based or for a lack of stretching, so am crossing my fingers. The weather was AWESOME and I even got hot. We had snow flurries last week and today it was >70 in the woods. I saw several woodpeckers doing their thing, and several red winged blackbirds.

Something odd DID happen, though not to me. I prefer to hike mountain bike trails, and I was on one that could be considered intermediate. I saw a young couple start on the trail with a double-wide baby carriage with their twins!!!!!!! It was their first time in that park and they hadn't realized that it was a MTB trail, but the .3 mile they hiked before I saw them should have given them a clue. No harm done though. I don't normally say anything but I had to in this situation - not that they would have gotten that thing much further as they were close to the place where the trail narrows, and rocky/sharp/short drops commence. We talked and I left them with my trail map of the park and ideas of other trails in the park. Sometimes it's hard to know when to say anything but I didn't see where I had a choice in that situation. They DID choose to follow me out and go to one of the other trails I suggested.

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds like a lovely hike, Catrin. Glad you enjoyed it! Don't blame you a bit for saying something to the couple...I would have too. I can't imagine that they would have been anything but grateful under the circumstances.

[Crankin]

I wuld have said something, too. Especially with infants involved!

[Crankin]

Yesterday, we hiked in Estabrook Woods with our friends, but decided to go on some trails on the other side of the main trail. This property backs up to the the Middlesex School (a swanky prep school), which is on a main road. We quickly made our way to the back of the campus, where we found heated/ac bathrooms by the tennis courts . From there, we went back into the woods, and we kind of got lost. We had a trail map, which is not the clearest, since this area is all land owned by Harvard University, not the town. So, we ended up on a dirt road, name familiar, which we knew came out to the main road. We were parked at the other end of the main trail, since there has been a huge neighborhood controversy about parking at the end we we were nearing, and most parking has been banned. We saw signs for no trespassing, "beware of dogs," and got a bit concerned, but then we came out to a meadow/pond that clearly was a horse property. All of this gave us quite a view of how the 1% lives. This was like in a magazine; it takes a lot to impress me, after a childhood of seeing this stuff, but I have no experience with the "horsey set." I started seeing where we would end up, and shortly after passing 2 people on horseback, we came out onto the main trail, at the other end from where we parked.
This was mostly flat, but weird, and next time we will stick to the trails we know, which are hilly and more challenging, and no threat of being chased by a guard dog. It was probably 5-6miles.