I’d been talking to John about hiking out on the marsh for about a week. He was really excited for the chance to walk out and investigate the beaver lodge, but knew that we’d have to do it before the warm-up, scheduled to begin on Saturday. “Have you read the blog lately?” I asked him when he arrived.
“No…have to catch up. Its been crazy lately,” he replied…which was a good thing. I’d written how I was going to send him ahead…since it was already warming up…to make sure the ice would hold. I mean…he’s expendable…he’s not writing a riveting blog or anything nearly so important. Definitely more expendable…definitely, and since he hadn’t read what I’d written…well…who’s fault was that?
We made our way down to the marsh and then headed out on the frozen water…John slightly ahead and to the right. We were following the tracks I’d made a couple of days ago and I knew the marsh well and knew this part was solid. Heading to the beaver lodge, which was in a deeper part of the marsh…was another story.
We made it to the lodge without incident and I encouraged John to climb on top for a photo opportunity. “No way dude…I’m not falling through that thing.”
“John…there is no way you’re going through a beaver lodge. You could drive a tank up there and it wouldn’t give. Haven’t you ever seen that Nature show with the Grizzly trying to pound through a lodge to get to the beavers? He didn’t even make a dent in it.”
“You go up there then,” he replied. So I did. He took my picture and when I asked him to pass me the camera, he began to whine again.
“I’m…not…coming…up…there...,” he said again. I mean…he could see me up there. What was he worried about? I could see there was no convincing him, so I came halfway down to reach for the camera. He stepped closer to the lodge and was at its base when it happened. A quick crackling noise and suddenly his leg was gone beneath the ice. If the beavers were in the lodge, cozily watching cable…or whatever they do in there…they were suddenly joined by a soaking wet foot. I began to laugh as he fell backwards and extracted his foot.
“I…told…you…,” he stammered as he lay on the ice. Dakota…concerned for his safety…walked next to him and stuck her nose in the hole he’d made…and took a drink.
“You fell through the ice…not the beaver lodge,” I said, still laughing, but stepping over the ice where he’d fallen in. His leg was soaked up to mid-thigh and the rest of the walk would likely be a little uncomfortable. He didn’t know the way back really…and I wasn’t going to take any shortcuts just because he was dumb enough to find the only weak spot in the ice.
We made our way back and when I suggested we head to a different part of the marsh on the ice, he declined and jumped on to solid land/snow. His leg looked cold…but I was fine and that’s what counted. We continued on, climbing down into another ravine and through plenty of deep snow by staying off-trail, managing a decent 90-minute workout.
Close to midnight, I was feeling the need to do a little more since I’d spent the day when I wasn’t hiking eating too many calories. The morning had started with waffles slathered in butter and covered with whipped cream, strawberries and maple syrup. Later…left-over Anne Ann hot dogs and then fresh-baked cookies with milk. I decided an hour on the bike was appropriate…and that’s what I did. Close to some balance there, but not quite…
Bike duration: 60 minutes. Hike duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 130 biking. 90 hiking.
Calories burned during workout: 900 biking. 450 hiking.
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