2016: Post 16 – To paddle or not to paddle?

Last weekend there were plans to paddle to Brocks Pond Falls... but then Hazen suggested a hike from LaManche to Cape Neddick.  Decisions, decisions...

I have paddled to the Falls several times, and have paddled to LaManche a few times as well, but I have not hiked the trail there.  The decision was not hard to make.  Hazen picked me up and off we went...

Here's a few pics from that hike...

The bridge at LaManche

Old Wobbly

Cape Neddick

From where we parked the car to Cape Neddick and back is 9.5 kilometres.  Just a nice distance for a novice hiker like myself.

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Today's hike found me on Deadman's Trail... from Freshwater Bay to Blackhead.  Some pics....

Slightly more than 2 kilometres from the
car puts you at Freshwater Bay

Looks like prime hammock hanging real estate to me

There were about two dozen students
doing an overnight trip in the area

If only I could fly.... sometimes I think I might be able to!!

Signal hill is in the distance 

I expected to see Little Red Riding Hood
coming down this part of the trail

And I expected to hear a voice from under this bridge
asking "Whose that tripping over my bridge?"
as I walked over it.

I walked until I touched pavement at Blackhead and then turned around to take this pic...

I immediately started my walk back and didn't stop until I got back to Freshwater Bay.  My knee had been bothering me the last few kilometres though, so I stopped at Freshwater Bay to have a granola bar and drink some water and have a proper rest...  I had only been stopping to take pictures along the way.

After twenty minutes I strapped on my pack and proceeded to finish the walk but discovered the rest actually caused my knee to hurt more than it did before I had stopped... should of just kept going perhaps.  I trudged along the last couple kilometres to the car at a slower pace, leaning more on my poles than before.  

I was glad when I reached the car.  I drank some more water and checked my GPS; the tally was reading 15.2 kilometres.  Okay, so I can do that distance then without too much trouble.  I wonder if I have a twenty kilometre day in me yet?  I'll have to keep working at this hiking thing... but I think it's time to get back in Jenny and ply some water...