That's more like it

 My promise to myself was that if the temp went above 40 I would walk outside; rain or shine. Or snow on the ground. So today it was back to Valley Forge's Mt Joy and Mt Misery for a 3.6 mile, 1+25 walk. Lovely. I had forgotten how much nicer it is to walk outdoors. It was a little muddy/slushy in parts, but overall the footing was fair to good (I always use hiking poles). I started out with an SPF50 body shirt, under an SPF30 hoodie (thin), under a down vest under a down puffy jacket, with a fleece hat and wool gloves. 30 minutes in I shed the puffy, 15 min later I shed the vest, then the fleece hat and gloves. In the end, after the ups and downs and 3.6 miles, I was quite comfortable in just the hoodie/body shirt, and blue jeans. It was great to be able to shed just the right amount to keep from sweating. Note to self. I could have done with gators to protect my lower legs from the slush/mud kicked up by my feet. 

Boots felt better than they do on the treadmill, which makes me feel better about the size. I didn't need an 8 but the 7.5 is -just- big enough (the group think is to go 1/2 size bigger for hiking boots as your feet swell over a hike). I think I like 'em. 

Ordered a new 32Degrees rain jacket today, dammit. Checked EVERYWHERE I could have left mine, and just couldn't find it. Also some NixWax spray on rainproofing to double up. 

On a side note: props to whomever XC skied along the trail! Unbelievable! No easement, lots of rocks and trees, and serious slope up/down involved. Need to get myself over there when there's a good snow.