Well, 2014 is here! I realized yesterday that this will be the 10 year anniversary of my high school graduation. And now I feel old and unaccomplished.
But anyway, I've resolved to do at least one hike a month in 2014, an idea I stole from a friend who completed the challenge last year. I started by hiking close to home in January, venturing 9 miles from my house to Kanawha State Forest.
Without a trail map, I was completely guessing at which trail to pick. Since I haven't hiked in more than a year, and since I was hiking alone this day, I didn't want to pick a trail that might be too difficult. I parked and started down the Davis Creek Trail, which seemed like a safe bet because it followed a creek so I couldn't get very lost.
Kanawha State Forest is nothing too spectacular. When you need to get a little fresh air, it's a fine place to go. But for the entire time I was on the 2.5 mile Davis Creek Trail, I could see the pavement road that runs through the park. There were telephone lines running along the trail. I walked past playgrounds and stopped to swing for a bit. When a person hikes here, they won't feel isolated in the wilderness--which can be considered both good and bad I guess. Anyway, I needed to get my January hike in, I had a day off work, and the weather was relatively warm and sunny. So I was thankful for the opportunity--a little hike so close to home.
It felt good to start my hike a month challenge, to commit to my 2014 resolution. The trail was muddy, really muddy, but I had good company in foster dog Fred, the birds were singing, and the sounds of the babbling Davis Creek helped to soothe my anxious psyche. I was glad to get the hiking started and I'm looking forward to February's hike! Now, to pick the trail...
