another trip to quakertown

 

Today I went back down to Quakertown to do two more sections of the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network. The Pennsylvania Highlands is a 13-county, 1.4 million acre region that includes the populations of the Lehigh Valley, Reading, and Pottstown, and is in close proximity to the populations of the cities of Philadelphia and Harrisburg. It is part of a larger trail network that spreads into four states including New Jersey, New York, and Maryland.

Network is the key word here. The South Bethlehem Greenway is part of that network, or it will be when it connects to the Saucon Rail Trail. The sections I've been doing are the suburbs of Quarkertown, and are housing developments so each has the developers name. 

Today I was south of Quarkertown, near the old Hess's., on the western side of Rte. 309. To walk the highlands trail to Veterans park you need to cross 309 on foot. Scary thought. The trail winds it way thru town until it gets to the burbs again. the sun.

I parked at the trailhead at the Great Blue Heron Park. All the parking was in the sun. Well let's face it, everything was in the sun. There was a large picnic pavilion, children's playground and a single port o potty. Crossing over the grassy strip there was the entrance to Brayton Garden Trail. (Name of Development.) On the right was a huge pond, probably man made surrounded by milkweed.

 That's where I met this snapping turtle. He was the size of a large dinner plate.

We walked around about half the pond, turned the corner and found another pond. This one was much smaller. The path was macadam but it was all out in the sun. We don't even get close to that tree line.

When you're about 3/4 the way around this smaller pond you turn left and head into the woods for a tiny bit, and then you reach a full suburban neighborhood. The path continues thru it. Once you get to Traumsbauerville Road you pick up the Hunters Crossing Trail. I ended up not taking that one because it was too hot and I'd already gone over 1.5 miles. I thought each was one mile. Not in shape or the mood for a potential 6 or 7 mile walk.

These trails have limited trailheads and even less parking. They are designed for the neighborhood to use rather than a destination trail. Plenty of people were walking dogs. Speaking of which, there were dog waste bags and bins every quarter mile on the trail. No leaving you dog shit lay.

Miles/Steps:  >3 miles
Weather:       88, humid, sunny
Bathrooms:   didn't check
Wildlife:        Many red wing blackbirds and robins. Hard to count, they keep moving. Hawk, woodpecker and many different birds were heard. Bull frogs heard. Snapping turtle.

no phone = no pictures and no measurement

It's Memorial Day! It's also the start of a new week which starts the new month. So I'm going for a streak again. Can I do it? Only time will tell.

 

I had a busy day. But since I no longer have a FitBit and I don't carry my phone everywhere, it just doesn't register. At 3 pm I had .01 miles registered. It is now 7:30 and it hasn't budge.

I began the day by doing the sheets and hanging them out. By 6:15 Pat and I were out walking. She went all the way around the regular block. She's been killing it lately. I think she's jealous of Sharon and wants to "beat" her. Of course, it's two different recoveries. Sharon is doing well after her knee replacement and is using the rollator again. She can also now walk unescorted so I no longer have to go over there. When she returns to the docctor in 2 months he wants the rollator gone. And maybe the cane too.

At 11 am we logged into Milly. I really expected her not to be there. But she was, with an American flag hanging in her dining room. We didn't use the cane this week but rather more arm exercises that she was trying out for a new routine. There was less than a 100 people in class. That's about 1/3 of the regular attendance.

Then I decided to go for a walk. I have lots of places I want to go, but with gas near $5 I need to keep the road trips to a minimum. I decided that I'd go to Quakertown. In Veterans Park there is a nature trail I've wanted to explore. I thought the park was appropriate for Memorial Day. I left about noon, and headed to the park. It was surprisingly empty.

When I looked up the map online it said that the nature trail was at Pumping Station and Heller. I  parked and discovered I had no phone. This was problematic for two reasons. I couldn't call for help if I got lost, and I couldn't take pictures.

From the lot I walked that direction down the macadam sidewalk. I reached the crossover and I saw no trail. There was an indention into the woods but it was clearly a deer run. I saw no sign and no trail markers. I walked back to the car and followed the marked trail past the athletic fields to the bathrooms. There were four indoor potties men's, women's, and two genderless family rooms with handicap capabilities. None were open.  The path continued to the fence line. I had pretty much resigned myself to do the park walk when I saw a sign for the Upper Berks Rail Trail. I turned and went in. 

I was about to turn around and decided to walk to the kiosk about a block away. And there it was—the entrance to the nature area. The trail was ungroomed but wide. Eventually it narrowed. It was well marked. In fact I had to remember how to read trail direction markers from Girl Scouts  because they were marking rights and lefts. The further I got into the woods the muddier it became. The trail got quite narrow and several places was overgrown.  At places there was boards on the trail to get thru the muck and I was starting to think about turning around. But didn't. I could hear traffic. Then I hear people. A couple was coming toward me. That assured me that there was a way out. But it was at least another 45 minutes till that happened.

Eventually I could see the streets and buildings. And what do you know, I came out of the woods on the "deer path" at Pumping Station and Heller. That trail was tough from where I started. I can't imagine doing it the other direction.

Without my phone I missed several texts and emails from my brother about picking up smoked meats at his house. Thankfully his wife brought them over. I didn't have to cook dinner.

Tomorrow it is back to Qtown to check out two more trails. This time they begin at Heron Park. I'm supposed to go near the rookery. It sounds so cool. Maybe I'll even see baby heron.

Miles/Steps:  3+ miles
Weather:       88, humid, sunny
Bathrooms:    closed
Wildlife:         scared a doe, heard many birds

i forgot my sneakers but hiked anyway.

 

Today was the Get Out For Wellness hike at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington. It's very odd that they were two days in a row. I think it might be that next week is Memorial Day. 

I got my sneakers ready, and filled two bottles of water. One was steel and that stayed in the car. The other was plastic and there was 3 inches of ice in the bottom. That is the one I would carry with me.

I rushed out the door for the 40 minute trip to Slatington. I arrived and people were already assembled. I looked on the back seat and no sneakers. Shit. I left them in the living room. I checked with Austin who was running the hike and said that he thought the trails would be groomed. I should be fine.

The volunteer from the Nature Center that was going along presented some options. The one they settled on was taking the L&E (Lehigh and New England) trail to the Bobolink trail, then returning on the D&L. There was just one thing. It was a rock scramble to get up to the L&E. Now the last time I took that trail it was a very short rock scramble. Boulders mostly. Maybe a block long. It is less rocky now, but much, much, much longer. Probably a half of mile. And I did it wearing Birkenstocks. How I don't know. I had to stop several times. Once the man next to me asked if I was okay and I shook my head yes. He said that's not helpful. Tell me. So I said I was fine, and he was happy. He also said he'd check on me later. And he did. This long expanse ended with a downhill that was so steep that they created stairs out of flat stones.

The rest of the hike was pretty uneventful. The L&E was gravel and grass. The Boobolink connector was a larger gravel with several erosion gullies.  And the D&L is crushed stone.  I mostly walked alone.

the proof is in the pudding

 

Dang, I'm out of shape. I know it and every person in the group today knows it. I had the sign glowing in my aura.

Let's back up. Today I was supposed to have my pedicure. I classify this a medical expense in my budget. If my feet hurt the rest of me is a total train wreck. Instead I had a choice between the Volkssport walk in Quakertown and the Get Out For Wellness walk at Dodson park. One was five minutes away. The other, close to 30. GOFW won.

First it was hot and humid. But we'd be walking in the woods. I have not transitioned my clothes yet because it's been so cold. Why I wore a dark t-shirt and long black yoga pants is beyond me. And I forgot my sandals for after. I did take a hat, my walking stick and water. I wasn't totally stupid.

I arrived and checked in. We walked west around the power plant and down the power trail. It was much easier to walk down than it was to walk up. There were many more layers of stone on it this time. When we walked up it in 2018 it was larger rocks. Now those were covered with smaller ones, then gravel, then mulch. But it was eroded and slippery from the rain. So you had to navigate gullies.

We went west into the forest to the lookout. This is not where I thought the lookout was. You could see an island in the river and an eddy (a current of water or air running contrary to the main current). Then we turned around and came back to the power line. We continued down the hill until we reached the red trail and headed into the woods. The shade felt good. But it was all a gradual uphill, and I fell behind. I had to stop frequently. I'm sure the rest of the group was pissed having to wait for me. I'm much better if I have someone to talk to.

We kept heading east behind the hospital and the reservour. Then we went downhill and headed west again, back to the powerline trail.  They asked if we wanted to go up it and I said "hell no!" Been there, done that. Don't care to do it again. So we retraced our steps to the yellow trail and took that back to the parking lot.

On one of our breaks, Bill (the group leader) told us how to go up hills without getting winded. Take tiny steps and breath in for three steps and out for five. Now this was directed at me, but he made a general announcement.  And I did try it going back. Maybe I didn't stop as much going up the hill.

But honestly at that point I was already spent. My feet hurt like hell. My long toenails were digging into the front of my sneakers.My thighs were screaming going up and down the ridge line. All I kept thinking is this is what happens when you don't work out. Yoga and Milly aren't enough.

When I got back to the car I discovered I didn't bring sandals. Shit. My feet had to hurt for a little while longer. At least I had a cold beverage in the car

Miles/Steps:  3+ miles
Weather:       88, humid, sunny
PPE Found:    1 mask
Wildlife:         Turkey, heard woodpeckers, toad

 

 

Toad is in the upper quarter of the photo, left of center. Look at stick and move your eyes down and left-ish.
 

Thursday I walked to CVS to pick up Sharon's meds. The flowers above were on Broadway at Aunt Dorothy's alley. They have many tire planters.  I was busy working, so I did the straight shot down Broadway and back. When I went to her house I rode the Cubii 1000 steps. 

 

Friday I logged in my Tail on the Trail miles. They have so many more choices including one for wheelchairs called "roll". Adventure courses, and disc golf also are icons to choose. Under "other" I picked low impact fitness class for Milly, yoga, of course, and "elliptical" for riding the Cubii. Because isn't that what it is—a sitting elliptical machine. They also have "badges". I think they started last year. There's some new ones at Blue Mountain. And there's one for St. Luke's (corporate sponsor) 15 for 150. It's their 150th anniversary, so you log 15 activities and you get a badge. We were talking today that since it was the anniversary if maybe they'd offered "special" hikes up to the hospital ruins in the woods. We'll see

Friday Sharon and I walked from her apartment, theu the senior center to a turn around point near the therapy suite. The Physical Therapist heard her talking to someone. She also heard her say I need to find a spot to rest. Even though there was someone in there (it's a small room), she invited us in and Sharon sat  on a exercse bench that at a push of a button gets higher. But Sharon was able to get off alone. She's been having PT in her apartment. As we left the therapist said "Sharon, on Tuesday I'll come up and get you and we'll walk to the therapy room together. Don't come alone." Busted.  WHile she got ready I rode the Cubii for 2000 steps.

I looked at my phone when we left and noted the distance. It appears that the therapy room is just over .1 miles one way. It makes sense since it's in the basement of building one, about a block away.

When I left it was pouring. I got to the lobby and saw Trudy, and her service dog Trixie. I chatted a bit. Then an old lady with her arm in a cast came. She was apparently at her daughters for three weeks healing. Her mailbox runeth over. She just kept pulling stuff out. Then she mumbled something about she should have brought a bag. I offered to help her carry. She said no initally, but eventually changed her mind. It took the two of use to take everything up to the seventh floor. I put all the mail on the kitchen table and came down the elevator. I had had enough exercise for the day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGEL!

not much happenening here

 

I thought I'd post because I didn't want to lose my handful of readers if I didn't. If you don't post readers go away. The problem is nothing much is happening here.

This is the time of the year when classes are over and I start to have more free time. I can take longer road trips, walk further, do challenges... But at least for May it means running the twins to doctor's appointments, checking on Sharon after surgery and dealing with a bunch of normal home crap. Oh, and gas is $4.70/gallon. I have to plan wisely.

So what exercise am I doing? It's certainly not reflected in the stats above. This is from my phone. For it to record the phone has to be on your person. I'm lucky I know where it is at any given time. 

As an example, here's my Wednesday. I parked the car at Sharon's building, walked thru her building, and while she got ready I rode her Cubii 1000 steps. Then we slowly walked to the car via the ramp. When we reached the doctor, I used the valet, and then we walked to and from the doctor's office, retrieved the car and drove to Pott's hot dog stand. You would have thought we were going to the Four Seasons. I went into Pott's to pick up lunch, drove back to her building, and we walked back to her apartment. I rode another 1000 steps while munching on my hot dog. 

After arriving home I got the great news that all the water was brown. Oh yeah, I vaguely remember a call... or was it an email ... from the water department they were flushing the water system. Plus they've been digging up Broadway for weeks. I ran around the house open faucets and flushing toilets. The toilets looked like mud. After the third flush downstairs the flusher broke. Time to call the plumber.

Then it was time for Pat's walk. It's now nearly 3:00 and I have just started my workday. I have a class at 6:00. No time for a Gayle walk.

So this is how it's been. When Sharon was released on Thursday I went three times a day. Now it's once. Each time we'd walk, and the distance got longer. Every day it's not raining I walk with Pat. Monday we did Milly and Pat was really into it. She was even counting along. I have not done yoga in two weeks. 

Maybe soon I can get back to working on Gayle. I'm hoping by the weekend, I no longer have to run to Sharon's. Although the walks with her and riding her Cubii for 1000-2000 steps is a help. Pat, I think, is as good as she's going to get. I feel fine leaving her alone a couple hours. To that end I signed up for the Montco Challenge again. We'll see. Last year I failed.

whoever walked behind me scored.

 Today Pat and I went to the doctor, then we came home and did Milly. At lunchtime Sharon called and said she had RX ready at CVS. No rush.

At 2:00 I decided to walk down to CVS. It's a nice day, yet it's breezy. And after that drenching rain the sun felt good. Not sure how much her RX was I put a $20 in my jacket pocket. There was already two or three dollars in there. I think. Hell, they could have been fives. I have no idea. The cash was in the pocket with my phone. Tissues and my keys were in the other pocket. My theory was I'd be using the tissues more. The mask was on my wrist.

I decided to walk up the hill and go out Sioux to Wyandotte and out Summit and down Montclair. I thought about Brodhead, but school would be leaving out and there would be too many germy people. I'm headed out Sioux and I crossed Ontario. I'm almost at the Bradley (?) Street alley when I feel my phone vibrate. I pulled it out and it was a missed call from Sharon. I stopped and called her back. I kept walking.

At Wyandotte and Summit I told her I had to go. I wasn't crossing Wyandotte on the phone.  Eventually I reached CVS. As I entered I put on my mask. As I walked back to the pharmacy I pulled the phone out of my pocket, and then reached for my money. It wasn't there. 

I stopped. I looked on the floor. I dug in both pockets. No money. I must have dropped it walking. So instead of walking home Broadway, I walked up Monclair, out Summit, up Wyandotte, and out Sioux. I looked in the curbs and against fences and trash cans. It was gone. Hopefully a teenager found it. Or a mom not making ends meet. I hope that a drug dealer didn't pick it up.

Miles/Steps:  .2 miles
Weather:       73, sunny, breezy
PPE Found:    5 blue latex gloves, about 15 surgical masks, and 4 washable ones.

finally got my guest room back

Today was chair yoga day, but that was not the main event, exercise wise.

The real exercise came when I got home. I stopped and picked up Lydia and Oscar the dog. Why?  She was finally taking her crap home and I was going to get my guest room back. She left my house Christmas 2019—a temporary TWO YEAR refuge after she was evicted—and never came back. She got married July 4, 2020. It was about fucking time. The plan was to get it during Christmas break with a deadline of January 1 but they all got Covid and ended up hospitalized. Then we planned for President's Day and she was sick that day too.

Thankfully it all fit in the car. There is stuff left. We hauled the mattress and box spring up to the attic. There's a DVD player to be recycled. That needs to go in the garage. There is a space heater I was told to put on the curb with a "free" sign. In May. It might be more efficient to wait till October.

We carried all the crap in stages. First Lydia stood mid-flight and I walked the first half of the stairs over and over. Then we carried all the crap out to the porch. Then Oscar got out and we ran after him. Finally we packed the car. Then we took it to her house and couldn't park on 4th street, so I parked on State which is a very substantial hill. I parked, we unloaded the car and walked up the hill to her porch over and over and over. Thankfully it was all on her from the porch into the house. I was out of there. I had a meeting at 4.

We worked for 2.5+ hours. My phone said between yoga and all that work my Health app logged a total of .2 miles. Clearly I don't carry a phone everywhere I go.

was that a drug deal?

Today I walked with Pat down the hill and back up. At 2 pm I decided to take another short walk. I told her I'd be back in 30-40 minutes and not to do anything stupid while I was gone. 

I went out the door and came back in. I decided to trim the suckers from the tree first. I told her "now I'm leaving." I made the mistake of going up the hill. My elderly, lonely and probably depressed neighbor was sitting on her porch. Her husband is in Cedarbrook Fountain Hill permanently. She's also got a touch of dementia. I didn't make it past and ended up standing there talking for at least 20 minutes, if not more. Thankfully another neighbor was coming down the hill so I could make a lame excuse and leave.

I headed west on Sioux and at the corner of Christian was someone standing on the corner. I only noticed because s/he was kind-of antsy. S/he just couldn't be still. I thought s/he was angry with someone. Then a car comes down the street and stops in the middle of the road. The window goes down, s/he runs over and reaches in and before s/he was back on the sidewalk the car was long gone.

Was that a drug deal? If it walks like a duck and smells like a duck it's probably a duck, right? S/he clearly had something in the hand. Maybe driver was picking up/dropping off a key or something equally as innocent. I do know that the park above the cemetery is on the police departments radar as a hot spot. 

Then I continued my walk. I basically just went around the block because I didn't want to leave Pat alone longer than I indicated. With no voice she certainly can't call for help.

Miles/Steps:  3 blocks with Pat, 1/2 mile
Weather:       70, partly sunny.
Wildlife:         male cardinal

well, that was different

Today I took Sharon to get her photo ID taken. When we got back I went up to her apartment to sort out her meds pre-surgery. There was no chair at the table, so I looked in the living room. It was sitting behind a Cubii.

The Cubii is an elliptical-style machine that’s designed to fit under your desk, or in front of your couch,  and is operated by pedaling with your feet. I see the commercials a lot on the small network stations. Lots of focus on the elderly and the differently abled. Sharon is their target market. Sure they show young people and using it under a desk at work, but seriously those people will go to a gym. 

Even though I know nothing is as advertised on TV I always wanted to try one. So I did. Didn't even ask her if I could. I did 500 rotations at whatever setting she had it on. I was getting warm, and in the 300s my legs started to feel like I was working out. I was surprised how much I was feeling it in my ankles. I guess I should have pulled my chair back a bit. I was surprised. I only felt it from my hips down. I wasn't engaging my core or any of those other things. Although you could probably add arm exercises and maybe some twists while using it.

Would it keep my attention for 30 minutes or an hour. Hell no. ut if I set a goal of say 2000, I could do that. Boredom wouldn't take over.

After her knee surgery I'll be going over there daily. I'll play with the Cubii some more. But my curosity has been satisified so there will be no late-night impulse purchases!

After arriving home I did the workout with Milly and Pat. Pat, fresh out of rehab, was doing fine until the weights. Maybe she should have not used them. She was tired and missed most of the next section. But then she recovered pretty quickly. Next week we will take it a little easier.

tail on the trail 2022

 

After laundry, cooking breakfast and dinner for Sharon and her client, delivering food, and going to the bank I finally had some free time.

Well, not really. First I promised Pat a walk. We walked at Dollar Tree. A loop around the perimeter and then each aisle is nearly .4 miles. Shocking. The walk was not aerobic and we bought tiny "Jinga" sets and wooden puzzles for the Christmas boxes.

I originally had plans at the Slatington trailhead, but they were cancelled Thursday. So I went to the Sand Island trailhead for the opening day of Tail on the Trail. The parking lot was packed. All the parking lots were packed. I signed in and headed south. I kept encountering geese. Geese are a PIA anytime but during nesting season they are mean as shit. I kept stopping and waiting for them to move their lazy asses.

When I got past the ice house instead of turning left and staying on the trail I went straight behind the the basketball courts, restrooms and tennis courses. Basically I followed the creek path. What I didn't realize was that it had washed out during Ida. But I avoided the holes and the broken sections and made it back to the main Sand Island path. When I reached the bridge I crossed over to the D&L and headed back.

Miles/Steps:  .4 w/Pat, 2.1 on D&L
Weather:        Mid-70s, sunny. Hot in the sun.
Wildlife:         about 8 Canada geese, about 9 turtles, assorted birds