Have you ever walked down a path and ended up going for so long you start to wonder if it would ever end? That happened to me recently when I decided to take a walk down a local trail I’ve only seen part of. My wife said that since I don’t take the bus I don’t walk as much as I used to I should get out and walk, and while Radnor Lake has been my usual place she suggested the Richland Creek Greenway Trail as something a little closer to home and for a change of pace. She and I had walked about a quarter of a mile down it a couple of years ago and I’d wanted to go back. This time I decided I’d walk the entire thing.
I didn’t stop to check the trail map or even do any research before setting out because, hey, why would I? I drive by it regularly and it’s obviously a popular trail. As many people walk it I thought, how long could it be? It didn’t occur to me that at least some of those people, like my wife and I, walk part of the way down it then turn around and go back.
I will say this: most of it is a beautiful trail. Most of it follows Richland Creek, and there are a few spots where you can step off the trail and walk right down to the creek. A lot of people were down there with their dogs. Because it’s such a nice trail and because it was a beautiful day I passed a lot of people walking their dogs, and almost every dog I passed was either playing in the creek or soaking wet.
When I got to a bridge I was finally into terra incognita. But it wasn’t far and I just thought, well, I’ll see where this goes. It went through a wooded area, up over a hill, around a bend. A couple I’d seen earlier passed me and I thought, oh, I guess the path circles back around not too far up ahead.
Then for a long stretch I walked past part of the McCabe Golf Course, where I’d once tried out for my high school golf team, disastrously, but that’s another story, on one side and the creek on the other. Walkers were protected from errant balls by a tall net. As the path went up and over another hill and past homes I started to think, Wait, just how far does this go? Am I still on the right path? The absence of saguaros was the only thing that kept me from thinking I’d taken a wrong turn and ended up in Albuquerque.
There were plenty of people around so I wasn’t really worried, though. I just kept going, wondering how far I’d gone.
When I saw the Star Bagel Café I finally had at least some idea. The distance from the trailhead where I’d parked to the café is, by road, a little over four miles. I hadn’t walked that far because the trail had its own as-the-crow-flies direction but I still knew I’d gone pretty far. And it was still a beautiful day and there were plenty of people around. I felt fine, but I’d been on the trail long enough that I’d wondered if I should turn back. The café was my sign that really the only thing to do was keep going. I guessed, correctly, that it was approximately halfway and I was far enough in that I should just keep going.
With a wooded area on my right and a rise topped with railroad tracks on my left I laughed, wondering just how much farther it could go, and at that point the trail turned back onto a familiar stretch that led back to the parking lot.
Five miles in all. It was a fun walk and I plan to do it again, this time knowing what I’m in for, although that last part is why I’m glad I didn’t do any research. Part of the fun was knowing where I’d end up but not how I’d get there.
Well, suddenly I can’t log in to WordPress – nothing shows up on the page, so you’re just going to have to assume that I really liked this page (can’t “like” as WP won’t let me in).
Hey, it showed up! And I didn’t need to do anything. I think recent “upgrades” have caused problems, but I like that your comment made it through.
What a fun, if not long, hike. Glad you made it back. I think if I came across the cafe, I might have had to stop for a cold drink. Anyway, I don’t know about you, Chris, but I’m exhausted! Mona
There were a couple of water fountains along the way although these days I’m still kind of wary of public fountains, even after getting all my shots. And it helped that it was a fun hike and there were a lot of people around so I knew if anything happened to me someone would be there to help. I hope I’m not too dependent on the kindness of strangers, though.
There’s something to be said for taking the road … or path as the case may be… less traveled. Glad it didn’t end in Albuquerque.
Well, I’ve been through Albuquerque and it seems like a nice place, but, yeah, if I’d ended up there I’m not sure how I’d get back. I think I’d rather find myself in Maine for many reasons. I once got close though, when I was staying with an aunt and uncle in Connecticut and I got lost in the woods behind their house. My uncle had a lake house in Maine and I wouldn’t be surprised if the paths behind his house went straight through New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
I was so glad to travel down this trail with you, Chris — I knew I’d end up loving it but I wasn’t sure how I’d get there. And I think I did spot your uncle in Massachusetts at some point.
ANN J KOPLOW recently posted…Day 3750: Use your senses to be in the moment
Sometimes we have to just put one foot in front of the other and trust the journey. I’m so grateful you remind me of that on a regular basis.