February Adventure: Hiking

This was an extraordinarily terrific weekend. It was unseasonably warm in this winter of unseasonable cold, and wonder of wonders, the best weather fell on the weekend!  I had not done much planning for my February Adventure until Thursday night, when I realized it would be silly to not take advantage of the weekend. So I thought on it and thought on it. My dog Rocky is only just off exercise restrictions, and he has been really enjoying the short walks around the neighborhood.  On the other hand, I've been running on the treadmill, and perhaps it was time to try running outdoors again, in some new place? Or maybe, I should get the bike out of the shed and take it somewhere new?

The dog won out, so I dug up a couple of old books I have on walks and hiking in the DC area. There are many cool places to go around here, but one of my self-imposed requirements for it to be an Adventure is it has to be novel in some way, something I haven't done before (not just something I haven't done in a long time). Greenbelt National Park won out.

 This is a tiny park by National Park standards - more like a county park. It was farmland until the 1930s or so, and so its second growth forest. I've been hearing about this park since I arrived in the area, most notably from Mark Garland, a naturalist I know who grew up around here.  (I actually heard him extol the virtues of camping in this pocket park on local NPR station where he often does bits on the local environment.)

The park is wedged in between the Capital Beltway and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and as I walked the Perimeter hiking trail, I heard the noise of the highway almost constantly. There were a few quiet places, and I was pleased to notice how quiet it was when I was near the campgrounds.  Maybe Rocky will get to spend the night in a tent here some day.

 We walked around the perimeter trail, about six miles. In places, it was very muddy, and there was one spot where I had no choice but to walk through an inch or two of running water. I was pleased to discover my hiking boots seemed quite waterproof.  There were areas of green - laurel and azalea and holly. I imagine there is a very beautiful time in the spring - April? I think Mark Garland may have written about it in one of his books - I'll check.

 This was the farthest I've ever been with Rocky, and the first time in the woods. He's just finished an exercise restriction for medical reasons, and has been doing well on walks around the neighborhood.  Expeditions like this are a reason I wanted a dog like Rocky, and we had a good time. I kept a close eye on the set of his ears and the angle of his tail. He drooped a bit in the middle, and we took a break for almonds and kibble. He has mostly slept since we got back, unusually for my busy boy.

Let's hear it for more good weather and new Adventures!