Head of Tides

The plan evolved from the thought in my head to do 20, to maybe 18, to 3 hours per Ryan's suggestion. Well, I ended up shy of that too. But I'm cool with it. For me, it's been a big past few weeks, with the weekends being 22, 26 and 31. My legs are tired, I'm still recovering from the cold I caught a few days before the Snowplug 50k and we had an all-day birthday extravaganza yesterday. Phew.

I headed out under overcast skies around 8am. I decided I would run out to Head of Tides, as I haven't been there out that way since June before the middle stretch of the Cathance trail system gets so overgrown that I just can't venture out that way without my legs getting covered in itchy hives. I took the trail along the edge of the Heath, the cotton sedge set against golden grasses, and wandered all along the river, the water dark, the shallows filled with a film of fallen leaves. It really is beautiful out there. Even more so at this time of year. I took my time, enjoying the scenery, and was happy to get out on the Ravine Loop, one of my favorite parts of the Cathance trail system. As I came down the hill to the stream crossing, I could hardly believe my eyes. A bridge! A bridge! Wow. They had really done it. And done it right, it appeared. Serious.

The new bridge.

They'd been out painting fresh blazes on the extended trail system too, but the trails themselves were untouched, still rugged and only lightly traveled. There are some great stretches of trail out to Head of Tides, and I really enjoyed being out there. I wasn't running fast, but even at that, the trails were making me work for my 11's :-) Was also very happy to find that the trail has been extended (or perhaps I've always missed it?) all way down to a new parking lot right at the falls, with a put-in area for boats and best of all, nice bathrooms. Yeah! 

After a quick stop, I turned around and headed back the way I had come, wandering back along the river and then up to the Ecology Center. I took the trails back to the hiker parking lot along the back dirt road and then took that in the rest of the way. Those final two dirt road miles were definitely the fastest, even if my legs were making it clear they were done for the day. Got in 12 miles in 2:13, and felt no regrets not pushing on further. It was a nice few hours in the woods on a fall morning.

Flora and fauna report: Lots of sparrows and juncos flitting about. Also heard a Pieated woodpecker calling, and saw two deer. One of them completely still, almost blending in with the woods, just watching me pass. Followed a hawk along the back road for a good stretch. All I could see was its profile as it flew along, low to the ground. Was hoping for a glimpse of it up in the trees when it finally veered off the road but no luck.