I spent most of my blog entries describing the nature I saw on my hike. However, the entries left out a very important element of the trail: people. Since it was Labor Day weekend, bicyclists and walkers of all kinds took to the gravel alongside me, despite the sweltering weather.
Groups of joggers with water bottles strapped to their belts like grenades padded along, chatting. Moms speed-walked together, pushing their children in strollers. A biker clutched a leash in one hand while his dog trotted alongside him. Women often jogged in pairs, but men always jogged solo. Two women, one running, one keeping pace on her bike, passed me by. Both had headphone buds plugged into their ears, shutting out the birdsong and each other.
The cyclists could be roughly divided into three categories: those who were friendly, those who were tired, and those who were too cool for their own good. Sometimes groups of cyclists were split down the middle: two middle-aged twins rode by, one glared at me, and the other smiled as if completely unaware of his brother’s attitude. Another time, I was passed by a huge group of guys in black and white biker uniforms, which I concluded must be The Cyclist League of Good-Looking Guys— there wasn’t an ugly one among them.
Cyclists and walkers alike often stopped to ask me about my backpack. Most looked slightly disappointed to hear that I was only hiking 40 miles, but gave me more grace when they heard it was my first expedition of this kind. A cyclist named Dennis, riding to his dad’s house with his seven-year old son, slowed down beside me for a while. He told me of his hiking adventures in Alaska and Colorado and loaded my brain with dozens of helpful hints about backpacking. A cyclist couple, resting on trail-side benches, told me of their group biking tours they had taken in 40-some different states. A winded young woman explained this was her first time jogging— we had both picked the Katy Trail as a warm-up track.
No matter where I go, even when the point is to spend some time in nature, I always end up talking to people. Despite my somewhat fatalistic nature, and almost in a guilty way, I love them. I really do love people.
~Lisa Shafter
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