Hickey’s Creek Mitigation Park (Combo North Marsh Trail & Hickey’s Creek Trail) 12/12/16
I got to the park at around 5PM. I was going light. No pack, no weapons, no water; just running. I wore my Salomon Speedcross 3s. Haven’t had them on in a while, since most of my running is urban. Plus, my knees have been shot since I got back from the Appalachian Trail. I haven’t been doing that much running in general since before I left, but they fit like a glove.
I took note the park locks the gate at 6PM. That gave me just under an hour of run time. It’s a suggested donation of $1 per hour for parking. I hit the trail walking, then running. When you first get on, you enter on an approach trail to Hickey’s Creek Trail. It doesn’t take, but a few minutes, to get to the trail head. Plus, it’s mostly crushed shell and impacted sand until then. There is a bridge that brings you to two trailheads, actually. Go left and you go toward North Marsh Trail, go right and you continue on Hickey’s Creek, and also toward Pine Island Trail. (I think that’s the name.)
I decided no Pine Island Trail. There wasn’t enough time. So, I continued on Hickey’s Creek. It was on the cool side at that time of day. The sun was starting to go down. Not a whole lot of bugs biting, but as I continued I did hit a few spider webs with my face. The trail goes through a variety of terrain. Some sand, some of it pulled up soil that has been tossed about by boat, leaving huge divots. Some of the terrain starts to get swampy and muddy, a little hilly at times, small hills. There is open prairie. There is Trail that runs along side canals. Lots of canopy. Variety.
Eventually, I ended up at the trailhead for North Marsh Trail and decided to take it, although I knew the clock was ticking. All together, I did about 3.3 miles in about 45 minutes. Most of the time I would walk and then run, walk and then run. Trying to ease my knees back into gear.
Overall, I was out on time, nobody else was on trail at that time of day, the weather was good, little light rain at most, and it only cost me a buck and some gas money. Good hike.
My knees do hurt a little today. I noticed when I was going up and down the stairs to my apartment, but I expected that. That was probably the hardest I have pushed them since getting back into running. It’s hard to know what is too much when you are doing it. Of course I was hypersensitive to whether or not my knees would be in pain, but a little pain is expected, and a lot of the time you feel a little pain at first, but once you start moving, you don’t feel it any more. Deceiving.