A week from today we leave for England. So it was time to hit the trails again for another training hike. We've done a few since our last post, but none in 90+ degree heat like we had today! Today, Jonah, Olivia, and I (poor Lara is working hard in Aruba!) spent the morning in NY's Sterling Forest State Park - a beautiful park with 32 different trails! We chose a 9-mile loop that took us by some closed mines, over some babbling brooks, and through a glorious forest.
We used this training day as an opportunity to try out our new GPS units - a Fenix 3 GPS watch and Garmin Oregon handheld system. Having never used a GPS unit before, we wanted to make sure we knew how to use one. The handheld was a bit cumbersome (that will be going back to REI), but the watch worked like a dream, keeping us on course, giving us information about how far we'd gone, and how far we still had to go. The trails here are well-marked, so a GPS unit isn't completely necessary. However, the situation in England is quite different. Trails aren't very well-marked and it is common for people to lose their way. With how many miles we're hiking each day, it would be disheartening to add a few extra miles because Dad got lost!
Jonah and Olivia did great, as usual. And I've got the added benefit of having exhausted kids who will go to bed early tonight! This is definitely a park we'll visit again for hikes - maybe even one more time before heading to England.
One week and counting - looking forward to the journey in front of us!