[at-l] This is a test.....

[spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

this is only a test.  If this were real, I'd be in New Mexico and headed 
north.

Last weekend was a test of the knee(s) - particularly the right one that the 
orthocutter poked around inside two months ago.  We went out to work with a 
trail crew on the Mid-State Trail near Everett, PA.

On Saturday, we took a crew up to the ridge north of Loysburg and cleared 
and blazed about 3.5 miles of trail.  The test for the knee came in just 
getting up to the ridge - everything after that was easy - at least until it 
was time to come back down that half-mile 100% grade "trail." The good part 
is that the knee did well and the only tough part was that one climb.  The 
questionable part is the rest of my body after not doing any real hiking for 
4 months.  <g>

Sat night we were invited to a "trail crew feed" by some of the citizens of 
Everett.  The town of Everett wants to become a "trail town" - and there's 
reason to believe that can happen.

Then we went back to the campground and spent several hours shooting the 
bull and drinking homemade beer and wine.

On Sunday, Ginny and I went off to blaze what we could of an 11 km section 
of trail on the ridge between Black Valley and Snake Spring Valley.  Again 
we got about 3.5 miles cleared and blazed.  This time the approach was via a 
mile of game management road - and then another (but much shorter) steep 
section of trail to the top of the ridge.  This section of trail is one that 
we scouted years ago when they were looking for a place to put the trail.  
So I remembered a lot of it.  It's nice to know that our efforts in scouting 
the route weren't wasted.  And that my memory still works (sometimes).

Great weekend - wonderful weather - good company - lots of hard work and 
satisfaction with what we accomplished - too bad y'all missed it.  Maybe 
we'll see you next time?

Walk softly,
Jim

http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/