Taking to the Trail III(f)

Today the wind and rain are both blowing a bit sideways, and expected highs for the next few days are expected to be in the mid-sixties or below. After all the muggy and/or warm days that I've put up hiked through recently, this one makes me wonder . . .

Lift-off is four days away. I'm sitting home today because my fourteen-mile hike last Saturday gave me bruises on the balls of both my feet. Why the previous Monday didn't cause the same problem I don't understand. The only thing I can think is that I changed my stride in an effort to slow my pace to a more relaxed one, which did more harm than good. At least my tiredness Saturday night left no stiffness on Sunday morning.

At any rate, this has given me a chance to finish packing the dry goods in the bear bag. The breakfast granola is in its little bags mixed with the dry soy milk. The bag of coffee has been reduced to only the amount I'm likely to drink. All that remains is to throw in the excellent chunk of cheese waiting in the fridge on Friday morning. Total weight for two weeks is eight pounds.

It occurs to me that I have hiked as many miles getting ready for this trip as I will hike in the next two weeks. This last shot is of the sudden pinking of the sassafras leaves. By the time they are ready to fall they will be a most stunning scarlet. I wonder what I'll see as I move north.