I got lost in the woods today.

It's finally nice enough to run outside - mud season is over.  I had
about 50 minutes before my first client of the morning and I decided to
go on a measured two mile run and be back in time to shower and be ready
for the client.

Unfortunately, the route I had chosen starts out for the first half mile
going up a narrow winding road (called "Mountain Road" for reasons I'd
never before contemplated) and I kept having to keep my dog in close
check to avoid the traffic - no sidewalks or shoulder.  But we got to
the park and ran up the park trail (and I do mean UP, it goes up a steep
hill to a lookout tower.)  I let the dog off-leash and we ran/walked on
the mountain trail mile loop.  But then I was back to where I had to go
back via the steep winding road.

But just across the street, beckoning me with pretty blue blazes, was a
trail through the woods.  The trail head said "Sachem's Head .9 miles"
and I know where Sachem's Head is and it's in the right direction for my
house, so off I went, figuring the joining trails would be just as well
marked.

Well.

I found the mountain.  In fact, that geological feature is referred to
around here as "Rocky Ridge" and more specifically, I found the ridge.
I went the entire mile at the TOP OF A CLIFF.  There was absolutely no
way down and no intersecting trails.  I could see my house most of the
way... but I could see pretty much all of the houses in our town and a
few in the next town, too.

I ended up over-shooting my house by maybe 3/4 of a mile and having to
backtrack once I found a path down from Sachem's Head (a very pretty
lookout point deep in the woods that I'd been to before, but not ever
accidently).  It was very tough climbing down - holding onto rock
crevices, sapling trees, etc.  I put the dog back on the leash just to
help catch her if she fell.

Once I got down off the mountain-goat trail I really had to run hard - I
had a client waiting!  My poor dog was having trouble keeping up.  None
of her dog-walkers do this to her!  But when I got home (over an hour
after I left) the client had called in saying he'd be late.  He arrived
about two minutes after I did.  Phew!

Yes, I saw a client while dressed in sweaty running clothes.  But I was
mostly just happy to be alive.  Next time I'll take a water bottle and
flare gun!

Dally, who really ought to take a look at those trail maps sometime