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OK.
A nice easy, relaxing, civilized hike.
Well within the innermost Boston beltway.
Almost downtown.
Probably more of a stroll than a hike.
Maybe a saunter, or a promenade.
We're only 5 miles from the ocean, so maybe a max elevation of
10-15 feet?
Can't imagine why the web site said "strenuous".
Wimpy city folk!
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Hole through tree.
Hmmm...
DOES look a little hilly and rocky...
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Phil and Christine, decked out for hunting season.
No, they're not leaning over.
The ground is just tipped really steeply.
We may see some small hills after all...
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They look so happy as they climb the first few feet of the trail.
Or are those evil sadistic grins?
No, probably not.
Nothing to worry about.
These are a couple of harmless old senior citizens.
Nearly 70 years old.
Nursing aches and pains, sore hips, etc.
And Christine's legs must be a foot shorter than mine.
How hard could it be to keep up with them?
I had NO idea...
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Note the white blazes going UP the stone outcropping.
Always up and over, never around.
Rock Circuit Trail is well named.
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226 feet?
No problem!
That's only a 22-story building!
I can do that in my sleep!
(He says, before he realizes we're going to do that
over and over and over and over, for 4 hours...)
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Another altitude sign in the distance.
I guess we're gonna meander on over there.
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Oops!
Steep ravine in the way.
Is there a rope bridge or something?
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213 feet?
So the net effect of that huge down and up was that we're 13 feet
LOWER?!?!?
Sounds easy.
So why are my leg muscles spasming?
Phil strolls away calmly with a smirk on his face.
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Boston skyline in the distance.
I guess we're really at the right park.
Feels more like the wilds of Colorado.
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Long way down
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Lots of rust in the stone.
Good!
We'll have iron if we need to make tools to survive out here.
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Surprisingly little wildlife.
There may have been a chipmunk in this picture.
Can't find it now.
Maybe died of altitude sickness?
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Yes, the white-blazed trail always goes directly up and OVER the
boulders.
Never around...
That would be WAY too easy!...
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G4-4.
Better write that down.
In case I need to make a call to the search party that sends in a rescue
helicopter.
Wait!
Can helicopters fly this high?
They sure as heck ain't gonna land a plane in here!
Carved "Fred was here" into the tree, just in case.
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Civilization!
I'll bet they have food and water down there, he says wistfully...
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Sheer drop off, looking DOWN at the TOPS of the trees
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Rocks and ravines.
Yes, the trail goes down into ALL ravines and up over ALL rocks.
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Looking down at factories, smokestacks, ballfields, AGAIN!
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Boston skyline in the distance again.
Wait!
Are we looking DOWN at the tops of the skyscrapers?
This trail is like doing a tour of the rooftops of ALL of
the skyscrapers in Boston, by climbing the stairs up and
down each of them.
I'm pretty sure we've traveled further vertically than
horizontally.
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School, houses, ball fields down below.
No, I'm not taking lots of pics from the same summit.
We've seen this same sight from approximately 57.235 kajillion
different peaks so far!.
I'll bet they're all sitting in their houses, drinking lemonade,
relaxing, watching TV...
I miss my recliner...
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You've seen signs "Must be this tall to...".
There should have been a sign "Legs must be this long to climb up this first step".
No stopping Christine!
Didn't even hesitate.
Bent down, tossed a knee up and over, rolled sideways, and
scrambled on
up.
Parkour master!
Phil and I could hardly keep up with her.
Later learned that her less-fit younger bother is Mr Miyagi from Karate Kid.
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Another summit to climb.
At least this one's a hike, not a climb, scrabble or clamber.
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Hey look!
Another ravine!
And beyond that...
You guessed it -- another big ol' rock!
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I would never have tried climbing all the way down this steadily steepening dropoff if it hadn't been so clearly blazed as the intended trail.
Made it down in a crab walk.
Didn't quite have to resort to rappelling with ropes.
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We're at a "saddle".
The LOWEST point of our trail for a while, and the HIGHEST point
of the trail crossing ours.
Good to know there are other less insane trails nearby.
The people on that trail weren't huffing and puffing like me.
Were hardly even bleeding out of their eyeballs at all!
Maybe I won't need that rescue helicopter after all.
Better jot down that "G5-8" just in case though...
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Wooden logs squared off so we can walk through the swamp without
sliding off the top curve.
How civilized!
Nothing to this hike!
It's a stroll in the park!
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Phil braves the narrow ridge.
Do NOT take one small step to the left!
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No, we didn't climb the radio tower.
Tempting, but we had a pretty good view from here.
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Beautiful decomposing log.
Probably houses hundreds of critters.
I wonder if they're edible?
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Christine says:
"282 feet?
OK, so that's basically just a 28-story building.
Ho hum, nothing to it.
Didn't the web site say this hike was supposed to be strenuous?
I don't think the really hard parts are coming for a while yet."
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Was really kind of hoping there was a hot tub nestled in here.
Oh, my aching legs!
But no, just the stone foundation of an old 1899 MIT Observatory.
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Didn't read it.
Too gruesome.
Don't want to know.
Probably tells how the astronomers starved to death when the mule train
couldn't make it all the way up here with supplies.
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Carefully placed stones in the swampy parts
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They make it look so easy...
Hey guys!
Wait up!
What are you, sherpas?
You don't happen to have a stretcher on you, do ya?
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Wood chute to carry the stream
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Artistic roots
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Safe and sound back at the house, choosing spices as we cook dinner.
Very cool spice cabinet with pull-out plexiglass shelves.
Much better use of the space than a too-small microwave!
No, those 2 potholders are not the only pigs.
There were thousands and thousands of them!
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