A walk in the woods

Elimination diet going well. Cheese seems fine. One cup of rice and I gained 2 pounds between dinner and 8 am this morning. So, rice goes on the don’t eat list for the next 6 months. I feel fine, but 2 pounds, really! So, for now, it’s back to meat, veggies and fruit until I lose those two pounds and a couple more. Then I’ll test butter and see what happens with that. I’m down to one cup of coffee a day. Thought I could kick it this weekend, but have had a headache 6 out of the past 9 days, so will hang on to the coffee for another week.

I went for a long hike on Friday. “My” woods are quiet and peaceful. Not as challenging a hike as the AT, or as beautiful scenery, but in three hours I didn’t see or hear a person, dog, or car. Can’t say that about the parts of the AT I’ve been on. It is beautiful, but very accessible by road to millions of people, so gets a lot of hikers, even in the dead of winter.

This is the steepest part of my trail, a gentle uphill with about 500 feet of elevation gain, from my backyard to the top of the ridge.

I live on the side of Pickards Mountain. A few feet shy of the 1000 that makes it a “real” mountain, but it was named before it was measured!

I’m 7 miles from the heart of town, in “the county” as they say around here, surrounded by farms and some small woods like these.

My pack was 20 pounds, with water and snacks. I hope to add a pound to the pack, for every pound I loose, and build my muscles that way! We’ll se if it works.

I headed for the old dam.  A beautiful pre-civil war dam. There was once a grist mill. It’s said they blew it up when the union soldiers headed this way. This walk takes me about 3 hours, round trip, longer if I linger by the creek or explore.

Friday, I did both and was gone most of the afternoon.

It doesn’t show in the photo, but there is a vertical ladder at the tall end of the dam, one can climb the ladder, or walk along side the length of the dam until you get to the top. That gives you access to more paths and fields.

I followed a path through the woods to a field I’d never visited; my reward -  a pond and a stand of bamboo. My photo isn’t very good, but you can glimpse the water through the bamboo arch.

Next weekend, I’m thinking I’ll take my sleeping bag with me, and sleep in the woods near the creek.

The last time I slept outside, without a tent, was at Girl Scout camp when I was nine. I think it’s time to try it again.

Not real backpacking, but I can eat an early dinner, hike for a while, sleep under the stars, and be back in time for breakfast!

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