As previously discussed, Friday was Deer Day here in Michigan. One side of my brain was telling me to take the day off so as not to slam my head into a wayward bullet that was unable to stop itself from crossing into the park. And the other part of me was saying, “fuck it” you only have to get a couple miles in, and your week is done. I went with fuck it.
It was another dank and dreary day, and I was only one of two cars at the trailhead lot for about 30 seconds before the Soobie, belonging to the man my imagination accused of living in the park, pulled in with his dog. NOTE: He needs a better name because “the man my imagination accused of living in the park” is a tad long.
I see him so much now that I almost feel I know him, or at least should know his name, and he let out a loud “G’morning!!” from across the lot before some small talk about the weather and asking me how many miles I put in. In this brief conversation, he talked of chasing his dog around “the yard,” which pretty much confirms that he has a home. Unless, of course, he talking about a stockyard, rail yard, or a prison yard. “I’ll take ‘Yards’ for $500, Alex.”
After a brief conversation that was both sort of nice and sort of too much for me, at 7:30 AM (or anytime), he took off down the main park path with this dog, and I went the opposite direction over the suspension bridge.
As soon as I exited the bridge, I ran into the owners of the other car in the lot; two friendly old hippies and their dog who must get to the park at an ungodly hour to start their walk. I rarely actually see them, just their car. We exchanged brief “good mornings,” I patted their dog on the head and continued on. NOTE: They need a better name because “two friendly old hippies” is also a bit much. How do I know they are hippies? Well, they drive an old Soobie plastered with all the stickers that say the things I think but would never put on my car for fear of having my tires slashed by a Michigan “patriot” out on patrol, and I think that qualifies.
Then, about a minute later, I heard my first “BANG!!!!!” of the morning coming from an uncomfortably close distance. “Maybe this was a bad idea?” I thought to myself before stubbornly carrying on.
As I lumbered down the trail over the wet leaves and roots, I saw a group of whitetail deer take off, leaping and running through the trees with ease. I stood and watched in awe of their speed and agility before looking to my left to see one that stayed behind and was unfazed by my presence.
We stood looking at each other as water dripped from the limbs and remaining leaves above before I finally unclipped my camera and took a few shots. Then, I continued on, looking back to see the deer taking off after its friends, who were thankfully running deeper into the trees of the park.
I continued my short lumber through the wet woods before hearing another “BANG!!!!!” around Mile 2. “OK, time to follow the lead of the deer and get off this perimeter trail and deeper into the woods.”
A short time later, just as I was about to hang that right into the woods, I heard another “BANG!!!!!” coming from just across the river that put more of a spring in my step.
I hiked another mile and was soon back at Escape II with a quick 3 miles in my feetz and 26.27 miles on the week.
A cool, misty rain was in the air as I stretched my legs in the lot with my muddy foot propped on the hood of Escape II.
The car belonging to the two friendly old hippies and their dog was now gone, the car belonging to the man my imagination accused of living in the park was still there, and the car belonging to the friendly elderly couple who hike nearly every day with their trekking poles was now parked to my left.
Ah, you thought I was going to refer to them as “the friendly elderly couple who hike nearly every day with their trekking poles,” but I actually know their names!! Well, sort of.
After 2+ years of passing them on almost every trail in the park, the woman stopped one day, asked my name, and then introduced herself and her husband. To which I immediately forgot. I THINK it’s Mary and Jim, but it also might not be.
Despite not being 100% sure of names, they are an inspiration. I see them, or at least their car, in the lot, nearly every hike, rain or shine, no matter how hot or cold (although they are snowbirds, so not too much of the cold).
For a while over the summer I was only seeing “Jim” for a good two weeks. Being that they are of the age that “things happen,” I was hesitant to ask “Jim” if “Mary” was OK.
Finally, one day, “Jim,” a handsome gentleman with a chiseled face and wavy, shoulder-length white hair, greeted me as I passed. I asked, “Is your partner OK?” He casually told me that she hadn’t been feeling great and just had an artery in her neck operated on, and she’d be back soon.”
Then, a week or so later, there was “Jim” AND “Mary,” slowly hiking down the trail with trekking poles in hand. “Mary” looked a little thinner and a bit paler, but she was back! They were turning left about 20 yards down the trail, but before making the turn, she waved, and I let out a “Welcome back!” They both waved again with beaming smiles, obviously overjoyed to be back on the trails together.
I barely know their names (if at all), but I admire their commitment to enjoying the outdoors no matter what the weather or what life throws at them. They are an inspiration for aging both gracefully and kicking and screaming with middle fingers up.
Soon, I’ll most likely get another “Have a Merry Christmas” from Mary as we pass, and then they’ll be off to wherever they go from January to April, and I will spend my winter hikes wondering if I will see them both in the spring.
To be honest, this post was going to be about a paragraph long, but I guess too much coffee, not knowing what else to do at 6:30 AM, and thinking about the nameless and nearly nameless peripheral characters in my life got the best of me.
One last note on the “BANGS!!!!” I am no stranger to hearing gunshots now and then on my hikes; there is a Sportsman’s Club/Militia HQ a few miles from the park on a dirt road, where you can often hear shots being fired, but these “BANGS!!!!” were much closer. Glad to be staying out of the woods for the next couple of days.
Later.