Hiking 101: hike with a buddy. But I had the day off and Chris did not so I planned out a 4ish mile hike at a nearby park, shared the plan and my location with Chris, and off I went.
I got to the trailhead and set out just in front of a duo with a small dog. I tried to keep a steady pace to stay in front of them but I kept getting side tracked by the scenery. Plus I’m now making it a thing to film 15 second water feature videos. They caught up to me while I was filming said video. Yes as a matter of fact they did scare the bejeebers out of me because I was very focused on getting just the right angle for my video. I scramble to get off the bridge and out of their way because 6′ of separation and while I’m doing so, the man asks me if I’d seen the bear tracks a while back?
Bear tacks?! Ha! As if I’d know a bear track from any other kind of track. Also, OMG. I’d prepped for solo hiking as far as getting lost or falling & being injured but what the heck am I supposed to do against dangerous wildlife?! I’m no good at paying attention. Do you remember the porcupine incident?! The other solution is to make a lot of noise so the dangerous beasties stay away from you. What talk / sing to myself for the next 3+ miles? Yeah, right.
They invite me to join their trio. Safety in numbers or an opportunity to trip your some stranger instead of your friend. Perhaps something more nefarious? How wise is it to join strangers on a hike in the woods? They may know of a “cabin” just off the trail that would be a perfect place to hide a body.
I take up a position in the rear and text Chris to give him an update cause I’m not totally foolish. The rear is very much where I belong because this is a steep trail for my very out of shape self and so I huff and puff in the back where I belong. These poor people. They try to be nice and invite a stranger to join them and then I reward them by sounding like a dying train.
On the plus side Paul has stories for days. He regaled Kim, Jaxon, and I with the history of the mountain before it was a state park including the logging practices on this and other nearby mountains. How the original owners had built a summer getaway at the top of the mountain (the location of the fireplace) but the woman of the house did not much appreciate the trip up the steep mountainside, the rustic conditions of the cabin, or both. I can’t verify the accuracy of this story but the woman, Dorothy Bullitt, ran a broadcasting network in the 40’s and 50’s which makes me think she had work to do and just couldn’t be bothered.
He told us of his adventures as a boy exploring the park including the trials and tribulations of trying to roast a chicken while wooing girls. He explained how he and his friend conducted research on the movement of the glaciers during an ice age and how his friend discovered and got to name an extinct species of snail. He’d point out key rock formations caused by the movement of the glaciers.
He told us tales of his “helping” a buddy dismantle a tower and many of his time as a Boy Scout leader. As we hiked, he’d point out some of the local fauna like the bleeding hearts and nettles. He quite calmly explained that one of the best ways to stop the itching from nettles was to rub slugs on it. I wish I had thought to ask how many of the Scouts he lead through the woods fell for that one.
Kim and I shared a few stories as well. When Kim was first getting into hiking one of her goals was to go on big adventures (a goal I share!). On her first (or at least one of her first) backpacking trips she managed to scare a rattlesnake on day one and get stared down by a cougar the next. Me? I shared my silly sign story and why I know the emergency number (US equivalent of 911) in most of Europe.
All in all, I had a fantastic time and I clearly need to go on more “solo” hikes. Plus I now have a new story of this one time when I went on a solo hike and out hiked by a chihuahua. Jaxon is an absolute beast!
Devin, I ❤ your pictures and your blog post! You are welcome to join us hiking anytime!