It's been a long time... since Ellen and I have been able to schedule an adventure. We were SO overdue! It rained here all week. Last night was really bad- strong winds and serious downpours. By this morning the rain had mostly moved off to the east, leaving just a lot of blustery wind. We decided to bundle up and head for the woods anyway.
It was a great day! The wind was mostly in the treetops, and we walked about six miles. This is the section of North Country Trail that I maintain, so we also did trail work- cleaning up branches that were down. We had a saw with us, but only used it on a couple of small branches.
This first picture shows a boardwalk that the chapter built 12 years ago. It was our first big project. It goes 600 feet across a section of Dead Horse Marsh.
I like how it has pretty much blended into the scenery, no longer looking new and raw.
Was Maggie was thinking about the different and interesting scents being brought to her from the marsh, on the wind?
It was a lot of fun to tell Ellen about some early projects on that section of trail. She hadn't ever hiked that piece before. I didn't realize that when we started. So I got to tell her about a place we built a re-route around a seep that kept the trail wet all the time, and another re-route where the trail had been found to be on a corner of private property. The former route has disappeared into the woods so well that you can't tell where it went unless you really knew where it was before.
We also talked about some sections that need a bit of work now- treadway that is incised into the soil just because it's so old, another place where it should be moved a little bit to be in a better place for views and maintenance.
We stopped by another small wetland with no name to eat our lunch.
Maggie went along too. I hate to admit it, but she's awfully stiff after a hike of this length. At 13 1/2, she's not as spry as she was (are any of us?). But this will probably be her last summer for long hikes.
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5 comments:
I particularly like the second picture. I would title it "Inevitability."
Captcha = fugue
Chuck- I love how Maggie's ears are blown back in that one!
That's a shame about Maggie, but I'm glad you and Ellen continue to have these great hiking adventures!
:-)
It sounds like a very special day with a dear friend.
I know that, when Maggie can no longer join you on your long hikes, it will be a bit sad for bot of you. She is not going to be happy being left behind!
Poor Maggie....getting old and stiff is the pits
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