August 25, 2023

Day 3 of the Wicklow Way is also Norman’s birthday! Happy Birthday!

The chilly day began with ominous clouds with mist turning to rain. We were determined not to end up soaked as we were on the first day, so we stopped to don our rain gear. Just as one would hope, that had the desired effect. The clouds gave way to blue sky and sunshine.

Much of our hike was through old forest. The planted forest is now at maturity. Some trees are being harvested to thin the forests. Meanwhile, new forests are being planted adjacent to the old plots. The only deer we have seen have been in these forests. The mosses on the ground are lush and dense. Often, we didn’t see streams flowing through the forest, but, if we stopped, we heard the water running. The streams are sometimes five or six feet below the forest floor. It’s a magical and surreal world.

We enjoyed the shorter hiking day. I only recorded 20,000 steps.