I think the Columbia Trail has a personality. I’ve come to know her very well this summer – logging almost 400 miles of my training there. She has some potholes and rough spots, but she’s got ample girth for her visitors and she’s generally well-maintained (a huge tree that fell across the path was removed a day later). She’s been a kind summer friend; her massive canopy of trees a blessing this hot, humid summer. For a trail that runs beside a river, she blessedly is not often buggy. The deer that inhabit her green places amuse me – mostly bored by visitors, certainly not acting threatened. So I conclude that Columbia is a good mother to them. Her human guests mostly begin their visit from the trailhead in High Bridge. The further out I ride, the less populated the trail. I would say there are equal parts bikers/walkers/joggers. And if you go out beyond mile 3, you are likely to encounter horse poo (poor Columbia) or its predecessor, an actual horse.
Only about 50% of the people on Columbia will return a cheerful “hello!” Some don’t even make eye contact, which is funny to me. Her visitors are never creepy though and thank goodness (because litter is a pet peeve of mine) her visitors are respectful of her beauty. Even those with dogs help keep Columbia nice for everyone.
But occasionally, she can still provide a surprise, and I had two recently. One was a young man walking along, reading from an iPad. It was curious. He was walking so slow, it almost didn’t even qualify as walking. I silently nicknamed him Socrates as I went by because I figured he was reading something deep and philosophical and letting the beauty of the trail feed profound thought. And then last night, here was this guy with a guitar and harmonica standing on a trestle under a railroad bridge entertaining passers-by. I surely wasn’t expecting that there! He was good too. I slowed my pace and listened all three times I went by.
Columbia is a good friend now, but I’m glad she’s got a sense of the unpredictable and can still surprise me.
Only about 50% of the people on Columbia will return a cheerful “hello!” Some don’t even make eye contact, which is funny to me. Her visitors are never creepy though and thank goodness (because litter is a pet peeve of mine) her visitors are respectful of her beauty. Even those with dogs help keep Columbia nice for everyone.
But occasionally, she can still provide a surprise, and I had two recently. One was a young man walking along, reading from an iPad. It was curious. He was walking so slow, it almost didn’t even qualify as walking. I silently nicknamed him Socrates as I went by because I figured he was reading something deep and philosophical and letting the beauty of the trail feed profound thought. And then last night, here was this guy with a guitar and harmonica standing on a trestle under a railroad bridge entertaining passers-by. I surely wasn’t expecting that there! He was good too. I slowed my pace and listened all three times I went by.
Columbia is a good friend now, but I’m glad she’s got a sense of the unpredictable and can still surprise me.