Rimshot!

What a wonderful barefoot hike yesterday at Cantwell Cliffs. There was still a bit of snow on the ground, but it was patchy, and the air temperature was about 45°. Just about the time my feet thought about getting cold, they warmed right back up again.

And the scenery . . .

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Barefoot Shopping

Going out shopping barefoot can sometimes be a bit of a crap shoot. If you are going to a new place, you never really know what to expect. But that can also be true of places that you shop at regularly, since there might be a pelmatophobe on duty that day who causes trouble.

But other times it can be gratifying when store employees simply express interest.

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Earthworks Across the Licking Valley

On Facebook a couple of days ago, Jeff Gill of the Newark Earthworks Center (among other things!) praised some of the LiDAR images I had created that were related to the earthworks around Newark.

But he asked for a “nudge”.

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Gawk at the Hawk

At the very beginning of this latest snowstorm we had a hawk perch itself in the tree just outside our window.

Camera time!

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Chillicothe

On Saturday I headed down to Chillicothe with my son. Chillicothe has a long historical tradition, being a major location for the Hopewell Culture. Just to the east are the mountains (hills) that appear on the Great Seal of the State of Ohio. It was also Ohio’s first state capitol.

First we visited Mound City; then we climbed Sugarloaf.

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Footprints in Time

Last month I wrote about barefoot references in The Old Ways — A Journey on Foot, written by Robert Macfarlane, a wonderful description of hiking in (among other places) the Outer Hebrides.

It also had a description of ancient fossil footprints that keep appearing on the beach in Formby (near Liverpool).

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Desquamation

In the Wall Street Journal article that I wrote about last Saturday, Bare Feet, Gyms, and Treadmills, there was one quote there that really struck me oddly.

So I decided to investigate further.

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Adolescent Foot-Strike Patterns

There was a paper presented yesterday at the annual meeting of the American Acedemy of Orthopaedic Surgeons regarding the foot-strike patterns of adolescents and how they change depending on whether they are barefoot or wearing shoes with heavily-padded heels.

I’m not even sure what it means.

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Dual Survival: Misty Mountain Drop

Normally, about here I’d let you know what new show is on tonight, but “Misty Mountain Drop” was the final episode of this season (Season 3). There are some reruns tonight (at 6, 7, & 8, EDT).

As far as the executive producer of the series is concerned, Season 3 did very, very well in the ratings. I’d guess that that means we’ll see a Season 4 next year.

So now, here are my thoughts on last weeks show, “Misty Mountain Drop”.

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A Visit to Cantwell Cliffs

Last Friday was a rare warmer day sandwiched between continuing winter. I took advantage of it to head to Cantwell Cliffs for a bit of exploring.

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Bare Feet, Gyms, and Treadmills

The Wall Street Journal has an article out of how many (most?) gyms get pretty upset if you try to use them barefooted. It is the usual frustrating read.

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Moccasins

When it gets too cold out for hiking barefoot, I usually go with a pair of moccasins. But store-bought ones require a bit of modification.

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Ootchie-Kootchie

I’ve noted before that occasionally the Columbus Dispatch will show a photo of a barefoot person as part of their general coverage of normal people about town.

There was a rare March appearance last Sunday.

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Dual Survival: Rocky Mountain High

First, don’t forget that there will be a new episode of Dual Survival on tonight, 9:00pm EST. The new one is titled “Misty Mountain Drop” and the description says:

Joe Teti and Cody Lundin must stay alive in the humid and perilous woodland environment of North California’s mountainous region, which endangers their lives with its lack of fire, building materials and radical temperature change.

“Misty Mountain Drop” is the last episode for this season.

And now, here are some thoughts about last week’s show, “Rocky Mountain High”.

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O’Meara O’Vencha Hike: Reconditioning

Saturday was another of the Adventure Hikes led by Metroparks Executive Director John O’Meara. These have been a series of monthly hikes down at Clear Creek in the Hocking Hills area. We usually cover around 12 miles in 5 hours or so (including a stop for lunch).

As usual, John managed to pick a day with gorgeous weather, and he did so months in advance . . .

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