The best time to walk these days is early morning or after sunset. The trails near my home are now too busy after 9am.
Early morning or after sunset. Exactly. My walk today was from 1:30 AM to 9:30 AM (17.5 miles / 28 km). Really. And it was just a bit below freezing, attested to by a wet sleeve on my down jacket forming ice. Let me give some biography and history before I describe my walk. We are talking about Massachusetts, USA by the way.
As a kid I always enjoyed getting a day off from school for the Patriots' Day holday. Back in those days it was always on the 19th of April though now the day of celebration comes on a nearby Monday (that's when the Boston Marathon is held). Patriots' Day is observed by only a very few states to commemorate the start of the American Revolutionary War (or War for Independence). Patriots' Day has more meaning to me than Independence Day does. I lived out on the other end of the state as a kid and shortly after getting my own transportation I made a few visits to Old North Bridge in Concord. It just felt right being there. The bridge (where the first order to fire upon the King's troops was given) and a portion of the old road between Boston and Concord are in Minuteman National Historical Park. I now live within walking distance of the place although it is far enough away for it to have always been a one way trip. Last month I reported here on a walk from there to home. Now for the history.
On April 19, 1775 General Gage, the military governor put in charge of the rebellious province after the official provencial government was disbanded, had about 700 of his troops march to Concord to confiscate or destroy weapons that intelligence said were there. American espionage found out about this plan about the same time the British army officers did and riders were sent out to warn surrounding towns. Though blunders, mistakes, ineptness, lack of disipline and circumstances of luck or lack of it (on both sides) a running battle took place during the regulars' return to Boston. The day ended with the army surrounded in Boston by the Provencial militia. After eleven months a surprise move by what had become the Continental Army under command of General Washington forced the British to evacuate Boston.
I've walked to North Bridge at night twice before to observe a dawn flag raising ceremony and salute but I used roads to get there. That caused sore feet so this time I decided to take some trails through the woods. It was wetter than I expected because of some recent snow and rain. It was slippery in spots due to ice. I only needed a flashlight in the spots that were wet or had roots. Most of the time I had enough light coming from the sky to avoid rocks. I made it to where the ceremony was to take place by 5:45 but, as I expected, the ceremony was cancelled because of social distancing guidelines. No one was there. I wanted to make the night walk anyway as that was what was happening 245 years ago. I took a short break to change socks and grab a sandwich out of my pack and then continued on into town to get to the Battle Road section of the park. I passed the homes of several famous 19th century writers along the way. Battle Road has eleven houses on it that were there in 1775 and there are signs describing the events that happened there. I slowed my pace down some once I passed North Bridge to take in the sights and to also time the completion of the walk with Peg's usual time to get out of bed. No, I didn't walk back home this time either.
The pictures (the first few taken with very low light): A tree next to a pond taken around 3:00AM (Sabine wanted pictures, she didn't say they had to be good ones), a barn at a gentleman's farm, frost near North Bridge, the Minuteman statue, boardwalk over a marsh at Battle Road, one of the old houses (Americans may care to know that it was owned by Abigal Adams' brother but no one else will care), Battle Road, marker telling a sorry tale.
A wonderful day! Sunshine and 17˚C☀ I walked in/on the snow today, while some people were skiing. Less snow on the forest path, but more water.
massrealestatelawblog.com
www.travelwisconsin.com
. 
. 
. 
❤
Then it opens up for a great view of the hills an mountainside
From here you look over the old ruins about 15 km across the hill you find
. . . . . . . . .
the wooden door like a pass over a brook.
and now you turn your Walkman or whatever you have on and hear the ocean surf then you close your eyes a bit, enough that you just can see where you walking and the wooden blanks from your Portuguese will appear and tok tok tok there you walk your Camino. Maybe you have a citrus scent you could wear or some Lavender so to help you to get to your happy place. When you all by yourself you will get into the flow.
