Hiking

[Catrin]

Sounds like you're doing just fine Skierchickie2! I'm coming back from a knee surgery from last summer myself - it's been a long road but am finally improving a bit. I've certainly found that downhills are harder on a bad knee than uphills. Take care and have fun!

[Skierchickie2]

Thank you Catrin. It sounds to me like you're getting out there regularly, and working on it. Do you find biking helps? I know it really helped me recover from sprains (one of the things I did while away from this forum was 2 years of roller derby - all I ever seemed to accomplish there was 3 knee tweaks / sprains, which was why I gave it up a year ago). Knees are cranky things, or so I'm finding these days.

My injury is nothing compared to those of you who have had surgery and knee replacements. I did really think I'd done some major damage inside, but the last few days it has improved drastically. I'm hoping to try biking easy in a couple days, and see how that goes.

[Catrin]

I can't ride any longer, at all, due to previous neck and knee injuries. One thing to consider with your knee and recovering is to not force things. Swelling and pain afterwards is a sign that you may have pushed things too far - take it from someone who knows about that - pushing through swelling and pain is in part responsible for several of my permanent injuries. Just some food for thought.

[Pax]

Catrin - exactly. I did the same in my quest to "play though the pain" and have done permanent damage as well. Took me some time to give myself permission to treat myself more gently, and it's working far better.

[Catrin]

Catrin - exactly. I did the same in my quest to "play though the pain" and have done permanent damage as well. Took me some time to give myself permission to treat myself more gently, and it's working far better.

Yep - that is why I can now only hike and do kettlebell swings and kb deadlifts or kb sumo squats. If I'm not careful I will lose those activities as well. It's never too soon to start listening to our bodies and seeing signs for what they are. Don't be like me

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[VeganBikeChick]

I went hiking last week with the guy I'm dating. It was only our second date, and I thought I would try to match his physical fitness by suggesting a "moderate" hike, 3 miles total out and back. I'd never done the hike before but it was suggested by one of my coworkers and he said it was "fine". So we start out and it's just climbing and climbing and climbing and more climbing, which he is breezing through. I felt like I was on the stair stepper to he**. I tired quickly and had to throw in the towel. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't complete the hike, but he was such a good sport. I just wanted a couple of flat areas to catch my breath, but none to be found. Note to self: don't trust coworkers

[Catrin]

I was smiling and groaning for you at the same time VBC. There are so many definitions of what constitutes hiking out there (that sounded like climbing to me) & difficulty is sometimes relative. Glad he was a good sport - may the next hike be more enjoyable

As my knee has improved I seem to have developed a small women's hiking group! For me it is quite different being out there with people rather than solo, and I find I'm enjoying that aspect, especially with one of the women. I still make time to get out in the woods solo, but leading a small group of 4-5 women is also fun.

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[Crankin]

Yes, I am a bit confused, too Catrin. The trails we were on Saturday were labeled moderate. Perhaps in elevation, but not in technical difficulty. Eventually, I learned how to see through descriptions of rides, and I guess I can do the same with hiking. I know that what most describe as a rolling ride, is more like kind of hilly to me. It means small hills, ups and downs. Not flat. I guess I would like more description of terrain for hiking. To me, trails like the one I did Sunday are not trails, they are just jagged rocks, which to me look like the trail stopped and I am lost! I picture trails as dirt, maybe punctuated with lots of rocks in the ground and roots, and even steep. But not just rocks.

[Crankin]

Did 4 miles in Estabrook Woods today, including hiking up the old ski slope, which had a tiny swath of dirt going up the wildflower and grass covered slope. Looks like some crazy azz mountain bikers had been there. Felt good and this is probably the most challenging local (in my town) hike I can do.
Then, being who we are, we decided to walk into town around 5 and participate in a farm to table restaurant's one year anniversary celebration, which featured their new brewery made beers. So, we walked the 1.8 miles, had a flight of their 4 brews (not too much), shared a soft pretzel and a burrata with bread. Then, we proceeded to the local ice cream place and had a cone. Another 1.8 miles home, where we went a slightly different way out of the village, and then for less on Main St, where, although there's a sidewalk, is a bit noisy. Took the dirt road that leads to the neighborhood next to our condo, where we had 2 small hills to go up, before getting to the path the goes right to our street.
My feet hurt, but I will sleep well tonight.

[Catrin]

Sounds like it was fun Crankin! I had a nice 5.5 mile hike this past weekend, and am planning another this coming weekend in another location. It certainly does help sleep come@

[Crankin]

I am going on a hike very early tomorrow, with a former colleague from when I was teaching. It's a 4 mile hike, with a good up in the beginning, and a view of a chasm in the middle. Very strange in the middle of a town of 20,000 people.

[Catrin]

I am going on a hike very early tomorrow, with a former colleague from when I was teaching. It's a 4 mile hike, with a good up in the beginning, and a view of a chasm in the middle. Very strange in the middle of a town of 20,000 people.

Sounds wonderful! The chasm sounds quite interesting, any chance for a picture or two?

[emily_in_nc]

That sounds like a nice hike, Crankin. Hope it wasn't too hot. Been seeing some awful high heat indices for the east of late, and here in Minnesota we had to turn our heat on this am. It was 51 degrees!

[Crankin]

So, my hike this morning was timed appropriately, as we are under a poor air quality alert starting in 30 minutes, for the rest of the day. It's got to be 90% humidity, going up to 90 degrees later.
Unfortunately, that meant slippery roots and rocks... I was talking away with my friend when my foot hit a rock and I felt a little "that hurt." Not my ankle, on the metatarsi. It felt sore, but is fine now. Then, like 2 minutes later, I took a flyer on something slippery. Thankfully, wearing my hiking capris, so no damage, except dirt stains! But my friend asked me if my balance is off! Of course, I explained that it's always been off, and is actually better now. I really was not paying attention to the ground like I usually do. We still had a good hike and sat atop a rock/viewpoint for awhile, near the end. I don't have pictures of the chasm, I do have some of the view, but I cannot figure out how to get it from my phone to TE. Let me work on that!
I think it was about 4 miles. We had a great time, and so glad I did this, instead of the sweaty 12 mile ride my DH did. Just a little worried about my ability to do the hiking in Acadia in the fall, when it may be raining, but I can't worry for the next 4 months.

[Catrin]

Decent hike today with a new hiking partner, I keep finding more women who like to head out into the woods. We decided to call it trekking instead of hiking. I was checking out my knee on a trail I've not done since long before my knee injury and it did fine. So well that when I bring my little hiking group back in 2 weeks I will make it a 6-mile route rather than the 4-miles from today. Was actually unsure how far it was until we were done so that was nice.

Saw LOTS of a wide variety of very brightly colored mushrooms of different sizes and shapes. Interestingly enough, they all appeared to be on the uphill side of the trail and never on both sides outside of one location that was on a hill top. Some were bright and fuzzy, like something from a Disney movie, others were bright and hairy, colors ranged from blue to red to yellow to white. I know that bright colored mushrooms are always to be avoided, but I've never seen so many! Will look them up to see if I can find out more about some of them.

edited: many of the mushrooms appear to have been a combination of amanita and fly agaric (another kind of amanita) - both posionious - and their colors were quite bright and vibrant. I may not be able to figure out what the bright red and orange fuzzy/plush ones were - they looked like they would be warm and fuzzy to the touch. We didn't touch them :-) Pity I didn't get any pictures. We saw many different things today that I've never noticed in that park before, interesting!