Every one of my lumbers this week has been nearly the same. Oddly, that’s not really a bad thing.
The loops were all five miles in length, or just over. The temps were warmer (in the 20s and low 30s compared to -2˚ last week); however, while warmer, the temps have not been warm enough to melt the snow in the woods, barring a few small areas that receive direct sunlight. And that meant continuing to lumber over lumpy, slippery snow that makes for slow going, adding handfuls of minutes onto my average pace and taking its toll on my knees and darkened mind.
But hey, all that is just me trying to make my lumbers in the woods sound like something like more than a fat man walking trails in a futile attempt to feel better about himself.
I also saw very little human life this week (also a good thing). Mary(?) and Jim(?) have long gone to wherever they go during the winter. The Man in My Imagination was Accused of Living in The Park, and his dog have not been seen in a couple weeks, and the park ranger has not been heard or seen putting around the outer trail in his hoopty emptying trash cans and leaving the scent of burning oil and gas fumes in his wake.
Other than the occasional ice fisherman out on the water and the random dog walker I saw from a distance as I finished up on Thursday, it’s just been me, the critters, and my thoughts as I stumble through the snow like a gulag escapee. In other words, it’s been pretty sweet.
I had gone back in forth on whether I would push on Friday morning and get 25 miles in for the week, but yesterday, after my hike as I sat on the back bumper of Escape II (Electric Boogaloo), removing my micro-spikes, my mind decided that I’m done for the week, I’m utilizing the Winter Contingency Act and calling the week at 20.45 miles and 19 hikes/95.96 miles for the month. I also did 9+ miles of treadmill running, but indoor activities do not count towards the 2025 Ignorance is Bliss Tour.
Speaking of indoor activities…
My mind may have told me I was done for the week with Lumbering, but my gut told me there was still work to be done to chip away at the layer of blubber I put on this winter. So, I took a few minutes on Thursday to go down to the Not So Stankment and prep Mr. Burgundy for some indoor Whooshing over the next few days. I had to get creative using outdated technology to link shit up, but I should be good to go and look forward to sweating all over myself.
I had some decent luck with the camera on Thursday and got a couple shots of a deer in the sunny woods (vertical and horizontal for your viewing pleasures) and a pileated woodpecker hopping between a couple different trees above me.
Time to find a chamois to soil and make a playlist to roll nowhere fast to.
Later.