Back On the Trail

If you don't know, I start each day with a long walk in one of the wonderful parks we have here in Delaware. If you did know I did, well, you just heard it again.

I missed my little four or five jaunt the last two mornings. This is unusual. I have missed a day here and there because of extenuating circumstances, such as a raging thunderstorm or two feet of snow in a winter blizzard, but it is really rare to miss two days in a row, even in bad weather times.

Weather had nothing to with it. Yeah, it's been hot, but I go hot or cold.

I had told the Little Woman we would go away on this just past Thursday. We would drive up into

Pennsylvania and visit the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum. If that didn't take up enough of our time we would swing over to Wheatland, the homestead of president James Buchanan. To end this outing we would eat at the Revere Tavern in Paradise (Paradise, Pennsylvania, not Heaven). It is one of our favorite eateries and has been for decades. Not only is the atmosphere and food nice, the prices are reasonable. Because the sites we would visit required a lot of walking, I decided to skip going out that morning. I'd get my steps in that afternoon.

However, when the Little Woman arose that morn she wasn't feeling well and so we decided not to go, but to postpone this journey until the next Thursday.

That was day one missed, so what happened on Friday?

I had an appointment in Wilmington at 8:00 AM. There were some things I do around the house every morning before I go hiking. This is cleaning, especially the kitchen. It also involves cleaning the several litter boxes for our cats, feeding the said animals as well as putting seed out for the birds. Given the distance I walk, I considered the timing and decided I couldn't fit everything in and make my meeting, thus I sacrificed my walk.

Therefore this morning I felt the need to take an extra long tramping through the woods to make up for the losses. I had a grand idea. I would go to where spaces are reserved for the Woodlawn Trustee Trails (now designated part of the National Monument Park). The entrance begins at these hotels along Route 202 and will eventually lead you into the paths of the Brandywine Creek State Park. I really thought I would take the high trail all the way down to the Brandywine, cross over on Adams Dam Road, follow the creek path to Tompkins Bridge Road and return through the parks along Rocky Run. That should be a hike. To allow time I left early to get myself to the trailhead even before the official opening hour of 8:00. After all, beginning at that particular spot would not be noticed by anyone who might shake a finger about my early arrival.

Apparently I was not the only schemer to think this way. When I arrived there were a lot of cars along the fence where the reserved spots are. Maybe some were guests at the hotel, but there were cars in the reserved spots, except for a couple down near the bottom, but there was an obstacle to my passage. Between me and those spots were these two bicyclists. It wasn't so much the bikers as it was the two loose dogs with them, which were standing out in the middle of the drive. I didn't want to try and maneuver about these pups with a chance of hitting any, so I pulled in a parking space in the non-reserve area to wait until the likes left.

But the one guys was working on something and they didn't leave and didn't leave and the dogs just stood the ground in the drive and then another vehicle came by me with bikes on the roof and went sown and took one of the spaces. Right behind these came another SUB with bikes on the back and then another, so I backed out and left. I really don't like to be on the trails when busy with bicyclists. I know it is a generalization, but a lot of those peddlers are rude and inconsiderate to others on the trail, not all, but enough that I would rather avoid them. As far as I am concerned every bicyclist should have to be required to wear a bell around their neck to worn people of there coming. And don't get mad at me for what I have just said. Get mad at those bicyclists who disrespect the trails and those walking.

I was going to go over to Rockwood, but as I passed Mt. Lebonon Road I changed my mind. It was about quarter of eight, maybe the upper side of the State Park would be open a bit early. Turned out it was, so I started my hike up by the Nature Center and to stretch it out I followed two trails instead of one.

I began by following the Hidden Pond Trail and then doubled back and took the Indian Springs route. I wandered around some areas off those routes as well, so it was a nice workout.

I didn't fall in any creeks this time, either.