MAY Never Be Repeated!

I accomplished what not long ago I would have considered unthinkable - all the trails on the Giant this month... TWICE!

I had 6 segments left last night after our Memorial Day party so I took Sadie up behind the house hoping to get 2 of them. But she was dragging even after I let her drink from the stream for a minute or so. So when I got to the Red Square, I reluctantly turned right towards Mt Carmel Ave and called home for a ride. I did walk over to the stream there and Sadie drank and stood in it for awhile. There's a promising "slide rock" section right there. I pretty much gave up on my quest, convincing myself that it wasn't necessary to complete all of them twice this month.

So tonight I started up the White trail from Chestnut around 6:40 PM. Pat had taken Sadie in the afternoon and Sadie was pooped. I was glad to hear she was staying home because the White is one of the worst for her. I took it all the way to the Red Triangle in a little under an hour. I had a very close encounter with a "colony" of vultures (I looked that up) along the cliffs. I could hear the sound of their wings as they took off maybe 15feet ahead on the other side of a bush so I ran around the bush to see what kind of birds they were. There were a couple others still waiting so I got to see them very close. I have to start taking a camera with me. There were maybe 6 more in the top of a dead tree just below and they took off with their buddies. A little farther down the trail, there they were again. The last one to leave turned and looked at me and seemed to be thinking "Why are we leaving? We have him outnumbered."

I went down the White to the Red Circle and then back up to the large rock with the panoramic view. Guess who was there? The vultures on the rock and the top of a dead tree. I convinced them they didn't have to fly this time as I turned into the woods.

I turned right on the Red Triangle and again on the Orange. Along the pine-needle section there was a young deer that ran off, but not as far as if Sadie had been with me. A little farther along I surprised another one but it just walked into the woods and turned its head to look at me. I quietly walked around behind it and down the trail. It was still watching and had been only about 20 feet from me the whole time the trail curved around it. I could still see its head turned to follow me as the trail went downhill so I waved goodbye and headed on down.

I took a left on the Red Circle because now I knew I could finish. That Orange section had taken 22 minutes and it was just around 8 PM. I took a right on the Green because that was all I needed. When I reached the Red Square, I kissed my hand and patted the red square marker. I got all 5 that I needed and finished them all. I headed back to my car on Green and the whole hike took exactly 1:40. I was done around 8:20 and the sky was much lighter than it had been at the end of several other hikes.

I think I may try something else next month after I finish all the trails. I want to find out where the unmarked ones go. See you next month!