Our night was not a very restful one - we all did not sleep well and even if we could have, the frogs and owls were up all night. I must have slept, although I cannot remember doing so.
Our hike today was a long one - 19.85 miles by the time all was said and done. The Outdoorsman took us on some "off the beaten path trails" - a different thing for me, but in a very real way, a sense of true hiking as well.
This log had been burned in some fire previously. The color and texture of the wood fascinated me.
If you expand the picture, you will find that there are newts in the stream. I have never seen so many before. Of note, there is no word to describe a group of newts, although the term "knot" is used, as in "a knot of toads".
For those that may remember, this was the lake we camped at last year. This year, it was our lunch site. The Brit jumped in for a brisk cool-off. I, not enamored of lake water, chose to observe.
By the time we made our campsite for the night, we were all tired. Dinner was dehydrated meals - mine was Thai Curry - in a bag, with small sampler bottles of "guess the whiskey" to top off our long day.
WOW! Have you been in training? Anything over ten miles with a backpack is heroic...you did twice that and you had elevation to deal with.
ReplyDeleteI workout with weights and try to cover mileage at home (sadly, we have almost no elevation to train on). This is actually all leading up to a longer hike in August. We have two more training hikes.
DeleteI do have a 20 lbs weighted training vest I walk with. That has seemed to help.
That's not a bad distance to cover in one day and the wildflowers are great to see with those colors TB. Woke up this morning with another scattering of white on the lawn, temp is 32 as this is typed.
ReplyDeleteNylon12, 20 miles was considered a standard march for a Roman Legionnaire (with a much heavier pack than mine); I am barely getting by in that regard.
DeleteHopefully your Winter ends very soon.
I have always found the first night in a tent and sleeping bag to be rough. Sometimes I have the same issues in a hotel room with a bed that is a lot firmer/softer than the one back home. Usually by the second night, I'm tired enough my body doesn't care anymore.
ReplyDeleteEd - My experience (in general) as well. Exhaustion is a great assistance to any sort of physical adjustment.
DeleteIf you weren't already using them, maybe earplugs would help with sleep.
ReplyDeleteI understand that the way Newts relate to each other is called, Newt-Onian physics.
Earplugs apparently do not block the frequency that frog and bird calls are on.
DeleteI see what you did there with the Newt-Onian physics. I toad-ly get that.
I've been told that normal bug and bird sounds are a good thing - nothing is around to alarm them to become quiet.
ReplyDeleteIt is, and it certainly makes for a better background than urban noises. That said - man, Nature can be loud.
DeleteGod definitely blessed the country you were hiking, TB. Glad you were able to share it with us.
ReplyDeleteYou all be safe and God bless.
You are welcome Linda - Honestly, it is fun for me to plan the pictures I will put up here. Gives me something to look forward to.
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