chinooktrail
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2004
- Messages
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- 165
Over Memorial Weekend I lost my favorite hiking stick. I set it down on one of the many bog bridges between Mizpah Hut and Jackson. I didn’t remember not having it until I was almost out to 302 and saw my first hiker who had hiking poles.
I also wanted to see if I was able to feel any differences in my hiking stamina and breathing and so on 11 days after having heart surgery to repair an over actively beating heart. So I figured redoing a trip so fresh in my memory would be a great comparison.
I parked on the Mt. Clinton Road and Geneva and I headed over to the Crawford Path at 9:30. Late start for me, but Geneva insists on her beauty sleep. : )
It felt great to be on the trail, bugs weren’t too bad and the temps were nice. (The only tick Geneva picked up was right in the parking lot, by the picnic table. Thankfully she has husky fur, which is nearly impenetrable and I can see them attempting to find a way to her flesh.) I must admit, I did develop a rather guilty pleasure at being able to pass many people on the trail on the way to the hut.
That has not happened in a while.
We popped into the hut for a second to see if anyone had turned in my hiking stick for lost and found, but no dice.
Onward to Pierce and enjoyed the views and chatting with two very nice ladies about life and hiking. I started over for Ike, since it seems so darned close from Pierce, and the weather was soooo nice. For whatever reason, the trail looked really unfamiliar to me, and I kept having a nagging feeling in the back of my head that I was on the summit by-pass.
Geneva was doing a great job of meeting and greeting other hikers and being very friendly with other trail doggies. She is learning a little more on every hike, and I am learning more about her on every hike as well. : )
A young couple zoomed past us running the trail with small fanny packs. They looked to be having a really great time. Ah, someday maybe I could do that…
We stopped at a random flat rock with great views and had a snack and relaxed. Then decided to make our way back up and over Pierce, and past the hut again and then over to Jackson.
The trail was a little moist, and on one of the stretches Geneva decided she really needed a mud bath for her fur. Wow, it was deep and looked more like quicksand. I was just about to reach over to haul her out when she got footing on the bog bridge and hopped out on her own. I like the feeling of mud squishing through my toes, but there is a limit.
Once on top of Jackson I looked around a bit for my lost stick, but no luck. There were plenty of people up there enjoying this fine hiking day. Thought about going for Webster briefly, but was thinking about BBQ sauce and French fries... unfortunately for my waist line, French fries always seem to win out over exercise. : (
We made it out to 302 in no time, looked for the stick again, again, no luck. On the walk back to the car Geneva took a little swim in Saco Lake to rinse off her mud bath. Her fur was nearly dry by the time we got back to the car.
Over all, not a hugely ambitious day, certainly no back to back Presi Traverse and Pemi Loop like some of you Rock Stars, but not too bad for an overweight middle aged broad who just had heart surgery. : ) I am very happy to report that the change is amazing, and wish I had done this ten years ago. I could breath normally, didn’t have to stop to gasp for air, didn’t turn all shades of red immediately and didn’t feel my heart try to jump out of my chest once! A vast improvement! Modern medicine will never cease to amaze me.
I think it is time for Geneva and I to attempt our first Presi Traverse. I keep catching her looking at the maps and reading up on the trails and keeping an eye on the weather. I think it is way past time for me to make her her own little backpack so she can feel like a real trail doggie. We have both come a long way in the last year and a half, and we both have many many more miles to go before we rest.
I also wanted to see if I was able to feel any differences in my hiking stamina and breathing and so on 11 days after having heart surgery to repair an over actively beating heart. So I figured redoing a trip so fresh in my memory would be a great comparison.
I parked on the Mt. Clinton Road and Geneva and I headed over to the Crawford Path at 9:30. Late start for me, but Geneva insists on her beauty sleep. : )
It felt great to be on the trail, bugs weren’t too bad and the temps were nice. (The only tick Geneva picked up was right in the parking lot, by the picnic table. Thankfully she has husky fur, which is nearly impenetrable and I can see them attempting to find a way to her flesh.) I must admit, I did develop a rather guilty pleasure at being able to pass many people on the trail on the way to the hut.
That has not happened in a while.We popped into the hut for a second to see if anyone had turned in my hiking stick for lost and found, but no dice.
Onward to Pierce and enjoyed the views and chatting with two very nice ladies about life and hiking. I started over for Ike, since it seems so darned close from Pierce, and the weather was soooo nice. For whatever reason, the trail looked really unfamiliar to me, and I kept having a nagging feeling in the back of my head that I was on the summit by-pass.
Geneva was doing a great job of meeting and greeting other hikers and being very friendly with other trail doggies. She is learning a little more on every hike, and I am learning more about her on every hike as well. : )
A young couple zoomed past us running the trail with small fanny packs. They looked to be having a really great time. Ah, someday maybe I could do that…
We stopped at a random flat rock with great views and had a snack and relaxed. Then decided to make our way back up and over Pierce, and past the hut again and then over to Jackson.
The trail was a little moist, and on one of the stretches Geneva decided she really needed a mud bath for her fur. Wow, it was deep and looked more like quicksand. I was just about to reach over to haul her out when she got footing on the bog bridge and hopped out on her own. I like the feeling of mud squishing through my toes, but there is a limit.
Once on top of Jackson I looked around a bit for my lost stick, but no luck. There were plenty of people up there enjoying this fine hiking day. Thought about going for Webster briefly, but was thinking about BBQ sauce and French fries... unfortunately for my waist line, French fries always seem to win out over exercise. : (
We made it out to 302 in no time, looked for the stick again, again, no luck. On the walk back to the car Geneva took a little swim in Saco Lake to rinse off her mud bath. Her fur was nearly dry by the time we got back to the car.
Over all, not a hugely ambitious day, certainly no back to back Presi Traverse and Pemi Loop like some of you Rock Stars,
but not too bad for an overweight middle aged broad who just had heart surgery. : ) I am very happy to report that the change is amazing, and wish I had done this ten years ago. I could breath normally, didn’t have to stop to gasp for air, didn’t turn all shades of red immediately and didn’t feel my heart try to jump out of my chest once! A vast improvement! Modern medicine will never cease to amaze me.I think it is time for Geneva and I to attempt our first Presi Traverse. I keep catching her looking at the maps and reading up on the trails and keeping an eye on the weather. I think it is way past time for me to make her her own little backpack so she can feel like a real trail doggie. We have both come a long way in the last year and a half, and we both have many many more miles to go before we rest.
