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I arrived late. About 1/2 an hour late. To my first hike?! That is very unlike me. I hate being late. Luckily, I did not read much into this anomaly – which is against my nature, mind you. Normally, I would wonder if this was a “sign” about this endeavor. Ill-fated or something. But I didn’t feel any of that, or didn’t entertain any of that. The drive just took me longer then I’d anticipated. I was about 10 minutes late and about 5 minutes from the trailhead when I came across a roadblock. Literally a roadblock….as in the road, seemingly the only road, was blocked by a police car. There’d been an accident up ahead and they’d stopped all traffic coming and going. After calling ahead to my coach, Ted, I tried following the alternate route he’d provided me…unsuccessfully.
What you may not know about me is that I have a pretty good sense of direction. What I mean to say is that I have a great sense of direction. And an even better ability to find lost things. I don’t know how to explain how it works other then I get a ‘sense’ of where something is and I’m usually right (I’m talking lost keys, lost cell phones here…nothing major like small children or pets or long lost lovers). Now in this case it was me who was ‘lost’ not the trailhead, but I decided to use the same trick. I just tuned in to where the trail must be and I turned down the streets that felt right. I had no useful map and no visual markers but the trees and fields around me. But after a few winding turns I realized I’d ended up on the road I’d needed to find, Old Monee Road. My excitement grew when I saw the the little country church that acts as the trail head
::Thorn Creek Trail - Steger, IL
I sent a brief “FOUND IT” text to my coach, pulled on my hat and gloves and headed down the trail. Covered in snow there was nothing obvious about this trail other then all the other footprints leading the way. Just as I started hiking I saw someone running towards me on the trail and realized it was Ron, my former mentor from the Alaska marathon, and current hiking buddy (Ron has not been informed of his new role of 'buddy'). He’d arrived late too, as did one other hiker, Sandy. Sandy and Ted were waiting just a little ways ahead. I was all pumped up on my success and excited not to be hiking all by myself. We caught up to Ted and Sandy and carried on. Here is a bit of what we saw:
::this deer was in a group of about 10 all hanging out and watching us closely. Don’t miss his little friend peeking out from behind the tree top right
The hike was, at first, as cold and snowy as it looks. I don’t know if it was the pace, my adrenaline or the one-too-many-layers I’d worn that morning – but about halfway through the hike I was HOT and sweaty. Hat came off, mittens came off, coat unzippered. Someone commented on my red face, assuming it was from the cold…eh no. I am super overlayered…or super out-of-shape. Maybe both. We met up with the rest of the group (about 8 more people) not long after passing through these pine trees.
It was a great hike despite my late arrival and overheating. Most of us went out for lunch afterwards in the little town of Crete, IL. We ended up at this place called The Edge which, it turns out, is a Christian community-supported coffeehouse. I heard that the coffee wasn’t too great, but my basil-tomato-mozzarella panini was. I think we overwhelmed them with our crowdedness and post-hiking chatter, but they were good sports.
1 hike down! 13 more to go…
love and layers,
Erin
