So my husband has decided that he likes hiking with me! Yay!!!! He has a great sense of direction when I get turned around and he makes funny faces to keep me happy! That is all you need in a great hiking partner, right?
Last weekend we ventured out to the good ole’ Joe Panza Trail. It’s where my training for the Appalachian Trail began way back on July 20, 2015. I’ve been back there a few times since because it is so close to home. When we started out I asked him how far he wanted to go. I braced myself for his answer of one mile, but he surprised me when he said two miles! I was giddy! I set my app on my phone to measure our distance.
It’s nearly winter and we were bundled up, but it wasn’t raining. The trail is very flat and since I’ve been on it so many times, a little boring. Well, not today. I seem to always go a certain way on the trail. Today my husband turned left instead of right and right instead of left and low and behold we were OFF the trail! Where did the trail go? With all the leaves on the ground we somehow missed a turn and it was obvious we were no longer on the trail. We were walking along the creek and of course I knew we weren’t “lost” just not on a trail. I remembered that there was a geocache near where I thought we were so I opened the geocache app on my phone and checked. Nope. Not where I thought we were. At least now I had an idea of where we were since I could see the other geocaches that I have found in the park.
My husband checked the app and together we decided to hike next to the creek until we came to “something.” We slowly made our way along the creek. I found a green mossy tree that reminded me of a dinosaur foot and we found some litter. I didn’t have my backpack so I didn’t have a garbage bag, but we took turns carrying the trash. Which reminds me, I still have a yucky bottle cap in my puffy jacket pocket! About this time my app said we had hiked one mile!
We kept walking through the woods not positive where we were going to end up and then BAM! There was a trail! Well, I hope you weren’t worried! Jumping back on the trail dear husband again took a left instead of a right and the trail ended at an open field that was behind the high school. This time we knew the main trail was only about 200 feet to the right so we carefully made our way through the brush to the trail. At this point we were on the main trail so there was a garbage can where we unloaded the trash we found.
The Joe Panza trail has identification on some of the trees. We stopped to read a few and I hugged and loved on them. The red maple did not want to let me go and snagged my scarf.
I freed myself from the amorous maple and hubby and I then decided to play on some tree stumps! My husband tried to impersonate The Thinker pose. I think he looks a little constipated. When I showed my sister the picture of me posing on the tree stump she said I reminded her of a twirling ballerina inside a little girl’s jewelry box. Awe! I wasn’t even trying!
While heading back to the car my app said we had hiked 1.97 miles. It looked like we would make my husband’s goal of two miles by the time we reach the car. The last time we hiked we went about a mile. If we keep doubling our distance and if my husband could retire early, we could hike the Appalachian Trail together in 2020! I think I’ll start playing the Lotto!
Disclaimer: I try to make it a rule to not venture off trail. I understand it could harm the plant life and I could get really lost.
trailchaser2020 