My boots have been broken in! My tall, fancy work boots that is! I found a new favorite hiking area called Tillman Wildlife Management Area. The day I found the park was rainy and windy.
I wasn’t wearing my hiking boots. I was wearing my work clothes! My hiking clothes and boots were left at home in a pile that I was supposed to grab on my way out the door in the morning, but I wasn’t going to NOT go hiking! So, off I went. I found Tillman Road, but I wasn’t sure where to park. I pulled into a what looked like a parking area, but found a State Trooper instead! He must have thought I was crazy when I approached his vehicle wearing a long skirt, tall boots and light rain jacket. I asked him where the parking was for the walking trails and he looked throughly amused. After making my way to parking area the Trooper told me about, I quickly put my hood up and made my way to the trailhead.
Of course I was looking for a geocache while hiking, so I did have a goal. I slopped through the mud and wished I had wipers for my glasses! The trail was actually quite beautiful in the rain and I was smiling like a fool when I ran into a man dressed in full rain gear walking his dog. He said hello and warned me that boardwalk was very slippery. I thanked him and continued on, watching my step. I can’t imagine what he thought of a woman in a long skirt out in the rain! The geocache wasn’t too difficult to find, but I did have to walk in INCHES of water! I can’t believe my tall, fancy boots kept the water out! I was fully expecting my feet to be soaked, but they weren’t!
As I made my way back to the main trail I came across some teenagers running in shorts and I am guessing it was their mom I said to hello to, not far behind them. I slipped a little on an incline, but kept my body upright, thankfully! Approaching the parking lot I saw the State Trooper truck and the Trooper stuck his head out the window and said, “I wanted to make sure you came out of there okay!” I laughed and said, I was throughly wet, but I still have a smile on my face! We laughed and went on our way.
There is something to be said about walking in the rain. Now I only walked for about a half an hour, but it was refreshing. It might have been cleansing if I didn’t have MUD up my boots and all around the edges of my skirt! Still, I’m glad I didn’t let it stop me. It won’t be able to stop me on the AT either. Go hike! Here are a few pictures of Tillman on a nicer day when I was there hiking.
My favorite!
trailchaser2020 
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