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Hot take: I pick the gnarly trails every time
Most people want a nice, flat path to walk on. I think that's boring. Tried the new Lakeside Loop last month. It was all gravel and benches. Felt like a mall. So I ducked into an old deer track nearby. Had to hop over creek beds. Got my pants dirty from the mud. Spotted an owl in a dead tree. That's the stuff I remember.
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alice8171mo ago
My old boots finally gave out after 12 miles on the Black Rock scramble. The flat parts are just the price you pay to get to the good stuff.
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margaretpark1mo ago
Flat trails let me zone out and relax, which is kinda the point for me.
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jamiehayes1mo ago
Totally get that. Isn't it the best when your brain just finally quiets down? I love that empty-headed feeling on a straight path.
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dylan_foster1mo ago
Ever get bored on those long flat parts? I started putting on a podcast or an album I know really well, lets my brain check out but keeps a little thread of something interesting going. Did a 10-mile bike path last week with a true crime series, time just flew by.
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flores.david1mo ago
Sometimes on those flat stretches, I find myself noticing tiny things, like how the light filters through the leaves or the pattern of cracks in the pavement. Last week, I watched a squirrel move through the trees for a good ten minutes, just totally absorbed in its world. It's still zoning out, but more like your senses wake up instead of turning off. You start to hear the rhythm of your own breathing mixed with the wind, and it's kinda peaceful in a raw way. Ever try just listening to the trail itself? It turns the flat part into its own little adventure.
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