I had a little bump in the road with the old "one big hike per week" resolution—a bump that my new physical therapist thinks is compressed discs in my mid-back. Wow, way to make me feel old, body—thanks!
So I took two weeks off to speed some healing and I just got back to going on "real" hikes yesterday. I was pressed for time, so I just did a little one—South Sugarloaf in Deerfield, MA. I have to say, there's nothing that makes you feel more self-conscious than hiking and huffing and sweating to the top of a hill and then mingling with all the folks who drove up the mountain road to the summit. The attraction of Sugarloaf is a nearly-iconic view of the Connecticut River valley, the Holyoke mountain range, and the patchwork of fields in between.
As I wound my way up the smallest, narrowest spiral staircase I've ever been on to the top of the observation tower, a charming older man below me said to his friend, "I bet this is lots of fun when a girl in a miniskirt is above you!" Yes, I'm sure that makes for a grand time all around. Then, as we shared the 5x5 foot square deck, one of the (old, chubby) charming men pointed to a man nearing the summit on the road—"Look at him, he jogged up here." His friend said "Eh, jogging is bad for your knees." Truer words have never been spoken by an old dude who drove his car up to the top of a 700ft hill to take in the view.
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