Today was my final day of hiking and, as mentioned in the post below, I stayed close to home and did my miles on the Samammish River Trail in Redmond. I didn't get out on the trail on Saturday, so I had to do all my miles today. I was able to do 12 miles before my feet got sore and my rumbling stomach compelled me to put an end to it. This means I'll fall short of my goal by about 3 miles, but I'm ok with this. I had some fantastic hikes this month and so not meeting my mileage goal isn't going to dampen the experiences I had on the trails.
Hiking/walking on urban trails has it's advantages and disadvantages. The advantages (as I see it) are 1) I can listen to my music while I walk. While I typically hike alone (I know a bad thing to do!) in the woods, I don't listen to music for safety reasons, but on a busy urban trail I feel I can listen as much as I like. I do keep the volume low so I can hear people and cyclists coming up behind me. 2) Urban trails are easily accessible for many people and offer a chance for a greater amount of people to get out and move. People who might not otherwise be able to get to a mountain trail head or don't feel comfortable in the woods can hike along an urban trail. 3) They can be a great resource for testing out new gear. Want to find out just how waterproof that new jacket is? Take it out on an urban trail some rainy day after work. Want to know if those new wool socks have enough cushion, but can't make it to a mountain trail? Walk a few miles on an urban trail. Wondering how that new pack will feel on your shoulders and back for this weekend's backpacking trip? Load it up and give a test run on an urban trail. Those are just a few advantages I thought of while hiking this morning. I'm sure others can think up dozens more reasons why these trails are a valuable asset to our communities.
Ok, so what are the disadvantages? 1) Urban trails can be crowded. Often they are used by walkers, joggers/runners, cyclists and sometimes even equestrian riders. With so many people using a relatively narrow strip of path, there are bound to be bumps and close calls. 2) I've discovered urban trails often lack the friendliness and sense of community found on a traditional hiking trail. When I hike, I greet nearly everyone I meet on the trail and sometimes end up in conversation with folks on the trail. I've met some really nice people hiking on Washington trails and view a simple "'Morning" or "Hello" as an important part of the hiking experience. You don't find that on most urban trails. Maybe this is because so many people are running past or cycling past, it's just plain difficult to make that simple connection with people. Whatever the reason, I had very few people return any "Hello's" or simple head nods this morning. 3) You won't likely find too much stunning scenery on urban trails. That's not to say there is nothing to look at, you just won't find stunning peaks or deep valleys. But sometimes, you're not looking for that on your hike and if that's the case, the urban trail is perfect.
Miles Hiked Today: 12
Miles Hiked this Month: 72.44
Total Falls this Month: 2 (This is really a small miracle! I feel so proud of myself)
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Way to go! 72 miles! That is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI like your discussion of urban trails. Another benefit I see on them is the crowds. Yes, crowds are generally not what we look for in hiking, but I see a crowded trail as an inspiration. It makes me happy to see so many people enjoying the outdoors.