Today I didn't work outside of my home. It's 72 and sunny, you know damn well I was going out for a walk. Especially after I didn't get one Monday (working cooking for the homeless) and Tuesday (working 18 hours).
But I had a bunch of errands to do. I thought about it, and everything was off Airport Road. I decided to combine errands and walking. I needed to be home at 12 for a webinar. I picked the Hanover Township Canal Park outside of Catty. It's right at Dauphin and Irving Street, not far from Airport Road. And I had an errand at Target, so it was almost right next door.
I was set. I ran out the door, did the errands and arrived at the park in about an hour. As I got out of the car I realized I still had my Birks on. It rained last night. Not the best shoe choice. I headed out of the car without a hat and I didn't put on any sunscreen or bug spray. There was poop loads of mosquitos.
This isn't a huge section of the trail. Before and after the park it's pretty rustic. I think if you walk from 22 to Catty, it might be two miles, one way. The portion inside the park is really nice.
I headed toward 22, and broke through a lot of cobwebs. Very odd. This trail is used a lot. I quickly discovered why. I didn't get very far until I saw a detour sign. The trail under the bridge was closed because of the road construction above. They suggested "sharing the road" and walking along Dauphine Street to Kimmett's Lock Trailhead. Are they nuts? Dauphine Street is a curvy racetrack. Nobody using it goes under 50. I turned around and headed toward Catty.
The canal was nearly empty and pretty weedy. You couldn't see the lock. There was dead algae or duckweed in the pond. The mosquitos were plentiful. When I reached the end of the lake I turned around and headed back to the car. I was tired of being someone else's lunch.
Driving to the American Parkway I saw the Kimmett's Lock Trailhead. It's a large parking lot. There is a trail headed toward Catty, which I'm pretty sure will be blocked quickly. But there was nothing heading into Allentown. Just a boat launch. So how does one get from Kimmett's Lock to Canal Park in Allentown? That will be an exploration for another day.
I arrived home with one minute to spare for my webinar. I had to do it on my phone!
52-hike challenge: 46/52
Miles/Steps: 2.25
Bathroom: P-2. It was a mess and the door barely closed. No hand sanitizer (need to put in car). It was, however, accessible. The indoor comfort station is for pavilion guests only and was locked.
Weather: PERFECT—72, sunny, breezy.
Wildlife: 4 geese, heard 1 frog, 5 unknown ducks. I think they might have been mutts -- a mallard/goose mix.
Extra: One of my former girl scouts did this display about 16, 17 years ago. It held up quite well. Not super faded, no water damage. I bet all the URLs for the image links are dead!
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