I recruited my friends Jamie and Doug to join me on a post-Independence Day hike. We met up at the small parking lot at the corner of Chickatawbut and Randolph. Once we hit the trail and I started up all the apps, I cautioned them that everything we say is recorded and posted to YouTube. There was a brief pause of consideration, and then we proceeded to have the same uncensored chats us middle-aged guys have all the time, which varies from middle-school level “that’s what she said” and bathroom jokes to the more serious crap that no one under 40 is worried about – yet. The weather was warmer and muggier than expected but it was slightly overcast with just enough of a breeze for occasional cooling relief. The guys were patient with my seemingly random route that was plotted out to fill in the blanks from previous days hikes. They did heartily join in on the trail marker selfies and hammed it up reliably. We spent most of our time hiking up and down Chickatawbut Hill and around the Chickatawbut Tower. The Tower was closed off with an impressive locking system that we all stopped to examine and discuss potential weaknesses should we want to crack it open. The hike included the complete path around the fenced off Norman Smith EEC and it’s associated summer camp. After our second descent down Chickatawbut, we did a small side loop formed by Bouncing Brook, Braintree Pass, and Lee Path. As I write out this synopsis, I’m realizing it’s much shorter than usual. Not because little was discussed, but because so much was discussed that to delve into it a little would cause me to delve into all of it. So if you really want a more in-depth review of the hike and our discussions, fire up the video and enjoy the fly-on-the-wall experience of three Dads walking in the woods.
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