On certain days I have to create an activity to get me moving and push me out the door. I have been increasingly using the All Trails app to find accessible trails in my area. I decided to head to Brece which is a 10 minute drive from my house and explore an 11 km loop trail. It was advertised as an easy walk that followed a stream past many water mills and farmland.

Sophie and I put on our warm clothes and headed off as intrepid explorers. Initially, the trail was easy and well maintained but very shortly it got wet, muddy and slippery. It followed pasture fences through farmland, over dirt roads and along La Colmont river. I thought the trail was beautiful and the setting combined with the weather made me feel like I was in Scotland.

Several old mills stood with signs explaining their original purpose and when they had been built. Most of the stone buildings were standing in ruin but a few were intact and looked like they had been repurposed as homes. Most of the now-quiet mills processed grains and flour back in the day.

Sophie and I started to get really wet. The path that followed the river frequently was underwater and we had to find ways to cut to higher ground or jump from rock to root to keep our feet dry. At some point, around the 8 km mark, my sneakers had gone completely underwater. Wet feet are really not fun. Poor Sophie was getting groomed the next day and was hopelessly wet, matted and muddied. To keep things interesting and to prevent my wet feet from freezing, we began running any portion that was along the road or on even ground.

I haven’t been running at all this winter so it was something to be running in my winter gear, carrying a backpack, and sloshing in soaked sneakers. Sophie seemed to recognize the running would hasten the process of finding warmth. She and I jogged along until thankfully, we spotted the church spire in Brece which let us know the loop was almost complete. Shortly thereafter we noticed a large statue of Mary in the middle of the woods which was a bit spooky.

I won’t say I regret taking the walk, but I regret choosing a wet trail on such a raw, gray day. Also, I think when Sophie is with me, I should cap my walks at 5-6 miles. She and I were both exhausted when we returned home. After a bath for both of us, I blew dry Sophie’s hair and we spent the rest of the afternoon snuggled by the fire.