[at-l] Short Hikes Report - Non AT related

[Jason Ball <jball65@shaw.ca> (Jason Ball)]

Not to be misleading, this is a short (4 miles) hike report and it is =
not on the AT.
I got to the trailhead (read parking lot a the local park) at 17:00 and =
put on my rain jacket and Deuter day pack. Although I didn't need my =
hiking poles, I took them anyways just to get into the groove. No need =
for the Sundowners either (fire road trail) but what the hey. The =
weather all day has been humid and around 13:00 it started to pour. I =
started off at a good clip and stopped once to adjust my sock which had =
bunched up on the bottom (do I detect hotspot possibilities?). I stopped =
by the Ducks Unlimited Marshland area and watched 3 sets of Canada Geese =
lead there babies across the trail in front of me. There must have been =
18 little downy balls cross the trail. And talk about protective, there =
was one goose that watched me the whole time and honked when I moved =
closer. I also saw Mallards, Swallows, Red-breasted black birds, what I =
believe to be King Fishers, and an assortment of perhaps finches (they =
were yellow). I didn't see the resident beavers although I noticed that =
the dams had new saplings on them.
Then the rain really started. I really understand the need for rain =
gear. Wear it to get wet. At least I was warm. I continued on and passed =
the mile and a half marker (or so my country boy skills tell me), and I =
look ahead and I see White-tail deer standing on the trail. Well she =
stood there in the rain watching me. I stood in the rain watching her. =
Sure enough she stamped her feet a few times and started to, for lack of =
a better word, fart.=20
If you are not familiar with deer, they will watch you for a long while =
and then if they feel that you may not be a threat, they paw the ground =
to see if they can scare you off. If you don't run at that point, they =
seem to signal to the deer behind them (they travel in groups for the =
most part), by spraying the ground behind them to mark their territory =
with Musk (or so I am told). This sounds like farting and it looks quite =
funny because their tail gets blown up off their butt in the process.=20
Well sure enough, behind her (I believe it was a her) comes another deer =
and it too does the same thing. Eventually it moves on and when I look =
at my watch (which is actually my cell phone - had to throw that in), a =
twenty minutes has passed. I continue on down the trail. At this time of =
the year, the ferns are almost 4 feet high in spots and the gumbo is =
sticky. My feet are dry and I am warm and therefore happy. I stopped to =
investigate some plants I had never seen before and once again another =
deer. I have been on this trail many times throughout the year. In the =
winter I see tracks, in the summer I see tracks but never a deer. Well =
today I saw 3 deer. Unbelievable.=20
If you have ever hiked in the rain with sun on the horizon, you will =
understand what I mean when I say the colours are so intense. It's like =
walking in a Kodak commercial. The 10,000 shades of green stand out =
against the brown, tans, and blacks of the trees. The patches of water =
ripple with all of the rain drops. And people ask me why I hike. =
Buffoons. I am selfish, I will not share this with but a select few who =
I feel will understand. I love to hike by myself or with distance =
between me and my hiking partners. It's almost spiritual, the way the =
muscles burn in the quads and the sweat drips off ones forehead.=20
I am wet but the sun is peaking through.=20
It won't last.=20
Neither will the sun trying to say hi. I carry on. Leaving deep imprints =
on the trail/road. If you ever get a chance to come to Manitoba, Canada, =
stop off at the Red River and take a handful of the river mud aka gumbo =
and squeeze it. Let it ooze through your fingers. Feels good. Now try =
and get it off of you. Hah. Good luck. I have gumbo on the back of my =
legs and it is wet now but boy oh boy try and get it off later. The =
trail has several deer tracks and a few foot prints. Hardly anyone comes =
out here. Too bad for them.=20
As I round the last of the sheltered part of the trial, the frogs are =
singing up a storm. I can't help but stop and throw a rock into one of =
many little ponds. Instant quiet. 5 minutes goes by and finally. Ribbit, =
Ribbit, Ribbit. Slowly and surely the concert resumes and so do I. As I =
come out into the field walk portion of the trip, I notice movement of =
to my right and see the 3 white tails (yes the tails) jump into the =
bush. 6 deer. No one is going to believe me. I make my way along the =
path and notice that the local 4x4's have been in the field during the =
spring and torn up the ground leaving deep ruts. These people are such =
heroes. They like to go out and get stuck and then burn their way out. =
If they only knew what damage they were doing. The worst part is, if =
they drove 20 minutes out of town, they would get to an area that is all =
dunes and gravel pits and where the real 4x4ers go to play. Been there, =
done that and may go again. It was fun getting stuck in the 4 foot deep =
puddle and then play Dukes of Hazzard to get out of the car and then =
fallin' in and havin' to ride in the back cause my buddy cherishes his =
truck more than a wet friend. Don't think I didn't get him back. But =
that's another story for another list.
I finished off my hike by going to the local paddling club's digs. =
Stopped and chatted with one of the coaches and decided I would like to =
go paddling next week. They meet every day (competitive and =
recreational) and have about 50 - 60 members. Don't worry, I haven't =
traded in my Vasques yet.
As I walked back to the a dry shirt and runners (aka the trailhead), I =
stopped to marvel at a turtle. I have seen them before but this one was =
the size of dinner plate. He was approximately 15 inches wide and he had =
long nails and what looked like a dragon or dinosaur's tail. Totally =
cool. Note to Self: Turtles don't like having hiking poles shoved in =
their face.=20
At last my dry shirt. I made it home in time to have hot soup and fresh =
whole grain bread. I had some cheese and 2 glasses of wine. Oh yah and =
it quit raining as I pulled up into my driveway.
Thanks for letting me share.

Jakealoo


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