Blisters on my heels. Ugh. Still breaking in my boots - or still breaking in my feet. I guess both.
Yesterday I did a great 10.8 mile loop hike (Rock Castle Gorge) off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd, VA. It took me about 4 hours with a 20 minute lunch break at the top. Incredible sunny day hitting the upper 60’s. Something climatically is definitely way out of whack. May as well use it.
I’d never hiked to music before. Having an mp3 CD player is sweet like that. I just stick in the Anthology of American Folk Music disc, hit shuffle and I cruise and cruise. I haven’t found a good time to sit down and listen to this collection of great songs - hiking was perfect. I don’t feel lazy for sitting around the couch for hours and hours - I’m getting wholesome exercise while taking in some new tunes.
Funny that just last week I was scoffing at some kids that were hiking with headphones on. Savor my hypocrisy. Granted I was on a solo hike and they were out with their family - I still regret the feelings I was harboring last week.
I did tune into the environment from time to time. Take off the headphone, listen to the the rustling of the leaves, the churning of the brook, the beating of my heart.
Another great addition to my hiking style is the pan flute. I got my pan flute waaaay back when I was maybe six of seven years old, an old boyfriend of my mom’s used to go play around the cavernous churches around Augsburg, Germany and he gave me a pan flute and invited me to come play a few times. I’ve kept the flute in my car for about a year now hoping to play while on road trips but I always get so light headed and it really distracts me.
Hiking was great for playing it. As long as I was not out of breath doing a steep climb It was a great pleasure to play around on the flute. I’m an amateur by all means but I had a great time and got lots of big smiles from fellow hikers. It projects a great token of positivity, exactly like the legendary I AM HAPPY (hey, I know that fucking guy) sign, except different.
Keeping the music up with the rhythm of the strides was so natural. I’ve got a lot of learning to do. Hmmm, I wonder if they have pan flutes in the Andes? ;)
I had to stop playing when my bottom lip hurt too much from all the abrasion it wa getting from the constant friction it was getting with the flute sliding left-right-left-right, etc etc ad nauseum.
Got off the trail early and proceeded to shoot some disc golf with the remaining light - I had shot six above par on the course the last two times I played - this time I shot even. I guess I’m getting to know the course and getting back into knowing my discs. It’s been a while.
Helluva good day :)
Posted by volker at January 4, 2004 02:55 PMThe sign is legendary, the man is merely a myth.
Posted by: Tim [tmo] at January 5, 2004 04:15 PM