Monday, April 7, 2008

Day 37-Sunday, April 6

I was a bit stiff from all the raking yesterday, so I did do my regular morning walk but with less enthusiasm than usual. No power walk intervals. I spent quite a few hours sitting in my recliner with heat on my back and laptop on my lap when hubby decided we needed to drive up to the lake and go for a walk. So we did. First we saw a marmot along the road (sunning on a concrete roadside barrier). Being as we're rather low elevation for marmots, Jim hit the brakes and we walked back, getting close enough to verify the beasty's identity.

Then half a dozen deer crossed the road just as we were pulling into the parking spot. We followed them down into the trees, enjoying many glimpses of their startled white flags. Then we admired the energetic work the beavers have been doing since we were last at this spot in January. They've built four dams!

We got down to where the dammed up creek enters the river not far from where the river enters the lake and saw about ten or twelve trumpeter swans. This is by far the closest to swans I've ever been so this was excessively cool. (Photos? Of course not.)

Then, because there was a huge amount of beach along the river and lakefront, we walked all the way around. They must be doing massive water holdback at Libby Dam right now; I don't know when I've seen the lake this low in April.

To make a long story short(er):
Today's miles: 4.28
AT: 132.9
YTD: 230

5 comments:

Margaret M. Fisk said...

Sounds like a wonderful walk to me :). My day was nowhere near as exciting :D.

Steps: 7659
Total Miles: 3.02
AT: 107.62
YTD Total: 172.2

Today was a day of short walks, and nothing much of interest on them. Went on part of the path in the early afternoon, then walked to Home Depot to get boards and stain for Jacob's bookcase, then did a short night walk so I didn't come in short twice in a row :).

neils said...

I'll go with Val's walk any day.

Played 18 holes of golf with my sun. Cold wet day, but fun. Estimate that at about 4 miles.

Bonnie returned from town and we did your normal 1.5 mile walk in the evening. Looks like the rain is going away for today, so looking forward to a better day.

Total: 5.5
AT: 142

meowser said...

Lots to catch up on...

Thursday: 2.8 miles. Just a lot of walking at work, nothing nice and outside.

Friday: Another day of low mileage because most of the day was spend driving to Newport. Luckily we walked to the restaurant for dinner or it would have been a very low mileage day. 2.6 miles.

Saturday was the big, long, beautiful day. We did more walking that I had planned. The idea for the day was to tour a couple of the mansions and walk along the cliff walk for a while. Which we did.

We walked from the hotel to The Elms. The walk was very nice and we got to see all sorts of beautiful houses along the way - not just the famous mansions. After the tour of The Elms (self guided audio tour) we headed over to the cliff walk where we sat down by the 40 Steps and ate the sandwiches we had packed.

From there it was a lovely walk along the cliff walk to just past the second Vanderbilt mansion (Marble House?). We sat on the rocks just past the pagoda and rested a while before heading back.

We stopped at The Breakers for a tour and basked in its immense size and grandeur.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a Greek pizzeria for an early dinner to rest our weary feet and muscles as well as chow down. We also knew that we were too tired to venture out to a nice restaurant like we were initially considering.

After returning to the hotel I took one more walk around the hotel. Which brought my mileage total to 9 miles for the day.

It really was a hike and not a walk. My first hike of the season to try and get into shape for bigger things. My hips are sore, but that's about it.

Sunday was very biting and windy so we didn't get as much walking in as we might have otherwise. A little bit of walking around Newport followed by the long trek home and house work. 2.6 miles.


All of that brings me to 97 miles on the AT.

Valerie Comer said...

Neil, anytime you guys want to come visit us, feel free! We have lots of cool wildlife areas right near by. Okay so we don't have Yellowstone-tame bison, but still...

And WOW Kat! That is a LOT of walking. I'm tired just thinking about it. Must be cool to see, though.

Bonnie said...

We didn't see any swans or deer, but we saw lots of seagulls fishing in the breakers, and surfers who looked like aliens in their black wetsuits and big floppy flippers. And a very ordinary looking guy coming out the back gate of one of the more expensive contemporary yards with two very expensive purebred spaniels on leashes.

The kitchens at these places were incredible. Both places had what was at the time the most up to date technology -- electricity with backup gas lighting, telephones for internal communication, flush toilets with the commodes concealed behind wicker chairs with hinged seats.

As the guides talked about the meals, parties, endless guests, etc. that the hostesses had to cope with, we realized there was nothing housewife-ish about the jobs these women were doing. They were full scale hotel managers.

And gorgeous! Wow. I may write a Gilded Age novel just to have an excuse to visit all these places again :)

But down to basics. The mileage.

2.5 miles Friday, most of it walking to Tucker's Bistro for a really yummy dinner.

9 miles Saturday for the Cliff Walk and houses and stuff.

3.6 miles Sunday -- 2.5 around Newport Sunday morning, then our usual 1.6 miles in the evening.

AT: 82
YTD: 125.3