Although CRM archaeologists do field work throughout the year, the winter tends to be a relatively fallow period (though, as you will see if you go back through the December and January entries on this blog, I was pretty damn busy this year). Regardless, it's a been a little while since I last surveyed, and oh do my legs know it.
We had a field project this week, a 450-acre survey in agricultural land in Madera County, in preparation for a major energy installation. We walked straight a north-bound line, half a mile long, and at the end of the line, we shifted over so that we would walk over ground not yet covered, and headed south. The ground was rolling, but not difficult terrain by any means. The air was cool, but not cold, and ti was, on the hole, very good survey conditions. We easily covered 60 acres per person each day that we were on the ground.
So why the hell are my legs and feet so damned sore?
The reason, I know, is that all of my field work for the last few months has been excavation, and survey works a different set of muscles. While I routinely take long walks, I normally don't do so for eight hours straight, while carrying equipment. Also, I have always had bad feet, and they are just bound to be sore.
Still, it's good to get broken in again. We have four more energy-related surveys coming up, and each of them will require that I be back in shape. Better to start with the easy one.
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