Top Walks

I was just reading Will Self's column for today and he listed his "favourite winter walks", so I got to thinking about what were my favorite walks of 2007. Here are some of them.

Carter Dome Loop (NH). In February, I had the opportunity to take a 10 mile solo hike and snowshoe up and over Carter Dome in New Hampshire's White Mountains. I blogged about this hike earlier. The most memorable thing about this hike was the brilliant blue sky and the absolute stillness and silence on the top of Mount Hight.

Millennium Park, Chicago (IL). In late winter, early spring, I had to go down to Chicago for a meeting with the folks from EPA Region V. A colleague, Chuck Hoyt, joined me for the trip where we took Amtrak to Chicago and back. There was no time in the morning, so we had to take a cab instead of walking. But after the meeting was done, we had enough time to walk from East Lower Wacker Drive back to the Amtrak Station via Millennium Park. While I have been to Chicago a few times recently, I had not been to this section of Millennium Park since the bean and other public art were installed. If you're ever in Chicago, make sure to check out the Cloud Gate sculpture and the Crown Fountain (photo courtesy of christopherdale).

Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore (MI). I blogged about this hike earlier also. Current memories include fields of forget-me-nots, incredible bird song, good company, and of course the fact that this was Abbey's first backpacking trip. Forty-plus miles and three nights out. Not bad for a three-year-old!


Holden Beach (NC). The memorable walk during this June vacation was down the beach to the south and back. The fact that we overshot our beach house on the walk back by nearly a mile was actually the best part. I enjoyed Julie and Abbey's company as we back-tracked on the road in the dark, peeking into lit-up beach houses full of vacationers. While down on the beach, we chased ghost crabs, walked in shallow tidal pools, and watched the pelicans glide on as the last minutes of daylight waned.

Raven Rocks (NC). A few days after the Holden Beach trek, Julie and I found a nice surprise in Raven Rocks, a state park in North Carolina where old limestone cliffs have been worn away by the Cape Fear River. It was a nice break from driving across the state. Abbey slept for half of the walk and Julie and I got to have a nice, quiet walk in the woods.

Loco Pops in Chapel Hill (NC). This walk was with Johnny and Candace Waken later the same day as the Raven Rocks walk. We walked down East Main Street in Chapel Hill on a hot June night to get us some Loco Pops. While the chile mango and lavender chocolate popsicles were great, it was the company of friends that are not seen nearly enough that made this walk memorable.

Monroe Mall (MI). On the days when I am fortunate enough to take the bus to and from work, I typically transfer so that I can walk the length of Monroe Mall from end to end. The morning walk is nice, with a stop in at Four Friends for coffee, but I particularly enjoy the evening walk as it is less rushed and often imbued with the colors of the evening sky.

To Cathy's House and Back (MI). On Thanksgiving, Julie, Abbey and I walked the little more than three miles to my brother Bill's girlfriend Cathy's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Both the walk there on a sunny, 20 degree afternoon and the walk home on a cold, clear night were memorable. The walk made me wish that more days allowed the time for walking from place to place when in one's home town.