The weekend was in full swing and
with about 400 pages of reading due by the end of next week; I was in sore need
of a break. So after my morning work shift and several hours of study, I put
away my books and pulled out my boots. I decided to take one of my favourite
trails down the west side of the mountain. This trail is very difficult in
places and stretches for about seven miles. There are no spectacular views
along the way and the trail peters out at the bottom of the mountain near a
slightly pathetic creek. However, I have always enjoyed this trail because it
is by far the most secluded trail I have found yet. After about the first mile
(once you get passed all of the switchbacks), there are few to no people to
encounter and you are left all by your lonesome to enjoy the gift of nature.
Sometimes instead of hiking I like to stand still on the trail and contemplate
my surroundings. At the bottom of the trail there is a nice clearing with an
old log that makes an excellent seat for an impromptu meal. Overall my hike
stretched for 7.31 miles (11.8 km) bringing my cumulative mileage for the trip
thus far up to 348.48 miles (560.82 km).
The hobbits journey over the
Lone-lands continues. Large portions of land stretch out before them and
Rivendell is still 100 miles (160.9 km) away. They are just beginning to climb
out of the valley they have been travelling in. When they finally make camp for
the night, their camp is high enough for Merry to get a glimpse of
the Loudwater (Bruinen) River far off in the distance. A few miles in front of them Merry can also see the bridge of the Hoarwell River leading into the Trollshaws. Part of me wonders if the hobbits
and Strider ever despaired about the amount of ground there was left to cover.
They have managed the majority of the journey but now a good distance still
stretches before them and a great evil is at their heels.
The Road Goes Ever On and On
~ Daisy Buttons
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