Ciwt Can Walk Everywhere --- Day 13/116

Lope: Hood

Distance: 4.5 miles

Please, dear readers,  don't let all Ciwt's city walks confuse you.  CIWT began as a tribute to her daily long walks in the woods near her home with Zipper, her best friend and dog.  (See CIWT 1).  After those were walks in the rolling hills and arboretums of Connecticut, also long.  Probably the most glorious were the challenging hikes in the clear blue, windless skies (see Hemingway) of Idaho - up, down, around the Sawtooth Mountains.  Theoretically the most dangerous were the Marin hikes when she she moved back to California.  The trail system is extensive and beautifully maintained there, but she did many of her long hikes while the Trailside Killer was also walking along those trails. 

Time though moves on and with varying degrees of acceptance, Ciwt did as well.  To city life and her CIWT walks.  The trailheads in Marin gradually got so crowded, she often got there to find them filled.  Traffic increased along with bridge accidents, so a 90 minute hike could be three or four hours out of her day.  Yoga began calling.  And, of course, there was the matter of aging and less energy.

But, yes, she absolutely misses those nature adventures.  Deeply, at a soul level.  

City walks, though,  have many wonderful rewards of their own.  For one thing, they are right outside the door and constantly available.  For another, they can be measured and taken to destinations.  Ciwt appreciates that; no more walk, walk, walk just for the sake of walking.  But walking to get an errand done or to an appointment, all measurable by blocks at her chosen speed. Cities are stimulating. Nature can't paint an artwork, or build a building, or speak foreign languages, or do a lot of things that keeps Ciwt's mind alert, expanding.  She can go fast if she wants to; there are lots of runners on San Francisco streets.  And, realistically, San Francisco abounds with extensive and spectacular nature.  Think CrissyField, the Presidio, Golden Gate Park, just for openers.

A friend of Ciwt's lives on a reservoir, and another has a cabin in Wisconsin where she spends much of the year doing things like tagging wolves.  Ciwt herself once owned and lived in a log cabin.  She is happy for her friends living near nature and open to that possibility for herself if life brings it along.  For now she loves her city walks, CIWT and knows wherever her future lies, she will be walking to the best of her ability.