An Admission I Hate to Make

Let it be known. I hate running on the Mall. Virtually every time I set foot on the expansive federal lawn, I am annoyed. Primarily by tourists who stand around like cows, chewing on salty snacks and staring, rather than moving along to the next taxpayer-funded marble attraction. In the summer, it's insanely hot. In the winter, cold gusty winds.

That said. I now believe it is the best DC running destination for Cow Dog. Sigh. I wanted to mix it up this morning, and I wanted to give him some exercise. So he donned his shirt and harness and we set out. I opted for a left on Virginia Ave. We ran past the Washington Monument, then over to the eastern half of the Mall. The gravel paths were paw-friendly. The lack of shrubbery meant potty breaks were limited. And we saw only one other dog, a Dobie playing frisbee in the grass. Cow Dog observed but did not interact. (Good dog.) We saw a group of Army guys out for a run, chanting. Cow Dog tried desperately to join them. (For the record, he sleeps far too much to be a good soldier.)

We got in a good, relaxing 5.5-mile run, and at the end I was not angry or prepared to write a lengthy screed about the merits of leashes. The wide paths allowed us to run without fear of bicycles plowing us down. Trash cans are plentiful. And, yeah, okay, the scenery is kinda nice.

Mt. Pleasant Circuit

Mmmm, tuna mac...

So we set out today to do two circuit hikes, Mt. Pleasant and Cole (or Cold, depending on whom you ask) Mountain, connecting trails in the George Washington National Forest. Red and Cow dogs hadn't been out in a while, and we were excited to also visit a rare day-trippable bald.

I wouldn't go so far as to call it Mt. Unpleasant, but after doing that first circuit (6.3 miles), we were done. Which really sucks.

It started out okay. We went clockwise (reverse of the map, and evidently most people), so started on a soft mossy jeep road. Then a long but gradual climb up Mt. Pleasant (elev. 4021'). The trail looked heavily disturbed, even though we hadn't seen anyone else, so I guessed there was recent maintenance. As we reached the summit, where there are two trails leading to the east and west vistas, we came upon the maintenance team. I wanted to thank them for their work, but they weren't the most pleasant, (there's that word again) so I didn't. One said that the east vista was tremendously better than the west vista, so we headed that way. As we got to the rock outcropping, we saw people sitting up there, with their dogs off-leash. So we turned around. At that point the maintenance people were right behind us, so there was a little dance/confusion as we all maneuvered around.

So we headed over to the west vista, and at one overlook could see that the people on the east side had made themselves quite at home, and weren't going anywhere anytime soon. When we finally wended our way to the vista, we were rewarded with quite a view:



Screw the east vista, this was lovely. (Despite a heavy haze. In February.) And it was just rocky enough to feel like Sportrock has already been helpful. Getting down, Cow Dog even got his first precious few seconds as Freedom Dog (no way I was going to lose my balance and fall down the cliff...). Unfortunately, from that vista, we could see the "bald summit" of Cole/d Mountain and realized it was just a small clearing amidst more forest. Feh.

As we descended the summit spur trail, we came across another unleashed dog. We asked the people, who were quite a bit behind the dog, to please call him back. They did, and we moved off the trail to let them pass. They just let the dog go again! So of course he approaches us, and Red Dog gets upset. Finally the geniuses call the dog back and put the leash on, and continue on up. We descend, and I spend the next mile fuming.

Two pet peeves:

1. People hogging the classic overlooks. If there isn't a lot of room, and you see there are other people on the trail, enjoy it, take pictures, and move along. Take your lunch somewhere else. Other people would like to experience that overlook--possibly the ONLY reason they are even there!

2. Off-leash dogs. I feel like I can no longer take Cow Dog running with me because we are always encountering ill-behaved loose dogs whose owners pay no attention. It gets him upset, it gets me upset, and it ruins the experience. And when it happens on a trail, in a federal park where 6-foot leashes are the law...! Sure, it's fun for you. But our dogs need exercise and fresh air and wilderness too. If I keep them inside all the time, they're only going to become less socialized and more anxious. And yet you'll blame me if the encounter doesn't go well. For the sake of your dog, for the sake of my dogs, for the sake of my sanity, for the sake of lawfulness, for the sake of the wildlife that might not want to be chased, for the sake of the untrodden lands that your loose dog may disturb, PLEASE use a leash. There are many options available to suit any taste. I promise.

Okay. So we're continuing on the Henry Lanum Memorial Trail. Down, then up to Mt. Pompey (elev. 4032'), which wasn't as special. Then a steep down. At this point Flatlandish and I are both feeling a bit grumbly, both feeling various aches and pains, and both dreading another three hours of same ol', same ol'. We find a campsite with a fire pit and decide to cook up our lunch, even though we're only a mile from the car. Cooking went really well, and the dogs were actually fairly well behaved, considering they were sitting mere feet from food when we had forgotten to feed them breakfast before departing. Their behavior earned them our leftovers, and the privilege of cleaning the pot. Yum.

As we got back to the main parking area, there were the East Vista people, with their dogs still off-leash. I tried to keep my eyes from rolling all the way back in my head as we meandered down the muddy road to our car.

We're pretty tired from a long work week, lots of running, and climbing last night, so I think it was wise that we cut it short. Really, the views of the range were better from the car on Coffeytown Road and US 60. I think it's time to look for new sources of hikes (get out of the mountains). I want new terrain. Stream crossings, meadows, animals. (We saw a bird today. That's it.) Might head out to Seneca Rocks, even if just to watch the climbers. Definitely itching to get to Dolly Sods, once we feel we can backpack overnight with reasonable comfort.

One silver lining: Cow Dog wore his new shirt with his harness for the whole hike. Just over six miles, and NO chafing of any kind! Yay! Thank you again Katahdin Mushing Supplies!

Updates

On my run today, I saw:

- that The Awakening is still in place at Hains Point (yay!)
- a red-shouldered hawk, also on Hains Point. Very cool.

In memoriam:

My worms have died. All of them. There were a few survivors when I sifted through it the other day, but I couldn't find them last night. I am very sad. I believe they drowned. At least now I know where I need more holes in the bin. Sigh. They were doing so well, then I left them alone for a few days, things started to stink, and I discovered the reason for said stink.

There is a whole mess of castings (aka nutritive soil additive) in there, so maybe I can donate that to someone.

Happier:

Manny Acta apparently watches Countdown. Swoon.