Spring Has Sprung!

You know it's spring in NC when everything is suddenly covered in a  thick yellow-green layer of pollen.  It may be true that a rolling stone gathers no moss, but it turns out that bare feet on a hike do gather pollen.

I joined a local meet-up group for a fitness hike yesterday after work.  We covered 7.5 miles at a pace of about 3.4mph, which is a good clip for me.  I was carrying a 10 pound day-pack.  There was no time to stop for pictures during the hike.  Back at the trailhead several people asked me about barefoot hiking.  I looked down at my feet and discovered they were covered in pollen.  It was probably also true of everyone's shoes but not nearly as noticeable.  The hike organizer snapped this picture and shared it on the meet-up page.

I answered several questions about barefoot hiking.  A couple people said they might give it a try.  One thing everyone wanted to know is if my feet ever get cut while hiking barefoot. (Answer: One small cut in 4 years of barefoot hiking -- knock on wood.) Ironically, my feet made it through this hike fine but I cut my finger getting into my car to drive home.  Perhaps I should think about wearing gloves to protect my hands?

Peace,
Karen