I can't really call what I've been doing "hiking", exactly, but the last few days I've started testing my knee. A 2-1/2 mile walk on gravel roads and 2-tracks on Friday, then more activity and the same walk on Saturday (putting one lavender plant in the ground tested it as much as anything) - that evening it was hurting quite a bit. But Sunday it felt a lot better, and I added more 2-track to my route, for a total of 4 miles. Today DH came with me, and we walked one of our normal run routes. I felt pretty good, so we added to that, for 6-1/2, mostly on 2-tracks and overgrown atv trails. Lots of deer flies driving us nuts. And one stop to raid a nice patch of wild strawberries . Now I'm icing, and it hurts a bit, but it is definitely coming along. I have to be careful on rough ground, and really slow and careful on downhills, as that seems to be the worst part. I haven't tried anything steep yet, but uphills don't feel too bad. So I'm encouraged. After almost 2 weeks of inactivity, it's nice to be out and about.

Oh, and have only found one tick crawling on me since we got home.

I'm sorta jealous of your hike, Crankin! That sounds like a pretty neat one.