I know it’s hard to tell, but sometimes I do actually know a thing or two. Mostly just one thing, but still.
So, I admit, I took some pleasure in that one thing I know, being that the trails would be shit on Monday and Tuesday; thus, me stuffing myself into an ancient bike kit (the one that still actually fits) and riding the trainer two days in a row.
I knew the trails would be shit on Monday and Tuesday because the several hundred miles of winter lumbering I’ve done over the past few years have taught me that multiple days of warm temps and sun on packed, groomed snow means a sunken, sloppy, sunken mess. (The three “S’s” or 3-Smesses, if you will.)
At the risk of acting as if I know more than one thing, I also knew from last night’s temps that the trails should be frozen enough this morning to salvage the Work Fun Ratio that I crave during a lumber, and they were. (I’m on a roll!)
I could also tell that the lumbering would have been shit on Monday and Tuesday from the depth of the now-frozen footprints in the snow made by feet way smaller than mine. (Maybe I am smarter than I think I am?)
From the parking lot, I could tell that snowshoes would be overkill, not to mention be inefficient on the ice, so I strapped my micro-spikes on, grabbed my trekking poles, fastened my camera to my pack, and took off down the trail with the re-re-frozen snow and pockmarked ice crunching so loudly beneath my feet I could barely hear myself think. (Probably a good thing.)
I was also a little surprised at how much quicker I was compared to snowshoes, and the boots/micro-spikes/trekking pole decision proved to be perfect. Between the solid sheets of ice and lumpy frozen snow, I think the lumber would have been nearly impossible without spikes and poles. (OK, now my vast lumbering intelligence is starting to look like showboating.)
I crunched my way over the trails so no one except for one ice fisherman who was gone by the time I finished and saw a few critters. Actually, I should say that I SCARED a few critters with my insanely loud footsteps on the ice, including ANOTHER bald eagle.
The eagle was obscured by some pines, but when it heard me, I could see it take off through some dead trees and, as luck would have it, land on some trees on the other side of the river. YESS!!!
I leaned my poles against a tree and slowly made my way over some bare dirt to try to get an open view, keeping my eyes on the eagle the whole time. I reached for my camera, and SHIT, there it went. There I stood, once again watching a bald eagle fly gracefully away from me with no images taken. Damn!!
Over the next few miles, I would scare more critters and miss more shots, but the hike was actually pretty darn good. While I normally have 15+ miles in my feet after three days, I was happy to have been right about the trail conditions, get some miles in (5.15), and know that my experience is paying off.
Seeing that I’ve only hiked 5.15 miles after three days would normally have me thinking that I am on the fast track back to The Bed of Torment, so it was nice to look at my files and see that I also have over 25 miles of higher intensity indoor cycling in my legs as well as today’s lumber. And I still have 4 more days to “do stuff.” I might not hit that 20-mile winter lumbering goal, but at least I’m doing stuff to maintain the last shreds of sanity I have.
Now go forth into the cold, hike with the newfound knowledge that I have dropped on you. It’s probably the only thing of use you’ll ever get from me.
Later.