Eldora, 6-23-2012, 5/105
I considered heading home, but decided
that I would hit one more since it was kind of on the way. I stopped
for lunch and had a bacon cheese-steak sandwich. Bad choice, me being
dehydrated and all but so worth it.
This is a huge park. A golf course,
camping, miles of trails, tubing. The whole park spread out from both
sides of a highway with entrances for miles. I don't even know all
of what was here, but I have a reason for that.
I went a decent ways back and picked an
entrance that turned out to be a just a loop to look at the river
from. Another entrance had what looked to be decent trails so I took
it. But I learned from my experience at Union Grove. After parking, I
made the GPS remember the current location and called it “car”.
The GPS then was shut off an put in my pocket.
I walked down a hill, across a bridge,
and along a river. After a couple of miles of this, I realized it
wasn't going to got any more exciting and decided to go back. But I
couldn't just go back; that would have made too much sense. There was
a hill to the right that followed the same general direction back
just from a different elevation; why not see something something
different? In hindsight, I was probably just nearing the end of my
limits; but that hill seemed so steep. I regretted it immediately but
did not turn around. Unmarked private property waited atop that hill;
maybe some sort of church camp.
Here's where it gets brilliant. I
decided that I was not climbing back down super-steep hill and
instead would cut across the lesser grade hill going both down and to
my car at the same time; no GPS needed I really knew the direction of
my car this time. Partway down the lesser hill and my legs start
itching. It keeps getting worse. Oak, Ivy, Sumac, I have no idea but
it was not supposed to be on my skin. After the hill is completed,
the next step is walking in the direction of the bridge; okay,
there's a path. The path ends into a field of poison-whatever-it was
all around me. I want to turn back, but I see the river it's on the
other side of this poison patch maybe 100 feet away. I am not going
to reverse all of that so I hurriedly stomp my way through it and
start running.
I haven't been running in a while, but
I must have been motivated because I ran miles back and felt no
desire to stop. Funny what an allergic reaction that appeared to be
getting worse in a secluded area that no body knows you're in can do
to your endurance.
I know where I am but want the shortest
route back to my car (I was seriously considering getting medical
attention so rule 4 was officially invoked) and on goes the GPS.
Off-road, the shortest distance between two points is a straight
line. This straight line also just so happens to include a steep hill
covered in the very plant I had run from, and happens to not include
the bridge that I need. For once, I turn around and take the
responsible path to my bridge. My legs are feeling better so I get
there eventually.
Leaving the park I have two concerns:
water and anti-plant cream. One of the park entrances has a pump and
I drink an uncomfortable amount of water. I also fill every container
it my car. The water seemed good, but any liquid would have been
good at that point so I'm not the best judge.
Into town for concern 2. Pharmacy A:
all streets closed off, Pharmacy B: closed two hours ago, Grocery
store: one type of topical itch-cream. In the past, this type has
caused a reaction far worse than the poison; so I'm going to go ahead
and go home now.
No comments:
Post a Comment