Right on the Trail

Today's snowshoe run was shaping up to be just like yesterday's only slightly faster, until I spotted a pair of snowmobiles stopped on the trail ahead of me. They moved on before I caught up. Unfortunately, I found out why they'd stopped; I ran right through pee on the tracks. I was pissed! Really, they couldn't even aim off the the trail?! Then, I was even madder as I breathed in the remnants of their exhaust. It always amazes me how long snowmobile exhaust (that horrible two-stroke smell) hangs in the air. I found myself wishing they'd written their names in the snow so that I could yell at them by name if I ran into them. I imagined them to be teens riding after school let out (it was around 3:30).

Across a long field, the exhaust fumes were barely detectable. Once I crossed the little stream and crested the bank, I saw them parked further up. I was running diagonally across where it appeared they were going along the edge. I ran and periodically checked to see them still parked. Hmmm....When I got to the foot bridge across the Sabattus river, I turned to head back. The snowmobiles were headed my way. As I stepped aside, they stopped. "That's too much exercise for me," the one guy (not anywhere near teen-aged) said with a smile. I smiled back and said, "It's the only way to go."

I stepped back onto the trail and ran. Their engines told me they were crossing the river and heading away. As I ran, I thought of much wittier comebacks. I definitely should have said something like, "No kidding, it's too much exercise to even walk off the trail to pee." Maybe better to just think that. As much as I hate the smell of the snowmobile exhaust, the litter some of them leave, and their noise, I really appreciate the packed trail. Even though the trail I broke and have gone over a lot is multiple times better than on the first day, it's nowhere as easy to run on as a path a snowmobile has made.

I ran just slightly farther than yesterday getting in almost 4.5.