On Saturday my friend Charlotte and I met at Mohican once again for a winter hike. This time I suggested we walk the first several miles of the mountain bike trail. I wanted to try this trail for something a little different and also because the conveniently placed mile posts would make it easy to track our progress.
We got started just after 9:00 am in perfect conditions with temperatures in the upper 20's F. A gentle snow fell most of the day and coated the pines and the forest floor with a thin blanket of white. I took the following large size wide angle shots along a ravine where we stopped to listen to the water gurgling its way down the hill.
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| Looking Up |
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| Looking Down |
The opening picture shows the 7 mile marker where we took a short break before retracing our route back to the trail head. Our plans were to make it at least a 10 mile hike but we got to 5 with still plenty of time left and fresh feeling legs so we pushed on a couple more miles. The mountain bike trail was well designed and hugs the topography of the land to minimize the difficulty of steep grades while travelling by bike. This formula also seems to make for an ideal foot path and we were surprised to see quite a few trail runners as well as mountain bikers taking advantage of the frozen yet rideable trail surface.
After six hours and none worse for wear we made it back to the trail head. I love that keen sense of accomplishment that only comes after a hard day on the trail and we are both very proud to have set our new personal bests for distance on this hike.
Earlier in the week we both picked up new medium duty boots and their performance was outstanding during the 14 mile break in. I've been without a proper hiking boot for a couple years and I sure notice the difference now that I have a little ankle support and a firmer sole under my feet.
It was a gorgeous day in the woods and I couldn't think of any place I'd rather be. Judging by all the smiles and friendly greetings of other trail users I'm confident I wasn't the only one thinking that.
Hello Mike,
ReplyDeleteI miss hiking like this but it's good to see you're still at it. For me, it seems like one problem after another with the back, my arm, and now my left foot. There's a technical name for it, but it boils down to older age and falling arches.
Keep it going for as long as you can. For now, I ride the bike when possible. That's not a bad thing but the cold weather makes the days scarce.
Looks beautiful, although I'm a softie for snow-covered pines. I love how silent the woods can be when it's snowing.
ReplyDeleteThere is a one-room schoolhouse at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. Moved from original location to this site board board-by-board. Desks, etc. inside. Highly recommend visiting. Google for info.
ReplyDelete