Walking/Hiking Trails: Ridley Creek State Park

When you think sled dog racing you think of Alaskan huskies, Samoyeds, Alaskan malamutes, Siberian huskies, spitz breeds, hell even barge dogs and working breeds maybe.  Boston terrier is not the breed you think of when you think of sled dog racing.  But!  I am a “victim of circumstance” and I own Jude, my at-the-time 13-year-old, partly deaf, still spry, always mischievous and looking for a meal, Boston terrier.  Mix.  I don’t know what he is mixed with, but he is a misshapen, vulgar, dog, whose previous owners swore he was pure – that they drove and picked him up from the kennel – but I can assure you, he is a mix.  And that’s fine, I love mutts; I love Jude.  But I would not have gone out of my way and picked Jude as my constant canine companion; no, he ended up in my lap in 2011 and we have been together ever since.  He is rude, misbehaves, eats anything, intentionally annoys all other living creatures, stinks, deaf, a taco thief, and constantly confused about his place in the hierarchy of our household.  He is not a mushing dog.  But – in my previous posts about clothing and workout wear, I stated to “work with what you got,” so that’s what I am doing – working with what I’ve got – and I got Jude – and Bulma too, with her hip/knee problems and total lack of respect around other dogs – yes, I’m working with what I’ve got.  What I do have, is a love for my dogs and a passion for mushing, sled dog racing, the Iditarod, and dog sports in general.

I kept waiting, holding off joining a sled dog group.  I wanted to have a dog that I could work with, not one that is a total spaz around 4-legged creatures and another who’s face is firmly, and unwelcomingly, planted up other dogs’ butts [Jude].  I have quite the duo.  Jealous?  But then I moved.  I moved from the Midwest – from Wisconsin – where there are great small races and a community of mushers, where I was an easy drive from Minnesota and Michigan, where there are more great races and a dog sports atmosphere.  And now I am in the city, outside of Philadelphia, wishing I would have just joined a group and started in dog sports in some fashion.  Just, got involved.  Just did something!  Not waited.  Definitely not waited.

I joined the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club early 2021.  I attended a meeting.  And it opened me up to other clubs that I friended on Facebook.  It keeps me in the know in multiple regions.  One of these other groups posted a virtual dog race, late Winter of 2021.  Mushers would keep track of their distance and run times on their phones and then post screen shots of their results.  Mushing is not the only cold weather sport to do with dogs – there is also skijoring, which is skiing while being tethered and pulled by your dogs and bikejoring, which is being pulled on a bike or “vehicle” similar to a bike, while tethered to dogs.  These, and just simply running with your dogs, were all acceptable ways to compete in this virtual race if you didn’t have the means to mush with a sled.  I paid my $10 a race entry fee and entered Jude in the 4-mile race and Bulma in the 2-mile race.  I wasn’t going to mush or skijor (I’ve never been skiing) and definitely not bikejor (I don’t even own a bike right now) and no, I don’t run.  I was going to briskly walk the race with my pups – Jude on a Saturday and Bulma on a Sunday.  Knowing I would come in last place, I happily found a trail that I would use for Jude’s race – rec path at Ridley Creek State Park.  It was paved, it was a loop, it was well used, close to home, had bathrooms if needed, and allowed my husband and daughter to join in on the action – though I don’t think they were as excited about it as I was.

This “race” would be the first time I had hiked any of the trails at Ridley Creek State Park.  I have since hiked them all, as it was a part of my Yule Boasts for 2021.  My husband, daughter and I’s Winter holiday is Yule.  We celebrate by doing “Boast and Brags” which is essentially bragging about what we did in the closing year and boasting about what we are going to doing in the coming year.  It is quite similar to New Year’s resolutions.  I personally love Boast and Brags because man do I love planning.  I joke that if I write it down on paper for Boast and Brags, it is going to happen!  I don’t make all of my boasts, but take them seriously.  Before we make our boasts and brags, we toast the gods, ancestors, and spirits (house and land wights).  My boasts are not made hastily; there is thought put into them.  And we are in the presence of those other than ourselves.  I’m not going to run my mouth, saying I can do all sorts of things and then not even try!  Throughout the year, I check back on my goals and adjust life to do my best to make them happen.  One of my goals for 2021 was to plan and execute a decent/challenging (for me – I’m no pro) hike.  But then I remembered that my husband and daughter would be with me, and they are not as into it as I am, so I decided upon a serious of smaller hikes, ones that could be pieced together throughout the year.  Ridley Creek State Park’s Rec, Orange, Yellow, White, and Blue trails made it on the list of things to accomplish for my hiking boast.  I completed it, with this race as a family (Rec), with my daughter, (Yellow) solo (Orange and White), and with my daughter, a friend of mine and her children (Blue).  It was a great boast.

I was excited as I packed layers of clothes, drinks for the whole family, snacks to keep a 4-year-old happy, let’s face it – snacks to keep a husband happy, dog treats, poop bags – I was set.  Jude took this opportunity to get ready for the race too.

When we got there, I had my husband take a picture of Jude and me.  I was so giddy.  My first sled dog race!!  So exciting!!  I was a musher!

The paved path is wide, clean, well-marked and heavily used.  I was trying to keep Jude at a well moving pace, brisk.  I actually had to shed a layer or too as I worked up a sweat.  And Jude enjoyed it too – staying ahead, keeping pace, happy to be out and about like he always was.

I did slip on ice.  Landed square on both my knees.  Gods, did it hurt.  But – I was in a race!  I got back up and finished our walk.

And for a “musher,” her husband and 4-year-old daughter, and a 13-year-old Boston terrier mixed mutt, we did pretty good.

The next morning, I woke up early and “hitched up” Bulma for her 2-mile walk.  I had to wake up in the dark and get it over with early, as Bulma really does not do well on city walks.  Too many other dogs, too many other noises and distractions.  And she did good – slowing at the end as her hip/knee bothered her.

I submitted my times online for our races and gleefully looked at other mushers’ pictures, stats, and remarks.  I was a part of the community I longed to be associated with.  I was feeling great!  I was a part of the group.

A couple of days later, I readied Jude for another walk, expecting it to be a couple of miles.  Jude was tired and requested we head home early.  We were only in the neighborhood, so it was no bother; we went home early.  I tried to take Jude out for a longer walk again, and he once again requested to be returned to his dog bed.  Jude was tired.

That was the last “long walk” I did with Jude.  He now stays around the neighborhood, mostly around the block.  He’s old – he’s tired.  So, I take him out for a short, quick walk and deliver him back to his bed and he is happy.

Ridley Creek State Park was the last long walk with Jude.  It is bittersweet, as it was a great walk, but I wanted to repeat the Rec trail walk.  I wanted to do it again with Jude.  I attempted to get to the Ridley Creek State Park office to get a stamp in my Pennsylvania State Park book, signifying I had been there – but for the life of me, I cannot get in, maybe because of Covid?  Also, I have showed up to the park and it has technically been “open,” but no vehicles are allowed in, and no vehicles can park around the park.  We have come for an event listed as happening online, only to be told “no” because of Covid.  I’ve had positive experiences in this park, but also disappointing and frustrating ones as well.  And sadly, the frustrating/disappointing ones currently outnumber the positive ones.  I know this is a great park; I have experienced great hikes here.  There is also horseback riding and a colonial plantation exhibit, both of which I have yet to partake in.  I know this is a gem in the area – but I need to get out here and collect more positive experiences – which I intend on doing this year, 2022, with the addition of our new puppy!  Pictures and tales of our travels and more are to come with this new pup!  Hope everyone is doing great in the new year.  Get out there – get walking and hiking and doing!  Until next time!