After our first 10 mile ride along the Cape Cod Rail to Trail, Benjamin and I were still feeling pretty good, so we decided to check out another trail called the Nauset.
This 2 mile beauty was part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. It followed the sand dunes from the Salt Pond Visitor Center, out to a gorgeous salt marsh, and finally to the Atlantic at Coast Guard Beach.
The trial was paved, thankfully, because even though my trusty bike is a mountain bike, capable of some serious off roading, riding in sugar sand is out of the question for my hip. It was challenging enough to push my body on those rolling hills, but I did it! And the rewards were spectacular!
We reached the boardwalk that extended at least 50 yards over the marsh, and parked our bikes to gaze. When the air smells like salt and wet grass, I feel like I can breathe. I feel like I am in this landscape that combines the fresh water marshes of my childhood in Wisconsin, and the salt beaches of my young adulthood in Florida. Perfect. The extra bonus was riding right out to Coast Guard Beach. Wow! I am going to include a post that more specifically describes all that we saw at this beach, but for now, let me just say waves, waves, waves, open sky and blue. Ah…
I was exhausted after 12 miles in one day, but we still had to get back to the car. Benjamin offered to bike back alone and let me sit on the beach until he came to pick me up. My hip was humming, but I really wanted to go back through those dunes again. I wanted to try. Then, I saw a snake, just as we were about to get on the trail, and of course, I took it as a sign. I would need to gather all the strength of the muscles in my legs to go, but I’d shed my skin, and I’d make it back. I did 14 miles that day. Take that arthritis!
