Hawk Mountain
Tonight i was sitting out on my porch, reading my book and minding my own business, and a guy walks up to me, sits down, and starts talking to me. Nice guy, but he actually used the phrases "you've really got it going on" and "once you go black, you'll never go back." i didn't think people actually said those things. Much too young for me (22), and, is it snobbish to say that i like my pick-up lines a little more linguistically creative?
Anyway, last weekend i took a trip up to Hawk Mountain to hike. This place was astounding, particularly this week as we are at peak foliage. Another thing i missed while living in Kansas, where there are so few trees that what most people use to mark autumn is the occasional corn maze. (Not that i don't enjoy a good corn maze from time to time.)
Hawk Mountain is known as (and named for) a great place to watch hawks migrate in the fall and then again in the spring. It was a beautiful clear day, but i only managed to spot two red-tailed hawks... among the most common species. But the hike was relatively challenging, particularly on the northern half of the trail.
You can sort of see in the photo above, right in the center of the valley, a feature called "the river of rocks." It's an "upside down river," with large boulders in a trail down the side of the mountain and through the valley. Water runs beneath them.
The northern terminus of the Hawk Mountain trail is at a large boulder field unassociated with this rock river. But clamoring over them was nonetheless harrowing, as the dropoff on either side was precipitous. The trail from there was a link to the Appalachian Trail about 2.5 miles away. i'd have hiked out to it, but it was already getting toward dusk, and i didn't want to risk it.
Most of the trail looked like this...
And most of the drive back to the Pike looked this this...
These hikes are such great reliefs, as i am finding work very stressful. The school at which i'm working now is high-powered, prestigious, and demanding for both students and faculty, and i am finding the pace of life here a big change from Wichita. There i had a number of other responsibilities, like the after school program, chess team, and the accreditation committee. Here i can't imagine doing any of those things on top of my teaching load. (Well, except chess, which begins next week.) The first year at a new school is always the most stressful, and next year will be better. i am still managing to eat right, but am not exercising as regularly as i was last year. It's really frustrating, but if i want to keep my job, i have to keep up.
i find myself longing for three-day weekends and holidays. Lord knows what i'll do in January and February when there are none. And i haven't even had to write my first set of comments yet! That'll be just before Thanksgiving.
i feel like i'm always a few hours away from cracking. i'm just venting... i know i'll make it through, but man am i tired. i've got to stop doing this... maybe i'll just stay in Philly.
Well.... or maybe just one more move... five years or so? Head on up to Maine or Vermont....?
Anyway, last weekend i took a trip up to Hawk Mountain to hike. This place was astounding, particularly this week as we are at peak foliage. Another thing i missed while living in Kansas, where there are so few trees that what most people use to mark autumn is the occasional corn maze. (Not that i don't enjoy a good corn maze from time to time.)
Hawk Mountain is known as (and named for) a great place to watch hawks migrate in the fall and then again in the spring. It was a beautiful clear day, but i only managed to spot two red-tailed hawks... among the most common species. But the hike was relatively challenging, particularly on the northern half of the trail.
You can sort of see in the photo above, right in the center of the valley, a feature called "the river of rocks." It's an "upside down river," with large boulders in a trail down the side of the mountain and through the valley. Water runs beneath them.
The northern terminus of the Hawk Mountain trail is at a large boulder field unassociated with this rock river. But clamoring over them was nonetheless harrowing, as the dropoff on either side was precipitous. The trail from there was a link to the Appalachian Trail about 2.5 miles away. i'd have hiked out to it, but it was already getting toward dusk, and i didn't want to risk it.
Most of the trail looked like this...
And most of the drive back to the Pike looked this this...
These hikes are such great reliefs, as i am finding work very stressful. The school at which i'm working now is high-powered, prestigious, and demanding for both students and faculty, and i am finding the pace of life here a big change from Wichita. There i had a number of other responsibilities, like the after school program, chess team, and the accreditation committee. Here i can't imagine doing any of those things on top of my teaching load. (Well, except chess, which begins next week.) The first year at a new school is always the most stressful, and next year will be better. i am still managing to eat right, but am not exercising as regularly as i was last year. It's really frustrating, but if i want to keep my job, i have to keep up.
i find myself longing for three-day weekends and holidays. Lord knows what i'll do in January and February when there are none. And i haven't even had to write my first set of comments yet! That'll be just before Thanksgiving.
i feel like i'm always a few hours away from cracking. i'm just venting... i know i'll make it through, but man am i tired. i've got to stop doing this... maybe i'll just stay in Philly.
Well.... or maybe just one more move... five years or so? Head on up to Maine or Vermont....?
posted by ellie at 23:33
1 Comments:
Beautiful pictures, Elle. I'm jealous of your stamina to hike as much as you do (then again, doing so with 2 toddlers isn't my idea of fun anyway).
We'll be in MD this weekend - wish it would be closer to you. Maybe one day!
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