Back in the old days – meaning before I got a GPS – I knew I’d been on a good hike when I couldn’t wait to get home and perform a topopsy. That would be a postmortem in which I would get out a topo map and try to figure out why, instead of going from Point A to Point B, I’d wound up at Q. Nothing quite like that post-hike thrill of figuring out that you should have gone left at the junction just past the beech cove rather than right, which, it turns out, dumps you in the backyard of a rustic type with a fondness for easily-angered dogs and cinderblocked pickups bearing bumper stickers of a laissez-faire theme.
This weekend: wind, earth, sky
Celebrate the winter with a nature-based outing this weekend.
Coast
Did you know there’s a new 73-foot-tall wind turbine at Jockey’s Ridge State Park? I didn’t, either. But there is, and you can learn all about it at Saturday’s Power of Wind presentation. A little talk indoors, then it’s out to the dunes to check out the turbine. And, to get a true feel for the power of wind, bring a kite to fly afterwards (or swing by Kitty Hawk Kites across the street and pick one up). Program starts at 2 p.m.
Take a break: Your heart deserves it
Back when I was chained to a desk and confined to a cube, I perfected a nifty technique for eluding supervisory detection during frequent absences from my work space. I’d get a hot cup of coffee from the company canteen, place it next to an open folder on my desk, drape a sports coat over the back of my chair and slip away. People would walk by, see the steaming coffee, the active folder, the jacket and assume I was elsewhere in the building, soon to return from a vital work-related mission. Meanwhile, I’d be walking around the building, seeing what was in bloom, catching some fresh air.
Ditching one winter expedition for another
The plan was to go backpacking at Mount Rogers, a plan that was ultimate done in by it’s inspiration
A winter trip to the highest, most exposed part of Virginia during one of the snowiest winters in recent memory? Epic! But then the area got an additional foot of snow last week on top of an existing foot (sending drifts up over six feet from their original four, according to an advisory posted on the Web site for Grayson Highlands State Park, which adjoins Rogers). Even more snow was forecast overnight. Then a backpacking colleague pointed out that what blazes there are at Mount Rogers (mostly on rocks, since trees are scarce in spots) would likely be covered. Finally, my partner for the trip backed out.
Getting the most from your workout
I’m currently reporting a story, scheduled to run the end of the month in the Observers (News & and Charlotte), on why you shouldn’t get discouraged after your first month of working out because you haven’t dropped 10 pounds. There are valid reasons you may not lose weight immediately; there are also more pertinent indicators of improving health to watch during your initial days of a more active lifestyle. Again, more about that at month’s end. I will, however, share two quick personal observations based on my month-and-a-half in the gym about how to get the most out of your gym workout.