Lost

As part of my training yesterday is my run day. I switched the day I run and the day I go to water aerobics because my favorite instructor teaches on Tuesday evening.

Anyhow, I was tired from snowshoeing the afternoon prior and getting up really early so I did not hit the trail until almost 6 pm (5:57 pm). Wouldn't you know it started to rain before I left?

I decided to go exploring and hit a new trail I have seen while venturing to Issaquah but had never been on. I had to go there anyway to drop off my sister's camera left in Harley's hydropack.

I continued down Duthie Hill Road from Redmond Fall City road until I saw the start of the trail. I parked on the side of the road that intersects Duthie Hill road from the right (west). When I started on the trail I discovered immediately that this nice paved path also traveled west as well as south running parallel to Duthie Hill Road (which becomes Issaquah Fall City Road).

Since this was a new discovery, I could not help but take the west route to quench my curiosity to find where it lead. Thus, I ran on the path to the right and passed suburbs hidden in the trees and a scho0l until the path ventured south along a power line crossing where the open view revealed the Issaquah Alps (Cascade foothills and Squak Mountain where my sister lives).

I turned left taking the path heading south towards Issaquah. It came upon a park where boys were dressed in deep emeral green jerseys and playing lacrosse. Futher south across the road from the park the powerline path continued so I followed it where it led up and down hills and curvy corners. What fun! "Just a little further", I thought and then I would turn back. I wanted to see where it led.

While running on this path I thought it would be a great idea to run a connecting route so that I did not have to retrace my tracks. Thus I kept going until I hit a main road that appeared in the grey drizzly overcast weather to travel east and west.

Remembering how I started running west from the road traveling north and south and then I had made a left turn to travel south towards Issaquah where I could see the faint silloette of the mountains in the mist, my next logical turn would be left to head back east. Right? According to my inner navigational compass driven by instinct that would make sense. My plan was to eventually meet back up with Duthie Hill road south of my starting point and head back north to find my truck.

Hehehe Easier said than done. After a half hour of running and what seemed a long time I had been running since I last turned, I came across a familiar scene that was like a deja vu. Again the powerline crossed the sidewalk I was now on and a park that looked eerily similiar to the one where the boys were playing was now on my right. Although it is possible and does happen in areas like this, everything looked too much alike to be a completely different place. Were there two powerlines crossing the road? I became very confused.

Then I saw the mountains again on the powerline crossing on my left but not where it continued on my right where I saw the park which looked so similiar. What the heck? If I was heading what I thought was east, how did the south suddenly appear on my left? I stopped as I did not want to end up running totally the wrong way and end up in darkness trying to make it back to the truck. It is not like I could easily hitch a ride with wet dogs accompanying me.

I wandered over to a sign kiosk which I thought would have a map. No such luck (only information about wildlife and the neighborhood). With it being an overcast day I could not determine which way was which. I only had these mountains which appeared telling me that was south but according to my instinct and the path I took I did not see how that was possible. I looked around not knowing what to do. Then I saw another runner heading my way that I could stop and ask.

Remember that I am completely deaf and because it is running day I am wearing tights with no pockets. Thus, I have no paper and pen on me. LOL That makes for interesting and challenging communication on getting directions. Basically it becomes a guessing game where I have to determine the questions which will lead me to the right answer I seek. It appeared however that I might have encountered a person who just knew the area but not road names as when I inquired repeatedly if the road I was traveling on (Khlanie) met up with Duthie Hill, I did not get a definite shaking of the head yes and instead a look of "Um. I am not sure." So then I inquired which direction is Issaquah again with a questionable response. Eventually I just told the person maybe I should head back the way I came (which would be another half hour run).

When we parted I chose to run back on the powerline path along the park which looked so familiar AND had a school next to it like the one when I originally turned to head south. FORTUNATELY, it was the same path I was on a long time ago. I still cannot figure out how I got there. It is like I was in some weird sort of twilight zone warp. I will have to look at a map to figure out what happened. Aparrently I went in a circle. I have no idea how as I don't know powerlines to travel in circles.

In any case, I made it back to the truck finally in exactly an hour from when I left. Good thing for daylight savings or I would have been stumbling my way back to the truck which we arrived at just before 7 pm. I was right that the road I was traveling on DID meet back up with Duthie Hill road and the path continued back north. How in the world I ended back in the same place and had to trace my steps back remains a mystery. Chuckle I guess the moral is that one should not go "exploring" in a new place on a rainy and cloudy day. ;+)