Good Riddance, 2021

Good Riddance, 2021!  

Amos the Minor Prophet (Black and Tan Coonhound) and I took our Last Day Hike through the fog and drizzle along one of his favorite stretches of the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail. On his long leash, a 30' hunter orange rope, he loves to race ahead and race back, while I hike out and back seven miles to Safe Harbor Dam. It's a stretch we both like a lot - him for the joy of running (while not running away) and me for a fast walk pace generally unhindered by other people. It's still a section of the 30 mile-long ELG trail that is lightly visited, but as work progresses on both the Martic Forge and Safe Harbor trestle crossings, these days of having this isolated section to myself may be numbered. These repairs will make the entire rail trail connected for a thru-bike/hike of about 30 miles from Quarryville, Lancaster County, PA to just beyond Turkey Hill upriver. 

Climbing cliffs

For 2021, I recorded a somewhat dismal 300 outdoor miles for the year. My annual mileage goal for hiking is 500 and biking for 1000 for a total of 1500 trail miles. But this year it wasn't to be. I encountered a few obstacles during the year including some health concerns, profound exhaustion, and heavy work schedules (sitting in front of computer will kill us all).  My writing time took a hit as well as time for illustrations. With the help of my doctor and over six months of trying to figure out what has been going on, she discovered three interconnected issues of medications imbalance, muscular-structural injury, and family history. Big changes needed to be made. Good riddance, creepy health concerns.

Glow Sticks - American Sycamore

Despite an underwhelming outdoor year, I continued to keep my health and fitness diary - something I've done for over ten years now. Logging miles in addition to how I felt during and after each hike or bike has always helped me head off injury with targeted stretches and strength-building exercises. One consistent problem I came across this year, however, was how tight my hips and knees became after even a short hike or bike outing. After each hike I could barely bend at the waist. My knees locked. My calves screamed with muscle cramps at night.  Age? I wondered. 

Noble Amos

Again my (new) doctor chimed in. She really appreciated that I was able to share my log online with her and being an athlete herself, she was able to pinpoint a posture issue that I wasn't even aware of right there in her office. "Sitting is the new smoking," she said. She connected me via tele-health to a great physical therapist (who is also a hiker and cyclist) for a few sessions in-home to learn how to utilize my morning yoga sessions to correct and prevent posture issues. Not age related as it turned out, but was due to the amount of sitting and sedentary hours at computers, driving, etc. that caused both spinal and muscular issues, and, not surprisingly, even affected my digestive and intestinal health. She introduced me to an online hiking fitness coach who teaches dynamic stretching (see Notes) and the results have been good. Good riddance, sedentary work life. 

Remains of the 1981 Christmas train wreck

As a side excursion, Amos and I shuffled down a steep embankment to gawk at the twisted rails and metal beds of freight cars, the remains of the 1981 Conrail Christmas Train Wreck at Safe Harbor. Looking at the tangled mess left over from the 81-car accordion-like collision with a 3-ton boulder, I thought, yeah - a good metaphor for this year. No matter how hard I tried to "make it normal" this year, it wasn't. I doubt we'll ever get back to what we imagine normal was like. This pandemic keeps on rolling and the effects of people not taking it seriously impacted my own life and my family. Of all the things I lost this past year (house key, wallet, one hiking shoe, a set of hiking poles), my patience for humanity went out the door. I am done with people who continue to risk their own lives, the wellbeing and capabilities of our frontline health workers and health systems, and the impact they've had on those of us who are caretakers and for those we care for. After two years of "trying to understand" why all of this was so preventable until it wasn't, I bade good riddance to any shred of what remained of my pandemic patience. 

Last sunset (smudge) of 2021 - good riddance!

Walking briskly back, with Amos trotting ahead on his long line and then racing back to check my progress, I watched as the sun made a feeble attempt to brighten the dark skies in the west. With only a few hours of light left I decided to forego an extended hike into the Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve and just hoof it on back to the truck. I was looking forward to a nice hip stretch at home. As we climbed aboard the truck, a bicyclist pushing his bike waved at me from the trail.  "Do you have a bike tire pump?" he asked. I actually did! His small pump must have jarred off the frame he said and was probably lying on the road somewhere. He inflated the tire with the idea to ride to the next parking area four miles away to his car and he hoped the slow leak would not become a fast one. Instead I gave him a ride to his car. He respectfully masked up for the ride, put his window down, and enjoyed Amos' kisses. At the car park he offered me a few dollars for gas, which I declined, and then he handed me his card. "If you ever need a shuttle, give me a call!" He was a doctor from Lancaster and his specialty was infectious disease! We both had a great laugh to end 2021 and I thanked him for his service during this crazy, train wreck of a year. "Good riddance, Twenty-One!" he said. Indeed!

Turn-around point at Safe Harbor Dam on the Susquehanna where trestle work is progressing!

Notes:

The Enola Low Grade Rail Trail continues to be a work in progress as repairs are underway to restore the deck of the Martic Trestle Bridge destroyed by arsonists a few years ago. At Safe Harbor Dam, new work has begun to restore the decommissioned Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge, a project that will close a major trail gap  and will be of huge benefit to Martic Township which looks forward to welcoming trail users. The trestle and the valley below are so beautiful - very exciting!  https://weconservepa.org/blog/repairs-underway-at-safe-harbor-trestle-bridge/

Uncharted Lancaster tells the story of the Christmas Train Wreck of 1981 here and has some excellent historic photos to check out. https://unchartedlancaster.com/2020/05/16/train-wreckage/

Chase Mountains offers dynamic stretching, recommended by Towson Sports Medicine physical therapist, Olivia. It's been good for my body and soul exploring Chase's "Injury Playlist" videos that I can easily add to my yoga routine in the morning and as stretch session after a bike ride or hike. No gym needed.  Thanks to Olivia, I am able to begin recovery from "sedentary injury" - yes, that's a thing. Back to the trails and pain free at home and at night! 

Happy New Year!