Hiking 2017 Reloaded

[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.

[Crankin]

Looks nice! Six months to recover from that kind of surgery isn't unrealistic. I am sure you will be able to "walk" before that. I mean, walking, like on a sidewalk.

[Catrin]

Looks nice! Six months to recover from that kind of surgery isn't unrealistic. I am sure you will be able to "walk" before that. I mean, walking, like on a sidewalk.

Hopefully I can start that pretty quickly, depending on the weather and sling as I can't risk falling. I mean anything that raises my heart rate.

[Crankin]

Today we hiked in the Mt. Sugarloaf State Reservation, in Sunderland, MA, which is by Amherst. This is not to be confused with Sugarloaf Ski area, in VT.
There is a short trail that goes to a tower, but we decided to do the other set of trails, at a different trailhead. The trails were wide and nice; some rocky roots, etc, but after all, it is New England. We had quite a climb and I was feeling good. We hiked a bit over 3 miles, with 570 ft. of elevation. The view from the summit was excellent, where we could see all of the towns on one side of the CT. River. Afterwards, we went with our friends to a harvest fair in Hatfield, which was a little sparse of good things, and then we ate at an amazing general store/market near their house, in Whately. A lot like Vermont.
We had a productive weekend, planning and reserving our x country ski vacation in February, near Craftsbury, VT and reserving our inn for our annual Berkshires trip in July. We have to go a week earlier than usual, as the inn is booked for a wedding during our usual dates. A younger couple bought the place, so they have made a lot of changes. We also made dinner reservations for our first two theatre nights in Boston, when our friends come and stay with us. So, I am sorry i didn't ride on a gorgeous day, today, but the hike was outstanding, and I want to go back and do more mileage there.