SlimCache

GC1E385 - Cousins River Trail - Short
GC132ZP - Shambud's First
GC1E381 - Cousins River Trail - Bonus
GC1E37T - Cousins River Trail - Long

Ahhhh, to get back on the trail. That ear infection really slowed me down. I was starting to forget just how gratifying caching could be. Granted, these weren't especially difficult caches today, but it still felt great to get outdoors. It has rained here in Maine for the last month pretty much steadily so that's put a damper (hehehaw) on outdoor activities as of late.

These caches were found along the Cousins River Trail, a relatively new project of the Freeport Conservation Trust adjacent to the Casco Bay YMCA. From the FCT's page :

The new trail on FCT’s adjacent preserve enhances what you can do at the Y by providing a place for outdoor exercise, and a chance to enjoy the beauty of the woods and the shore of the Cousins River. The Cousins River one of the little known gems of Freeport. I recommend you take walk or go snowshoeing on the new trail.

I would recommend these caches for those just starting out. If you've honed your geosenses a little the hides might not prove much challenge. I think they're great examples though for players early in the game. Sometimes even seasoned veterans might enjoy these too as it's really hard to appreciate the beauty of an area when you're consternated over a really tricky hide.

It's not too far of a trek in and out of the trail so to turn this into more of a walk I parked about 3/4 mile away from the first cache. Doing this yielded a 4.03 mile walk today doing 3.2 mph while moving. I've further customized my heart rate monitor to include a target zone specifically for hiking and walking rather than strong cardio. That zone is 115 bpm - 134 bpm. Today's average heart rate fell outside the zone at 136 bpm, as did the maximum of 167. Perhaps I still need to tinker with the zone a little. 50% of the 938 total calories burned were from fats.

A really good day I'd say for not having been out for a little while. 938 calories is nothing to sneeze. Please check out Cousins River if you're planning a trip to the Freeport area. We'd love to have you.