Planter Fasciitis

Some time ago, I mentioned I was having issues with what I believed to be plantar fasciitis. After nearly two and a half months of seeing little improvement and going stir crazy, I decided it was time to see a foot doctor. I've been hiking only four times since the beginning of September and have been taking it easy in hopes it would heal on its own but no dice. 

My visit to the podiatrist wasn't a very good experience. I had a lot of questions and when I tried to ask, he repeatedly interrupted me mid-sentence. After doing this a number of times, I gave up on asking anything else. Throughout the visit, he tried to sell his custom orthotics to me and when he wasn't trying to sell them, he was trying to sell me a set of socks designed to help with plantar fasciitis. What questions I had, he dished them off on a physical therapist who worked in the same building. When I asked the physical therapist, he told me straight up that he didn't know (kudos to him, at least he was honest). So basically, I dealt with a salesman in a white coat. 

Needless to say, I was unhappy with the doctor and walked out of his office with the same amount of questions I walked in with. To give you an example of what I mean, at one point during the visit, I asked the doctor if it was ok to go hiking again and his answer was a quick "sure you can". No insight or ideas on if I should take it easy and cut down on the distance, no recommendations on methods I could try to relieve the pain (exercises, stretching), no suggestions on if I should pay more attention to my pace and/or adjust how I walk, no advice on if I should avoid hiking too many hills, etc. But hey, here's a set of $300 orthotics and a $25 pair of socks I can put you in. No thanks, I wasn't spending another penny on this doctor, declined both, and opted for a second opinion instead. More on this later.

I don't know about anyone else but when I have questions about my personal health, I want answers from someone who's a professional in their field, not a salesman in a white coat who's going to interrupt me repeatedly and leave me with the same questions I walked in with. In the research that I've done since the pain started, the recommendations I've seen most for helping plantar fasciitis heal is rest, ice, and stretching, not more walking/hiking with continued impact to the area that's hurting. I'm not the expert though, that was supposed to be his job. Thankfully I have benefits but I still wasted $40 for him to confirm what I already knew when he diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis. Thanks buddy...

In the months since the pain set in and leading up to my visit with the podiatrist, I've tried numerous different types of insoles in hopes one of them would help to alleviate the pain. The only ones that helped until recently were Dr. Scholl's Active Series which really didn't provide enough support to keep me comfortable. Most of the others I tried were either tossed in storage or returned to where they were purchased. However, something good did come out of the visit and that's where the physical therapist came into play. 

Since my appointment with the podiatrist, I've been going to physical therapy once or twice a week depending on our schedules and thankfully have noticed some improvement. Before starting physical therapy, I was in pain every day but now that I've been going, it's hit or miss if my foot will feel pain from one day to the next. I'm making progress and have been more optimistic as of late but what's confusing is when I experience pain, it's completely random. I'll go a few days without pain, then back to having my foot nag me all day, then back to not having any pain again. Regardless of if I perform or don't perform the recommended icing and stretches on a given day, it's a guess on if I will experience pain from one day to the next. There have been times where I did the icing and stretches and was in pain the next day and others where I did them and was fine. The same applied if I chose not to do them.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to how, when, or why this happens and pinpointing it has been equally difficult. I told my physical therapist about the random pain and his question to me was, "what are you doing differently?" to which I didn't have an answer, and I really still don't. Since my foot started hurting, I haven't done much as far as strenuous activity and definitely nothing that would create a randomly hurting foot from one day to the next. During the week, I don't often go anywhere but home since it's dark by the time I get done work and during the weekends, I've been careful not to do anything to agitate it.

Another question I have that will likely never be answered is how and when it happened in the first place. I know that after my hike at Peace Valley Park in the beginning of September where I walked extensively on a paved surface was when the pain in my foot really set in. Usually within a day after a long hike, my feet would be fine. Not this time and since then, the pain continued daily until I started going to physical therapy. I could have injured it before then and didn't notice it until after that hike and will likely never know.

There's also the question of the type of insoles I was using at the time that had been purchased about a month before the pain set in. These insoles are shaped nicely and provide good support to my arches but have almost no cushioning in the heels. I think this could have also been a reason for the problem as well. The reason I purchased the insoles in the first place was because of my hiking boots and how thin the rubber soles are in them. As I was hiking, I could feel everything I stepped on through the bottom of my foot. Small rocks, tree roots, sharp edges, you name it. If I stepped on it, I felt it. I thought that using a stiffer insole would help alleviate some of the pain my feet were in at the end of a long day of hiking. I didn't feel as much with the insoles but this could have also been one of the contributing factors to where I am now. 

So the questions linger. Was it walking on a paved surface as compared to a natural trail? Was it the number of times I went hiking using insoles that had little cushioning and gradually bruised and/or tore the plantar fascia under my heel? Was it the change from a more flexible insole to a stiffer one? Was it because of the thin flexible soles in my hiking boots? Did it happen because I was pushing myself too hard? I'm willing to go with all of them but I really wish I knew exactly when and how it happened so I'd know how to correct it instead of guessing. I was lucky and recognized what the pain was relatively quickly and I'm thankful for that. In my research, I've read horror stories from commenters on some of the blogs I visited who were laid up for long periods of time, could hardly walk, and were in excruciating pain where the pain I feel is enough to get my attention but not so painful that it made walking very difficult.

I mentioned earlier that I had opted for a second opinion. On December 15th, I visited a different podiatrist who was actually patient with the patient, listened to what I had to say, and provided insight that was helpful. My only wish is that I could have remembered all the questions I had when I visited the first podiatrist. He discussed some options with me and at first put me in a night splint that will keep the plantar fascia in a more stretched out position which is supposed to help. I decided I wasn't ready for that just yet. As I mentioned, the pain in my heel is enough to be a nag but no so much that I'd want to attempt sleeping with a big plastic boot on my foot. 

The next option and one that I felt was worth a shot first was taping. He used medical tape, a few pieces of felt-type material for padding, and securely wrapped my heel and arch. Not so tight that I couldn't move my foot, but enough so that the heel and arch had a good amount of support. I could still walk and at first it looked a bit like, as the doctor put it, "walking like Frankenstein". Once the tape stretched out a little bit, I returned to walking normally and let me tell you, it made a huge difference. It was near instant relief from the pain and the first time since September where I was comfortable for more than a few days in a row. It made me wonder why it is the previous podiatrist I visited didn't even mention or attempt taping. Actually I don't wonder, he was trying to sell his product.

I'm happy to see progress being made and that it seems I'm headed in the right direction. I did make a bit of a mistake and put a different insert in the shoe of the injured foot (one that was less thick) and it ended up making another part of my foot hurt. With the padding the podiatrist put in with the tape and the slightly raised arch of the insole, it was too much support and was digging into my arch in the middle of my foot. Another lesson learned and one I won't soon forget. The last thing I want to do it make it worse!

So, what does one do if they have or think they may have plantar fasciitis? Among the many medical websites and blogs I've been on, there seems to be some contradicting information on ways to alleviate and prevent the pain but the majority of them agree on the initial treatment. I'm no medical expert and in no way claim to be so take these suggestions with a grain of salt. What may work for one may not work for another. 

First and foremost, if your heel/arch is in pain that doesn't go away on its own, you should see a foot doctor (and hope they don't try for the most expensive solution first) and get an accurate diagnosis. It could be plantar fasciitis, a bone spur, a stress fracture, or a number of other conditions. It would be best to know what the problem is before starting treatment. Here are some of the recommended methods for treating plantar fasciitis:

• Rest your feet and avoid any strenuous activities that may cause the problem to get worse. Speaking from experience, this totally sucks but if you want your foot to heal, you're going to have to deal with it. My doctor gave me the go-ahead to go hiking recently and when I did, I think I re-agitated it so this could be a bit of a setback although it's still not as bad as it originally was.

• Ice the plantar fascia by freezing a bottle of water and rolling your foot on it. I usually wear one of my hiking socks when doing this since direct contact with the frozen water bottle would be too cold. It's going to hurt but make sure you apply pressure to the affected area. I have one spot just under my heel that when I roll over it the first few times, it's a pretty sharp pain but it tends to ease up after applying pressure for a few moments. If time allows, you can do this a few times a day or whenever your foot is in pain.

• Similar to icing the plantar fascia, rolling your foot on a ball of sorts (lacrosse ball, tennis ball, golf ball, ball of yarn, etc.) is said to help as well. I prefer using the water bottle with ice since it's basically killing two birds with one stone. Using a ball will be a little more concentrated to a particular area since there's less of the surface pressing against the bottom of your foot. Like with the frozen water bottle, you want to apply pressure, as much as you can take. You can also use this in conjunction with the icing. Another idea would be to put the ball in the freezer before rolling your foot on it.

• Stretching, stretching and more stretching. Stretch your calves, your Achilles tendon, the muscles around the shin, and the plantar fascia a few times a day. It wouldn't hurt to stretch the hamstrings either. Before you even get out of bed, stretch the fascia for a few minutes. After doing my research, I recall a number of times hiking where I would feel my legs, particularly my calves tightening up quite a bit, especially when going uphill. It turns out those tight muscles can contribute to plantar fasciitis which had I known about at the time, I would have taken a break and stretched before continuing. Adopt a stretching regimen and stick to it even after you get relief, you don't want to have a recurrence. Stretch before, during, and after whatever activity you partake in.

• Tape the arch and heel. I can attest to taping since it brought me near instant relief from the pain. Despite the mistake I made by putting an insole in the shoe with the injured foot, the relief I felt after the good doctor taped me up made a big difference.

• Purchase a good set of insoles. I mentioned Dr. Scholl's insoles earlier and after much research along with trial and error, purchased a set of Powerstep ProTech full length insoles which are very comfortable and brought me some relief from the pain as well. They get excellent reviews with a lot of them mentioning plantar fasciitis. I'd recommend getting the full length insoles regardless of the brand you choose. The 3/4 length or shorter ones tend to shift while inside your shoe/boot. There are also a number of other insoles you can try that get good reviews.

• If your shoes/boots are old and worn out, trash them and get a new pair. I bought my hiking boots earlier this year and they've had their share of miles but I don't consider them to be worn out, not yet at least. As I mentioned though, the soles of my hiking boots are quite thin and offer little support under the arch area. Giving the soles in my boots are so thin, I did purchase a new pair of hiking shoes. Partly because my daily wear sneakers weren't wide enough and were making my toes hurt, and the other part was because the mid-soles in them are more stiff and durable. There seems to be some conflicting information about what type of footwear is better and if a more stiff sole is better or if you should work towards going minimalist. If you're deciding on going minimalist, do your research and don't jump in head-first. Regardless, if your footwear is old and beat up, you should consider purchasing a new pair. I'm leaning towards having shoes with a more stiff mid-sole so my arch isn't being stretched as much as it was with my other hiking boots. 

• See a physical therapist. Icing, stretching, tape, insoles, etc. are all supposed to help and can be done at home but for me, the physical therapist was also doing electrical stimulation on my foot which I believe is a good part of why my heel is starting to feel better. Unless you know electricity well enough to make one of these machines on your own, you're stuck going somewhere that has this treatment available. There's also the massage therapy aspect of physical therapy. My current physical therapist massages my feet, more accurately my heel but I've noticed in my research that there's more to this. From what I've learned with my limited experience, the foot, Achilles, shin (muscles) and calves can all contribute to your pain and can also lead to pain in the ankles, knees, hip and back if the fascia is too tight. I'm not sure if it's from plantar fasciitis but I can definitely attest to the back pain. There were times when I went hiking where within a few miles, my lower back hurt so much, it was hard to move. 

• Other treatments that I'm not going to cover include taking anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen or naproxin which is self-explanatory, night splints, a walking cast, cortisone shots (which I will refuse even if the pain gets that bad) and in a worst case scenario, surgery. There are also some additional stretching exercises you can try that I did not cover.

I could probably go on for several more paragraphs about plantar fasciitis but I think I've bored everyone enough. What I can tell you though, is that this is no laughing matter and if you are experiencing pain in your heel that doesn't subside, don't try to push through it as it could only make matters worse (and likely will). As I've already mentioned before, you will also need to be patient since there is no quick fix solution to this problem. Some have healed quickly where others such as myself have been dealing with it for an extended period of time.

Below are a number of links to sources where I pulled some of my information from. Don't overdo yourself too much though. Sometimes, too much information will put you on overload! There's a wealth of information out there and I don't claim any of the below will be your solution if you have plantar fasciitis, but I do think the information on these sites will be useful.

Mayo Clinic - Plantar Fasciitis
WebMD - Plantar Fasciitis
Ask Well: Plantar Fasciitis Relief
A Complete List of Plantar Fasciitis Exercises
Nine Best Plantar Fasciitis Insoles
The Plantar Fasciitis Survival Guide
Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spurs, Heel Pain 
Dr. Prubit on Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain
What Shoes are Best for Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain - Most of this website is an advertisement for their eBook but this article has some decent information on the type(s) of shoes one might want to invest in.
Livestrong - Plantar Fasciitis - There's quite a bit of redundancy in the articles on this website but there's also some good information as well.
  
Happy adventures and happy hiking!

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Southeastern PA Hiking

Year in Review - The Best and Least Favorite Hikes of 2014

It was a good year of hiking. In all, I went on 36 recorded hikes and a few short ones that I didn't record on my GPS tracks. Some of the hikes I took were before I started my blog and will eventually be posted. Unfortunately, my hiking expeditions were cut short this year by an annoyance known as plantar fasciitis which to this day, is still having an effect on my ability to walk long distances. I've been to a foot doctor and am currently going to physical therapy and it's slowly but surely starting to heal. I have good days and bad days where before, I was experiencing pain every day so progress is being made. There's no quick fix for plantar fasciitis so it's a matter of having patience and doing the exercises and stretches the physical therapist has advised me to do. Luckily, I recognized what it was before it got to a point where I would cause further damage by continuing to hike.

Ok, I got off the beaten path a bit. Time to focus on the actual subject matter at hand which is the best and least favorite hikes of 2014. I was all over the place this year and what's cool about this is, I've hardly touched the surface with the number of places I still have plans to explore (once my foot heals!). Some of my hikes were excellent, others not so much. Originally, I was going to use the word "worst" to describe and title my least favorite hikes but no hike is a bad one in my opinion no matter the conditions. Without further ado, here they are:
 
Favorite Hikes

Wissahickon Valley Park: Not only are there 57 miles of trails at this park, the geography is outstanding. There are lots of rock formations, cliffs, and hills surrounding the Wissahickon Creek along with a number of tributaries that run into the Wissahickon with their own rock formations providing numerous photo opportunities. If you want to go for a leisure stroll, you can take a walk along Forbidden Drive and check out the waterfalls. There's also the Wissahickon Gorge and the hills surrounding the valley around the Wissahickon Creek. I've only covered 10 miles of these trails and will eventually be returning to see more. As an added bonus, most of the trails I was on were in good condition and well worth hiking. 

One of the many rock formations at Wissahickon Valley Park

French Creek State Park - Horse-Shoe Trail: I chose this hike because of the historical information I found out about some of the areas I explored, namely the Six Penny Creek and Day Use Area. Somewhere within the Six Penny Creek area, a community of African-Americans from the south who had escaped slavery were said to have lived in the valley from the 1780's on and worked at the local forges and furnaces (Hopewell, Joanna Furnaces, forges in Birdsboro) as well as other jobs in the vicinity. Starting in 1835, the area was also said to have played an important role in the Underground Railroad movement. 

In the Six Penny area from 1933 to 1942, the Pennsylvania Civilian Conservation Corps also had a role to play although I don't know how much. I have yet to find a solid reference but I believe the CCC were the ones who built the day use area. 

Last but not least, the now abandoned day use area was once a popular swimming spot until the late 1970's when it was closed due to bacteria in the water. At the time, this was one of the only places to go swimming in Berks County since Hopewell Lake had been closed to swimming in 1973 due to contamination of the water caused by geese. There are still remnants of what used to be there and it's well worth the adventure. 

Section of the Six Penny Day Use Area

  
Nockamixon State Park - Mountain Bike Trails: This was the best hike I was on this year as far as the condition of the trails go. While they're supposed to be for mountain biking, there's nothing stopping you from going hiking on them. The trails in this section of Nockamixon State Park are very well maintained and in excellent condition. They don't pose much of a challenge with only a few hills to traverse but the condition they're in and the scenery make the hike well worth while. From what I saw while I was there, it's a pretty popular place for mountain biking so be ready for this if you go. 

Jay Walk section of the mountain bike trails at Nockamixon State Park

Most Challenging

Wissahickon Valley Park: Along with it being one of my favorites, Wissahickon Valley Park was also the most challenging hike I had been on this season. The hills surrounding the valley and the Wissahickon Creek are plentiful, rocky, steep, and will give you an excellent workout. As I've already mentioned, there's also the Wissahickon Gorge you can check out as well as the 57 miles of trails. 

Section of the trail at Wissahickon Valley Park

 
Honorable Mention: French Creek State Park - Mill Creek, Lenape, and Buzzards Trails. If you're looking for a decent challenge, the eastern side of French Creek State Park is a good place to go. While there aren't as many hills as there are at Wissahickon Valley Park, they're steep enough to give you a good test of endurance. These trails are also the most secluded in the park and can be tough to traverse in some areas due to the rocks. Be sure to wear good shoes/boots and bring plenty of water with you. Take note that some of the trails in this section of the park are not well marked, especially within the boundaries of Hopewell Furnace. 

Section of the Lenape Trail at French Creek State Park

Least Challenging 

Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve: This is a nice place to go on a cool spring day or if you'd like to take a leisure walk around a nature preserve. There are few hills and most of the trails are easy to walk. Most of the land at this preserve are relatively open fields and provide little cover so if you're planning on going there, bring sunscreen or go on a day where it's not too hot outside so you won't end up being baked by the sun. The Wissahickon Trail (also known as the Green Ribbon Trail) runs alongside the preserve and can add some distance to your hike. 

Yellow wildflowers in a section of trail at Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve

Peace Valley Park: There are more miles of trails at Peace Valley Park than at Gwynedd Wildlife Preserve and with a few minor exceptions, this hike is almost entirely flat. The area close to the Peace Valley Nature Center and the trails in the northern section that run alongside the North Branch Neshaminy Creek have some hills, but they pose little challenge. The only real challenge to this hike is the distance. If you only hike around Lake Galena, it's approximately 6.5 miles. If you head to the trails in the northern section on both sides of Lake Galena and North Branch Neshaminy Creek, you'll be adding a few more miles to your adventure. Most of the trails at Peace Valley Park are paved which I'm not a big fan of but you'll find unpaved trails in the same areas mentioned above. 

View of Lake Galena from a northwestern section of Peace Valley Park

While I enjoyed every adventure I was on regardless of the conditions, there were a few that I would have avoided or gone elsewhere had I known what I was going to run into.

Least Favorite Hike

Nockamixon State Park - Church and Mink Trails: This was the most messy hike of the season. If you've never been to this section of Nockamixon State Park I'd advise avoiding it since there are plenty of other trails within the park worthy of exploring. If you want to see for yourself, bring waterproof boots, gaiters, hiking poles for balance (no faceplants into deep mud for me, thanks), and a spare set of shoes you can change into after you complete the hike. Since these trails are used for horseback riding, the ground is soft, badly rutted, and when it's wet, there are mud and puddles that are a good few inches above ankle deep and near impossible to avoid unless you want to walk through thick bushes. Not all of the hike was bad, especially the spillway and a few sections of the Mink Trail, but when you spend the majority of your hike trying to work around deep mud and puddles, it tends to put a slight damper on enjoying it. 

Section of Church or Mink Trail with deep mud at Nockamixon State Park

Dishonorable Mention: Tyler State Park - Equestrian Trail: While this certainly doesn't deserve the distinction of being a least favorite hike, giving it a dishonorable mention I felt was appropriate. To be fair, most of Tyler State Park is good hiking with the exception of the equestrian trail that runs along the western side of Neshaminy Creek. Like the Church and Mink Trails at Nockamixon State Park, there are sections where there's deep mud and puddles that are impossible to avoid unless you want to walk through thorn bushes, stinging nettle and poison ivy. Unless you have the proper gear, it would be advised to avoid the trail that runs alongside the creek from the dam above the pedestrian bridge (where the boat launch area is) northward until you reach the Dairy Hill Trail. Some of the unpaved trails are also not very well maintained and tend to be overgrown and hard to find. There were sections where I only knew it was a trail because it had been matted down by previous horseback riders or hikers. 

Section of the equestrian trail at Tyler State Park

Most Popular

These adventures were the most viewed by my readers and for good reason. Both places offer scenic adventures whether they're big boulders or tall cliffs and each have their own challenges that are well worth the effort.

St. Peters Village: I've spoken of St. Peters Village a number of times throughout my blog and am going to say it here too. This is one of my favorite spots to go when I need some quiet time. I've been going there a few times a year for over 20 years and never tire of the place. Most of the time, I usually hang out close to the rocks but if you're looking for an adventure, there are plenty of trails and a few quarries in the area worthy of exploring. I'm not talking about the quarry that's right next to St. Peters Road either, that one is fenced off where the others are easily accessible if you know where to find them. 

Section of rocks on French Creek at St. Peters Village

Ralph Stover State Park: Also known as High Rocks State Park, this park offers a spectacular view of the Tohickon Creek and the valley below from the top of 200 foot cliffs making it a popular attraction throughout the seasons, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing color. My most recent visit was in October to see the fall colors and it was beautiful. These cliffs are also popular for rock climbing. There are also trails which run alongside the Tohickon Creek in both directions, some of which aren't on any map so there's more to explore than one may think unless you go there.

Looking down on the Tohickon Creek from the top of the cliffs at Ralph Stover State Park

Honorable Mentions

These places didn't make it to my list of favorites since I limited myself to three choices but this certainly doesn't mean they're not worthy of the road trip to explore them. If you enjoy outdoor adventures, you'll also enjoy these places. 

Haycock Mountain: I was there twice this past summer and found both experiences to be fascinating. On top of the mountain, there are huge boulders you can climb on, and on the western side, there are four different rock gardens similar to what you'll find at Ringing Rocks County Park in Upper Black Eddy, PA. If you want to check out the rock gardens, you may have to bushwhack to get to a few of them. One of the rock gardens is just off a trail but I was unable to find trails that led to the other two I explored. The fourth I have yet to visit since it's secluded from the rest. 

View looking up towards the top of Haycock Mountain

 
Fiddlers Creek Preserve and Baldpate Mountain: One of two hikes that I took in New Jersey that are just across the border from Pennsylvania. Fiddlers Creek Preserve is a relatively easy hike but once you cross the street to Baldpate Mountain, there are a few areas that will give you a good challenge, one of which I didn't notice until after I had completed my hike which makes a good excuse to return, like I need one! What impressed me about Baldpate Mountain was not only the scenery but also that I hardly found any trash on the trails. I usually end up picking up trash on just about every hike but there, I didn't even find a cigarette butt! 

Section of trail at Baldpate Mountain - yes, this was the trail!

That about wraps it up for this post and for the year 2014 and to say the least, it was an awesome year of hiking. In the beginning of 2014, I could hardly go 6 miles without being tired out or having blisters on my feet (I chose the wrong boot size to start, slightly expensive mistake and a lesson learned) and by mid to late summer, my longest hike was 16 miles. In all, I hiked approximately 231 miles this year with an average ending up at around 6.4 miles per hike. Not too shabby for someone who only this year decided to take hiking more seriously than I used to. I've learned a lot and I still have a long way to go! 

Happy holidays, happy adventures and happy hiking!

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Southeastern PA Hiking

Sourland Mountain Preserve

Date of Hike: Sunday, September 14, 2014

Total Distance: 5.66 Miles

Avg speed: 1.73MPH

Avg moving speed: 2.02MPH

Moving Time: 2:48:23

Total Time:  3:16:00

Conditions: Sunny, 72 Degrees

Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult*

*While the hills at the Sourland Mountain Preserve aren't bad (there's really only one steep hill to climb), the terrain was difficult to traverse due to the rocks. There are a lot of them on the trails throughout the hike and they vary in size from very large to small making walking difficult. There were several areas where the rocks moved under my feet causing my ankles to turn. While I didn't get hurt, I'd strongly recommend that you pay close attention to where you're walking and be sure to wear sturdy hiking boots/shoes. I saw one person trip and take a spill just up the trail from me, fortunately he wasn't injured.

Since my hike at Peace Valley Park a few weeks ago, I started to feel symptoms in my left heel of what could possibly be Plantar Fasciitis so I took last weekend off to give my foot a rest. The pain isn't bad but it was enough to get my attention and I didn't want to take any chances. It seems that either this was building up from previous hikes or that walking on paved surfaces just simply isn't the best idea with hiking boots. My feet were in quite a bit of pain after my hike at Peace Valley and unfortunately, the pain in my heel has lingered. At the beginning of August, I bought new insoles for my hiking boots as well so it could very well be a combination of different factors that led to this. Hopefully, it won't continue to be a problem but this is another reason I cut down on the distance I hiked this weekend.

Yes, I cheated again and went to New Jersey to go hiking but it was well worth it!

Location:
421 East Mountain Road
Hillsborough, NJ  08844
GPS: 40.4719844,-74.6923956

You can get a trail map here but I don't particularly care for this design. It's too small and it's sideways...north is on the right side of the map. Once you get to the preserve parking lot, there's also a small kiosk area where trail maps (same as this one) are provided.  What I did instead was print a trail map by taking a screenshot of the area from Google Maps. I brought both maps with me just in case but used the one I made myself since it was properly facing north. Yes, I'm picky that way!

I started out heading northwest and up the hill to one of the first attractions of this mountain which you'll see in a short moment. This was the steepest climb of the day and it really wasn't a big challenge other than making sure to watch my step. At the trail head and for a short distance, the trail is made of gravel but will eventually lead to natural trails. For those of you who like to wear shorts, you should be ok, most of the trails are in good shape there.

The first of a few bridges that cross over low lying areas

The below sign is a trail marker which you'll see throughout the preserve in different colors. 

Somewhere in this stretch, I ran into a gentleman who stopped me on the trail and advised me of something I hadn't thought about until he brought it to my attention. When I go hiking, I usually carry a towel with me which I hang off the chest strap of my backpack to wipe sweat off my face. It's almost hunting season and the towel I carry with me is white which in his words, looked like a deer's a*s.

So, in order to prevent being mistaken for someone's dinner, I'm off on another adventure to purchase a towel and clothes that are orange (and a safety vest) for when I go hiking during hunting season. I thanked the guy for his insight and continued on my way up the trail.

I'm unsure of hunting seasons in New Jersey since I don't hunt or live in the state but here in Pennsylvania, hunting is not permitted on Sunday but it would be better to err on the side of caution regardless. Make sure to wear clothes that identify you as a human and not someone's dinner!

As you reach the top of the first hill, you're also at the northernmost part of the trail and one of the scenic attractions of the preserve. There are large rocks everywhere and although I didn't see any climbers, some of them are used for bouldering. There are what look to be more trails leading off in different directions but I stayed close to the main ones. Being here reminded me of Haycock Mountain, only much less steep and the trails at Sourland are better marked and much easier to find. The rocks here are large but not as large as what I had seen at Haycock.

I'm not exactly sure where but somewhere in this area, the trail looped around the large grove of rocks (known as Devil's Half Acre Boulders) I had passed and headed south. As you can see, the grove of rocks really didn't come to an end, there just weren't as many of them and they weren't as large as the ones within the grove.

Red trail markers represent the Roaring Brook Trail

There's an old chain link fence in the woods that you'll pass and once you do, a little further down the trail is this opening where another trail will follow the Texas Eastern Pipeline back towards the general direction of the parking lot.

View looking west on the Texas Eastern Pipeline

Looking east on the Texas Eastern Pipeline

I wasn't ready to call it quits and I wasn't interested in hiking a straight line in the sun so I continued south on the Roaring Brook Trail

Fall is quickly approaching!

This was by far one of the coolest events of my hiking adventures this year. As I was walking down the Roaring Brook Trail, no more than about 30 feet away, I ran into this fox. It looked right at me and for some reason, was not even phased by my being so close which actually made me a bit nervous. Normally when a wild animal sees you, they don't stick around for long. After looking at me, it returned to its business of hunting its prey. I stood in place for a while and watched as it jumped into the air towards what I would guess was a field mouse or something similar.

I did my best to snap off as many pictures as possible but most of them ended up being blurry. By this time, several other people who were hiking in the area had caught up to me and were also watching as it casually walked around the rocks in the area. It eventually disappeared behind the rocks and I continued on my way. I've seen foxes before, but usually when driving somewhere or in captivity. This was the first time I had seen one so close in the wild.

After my run-in with the fox, I made my way to Roaring Brook. It's said that when this brook has more water flowing through, it makes a roaring noise which would explain the name. There hasn't been a heck of a lot of rain recently so the brook wasn't much more than a stream of water flowing through the rocks below. This area is beautiful with the boulders stretching down the brook for a distance. Had I been a little more patient and just followed the trail, there was an entrance to the boulders further downstream. Instead, once I noticed the boulders I bushwhacked through the woods to check it out.

This area reminds me of a place a friend of mine introduced me to many years ago called St. Peters Village where a section of French Creek rolls through and there's a long stretch of large boulders similar to this. St. Peters Village is much more easily accessible and the boulders stretch for a longer distance than what I saw here. I plan on going hiking at St Peters soon and will have some better pictures of what I'm referring to. There are some pictures online but they just don't show enough of it.

Update: On September 22, 2014, I finally made it out to St. Peters Village to hike the trails. The above link will take you to my post with plenty of pictures! 

I brushed up against a tree as I was hopping around on the rocks and this stick bug decided to hitch a ride on my arm. Feeling something crawling on me, I reacted with a jerk and at first thought it was a praying mantis. It fell to the rock below and that's when I noticed it was a stick bug.

I always seem to run into these signs just about everywhere I go. On the opposite side of Roaring Brook from the trail and up a small hill, there's a quarry. I did cross Roaring Brook but I stayed on the rocks and didn't go any further.

After exploring Roaring Brook, the trail continued in a southeasterly direction.

As the trail turns in a northerly direction, there are several of these wooden plank type bridges crossing low lying areas.

Below are one of the many examples I considered this hike to be more on the difficult side than moderate. There are long stretches where this is the type of trail you'll be hiking on if you go the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Hiking on surfaces such as this not only puts pressure on your feet and keep your attention in order to prevent twisting an ankle, it also works the legs and your lower back. Even after a few days passed, my legs and back were still sore which for a hike less than 6 miles normally wouldn't cause this after spending the entire spring and summer hiking. Some of this could also be that I took a week off but I wouldn't have expected to be as sore as I was regardless.

These next few pictures aren't the trail I was walking on but a stream bed that crossed it.

Somewhere in here, I ended up missing a turn and found myself at the Texas Eastern Pipeline again. I wanted to turn east on another trail further back and loop to the north on my return to the parking lot. When I ended up on the pipeline, I decided to follow it back towards my car instead of doubling back.

One last shot of the pipeline before getting to the parking lot

That was about it for my adventure at Sourland Mountain Preserve. As you approach the parking lot, there's a pond that I had intended to take pictures of when I got to it but once I arrived there, it looked a bit mucky and I didn't find anything worthy of taking pictures. We've had some rain in the recent weeks but nothing significant so the water level of the pond has dropped quite a bit leaving a ring of mud around the pond...not attractive at all. 

In all, the hike around the preserve was challenging and fun and as always, I'm fascinated by what Mother Nature's fingerprint has to provide. I'm glad to have checked it out and eventually, I'm pretty sure I'd like to return to take a look at some of the trails I didn't hike on this time around. There's also another section of the preserve that I didn't explore and would like to check out. You can find the trail map for this section here.

Sadly enough, after my hike at Sourland, my left heel and foot continues to have pain (no help that the terrain was mostly rock trails) so I'm not sure about what the recent future will look like when it comes to my adventures. I hope this doesn't end up being a long term problem but from what I've researched about Plantar Fasciitis over the last few weeks, it isn't something that heals quickly. The pain isn't bad but it also hasn't gone away either. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't get worse and if it does, my blog may be taking a bit of a hiatus until the heel gets better. Hoping for the best!

Happy hiking and happy adventures!

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Southeastern PA Hiking