The original plan was to go for the 10K walk, then come back, check out and go to the last park. But they were about 5 miles apart. Seemed silly to go back. Instead we checked out, stamped the books, and hit the turnpike never to return to the Willow Grove Hampton Inn.
Before leaving I read the whiteboard. Good thing I did, it said yield to horses today at Evansburg. There was an equestrian event being held.
Evansburg State Park is heavily forested with the Skippack Creek running through it offering scenic views. Trail loops the creek and goes along ridges on narrow and sometimes rocky paths.
Then we parted ways. They were walking faster than we were. I think I was holding everyone back. But Angels ankle was also starting to protest a bit. So I think she was going a bit slower.
The trail went down one side of the creek. At the turn before the bridge it was confusing where to actually turn. We went the way we thought we should go—it got us to where we were going—and came upon a whole parade of horses. There must have been twenty.
Road apples were everywhere.
After crossing a stone bridge, we returned on the other side. Angel fell--but didn't hurt herself--making a transition from a parking lot to a smooth section of trail.
On this trail, there were many places we had to walk single file. We explained the process to the tween several times. But to quote Angel "stop walking up daddy's butt!" was often yelled toward the tween. Finally I stopped everyone and gave her a visual example. She was a bit better after that.
There was one place that Angel and I were lagging back, and Darrell and tween were almost out of site. Wish I would have had my whistle from Girl Scouts.
On our return trip we heard voices behind us. We had just transverse a particularly difficult spot. We decided to take a break and let them past. It was the group from earlier? How did we get ahead. Our thought was at the loop around the meadow before the bridge. Were we saw all the horses.
Again we walked together for a while. Angels phone said five miles. And we all discussed how we were almost done. The little green dot on her GPS was getting closer and closer and closer and further away. WTF?
(The maps are from Angel.)
We probably went a generous mile past it, then out a road where we met Diva and her owner, went another half mile or so, then back into the woods for another mile or so. In total it 7.5 miles. It felt like 10.
After burgers AND fries for lunch, we headed to the Norristown Farm Park. The restaurant was a block from the access road. I told you about this park on Friday when Bonnie and I went. But Friday and Saturday they cut all the corn down. It was a totally different view.
When Bonnie and I went we skipped the little part in the woods. It was a good thing. It was squirrely. And I left my sticks in the car. There we met sisters Carol and Joan. Carol is from Texas. Joan from Trenton. Again, we walked together for a while and then parted ways.
About halfway we ran into LBW treasurer Doris. Then we walked with her a bit.
By the time we past the state hospital Angel was done. She was in my place at the back of the pack. Her ankle was saying enough already.
The latrines here degraded a bit since we were there Friday. No longer an 4.5, but not yet a 3.5.
My totals for the weekend. 1-12K, 1-10K, 4-5Ks. It's the most walking I've done in months and I was joyfully exhausted.
Congratulations to our scoobie-tween. She reached the 165 on her Tail on the Trail Challenge this weekend.
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