Hope springs eternal.
- The sun is always shining.
- The flowers are always blooming.
- There are no bugs.
- The trail is always flat.
- There are no rocks.
- It never rains.
- It’s never too cold.
- It’s never too hot.
- There’s never overcrowding.
- Your gear always works.
- Your physical conditioning is always good.

Figure 1: “Sun on lake” by George Jones is licenced under CC SA 4.0
This is bloodroot. I also saw a few early violets. The daffodils are up. The forsythia are starting. Red-buds soon. Then dogwoods. Spring in northern Virginia !

Figure 2: “Spring Flowers” by George Jones is licenced under CC SA 4.0
This is a nice flat stretch. Somehow every time you start you think it will be like this.

Figure 3: “Perfect trail” by George Jones is licenced under CC SA 4.0
This is a water-removal feature that was being installed by fellow trail maintainers as I hiked. It is a textbook example that follows the “SET” principal where the features are Sustainable, Effective and Traversable.

Figure 4: “Water Removal - Textbook Example” by George Jones is licenced under CC SA 4.0
Somehow, getting out in nature in early spring renews hope.
#22 of #100DaysToOffload take 2, https://100daystooffload.com/