West Branch SP, Ohio—muddy hiking

 Shakedown, Day 2

Jean’s knee (and hip and back); Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Part of the reason that we wanted to do this was to see what in the trailer needs attention, what we need to add to our inventory of necessities, and to get out on the trails.

We did a walk around the park last night and ended up on a mud pit of a trail. It was WAY too exciting! My balance and mobility are not what they used to be. The good news: I managed to stay upright!

Today we did about three miles. I forgot to take my poles along and Dan decided to have me take Fleur. She loves to “lead” and actually is pretty good about keeping us on the trail. Dan, with Fleur in the lead, makes it hard for me to keep up.  I’ve healed from the December surgery on my left knee and have completed rehab. It’s MUCH better than it was before, but still has arthritis that makes each step hurt.  In the past, I could’ve easily done 3 miles and would’ve been able to keep up without a problem. Now I’m SLOW and really skittish on rocks and logs over water and muddy trails. 

After all the rain we had on Sunday, the trails were still sloppy in a lot of areas. 

By the time we got back to the trailer, I couldn’t wait to remove my muddy boots and SIT DOWN. That said, we were in the trailer until later in the afternoon (Dan actually had an ISA Zoom meeting) and went out again for a bit of a walk to the beach. It’s not like the beach we grew up with on Lake Erie. This is a white sand beach (and there was a “parasailor” out on the reservoir!) and all of about 15 yards wide! 

Fleur was SO MUDDY that we took her to the boat launch so she could get in the water and rinse off!  That worked pretty well. She loves being with us; in fact, she’s under the table of our dinette right now as I work on my iPad.

(You sharp-eyed readers will realize that this was taken earlier, but it was much the same view today!)

So...after a mere three miles and one short hop to the “beach”, I am satisfied. I think Dan doesn’t get it—it’s just walking. And, honestly, before I tore the meniscus of my left knee, I didn’t get it either. Now every step is felt, sometimes uncomfortable. Sometimes painful. My right hip is now sore and I’m sure that it has to do with the left knee being out of sync.  And my old nemesis, my lower back, is sore too. I think my solution is to keep doing what I can do, at the pace I can do it. I fully expect that I will get better. If I can lose some weight by getting some exercise, it’s possible that will help my walking discomfort. Every once in a while, I will get up from sitting and it feels “regular”. My hope is that pain-free walking/standing will become more frequent.

We had some pretty scenery today. I hope you enjoy the pics!

Fleur wasn’t THAT MUDDY at this point....it got much much worse!

My favorite shot from today

Twisted trunk

Burned-out old beech tree

Next up: we start our trip....stay tuned!