I am conquered by crowds

Today, again on the advice of Ginny (Ginny is a great trail reference) I headed out to Great Falls to hike the Billy Goat Trail.  I tried to time it so I would get there before 9, so I might have a spot in the parking lot.  In fact I got there at 8:45 and got the next to the last spot.[1]  I headed out north on the C&O Canal trail.  I wanted to attack Loop A from the north end.  The last time I remember hiking it (fifteen years ago with.. David Cottingham?  Somebody from that era anyway) I remembered scrambling down a narrow lip of rock, and I would rather scramble up that sort of thing.  Leads to better footing.

On the way there I saw a few joggers and power walkers.  Not too many.  But shortly after I got on the trail, it became apparent that every healthy person and/or parent of toddlers had decided to do the Billy Goat this morning.  Man!  I can't remember the last time I waited so many times for people on a trail.  Given that it was mostly rock scrambling, opportunities to get off to the side were minimal.

That aside, it was fun!  I spent a lot of time using my hands for stability, or even in modest strength moves to help me get over boulders.  I was glad I've been lifting weights.  Even the piddling amount I've done has obviously helped.

At one point I sat on a smooth rock and slid to the bottom.  The mom behind me was horrified.  "You'll ruin your pants!"  I assured her that my pants were tough and didn't mind.

I was glad to be carrying nothing heavier or more bulky than my daypack.  At that, it got in my way a few times.  The trail was quite a bit more involved than I remember it being.  Of course, I was 25 then..  At any rate it was a good time and I made it through in significantly less time than the sign said it would take, so I was pretty happy with that.

After Loop A I had originally intended to do loops B and C but between the huge crowds and the blisters forming on my feet[2] I decided to bag it.  I had done about four miles, and I had worked muscles that hadn't been worked in a long time.  It was a good morning.  And then I went home, ate some lunch, and took a long, wonderful nap.[3][4]


[1] Of course when I came back two hours later, cars were parked along the side of the road for a half a mile, so maybe the parking standards aren't too particular.

[2] Rock scrambling makes your shoes move on your feet in an entirely different way than hiking does.

[3] The beeping UPSes from the power outage that happened right after I got home had no hope of keeping me awake.  Zzzzz.

[4] Maybe if I'd had a less modest lunch I would be less hungry right now.

Egret flying away from paparazzi

I'm a bad-ass blue blazer.  You heard me.

DUCKS!

Is it just me or is this place really freaking scenic?

I was trying to sneak up on the egret in the middle of the pond.

Egret!