Hiking 2017 Reloaded

[emily_in_nc]

Glad you got a little hike in, Catrin! Better than I am managing...just starting back to walks, and those aren't very comfortable yet as my jaw bounces around more than it should, so I have to go slow and steady. I think bugs are gonna be bad everywhere this year!

[Crankin]

We have so many mosquitos outside our house... we back up to a small wetlands area and it is definitely worse than my previous home. Beautiful to look at, though!
Emily, just being outside should make you feel better. The walking will come. Hope the healing is going well.
Catrin, get in as much as you can before your surgery.
I need to not hike until after my trip, as hiking requires a bit more aggressive stretching on my part, afterwards, than riding, to keep my back in shape. I'd love to go today, but...

[emily_in_nc]

What a shame about the MTB trails, Sheila. Mother Nature is a cruel force at times. Hope you can find another place to ride!

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks, Emily. The closest other than Hunting Island might be Parris Island, where I work. But they are very tame. More like beginner double-track.

That sounds perfect to me! But I know it wouldn't work for anyone intermediate or above in skills...

[rebeccaC]

Thinking how cool to have a high tech, light, electric, foldable, comfortable, wheeled chair for easy moving through a city and buildings.

A miraculous and quick recovery coming your way pax…….well, hoping anyway.


also thinking confinement to a hotel room sounds yucky ....but then what's the outside humidity like in Chicago now?
but then then room service ftw.....does the hotel have a spa and in room massages???????????????

[Pax]

Day five of antibiotics and it's starting to look better.

Rebecca, a light wheelchair would have made the trip far better! Fortunately, ever since my poor knee replacement outcome, I carry a folding cane when we travel, that came in very handy.

[Catrin]

Oh how the mighty have fallen...just had a 2.13 mile hike on a rather easy trail and am calling it GOOD! Kind of feel like Ms. HumptyDumpty getting put back together again - but thankful for this little respite between surgeries! Pity it took this to final persuade me to start listening to my body - but of course it's never been quite good at talking to me anyway.

I did notice that we didn't, apparently, have the initial change of leaf colors that usually happens in August. Normally things start a bit in August for a week, then stops for another month or so. Lovely to be outside though, just lovely!

[Crankin]

I hiked, today, also. Was so busy with riding and a bit of work yesterday, I had stuff to do for part of today.
We went to a new place, about 20 minutes west of here. A series of trails on conservation land, in the town of Bolton. There's a total of 6, almost 7 miles, but since the forecast was iffy in the afternoon, we also did "only" 2.5. I will add that the trailhead we started at is off of a road that has one of the more notorious climbs I've done locally, on my bike. I haven't climbed it in a few years, but I have descended it more recently, so I knew there would be some elevation in the woods.
What a nice area! We followed a route that included the trail to the summit, but we had a combo of thick woods, a field of late summer wildflowers, and a swampy pond, with some very faint color in the maples around it.
We agreed we will go back and do the longer hike, next time. My back/hamstring, and calves are screaming from a combo of my ride home from Philly last week, boot camp, step class, and a 30 mile ride. I'm on a HTFU binge, so ice and stretching has commenced big time.

[Catrin]

I hiked, today, also. Was so busy with riding and a bit of work yesterday, I had stuff to do for part of today.
We went to a new place, about 20 minutes west of here. A series of trails on conservation land, in the town of Bolton. There's a total of 6, almost 7 miles, but since the forecast was iffy in the afternoon, we also did "only" 2.5. I will add that the trailhead we started at is off of a road that has one of the more notorious climbs I've done locally, on my bike. I haven't climbed it in a few years, but I have descended it more recently, so I knew there would be some elevation in the woods.
What a nice area! We followed a route that included the trail to the summit, but we had a combo of thick woods, a field of late summer wildflowers, and a swampy pond, with some very faint color in the maples around it.
We agreed we will go back and do the longer hike, next time. My back/hamstring, and calves are screaming from a combo of my ride home from Philly last week, boot camp, step class, and a 30 mile ride. I'm on a HTFU binge, so ice and stretching has commenced big time.

Your hike sounds great Crankin! I love the description of the mixed terrain you were in, and you've had a great week of activities!

I will admit I am a bit frustrated on the physical activity side of things. My 2.13 mile hike today was the longest since early June due to physical issues, and it was on a rather level/uniform trail. It DID, however, happen and for that I am thankful. My lack of an ability to really exercise is only temporary, my shoulder surgeon tells me that it will take a year to full recover but I can start things that look like exercise in 6 months, I am happy! Attached is a shot from a delightful hike last Saturday that went through a combination of woods, tall-grass prairie, and a historic bridge.