There’s a night hike this Saturday and I can’t wait! I’ve only done one night hike before and that was a hike I will never forget. It would take an awful lot for another hike to compete with the sheer fun and madness of the hike we did on New Year’s Eve.
As the year 2007 was drawing to a close, my Camino companions and I talked about the need to start training for the Camino. Up until then, our hikes were just for fun. A hike on New Year’s Eve turned out to be a perfect transition to mark the end of recreational hiking and the start of what I now think of as the training hikes.
It was Rich’s idea to organize a night hike on New Year’s Eve. Karin, Ray, Joe and I jumped on the idea. We would meet at Rich and Viv’s house in Medford, then head out to the Pine Barrens where we would hike on sand roads, see some ruins and head back after doing a total of about five or six miles. From there, we would all gather at Karin and Ray’s house in Roebling to ring in the New Year.
Since this wasn’t a "real" hike, I wore a nice pair of cigarette leg jeans and a sweater. I did wear wool socks and my hiking boots but brought a pair of nice boots to change into for the party. Because it was cold and we were going to be out in the woods, I wore "old ugly," my nickname for my favorite jacket. I love that jacket, I’ve had it now for something like 13 years. It’s long and warm and has never failed to keep me warm, safe and dry when I really needed to be warm, safe and dry! Little did I know it would contribute to my decency as well!
The night hike was awesome. It was cold and clear and just exhilarating to be out in the woods in the dark. There was frost on the ground that made everything glitter. It was unbelievably clear and quiet. At least until the quietude was broken by the sound of four-wheelers roaring down the sand road. We laughed a lot as we wondered what they were up to and wondering if they felt the same about us, what were a bunch of middle aged suburbanites doing out in the middle of the woods on New Year’s Eve?
At some point, Rich realized we weren’t where we were supposed to be. So we took a turn here and a turn there and realized it was beginning to get a bit late. Rich had a GPS which showed the car being "over there." So we headed in that direction. We did a little bushwhacking. We came upon a creek. The car was just on the other side of that creek!
After a bit of walking up and down the shoreline in search of a bridge or something, Rich said we may have to ford the creek. I thought - lovely. He rolled up his pants and went in to check the depth. Turns out, some off-roaders had thoughtfully placed pallets or something on the creek bed, basically creating an underwater bridge. The water was about knee high. After Rich made it safely over over to the other side, I decided I had to go next. To wait would just prolong my mental torture - I can deal with much but I cannot tolerate being cold, even the thought of being cold.
Now there I was, with skinny leg denim jeans that could not be rolled up, no way, no how. Walking in water with the weight of wet denim carried its own risks. I had no option, the pants had to come off! Thankfully, "old ugly" covered my butt. Once again, that jacket came to the rescue! So with my jeans wrapped around my neck and my socks stuffed in my pocket, I was next to ford the creek. God, it was cold! About halfway across, my foot hit the edge of the "bridge" and I almost fell off. Quite a trick trying to keep my balance without having my butt hang out!
Once I got across, I did not wait for the others, I had to keep going. I was freezing and really needed to get my drawers back on! After a bit, everyone made it across, we regrouped and headed to the car, laughing the whole way.
The laughter continued on the ride home. Turns out Ray was wearing Karin’s black pantyhose, a secret revealed only after he rolled up his pants. As I put on my warm dry socks in the car, Rich called Viv. She wasn’t feeling well that night and opted to stay home. She asked if we needed anything. Rich said yeah, lots of towels!
Because it was much later than planned, we decided to stay at Rich and Viv’s house rather than drive out to Karin and Ray’s where most of the food was waiting. Otherwise, we would be enroute at the stroke of midnight!
Though most of the food and beverage was waiting in Roebling for revelers who never arrived, between the food, beer and champagne that Joe and I had brought, we had plenty for a good and very well-earned meal. Midnight came. It was 2008, the year we would do the Camino!
I had the same thought that night that I have every alternate New Year’s Eve. I like odd numbers. For me, odd numbered years tend to be good years. Even numbered years tend to bring change, put me out of my comfort zone into a whole new place. Which I guess isn’t a bad thing at all. I wondered what awaited me in the coming year.
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